Table of contents for Multihull Sailor Winter 2021 in SAIL

The Bali 4.8 will make for a great vacation choice when on charter with its spacious forward cockpit, coachroof lounge area and the additional relaxation area created by connecting the two sugar-scoop sterns with a bench seat. A full-size refrigerator in the galley will come in handy for feeding guests—up to 12 can be seated comfortably in the saloon’s dining area. The boat comes in five layouts, including an arrangement with six cabins and six heads, almost unheard of in a boat of this size. The hull layup includes a foam core and is infused in polyester with an anti-osmotic vinylester layer below the waterline. The deck is also infused with a foam core in the interest of creating a structure that is as strong and light as possible The…

Though the smallest of Neel’s trimarans, the Neel 43 is no less impressive. As with the rest of the Neel line, it doesn’t lack for either accommodation or storage space, with eight berths (three doubles and two singles forward in each ama) and a large “garage” set low in the central hull for containing things like the engine, tanks and tools. Also like its predecessor, the 43 features what Neel calls its “cockloon,” a versatile living space that allows for free movement between the indoor and outdoor spaces, all well protected by a hardtop. The hulls and deck are constructed in a vacuum-infused composite sandwich with carbon-fiber reinforcements in high-load areas. Finally, a narrow central hull, svelte amas and a powerful rig all promise the same kind of sparkling performance…

Designed by VPLP of America’s Cup and Vendée Globe fame, the Outremer 55 represents the latest iteration of what longtime multihull builder Outremer feels a high-performance bluewater cruising cat should look like. The boat’s narrow hulls and daggerboards, for example, ensure fast passage times, while all sail controls are led aft to the boat’s twin helm stations to ensure ease of use. In a new feature for Outremer, the helms can be tilted either inboard or outboard, providing an unobstructed view forward and of the rig when the weather is good, and the ability to get in under the boat’s bimini when it’s not. The hull and deck layup are comprised of fiberglass, carbon fiber and multiple core materials, with both vinylester and polyester used to ward off blistering and…

One of the great things about even the speediest of tris is that they often offer a surprising amount of accommodation space, making them great little pocket cruisers. Case in point, the all-new Corsair 880, a foldable speedster that is as comfortable as it is quick, with standing headroom belowdecks and berths for five. So serious is Corsair about keeping people comfortable, it’s offering such options as a bimini, boom tent, 12-volt cooler, solar panels, manual or electric toilet, and even a generator and heater/AC unit! Of course, this kind of boat is also all about performance, and to this end the 880 comes equipped with a centerboard and high-aspect rig with square-top main. For those in search of yet more horsepower, a “sport” version of the boat is available,…

Fresh from the 2020 Düsseldorf boat show where one of his boats won a number of major awards, you might have expected French naval architect Olivier Racoupeau to be taking a break. But when I catch up with him by phone, he sounds breathless and concerned about his next deadline, no great surprise given the wages of success in this industry are more work. In fact, yet another one of the larger fruits of that success had just been unveiled at the Düsseldorf show in concept form—the SWCAT90 from South Africa’s Southern Wind, 90ft of customizable carbon-fiber sandwich offering a generous 2,228ft2 of deck space and 1,840ft2 internally. In creating the cutting-edge design, Racoupeau and the La Rochelle-based Berret Racoupeau design office of which he is the head, had not…

Sportscar builders say, “Speed costs, how fast do you want to go?” This is also true of boats. And if you can foot the bill, Hudson Yacht & Marine will be more than happy to provide you with all the speed, luxurious accommodations and outstanding construction you could ever want in its new HH50. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION The HH50 is the smallest boat in the Hudson Yacht Group line, but its quality is equal to the company’s larger boats, which include an 88-footer. The entire HH line is produced in a new 1.2 million-ft2 factory in Xiamen, China, that is well equipped with CNC cutting machines, resin-infusion facilities, woodworking shops and testing facilities. The design comes from Morelli & Melvin, and the hull and deck consist of post-cured infused carbon…

When developing its new 46-footer, Lagoon had two issues to contend with. First, the immense popularity of its recently introduced groundbreaking 50 set high expectations for the smaller design. The question therefore became how to pack all of the 50’s innovative features onto a more compact platform. Second, since the 46 replaces the immensely successful Lagoon 450, Lagoon couldn’t afford a misstep. With nearly 800 units of its predecessor having launched, it was imperative that it get the new design right. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION France’s VPLP designed the Lagoon 46 along with Patrick Le Quement, and you can see the resemblance to her bigger sister in both the angular transoms and the sloping hardtop that lifts up at the aft end, creating the perception of movement. At first, the wraparound…

