Guide to Buying Sailing Multihulls
Sailing multihulls offers an unbeatable boating lifestyle because of space, performance and freedom from the bowser.
Australia's east coast is multihull heaven because of its many islands, shoaling waters and prevailing winds. So, it's just a matter of choosing your escape capsule. It could be a liveaboard vessel, one you holiday on or enjoy the occasional regatta with. There's plenty to choose from, coming mostly from overseas. But here I must quickly give a shout-out to some Aussie battling brands such as Schionning, Seawind, Lightwave, Spirit, Fusion and other custom yards. They may not have new models regularly but are still building boats specifically for Australian conditions.
In terms of budgeting, the falling Aussie dollar will make finance challenging. Expect to pay about $700,000 for a new entry-level cruising catamaran and triple that for a performance model. Freight charges hurt nowadays for Europe-Australia bound cargoes, so have put costs up substantially. Delay this by opting for a factory pick-up and a season or two in the Med before negotiating a favourably priced ride home on container ship. It's a popular way of reducing costs, along with less import duty. Alternatively, adventurous skippers may join the ARC rally across the Atlantic before a sojourn through the Pacific and home.
Challenging the economies-of-scale enjoyed by the large international yards is hard for our local brands, so overseas is where many buyers look. Ground zero is the world's largest multihull show on the French Mediterranean shores at La Grande Motte – a place to which I usually make the annual pilgrimage because it's not just the boats but the designers, builders and professional sailors that you can yarn with. This year in May there was about 65 multihulls in the vast marina complex near the grand city of Montpellier. After 12 editions, organisers have greatly improved the logistics of transporting visitors from the city to the seaside resort - with its strange triangular apartment blocks - that contrasts with the wild wetlands of the Camargue to the north.
Cruising Catamarans
French builders of course were predominant, from the global leaders of Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot, along with niche builders and foreign yards. The cruising sector continues to dominate sales, so this is why the new Lagoon 51 got plenty of attention; another VPLP creation built around creature comforts with a vast flybridge. Some trends include revising the rigs to put more power-to-weight into the big cruisers, so a genoa has been deployed instead of a self-tacking headsail. Another approach to the lifestyle versus seaworthiness conundrum is taken by the world's second largest builder, Fountaine Pajot in its new Aura 51 which has a discrete flybridge that still allows the sailplan to be relatively low; aiding stability.
A flybridge cruiser, Lagoon 51, is offering apartment-style living
Down a notch in size is the 2022 Bali 4.4 from long-time builder Catana which also launched a new offshore sailing catamaran at La Grande Motte, the Ocean Class 49. It's a daggerboard, carbon infused 'A' Category boat with a good power-to-weight (12,000kg displacement). Another player is experienced French builder Nautitech (now owned by Bavaria Yachts) which launched a new 44 with mini keels and outboard helms.
Sensation
Another trend is returning the sensation to the steerer, thus the outboard helms of that Nautitech 44 and the Excess range. Local Sydney dealer Flagstaff got the 12 in last year and is very excited to get the baby of the range in, the Excess 11. Said boss Graham Raspass: “The Excess 11 has been a huge success for Excess, a division of Group Beneteau, with over 60 sold since its launch just two years ago. We have two already sold, with one destined for Pittwater and the other for Sydney Harbour.”
Excess 11 is one of the smallest sailing cats on the market
Flagstaff has secured two production slots for 2023 – one in June ex-factory and the other in December. Having been really impressed by the Excess 12 during a bumpy sea trial off the Gold Coast last year, I was equally impressed with the Excess 11 that I sailed after the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show this year. At 37.5 ft it is one of the smallest cruising catamarans on the market, yet is fully equipped for cruising and those outboard helms definitely make steering worthwhile, rather than clicking the autopilot.
Performers
Another category with increasing options is the performance-cruiser sector, which are ideal boats for outrunning those weather systems and covering greater mileages. And for those with some silverware in mind. So, how about the Outremer 55 or the Fastnet winning Marsaudon or perhaps more comforts with speed on the new Catana Ocean Class? Yet another new player is the HH boats. New arrival and eco-friendly Windelo also looks really interesting.
