top 10 catamaran brands

Better Sailing

10 Best Catamaran Brands

Shopping for a new catamaran can be intimidating, even as consumers have more resources than ever to help them research from the comfort of their own home before they even contact a yacht broker. The great news is that there are a lot of great catamaran brands on the market right now. For us consumers, the catamaran market has evolved rapidly from what it was only just a few short years ago when monohulls were favored. On the flip-side, this can make it even more challenging to figure out which catamaran brands are the very best.

If you are a beginner in cruising catamarans, this article will help you learn the best brands that are out there with the best reputation amongst boaters. This article will help you get started in the world of catamarans, and I am trying to make it as beginner-friendly as possible. The catamaran brands on this list are mainly production boat companies, but some of them do offer custom designs. However, the added benefit of most of these brands is that there are many options on the used market. You will always be able to shop around for a good deal no matter where you are in the world.

Here are some of the best catamaran brands on the market today: 

Lagoon – Groupe Beneteau

Lagoon is a French boatbuilder with an excellent reputation and sells the largest number of catamarans per year. The brand started back in 1984 and was one of the first catamaran brands to really convince people of the concept of multihulls. The philosophy of the Lagoon brand is good design, high-quality construction, and a decent cruising performance under sail. In other words, a Lagoon is the dream of every fan of sailing that looks for a catamaran that can provide everything, whether that is a fun toy for summer sailing trips or a year-round liveaboard yacht. What Lagoon did right, and the reason it has proven to be so popular is that it listened to its customers. That is why every new Lagoon catamaran has more space, more efficient layouts, and is always more comfortable than their previous version. There is no wonder why they have so many repeat customers.

Lagoon makes 9 sailing catamaran models and 2 powercat models, ranging in length from 40 to 78 feet. It also used to make shorted boats like the Lagoon 380 at 37 feet, but unfortunately, it was discontinued. You can find a Lagoon on the used market starting at $150,000 (like a 2002-2007 Lagoon 380) and as high as $5 million USD for their top of the line fully spec’d Lagoon Seventy 7, which comes with a jacuzzi on deck.

>>Also Read: Best Sailboat Brands

Fountaine Pajot

Fountaine-Pajot is a French maritime construction brand that is specializing in catamarans. The company was established in 1976, but it launched its first sailing catamaran in 1983 and its first powercat in 1998. This brand is now famous for building both sailing and power catamarans that have a beautiful and innovative design, superior handling, excellent seaworthiness, and cruising comfort. Also, Fountaine Pajot was one of the first catamaran brands that was manufacturing their boats with environmental protection in mind. So, all of their models have options to include renewable energy sources. Their ECO-Cruising and SMART-Cruising options considerably reduce their yachts’ carbon footprint and provide the necessary clean energy for their sailboats.

Fountaine-Pajot makes both sailing catamarans and powercats, ranging in length from 40 to 67 feet. It also used to make shorted boats like the Lagoon 380 at 37 feet, but unfortunately, it was discontinued. You can find a Lagoon on the used market starting at $100,000-150,000 (like a 1990-2005 Fountaine Pajot Athena 38) and as high as $3.5 million USD for their top of the line fully spec’d Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67, which comes with a jacuzzi on the front deck.

Leopard is a boatbuilder located in South Africa and produces some of the best and most luxurious catamarans. You will find Fountain Pajor catamarans for sale also under the name “Robertson & Caine” because some Leopard cats are built by Robertson & Caine company. Leopards are mainly designed to be luxurious, big, and comfortable, but that usually comes at a cost, both in price tag and sailing speed and maneuverability. 

Leopard Catamarans was established in 2000 their partnership with South African builder Robertson and Caine. This company was manufacturing custom-designed catamarans for the global yacht charter company The Moorings. While Leopard was focusing on sailing catamarans in the beginning, in 2007, they started making powercats as well.

Leopard is always designing their boats to have the optimal balance between interior space and performance, sheltered helm cockpit designed for offshore cruising and single-handed sailing, large lounge areas, optimal comfort, and ease of maintenance. 

Nowadays, Leopard is making sailing catamarans between 42 and 58 feet and powercats between 50 and 53 feet. You can find a Leopard on the used market starting at $180,000 (like a Leopard 38) in good condition and as high as $2 million USD for their top of the line fully spec’d Leopard 58; however, they are not as luxurious as some of the other brand’s top-of-the-line models.

>>Also Read: 10 Best Catamarans Under 200k

Catana catamarans are a little bit more performance-oriented. They have features that make them sail faster and be more easily maneuverable than some of the other catamaran brands on the list. Many of their boats come with a feature called daggerboard that will help you sail faster upwind, something that most catamarans struggle with. Catana Group was originally called Poncin Yachts and has been building catamarans in France since 2001. It is famous for producing catamarans for owners who most often want to go bluewater sailing around the world comfortably and safely with a high-performance boat. This is not a famous brand, but it grows in popularity very fast. Year by year, I have noticed more and more Catana catamarans in the marinas I visit. 

Catana Catamarans are built using foam sandwich vacuum infusion technology combined with carbon and aramid fiber. This combination guarantees the strength of the hull, significant weight savings, and because of this fact, higher speed.

Catana offers new boats from 42 to 70 feet. In the past, they were building boats as long as 90 feet. You can find a Catana on from the early 2000s’ on the used market for as low as $250,000, and as high as $4 million USD for a top of the line full spec’d brand new one.

Nautitech is another catamaran brand located in France; I guess there is a pattern here. They have built a reputation for designing catamarans that are robust, seaworthy, and capable of putting sailing back into the heart of the liveaboard experience without compromising on comfort. Anyone familiar with catamarans can quickly appreciate the innovative nature of a Nautitech cat design. The brand was also the first one to introduce the concept of liveaboard living, which combines the saloon and cockpit into one spacious, functional living area.

