News

POWERCATS

Aquila has had another dynamic year. At the Miami International Boat Show, it introduced the new Coupe series by debuting both the 42 and 46 models, offering bigger cruiser-style powercats to complement the 32 and 36 Sport models. At Cannes, it debuted the 46 Yacht, the latest addition to its inboard line of flybridge models and effectively a ‘little sister’ to the 50 Yacht unveiled in late 2024.

Aquila 46 Yacht (second left) at Cannes Yachting Festival 2025

The 46 Yacht has been designed for long-range cruising and has CE Category A ocean certification. In the standard configuration, the yacht is powered by twin 320hp Volvo Penta D4 engines, while options include a full-beam master suite forward.

Prestige’s M7, a Cannes premiere, is the third model in an M-Line focused on ‘taller, thinner’ architecture than many sailing cat builders also producing powercats. With a 59ft LOA, the M7 is currently the ‘middle’ offering between the M48 and the 65ft flagship M8, and more reminiscent of her big sister.

Prestige M7

A three-tier aft deck is offered with either L-shaped sofas in both corners or a central C-shaped sofa, with all seating options facing aft over a high-low central swim platform. The spacious saloon leads to a lower deck featuring a forward full-beam master suite with twin-sink bathroom, while there are a further three en-suite cabins and accommodation for one or two crew.

Fountaine Pajot’s Power 80, a world premiere at Cannes, is the current flagship of the French builder’s Motor Yachts portfolio and shares the same hull as the Thira 80 sailing cat.

Fountaine Pajot Power 80

Designed by Berrett Racoupeau, the 24m powercat with an 11.1 beam offers 400sqm of living space, according to the shipyard. Guest accommodation ranges from three to six en-suite cabins, while other options include galley up or down. The yacht has a 4,800-litre fuel capacity, while the twin engines can each range from 480hp to 900hp.

Other large debutants at Cannes included Lazzara’s 70ft LPC 300, the VisionF 82 and Wider’s WiderCat 92 Acali, although Silent Yachts’ first Silent 80 2-Deck was unable to attend the show as anticipated. Smaller powercat premieres included Four Winns’ TH33 and TH38 twin-hulled motoryachts, and the Omaya 50 from Bulgaria.

WiderCat 92

Bluegame, owned by Sanlorenzo, debuted its BGF45, showcasing tech from the BGH hydrogen-powered hydrofoil chase boat used by American Magic in the last America’s Cup. The BGF45 integrates a foil-assisted system between her twin hulls, enhancing speed and fuel efficiency by reducing drag.

Featuring an overall length of 46ft 5in and a near-17ft beam, the BGF45 offers a wide sunbathing area facing the aft platform, a partially covered dinette, a covered helm station and integrated sunpads on the foredeck. Below deck is a forward master suite with starboard-facing bed, a second guest cabin to port and a smaller, versatile third cabin to starboard.

Bluegame BGF45

At the Dubai International Boat Show, Sunreef debuted the Ultima 55, the first model in its new Ultima line in build at the shipyard’s new UAE facility in Ras Al Khaimah. Also in Dubai, Gulf Craft expanded its SilverCat range with the debuts of the 35CC and 35CX, while earlier in the year Catana Group introduced the Yot 41 at the Boot Dusseldorf indoor show in Germany.

SAILING CATS

Major premieres of production sailing catamarans generally occur at either the Cannes show in September or – five months earlier and 180 miles west – at the International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte, near Montpellier. The Multihull Show is going from strength to strength and this year’s global debuts included the Lagoon 38.

Lagoon 38

Lagoon’s new entry model, the 38 is a long-planned successor to the iconic 380, which launched in 1999 and became the world’s bestselling catamaran, with close to 1,000 units built across two decades. As its new entry model, the Lagoon 38 is vitally important to the world’s leading builder of pleasure cats, as the key to attracting new clients to the brand – and often to boating.

The 37ft 4in hull has an almost 22ft beam, and allows up to four cabins with double beds 1.8m-wide, which the shipyard says is a first for the market. The 38 is also the second model to feature the flexible ‘In & Out’ cockpit-saloon set-up introduced on the 43, while it can deliver up to 1,420W of clean energy through 520W of solar panels on the coachroof and a further 900W on the transom.

Lagoon Eighty 2

Switching from its smallest to biggest model, Lagoon unveiled its flagship Eighty 2 at Cannes, introducing the successor to the iconic Seventy 7, whose launch in 2016 helped pioneer the large catamaran sector that has grown so rapidly in recent years.

Again using VPLP for naval architecture, Patrick Le Quément for exterior styling and Nauta Design for interiors, the Eighty 2 has a 24m LOA, an 11m beam, features 338sqm of upwind sail area, and offers a wide variety of accommodation choices. Highlights include a 50sqm-plus flybridge with twin helms and solar panels on the hardtop and aft overhang, while the owner’s suite retains the signature starboard balcony.

Fountaine Pajot FP41

Fountaine Pajot staged both of its 2025 sailing cat premieres at Cannes, introducing the FP41 and FP44, its two smallest models, with overall lengths of 39ft 8in and 43ft 6in respectively. Both are available with an internal combustion or electric drivetrain, three or four cabins, and offer upwind sail areas of 100sqm and 123sqm respectively.

The Leopard 52 was a surprise world premiere at Cannes. Constructed by South African shipyard Robertson & Caine, the Leopard 52 succeeds the Leopard 50, the brand’s previous flagship sailing cat. Franck Bauguil, Leopard’s Senior Vice President of Yacht Ownership & Product Development, described the new model as “without a doubt the most versatile catamaran in its class”.

