The Multihull Centre in Cornwall is no stranger to innovation. The Millbrook yard, nestled up a Tamar creek, has undertaken some fascinating custom projects, including in recent years the full rebuild and conversion to a luxury powercat of the Gunboat 55 Rainmaker, which dismasted and was lost at sea. It has designed and built bespoke wheelchair accessible fast multis, including the record breaking Impossible Dream, which Geoff Holt sailed across the Atlantic unassisted. And the Rapier 550 was another project that we could tell was way ahead of its time when we sailed it in 2014 – in terms of push-button sailing a large cat from inside.

Since 1988 Dazcat has been its long term small production range of cruiser-racers, a brand named after founder and co-designer Darren Newton. Thanks to the world’s biggest YouTube sailing channel (Sailing La Vagabonde) doing a recent vlog on them, Dazcat is currently in the limelight and it unveiled plans earlier this year for this new flagship Dazcat Ocean Cruiser 55.

This Dazcat Ocean Cruiser 55 is aimed at very fast, yet easy ocean cruising, designed for two to four people to live on for extended periods in cold or warm climes and with occasional guests. It mixes contemporary styling throughout with Dazcat’s liberal sprinkling of innovation and lightweight composite expertise. We had a fascinating full virtual tour earlier this year.

internal helm option is next to a large navstation with a large skylight to view the mainsail

One objective of the design is to be able to make progress even in very light airs, thereby reducing engine use. The hulls are easily driven thanks to a slender 13:1 waterline beam to length ratio and super fine reverse bows. And it’s only 12 tonnes lightweight – that’s two tonnes less than the Arcona 50 or the Outremer 55! Plus it can take a four tonne payload.

At the same time the boat is engineered to withstand the very high stresses associated with driving hard in big winds. The spreader-less carbon rig, for instance, has fibre standing rigging and is designed to be set up with sufficient tension to fly a hull without the lee shrouds becoming slack. Other rig options include an in-boom furler or even a wing sail.

A high freeboard and high bridgedeck clearance keeps solid water away from the deck, while a well defined water deflecting chine forward helps to provide a dry ride. Optional electric furlers and sheeting on rewind winches allow the headsails to be controlled from anywhere on the boat. This theme extends to alarm systems that can be set for wind or boat speed limits. If the crew doesn’t respond in a given time the system will take over, for instance by automatically easing the mainsheet traveller.

The Dazcat Ocean Cruiser 55 has also been designed with a plethora of helm positions to suit all, including interior and exterior, forward and aft, swing and twin wheels – take your pick or have the lot!

Bathing platforms allow easy access from the tender, even in swell. Note range of helm positions

“Everyone we spoke to wants steering positions in a different place,” explains Newton. “We’ve developed a carbon steering rod through the length of the boat that all these steering wheels can connect to directly.” This can be retrofitted at a later date if a new owner wants a different configuration.

The forward cockpit can be used for access and relaxation or to manually trim sails too. Its twin forward winches are designed to control an optional parasail, which Dazcat recommends in combination with in-boom reefing.

The large aft cockpit connects seamlessly to a large living area including galley. To help control internal temperatures the thickness of the core material for the hardtop was increased to provide additional insulation against solar heating, and where possible there’s an overhang above windows to reduce the amount of direct sun they receive. In addition the designers have tried to maximise passive airflow with big opening windows in the front of the coachroof, in addition to the door to the forward cockpit, plus plenty of opening deck hatches.

Get set for Dazcat to dazzle!

Dazcat Ocean Cruiser 55 specifications

LOA: 16.75m
 / 55ft 0in
Beam: 8.00m
 / 26ft 3in
Displacement: 12,000kg /
 26,500lb
Upwind sail area: 197m2 / 2,120ft2
Build time: around 18 months
Estimated price: £2.5-2.7m
Contact: multihullcentre.com

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Black Pepper Yachts never ceases to impress, whether it’s the Nantes-based firm’s stylish and impeccably finished daysailers, or performance monohulls including Sam Manuard-designed IMOCA 60s for sailors such as Armel Tripon, Sam Davies and Phil Sharp.

The Black Pepper Code C.69 is a stunning 69ft epoxy infused carbon sandwich design from the board of François Pérus and Romain Scolari and is the yard’s first multihull. It’s designed for offshore passagemaking and racing in both comfort and style. It incorporates many proven innovations from today’s large racing multihulls and is set up to be easy to sail short-handed. Yet acceleration and the potential for very high average speeds are impressive.

The interior is fitted out with top notch finishes.

However, the accent on performance doesn’t result in compromised cruising comforts – there are large bathing platforms and a big aft cockpit with outdoor galley that opens onto a huge saloon. The customisable accommodation in the hulls looks larger than the sleek lines might suggest. Initial drawings show two double suites, a triple cabin, and crew quarters with three berths, all with private bathrooms.

The interior is fitted out with top notch finishes. A full complement of hotel systems assures comfort, with options including air conditioning, a 200lt/h watermaker, large solar array and an 11kW diesel generator.

A common problem with ultra light boats can be a lack of payload for serious cruising, especially if this isn’t factored in at the design stage. However, this boat has a 4.5 tonne limit, representing 25% of light displacement, and there’s tankage for 1,000lt of both fuel and fresh water.

Black Pepper Code C.69 specifications

LOA: 21.00m 69ft
Beam: 9.60m 31ft 6in
Draught: 1.20m-2.80m 3ft 11in to 9ft 2in
Light displacement: 17,500kg 38,600lb
Upwind sail area: 220m2 2,368ft2
Builder: blackpepper.fr

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If you’re contemplating buying a multihull for bluewater sailing, be it a new one or a brokerage yacht, what equipment and spec should you be thinking about? The choices you make could determine much of your experience along the way, from comfort at sea to safety, but you don’t want costs to mount up unnecessarily. Where’s the right place to draw the line?

For this feature, we consulted two very experienced bluewater sailors with oceans of multihull miles behind them, catamaran owner Chet Chauhan and coach Nikki Henderson, for advice and guidance.
Here, they look at what they consider the most important priorities, from downwind sail choices to energy requirements – and not neglecting essentials such as a robust workhorse tender.

It is aimed squarely at speccing a multihull, but many of their recommendations would be applicable to bluewater yachts of any type.

safety in numbers – a good way to get into the groove of bluewater cruising is to sail with others in events like the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC). Photo: James Mitchell

Sail choices and rigging options

Nearly all bluewater catamarans will come with slab reefing, which is simple and durable. Make this system work as efficiently as possible. Check what your mainsail car system is, and possibly upgrade the cars to ones with roller bearings to reduce friction. The smoother the mainsail can drop, the better.

Fit downhaul lines for each reef on the luff to make downwind reefing easier. Ideally, run these back to the same winch station as the reefing lines and halyard. On that note, the ability to reef from one place is important. Running back and forth from port to starboard to control reefing lines and halyards is not practical and increases the risk of a slip or a fall. Check that the winch layout allows that.

When it comes to headsails, buy more than one for redundancy. If your budget is limited, make your extra sail the storm headsail. If you can afford it, choose a blade headsail as well for your ‘everyday’ headsail, and a higher clewed, larger reaching headsail for long downwind legs.

Headsails made from laminate sail cloth and fitted with extra UV protection when furled are a worthy investment. They weigh less, which makes changing sails short-handed much easier.

A tidy cockpit with winches and lines to hand of the helm (plus tailing lockers) is most practical. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

If you opt for a spinnaker or other loose-luffed sail, getting it down easily is critical. The sock system you choose to douse it needs to be robust. I find that fibreglass rings work best.

Lengthen the sock-line so that it can run down through a block on the foredeck and back to a winch sited aft, close to where the sheets are controlled; this will make dousing the sail easier. Wobbling around on the bow getting your legs caught up in the sock line isn’t fun.

When it comes to asymmetrical sails, it’s all about furlers. Stick with the traditional furlers for a Code 0 or a flatter gennaker, and consider a top-down furler for a true asymmetric.

Unless you’re a performance-orientated sailor buying a performance catamaran, the ability to sail dead downwind is important. Ideally, invest in a symmetric spinnaker.

If you have a performance catamaran, first buy a heavy spinnaker to withstand any squalls. For cruisier catamarans, choose a lighter and larger S2 because it will help in lighter airs and you won’t have the acceleration to safely sail through a squall with it up anyway. If you are limited in budget, not a confident spinnaker sailor, or want a more robust heavy weather option for dead downwind sailing, poled out twin headsails (jib/genoa) is a great alternative. Just make sure you have two tracks in your headsail foil.

Spinnakers need a reliable dousing method – leading control lines to these winches aft makes more sense than foredeck work. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

For controlling all the sails, lines that run aft to inboard winches are much easier than lines that run to winches by or at the mast only. At the very least, you should be able to hoist and drop the mainsail and adjust reefing lines and headsail sheets from a position where you can also see a chartplotter and adjust the helm manually.

Ready for heavy weather

I recommend having your mainsail built with three reefs. But before requesting this, check the boom has the space for three sheaves, or even four if you have an adjustable outhaul at the aft end – sailmakers and riggers don’t always communicate with custom changes.

If you have a furling headsail and no inner forestay, ensure your storm headsail can be hoisted over the top of it. To my mind, an inner forestay is the better option for a storm headsail, as you can rig it ahead of time to be ready if the weather worsens. It’s also arguably less physical a task to hank on a headsail than it is to slide one over the top of the jib or genoa right at the bow.

If you are cruising anywhere you could meet major rough weather, I’d buy a series drogue. This will help you slow the boat down. Tying warps together is also an option, but lean on the rope option as a plan B. Don’t rely on mooring lines for this as they’ll be unlikely to fit on your winches. Whichever you use, practise it so that you don’t have to invent it in anger.

a protected helm or ability to steer from a protected position is recommended. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Cockpit security

If you sail with children, an enclosed cockpit (or a way of enclosing it) is important to create the boundaries they need to have an essence of freedom. The same goes for pets.

An enclosed cockpit not only protects the crew from falling out, but also prevents water from coming in. Tradewind sailing comes with big swells, and the acceleration and deceleration – which is especially pronounced when sailing deep downwind with a symmetric spinnaker – can occasionally result in big quantities of water flooding the aft decks. An enclosed cockpit is the ideal, but you could also consider fitting removable barriers if you prefer the option to be able to walk straight from the saloon into the water on anchor.

Safety gear and features

Many catamarans have a helm station that is only accessible from climbing up a ladder or stairs which are very far aft, without any real protection from falling backwards straight into the sea. I recommend choosing a boat that has a more protected helm access. This will also improve visibility. A helm that is low down and far aft could obstruct the view and communication to the bow on the opposite hull.

What it’s all about: bluewater cruising at Fakarava Atoll in the stunning Tuamotus of the South Pacific. Photo: Jim Hooper/SV Polaris

For man overboard scenarios, a drop-down ladder on the side deck that can be deployed quickly is important. While the stern seems the obvious recovery location, it is not the ideal first point of contact with a crewmember in the water due to the proximity to the propellers.

A hanging ladder provides the casualty with something to hold onto initially. On the topic of ladders, ensure the ladder on the stern is deployable from the water in case you forget to put it down before jumping in for a refreshing dip while at anchor!

Think carefully about jackstay placement. Jackstays that run along the stanchions on the outboard-most part of the vessel can actually be a hazard; if you fall overboard while clipped on, you will drag in the water. Look for ways, or ask the manufacturer, to run jackstays further inboard. You need to be able to get to the helm, to the mast, and to the bow while always being clipped on. I would advise investigating this early in the build, as extra strong points may need to be fitted.

A chartplotter and comms at the helm are vital. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

A crew overboard emergency GPS button, a VHF transmitter, and a chartplotter or iPad/iPhone holder at the helm are, for me, deal-breakers.

They are arguably more important on catamarans than monohulls as the distance between the helm and the navigation station can be substantial and involve several flights of stairs.

Water

I sailed halfway around the world without a watermaker and have just completed another half with a watermaker, and I can say the difference in comfort is profound. We no longer have the constant anxiety of finding good water sources and we have the luxury of taking a shower everyday.

A DC rather than AC watermaker is the way to go so you are not reliant on a generator. But even if you do have a watermaker, you also need a way to purify the water. Yes, watermakers do produce the purest water, but after sitting in your tanks without chlorine for a few days in the tropical heat, bacteria and viruses can grow. You could add chlorine every time you make water but it is hard to keep track of the concentration.

A good solution is to add a separate tap in the galley for drinking water that goes through a carbon filter and ideally UV light as well to kill any remaining pathogens. Some units also have filters that add back calcium and other minerals that watermakers remove.

Anchoring

A bulletproof anchoring setup is a critical consideration since the majority of the time you will be on the hook. Modern anchors (Rocna, Spade, Manson, Ultra etc) are very reliable across the majority of the seabeds you will encounter.

Bigger is always better but, with catamarans being weight sensitive, a good compromise is to get an anchor only one size above what the manufacturer recommends. Couple that with around 70-80m of high test chain that has better strength to weight ratio and a sturdy bridle and you are all set – literally!