Nautitech offers new boats from 40 to 57 feet. You can find a Nautitech on from the early 2000s’ on the used market (Like the Nautitech 40) for as low as $180,000. However, a new top-of-the-line Nautitech 54 can be spec’d up to $1.5 million USD; though, they are not as luxurious as some of the other brand’s top-of-the-line models. 

The brand was founded in 1985 in France. Privilège Catamarans offer unparalleled expertise, know-how, and experience that facilitates the construction of some of the best catamarans on the market today. They can provide luxurious liveaboard life beyond coastal borders. Its elegant hull design ensures superb stability and comfort making then one of the best catamaran brands in the world right now. Every catamaran is custom-built according to the owner’s preferences and handcrafted with great craftsmanship and the finest materials.

The company specializes in the design and manufacture of some of the best, and luxurious bluewater catamarans on the water. Every new Privilege cat is built after multiple consultations between the shipyard and the owner. You can decide to either keep the catamaran in its pure and elegant look and also keep the cost as low as possible or to change it to your personal preferences and make it as high-end as you can afford.

Privilège makes both sailing catamarans and powercats, ranging in length from 51 to 75 feet. It also used to make shorted boats like the Privilege 435 at 43 feet, but unfortunately, they are now focusing on larger yachts. You can find a Privilege from the early 2000s’ on the used market starting at $300,000 (like the Privilege 435) but can easily surpass $5 million USD for their top of the line fully spec’d Privilege 745 or 740.

>>Also Read: Best Small Sailboats To Sail Around The World

Gemini 

Gemini is one of the few catamaran brands that make its boats in the US. It is a subsidiary of Performance Cruising Inc., and they have been making catamarans since 1981. Honestly, Gemini catamarans might not be the most good-looking and luxurious, but they are affordable and sail well. For that reason, they definitely deserve a spot on the list with the best catamaran brands. 

You can find a used Gemini cat in good condition in good condition from the early 1990s, starting at around 50k and a newer model for as high as 500k. Overall this is a very affordable brand, and you will definitely enjoy one without breaking the bank.

Seawind 

Seawind Catamarans is a catamaran designer and builder located in Australia, producing high-end performance cruising sail catamarans since 1982. They have produced some of the world’s best and award-winning designs. 

The Seawind brand is especially good for people looking for a catamaran that is not overly luxurious or expensive and is probably looking for a more reasonably sized yacht; however, they do offer a couple of larger, more luxurious models as well. 

Seawind offers new boats from 35 to 52 feet. You can find one on from the early 2000s’ on the used market for as low as $150,000, like a Seawind 1000. However, a new top-of-the-line Seawind 1600 can be spec’d up to around $1 million USD.

Sunreef Yachts

Sunreef is the world’s leading manufacturer of luxury sailing and power multihulls. Each catamaran, motor yacht, and superyacht they make is a custom vessel. The company was established in 2002 in Gdansk, Poland but a Frenchman and was the first brand to build a 74-foot bluewater cruising catamaran. 

This brand has pulled all the stops when it comes to luxury and comfort. Whether you are looking for a family-friendly liveaboard cat, a luxurious private floating villa, a dazzling party boat, or a fishing expedition superyacht fantasy, their designers will turn your vision into reality. Just be prepared to pay the price. 

Sunreef makes both large sailing catamarans and powercats, ranging in length from 50 to 150 feet! You can find a Sunreef from the early the Mid-2000s on the used market starting at $700,000 (like the Sunreef 62) but can easily surpass $15 million USD for Sunreef 102. They also have the Sunreef MM460 CAT on their catalog, which is one of the largest catamarans even created. However, unfortunately, I was not able to get even an approximate price quote on it. If I had to guess, I would say at least $50 million to have one built. 

>>Also Read: Best Sailboats Under 100k

Bali Catamarans is another brand of the well-known Catana shipyard. And it is also the newest brand on the list established in 2014. Catana catamarans are the golden standard when it comes to high-speed cats. However, in 2014, they decided to start a production brand of fast, light, and easily maneuverable cruising catamarans. The Bali Catamarans collection has a unique design mainly; it has no mesh “trampoline” in the front cockpit. It features an open-space interior, a huge refrigerator in the inner saloon, and many other uncommon features. 

Bali offers new boats from 39 to 50 feet. You can find a Bali on from 2014-2015 on the used market for as low as $300k (like the Bali 4.0). However, a new top-of-the-line Bali 5.7 can spec’d up to over a $2 million USD.

Final Thoughts

In order to compile the best list of catamarans, I took into account the built quality, comfort seaworthiness but also the number of yachts for sale on the used market. In my point of view, I shouldn’t have put a custom catamaran builder on this list because you wouldn’t be able to find one for sale anyway. For most of these brands, there are many boats for sale on the used market in pretty good condition and at reasonable prices.

Peter is the editor of Better Sailing. He has sailed for countless hours and has maintained his own boats and sailboats for years. After years of trial and error, he decided to start this website to share the knowledge.

Related Posts

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Best Fishing Line for Trolling

Lagoon Catamaran Review: Are Lagoon Catamarans Good?

Best Inboard Boat Engine Brands

Are O’Day Sailboats Good? A Closer Look at a Classic Brand

• Buyer's Guide
• Destinations
• Maintenance
• Sailing Info

Hit enter to search or ESC to close.

10 Best Catamarans in 2024

We gave our Sailing writers one job: Find the best and most popular catamarans and review them.

Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews.

A catamaran is a sailboat that has a multi-hull design. It gives it more stability because it’s wider and that creates more livable space for more people.

Read about the best multihull boats in this article and learn which one is best for your voyages.