To say there’s a lot that goes into creating an all-new boat has got to be one of the world’s great understatements. And the job only becomes exponentially harder when boats get smaller, rather than larger—a point that is lost on many—as every inch of space must be used precisely. To gain some insight into the nuts and bolts of the process, we reached out to the folks at Balance Catamarans to ask them some questions about their new 442. Currently under construction down in South Africa (where Balance has been building its boats since its founding in 2013) the boat will be the smallest of a line of performance catamarans that includes a 76-footer as its flagship and a very popular 52ft model, and carries on the company’s tradition…

This is not a racing boat. However, if you want comfort afloat and plenty of room for your sailing friends, the aptly named Bali Catspace is the vessel for you. “Rarely,” Bali claims, “has a catamaran of this size offered so much habitable volume,” and they’re not kidding. Aft, a large “tilt-and-turn” door allows you to combine the cockpit, saloon and galley area into a single vast living space. Topside, there’s an oh-so-comfortable flybridge lounge just aft of the boat’s single wheel, while forward is yet another expansive lounging area between the two bows. Belowdecks, you have the option of an owner’s version, in which the entire port hull is given over to the master cabin, or a “Family” version with no less than four separate cabins, each with a…

The recently launched Dragonfly 40 represents a truly spectacular effort on the part of Denmarks’ Quorning Boats, both in terms of speed potential and amenities. Available in either a “Touring” version with a self-tacking jib, or a turbocharged “Ultimate” version, with an overlapping headsail, the boat features a carbon mast, a batten-car system for the main, the option of a fixed sprit and twin helms aft. The amas include a pair of deck hatches providing easy access to a wealth of storage space, and the accommodation space belowdecks in the main hull (long a Quorning specialty) looks to be both well-thought-out and comfortable, with an L-shaped galley to port and a private double cabin aft. Finally, there’s Quorning’s proprietary “Dragonfly Swing Wing” system, which allows you to deploy and retract…

If space to stretch out in is what you crave, look no further than Fountaine-Pajot’s new Samana 59 cruising cat, which comes complete with a truly enormous flybridge for watching the world go by. For those who want to get out of the wind, there’s also the almost 300ft2 cockpit aft or the very comfy looking saloon and forward-facing nav station. Want to get a little closer to the water without getting out of the sun? How about the lounging area forward? Belowdecks, up to six separate cabins can be had, not counting crews’ quarters. Aesthetically, despite all this lounging and accommodation space, the Samana 59’s inverted bows, reverse sheer and nicely sculpted hull windows create a look that pretty appealing as well. LOA 59ft 8in BEAM 31ft 1in DRAFT…

The latest addition to the German-built, MiniCat inflatable beach cat line, the new MiniCat 460 Elite features a carbon-fiber mast that will not only make it that much easier to put up the rig when getting ready to sail, but make it that much easier to control the boat in heavy air. Marketed in the United States by Red Beard Sailing, the boat weighs just 128lb, but can carry as many as four people. It is fully portable and can be inflated and assembled on-site in a little over a half hour. No tools are required. The hulls are fabricated from a super-tough material known as Hey-Tex and include a pair of low-aspect fin keels for directional stability. Framing is aluminum. You can even rig the boat to fly a…

GETTING STARTED One of the first decisions you need to make when looking for a blade is whether to go with fixed or folding. With a folding blade, you get convenience and the fact that it can be easily tucked away. However, you also have to compromise in terms of durability and stability when you’re actually putting the blade to use. Fixed blades are typically stronger and easier to clean. But they are also generally bulkier and require a sheath for safe storage or carrying. That said, with its Couteau de Sauvetage offshore rescue knife, Wichard is now offering a knife that in many ways offers the best of both worlds by providing the strength and simplicity of a fixed blade in a small, convenient package ($75, marine.wichard.com). Features include…

www.lugoon.marina.com To go behind the scenes of a well-run major regatta is to wonder at a marvel of organizational skill. Going behind the scenes at the 2020 Caribbean Multihull Challenge held off the island of St. Maarten this past winter, not so much—and that’s a good thing. Gathered around the scoring table up in the second-floor conference room of the Sint Maarten Yacht Club—host of the event in its first two years, and set to host the regatta again in 2021—one of the first questions was whether our sole handheld VHF was working. It was already blowing in the mid-20s out on Simpson Bay, with gusts up to 30-plus and the occasional squall, and the scoring crew was understandably curious as to who exactly it was milling about in the…

When first introduced nearly a decade ago, Neel trimarans seemed little more than an oddity, an intriguing variation in an ever-burgeoning menu of cruising multihulls. Since then these unique, fixed-ama tris, with their immense solid bridgedecks reminiscent of the first plywood tris of the last century, have proven themselves a worthy alternative to their more-common catamaran brethren. The new Neel 47 not only slots neatly in between the original Neel 45 and larger Neel 51, filling out what now amounts to a full range of offerings, it also introduces an interesting innovation in multihull accommodations. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION As with previous Neels (all drawn by designers Michel Joubert and Bernard Nivelt) the 47’s main hull carries pronounced rocker, which combined with a concentration of weight low and amidships, produces a…

