Roomier, and a shallower draft make multihulls a popular choice in asia, especially for new owners. By Caig Hurst
Roomier, and a shallower draft make multihulls a popular choice in asia, especially for new owners. By Caig Hurst
FULL ADMISSION, I’m a big fan of multihull boats. This doesn’t make me a very popular guest at shipyards in places like Holland, where they have a fine tradition of building monohull boats and make it very clear to me that they aren’t all that interested in building multihulls. Canals are long, not wide. That said, there is at least one Dutch shipyard working on a catamaran.
THE SOELCAT 12
Ecotourism has one of the highest annual growth rates in the industry, according to a World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) study on ecotourism. One of the qualifying criteria on ecotourism, defined by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) for hotels and tour operators, is to reduce transport related greenhouse gas emissions and to use renewable energy sources where possible.
Dutch companies Soel Yachts and Naval DC are introducing the SoelCat 12, an autonomous solar electric catamaran for coastal water, lagoon and inter-island transportation that was developed for the fastgrowing ecotourism market.
“It is great to see a lot of green initiatives at resorts these days, however, water bound transport always seems to be neglected,” says Joep Koster, designer and naval architect at Soel Yachts. “The SoelCat 12 offers a 100% sustainable alternative to conventionally powered boats used in the industry, so far.
“Taking your guests on a lagoon tour without the noise and smell of combustions engines opens up unique PR values for the industry, given that the people will experience the sustainable technology hands on. Furthermore, the boat can offer surplus solar energy to the resort when the SoelCat 12 is moored.”
www.soelyachts.com
www.navaldc.com
FASTEST SAILBOATS
Beyond Holland, wow, the popularity of catamarans and even trimarans seems to be growing rapidly. Speaking of which, it seems every major blue-water race is giving line honours to ultra-light racing multihulls such as the multiple record-setting MOD70 trimaran Phaedo ^3.
Hurtling around the Caribbean at speeds in excess of 30 knots and topping out nearer 40, often barely a boat length apart, the epic duel between MOD70s Concise 10 and Phaedo^3 in the recent RORC Caribbean 600 came to a conclusion after 32 hours of hot racing.
Lloyd Thornburg’s Phaedo^3, co-skippered by Brian Thompson, crossed the finish line at Fort Charlotte in an elapsed time of 31 hours, 59 minutes, 4 seconds, breaking their multihull race record set last year by 1 hour 34 minutes 26 seconds.
Barely out of sight of each other the entire race, Tony Lawson’s MOD70 Concise 10, skippered by Ned Collier Wakefield, was just 9 minutes and 52 seconds behind.
“Since we set the record last year we have got a lot better; our manoeuvres are improved and we are sailing a better course,” says Thornburg. “We weren’t thinking about the record at any stage because we were so focused on match racing Concise. We had to dig deep and they were doing the same; they gave us a hell of a race.”
By comparison to the multihulls, Jim Clark and Kristy Hinze-Clark’s American VPLP-Verdier 100 Comanche crossed the finish line of the RORC Caribbean 600 with an elapsed time of 40 hours 53 minutes 2 seconds taking monohull line honours, just 33 minutes outside record pace – but still about 9 hours behind Phaedo^3.
AMERICA’S CUP
If you’ve followed any of the America’s Cup racing action over the past few years, it’s clear where the action is at – catamarans.
The 35th America’s Cup in 2017 features foiling, one-design AC45 catamarans that already are thrilling audiences at events around the world. Following the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman (Feb 27-28), the rest of this year’s events are in New York (May 7-8), Chicago (June 11-12), Portsmouth, UK (July 23-24), and Toulon, France (September 10-11). There might also be an event November, but the location has not been announced.
In May and June of 2017, the action shifts to Bermuda for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs as well as the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton, where the top challenger will take on defending champion Oracle Team USA.
THE M32 SERIES
Designed by experienced Swedish sailors Goran Marström and Kåre Ljung, the M32 one-design catamaran offers a unique blend of design simplicity combined with lightweight carbon-fibre construction and thrilling performance.