The biggest advantages of a multihull are:

• Multihulls are usually faster than monohulls, especially on downwind runs, reaches and broad reaches. You can travel further per day and outrun inclement weather
• They are more stable than a monohull. Sailing flat definitely has its advantages
•  It is less tiring sailing a multihull
•  More space!
•  For cruising the draft is less than a monohull which means you can go into shallower water safely

Top 5 Catamarans in 2024

All the catamarans we've tested.

Lagoon Catamarans

Where to buy:

Where to buy lagoon 40:.

Lagoon has always enjoyed a sweet spot in the 38 to 40-foot catamaran market. The Lagoon 380 became one of the most popular cats ever, with nearly 1,000 hulls being produced over a 20-year run. The L400 and L39 attempted to tweak that popular design, but neither caught on to the extent the 380 did.

The new Lagoon 40 is turning heads for many reasons. The Lagoon 380 is officially off the Lagoon website, so it might finally be time for the torch to be handed to a new cat. And the 40 has just the right mix of modern features, small size, and affordability that many cruisers and families seek.

Here’s a go-anywhere boat that looks good, sails easily, and keeps you comfortable.

• Naval Architects: Van Peteghem-Lauriot Prevost (VPLP Design)
• Built: CNB Yards, Bordeaux, France
• Exterior Designer: Patrick le Quément
• Interior Designer: Nauta Design
• Length Overall: 11.74 m/ 38 feet, 6 inches
• Beam: 6.76 m/ 22 feet, 2 inches
• Draft: 1.35 m/ 4 feet, 5 inches
• Mast Clearance: 18.42 m/ 60 feet, 5 inches
• Sail Area: 80 square meters/ 861 square feet
• Engines: 2 x 29 hp Yanmar 3YM30 (upgradable to 45 hp)
• Fuel: 2 x 200 liters/ 56 gallons
• Fresh Water: 300 liters/ 76 gallons
• CE Certifications: A10/B12/C16/D20

Things we like:

Things we don't like:.

Leopard Catamarans

Where to buy Leopard 42:

The Leopard 42 is the company’s replacement for the 40. It integrates several design elements that were proven on the new 50 and 45-foot models, including an upper lounge area atop the coachroof. The design also has the unique forward salon door that opens for direct access to the foredeck and a sun pad lounging area.

Like all Leopard catamarans, the 42 is not only comfortable to stay on, but it’s also fun to sail. All sailing controls lead to the compact helm. Everything can be handled from this one control station. The full-roach main and overlapping genoa provide plenty of power, and optional electric winches make sail handling a snap.

The Leopard 42 share company in the market for 42-foot cats with some very attractive boats–the Lagoon 42, the Bali 4.2, and the FP Astrea, to name a few.

• Year Launched: 2021 (There have been several designs to carry the "Leopard 42" name)
• Designer: Alex Simonis
• Builder: Robertson and Caine, Cape Town, South Africa
• Length Overall: 41 feet, 7 inches/12.67 meters
• Beam: 23 feet, 1 inch/7.04 meters
• Draft: 4 feet, 7 inches/1.4 meters
• Mast Height: 67 feet, 10 inches/20.68 meters
• Power: 2x Yanmar 45 hp diesel engines
• Fuel: 158 gallons/600 liters
• Water: 174 gallons/660 liters
• Holding: 44 gallons/ 166 liters
• Upwind Total Sail Area: 1,217 square feet/113.1 square meters

Catamarans-Fountaine-Pajot.com

Fountain Pajot 80 Catamaran Superyacht

Where to buy Fountain Pajot 80 Catamaran Superyacht:

Fountaine Pajot, one of the foremost builders of sailing catamarans, unveiled their biggest “ Super Catamaran ” ever: the Thira 80.

The release comes on the tail of an ever-increasing trend in the catamaran market—the bigger-the- better era . With Sunreef, Lagoon, and Gunboat all making boats in the 70 to 80-foot range, these companies clearly see a market for the catamaran superyacht.

Boats this size are easily comparable to a motor yacht of more than 125 feet long. The very wide beam provides cavernous interiors for more livable space. And they have plenty of room for the toys of the trade—tenders, jet skis, paddleboards, and more.

While sailing is always preferable, its 175 to 300-horsepower engines are more than capable of moving it on calm days. And it’s hard to beat the ride and comfort of a catamaran at sea, with its extra stability and lack of heeling in the wind.

So, is bigger really better? Let’s dive in and tour the new Fountaine Pajot 80 and all that she has to offer.

• Length: 78.7 feet/23.98 meters
• Beam: 36.4 feet/11.09 meters
• Draft: 6.9 feet/2.10 meters
• Displacement: 66.0 tons (approximate)
• Sail area Main: 2,153 sqft/200 sqm Genoa 1,507 sqft/140 sqm
• Power options: 2x 175-hp, 270-hp, or 300-hp

Kinetic Catamarans

Kinetic KC54

Where to buy Kinetic KC54:

The Kinetic may be fresh on the scene of the Super Cats but it is on the cutting edge of the finest fast craft in terms of performance and latest technology while also having features, impeccable finishes and the amenities of stylish cruising.

This has been awarded the Cruising World Best Large Multihull 50ft and Above Boat of the Year 2022 as well as the Special Recognition Award – for Overall Excellence 2022 by Sailing Magazine. Said Gerry Douglas of Sailing Magazine: ‘This was the Tesla of sailboats…in terms of design and execution and technology, it hit all three of those marks. This boat is built without compromise’.

These catamarans are all-carbon construction, an aggressively lightweight construction and set up for short-handed sailing. Mast is coachroof mounted and there are options for centreboards and daggerboard. There are three steering stations (two outside aft on each hull, one inside right behind the working cockpit) to suit weather conditions and personal preference.