Lastly, the chain hook that connects the bridle to the chain is something that should not be overlooked. If you are anchored in shallow water and the bridle is slack and resting on the seabed, the chain hook could easily come off. To prevent this, it is good to have a hook that is secured with a pin or bolt.

Your dinghy is like your car – luckily catamarans allow for large davits and therefore large dinghies. Photo: Parallel Sea Productions

Tender dinghy

Cruising sailors always say their dinghy is their car, and like your car it’s often the limiting factor on how much stuff and people you can transport. So get the biggest dinghy that can fit on board or on davits, but not so heavy that it affects the trim and therefore the performance of your boat.

You will also need a good tender anchor that can hold the dinghy in 20-knot wind and waves for when you are snorkelling or diving, but also in an emergency if the outboard engine cuts out and you can’t row against the wind or current.

In a lot of remote places you will have to beach the dinghy to land, so having a good pair of dinghy wheels can make it a lot easier and will spare your back.

Lastly, many dinghies are sadly stolen so it’s wise to secure it with a sturdy chain and the biggest padlock you can find.

Good wheels are key for beaching. Photo: Parallel Sea Productions

Handover and after-care

Anyone planning to sail thousands of miles from land really needs to understand their boat back to front, and with a new boat the role of the manufacturer is critical. A quick six-hour run through where you are given the keys and shown how to turn the engine on is not a sufficient handover.

Before you buy, find out as much as you can about the length of time and training you are going to receive on handover and the expertise of the people who will be giving that handover. They should be sailors or engineers and not sales staff.

Ask also about the quality of the manual, as-built drawings, plumbing and wiring diagrams that come with the boat. You are going to need these. Will they be enough to troubleshoot problems?

Before you buy, find out as much as you can about the length of time and training you are going to receive on handover and the expertise of the people who will be giving that handover. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Find out more, too, about the length and commitment of the warranty (and ask other owners for their experiences). If there are major issues with the build, will they be covered? How will it be dealt with?

A strong community of owners of the same brand of boat as yours will be invaluable. There are many very active owners’ associations and groups, and they are worth their weight in gold, so if they have some sort of forum to communicate on, this is a huge plus. It will be a resource for helping troubleshoot problems, find crew and also to make friends.

Bluewater sailing can be an isolating venture, and a sense of camaraderie and practical support among owners of the same type of boat as yours will mean more and buy you more than you might expect.

The balance of power

When preparing a boat for bluewater cruising, one of the most critical considerations has to be energy. How are you going to power the instruments, autopilot, lights, fridges, laptops and all the appliances you can’t live without?

It’s important to first start with a calculation of how much energy you plan to use at anchor and underway. This means having a list of all the energy consuming equipment, coupled with the amount of energy they consume in a 24-hour period. You should come up with a table something like this, which is based on typical energy consumption at sea for us as a couple on our Nautitech 46.

This will show you how much energy you need, and help you size the boat’s energy sources as well as that of the house battery.

You’ll tend to use a lot more power underway because of the autopilot and instruments, but it’s also worth remembering that you’ll be spending a lot of your time at anchor. Ideally you want to optimise your energy sources so that renewables cover your energy usage at anchor on most days.

There are many ways to power a boat, each with their pros and cons.

Catamarans do have the advantage of having a lot of space to fit solar panels. This is why it’s better to go all-in on solar first before adding other sources of energy. A transom solar arch works very well because it’s not shaded by the hoisted mainsail, and the solar panels can dissipate heat more effectively than if fitted on the coachroof, which increases their output.

Once you max out on panels on the arch, add them to the roof but these will produce less. On the curved surfaces of the roof, flexible panels fit better but are about 20% less efficient than rigid panels so factor this into your energy projections.

With a solar arch and additional panels on the roof, you’re likely to have enough power to meet all your energy needs at anchor on most days, although obviously this depends on where you are cruising. In a Mediterranean summer with up to 16 hours of sunlight and cloudless skies, you’ll have little problem topping up the batteries. In the tropics you are looking at 12-hour days with 20% cloud cover on average.

Use a cat’s real estate for solar, starting at the davits. Photo: James Mitchell

A rough rule of thumb is to divide your total solar capacity by five (low end) or three (high end) to get your output in amp hours. For example, 1,200W should give around 240-400Ah per day. Finally, to maximise output it’s important to have separate MPPT controllers for every large panel or every 400W.

On passage, with the autopilot working hard and the mainsail shading the solar panels, you may need additional sources of power. Topping up with the alternators is a cheap way to cover this if it’s only for a few hours a day. Installing high output alternators can halve this time, and some people install hydro generators and wind generators, which also have their pros and cons.

Calculate the power usage of every electric device on board. Photo: Billy Black

From our observations in anchorages around the world, more and more boats are getting rid of gensets. This is partly due to better solar and lithium battery technology but also because of new 12V air conditioning systems. And when sailing in remote places, diesel can be hard to come by. For example, I’m writing this anchored in Nuku Hiva, the largest island of the Marquesas in French Polynesia, and they’ve run out of diesel. Even when the ship arrives in a week’s time, it will be rationed to 100-200lt per boat.

Finally, you need to store all this power you’re generating so batteries are the next piece of the puzzle. Lithium is becoming the standard on all new boats and especially on weight sensitive catamarans. When sizing your battery bank, a rough rule of thumb is to have capacity for at least 1.5 times your daily power usage so you can store enough power to tide you over for at least one bad day of solar production (a day and two nights).

To power all the AC appliances you’ll need an adequately sized inverter of at least 2,000W and, lastly, it’s critical to have a battery monitor to see the state of charge of the batteries at all times.

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post How to get a multihull ready for bluewater sailing appeared first on Yachting World.

They seem preternatural, our navlight giving the dolphins an oily reflection as they launch like dark green torpedoes in unison with our surfs. The fizzing noise when they clear the water helps communicate their effortless speed, while the boat hums as it accelerates into the mid teens. Subconsciously I count the surfs, 6, 7, 8… seconds; psychologically I’m wired, absolutely buzzing. But physically I notice I’m shivering, with numb fingers from being on the helm of the Outremer 52 so long, not willing to relinquish the wheel for a single minute even to don extra layers.

It’s exhilarating. Two days and nights aboard the Outremer 52 in March made for some of the most enjoyable sailing I’ve done in 20 years of testing yachts. That’s not to say this new model is faultless or that it’ll suit everyone – there are of course compromises that come with this performance. Then consider spending a seven figure sum yet still having to wait four years for one.

But there are very few production yachts I can think of that offer this amount of cruising space and comfort coupled with such engaging performance, and arguably no yards that are as successful in doing it as Outremer. Which makes me wonder, could this be my ultimate world tourer?

In form

With its four decades of fast bluewater experience, Outremer (‘overseas’ in French), has been able to tap into the recent maelstrom of multihull demand perhaps better than any yard.

Together with design partners VPLP, Patrick Le Quément and Franck Darnet, Outremer proved with the Outremer 55 two years ago that it could produce a modern, fast catamaran with real wow factor and a particularly bright, open plan main deck layout.

The Outremer 52 is very much in that guise, yet carries the heavy task of replacing the fabled 51 – the 101 of them Outremer built have clocked over 2.3 million miles. That’s a lot of owner feedback. Where the Outremer 51 is minimalist for today’s tastes, the Outremer 52 brings that instant boat show appeal. It sports a large cockpit, which links via retracting bulkhead doors to the galley and saloon, combined with an enormous amount of glazing, but in a more manageable size and layout to the 55.

‘As a gust ruffles the water you can harness it to catch a wave and really feel the 52 surge’. Photo: Robin Christol

For years we discussed conducting a multi-day test that might better suit Outremer’s ocean-oriented designs and thankfully we were given just such an exclusive opportunity on this freshly launched Outremer 52. It was a long, intoxicating couple of days. I arrived at 11pm and we departed at 4am to catch the best of the breeze for our 90-mile outward south-west sail across the Gulf of Lion

Outremer 52 – the sailor’s boat

Despite the rude awakening, the cold, early start was worthwhile. Once out of La Grande Motte’s marina, which is overlooked by the burgeoning Outremer yard, the full main and genoa were hoisted under headtorch light and we were soon averaging over 9 knots in 15, reaching at 120° true. By first light, the gennaker was unfurled, upping our average speed to 11-12 knots, with heady surfs up to 17 knots.

What an introduction to helming this boat! It felt so sporty: direct, with palpable acceleration. As a gust ruffles the water you can harness it to catch a wave and really feel the Outremer 52 surge before the forward buoyancy kicks in and drives those streamlined reverse bows up and through the waves. It quickly instils confidence, while bringing real pleasure.

The large forward-facing navstation, with its really comfortable swivel chair, makes for a great desk and chart table. Photo: Robin Christol

With the breeze dropping and backing further astern later that morning, we furled the gennaker and hoisted an A2 on a snuffer. Deep reaching in just 12 knots true we could still make a respectable 8 to 9.5 at 150°, but heat up 20-30° and it nudges into double figures and almost matches the wind.

These are such easy, pleasant passagemaking speeds. Three steps down from the helm and you’re onto the single level main deck to check on progress from the navstation, while making a brew as the crew dozes in horizontal comfort.

The owners of this first Outremer 52 opted for a versatile sail set up, choosing a genoa over the standard self-tacking jib, a removable inner staysail and the downwind furling gennaker. Upgrades to help get the most out of the boat also include Incidence DFi filament sails and a carbon Lorima mast. In the early afternoon sun I helmed for another lengthy spell under gennaker, and was again struck by how unwilling I became to leave the helm, only doing so to swap between the wheel and tiller.

View from the helm, as we plane and surf while I try to log the highest speed! Photo: Robin Christol

Best of both?

Unlike the dual wheel setup on the 55, this has a single wheel to starboard with control lines led to it, but there is also an option for a tiller on the portside. It’s a unique combination on this size craft, but tillers are part of Outremer’s DNA, and still a draw for sailors wanting the big kid, breeze-in-the-hair experience.

Tiller sailing proved a work out, particularly as I was heating it up at the time making a steady 12-12.5 knots at 110° true in 15 knots. It needed both hands firmly on the carbon rod and is perhaps better suited to light wind sailing. To activate the tiller you have to disconnect the steering wheel or vice versa – the Jefa steering is all mechanically linked directly to the rudders hence there is good feedback.

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With the cold spring breeze blowing off the snow-capped Pyrenees, I preferred the option of swinging the pedestal right out and sitting on the leeward bench in the sun with clear views of the tell-tales. It’s a comparable feeling and position to helming a performance monohull, though distinctly more comfortable!

The swing pedestal may not be an innovation, but it’s used to triumphant effect. It’s set back from the coachroof, leaving good space for working the winches and access between side deck and cockpit. The ability to cant it 180° gives the option to stand with views of the four corners, sit out on the side deck or steer from the cockpit. This, together with a bracing perch, which includes an arm for the throttle controls, windlass and autopilot controls inboard, works brilliantly.

Sailing from dawn till dusk – the Outremer offers multiple positions to enjoy fast cruising in comfort. Photo: Robin Christol

The winch layout is equally superb. Two starboard coachroof winches are used for the headsail sheets, mainsheet and reefing lines. However there are also inboard cockpit winches for daggerboard controls and kite sheets each side under the bimini. All lines have been designed to be cross-sheeted or led to these protected winches. A sheave by the coachroof winches allows you to lead the mainsheet or genoa sheets down to the inboard winches, for example. Couple this with the ability to swing the pedestal inboard, with views forward through the coachroof windows and of the main, and you can steer and trim while completely protected (especially with the fabric dodgers down).

Then there’s another trump feature in the large forward facing navstation, from which you can also stand a watch in inclement weather.

The social boat

Twelve hours after leaving the boat’s French home port we arrived in a tiny little cove on the Costa Brava for a photoshoot along with the 55, raising the daggerboards to anchor in 2m of clear water.

It was time to relax, launch the toys and enjoy the serious amount of real estate. That’s what the luxury side of this premium priced cruiser brings – a speed and space balance, together with easy circulation, light and surround views.

The davits can carry a proper working tender, up to 3.6m; the Outremer 55, for example, had an 3.4m aluminium hulled Highfield RIB (70kg) with 20hp outboard, which is a seaworthy people carrier-cum-recreation craft that can transform time at anchor.

The helm setup is superb. The swing pedestal allows you to stand. Photo: Robin Christol

The Outremer 52’s cockpit is the social heart of the boat, linking with the saloon and galley to create one zone. The crew of the 55 joined us, showing how 8-10 can sit around the table alone. The cockpit enclosure is a must-have option on this size boat to get the most out of this layout in colder climates, but removes completely to open it out.