Director Zach Carver’s documentary Race to Alaska has won a spot in the 2020 Vancouver International Film Festival (viff.org). The film follows the five-year history of the 750-mile race, also known as the R2AK, and is being heralded as “bracing, immersive and wonderfully congenial.” The R2AK, which has featured a surprising number of multihulls over the years, sends mariners and boats of all kinds from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska. The main rules: no engines, no outside help. The winners get $10,000. Second place finishers get a set of steak knives. For more on the event, go to r2ak.com.…

Although the smallest boat in the Fountaine-Pajot line of cats, the Isla 40 (which takes the place of the Lucia 40) still packs a lot of boat into its 40ft of LOA. With its dramatic reverse sheer, inverted destroyer bows and angular lines, it’s also darn good looking. A single raised helm station is located to starboard with the main traveler spanning the width of the hard dodger aft. Belowdecks there is a choice of either three or four cabins, and the saloon includes a spacious L-shaped cabin to port. There’s also a lounging area forward of the cabintrunk and a nice bench seat spanning the width of cockpit immediately forward of the boat’s dinghy davits. LOA 39ft 2in BEAM 21ft 10in DRAFT 4ft DISPLACEMENT 21,280lb, Fountaine-Pajot Sailing Catamarans, catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com…

In teaming up on the Leopard 42, South Africa’s Robertson and Caine and Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design have created a follow-up to their successful Leopard 40 that features an attractive new angular aesthetic coupled with an additional entertainment area in the form of a coachroof lounge and larger cabins. In a nice touch, the elevated lounge can be accessed via a set of steps to port, meaning guests won’t have to intrude on the helm area to starboard. Stepped hulls help reduce wetted surface area, while blunt ends maximize sailing length. An overlapping genoa and the option of a powerful square-top main serve to keep the boat moving when things go light. The boat is also available for charter ownership through The Moorings as the Moorings 4200. LOA 41ft…

The Seawind 1370 is light and nimble enough to provide outstanding performance even when loaded up for cruising. The hulls are constructed using a vinylester resin infusion laminate with a PVS foam core and a hybrid of e-glass and carbon fiber for increased strength and rigidity. Twin helms are tucked away beneath a hardtop, with sheets, reefing lines and halyards all led aft to a set of electric winches. The boat’s accommodations feature an open-concept approach, with the cockpit, galley and helms all on the same level, making socializing simple. Accommodation plans with three or four cabins are available. The boat’s self-tacking jib and high-aspect square-top main provide a nice combination of power and ease-of-use. C-Zone digital switching is available as an option, as is a high-capacity Mastervolt lithium battery…

Good things aren’t the only things that come in small packages. Fast things can come in small packages, too, like the inflatable Happy Cat beach cat, now marketed in the United States by Red Beard Sailing. Designed with performance in mind, the boat’s vulcanized rubber hulls (think car-tire rubber) come equipped with wave-piercing bows, while a centerboard helps with tracking, especially when sailing hard on the wind. Three different iterations are available: the 13ft 9in Happy Cat Neo: the 15ft 3in Happy Cat Evolution, and the 16ft 4in Happy Cat Hurricane, which has been clocked at speeds of over 20 knots. Assembly of all three models takes a little over a half hour, and the boats can all be easily transported to the beach or tucked away aboard the “mother…

Granted, to call the new Excess 11 catamaran “small” is nuts. At 37ft long and nearly 22ft wide, she’s anything but petite. Nonetheless, as the entry point into Beneteau’s new Excess (or XCS) line, which also includes the Excess 12 and 15, she’s the baby of a bunch. More to the point, this baby exceeded all expectations on a recent test sail on the Chesapeake Bay. DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION VPLP is the naval architect behind the Excess line. Patrick Le Quement has also contributed exterior flair while Nauta Design has focused on the interiors. The hull for the XCS 11 is all-new, as opposed be being comprised of repurposed Lagoon sections, as was the case with the 12 and 15, with twin chines leading aft, creating more interior volume and…

When you say “sailboat,” most people envision a lovely sloop with a tall mast and single hull. Say charter, though, and people think colorful brochures with catamarans anchored off some tropical island. Here’s why. SPACE INVADERS Conventional wisdom says a catamaran has about 1.25 times the space of a monohull for a given LOA. Beyond that, the way this space is used also gives a point to the cats, especially with large groups. Cats, for example, typically have much bigger cockpits, which quickly become social hubs. Some cats even have a second cockpit forward, so that as you swing in the trade winds with your bows facing east at happy hour, you can tuck up in the shade of the cabintrunk rather than burning up in the direct sunshine aft.…