• Length: 54 ft 2 in
• Beam: 27 ft 7 in
• Draft: Dagger Boards down 10.2 ft
• Standard Rudder up 4.5 ft
• Capacity: 3 or 4 double berths (6-8 persons)
• Motor: 2 x Yanmar 4JH80 - 80hp Diesel SD80
• Fuel Capacity: 264 gal
• Mast height: 85.3 ft (above water)
• Mainsail area: 1,102 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 264 gal

Xquisite Yachts

Xquisite X5 Plus

Where to buy Xquisite X5 Plus:

2022 saw the Xquisite X5 named the Cruising World magazine’s Best Cruising Catamaran of the year – yet again (it won the Best Multihull over 50ft award in 2017) .

As Ed Sherman said: ‘There are 40,000 man-hours invested in this boat. And you can see it.’ To the bolts that are torqued to the 2 weeks spent with each new owner training them on systems – this is a strong product, well designed by Rudolf Jonker and built by Phoenix Marine incorporating all of Tamas Hamor’s ideas and experience. This really is a well thought out 53 ft cruising sailboat and is another South African-built catamaran loaded with important details, not only the visible ones.

The goal for Xquisite is to supply fully equipped catamarans for long-term live-aboard cruising with comprehensive lifetime service assistance for the owners.

There are so many features from the gutters to catch rain-water on the coachroof to footswitches for the electric winches at the helm. Solid handrails all around the deck for maximum security to the below deck running-rigging network! In terms of the design and construction much thought has gone into weight saving. There is no faulting the systems installations.

All lines lead to the helm through below deck channels that are easily accessible with winches well thought out. The helm is slightly raised to port under a bimini with a sliding fully-battened canvas roof that is easily raised and lowered. There is an overall ambiance of space and light in the berths and galley which opens onto the cockpit.

Sailing performance was impressive with its powerful rig – however a heavy, low-slung cruising cat with keels instead of boards to get to your destination in comfort and style.

See our complete list of the best catamarans here .

• Length: 53 ft
• Beam: 26 ft 2in
• Draft: 4 ft 4’
• Capacity: 3 double berths (6 persons)
• Motor: 2 x 80 HP Yanmar
• Fuel Capacity: 208 gal
• Mast height: 78 ft 7’ (above waterline)
• Mainsail area: 1,130 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 227 gal

McConaghy Boats

McConaghy MC60

Where to buy McConaghy MC60:

The MC60 is the fastest and most luxurious flybridge catamaran. ‘Think next-gen fighter jet meets a New York style luxury loft apartment.’

McConagy boats was founded by John McConaghy in 1967 and in 2000 Mark Evans & Jono Morris embraced the opportunity to take over the country. They partnered with Tiger Group Investments and have grown from strength to strength – building the world’s fastest racing yachts , submarines, components for Formula One racing and developing solutions for architects, scientists and others. They have a proven track record on complex composite products which are lightweight, corrosion resistant, have design flexibility, durability and high strength.

In the MC60, designed and engineered with safety as priority, this performance sailing meets stylish living with only finest wood veneers and luxurious materials throughout – the wide saloon which offers a versatile but spacious living area, large windows and retractable glass doors aft, a galley well positioned best suited to socialising. The attention is to detail and innovation even in the storage solutions so that living space is maximised with semi-customisation of interiors too.  She is the perfect blend of sophistication and high tech.

Sailing is in utmost luxury, effortlessly and safely due to meticulous control of weight. She is much lighter than other similar length cats and can approach cruising speeds close to true wind. A professional crew are required. For sailing there are dual helm positions on the streamlined flybridge for best sight lines. The precise hull forms achieve optimum strength to weight ratio with careful use of carbon which means that under full sail she points upwind like a monohull. The M60 has push button centerboards that raise on impact automatically – certainly one of the safest offshore performance catamarans .

• Length: 60 ft 04 in
• Beam: 28 ft 2 in
• Draft: 4 ft 7 in with centreboards up
• 12 ft 4 in with centreboards down
• Capacity: 2 double berths & 1 - 2 twin (6 - 8 persons)
• Motor: 2 x 57 HP
• Fuel Capacity: 123.19 gal
• Mast height: 92.85 ft
• Mainsail area: 2,034 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 123.19 gal

Sunreef Yachts

Where to buy Sunreef 80:

Winner in the 2019 Oceanway China Yachts Award, the 2019 Yacht and Aviation Awards and claiming Best of Show Award in the 2020 Miami International Boat Show this mighty fine catamaran justly deserves all and more.  It is an all-round sailing leisure yacht for exclusive getaways, charter and transocean adventures and is set up for professional crew.

The Sunreef is built in Poland under management of Founder and CEO Francis Lapp who has been producing large vessels from 50-165 ft since 2002 and knows well what semi-custom cruising is all about.

The Sunreef 80 fuses contemporary design with its layout flowing easily one into another area in ultimate luxury. Custom finishes ensure that you have found your ultimate catamaran – the vast central lounging space with panoramic view opens both onto the bow and cockpit. The cleverly designed bridge deck and superstructure facilitates the superior comfort onboard.

The spacious 54sqm flybridge is the epitome of leisure – a jacuzzi, wet bar, barbecue and large sunpads with the main boom well clear overhead ! It also houses all the navigation. Plenty of relaxation and pleasure space.

The sail controls are well laid out for the twin helms with carbon masts built by Sunreef themselves. The rig is built for power on this well equipped and luxury sailing vessel.

The tall bow has a fine entry aimed at reducing drag while the hulls are designed to reduce drag too while having super volume to accommodate the luxurious cabins are airy and impeccable in style. The master cabin is located midships starboard and is an opulent space while the other cabins each have queen sized beds, spacious en-suites and unquestionable privacy.