The decor is simple but practical. The addition of lightweight removable outdoor furniture provides versatile stools, while a step box seat helps enclose the cockpit in the port quarter. A similar approach is taken with the lighting and sound system – on the test boat, for example, the addition of domestic style LED lamps and portable Bluetooth speakers avoids the need to hard wire such systems in.
Keeping furnishings minimal helps emphasise the large open living area, with the focus on natural light and the environment around.

I particularly like the forward vertical windows, which minimise glare yet provide horizon views while standing in the saloon, and their four opening sections which help provide excellent natural ventilation. The polycarbonate panels (lighter than glass) are all individually glued and then bolted so can be replaced.

The bluewater boat

With the bulkhead doors fully retracted, the galley connects seamlessly to the cockpit.

The galley’s double bin with its sweep-in top and a separate chute directly through to the sea for compostable goods/peelings are pragmatic features clearly born from liveaboard feedback, as is the space for a herb garden. That said the huge single sink wastes water, where a second or 1.5 style draining sink would be more practical. The layout of the hob is also somewhat awkward, as only one person comfortably can use this or the worksurface at the same time. A solution might be to swap the sink to that outboard position.

The winch layout makes shorthanding easy and facilitates trimming from inboard as well. Photo: Robin Christol

Galley stowage is quite spread out when you include the essential tall locker to starboard and the useful tins and dry goods storage below the saloon sole. And the extra freezer aside the 130lt fridge should perhaps be included as standard on this type of craft. But the space is all used well.

We raised anchor that evening, motoring the short distance round to Cadaques to pick up a buoy for the night, and opted for the more intimate saloon table for dinner.

Once down in the hulls it’s a similar layout to the 55, in that you can choose three or four cabins with the main decision concerning the adaptable forward port cabin. This involves five different options, the most popular being a combination of desk, folding bunk and stowage.

In terms of finish, it’s a lot of Alpi beige veneer – nice and bright, but a wipe clean look that says more volume production than seven figure pricing. This is arguably the Outremer 52’s main payoff: the accommodation is kept simple and relatively easy to reproduce in favour of keeping weight down and speed up. The effort and labour goes into the structure and foam sandwich furniture.

‘The galley connects seamlessly to the cockpit’. Photo: Robin Christol

Living aboard

Despite the comparatively narrow hulls, accommodation is plenty comfortable enough to live aboard long-term and with abundant natural light. The aft berths are queen size (1.6m wide), with shelving and alcoves inboard, which I found really practical for storing books, water, and personal items. Reading lights with dual power USB ports in them proved equally useful.

Stowage is abundant, particularly below the aft berths, while space below the sole boards has been maximised and includes trays to keep items out of the bilges. Those choosing a full owner’s hull also get a bank of wardrobes, with room for a washing machine, plus a vast bathroom and shower area forward.

In a sensible use of space, the portside separate heads and shower areas are shared by the two cabins. However, the shower area is a sparse cubicle, so drying it – and towels – could be an issue. Equally there’s no sliding door on this side, so no privacy between that and the aft cabin.

Space, light and ventilation, together with surround horizon views from standing (1.98m headroom) are formidable. The compact saloon area to starboard suits cosy family breakfasts or off watch napping. Photo: Robin Christol

The access to systems for maintenance or diagnosis is a discernible improvement over the 55. The batteries and solar controllers are below the forward saloon settee, for example, while plumbing is neatly installed with intelligible manifolds colour-coded.

Outremer’s sister company Gunboat helped it to add stiffness, using full carbon bulkheads below the mast, sliding doors, and traveller bench aft. The weight savings gained help allow for all the additional glazing on the Outremer 52. It’s the same in the hulls, where modern structures allow for much less inhibitive bulkheads and therefore a more open feel compared to Outremers of yesteryear.

The three cabin version includes masses of stowage and a sizeable heads area

Weight is key to sound insulation of course, so when you strip as much as possible you have to accept the acoustic penalty. In the silence of a night time anchorage for instance the noise of a water pump activating sounded like a chainsaw in the aft cabin (mounted on the bulkhead directly behind the headboard of the aft berth), and you certainly know about it when the heads flush or there is anyone on deck above. I also found the creaking noises of the vast hull window in the aft cabin of the test boat disconcerting.

Despite these irritations, however, I still felt highly confident in the boat’s structure – to perform to this high ability you know it’s been built strongly in the areas that really matter. These are proven catamarans built to circle the globe for decades.

Easy speeds

After a late lunch stop in Cala Culip cove, we departed Spain for the return leg. With no wind inshore we elected to motor out to the east for over 20 miles to try to hook into the forecasted southerlies, preferring the use of one engine (for less wear and tear) at 2,000rpm for 7.4 knots.

The test boat had an optional 2,050W of solar panel power feeding a battery capacity beefed up to 2 x 6,000W of lithium ion. Veteran Outremer sales manager Matthieu Rougevin-Baville feels that this, together with high power alternators and a short period of occasional engine use to keep the batteries topped up, is still the most prudent power generation method for bluewater cruisers.

Remember that Outremer has already built a fully electric 45 for Jimmy Cornell and a 5X made from 50% flax fibre for Roland Jourdain, so its eco skillset is there.But it deems its focus on making its production yachts as efficient as possible, thereby minimising the need for engine use (the largest cause of C02 emissions), as still the most sensible for ocean cruising.

Just when I feared a long motor back the wind showed up right on cue, increasing from 5 to 17 knots in a couple of minutes and bringing with it a nice following swell (and the accompanying dolphins). The gennaker was unleashed and we were straight into full-bore deep reaching for the next eight hours straight.

‘This is what it’s all about!’ I noted after helming for hours in 16-20 knots breeze from our aft quarter. When you connect a gust with a wave, you feel the acceleration, then the rudders bite and give you that control as you bear away and the apparent wind shoots forward. You play the wave, watching with anticipation as the speedo rises.

Queen size berths in the aft cabins show there’s volume enough in the hulls. Photo: Robin Christol

Most good waves saw the log rise from 11 or 12 to the late teens. Our top speed was 20.5 knots, a record we chased well into the darkness of that night.

Even at 3am with less than a mile to run to the marina, I was still revelling in the last small surfs, selfishly clinging onto the wheel. It’s addictive sailing alright.

Size or price?

The Outremer 52 costs over €1.5m with options. That’s premium pricing, but something Outremer can do thanks to insatiable demand. It has already sold 69 boats, so you can’t currently get one till the end of 2027! Is this model a victim of its own success already? And despite opening a new facility just for the Outremer 52 production line, will it be able to maintain quality at this volume?

A friend commented that for the price of the Outremer 52, why not go for the 55? The logic being if you have that money maybe you can afford the larger version (from €1.6m).

Sailing alongside us for part of our test sail, the 55 was consistently a notch quicker on passage and offers that bit more entertaining space and payload carrying potential. But for me, the crucial difference between these new models is that the Outremer 52 is just that bit more manageable – less weight, less loads, less sail area, winch sizes etc. And it’s set up for easier short-handing.

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The post Outremer 52 review: Exclusive 200-mile test appeared first on Yachting World.

The explosion in multihull and catamaran sales has been well documented, with many yards reporting lead times of two years or longer as build slots sold out as quickly as they were released. Now, many multihulls that were ordered post-2020 are on the water.

In this year’s ARC rally there were 16 new boats that had been launched in this year alone, of which 15 were multihulls. We caught up with some of their owners in Las Palmas to find out how the purchase process went and how they’d expedited preparations to get transatlantic-ready.

Custom solutions

Chet Chauhan bought Navasana, a Nautitech 46 Open, in 2021, having previously raced and cruised monohulls. After moving from England to the US west coast for work, he sailed his 20-year-old 38ft Beneteau from San Francisco to Sydney with a previous girlfriend in 2010.

“We visited all the island groups along the way and absolutely loved it. I wanted to keep going, but obviously needed more funds. And I realised the boat wasn’t ideal.”

He moved back to Europe, where he met partner Jessy. Two years ago they decided to revisit Chet’s dream of sailing around the world.

Chet Chauhan (left), Jessy and friend Dan on Navasana. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

Deciding to buy a multihull was fairly straightforward. “I’ve had four monohulls before and I used to race, I like a boat that performs and really enjoy the sailing. We’d seriously thought about getting a monohull for this trip, but I realised that you’re spending maybe 80% of the time at anchor, and this is just more liveable.

Having decided on a Nautitech 46 the couple initially looked for a second-hand boat, but quickly realised it was near-impossible to find. “So we decided to order a new one, and we were, I think, just in time. We had a year’s wait time until ours was delivered,” Jessy recalls.

The couple took delivery of Navasana in March this year, the boat delivered on time to the day. They had several after-market upgrades added in La Rochelle, which Chet had specified and organised through their broker, including solar, lithium batteries and custom-built davits.

Chet, who details a lot of the technical modifications to his boat at sailingnavasana.com, says the Nautitech owner’s Facebook group was helpful in working through options and custom solutions, although he was clear on what he wanted to achieve based on his previous Pacific crossing.

Navasana has 1,200W of solar on a fixed arch above the tender, plus an additional 880W of flexible Sunpower panels, a 3,000W inverter, 4x200Ah Victron lithium batteries, while the standard 2x115A/12V alternators were wired into the lithium setup. They opted for no air conditioning.

Extensive solar panels fitted to Navasana. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

Sails were focussed on light airs performance to avoid motoring, including an Oxley Levante Parasailor and extra-deep 95m2 Code 0. Additional after-market modifications include rope-cutters on the propellers and a clear-view Racor fuel filter system, a B&G forward-facing camera on the mast, and an Acuva UV filter for drinking water.

He’d been impressed with Nautitech’s build quality during a factory visit and had no qualms about being transatlantic ready. “We were pretty confident because Nautitech sell to a lot of French owners and, because of VAT reasons, they take the boat and head out straight away.

A lot of times they’ll cross the Atlantic within two months. Literally pick the boat up, sail across Biscay in October and then – boom! – down to the Canaries and across the Atlantic.

“Obviously we went to the Med, and had a lot more time to learn the boat. So we felt like we’d be in good shape.” However, he does note that getting to know the systems on a more complex boat has been ‘a big learning curve.’

The couple changed their plans to arrive in the Canaries earlier than planned, which turned out to be something of a godsend. “We thought we’d spend more time in the Med, but this year the Med was very, very hot,” he recalls.

As well as high temperatures, unpredictable weather characterised their season. “In the Balearics at one stage, we were getting Mistrals every, like, three or four days. That was not that much fun because we couldn’t really do any sailing. Then we loved Sardinia, but 10 days after we left, they had these 140mph winds for five minutes. We missed it by a day.”

With high season crowds and less than ideal conditions in the Mediterranean, the couple decided to head straight to the Canaries in September, intending to get the next phase of boat work – including additional solar panels and new halyards – completed in Las Palmas, then explore the Canary Islands before returning for the ARC start.

Chilli Pepper is one of two new Outremer 55s in the rally. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

However, a combination of parts delayed in customs, and marine services working frantically to prepare the ARC+ boats, meant that work took much longer than expected. The couple are happy to have invested the time now, as they want to enjoy their two months in the Caribbean before continuing on to the Pacific.
They’ve also used the time in Las Palmas to enjoy the social element that the ARC offers. “The other thing which is challenging with us a bit is our demographic, we don’t have kids and we’re not in our 60s, we’re in the middle. So that’s another reason for joining the ARC, just because there are so many boats you’re more likely to meet those people.”

10,000-mile shakedown

Simon and Penny Hamilton started preparing their new Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 Starry Night in January, giving them a full 10-month build up to the ARC. Carefully planned commissioning and initial cruising phases helped get the family off to a smooth start on their liveaboard adventure with their two young children.

The Hamiltons had also initially looked for a second-hand boat, but discovered that most of the liveaboard boats which met their needs were lying in the Caribbean, and it wasn’t time effective to continually fly over to view them. “We’ve got a limited window. Oscar’s eight, we wanted to be doing this only in primary school [years] so we had a three-year window and thought we just couldn’t be late on the boat. So we ended up going for a new boat,” explains Simon.

“The order was placed in October 2019, and the boat was due November [2021] so it was a two-year wait list, quite a long time. But it’s really worked out well,” says Simon, noting that prices have risen in the interim.

In January they had the boat brought to the UK to get much of the bluewater fit-out done: adding solar, the watermaker, canvas work etc This had several advantages, meaning they could call on the expertise of friends and family in Hamble as well as specialised companies on the south coast, and as the family were still living at home, they could have parts delivered easily.

The crew of Nautitech 40 Open, Hummingbird. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

“I also spent a lot of time down with the guys as the work was done so I could see it, because I’m going to have to fix it, and not having a language barrier made a huge difference to asking questions and understanding.”.

In spring they began delivering the boat across into the Mediterranean. Simon and Penny each sailed different ‘legs’ of the delivery, but their young children – Oscar and Skye – didn’t join the boat until Croatia, meaning their first experience of living aboard was one of gentle cruising in the sunshine. The family spent two months enjoying Croatia, before returning west in August.

“We’d done probably near 10,000 miles by the end of the summer, so we’ve done a lot of sailing for a new boat,” notes Simon.

