2021 looks set to be a bumper year for new catamarans as the trend for fast cruising yachts, which deliver plenty if living space continues. This year there are set…
multihulls
Sailing La Vagabonde explain their multihull criteria
Over the last seven years Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu have advanced from novice sailors to logging more ocean miles than most of us will sail in a lifetime. And…
Electric dreams: Jimmy Cornell reports on life aboard his eco-friendly catamaran
We couldn’t have picked a more miserable day to go out for our first sail on Aventura Zero. As we left the marina, grey skies hung low over the bay…
Fountaine Pajot 59 first look: This new cruising cat is a social animal
The Fountaine Pajot 59 integrates many of the new design features of the 2019-launched Elba 45, which boasted a longer, wider hull that nevertheless showed 10% less drag. Chief among…
Outremer 55 first look: Efficient catamaran promises more sailing and less motoring
Plugging the gap between Outremer’s longstanding 5X and 51 models, the Outremer 55 will exhibit the brand’s typical balance of performance and comfort. When the design was unveiled at the…
Why these extreme multihull concepts could be the future of catamaran design
As boats become ever more like homes on water, something else is changing: designers and builders have been turning their attention to the market for floating buildings. New concepts to…
Mainsail handling: Advanced sailing techniques for catamarans and multihulls
A mainsail cannot know whether it is hoisted on a monohull, a catamaran or a trimaran. The principles of sail trim are universal. On all types of yacht the traveller,…
Discovery 50 review: This British bluewater catamaran could win over monohull purists
Many of us who dream of long-term cruising want to do it in comfort, preferably in a quality build from a respected brand. With monohulls, we’d be spoilt for choice…
Family adventure: How we home-schooled our kids while sailing across the Pacific
Sailing the paradise of the Pacific Ocean with my own boat had been my dream since forever. The first big question was when would be the right time for the…
McConaghy 105 first look: Luxurious concept promises a wicked turn of speed
With its all-carbon build, the McConaghy 105 is capable of matching true wind speed under sail, topping out at around 20 knots. So it speaks volumes that this Jason Ker-designed…
Black Cat 30: Daring catamaran concept promises superyacht luxury at 32 knots
There’s the sleek curve of the glass superstructure, the powerful rig and the all-carbon build. The huge aft deck, main saloon and foredeck are all on the same level, offering…
Lagoon 46 first look: Updating this catamaran is a significant step for the yard
Lagoon has sold 900 of its 450 catamaran model in eight years, maxing out the 130-a-year mould capacity in latter years. Updating such a popular model then is a significant…
Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 review: This could be the yard’s most popular catamaran yet
Such was the hype surrounding this yacht that Fountaine Pajot had sold over 100 Elba 45 hulls before the first one even emerged from the mould. The customer response persuaded…
Excess 15 first look: This vibrant catamaran can sail in the lightest of winds
Launching an entirely new sailing brand in this day and age of economic uncertainty is a rare, brave move. XCS or Excess is a new catamaran business, an arm of…
Aventura 44: This Tunisian-built catamaran is well worth a closer look
This means a modern look and feel to them with a marked chine, heavy reverse sheer, dreadnought bows and a prominent but swept-back coachroof. Key features include a raised bulkhead…
Dragonfly 40 yacht tour: This cruising trimaran can do 24 knots
The Dragonfly 40 is bristling with neat touches and feels much larger than a 40ft trimaran might, both on deck and below. The latter is the result of a combination…
Seawind 1260: Lightweight catamaran making waves on both sides of the Atlantic
The Seawind 1260 has been well received in the States, where the brand has a strong following, but these multihulls are in fact built designed in Australia and built in…
Leopard 45: Hard-top adds fresh appeal to this popular catamaran design
Drawn by Simonis Voogd and built by Robertson & Caine in South Africa, every Leopard cat gets put through its paces in the Southern Ocean before sailing on its own…
Catamaran sailing across the Atlantic: Why multihulls are taking over the ARC
Something big has happened in ocean sailing. It could be the tipping point in the 34-year history of the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, when multihulls move from minority element to…
Bali Catspace 40: Spacious catamaran promises 20% more room than its rivals
The idea is attributed to Bali’s founder, Olivier Poncin, who has built up a €63m turnover business in this short space of time. It’s easy to appreciate why the one-level…