• Length: 80 ft
• Beam: 37 ft 7 in
• Draft: 7 ft 218 in
• Capacity: 4 - 5 double berths plus optional crew of 3 (8 - 10 persons plus crew max of 3)
• Motor: 2 x 280 HP John Deeres
• Fuel Capacity: 634.01 to 1585.03 gal
• Mast height: 2185 ft
• Mainsail area: 2152.78 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 422.68 gal

HH Catamarans

HH50 cruiser

Where to buy HH50 cruiser:

The HH50 is a performance cruiser for the blue water with simple to use but intelligent systems, carbon construction and to top it all luxurious and spacious interior. She offers to best of all worlds – easy to manage sailing vessel which is robustly built, fully equipped and stylishly comfortable for your adventure.

The sailing systems and deck layout are designed for short-handed sailing with dual helm stations each giving the helmsman total sail control from either side and having excellent visibility.  The C daggerboards are curved and are fully retractable. Push button mainsheet and self-tacking jib are standard. Equal-to-Wind speed is normal, this is a performance sailing vessel.

The large saloon has a good sized galley and when at anchor the sail handling area converts easily to a comfortable forward facing seating area. The aft cockpit has an integrated wet bar and barbeque – perfect for al fresco entertaining or dining. Luxury queen size beds await in the cabins.

• Length: 51 ft 8 in
• Beam: 24 ft 41 in
• Draft: 5 ft 43 in Board down
• 10 ft 83 in Board up
• Capacity: 2 double berths and 1-2 single (4 - 6 persons)
• Motor: 2 x Yanmar 40HP
• Fuel Capacity: 131.98 gal
• Mast height: 75 ft 36 in
• Mainsail area: 873.28 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 87.99 gal

Excess Catamarans

Where to buy Excess 11:

This gem earned the title of Cruising World’s Boat of the Year 2021 impressing the judges with its allocation of space all the while offering superior sailing performance. All at a great price.

Using compact space effectively – effectively and seamlessly assimilating working and social areas in a thoughtful, pleasant, workable and innovative way. This is a sure winner for the Excess 11.

The Excess 11 is one of the smallest catamarans as well as the only large-scale production boat of this size, with comfort, space and thrilling sailing. She is comfortable in her simplicity and light style. It is very capable for long passages and meets the needs for life on board, built on the experience of previous models and designs.

Even with her smaller size she offers comfort on deck with a large open cockpit and twin helm stations.

Complete Excess 11 standard features list please email via website

• Length: 37 ft 5 in
• Beam: 21 ft 7 in
• Draft: 3 ft 9 in
• Capacity: 3 - 4 double berths (6 - 8 persons)
• Motor: 2 x 29HP
• Fuel Capacity: 106 gal
• Mast height: 56 ft 8 in
• Mainsail area: 592 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 79 gal

Bali Catamarans

BALI Catspace

Where to buy BALI Catspace:

The BALI Catspace is the most successful catamaran in her class with the Catspace being the smallest of the BALI range, combining all the latest innovations in cruising. It was nominated for the Cruising World’s best boat of the year: Catamaran under 50 ft, 2022.

The Catspace was conceived by Olivier Poncin & designed by Lasta Design – combining all the latest innovations in cruising into a really neat vessel.

The sailing quality is not to be faulted for a catamaran of this size, the deck which is efficient for sailing allows smooth movement from the aft platform to the forward cockpit with lounge and sunbathing area. There is, in addition a full-comfort flybridge which has a safe relaxation area and a helm station which is designed for single/short handed use.

The 4 cabins each have private heads and the ability to open up the back end of the cats to create the indoor/outdoor platform is well planned and highly effective.

Complete Catspace standard features list

• Length: 40 ft 39 in
• Beam: 21 ft 59 in
• Draft: 3 ft 91 in Boards up
• Motor: 2 x 20HP up to 2 x 40HP
• Fuel Capacity: 107.78 gal
• Mast height: 58 ft 56 in
• Mainsail area: 1,087 sqft
• Fresh Water tank: 167 gal

Big ‘blue water’ Sailing

Blue water sailing refers to the open sea. Non-blue or pond sailing refers to inland waters and coastal areas.

The difference in specific design of a blue water or non-blue water vessel is for the ship captain’s visibility as well as based on the hazards of the area they are to be used.  A bluewater (offshore) catamaran is designed for voyages in very rough seas. They are usually 40ft or longer, designed to be very stable, carry heavy loads and very safe.  Ocean sailing has different dangers to coastal water with different challenges – sailing through storms, longer distances, more maneuvering space, night sailing – and more gear, better technology, skills and sturdier vessels are needed.

When sailing in confined waters it is important to have more reactive steerage, less maneuvering time, you do not need to store multiday provisions as you are more reliant on daytime sailing, do not need so much speed so have smaller sails and lower horsepower engines and perhaps the intention if for pleasure alone so one of the major considerations will be the  layout of the vessel.

For most sailors the choice of size is between 40-50 feet which is manageable for 2 persons with lots of room to spread out and entertain or have friends on board and that is easy to dock both in terms of space and cost.

First questions to ask yourself

First up consider these 5 points before you decide on your multihull model, length and manufacturer.

Will you be using your sailing vessel for coastal or blue water adventures? What is your primary objective and then: is this for family pleasure or entertaining or Charter?

For sailing

Must it be suited for single-handed sailing? What proficiency of sailing do I have/need? Degree of technology required? Equipment required?

Functional Use

How many berths do I need? How much privacy? Elegance, comfort and style – what is required? Space for ‘toys’?  If for charter or private use with crew – extra berths.

Your total budget must include the initial cost of the vessel plus survey, transport, upgrading of equipment, insurance, etc – there is a lot to consider. Would a second hand vessel be a consideration? What is the smallest I can go?

Annual Costs

What will my ongoing budget be for Insurance, berthing, maintenance, repairs, haul out fees, etc? This excludes any travel costs

Where do I want to berth my vessel? Or living aboard?

It is said that BOAT is an acronym for: Break Out Another Thousand!