The M32 features a distinctive unarig (no jib) for ease of handling, and a two-part mast allowing the boat to be trailered and launched in just a few hours. The M32 Series is a collection of regattas for M32 teams and owners wishing to race their own boats at a competitive level and in a fun environment. The one-design M32 is sailed by crews of four or five with each event held over three days including a practice day and two race days. Currently, there are M32 Series events in Scandinavia and the US including Bermuda.
The races in Bermuda include the third event March 11-13 and a final event April 15-17.
www.m32series.com
www.m32world.com
MULTIHULL SOLUTIONS
This year’s Phuket International Boat Show (Pimex) saw a 35% increase in the number of sailing yachts and multihulls being exhibited. At the show, Multihull Solutions Asia Managing Director Andrew de Bruin spoke of the growing interest in multihulls in the region.
“This is the Asian premiere of the Fountaine Pajot Victoria 67,” De Bruin says. “This boat arrived in Phuket recently and over the last four days at the show there has been a lot of interest and we are very confident in securing a sale of a Fountaine Pajot Victoria 67.”
The Victoria 67, Saba 50 and Lucia 40 will be present at the upcoming Singapore Yacht Show. This is the third year Multihull Solutions has exhibited at the Singapore Yacht Show, following the Australian company’s expansion of operations into Asia in 2014.
The Fountaine Pajot Victoria 67 offers a sleek exterior design complete with full flydeck, which is a new innovation in the shipyard’s extensive sailing range. As Fountaine Pajot’s largest catamaran, the Victoria 67 sets new benchmarks in space and style and has the largest sail area, the biggest interior volume and the most expansive owner’s suite of the shipyard’s range.
The Saba 50 is expected to draw plenty of interest at the show with the catamaran’s design ideally suited to the region’s cruising conditions.
The Lucia 40 will also command attention with its official launch at the show, shaking up the highly competitive 40-foot market with its spacious design and impressive performance.
Replacing the enormously successful Lipari 41, the Lucia 40 offers superb luminosity and a generous choice of exterior relaxation areas including a spacious cockpit that has been designed for easy entertaining at sea.
“The Lucia 40 will also be officially launched at Singapore and will be the first time she’s shown at a boat show in Asia Pacific,” says Rachel Haynes of Multihull Solutions, which recently opened its latest Thailand Sales Centre in response to the overwhelming interest in multihulls in Southeast Asia.
Based in Ao Po Grand Marina on the north-eastern tip of Phuket, the new centre complements the company’s other Thailand sales centre in Phuket’s popular Boat Lagoon complex. Multihull Solutions is also planning to expand further in the Asia-Pacific region.
Multihull Solutions Managing Director Mark Elkington says the new centres are an exciting development for the company and a reflection of the continued growth in interest in multihulls. For the past eight years, the company has also organised the Multihull Solutions Regatta – Phuket.
“We are thrilled to open two new sales centres, which make it even easier for buyers to inspect a wide range of quality power and sail multihulls as well as discuss their individual needs with our professional and experienced team,” Elkington says.
“The on-going demand for new and quality pre-owned multihulls is increasing every year, and we are striving to stay ahead of the market with our strategic network of sales centres that make it easier for buyers and sellers to obtain quality, unbiased advice.”
Fountaine Pajot is also receiving a lot of interest from buyers for other recent models, such as the Ipanema 58, Helia 44, MY 37, and new 40.
“When Fountaine Pajot revealed plans for the new 40 sailing model and the MY37, we knew it had created two boats that were entirely responsive to what the cruising market has been waiting for,” Elkington says.
“The features, performance, construction quality and value for money provided by both models put them far ahead of any comparable sail or power catamaran in their class, and the public has quickly recognised this.”
www.multihullsolutions.com.au
www.fountainepajot.com
LAGOON CATAMARANS
During this year’s Singapore Yacht Show (SYS) April 7-10, Simpson Marine will present a range of vessels from its prestigious portfolio including multihull brand Lagoon from France. The Lagoon 450 SporTop will be making her Asian premiere and visitors to SYS also will see the return of the Lagoon 630 – the model on display was purchased at last year’s show before being customised to the Owner’s specifications.
www.simpsonmarine.com
www.cata-lagoon.com
LAGOON 42
Launched at the Düsseldorf International Boat Show in January, the Lagoon 42 is the new member of the Lagoon family that has unique style and strong personality. While keeping a leisurely space for family entertainment and retaining the main features of the latest generation of Lagoons, she introduces a new balance between living space and individual privacy.
