The Excess 14 can be sailed by experienced or starter-sailors
For those who are serious sailors as well as people who just want to have fun, there’s no question that when it comes to sailing yachts, if one hull is good then surely one or two more is better. Catamarans and trimarans remain closer to level than monohulls when under sail, which means their more spacious interiors can be enjoyed fully even when not at anchor or dock.
Yacht builders are keeping up with the latest trends, whether they’re environmental, technical or material. Multihull buyers are noticing how much more they have to offer, whether getting into yachting for the first time or seasoned veterans of monohulls.
So let’s start at the top, the creme de la creme in the world of sailing cats and trimarans. Some owners will want to handle the boat by themselves, with family and friends onboard. It’s important for their yachts to have good social areas and cabins, in addition to being easy to sail. Others will want a grand floating palace, for enjoyment with the more the merrier.
The Fountaine Pajot Isla 40: a popular, quality cruiser
From France, one of the world’s top multihull builders is the award-winning Fountaine Pajot, headed in Asia by Kevin Corfa – represented by Asia Yachting in Hong Kong, and The Yacht Sales Co in Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Considered one of the finest builders in any hull configuration, the yachts built at the shipyards in Aigrefeuille and near La Rochelle are stylish and sexy. Beyond eye-catching and advanced technologically, Fountaine Pajot excels like few others in luxury manufacturing.
The Fountaine Pajot Isla 40 is the ideal size for a cruising catamaran at just under 12m with all the comforts required to enjoy cruising with family or friends. The first model in the range incorporates everything that has made Fountaine Pajot sailing catamarans notable: distinctive lines and plenty of space, reversed bows, deck cladding, stylised hull portholes, and a sleek silhouette.
Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 exterior
In the mid-size range, yet designed to break free of all limits and conventions, the Alegria 67 has enjoyed well-deserved success, courtesy of her myriad creature comforts for those who want to explore further afield. The Alegria 67 catamaran shares the same design philosophy as Fountaine Pajot’s very popular Samana 59, but with an extra touch of decadence.
Alegria 67 forward cockpit
With a waterline length of over 20m, the Alegria 67 includes high-quality equipment and original features such as the boat’s centrepiece: a large jacuzzi in the forward cockpit that can be filled with sea or fresh water.
At the top of the range is the Fountaine Pajot Thira 80, the brand’s 80ft flagship that earned a 2024 YACHT STYLE Award in the Production Sailing Catamaran category around the time of the Singapore Yacht Show, on the shores of ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove in April.
Fountaine Pajot Thira 80
Also in France is Beneteau Group’s Lagoon Catamarans, the world leader in cruising catamarans, having built 7,000 units since it emerged as an offshoot of Jeanneau in 1984. Lagoon recently appointed Asiamarine as its dealer in Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand.
The new Lagoon 60 sailing cat will premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. As part of the brand’s 40th anniversary celebrations, in March, Lagoon staged a private premiere of its new 60 at the builder’s Exclusive Days at its shipyard in Bordeaux, where it hosted over 400 owners from around the world.
The Lagoon 60
The Lagoon 60 sits in the sailing series between the 55 and Sixty 5, is part of the Premium line, and features the open aft deck introduced on the Lagoon 55 and drop-down side decks on each side of the cockpit. Designed by VPLP Design, the Lagoon 60 features a covered flybridge cockpit area with an L-shaped sofa, a dining table and loose chairs; more sofa and sunpad lounging is built in place forward of the helm.
Flybridge deck of the Lagoon 60
Excess is the Beneteau Group’s catamarans brand with refreshing character evident in some of its video marketing: “As you all know, at Excess we have never really stopped playing. We decided to create our own catamaran model in Lego® bricks to celebrate the upcoming 3D release of our new model!”
The Excess 14
The producer is teasing its upcoming addition’s size as being between the Excess 11 and Excess 14; it will be unveiled soon at the Cannes Yachting Festival.
The Excess 11 benefits from the experience of her elders, without sacrificing all the comfort needed for enjoyable cruising. Its volume is worthy of a larger boat, whether in the saloon or the cabins with, for example, a 2m by 2m bed in the owner’s cabin or bathrooms with separate showers. On deck, she offers a large open cockpit and twin helm stations.
The saloon and galley in the Excess 11; photo: Nicolas Claris
The Excess 14 is designed around a layout never seen before on the market, both in the owner’s version and in the charter version. Thanks to a collaboration with VPLP design, the lines of the Excess 14 have benefited from an understanding of ocean racing with a forward-set rig, a square-top mainsail, and a large overlapping genoa as standard to optimise the sail-area-to-displacement ratio.
Bali Catamarans, another French builder, earned a nomination at this year’s YACHT STYLE Awards for the Bali Catspace. One of three new models released in 2020, the Catspace is the premier smaller model with exceptional living space for its size.
Containing 70.4sqm of living quarters, it is a most spacious 40ft model (with an additional 25 per cent on many). Designed for 10-12 passengers, its four cabins have long external windows and each has a bathroom – unprecedented for a 40ft boat. A major innovation on board is an opening panel to either shelter the cockpit, or open the top in good weather.
Moving from France to Poland, Sunreef unveiled the Sunreef 80 and 60 sailing cats at Cannes in 2018, adding the 50 (2019) and 70 (2021) in subsequent years.