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Despite this, preparing for the transatlantic has been a huge undertaking. “I have to say. since the beginning of September it’s been two months pretty much full time on the boat.

“I find there’s three different phases. One was us just cruising, but with the brakes on, we’d pick somewhere and spend five days there – because we’re also teaching every day so homeschool is the priority – and doing maintenance. It’s probably only about a month ago it felt like we finished the construction phase, putting all the things on that we wanted.

“The past month it’s been much more getting ready for ocean sailing. Doing a lot more around chafe, and prevention rather than cure.

“So we had anchoring, small passages and then ocean passages, each three phases were quite different. It also takes time for issues to work through.”

Starry Night is a real family affair, with Simon’s father joining them on the transatlantic. “My dad did this crossing with his dad in 1970, so we’ve got the three generations. We’ve got the same chart, and it’s got his route plotted, so we can overlay ours onto it.”

The Hamilton family on their new Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 Starry Night. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

Quick decisions

Across the pontoon from Starry Night was one of the newest yachts in the marina, Brett and Amanda Mcleod’s Neel 51 Out of the Woods, which was only launched in September.

“In January of 2021 I was talking to a friend of mine. I was just really dissatisfied with a few things, and he said ‘you should get a 50ft Lagoon and go off sailing’,” recalls Brett.

At the time, it was quite a left-field suggestion, as he and his family weren’t sailing, though Brett used to cruise with his parents and Amanda’s family had owned motorboats. “That has always been a sort of end goal for me – just check out and sail over the sunset. I think it used to be more metaphorical, and not literal!” Brett explains.

The Mcleods brand new Neel 51 Out of the Woods. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

“But I started thinking about it, and by March 2021 I had determined that I wanted to do this, and that I didn’t want a Lagoon – or a Leopard, or a Bali. But I’d started looking at Outremers and Catanas and Neel, and really started educating myself about catamarans and multihulls.”

He decided to throw himself into gaining sailing experience, starting by joining Tuesday night races at his local club. Then while looking for a first boat, an Outremer 45 became available – “way more boat than I wanted” notes Brett. But the Outremer was ready to sail, and would get them on the water immediately. Brett set himself the task of taking the Outremer out as much as possible, sailing three to five times a week. Amanda also took her ASA courses.

Although both loved sailing the Outremer, they decided that given their limited bluewater experience they wouldn’t undertake any ocean passages without additional crew. In June 2021 they placed an order for a Neel 51, which gave vast space to accommodate extra hands, as well as to make the transition from family life on land easier for their 11-year-old son.

The timeframe, however, couldn’t be expanded, and Brett says that commissioning a large, complex multihull needed some additional support. A key element of making the rapid plan work was bringing in expert help from the outset of the process.

The Mcleods and crew with their brand new Neel 51 Out of the Woods. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

“I hired Will Spence from White Dot sailing, who does some of the safety inspections for the ARC to help me with the process. He and one of his guys came to La Rochelle and went through the boat – and I’m so happy I did that. I’d do it again because I just don’t have that foundation of experience to see the things they do.”

The family spent a month on the dock in La Rochelle, which included post-commissioning work to get bluewater-ready, upgrading electronics etc. It wasn’t the ideal introduction to life on board, exacerbated by a slog of a delivery from La Rochelle to Cascais. At one stage they considered postponing their ARC entry to the January rally, but were concerned their 90-day Schengen visa would expire.

However, arriving in Las Palmas has given the family a much-needed boost. While Brett said the final passage from Cascais to Las Palmas was “finally what I’d seen in my mind, just bluewater sailing in great conditions,” his wife and son flew ahead to join the family programme. They were immediately welcomed into the rally community and its carnival atmosphere, and could get excited about the adventure to come.

“I think we’re just starting to see what’s in front of us,” Brett noted.

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It has become routine now for me to bookend the summer sailing season with a trip to the south of France for the biannual ‘Outremer Week’. This hugely popular event gathers 100-plus new Outremer catamaran owners for five days of training, both in the classroom and on the water, and three days of friendly racing. The goal is to educate future owners so they are as prepared as they possibly can be for their upcoming bluewater catamaran cruising plans.

It’s an intensive week of 12-hour days, with a lot of information to absorb. Unsurprisingly there are some discussions specific to bluewater catamaran cruising that come up repeatedly, and they apply to owners or prospective owners of all brands of bluewater multihull. Here are some of the most common questions people ask me:

What sails should I buy for a cruising catamaran?

Every day after sailing a new catamaran owner will come up to me and say, “Nikki, I’d love to take up some of your time and rack your brains about sail selection.”

To pitch my advice appropriately, I always ask some key questions about your catamaran cruising plans, and I’d encourage you to ask yourself the same.

What is your route plan?

Tradewind sailing will be predominantly downwind. So, focus your attention on downwind sails. A route involving more upwind requires more focus on headsails. Routes involving more upwind tend to be more coastal routes, or schedules with strict timings that will reduce the option to wait for downwind weather windows.

All bluewater sail plans will need storm options. Three reef points in the main is a must, or at the very least an extremely generous second reef. A storm headsail is another key component. Ideally it should be possible to hoist the storm jib up over the top of your furled foresail. In very big conditions, reliance on the thin furling line gets quite nerve-racking.

Catamaran cruising sail options range from symmetric spinnakers to Code sails for reaching performance. Photo: Nicolas Claris

How performance-orientated are you?

Performance catamarans are designed to sail angles downwind, ideally with an asymmetric spinnaker wardrobe. However, there is a cost to the incredible speeds that you can attain reaching on these boats: comfort. So, a key question is what is your attitude to speed versus comfort?

Performance-focused sailors are typically racing sailors, sailors without kids, or sailors who are in good physical shape. If you fit this category, then I’d advise purchasing one heavy weather flat-cut asymmetric sail that can withstand a squall up to 40 knots, and a rounder, lightweight sail that you can sail quite deeply in light to moderate conditions.

If you don’t have a taste or attention span for speed, then one heavy weather symmetric spinnaker (approximately up to 40 knots TWS) should be enough. This will allow you to sail a rhumbline course, and make night-time take-downs less of a worry because the kite will survive a squall.

For upwind, if you will enjoy fine tuning your boat to get that extra half a knot, your ideal option is a large genoa for drive in light to moderate conditions, and a small flat blade-shaped jib for heavier conditions – small enough that it does not need to be furled to an inch of its life to cope with a Force 6. If an inner forestay is an option, the latter could be a staysail which will keep the centre of effort low and reduce sideways drift.

For anyone less performance orientated in their catamaran cruising, the key for upwind sailing is a strong, flat jib that is not too big. Mark three reef points on the foot with sail tape. Keep an eye on how much it stretches and don’t be surprised if you need to change it every few years to avoid losing 5-10° of height.

Downwind the tradewind route logic applies: performance sailors should invest in asymmetric and non-performance sailors in symmetric spinnakers.

Left: taking videos and photos to remember key points of spinnaker handling technique. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

Who’s the crew?

At this point, the conversation often goes full circle. Sailors get enthusiastic about performance, and then remember that the kids will need home schooling, or that this is a retirement plan with potential health and fitness considerations.

Most sail changes will require more than one person, and conditions at the bow can be bouncy. Crew also have to be able to sleep, cook, and live on the boat while it is thrown about. If you are short-handed, you could compromise for downwind sailing by choosing furling sails.

A furling asymmetric such as a Code D can replace the ‘hoist and drop’ asymmetric. Or you can make the sock line on a symmetric long enough to route back to an electric winch.

Upwind sailors could compromise by returning to a single jib and consider altering routing to sail slightly off the wind but faster; optimising for VMG. If you have a staysail, ensure it could be furled and therefore left rigged at sea – though make time to speak to the yacht designer about the impact on stability that having two heavy furled sails up continuously could have on the boat.

How ‘eco’ and time-conscious will you be?

Do you care about motoring? Increasingly for many of us, awareness of climate change is a strong motivator to avoid using the engine. And will you be more focused on the destination or more interested in the journey?

If you are keen to avoid motoring, and you are free of time constraints such as fixed crew changeovers or grumpy children who need to stop and swim, then I’d recommend you invest in a Code 0. A Code 0 can double or even triple the boat speed: in 6 knots of wind, an Outremer will sail at 2-3 knots with a jib, but 5-6 knots with a Code 0. It’s a great sail and worth the investment, but first work out if you will use it. They often have low wind limits – around 15 AWS – which upwind could be 10 knots TWS.

Code sails for reaching performance. Photo: Balance Catamarans

When do you reef a catamaran?

Many bluewater cruisers will reef down before dark every night. I’m not a huge fan of this as a rule; reefing should be straightforward enough to not be an intimidating manoeuvre in the dark.

But all new catamaran owners who are planning to go bluewater cruising are concerned about knowing when to reef, especially if they come from monohull sailing, as a catamaran communicates whether it is overpowered or not in a much more subtle way.

You want to conserve your equipment while sailing the boat effectively. So aim for the least amount of sail necessary to achieve your target speeds and angles. The best way to get to know this is to put reefs earlier or later each time and take note of whether it was beneficial or not. Over time you will know your boat very well.

Sailing favours guidelines over hard rules, but it’s good to have a starting point so here are some general ranges. For more cautious sailors or bigger sea states, use the more conservative side of the wind range:

• Reef 1 in at 15-20 knots TWS
• Reef 2 in at 20-25 knots TWS
• Reef 3 in at 25-30 knots TWS

Note that I am using true wind and not apparent. When sailing downwind it’s tempting to fly more sail because the apparent wind is so low. However, if you need to turn upwind – perhaps to reef – the 12 knots AWS in 20 knots TWS will quickly become closer to 25 knots AWS.

Reliance on numbers is great until the wind instruments stop working (it will happen at some point). Remember your RYA Competent Crew course and use the descriptions of the sea surface at various Beaufort Scale forces to identify how windy it is.

How to share roles is a frequent question among couples planning a catamaran cruising adventure. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

There are other telltale signs that the boat gives if she needs a reef. Although hulls don’t fly unless you are at the performance level of a Gunboat or similar, you may feel the windward hull just slightly lifting. This is a sign that a reef might be needed. Another is if the bows are diving down when you are sailing downwind. Heel angle can be most obviously sensed while lying down.

The main hindrance to learning when to reef – and when not – is a hesitation to perform the manoeuvre. If taking a reef feels arduous, people avoid it. I admit I can find myself in this camp: I have to remind myself that it’s a win/win, either it’s the right decision and the boat sails better, or it’s wrong and I’ve learnt from it.

The key to reefing is to practice. Taking a reef should be possible to do in under two minutes, especially if you have fast electric winches.

It’s handy to have the option to reef downwind, especially if you’re tradewind sailing. Fully battened mainsails struggle to come down so set up downhaul lines from each reef tack point. Run them through the reefing point on the sail and through the reefing points on each side of the mast so the sail is pulled down in line with the track. Watch out for chafe on the back of the main if reefing a lot downwind, and add spreader patches to your sail where applicable. Centring the traveller during the manoeuvre can help, but keep your eyes looking up and check nothing is getting caught.

Also practice solo reefing; aside from the possibility of needing to reef alone, this also builds a big picture understanding of the whole manoeuvre. It means reefs are put in faster because anyone can work anywhere.

Catamaran designs at the ARC start cover a full spectrum of performance. Photo: James Mitchell/WCC

How can couples close the ‘experience gap’?

The argument for both halves of a cruising partnership being competent on board has always been that if something happens to the skipper, their partner will know how to safely get to a port of refuge.

However, most people assume that this will simply never happen to them, or they practise parking a couple of times, pick a fender out the water – then never think about it again. The difficulty with starting a bluewater sailing project with a large experience gap is that it tends to widen over time. Each day as leader will be a learning opportunity for the skipper.

They will grow in competence and confidence. Meanwhile, the first mate’s skills will suffer. They will get used to following instructions, their confidence will decrease, and a habit of helplessness will develop. Then, when an emergency does occur, they’ll be in a worse position to take charge than when they started.

It’s critical that couples approach buying a bluewater catamaran for cruising as a team exercise from day one – for both safety and enjoyment. Ideas on how to level up your partnership include:

• Rotate roles each day, or follow a rota. Who drives the boat into dock? Who makes the navigation calls (do this passage by passage)? Who does the safety checks? Who runs the watermaker?
• Divide the boat – maintain one hull each and share the saloon. This forces you to both understand how everything works from bilge pumps and engines to steering gear and gear storage.
• Take a coach with you for the first few crossings. It can be hard to learn to sail from your spouse. A professional coach will force you into a learning environment. They will also create space for the less experienced to be able to take charge in a safe way.
• Sail the boat without your partner. Creating a scenario where your leadership role feels natural is the optimum way to practice skippering. So, invite a few friends who don’t know as much about sailing as you, and go for a low pressure cruise. It’s a brilliant confidence builder, and a chance to develop your own style and your own voice on board.

Do you have the skills for a faster cat? Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Production or performance cruising catamaran?