The runaway success of Catana's Bali brand took much focus away from this yard's tradition of performance-cruisers, so it's good to see them return to the fold with this Ocean Class 50 footer weighing only 12,700kg. Marsaudons are built in the sailing hub and old port of Lorient. Its latest is the powerful Marsaudon ORC 57 making its world premiere this year. They build cruising boats that can win races. Boosting that power-to-weight ratio requires bigger rigs, daggerboards and lighter weight, foam-infused construction. The result is a 11.3 ton boat with carbon reinforcing and a choice of carbon or alloy rigs with tillers for the ultimate helming experience. Below decks is minimalist 'Euro chic' with carbon flooring, yet with two spacious cabins plus two queen-sized forward cabins with double heads. Ex-factory you can expect to pay about €1.1m, launched and rigged in Lorient.
The performance-cruiser Outremer 55 made its debut at La Grand Motte 2022. Also, the brand is locally represented by the experienced team at Multihull Central. Anyone who has steered an Outremer is usually not disappointed because the thrill is apparent. From the bucket seats to the moveable twin steering wheels on this new model and the clean running of the sheeting, these boats ooze pedigree because they have been building them since 1984, using industry design gurus VPLP. The Outremer 55 is a fast, powerful, and seaworthy yacht with finely finished cabinetwork, spacious accommodation and with excellent payload carrying ability.
Cruiser Outremer 55
Yet another known performer was at the show, all the way from China, the HH OC50 penned by the prolific house of Morrelli and Melvin. This model will arrive in Australia next year thanks to the efforts of Multihull Central boss, Brent Vaughan, and representative, Steve Austin. But in August the high performance HH44 arrives, which is a full carbon rocketship; ideal for claiming some silverware at Hamilton Island Race Week and elsewhere. The dealer also represents Seawind and will have the 1370 cruiser in next year, a completely new design aimed at elevating the Australian brand globally.
High performance carbon HH50
HH stands for performance, luxury inside and the carbon fibre build means these boats are at the premium end of the market and directly aimed at the imperious Gunboats. Replication is the greatest form of flattery, so among the several Gunboat-style boats on display at La Grande Motte was the impressive Windelo 54 making its world premiere. Created by a distinguished group, including prolific performance designers Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, it features a forward-located helm position just like the Gunboats. This layout allows short leads to the winches at the mast base but also requires longer runs for the steering; which I've found not-so-good on some Gunboat copies and of course you get a lot of weather up front, even on a catamaran.
However, there are other interesting features on the Windelo, such as its renewable energy systems. It has electric motors (two 20kW electric engines from Bellemarine, supported by a 1120Ah 48V lithium battery bank). The lithium battery bank recharges from three renewable energy sources: solar power, hydrogenation and wind power. A back-up 18kw diesel generator is also fitted. The new yard - which is near Catana in Canet-en-Roussillon not far from the Spanish border - also has a Catana co-founder, Jean-Pierre Prade, aboard. The company began last year with the 50 model. With a bridgedeck clearance of 90cm plus, the Windelo 54 is sleek with long bows, the nacelle further aft and centralised weight, which all helps reduce drag. Interestingly, its hull is a lightweight 12,000kg and constructed from recycled and bio-sourced materials; as per the company's philosophy of sustainability. Recycle plastic (PET) bottles are used for the foam sandwich hull, which reduces carbon emissions by nearly half compared with traditional GRP composite manufacturing methods. The yachts come in three versions with performance increasing – Adventure, Yachting and Sport. A very interesting new brand.
Lightweight, powered by renewables and fast – the Windelo 54
Try Something Different
Trimarans are the record-breaking ocean greyhounds but beyond this high-octane world is the cruising sailor who wants stability with speed but does not mind compromising some comforts.
Few builders make them for the mass market in cruising form. One builder is Dragonfly in Scandinavia which has reintroduced its 40 model at La Grande Motte, that Australian dealer TMG can supply. Another is Australian-owned Rapido which recently sold its flagship 60 to Australian YouTube stars La Vagabonde. Another more prolific one is Eric Bruneel at Neel Trimarans.
Rapido Saloon
Having recently sea-trialled Bruneel's latest creation on Moreton Bay with trimaran specialist Andrew de Bruin from dealership Multihull Solutions I was duly impressed. The Neel 43's helm connects closely to the single large spade rudder, rewarding the steerer with feedback, while the fixed skeg gave the boat good pointing - a startling 45 degrees to wind and nimbly tacked around.
Looking Locally
Australia boasts many experienced multihull dealerships and Queensland is a prime location for them; especially the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show (SCIBS) which had many this year. The first Excess 11 in Australia was on show at SCIBS. One of the smallest production cats on the market at 11m (37 ft) the SCIBS one supplied by Flagstaff Marine is an owner's version with three cabins. During the sea trial just after the show its performance rig and outboard helms brought a big smile to my face as I blasted along the Broadwater with the skyscrapers of the Gold Coast on my twin bows. Sister brand Lagoon, which is also part of the vast French Beneteau Group was another strong contender at SCIBS with its 46 model.