Leopard 52

Alexander Simonis of Dutch naval architecture firm Simonis Voogd Design added that “the new Leopard 52 belongs to a new generation of catamarans that achieve better stability and comfort while offering a larger rig and more sail power”.

At Cannes, Bali staged the global debut of its 5.2, the French builder’s second-biggest model. Based on a 50ft 6in hull, the 52-footer has a near-27ft beam and offers up to almost 200sqm of upwind sail area. As well as Bali signatures including the lifting ‘Bali door’ and forward saloon access to the solid foredeck, the 5.2 has a full flybridge with a forward-facing C-shaped sofa and aft sunbathing. The remarkable accommodation options range from three to six cabins, and up to 16 berths.

Excess 13

Excess’s main premiere of 2025 was at La Grande Motte, where the Excess 13 was unveiled to join the brand’s 11 and 14 models. Featuring naval architecture by Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group and interior design by Jean-Marc Piaton of Piaton Yacht Design, the Excess 13 retains brand signatures such as the twin aft helms, while offering three to four cabins.

At Cannes, the young brand introduced the Hybrid version of its Excess 11. The hybrid propulsion option includes a genset and twin electric motors, which allows sailors to enjoy quiet docking manoeuvres and cruise under fully electric power, increasing the range. The hybrid option will later be available on the brand’s other models.

SAILING MONOHULLS

Nautor Swan saved its 2025 world premieres for September, with the debut of the Swan 51 at Cannes and the magnificent Swan 128 at the Monaco Yacht Show. The three-cabin Swan 51, the new entry model of the Swan line, was designed by German Frers more than four decades after the Argentine drew his first 51 for the Finnish builder, now owned by Sanlorenzo.

Swan 51

On the new 51, the mast is set further aft to enhance balance and performance, while an innovative widebody coaming design makes the usable width comparable to that of a 60-footer, according to Nautor Swan.

Twin rudders allow the yacht to remain balanced, even while steering at a 20-degree heeling angle, at which the hull is optimised for performance. The Swan 51 has three keel options (shallow, standard, performance) and is available in a Sport version with a 1.5m-taller carbon mast. Misa Poggi’s interiors include a choice of four decors.

The Swan 128 is the shipyard’s current flagship and second-longest model to date, after the 131 (2006). The 39m superyacht heads an upgraded Swan Maxi range that includes the 108 (2023), 88 (2024) and the 80 set to show in 2026.

Swan 128

The 128 features naval architecture by Frers, deck and coachroof styling by Micheletti+Partners, and interiors by Poggi. A double rudder system has improved control, even at high speeds, while a moderate heel angle – around 20 degrees in optimal conditions – enhances onboard comfort under sail.

Features include a large swim platform that can be extended with an optional double-action platform, while the garage can accommodate a 4.9m RIB/tender. The interiors include the owner’s quarters forward of the elevated saloon and dining area, while the guest cabins can be arranged to suit owner preferences. The aft area is dedicated to the crew.

Beneteau First 30

It has been a frenetic year for Beneteau, which has introduced four new sailing boats along with half-a-dozen motorboats. Almost half a century since the original First 30 launched in 1977, the French builder kicked off 2025 by staging the world premiere of the new First 30 indoors in Dusseldorf, with the brand promoting the yacht’s ability to plane in medium wind.

Later in the year, Beneteau revealed the all-action First 36SE, a collaboration with Seascape in Slovenia to transform the First 36 into “a thoroughbred IRC racer” and “arguably the fastest, most fun 36ft production boat”. Configured to ensure optimal performance under ORC, the SE version is 400kg lighter than the standard First 36, while a new bow knuckle design shortened the waterline and decreased the wetted surface by as much as 3sqm for improved acceleration and higher speeds.

Beneteau First 36SE

Beneteau then staged the world premieres of the Oceanis 47 and 52 models at Cannes, with the duo introducing the eighth generation of the brand’s cruising yachts. Finot Conq penned the hull of the Oceanis 47.

Biscontini Yacht Design handled the naval architecture of the 52, which features the maximum beam extending all the way to the transom, while the cockpit offers 30 per cent more living space than its predecessor, the Oceanis 51.1, according to Beneteau. Both models feature interiors by Italy’s Nauta Design and accommodation on each can include up to five cabins and three heads.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 415

Jeanneau debuted the Sun Odyssey 415 at Cannes, with the yacht launching the ninth generation of the historic line. Jeanneau designed the 415 with Piaton Yacht Design, while Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group handled naval architecture. Options include four sail plans and three keels.

Based on the Sun Odyssey 410’s hull, the 415 features Jeanneau’s signature walkaround side decks and high coamings, while the new transom features a backstay positioned further aft, adding comfort to the twin helms. The interior features a new layout, while accommodation includes an owner’s suite in the bow and two guest cabins (or one cabin and a workshop) aft of the saloon.

Dufour 48

Dufour staged two world premieres this year, unveiling the 48 at the Palma International Boat Show before debuting the 54 at Cannes. Both feature naval architecture by Felci Yacht Design and interiors by Luca Ardizio of Ardizio Design, include a sunpad integrated into the forward coachroof, and offer the option of electric propulsion.

The Dufour 48 has a near-16ft beam and a 117sqm sail area. Interior layout choices include three or four cabins, a saloon with hexagonal table and either a port or forward galley, and the option of a skipper cabin in the forepeak.

The Dufour 54 has a 17ft 3in beam and features the choice of a galley to port or larger galley to starboard, as well as a selection of three to six cabins, including the option of a forward ‘owner cabin’ or larger ‘owner suite’. The choice is yours.

Note: To read the two chapters on new motoryachts, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2