A common view is that you pay more for less when you buy a performance catamaran: fewer creature comforts, less living space, fewer berths, bathrooms, and instead get narrow hulls and sparse design. So, is the big price tag worth the upgrade in performance?

If you are lured by the comfort of a production catamaran, but plan to sail intensively around the world for the next five years, it might not actually be the most comfortable option. No dishwasher or air conditioning is going to make a boat feel safer in a storm. Conversely, why buy a performance catamaran if you plan to leave the boat at the dock for 10 months a year?

Ask yourself if you have the skills to harness the performance of a faster catamaran? And if not, how prepared are you to invest time into learning how to use the boat to her full potential?

A common justification for buying a performance catamaran is that it can outrun bad weather and therefore is safer. But you cannot take advantage of that option if you sail everywhere with three reefs in the main because you are nervous of the boat’s power.

Similarly, the power of performance catamarans comes in part from how light they are. If you load the boat with extras – personal gear, kitchen appliances, heating, aircon – you will quickly reduce a lot of the speed and safety advantages you’re paying for.

The dream – catamaran cruising in paradise! Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

How to handle heavy weather in a cat?

A popular heavy weather strategy is avoidance: account for global weather patterns when planning your passages to ensure you sail during the more favourable months; invest in a good satellite connection to download accurate forecasts so you can see bad weather coming; use your boat speed to position yourself out of the predicted storm track; be flexible with departure windows and leave at an optimum time.

However, do not misinterpret avoidance of heavy weather as a safety net. With weather systems becoming increasingly extreme and unpredictable (see page 38), this risk management strategy is becoming less and less dependable.

• Develop scenario plans for the type of boat you have so that you don’t have to start with a blank sheet of paper as a storm approaches.
• In all scenarios, on all boats, avoid 90° wind and waves. Your boat is at its least stable in these conditions. Sail with the weather forward or aft of the beam.
• Keep an eye on heel angle. Reduce sail if you start to see any more than 5° or so, unless you have a catamaran that is designed to lift a hull. Lower the centre of effort by reducing sail, starting with the main.
• Set up and practice how to reef downwind in case the weather comes in more quickly than you were expecting.
• If you can’t sail as fast as the waves, consider trailing warps to slow you down and help with steerage. You should aim to keep the speed relatively high. The key is to reduce the erratic surfing which drops the bows into green-water troughs. I prefer warps to drogues where possible because we are more familiar with them. Unless you practice using a drogue regularly, you will likely need to read the instructions when you get it out, which isn’t ideal in an emergency.
• If waves are breaking over your stern, consider turning into the seaway and holding steady. In a performance cat, you can drop the windward daggerboard, lift the leeward board, and pinch into the wind. In a production cat with no daggerboards, this will be difficult. Running the leeward engine might help you keep your bows into the wind. Watch that there is no back flow of water into the exhaust.
• Avoid lee shores at all costs, sea room downwind is key.

Outremer Week crews receiving coaching on sail handling. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

When should we go?

How long should you wait after buying a boat before heading out on your first bluewater passage? Whether you spend £100,000 or £1,000,000 on your boat, it’s likely to need some fine tuning. I’ve never heard of a new boat that was perfect.

Some yards will cover the initial issues as part of the warranty, so staying close to the yard is a good idea within that period. Even if you don’t have a warranty, proximity to the yard can help you access parts, boat builders and people who understand how your boat has been constructed.

The flip side is that you want to get going, and experience all the freedoms of your new yacht! Some serious bluewater sailing is also needed to test some of the systems.

Give yourself two to six months before you head out on the first crossing. This is enough to test the boat out, but not so long that ‘passage-anxiety’ builds up and you never actually leave.

Do not treat the first few months as a holiday. This is commissioning, and it is the last stage of the build. Test the boat as rigorously as you can before you leave the proximity of the yard. Complete a couple of substantial offshore passages of 48 hours or more to test the systems. Run everything, including the watermaker. Fly all the sails you own. Sail in fruity conditions relative to your ability (Force 6-8 as a guideline) to see how the boat (and you) cope.

Women’s only coaching groups for catamaran cruising sailors help bridge the ‘experience gap’. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

Get some experienced people on board to bolster the crew for the early days. The ideal is to hire a professional coach, as this will make pushing the boat much safer and more fun
for you.

Do some training; the MCA AEC four-day engine course is a really useful opportunity to explore the parts of the engine you are normally too nervous to. A safety at sea course is worth its weight in gold. Use this to put together a safety kit that you feel confident in and that is appropriate for your cruising plans. A basic maintenance course can also be helpful, ideally one that covers beginners’ sail repair, rigging, splicing, and electrics.

Ask other sailors for a good tools and spares inventory list. On top of the standard parts that the equipment manuals recommend, current and previous owners of your boat model will have a plethora of advice.

Confident to cast off

Preparation for any type of bluewater sailing can feel daunting. Training courses and cruisers’ seminars like Outremer Week are a little paradoxical – learning how to insert an IV line in a morning medical session, then toasting your upcoming lifelong dream in the evening. It’s a bit like watching the flight safety demonstration before taking off on a once in a lifetime holiday.

The reality is that bluewater sailing is the most incredible opportunity in the world to be both savoured, and treated with an appropriate level of respect. But the most rewarding thing is to see sailors’s enthusiasm grow as they learn. With the opportunity to make mistakes and ask questions in a supportive environment, everyone develops their own skippering style and mantras.

Knowledge nurtures confidence, and confidence breeds positivity – which all contribute to a safe, and successful bluewater catamaran cruising experience. If in doubt, ask!

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There’s a rapidly accelerating trend towards maximising the amount of solar power installed on cruising catamarans, which can be seen being taken up a step on the new Sunreef 60 Eco.

Given multihulls‘ extensive deck areas this makes sense in many ways and obviates the need for a separate diesel generator on an increasing number of craft.

Sunreef has taken this a whole stage further with its latest 60ft sailing catamaran, the Sunreef 60 Eco which is equipped with integrated solar panels that are even built into the hull sides, as well as the superstructure and hardtop. In total up to 17kW of solar can be accommodated in this way. The solar panels were developed in-house and, although they are less than 1mm thick, the Polish company claims they provide a very high degree of resistance to shock and abrasion.

The boat has electric propulsion via twin 70kW electric motors, driven by lithium battery banks of 140-200kW capacity, depending on the option specified. These are sized to be able to run house loads continuously, even overnight, without recourse to the twin 80kW diesel generators that also serve as range extenders.

Sunreef 60 Eco specifications:

LOA: 18.4m
Beam: 10.2m
Mainsail: 110m²
Genoa: 90m²
Main engines: 2 x 70kW
Fuel capacity: 2 x 500L / 2 x 875L
Water capacity: 2 x 800L
Solar panels: 4.5kWp up to 17kWp

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Nobody could ever accuse my wife Sophie and me of taking the easy route in life. For one of our first proper ‘dates’ we cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and on our honeymoon we hiked Wainwright’s coast to coast across the north of England. I guess they set the benchmark and our idea of fun has only become more ambitious over the years. Except now, it’s a catamaran adventure for the whole family.

A few weeks after setting off on our around the world catamaran adventure, my eight-year-old son and I went on a day-long mountain bike adventure. Over the last few years I’ve got really into bikepack racing, non-stop mountain bike races over distances of around 1,000km. When we were in Lanzarote it felt like the perfect chance to introduce Rory to the sport.

I took Rory along one of my favourite trails, a beer and a lemonade stashed away in our minimalist kit. At first he set a great pace, but as the sun set his energy faded and we nearly ground to a halt in a windswept desert landscape. I was starting to feel really bad about pushing him too far but thankfully after a snack and a quick rest he was happy cycling again.

Nick, Sophie and the boys hiking on their catamaran adventure. Photo: Nick Bubb

We eventually rolled down to my chosen beach and set up our bivvys metres from the surf. We drank our rewards and watched the moon come up, chatting about the power of dreams and adventures until he fell asleep in my lap. Just a few hours later we woke, covered in sand flies but happy as could be. The whole expedition only lasted about 18 hours but Rory still talks about it proudly and his younger brother Billy won’t stop pestering me for his turn.

The whole reason we came on this ‘ocean odyssey’ was to spend more time together as a family and enjoy every moment with the boys before they get bored with us. On the water, biking, or hiking in the jungle, these are special experiences we’ll treasure forever.

Nick aboard the Quickstep Too. Photo: Nick Bubb

How we got here

Ever since I started sailing a Mirror dinghy on the River Deben in Suffolk aged five, I just wanted to go further. Sophie and I had talked about going cruising together since the first months of our friendship, but somehow the timing had never been quite right, until now.

After finishing my engineering degree, I was focussed on competing in the Vendée Globe. I was captivated by Yves Parlier’s heroics in the 2000/01 race, Ellen’s story too, and followed Pete Goss and Mike Golding for years.

Testing the Nautitech’s drying out abilities in the Isles of Scilly. Photo: Nick Bubb

My first step was gaining as many offshore miles as possible. Armed with a small graduate loan I bought my first Mini Transat, and spent a winter refitting it. Four years of Mini sailing later, along with sailing a Maxi cat around the world in the Oryx Quest, and racing everything from 30ft trimarans to Open 60s and eventually the Volvo Ocean Race in 2008/9 (where I met Sophie), I finally felt ready for the Vendée.

I was pushing to get a campaign together, but the global financial crisis was really starting to bite and I struggled to make significant headway. Instead I ended up working with Paul Larsen on SailRocket out in Namibia. This cemented a close friendship and I can’t think of many people more motivated towards a set goal than Paul and his partner Helena.

However, I hadn’t really found my focus. Out of the blue came the chance to skipper the Shackleton Epic expedition in Antarctica with Paul Larsen. Following that was never going to be easy but afterwards I took on a new role with Fauna & Flora International (FFI).

The Quickstep Too under sail with the Bubbs on deck. Photo: Nick Bubb

Like most things in my life, I went all-in and it turned into a huge commitment. Working away a lot, while trying to continue my own adventures, and combine it with family life was difficult and getting harder. Meanwhile, Sophie had been juggling looking after our boys and racing as a professional triathlete and coach. With Covid shutting down her racing season, the time seemed right for us both to take a break and live out our childhood dreams by going sailing.

Making plans

Aside from sharing a great family adventure, we’d visit FFI project sites around the world. Both Sophie and I wanted to ensure the boys see as much of the natural world as possible before it’s gone. That might sound dramatic but thousands of species are becoming extinct each year. We want them to learn first-hand how to conserve nature, and to engage with a diverse mix of cultures.

The Bubb family have been living life to the full on their world travels aboard Quickstep Too. Photo: Nick Bubb

We made grand plans to take bikes, boards, even the boys’ Optimist on the bow, and what felt like most of our garage with us. Most of all, we wanted to figure out a way to make it fun for all and not just a slog around the world as fast as possible. After racing so many miles over the years, with little opportunity to stop and enjoy the good bits, I was excited to explore islands I’d only ever raced past, and was determined that this would start with the Isles of Scilly!

In our search for a catamaran, we wanted space for friends to join us, to stow all our toys, good performance, along with true ‘off-grid’ capability. We decided to go for a Nautitech 40 catamaran from 2015 and happily found one that didn’t need masses of work.

After that, things happened quickly. I reached an agreement at work, Soph pulled out of racing on the Ironman and Skyrunning circuits. We sold our family home in the New Forest and moved aboard Quickstep Too full time in May, in Lymington. Once the school term ended, we left in early August.

Finding time for some light reading on the Quickstep Too. Photo: Nick Bubb

There’s no denying that uprooting your family, especially during Covid, is pretty complicated, but we had a lot of support from family and friends. From day one we had an attitude that our combined skill set and experience had put us in a great position to pull it off, but we needed to remain respectful of what lay ahead, and diligently work through the challenge.

Fundamentally, we’d prepare for it just as we would for any offshore race or long distance endurance event.

Casting off

As I write this, we’re in Shelter Bay Marina just a few miles from the Panama Canal, on the cusp of entering the Pacific, and it feels a little surreal to have come so far aboard our home. We all have mixed emotions about it; the boys are just happy to be back in a marina after so many months at sea or at anchor and have made a load of friends already, I’m mainly relieved to be able to switch off for a few weeks and not stress about all the millions of things that can go wrong. Sophie has a different perspective though, and is worried that it’s all going too fast!

The little known Selvagem Islands were a highlight of the Atlantic. Photo: Nick Bubb

Our adventures started, as planned, with us making it to the Isles of Scilly. After leaving Lymington the day before the Rolex Fastnet Race – we anchored in Studland Bay to watch the fleet crash past in epic conditions – we slowly made our way along the south coast calling at Brixham, Dartmouth and St Mawes. We caught up with old friends as we explored the Carrick Roads and waited for a weather window.

Finally we had our chance in mid-August, and it was magical. We opted to drop anchor in St Helen’s Pool between the islands of Tresco and St Martin’s. A notorious spot for thick kelp, if you can get your anchor to hold there it is one of the few anchorages that gives good shelter from a broad range of conditions.

