Banuls 60

Financier Raphael Blot wanted a high-performance catamaran for family cruising, but couldn’t find an existing design that suited him, so he commissioned naval architects Renaud Banuls and Charles Simonin to draw a boat to his specifications. Banuls, who has worked with multihull maestros VPLP on a number of projects, came up with a sharp-looking boat that weighs in at just 9.3 tons dry. Built by McConaghy Yachts in China, the Banuls 60 is a no-expense-spared carbon fiber rocket that also has all the essentials for comfortable family cruising. The four-cabin accommodations are trimmed out in carbon fiber composite panels with nary a hint of wood to be seen—even the toilet bowls are carbon fiber. Engines are located amidships to reduce pitching and where the curved daggerboards provide optimum lift at cruising speed. The pricetag is around $2.5 million, with all the options boxes ticked. MC2 Catamarans, mc2catamarans.com

LOA 60ft (18.28m) LWL 60ft (18.28m) Beam 28ft 3in (8.60m) Draft 4ft 7in/10ft 6in (1.4m/3.2m) Displacement 20,500lb (9,300kg)

Catana 53

Catana catamarans have long been the vehicle of choice for many sailors who want to combine genuine ocean-crossing chops with good performance. This new 53-footer builds on the French company’s reputation for solidly built boats that have an edge on most production cats. The angular styling continues the theme established by the bigger boats in the new model range. The interior is trimmed out in light woods for a modern, easy-to-clean look. There’s a choice of four layouts with three or four cabins, with an option for a small skipper’s or kids’ cabin in the three-cabin layout. Owners can choose between two galley layouts. Hulls are a foam core/e-glass layup vacuum-infused with vinylester and polyester resins, and structural bulkheads are a carbon fiber composite. Carbon fiber is used to stiffen high-load areas. Catana Catamarans, catana.com

LOA 53ft 1in (16.18m) LWL 53ft 1in (16.18m) Beam 28ft 5in (8.65m) Draft 4ft 8in/11ft 10in (1.43m/3.6m) Displacement 30,865lb (14,000kg)

Bluewater 50

We test-sailed the Discovery 50 catamaran a few years ago and found the Bill Dixon design to be a solid performer packed with nice features, including an inmast furling mainsail, something then unheard of on a cruising multihull. Whether the boat was ahead of its time or just suffered from a perception gap—its builder was renowned for high-quality cruising monohulls—the design languished until this year, when Discovery Yachts’s new owners gave it a good going-over. They retained the best of the original boat’s features and added a few more tweaks, including a forward cockpit, a restyled cabintop and provision for a self-tacking jib that, combined with the furling main, will truly make the Bluewater 50 a dream to sail shorthanded. The result is a rejuvenated design that is a welcome addition to the ranks of semi-custom luxury cruising cats. Discovery Yachts, discoveryyachts.com

LOA 50ft (15.4m) Beam 25ft 11in (7.86m) Draft 4ft 6in (1.3m) Displacement 31,967lb (14,530kg) 

Lagoon 40

It seems like just the other day that the Lagoon 39 was introduced, yet it has been well over four years—that’s a generation ago, in terms of modern boatbuilding. Its successor, the Lagoon 40, is an evolution of the design and styling themes introduced on the 39, and which have since spread to the other new models in Lagoon’s line-up. The same team of VPLP (naval architecture) and Patrick Le Quement (styling) has come up with a striking-looking cat, based on the same hulls. The kicked-up hardtop has a jaunty air to it and the recessed portlights in the hulls have the effect of disguising the height of the topsides. The aft-set rig introduced on the 39 has been retained; it combines a large, self-tacking headsail with a high-aspect ratio mainsail, and keeps weight centralized to minimize pitching. Sail area is increased over the 39 and weight is down by a few hundred kilos. There’s a choice of two-, three- or four-cabin layouts, with two or four heads. Lagoon Catamarans, cata-lagoon. com

LOA 38ft6in (11.74m) LWL 38ft 6in (11.74m) Beam 22ft 2in (6.76m) Draft 4ft 5in (1.35m) Displacement 24,250lb (11,000kg) (light ship)

Seawind 1260

Seawind’s sub-40ft catamarans have established something of a cult following for their sailing abilities and layout plans that are optimized for outdoor living, something that has caught on with other builders. At 41ft, the 1260 has longer legs and extra volume that translates into load-carrying capacity for extended voyaging. The usual Seawind fresh thinking is much in evidence, from the open plan cockpit/saloon design with modular seating that can be moved between the two, to the twin steering stations—unusual on a boat of this size—to the glass door that drops down to separate saloon and cockpit in inclement weather. Owners can specify three or four-cabin layouts. Seawind Catamarans, seawindcats.com

LOA 41ft (12.45m) Beam 22ft 3in (6.8m) Draft 3ft 8in (1.16m) Displacement 18,165lb (8,240kg)

Swisscat 48

Swisscat isn’t well known outside of Europe, but with designs like the S48, that is bound to change. Built at Sete on France’s Mediterranean coast, Swisscats are bluewater boats with a performance edge. The S48 is 1.5 tons lighter than company 45-footer, thanks to vacuum-infused epoxy/Divinycell construction, a carbon fiber rig and plenty of unidirectional carbon fiber reinforcement in high-load areas. The deck layout and sail handling systems are optimized for shorthanded sailing, so a lone watchkeeper can carry out most maneuvers needed to keep the cat snugged down and sailing fast and safely. Available with three or four cabins, the S48 is a welcome addition to the ranks of bluewater-capable daggerboard cats. Swisscat Yachts, catamaran-swisscat.com

LOA 49ft 3in (15m) LWL 46ft (14m) Beam 24ft 7in (7.5m) Draft 3ft 3in/9ft 2in (1m/2.8m) Displacement 24,250lb (11,000kg) (light ship) 

Lagoon 50

Faced with a rather large gap between its successful 450 and 52 models, Lagoon has filled it with this new 50-footer. The well-established team of VPLP/Patrick Le Quement took a fresh look at ergonomics and the resulting interior layout features an elevated dining area to enable the crew to enjoy the panoramic view out of Lagoon’s trademark vertical windows. The vast aft cockpit features built-in stowage for cockpit cushions, and the forward cockpit, with a C-shaped settee and table is ideal for sundowners in a trade-wind anchorage. There’s plenty of room on the flybridge for the crew to stretch out and keep the helmsman company. Owners can choose between three, four or six-cabin layouts. Lagoon Catamarans, cata-lagoon.com

LOA 48ft 5in (14.76m) LWL 48ft 5in (14.76m) Beam 26ft 6in (8.1m) Draft 4ft 7in (1.4m) Displacement 46,300lb (21,000kg) (light ship)

MHS Fall 2017