Excess 11
The 45-55 foot category in sailing catamarans is the market sweet spot, thus the Lagoon 46 had many visitors. Having sea trialled the first one built - on the Med three years ago - I found it hard to find any serious faults with this VPLP design. It's not a speedster of course but is easily sailed with all controls on the tall flybridge, around the single helm. And performance has been enhanced over the older 450 by moving the rig back to balance the sail area across the entire hull. Inside, this is an ultra-comfortable cruising catamaran. Ideal for the liveaboard life popular on the Gold Coast, thanks to a shaded aft cockpit and voluminous saloon because of its vertical bulkheads. In the hulls, there's an owner's suite to starboard and twin cabins in the port one. With Lagoon's strong presence in the charter market there is also a four cabin ensuite version, plus a crew berth option in the bows.
The Lagoon 46 perfectly characterises the lifestyle afforded by a cruising catamaran
French rival Catana's Bali concept has won it many admirers, including Australian dealer Dream Yacht Sales. It's charter arm supplies these boats for shared ownership locally as well, including an upcoming 4.4. The Bali range of extremely spacious cruising catamarans are distinguished by the entire aft bulkhead of the saloon opening to create a vast inside/outside space. Another feature is the large flybridge and the foredeck is solid fibreglass to maximise usable space throughout the 4.2 that was displayed at SCIBS.
Foreign Handover
A strong competitor idled on the next pontoon at SCIBS, the Elba 45. This particular hull has already proven itself after the owner did the handover directly from the French factory, then sailed across the Atlantic and the Pacific; to reach Sydney. Dealer, Mooloolaba-based Multihull Solutions, has been selling Fountaine Pajots for many years, so dozens are cruising along our shores, an ideal place for these shallow drafted vessels that use only mini-keels, so can sneak among the sandbars of Far North Queensland. Key features of the Elba are a high bridgedeck clearance between the hulls, that reduces wave friction and the sail plan is reasonably low to improve stability; yet it still has a discrete flybridge cockpit. Multihull Solutions sold its $1 million Neel 43 trimaran during the first day of the show and I could see why, after an excellent sea trial I enjoyed on Moreton Bay. Other interesting sailing catamarans on display included the Australian debut of the Dufour 48 supplied by Performance Cruising Yachts in Sydney. A triple level cruiser with a wide wind range capability for its sailplan, again an ideal east coast boat.
A discreet flybridge lowers the sailplan on the new Fountaine Pajot Aura 51
Another major global player is the South African Leopard brand which had its powerful looking 50 model busy with visitors during the show. The distinguishing features of this brand is a vast deck space because they are a major player in the global charter market, so cater for large crew numbers. A signature feature is a foredeck cockpit and flybridge, alongside an elevated single helm station. Inside, can be multiple layout configurations with three to five cabins, utility room for liveaboards and an extensive options list. One option I'd advise is a big Code 0 headsail to move this voluminous cat along in Australia's tropical airs. So, as you can see, there's multiple choices for whatever fun you have in mind but get your orders in early as the factory waiting lists are generally long.
Catamaran Characteristics
| Bridgedeck clearance | Gap between water and deck – ideally at least 0.8m |
| Keels | Either enlarged fins on hulls called mini-keels or daggerboards for upwind performance |
| Hulls | Typically foam laminated for weight saving and ideally with escape hatches |
| Steering | Two helms/twin rudders common but sometimes single helm as well, in an elevated position to help vision |
| Rig and sails | Typically large-roached mainsail as cats don't have backstays, with downwind sails on a small bowsprit |
| Layouts | More cruisy designs have flybridges for extra space but this reduces stability by elevating the sailplan |
| Auxiliary power | Twin diesel engines, which can be run singly to save fuel when offshore |
| Onboard power | Cats are ideal platforms for solar, wind and hydro power because of space |
| Accommodation | Typically an owner's layout with one hull used for a large suite and the other with two cabins. A head in each hull usually |
| Saloons | Typically with galley sharing the space but galley-down available sometimes |
| Handling under power | Twin engines wide apart allow for maximum control |
| Handling under sail | Cruising models typically have modest sail plans but performance models have powerful sail plans that can lead to capsizes for inexperienced skippers |
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