Sophie relaxing in the sun on the Bubb’s catamaran adventure. Photo: Nick Bubb

Aside from drying out overnight on the sands mid-week, we stayed for six days and didn’t really move until the last night, opting instead to use our tender to get around. Drying out our catamaran wasn’t something we’d done before and I was keen to test it out in case we needed to do it one day to make repairs in a remote location. Happily, all went well, although she sank a little further into the sand than I’d expected!

We spotted a chance to cross Biscay in predominantly north-easterlies and, as it was by then late August, I was keen to take the opportunity. It got a little wild towards the end with well over 30 knots at times but we made landfall in Camarinas, just south of La Coruña. Dolphins greeted us in the anchorage and the boys were happy as could be. Over the following weeks we worked our way along the Spanish rias and offshore islands.

The boys take on a solo sailing adventure on their Optimist. Photo: Nick Bubb

After restocking in Baiona we sailed direct to Porto Santo, Madeira. This hadn’t always been our plan but I was keen to avoid any orca incidents on the Portuguese coast and the forecast was ideal, so we went for it. A few days in Porto Santo gave the boys their first taste of the Atlantic islands and then we moved on to Madeira, so our additional crew, friend Jo Royle, could travel home.

Madeira has very few anchorages and the marinas were full with boats who had their plans disrupted by Covid, so Sophie and the boys explored ashore, while I chose to remain largely on board and look after the boat. My time was not wasted, however, as I developed a plan that had been in my head for several months.

Surfing brothers share a high five. Photo: Nick Bubb

Lying almost directly between Madeira and Lanzarote are the little known Selvagem Islands, a small archipelago designated as a nature reserve. The scientific and natural interest of this tiny group of islands lies in its marine biodiversity, its unique flora and the numerous seabird species that breed on its cliffs, or use them as a migratory stopover.

Island exploration

With the wind in the north-east and due to go very light as we were passing, we decided to give the anchorage to the south-west of the larger island, Selvagem Grande, a go. There is one large mooring buoy available for visitors brave enough to nudge in there.

After a bit of chat with the wardens on the VHF we picked it up and waited nervously as the swell rolled in, taking us close to the rocks. Having monitored things closely for a tense hour or two we decided the mooring was fine, but we’d need to wait for high water to attempt the landing. We’d decided to celebrate Rory’s birthday a day early so had an impromptu celebration on the trampoline as he opened various presents we’d hidden on board.

We went ashore and completed immigration formalities before meeting the wardens who quickly offered to take us on a tour. We ended up having the most amazing few hours hiking amongst juvenile shearwaters and tracking the endemic Selvagem wall geckos.

The Bubb family always find time to cycle on their family adventure. Photo: Nick Bubb

The boys were blown away to discover they were the only children to have landed on the islands all year. To cap a very memorable birthday, we shared cake with the locals during a wonderful little tea party, before picking our spot between the waves to get back out to Quickstep, continuing on to Lanzarote just as the sun set.

Over the next six weeks or so we cruised extensively around Lanzarote, the north of Fuerteventura, Lobos and La Graciosa. We spent many happy days getting the Oppie out for the boys to sail, and surfing for hours on end. Sophie and I took our bikes to explore Lanzarote from end to end while the boys loved the busy Marina Rubicon, where they made many great cruising friends.

We’d decided not to do the ARC. The rally leaves a little too early in the season for us, and more importantly I didn’t want to be committed to a specific date. With work commitments to manage too, our decision was straightforward: we wouldn’t leave Lanzarote until the end of November and would also spend a few days in Cape Verde.

The Cape Verde Islands were another place I’d raced past many times but had never stopped at and was keen to explore a little. With our crew very keen to make it to Antigua for Christmas, we only spent 48 hours in Mindelo but we got up into the hills and loved the vibe around the dock with countless boats nervously preparing for their Atlantic crossing.

Tradewind crossing

Our transatlantic could hardly have been more straightforward. We left Mindelo in ‘muscular’ conditions and flew south-west initially. After clearing the wind shadow off Santo Antao, we hooked into the north-easterly trade winds and never looked back. We made the crossing without a single gybe in a shade over 13 days, having only slowed a little on approach to allow for a daylight arrival.

Securing provisions in the Caribbean. Photo: Nick Bubb

We rolled into Antigua and pretty much straight into the bar at Pigeon Beach. We reflected how – almost without fanfare – the boys were now transatlantic sailors. Whatever happened from now on, we’d all shared the great family adventure we’d dreamed of.

After celebrating Christmas in Antigua, we headed north to Barbuda, seeing in the New Year in splendid isolation at Spanish Point with a handful of cruising friends. The stunning pink and white sands on Barbuda’s coastline are remarkable and despite the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma, we found the local community to be very friendly and upbeat.

Next was Martinique, the cruising mecca that is Le Marin and the beautiful little village of Saint Anne, just a few miles south. We made many friends there and loved exploring the lush green interior and white sand beaches.

Splendid isolation in the Caribbean. Photo: Nick Bubb

Though symptomless, Sophie and Billy both returned positive PCR tests so we quickly moved away from the cruising community, a few miles around the corner to a peaceful anchorage called Anse d’Arlet, which had some of the biggest starfish we’ve ever seen, clear water and excellent shelter close to the cliffs.

Isolation complete, we headed to St Vincent and the Grenadines. More magic days followed in Bequia, Tobago Cays and then Union Island. In Union Island we got to spend time with one of FFI’s local partners and all took a full day hike with a local guide to see the incredible Union Islands geckos and hike up to the highest point in the Grenadines.

The marine park in Tobago Cays is really something very special with turtles and rays constantly surrounding the boat. One of the things we were all desperate to do on this trip was learn to wing-foil. It’s always fun to learn something new together and the logistics are so easy off the back of the cat.

Fun on a wonderful sandbar at Martinique. Photo: Nick Bubb

We started tow-foiling behind the dinghy and the boys refused to let us have all the fun; Rory is now tow-foiling around on his own when conditions are calm and Billy isn’t far behind. Wing-foiling from the boat in Tobago Cays in crystal clear water, having to carve around the turtles as they come up for air, was a very special moment. Sophie and I can both rip along now but neither of us can properly gybe yet, so that’s the next goal!

Panama bound

From here it was all eyes west, as we prepared to start the big move towards the canal. We had a perfect sail down to Bonaire, the kind of trip you dream of with 15 knots, full mainsail, gennaker and flat water the whole way; 400 miles later and we were in diving heaven!

In Bonaire this felt like torture for the boys – they can’t dive with compressed air until their lungs are fully developed (the advice seems to be wait until 12). So the obvious answer seemed to be to try freediving. 

The Bubb children enjoying some freediving. Photo: Nick Bubb

A lovely local instructor came out to the boat and spent an hour with us, teaching us all relaxation and breathing techniques, along with how to safely descend – and ascend – a line. Both boys hit their 5m targets, I got to around 15m, but Sophie discovered yet another sport she excels at and disappeared into the depths! By the end of our stay she was diving down close to 30m and holding her breath at the surface for over three minutes.

All the time there I had my eye on the weather for the last hop west to Colon and the entrance to the Panama Canal. Options included a stop in Cartagena, Columbia and the San Blas Islands but all were weather dependent. In the end, despite waiting for a window, we still had over 30 knots and 3-4m seas at times.

Family photo after a swim in the Caribbean. Photo: Nick Bubb

Our predicted 650 miles became nearly 800 but we rolled into the San Blas after just over four days at sea, as a weary but jubilant crew. The Kuna people were incredibly welcoming and the San Blas is the kind of place you could spend years visiting with close to 300 islands.

In just a few days we still got a real feel for the place and ensured it’s committed to our memories forever. We left with the feeling that we’d probably met our first community who have big challenges just ahead. Most of the islands sit just a few metres above sea level and already it’s hard to see how they will survive living as they do, in the long term.

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Our final stop before Colon was Portobelo. Supposedly named by Columbus and famously Drake’s final resting place, here was a perfect history lesson for the boys all in a morning. With ruins of forts and old cannons to be found all over town, their imaginations ran riot and we surely found gold ingots on every corner, as the life of pirates was brought into sharp focus.

The final few miles to Colon were an easy downwind slide and we entered Shelter Bay Marina at sunset to bring the curtain down on chapter one. Next; the Panama Canal, Las Perlas Islands, the Pacific and on to the Galapagos.

About the author: Nick Bubb

Nick Bubb is a lifelong sailor who has competed in the Volvo Ocean Race, Transat Jacques Vabre, and Route du Rhum among other ocean races. His wife Sophie is a professional ironman athlete and coach. They are documenting their travels on Instagram @OceanOdysseyCrew

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It’s easy to assume that all rugged metal yachts are very heavy. While that was the case at one time for steel designs, it’s a different matter for aluminium which, before carbon fibre became feasible, was frequently used for competitive racing yachts and from which the Ovnicat 48 is built.

This means it was almost inevitable that two of the biggest trends in cruising yacht design – expedition yachts and multihulls – would merge at some stage. The Garcia Explocat 52, launched late in 2020, wasn’t the company’s first aluminium catamaran, but it brought the concept to a bigger audience.

At the same time Ovni, which has built 1,500 shoal draught aluminium monohulls over the past 50 years, was also developing a multihull concept with a 48 design. The first two have already been sold, with one scheduled to launch in 2024.

We don’t yet have many details, but it looks like an enticing design by Mortain and Mavrikios, with more of an emphasis towards warm water sailing and temperate climates than the other yachts in this selection.

Despite the boat’s rugged nature, laden displacement is lower than that of most cruising catamarans of similar size, giving the promise of brisk and enjoyable sailing without the worries of a more fragile fibreglass construction.

Ovnicat 48 specifications

LOA: 14.50m / 47ft 6in
Beam: 7.75m / 25ft 6in
Draught: 1.35m / 4ft 5in
Base price: €1,200,000 ex VAT
Builder: alubat.com

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The results are in from the European Yacht of the Year Awards as the judges have announced their top four bluewater cruisers of 2022.

The European Yacht of the Year awards are well regarded as the definitive yacht awards in the world a variety of categories are judged by the panel from best luxury cruisers, to best family cruisers to performance yachts.

But for those looking to liveaboard their yacht, making plans to do some ocean crossings, or looking to undertake some long distance passage making, the best bluewater cruisers will likely be the category that draws the eye.

There were a brilliantly diverse and interesting collection of new designs for this category – a celebration of French ingenuity. For those planning long term cruising, would you choose a robust aluminium build for higher latitudes sailing, shoal draught to tuck into the shallows (a mix of both?), sustainable living or reliable comfort, or the ability to log sustained high speeds to outrun weather systems? This selection gives you all those choices and more.

Best bluewater cruisers of 2022

The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.

It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.

Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.

Allures 51.9 price: €766,000

The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.

Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.

Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.

Ovni 370 price: €282,080

There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.

The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.

Windelo 50 price: €795,000

Best bluewater cruiser of 2022 – Outremer 55

I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.

Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.

At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.

Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home  – passagemaking where you really cover miles.

Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”

Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.

Outremer 55 price: €1.35m

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There has been a huge surge in the sales of performance multihulls and with them a need to know how to handle them particularly when it comes to specific multihull techniques. The market for these boats is broadening; multihull cruisers are upgrading, monohull sailors are upsizing, and even virgin boat owners are tempted.

Over the last 12 months, while coaching for Outremer, I’ve met hundreds of these owners, everyone from young families to retired couples moving aboard a new catamaran and setting sail on a circumnavigation. Handling a performance catamaran is achievable even for a novice multihull sailor. But there is a big difference between just ‘getting by’ on such a boat versus sailing efficiently, safely and in style.

The transition for even experienced sailors can be quite a step up. For a seasoned monohull sailor, the differences are obvious: increased volume and speed, and a lack of heel. Even for an existing multihull sailor, the handling and performance is noticeably less forgiving and requires a shift in focus and technique.

This winter, I set sail on a transatlantic with the new owners of an Outremer 55. They have previously owned another less performance-orientated catamaran but invited me on board to coach them to fine tune the boat, assist with routing, and help them take best advantage of all the performance their new yacht offers. Here are a few of the topics we focussed on:

sailing at higher speeds will change everything from manoeuvre techniques to weather routing. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

Speed

Most non-planing monohulls will do approximately the same speed on all points of sail. However, a performance multihull might sail at twice, three, even four times its upwind speed on a reach.

For example, the factory polars of an Outremer 55 give its average speed in 20 knots of wind with a true wind angle (TWA) of 50° at 8.5 knots, but in the same windspeed with a TWA of 110° it’s 19.1 knots. That’s more than twice as fast. How do you make the most of this speed advantage? And how do you best manage it?

