The latest and largest model in Nautitech’s line up, Nautitech 48 Open, hit the water for initial sea trials in late 2023, and is the last design legendary naval architect Marc Lombard worked on before his premature death in September.

It’s also a boat with which Lombard he had a special connection, since his own yacht was a Nautitech 40 Open that he sailed across the Atlantic with his family, before basing it in Martinique.

Many of his ideas to update and improve that design are embodied in the Nautitech 48 Open. Indeed Lombard was a key driver behind Nautitech’s whole Open idea, starting with the original Nautitech 40 Open in 2013 that has since been widely imitated.

This boat seeks to move that concept forward and refine it further, improving ergonomics, living spaces and performance.

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A rigorous approach to minimising weight, including vacuum infused hull construction and infused sandwich bulkheads, is employed. Light displacement is therefore only 13,500kg, which combines with slim hulls and narrow waterline beam to promise excellent performance.

Yet, as with the other models in the range, it doesn’t have the complication – or risk of problems – associated with daggerboards. Instead, fixed keels have a modest draught of 1.55m (5ft 1in), yet performance, especially upwind and in light airs is expected to be notably better than is commonly associated with catamarans that have this style of keel.

Digital tank testing was carried out to find the right balance between the desire to minimise hull width to optimise performance and a coherent interior layout. The hull shape was then honed to give comfortable motion at sea, with reduced pitching, easy tacking across a wide range of conditions and a responsive feel to the helm.

The latter has long been a core Nautitech strength. It recognises that, even though the autopilot is likely to be used predominantly when on passage, the conditions in which helming is a lot of fun are often a key highlight of any voyage.

Four layout options range from two to four cabins, with up to four heads. All employ the Open concept that minimises the distinction between the aft cockpit and saloon. In addition to the larger space for socialising and relaxing this provides, Lombard pointed out it also “avoids excessive internal volume and unnecessary weight.”

This model also includes the optional SmartRoom first seen on the 44 that gives bluewater multihull sailors a flexible space that can be used as a workshop and laundry room with considerable additional stowage, yet can also provide a spare bedroom or office space.

Nautitech 48 Open specifications

LOA: 14.60m 47ft 9in
Beam: 7.97m 26ft 2in
Draught: 1.55m 5ft 1in
Displacement: 13,500kg 29,768lb
Mainsail: 85m2 915ft2
Self tacking jib: 42.5m2 455ft2
Base price: €898,000 ex VAT
Builder: nautitech.com

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