Review of Our Favorite 15 Multihulls 2024

With cutting edge technology and the strive for sail performance this was no easy task – there are many deserving vessels who deserve to be in the Top Reviews such as Privilege 510, Outremer 51, Knysna 500SE and the St Francis 50. There are also other models by manufacturers we have selected that have proven themselves over the years that may be a better size for you.

Here’s our listing!

Related Reviews

Read full review

Final Thoughts

Multihull vessels have a lot of the potential for creature comforts that motor yachts have without the constant thrumming of the engines. But they still require a modicum or rudimentary understanding of sailing.

There’s also a bit of maintenance required, but this is something–like having kids–that you figure out along the way.

Another popular boating segment is the power catamaran. Like their sailing counterparts, power catamaran boats have great living space, but without the need to understand sailing principles. Either way, both multihull markets look to be growing in popularity over the next many years.

The resale market for multihull ships also looks promising, so getting one, trying it out for a couple of seasons and selling it again is a possibility without losing too much on the purchase price.

Before you sign the cheque….

So you’ve located some a catamaran for sale that looks promising. It’s one of the models on the list here and you’re wondering if its in the best shape relative to the price. Here’s what you do:

Take time out to go and view it in person. Book yourself an experience aboard and head over to your closest marina and speak to owners (this may well help you create your shortlist too). Consider these points before purchasing:

•       Pre-book buyer’s sea trials for your shortlist
•       Select the perfect sailing vessel for you (and if it’s for your family make sure they agree too!)
•       Used – get a certified hull survey, safety comes first
•       Get annual insurance quotes
•       Calculate dockage – purchase or rent a slip or dock
•       Calculate monthly upkeep and maintenance
•       Calculate extra costs like navigational devices & fittings
•       Draft your own checklist
•       Draft & sign off sale & purchase contracts
•       Draft & sign off a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA)
•       Ensure you are satisfied 100%
•       Execute payment and take transfer of ownership
•       Register and insure your vessel

Check all necessary Stock is aboard – Sail away!

Pre-Departure Checklist

Some ideas for you –

• Always pre-check the weather and wind conditions prior to any excursion on the water
• Always know the tide table in your head, so you know what the ocean is doing at all times, incoming or outgoing tide, and what is the tidal range if you are in an ocean estuary or channel.
• Check you have fuel, water, food and all the basics before loading passengers aboard, and follow these easy steps to ensure safety is first at all times.
• Plan your upcoming voyage, does it feature high swells, rocky shores, and cold water
• Check Safety equipment, making sure you have enough life jackets for all sea-farers
• Check sails, sheets and lines. All sailing gear
• Check your engines – Open fuel lines, check oil and spark plugs
• Check fuel tank levels and have extra fuel aboard for an emergency
• Start the motor, make sure water is coming out to cool the motor
• Test both forward and reverse gears on the engine before guests board
• Check that you have a working and full battery communications radio, with all correct channels programmed, and that all the vessel lights and electrics are in working order
• Check for first aid kits, manual hand pump, paddles, lifejackets , additional lines, fresh drinking water and food for passengers plus some spare in case your voyage is longer than expected, necessary repair tools & kit and flags
• Strap any equipment and gear down safely before you start to motor
• If you have passengers boarding, ensure you give a proper safety briefing and point out where all the safety gear is on the vessel. Children should be included in the briefing and be secured properly before departure

Catamarans versus Trimarans

Trimarans have limited space in slimmer hull designs generally. This makes Catamarans with their comfortable open leisure space both above and below deck far preferred for leisure sailing.

On the plus side for Trimarans are their speed and seaworthiness.

How Safe are Multihull Boats at Sea?

Probably a close second in terms of questions asked. On a twin hull design the buoyancy is on the outer edges of the boat and their is greater stability and less rolling when drifting or trolling compared to a monohull.

Catamarans are safe in rough seas because of their wide stance which makes them stable with increased motion comfort and excess buoyancy due to lack of ballast. They are easy to maneuver and with high speeds that may help them outrun storms with skilled crew who know the vessel. A trimaran is the safest of multihulls with the 3 hulls, centering of its weight and anti-drift plan. The righting torque between a catamaran and trimaran is significantly different.

An important consideration is this – if your catamaran is anything longer than 45ft, unless specifically modified for single handed sailing, then it probably cannot be sailed alone. At some stage in your journey you may well have to sail alone – can it be done?

As Blue Water Sailing Vessels

Catamarans are more stable and fast and depending on conditions some can distance more than 200 miles in a day.

Cats usually sail faster than monohulls (standard) due to the weight of them and displacement, especially on a run or broad reach when the sails are perpendicular to the wind. There are many variables to consider.

Solo Sailing a Multihull

Most small and medium-sized cruising catamarans can be sailed single-handedly. The skill of the sailor with high tech equipment such as electric winches and powered sail control, layout (such as all lines to the cockpit, roller furling mainsail, autopilot, etc) and safety precautions make it an adventure not to be missed.

If your catamaran is longer than 45ft, unless specifically modified for single-handed sailing, you will not be able to safely sail it alone. Consider:

• What the minimum length of the vessel would suit your needs to handle on your own
• Layout planning is essential
• Space you need
• The bigger the boat means larger sails which will be harder to raise and repair
• The bigger the boat means more power and speed – be comfortable with your vessel
• Update your sailing skills

Finding the Right Size

It is a very personal choice but at the very least the advice would be to buy the smallest catamaran you think would meet your needs – this is because you have many other costs to consider and the bigger the vessel the more the costs of upkeep, dockage, space for crew.