In a monohull it often pays to slog it out for days sailing the best course to windward as this normally gives the best velocity made good (VMG). A dead downwind rhumbline route is the usual strategy for longer ocean passages, rather than sailing more miles and wider angles.However, on a performance multihull it is important to prioritise reaching when route planning.

aboard high performance catamarans, such as this TS42, you can race competitively in offshore events. Photo: Jacques Vapillon/Sea&Co

In upwind conditions on a long crossing, consider whether bearing off by even as much as 20° will result in a better VMG, even if it feels counterintuitive. In light winds bearing off to 70° or 80° TWA can be the difference between a totally stalled boat and 5 knots of boat speed.

Faster speeds open up the possibility of keeping up with pressure systems as they move around the globe. For example, if crossing the North Atlantic eastwards, ideally you’d leave the US in clear weather with a depression forecast to leave the American coast a few days later.

You could use its predicted track to decide how much north or south to add to your easterly heading, to ensure that as it catches up with you, you are sufficiently south enough of it to pick up its strong westerlies.
As they approach, you will accelerate, and if you can hold the speed you can use that downwind airflow to push you most of the way across the pond.

Handling at speed

Controlling and handling the boat at these higher speeds requires a change in strategy. Increased speeds and acceleration mean that the apparent wind angle and apparent wind speed change much more frequently.
So you need adaptable and flexible trimming and driving solutions.

Use twist to balance power and control. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

Downwind the boat should be carving S-curves through the water to ensure it achieves the best VMG possible. If you can get this right you will attain the momentous double figure average speeds that a performance multihull offers, while also going the right direction! Instead of allowing the speed to plummet at the end of each surf, as the bow sinks into the bottom of the wave, a performance multihull can just keep on going.

How to maintain speed:

1 Sail at higher angles to build up apparent wind speed (AWS) and boat speed.

2 Soak downwind as the apparent wind angle (AWA) surges forward with the acceleration.

3 Drive the boat back slowly upwind in time to maintain the average speed and continue the surf.

In an ideal world, to achieve this the boat would be hand-steered. But realistically, no cruisers want to be on deck for two weeks straight on a transatlantic crossing. Your best compromise is to invest in a top quality, well set up autopilot, as well as good wind instruments.

Set the autopilot to sail to apparent wind angle and watch how the boat slaloms through the ocean. The quality of the autopilot will really start to show its value when the sea state starts to increase. The best ones improve over time as they collect data and learn the wave patterns. If you aren’t sure exactly which AWA is ideal, choose a day that has very consistent wind and sail in open water. Set the autopilot AWA to 90° and then systematically increase the setting by increments of 5° at fixed time intervals until you get as low as you can before the foresail is shadowed behind the main. Measure the VMG by comparing the distance travelled at each of the different wind angles, and the average A to B course over ground (COG) achieved. This will give you a good starting point, and then it will shift further depending on sea states and wind strengths.

Sail setting

Another solution if you want fast speeds but don’t want to actively sail the boat to within an inch of its life is to use twist. Twist is a compromise between having a hardened sail that stalls when the wind goes aft, or a very eased sail that luffs when it goes forward. The more changeable the conditions, the more extreme the acceleration increases are, or the rougher the sea state is, the more twist you need.

Cats have the space and stability to hoist and douse, so keep weight low by dropping flying sails when not in use. Photo: Christophe Launay

Mainsail

The wide beam of a multihull allows for a long traveller, so most won’t have a vang. Sheet tension and traveller position are your primary controls to create twist in the mainsail. Begin by finding a full power setting in the main.

Set your autopilot to 35-40°AWA; most performance multis should make this upwind. Set your traveller at midships and over-ease your mainsheet so that the sail is luffing. Gradually tighten your mainsheet until the top telltale just flies. Manual winching offers better control here than electric.

Pull your traveller to windward until the boom runs down the centreline. The top telltale of the mainsail will now be flying about three-quarters of the time. If it is closer to 50% you may need to tighten the mainsheet further and then ease the traveller until you have achieved this (or vice versa). This is your full power sail shape, and your default car position upwind.

At this point some people like to mark the mainsheet (this doesn’t work with a continuous mainsheet). To begin with, just take note of the traveller position. If the conditions require more twist, ease the mainsheet, and pull the traveller to windward to keep the boom in the same position relative to the boat. You could keep a note of three traveller positions for each point of sail: full power, mid power, low power.

As the wind moves aft, you can add other ‘go-to’ traveller positions for different wind angles by easing the traveller down to leeward while keeping the mainsail shape set to ‘full-power’ mode. Once the wind goes aft of the beam, your traveller will be all the way down to leeward. Keep an eye on spreader chafe at this point.

Jib

Once you are happy with mainsail trim, you can trim the jib in a similar way, using car position and the sheet tension. Bring sheet tension in so that the leech shape looks very similar to the main: flat with a slight curve at the top. Then adjust the cars (if you can) so that the sail is not luffing, and the top telltales are also flying 50-75% of the time. Finally, walk forward to the forestay and view the slot between the sails. Do they look roughly parallel? If not, you may need to open up the slot a touch by moving the car outboard. This is your default jib car position for that point of sail.

Sailing the angles with an asymmetric. Photo: Kinetic Catamarans

When conditions increase, don’t forget to add twist to the jib too. Initially just ease a touch of sheet. Be careful moving the car too far inboard or you might close the slot. Moving the sheet attachment closer to the foot of the clew will open up the leech and create more twist.

Think of twist as the middle ground between sailing fully powered and reefing. Multihulls are much less communicative than monohulls. You do not have the obvious signs that the boat is overpowered, like a submersed toe rail or rounding up as the boat heels.

In time you’ll get to know your catamaran and build a connection to read how aggressively the boat is accelerating, its fore-aft pitching, sounds, and rhythm. But at first it’s useful to have some number guides and wind parameters of when to add twist and ultimately when to reef.

Generally a performance cat will require a reef much earlier because it’s lighter. I’d usually put in one reef at 20-25 knots, two at 25-30 and three reefs for 30-35 knots.

Comfort

On our transatlantic crossing on the Outremer 55, contrary to my advice on the advantages of sailing angles downwind, we chose instead to sail dead downwind with the symmetric spinnaker up for the entire passage.

taking it easy dead downwind under symmetric Photo: Nikki Henderson

There are costs to taking full advantage of the speed of a performance catamaran. Averaging 15 knots boat speed is not everyone’s idea of comfortable. The hulls are so stiff that every wave that hits the hull sounds like the beating of a drum. The humming of carbon rigging, the swooshing of water screaming past the topsides, the slapping of the waves, the wind: it’s incredibly loud even when averaging 10 knots, let alone 15 or 20.

Performance multihulls are also so lightweight that they are really thrown about in a substantial sea state. Our decision to sail dead downwind rather than heating up and taking full advantage of the performance came down to the following reasons:

1. Lack of adequate autopilot We had one, but it wasn’t able to react quickly enough to the acceleration and resulting rapid change of wind angle that broad reaching would have created. It also struggled in a big seaway, so sailing with the waves square on to the stern was easier to cope with.

2. Sails We did not have a heavyweight asymmetric sail, which is what you need to sail these downwind angles (both our reaching sails were light weight).

3. Safety Akaroa II is hull No2 of a new design by Outremer. This was the first transatlantic crossing that this particular model of boat had ever done, so we were a testing ground and deliberately cautious.

Despite our conservative approach we still achieved 90% of the factory polars averaging 9.6 knots in sustained winds of 20 knots across the entire 2,700-mile route.

The trip took 11 days and 17 hours. The beauty of a performance multihull is that even if you don’t push it, you still manage brilliant speeds in the right conditions.

We calculated how much faster we would have gone, had we sailed the angles instead of running downwind. This assumes we would achieve the same 90% polars. TWA 140° appears to be the sweet spot.

Getting the main down when reefing can be problematic – rig up downhaul lines to help grind it down if needed. Photo: Nikki Henderson

Loads

Without any power being dispelled by heeling, performance multihulls will convert additional power into acceleration. With this increased speed comes increased loads on the lines, blocks, rudders, sail cloth and rigging. Winches are upsized. Jammers are used instead of clutches. Halyards are 2:1. You may be sailing on a 50-footer, but the loads are akin to a 70-80ft bluewater monohull.

A future owner recently reminded me of this, when he opened the main traveller jammer while holding the line with only one wrap on the winch. The lack of skin on his hand was gruesome evidence of how surprising the loads can be when a multihull is really powered up.

Interestingly, comparing a standard cruising multihull with a similar sized performance multihull, the opposite is true. A boat that weighs less needs less sail area to power it. For example, a Lagoon 450 has a sail area (main and jib) of 130m2 compared to an Outremer 45 (actually 48ft LOA) at 104m2. So, for the same apparent wind speed, there will be less load on the gear.

Watch out when sailing downwind. Due to a performance multihull’s ability to accelerate and hold high speeds downwind, it is easy to hold significantly more sail area in higher true wind speeds as the apparent stays low. However, if you do hit the bottom of a wave and stop dead in the water, the sail, rigging and lines will feel the full force of that wind.

Another reason to reef earlier than you think on a performance multi is that with swept back shrouds (needed to support the mast without a backstay) and a fully battened mainsail, even with the halyard eased downwind the sail may still not come down. You should be sailing with the minimum amount of sail cloth up to achieve the polars.

Reducing sail

1. Rig up downhaul lines from each reefing point on the luff to help grind down the sail. Keep an eye on chafe on the leeward side on each of the batten pockets.

2. Use the rotating mast to open the sail to the wind more.

3. If that isn’t enough, come upwind to help get the sail down.

Multihull trim

Switching to a performance catamaran may bring new trimming options: daggerboards, a rotating mast, and fully battened square topped mainsail.

Brush up on your fundamentals of sail trim so that you have a solid foundation to build on. When you first start sailing the boat, to avoid getting overwhelmed (which tends to result in people under-sailing their boat), begin by finding a base setting for all points of sail. Forget the rotating rig for now, but find enough twist in the sails that gives you enough height without too much power. Set the daggerboards as you would on a dinghy: down for upwind, up for downwind, mid-way for a reach. Then you fine tune.

Set performance cat daggerboards as you would for a dinghy at first: down for upwind, up for downwind, mid-way for a reach. Photo: Nikki Henderson

When adjusting daggerboards, make sure you have your GPS track switched on. See if dropping a little more daggerboard helps with the COG upwind. Downwind, if you feel like you are on an ice-skating rink, try dropping a little board for better grip. If on autopilot, take note of the rudder angle. If it’s taking the helm from full starboard to full port then it might need some more grip, if not then a reef.

Be cautious of the risk of ‘tripping up’ in big seaways. In sea states much over 3-4m, it’s safest to lift the daggerboards and allow the boat to glide over the waves rather than risk one of the boards digging into a wave and destabilising the boat. While exceptionally unlikely to happen, if a daggerboard digs in, the worst case scenario would be a capsize. If you see any slick in the water that suggests the boat is sliding sideways over a wave, or an increase in heel, or significant water over the deck – these are signs that it’s time to lift the boards all the way up.

Finally, play with the rotating mast. At a basic level, try to get the mast in line with the foremost sail position and curve. The easiest way to see this is actually to stand forward of the mast and look down the line of the sail. It is in itself a foil and when in the right position can add the equivalent of as much as 10% more sail area. In the same way, you can use it to depower by reducing the angle.

With a rotating mast you’ll generally be trying to get it in line with the foremost sail position and curve. Photo: Nikki Henderson

When fine tuning sail trim I’d recommend marking all your tracks and angles of mast rotation, and once you are confident you could mark the sheets and halyards themselves. This is an exercise for the detail-orientated and it pays to be specific. Keep a notebook at the helm station to record your learnings, and over time build up not just ideal trim settings for wind and waves, but also polars.

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Weight

Learning a performance catamaran’s sensitivity to weight can be a real learning curve. Compared to cruising catamarans, performance cats tend to be half the weight (or even less). Meanwhile, compared to a monohull the main difference is in the areas where the weight is most concentrated. A monohull’s weight is predominantly in its keel. Almost the entire weight of the boat is concentrated in around 15% of the boat’s length. Conversely, a multihull has no keel, so without that pendulum effect its centre of gravity is higher and less stable. On a multihull the weight is distributed along almost 90% of its length.

In practice, this means that what you carry, both below and above decks, has a big impact on the boat’s performance and safety. The first step is to become minimalists. Summon your inner Marie Kondo and ask yourself “Does this bring me joy? Does this keep me safe?” of every single item that moves from dock to boat. If it doesn’t – don’t take it.

Performance cats are weight sensitive so streamline your possessions onboard. Photo: Carl Newton

Step two is to arrange your belongings evenly around the boat. Ensure you don’t list the boat to port or starboard. Try to keep weight amidships and ideally low down. Avoid loading up the bow lazarettes or aft areas with too much weight.

When sailing, don’t forget that the worst kind place for weight is aloft. Without the keel, you significantly reduce the stability of the boat by having a furled Code 0 (for example) hanging around up the rig. It’s inconvenient to drop it every time, but it’s worth it.