Sunreef 70 Eco
More recently, the Sunreef 60 Eco and 70 Eco are proving popular and were both nominated for YACHT STYLE Awards this year in the Production Sailing Catamaran category.
In 2022, Sunreef Yachts launched its first Sunreef 60 Eco sailing catamaran, which followed the launch of the Sunreef 80 Eco earlier in the year. Part of the brand’s Eco range of sailing and power catamarans, the Sunreef 60 Eco is equipped with the shipyard’s own composite-integrated solar panels built into the hull sides, superstructure and hardtop roof.
The Sunreef 70 Eco’s solar panels are also seamlessly integrated into its bimini roof. Covering an impressive 81.5sqm to generate 20kWp, the sailing catamaran’s photovoltaic system is coupled with an ultralight battery bank custom-engineered for this model. With a four-cabin layout, the sailing cat offers her guests the best of comfort and luxury.
Sunreef 35M Eco
The latest Sunreef 35M Eco superyacht, designed for silent, luxurious and emissions-free cruising, has a 14.7m beam that translates into expansive living areas on board. Positioned in the bow part of the main deck, the owner’s stateroom offers panoramic views and private access to the bow terrace. Alfresco lounging areas include an immense flybridge with a plunge pool and drinks bar.
Sunreef also recently revealed the first images of the Sunreef Zero Cat superyacht. Measuring over 90ft, this sailing concept, currently under development by the shipyard’s R&D department, will be able to produce clean hydrogen on board to provide the most sustainable yachting experience. Additionally, this model will benefit from a green power boost with the solar cells integrated into the yacht’s bodywork.
Sunreef Zero Cat concept
The Sunreef Zero Cat’s projected net zero emissions – no nitrogen oxides and no sulphur oxides – will also guarantee the highest level of safety, as no high-pressure hydrogen storage will be needed on board.
Another French shipyard, Neel Trimarans continues to set new benchmarks in innovation and design with the new Neel 52. With a racy, modern silhouette, elaborately designed hull and sleek lines, the Neel 52 exudes power, speed, safety and elegance. It was also a YACHT STYLE Award nominee this year in the Production Sailing Catamaran category.
Neel 52 trimaran in action
The trimaran accommodates up to 12 passengers yet is easily handled by a small crew. Courtesy of its three hulls, it is also the only multihull of this size that can offer up to six double cabins and two crew stations as an option.
Leopard 42
The Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group has consolidated the key attributes of the acclaimed Neel 43 and Neel 47 in the new model: voluminous hull floats that provide stability, high freeboard, and a central ‘rockered’ hull, which facilitates tacking and manoeuvering when in port.
Built in Cape Town, and sea-trialled and tested off the coast of South Africa, Leopard Catamarans – overseen in Asia by Kit Chotithamaporn – are known for extraordinary craftsmanship and optimal performance. Both of Leopard’s award-winning sailboat and power catamaran lines are built with flexibility for the modern seafarer and offer a range of equipment and layout options.
The new hull form of the Leopard 43 features generous interior volumes – as well as larger berths, with greater dimensions in every cabin – offering unprecedented living space for her category.
Leopard’s other sailing options include the 42, 45 and 50 models. The Leopard 42 leaves no detail overlooked in size or possibility, and the signature coachroof lounge provides an expansive space.
Leopard 45
The upper outdoor lounge in the Leopard 45 flybridge includes a seating area, a sunpad and a table like the one on the larger Leopard 50. With a never-before-seen lounging flybridge of this size, the Leopard 50 incorporates the best attributes from its predecessor, the Leopard 48, with more living space and options.
HH Catamarans are built in a state-of-the-art production facility in Xiamen, China. The parent company, Hudson Yacht Group, is dedicated to building the highest quality, most technologically advanced, luxury cruising catamarans in the world.
The eco-friendly HH44 is built in Xiamen, China
The major award-winning, electrified and carbon-reinforced HH44 is a game-changing, eco-friendly cruising yacht that is available in two options: Ocean Cruising (OC) or Sports Cruising (SC).
The OC is a fast, comfortable, family-friendly cruiser that skews toward ease of operation for bluewater cruising. It shares the same hull and interior fit and finish quality as the sportier HH44-SC, but features an aluminium mast, e-glass longeron, white gel-coat finish, and mini-keels as standard instead of daggerboards.
The SC integrates the latest in racing-boat technology, but remains comfortable as a family cruiser. This is a ‘no-compromise boat’ with C-shaped carbon daggerboards, a carbon rig, expanded solar array, and hybrid EcoDrive as standard equipment.
The HH64
Turkey continues to develop as a manufacturing powerhouse for many industries, including yachting. Last year, Vietnam-based Seawind Catamarans established a purpose-built production facility in Turkey dedicated to producing the popular Seawind 1170 in the European market, whilst offering a full-service centre for all Seawind owners.
The Seawind 1370 is designed for extended cruising and the builder is based in Vietnam
The new Seawind 1370 is a single-level 45ft bluewater cruiser with reverse bows to pierce waves, reduce pitching, and improve comfort and safety. With a smoother and more stable ride, it is designed for extended cruising and can be sailed easily by two people.
The double helm of the Seawind 1370, which is built in Turkey
Prosail, based in Singapore, is the exclusive dealership there for HH Catamarans and Seawind – and for Corsair and Rapido trimarans too – with sales extending to Southeast Asia.
With all of these recent additions to the sailing multihull sphere, now might be your time to get some fresh wind in your sails.