A perfect size for blue water sailing (including around the world) is around 40 ft, small enough to be sailed by one person but big enough to provide safety and speed. The smallest size to consider to cross the ocean safely and in some comfort by consensus is around 30ft. Any smaller and you will possibly have the following problems as dealing with large seas the size of your vessel does count :

• A smaller vessel is always pitching and yawing and this impacts the crew negatively over a long period of time or in crisis situations
• Low bridge deck clearance due to the small size of the vessel
• when sailing upwind the waves are projected with speed and force into the decks understand (between the pontoons) creating bridge deck slamming.  This vibration and noise impacts the crew and is very tiring – sailing downwind to prevent this may not be where you want to go
• Not having enough space for all the supplies and equipment needed for a long passage
• Alongside the problem of weight to be carried is the problem of distribution of this weight over the length of the vessel safely

Multihulls best for ponds, slow rivers and calm bodies of inland water benefit from having flat hulls to provide shallow draft with great deck space manufactured from aluminium or fibreglass. Make sure you take extra food and water and all safety supplies just in case of an emergency!

The question everyone wants to know – how much does it cost to live onboard?

There are many variables depending on your lifestyle, where you intend to cruise or berth and how much you want to travel aboard. A good estimate would be between US$2000-US$5000 per month for a family of 4, a little less for a couple/single person plus the maintenance cost of your boat which is on average 5-10% of the cost of the boat. The maintenance of your boat varies depending of equipment, age, condition and size.

What do I need to consider differently to live on-board rather than racing ?

Racing vessels are designed for speed and exhilaration and safe fun.

Living on-board requires space and comfort – space for storage, large-sized comfortable berths, living space, entertaining space, home-space! You need to know your long term goals and what your personal needs are – do you need a dedicated work area or desk space/permanent interconnectivity for work?

Generally cruising catamarans have wider hulls which give you more space as well as creating more drag which slows your boat down and is more costly on fuel.

Many used charter boats are seen as great purchases for living on-board, however make sure that they are suited for blue water sailing and not only for coastal water.

Here’s a list of the Top 15 best Multihulls reviewed in this article: 

• Leopard Catamarans – 41 ft 7 in – Leopard 42
• Balance Yachts – 48 ft 26 in – Balance 482
• Kinetic Catamarans – 54 ft 2 in – Kinetic KC54
• Xquisite Yachts – 53 ft – Xquisite X5
• McConaughey – 60 ft 1 in – MC60
• Sunreef Yachts – 80 ft – Sunreef 80
• Leopard Catamarans – 50 ft 6 in – Leopard 50
• Voyage Yachts – 57 ft 42 in – Voyage 590
• Seawind – 52 ft 8 in – Seawind 1600
• HH Catamarans – 52 ft – HH50
• Fountaine Pajot – 39 ft 14 in – Isla 40
• Lagoon-Beneteau Group – 38 ft 5 in – Lagoon 40
• Excess Catamarans – 37 ft 2 in – Excess 11
• Maverick Yachts of SA – 44 ft – Maverick 440
• Chantier CATANA – 37 ft 5 in – Catspace

Frequently asked questions about Catamarans

This varies greatly, often defined used or new by the design, size, year and finish.  Quality vessels are built to last and retain market-related value if undamaged.

On average a 45-foot catamaran can range from US$250,000-US$1,000,000.

The fully loaded Isla 40 costs around US$527,000. The Balance 42 sail away price fully cruise equipped is US$1,450,000 while the Kinetic 54’s price tag approaches US$3,000,000. The modern styled Sunreef 80 costs around $6.2 million.

We think that the Seawind 1600 is, for its size and quality, a superb priced performance product at US$900,000.

One of the major benefits for a cruising vessel is to be able to enter shallower seas – catamarans have a shallower draft than monohulls and therefore a great appeal to folk for whom this is a major consideration. Most lagoons are only 6-8 feet deep in the South Pacific. The Caribbean and other areas where you have reefs to navigate and shallow sandbanks to cross to enter overnight anchor stops draft is a very important consideration. Always remember to read your tide tables and swell.

A catamaran is lighter on the water and therefore takes less energy to move, however they have 2 engines which drives up fuel costs. They are more fuel-efficient on flat water (compared to equal horsepower and number of engines) but in heavy weather the monohull’s hull design causes less resistance and therefore higher efficiency.

With lighter weight and high buoyancy generally they have low water drag by comparison to the displacement of a monohull of the same length.

The trampoline serves many purposes – primarily to allow water to quickly pass through, allowing the bow to rise and so preventing the vessel from flipping and they are ideal for pleasure purposes.

To sail around the world the vessel needs to be equipped for offshore cruising and have a heavy load capacity.

The bigger Modern blue water cats are built with this in mind – supplies, crew, technology and gear.

A bigger boat has many advantages such as speed (not only to travel longer distance in shorter time but also to outrun potential bad weather) and comfort space, space for crew and friends, storage space for supplies and fun equipment, etc.

It is important to balance price against comforts, maintenance and repair costs as well as any potential income from your vessel (chartering, Air BNB, hosting courses on-board, etc) – generally here the bigger your vessel the higher the potential for greater income.

The larger your vessel the higher your expenses are in all ways – from Insurance to berthing, maintenance, haul out fees and equipment.

On this page

Table of content:, breadcrumbs.

• / Catamarans

Continue reading

Monterey 224FS

VIVOHOME Vinyl Boat Fender

Orion Safety 865

Everglades 243cc Bay

Gallery of catamarans review.