An elegant exterior design with flowing curves at bows highlighted the powerful and dynamic nature of this new model. Her VPLP design also provides a guarantee of performance under sail.
www.cata-lagoon.com
LAGOON SEVENTY 7
Lagoon is currently working on a new large sailing catamaran project, the SEVENTY 7 that will be launched in autumn 2016. This will be Lagoon’s flagship, the brand’s newest and biggest catamaran with the soul of a large yacht, and it will be followed by a motor yacht, the SEVENTY 8.
www.seventy7.fr
www.seventy8.fr
SUNREEF IN SINGAPORE
Polish builder Sunreef Yachts is one of the world’s leading designers and builders of custom-made luxury sailing and power catamarans ranging from 60 to 200 feet in length.
Sunreef cats boast high-performance sailing, luxurious accommodation, expansive living spaces, and extravagant and innovative design features. For the first time, Sunreef will showcase a World Premiere Yacht at SYS, the Sunreef Supreme 68. This exciting new build will be the second-ever world premiere unveiled at SYS.
www.sunreef-yachts.com
70 SUNREEF POWER
Launched in the last weeks of 2015, the 70 Sunreef Power Violetta is a comfortable cruiser with a futuristic look. Her layout and design both were entirely customized and adapted to her Owner’s expectations of having a bespoke residence on the water.
One of Violetta’s most characteristic features is the enclosed flybridge - a solution introduced to the 70 Sunreef Power range with the launch of the 70 Power Ondin. Violetta’s protected sundeck provides for a navigation station fitted with large helm seats with integrated autopilot controls.
The area also features a gym, a relaxation space with a sofa that can be turned into an additional bed, a fridge, sink and TV. Accessed through a sliding door is the aft terrace housing a jet-ski crane and sun mattresses.
The 70 Sunreef Power Violetta features a powerful 1200 Volvo IPS system and a dynamic positioning. Other than high performance, the IPS propulsion previously installed on the 60 Sunreef Power Lilu and 70 Sunreef Power 1 Life allows a significant increase of maneuverability and ease of mooring.
Violetta is equipped with wave-piercers and extended aft platforms to maximise her performance and provide a comfortable motion at sea.
www.sunreef-yachts.com
SUNREEF SUPREME
The Sunreef Supreme is a series of sailing and power catamarans with impressive living spaces and innovative design solutions. The first unit presented from the range will be the Sunreef Supreme 68, a 68ft sailing catamaran with a total living space of almost 300sqm, offering the surface of a superyacht on a unit below 24m.
Sunreef Yachts’ latest concept was created to respond to a growing demand for more personalised, comfortable and technically advanced units. The Sunreef Supreme is an audacious line of yachts and superyachts designed to become the world’s most comfortable and spacious range of lifestyle-oriented boats.
www.sunreef-yachts.com
SUNREEF 74
Launched around mid-September, she is the hull number 4 of the sleek Sunreef 74 line, introduced only about a year ago. Lucy Z combines all the advantages one can draw from owning a large, freshly built catamaran with the spirit of a classy traditional yacht.
Lucy Z lets you enjoy massive living space, stability, shallow draft and is rigged with cutting edge gear, yet once you step aboard you may feel as if you have embarked on a cruise back in time. The reason for this is the tremendous amount of effort put into the boat’s aesthetics.
www.sunreef-yachts.com
CARBON AND LUXURY
Multihull Solutions reports recently that TAG Yachts – a leading builder of luxury high-performance sailing cats in South Africa – was offering a spectacular deal on a TAG 60 XR.
The catamaran, Phoenix, is a company demonstrator with full-carbon epoxy construction that was being offered for a limited time at just US$2.3 million due to the weak South African Rand.
“This TAG 60 XR has enjoyed worldwide acclaim for its exceptional performance in light winds and it regularly out-performs racing monohulls with its hull flying in 18 knots of true wind,” according to Multihull Solutions.
“This luxurious catamaran has state-of-the-art electrical and hydraulic systems and is comprehensively set up for blue-water cruising. It also features a rotating carbon mast and auto-trim system, and has been cleverly designed for shorthanded crewing.”
www.multihullsolutions.com.au
www.tagyachts.com