Safety

Higher speeds, bigger loads, a lighter boat and higher centre of gravity don’t sound like the safest characteristics, and they aren’t if poorly managed. But you can also use them to your advantage. Being able to sail faster means you sometimes have an option to run away from bad weather.

But there are other safety drills that are worth thinking about ahead of time. What is your MOB recovery plan? With cats’ high freeboard, some owners plan to reverse up to the casualty and pick them up from the steps at the back. But how many have practiced that? Will it involve dropping the mainsail? Could the props injure the casualty? How does the back of the boat behave in a significant sea state? I’d recommend practising this until you have a plan that works for you on your boat with the equipment you have. The same should be said for plans to evacuate the boat, or deal with a fire on board.

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It’s been many years since we’ve seen an all new Nautitech catamaran, but it may have been worth the wait, with the first details of the new Nautitech 44 Open have been released and look impressive.

A really good looking blend of volume and performance for a family cruising production cat has ensured this new Nautitech 44 Open has risen to the top of our wishlist of new multihulls to see and sail in the new year.

It took 12 months in development after Nautitech used a panel of existing owners to try to create the ideal owner boat, one which sits between its Nautitech 40 Open and Nautitech 46 Open. While it’s a bold decision to abandon 50% of the market (catamaran charter) and only focus on private boats, this is where the DNA of the brand lies.

Nautitech 44 layout has been designed around the wishes of existing owners

Together with the fact that increasing numbers of its owners head for bluewater cruising, this led to the realisation that a technical room was missing and that existing owners often close off a forward cabin for use as stowage. So Nautitech developed a ‘SmartRoom’ option in the starboard forward cabin, a multifunctional space that can be laundry, workshop, clothes and toy stowage.

The modern Marc Lombard design features curved reverse bows and dual chines in the topsides. Displacement has been kept controlled and comparatively light at 10.5 tonnes, which, together with high freeboard and bridgedeck clearance, should help ensure it provides a fast yet comfortable ride.

Whatever your views on aft helms, they undeniably offer a more engaging helming experience as the connection to the rudders is so direct. Focus was placed on ensuring an ease of manoeuvring with minimum crew, and on ease of maintenance, including keeping running rigging visible and accessible. That, and creating an optimised flow through the cockpit and interior.

In contrast to today’s trend, the 44 Open has a large chart table, which has a forward-facing pride of place. It comes with two to four cabins both with two heads.
The first models are due to be shown in Miami in February and at La Grande Motte in April.

Nautitech 44 Open specifications

LOA: 13.30m / 43ft 8in
Beam: 7.36m / 23ft 0in
Draught: 1.45m / 4ft 9in
Displacement: 10,700kg / 22,046lb
Price: €543,600 ex VAT
Builder: nautitechcatamarans.com

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A combination of sharp design from François Perus, whose Yacht Design Collective has worked with brands such as Catana and North Wind on their multihulls, and high build quality brings plenty of appeal to the sporty Italian-built cat the ITA 14.99.

The first example of this bluewater multihull, which sits comfortably in the performance cruiser category, launched three years ago with a light displacement of 10.5 tonnes, thanks to an E-glass epoxy-infused build with carbon strengthening. The yard offers semi-custom construction and full hybrid packages.

ITA Catamarans is a relatively new brand, but the team behind this 14.99 are no strangers to the trade and have experience from many of the major Italian shipyards.

The result is a sleek-looking craft with stylish dreadnought bows and refreshingly low-profile coachroof. Twin helm stations are perched on the aft coaming, which frees up the cockpit for socialising, without compromising the boat’s stability by putting the weight 
of the helm on the coachroof.

The dreadnought bows are designed to give extra waterline length for speed, while the long, fine underwater profile of the hulls is optimised for comfort through the waves.

The flatter sections aft mean that the ITA 14.99 should easily be able to plane at speed, and the winch-trimmed daggerboards improve performance to windward. High-tech foam sandwich lay-up and the use of carbon fibre in key areas keeps the hulls light and stiff.

ITA 14.99 price

€1.2m

Read our full list of the best bluewater multihulls of all time.

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Neel trimarans, and the Neel 51 specifically, blend the extreme space offered by the family/charter catamarans together with good average speeds. First impressions of the Neel 51 are sure to centre on its sheer size and space inside. But, when you sail one, the overriding impression quickly centres on its performance.

Neel has found a clever niche offering the performance benefits of a trimaran with the type of accommodation offered in a cruising catamaran.

The La Rochelle company argues its trimarans are more stable than cruising catamarans. Cats, it says, reach their peak righting moment at 12º heel, beyond which sail needs to be reduced.

That peak for a tri, however, is not until 27º heel – an unusually steep angle for cruising. Neel also argues that trimarans are faster, particularly upwind, thanks to a more rigid forestay (attached to centre hull) and more central weight management.

These trimarans are becoming a popular mass production-built option. Six of the 51 have completed the ARC in the last five years. Their appeal may be due to their direct steering, but more likely its the open plan living spaces and incredible views, especially from the owner’s cabin.

The Joubert-Nivelt designed Neel 51 incorporates the best assets of Neel’s previous 45 and 65 models – that of performance and comfort in a bluewater family yacht – and adds even more space for its size.

Neel 51 price

ex VAT: €749,000

Read our full list of the best bluewater multihulls of all time.

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Privilège was the creation of Vendée Globe founder Philippe Jeantot 35 years ago and with its yard in Les Sables d’Olonne has grown to be a leader in the luxury bluewater market. The new Privilège 510 Signature is a great example of a bluewater multihull from the French marque.

Privilège is now part of Hanse Yachts, and the 510 Signature is the first to be launched under its new ownership, though it retains the lines of redoubtable multihull designs Marc Lombard.

Privilege 510 on sea trials at Ile d’ Yeu

The Privilège range starts with this impressive 50-footer, which adapted the hulls and deck of the original Série 5 design.

Lombard has stretched the coachroof, giving good bimini protection and enlarged the portlights, while stowage and volume distribution has been improved. The 510 is designed to take a serious amount of cruising gear – up to six tonnes of it in fact.

An 88sq m square-top mainsail, mast raked aft and bowsprit for Code and downwind sails give the 510 its performance.

Privilege 510 interior

The excellent helm station now has a fixed windscreen and all lines led to hand. Finish quality including the electrical installation is first class and a Privilège trademark, the admirable full beam (26ft) forward cabin, is sumptuous. Larger windows in the saloon, with slimmer mullions, offer a near 360-degree view from the living quarters.

The list of finish choices is also substantial, giving a high degree of customisation, with two master/two guests, one master/three guest, and four double cabin layout options.

Like many builders, Privilège is enjoying a bulging order book at the moment and waiting times for a new build are lengthy, though they are ramping up production considerably to meet ever-increasing demand.

Privilège 510 Signature price

ex VAT: €1,035,000

Read our full list of the best bluewater multihulls of all time.

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Gunboat is the forerunner of the ongoing current trend for fast composite carbon catamarans. The Gunboat 48 is a very popular model, despite only a handful being made – though huge numbers of any Gunboat model do not really exist.

It is the boat that surfing megastar, John John Florence selected for a beautifully shot travelogue-style video series, which he named after his Gunboat 48 Vela.

When Peter Johnstone conceived the first Gunboat 62 Tribe over 20 years ago, spawned from the discomfort his family felt sailing a large monohull, little did he know he would start a cult for cool cruising cats that can outpace maxis on a race course and have the legs to avoid a storm.

Veteran multihull designers Morrelli & Melvin followed up with this smaller model, more manageable for an owner-driver yet still capable of up to 300-400 mile days.

A rare breed, just six 48s were built between 2004 and 2009. Oh, to have a spare €1.3m right now… one of them is actually on the market.

Gunboat 48 price

Around €1.3m second hand

See our full list of best bluewater mutlihulls

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The Xiamen-built HH range of catamarans found popularity for its high-performance, all-carbon, hull-flying designs such as the HH66 and HH55. But the HH OC50 is designed as a more affordable cruising alternative, and one that targets ocean sailing. Hence it earns its place in our bluewater multihull listing.

The Morelli and Melvin-designed HH OC50 is still stiffened and strengthened by carbon, but built in vinylester composites with a gelcoat finish. This adds an additional 300kg or so over a full carbon HH50, but cost savings are in the region of $400,000.

Solid glassfibre fixed keels with winglets are used instead of daggerboards, which are independent of the hulls and are designed to take the weight of the boat.

HH describe the new Ocean Series as designed with cruising couples firmly in mind. The OC50 comes with a self-tacking staysail and genoa for ease of sail handling. Sail controls are led to a single raised helm station, which has a fixed bimini and canopies for full enclosure.

Practical features for bluewater cruising include plentiful deck stowage, generous tankage, removable transom washboards and tech spaces in the forward cabins.

There is a generous forward-facing navstation and a U-shaped galley with deep drawer fridges and freezers. 

HH Catamarans has also recently unveiled a new OC44 model.

OC50 prices

Ex-VAT US$1.3m

See our full list of the best bluewater mutlihulls

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For those in any doubt as to what is the most popular cruising catamaran, it’s a Lagoon – and by a substantial margin. Over 120 Lagoons have crossed the Atlantic with the ARC in the last five years alone, three times more than any other manufacturer (the next being Fountaine Pajot at 40). And the Lagoon 450 is a great example of a family friendly bluewater multihull.

The Lagoon 450 remains the most popular model from Lagoon. It exemplifies the VPLP/Nauta design partnership which has made these the very definition of modern mid-size cruising catamarans which can appeal to families and charterers alike.

Indeed the 450 marked the modern look of Lagoon and was the first with interior styling from Nauta. It originally launched over a decade ago as a flybridge design with central helming position (450F), before this ‘sport top’ option (450S) was offered with a starboard helm station and lower boom.

More than 1,000 of the 450 have since splashed which, when you consider that more than 400 of its predecessor 440 were built, accounts for a large proportion of the 45ft catamarans floating around the world! It is the sweet spot of size, offering enormous volume for family living aboard, while still being manageable.

Lagoon 450 price

Guide price ex VAT: €439,200

See our full list of the best bluewater multihulls.

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In a similar fashion to market leaders Lagoon, the area of mass appeal lies in the mid-40ft sector for Fountaine Pajot – now captured by the Fountaine Pajot Saona 47.

The Fountaine Pajot Helia 44, now replaced by the Elba 45, was long the go-to model and size. Indeed the Helia built on the runaway success of the Belize 43, over 200 of which were built in the early 2000s.

However, as appetites for larger cats have increased in recent years, the focus for bluewater multihull cruisers has shifted to this larger model. Seven Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 cats crossed the Atlantic with the ARC between 2017 and 2020 alone.

The 47 has a modern shape, with straight bows and a reverse sheer line. It incorporates significant volume in the hulls below the bridgedeck to create room for the optional athwartships cabins.

Cabin space is a prime selling point, particularly the owner’s suite to port, where there is also abundant natural light and headroom.

The mast is comparatively far forward for a sailplan that has both a powerful main and an overlapping genoa for modest performance under white sails.

The Fountaine Pajot Saona 47 has now been redesigned into the Tanna 47, which boasts additional flybridge and sundeck lounge space.

The interior has also been reworked in the Tanna 47. There is significantly larger and reconfigured galley, which is now in a seaworthy U-shape formation and offers an impressive 300lt of storage space. Layout options include three, four and five cabin formats.

Fountaine Pajot Saona 47s price:

Used price: €500,000

Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 price:

ex VAT €580,000

Read our full list of the best bluewater multihulls of all time.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

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Balance is a shrewd name for these catamarans, which target that elusive balance of comfort, speed and space, typified by the Balance 526.

Founded in 2013 by Phillip Berman, Balance has its headquarters in Florida and shipyard in South Africa.

After selling hundreds of brokerage catamarans, Berman found most cruising catamarans too sluggish, yet felt performance cats lacked the suitable liveability for long term voyaging. Hence, Balance was born.

The Balance 526 launched four years ago. Designed to suit short-handed sailors and families looking to sail long distances, it can carry large payloads and promises easy maintenance. It looks good too – the Balance 526 was our cover star on the September issue of Yachting World, which features our list of best bluewater multihulls.

Berman’s Versahelm design is a key feature. The wheel cantilevers, allowing the helmsman to steer from outboard with clear sightlines, or from the hardtop protection of the aft cockpit. The helm seats and platforms also adjust for optimum views forward. 

Builds involve infused or vacuum-bagged epoxy, carbon reinforcements, foam composite bulkheads and foam cored furniture. The Balance 526 is available with retractable daggerboards or fixed keel options.

The first Balance 482 launches this autumn, and features raked wave piercing bows, and daggerboard or fixed keel options.

The new Balance 482 catamaran

It carries 1,432 sq ft of canvas, with a blade jib and reefing station designed for ease of short-handed sail handling.

Balance 526 price

Ex VAT: US$1.54m

Read our full list of the best bluewater multihulls of all time.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post Best bluewater multihulls: Balance 526 and 482 appeared first on Yachting World.