Three sailboats racing in the Indian Ocean

• Waterproof Backpacks
• Duffel Bags
• Hiking Backpacks
• Waterproof Gear
• Teepee Tents
• Camping Chairs
• Heated Socks
• Marine Binoculars
• Night Vision Goggles
• Windbreaker Jackets
• Collapsible and Folding Wagons
• Portable Power Stations

• Dive Computer
• Scuba Diving BCD
• Scuba Regulators
• Freediving Fins
• Diving Wetsuits
• Women’s Wetsuits
• Scuba Diving Drysuits
• Rebreathers
• Scuba Diving Masks
• Snorkel Masks
• Full Face Diving Mask
• Full Face Snorkel Masks
• Prescription Dive Masks
• Prescription Snorkel Masks
• Snorkeling Gear
• Kids Wetsuits
• Seiko Dive Watches
• Best Underwater Cameras
• Waterproof Cameras
• Underwater Scooters
• Best Dive Knife
• Dive Lights
• Underwater Metal Detector
• Reef Safe Sunscreen
• Scuba Tanks
• Dive Destinations
• Liveaboards

• Paddle boards (SUP)
• Best Touring Paddle Boards
• Best Beginner Paddle Boards
• Motorized paddle boards
• Electric SUP Pumps
• Paddles For Paddle Boarding

• Beach Chairs
• Beach Umbrellas
• Beach Wagons
• Beach Tents
• Beach Canopy
• Beach Towels
• Beach Blankets
• Water Shoes
• Water Socks
• Boogie Boards

• Swimming Goggles
• Swimming Fins
• Swimming Earplugs
• Women’s Swim Shorts

• Getting into Sailing
• Life Jackets
• Marine Flares
• Waterproof Marine Radios
• Pontoon Boat Accessories
• Sailing Gloves
• Boat Fenders

• Inflatable Kayak
• Folding Kayaks
• Tandem Kayaks
• Sit On Top Kayaks
• Sea Touring Kayaks
• Ocean Kayak
• Pedal Kayaks
• Fishing Kayaks
• Kayak Life Vests
• Kayak Shoes
• Kayak Paddles
• Kayak Trailers
• Kayak Anchors
• How to Choose a Kayak – A Beginner’s Guide
• How To Choose a Kayak Paddle? [What You Need to Know]
• Kayaking Gear for Beginners
• What to Wear Kayaking
• Kayak Safety

• All Mountain Snowboards
• Snowboard Boots
• Snowboard Bindings
• Snowboard Helmets
• Snowboard Jackets
• Atomic Skis
• Blizzard Skis
• Ski Resorts in the US

• Travel Backpacks
• Weekender Bags
• Packing Cubes
• Suitcases and Travel Luggages
• The Best All-inclusive Resorts in the World

• Men’s Yoga Pants
• Yoga Shorts
• Yoga Mat Bags
• Yoga Blocks

• Laptop Backpack
• Mini Backpacks
• Mesh Backpacks
• Clear Backpacks
• Fanny Packs
• Water Bottles

• Waterproof Jacket
• Waterproof Pants
• Waterproof Watches
• Waterproof Headphones
• Snorkel Fins
• Best Snorkels
• Best Dive Sites in the World
• Best Dive Resorts in the World
• Central & South America
• North America
• Southeast Asia
• Indian Ocean
• Asia Pacific
• Middle East & Red Sea
• All Liveaboards
• Liveaboards in Australia
• Liveaboards in Fiji
• Liveaboards in Micronesia
• Liveaboards in Myanmar (Burma)
• Liveaboards in the Maldives
• Liveaboards in the Philippines
• Liveaboards in Egypt
• Liveaboards in Costa Rica
• Liveaboards in Belize
• Liveaboards in Mexico
• Liveaboards in the Galapagos Islands
• Aggressor Liveaboards
• Liveaboard in Thailand
• Liveaboards in Indonesia
• The Best Starboard Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide
• Bluefin Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide
• Isle Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide
• Red Paddle Co. Ride 10’6
• ROC Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide
• The Best iRocker Paddle Boards: A Brand Guide
• Blackfin Paddle Boards
• Pontoon Boats
• Bowrider Boats
• Motor Yachts
• Cabin Cruiser Boats
• Inflatable Boats
• Electric Surfboard
• Efoil Board
• Jet Body Boards
• All-Mountain Skis
• Ski Bindings
• Ski Poles for Downhill & Touring
• Ski Goggles
• Ski Gloves and Mittens
• Ski Jackets
• Ski and Snowboarding Pants and Bibs
• Ski Helmets
• Best Resorts in North America
• Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort
• Copper Mountain Ski Resort
• Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort Area Review
• Jackson Hole Ski Resort
• Telluride Ski Resort
• Aspen Ski Resort
• Crested Butte Ski Resort
• Kirkwood Ski Resort
• Alta Ski Resor
• Park City Ski Resort
• Winter Park Resort
• Breckenridge Ski Resort
• Vail Ski Resort
• Snowmass Ski Resort
• Heavenly Ski Resort
• Taos Ski Valley
• Palisades Tahoe Ski Resort
• Ski Santa Fe
• Angel Fire Ski Resort
• Sun Valley Ski resort
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Aruba
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Cabo
• All-inclusive resort in Cancun
• All-Inclusive Resorts In Costa Rica
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Cozumel
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Hawaii
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Mexico
• All-Inclusive Puerto Rico Resorts
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Tulum
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Turks and Caicos
• Best Diving in the Caribbean
• Diving in Guadeloupe
• Diving in Aruba
• Diving in Antigua and Barbuda
• Diving in the Bahamas
• Diving in Barbados
• Diving in Bonaire
• Diving in the British Virgin Islands
• Diving in Cayman Islands
• Diving in Cuba
• Diving in Curacao
• Diving in Dominican Republic
• Diving in Grenada
• Diving in Jamaica
• Diving in Martinique
• Diving in Puerto Rico
• Diving in St. Maarten
• Diving in St. Lucia
• Diving in Tobago
• Diving in the Turks and Caicos
• Diving in Belize
• Diving in Costa Rica
• Diving in the Galapagos Islands
• Diving in Mexico
• Diving in Roatan Honduras
• Diving in California
• Diving in Florida
• Diving in North Carolina
• Best Diving in Southeast Asia
• Diving in Thailand
• Diving in the Philippines
• Diving in Indonesia
• Diving in Vietnam
• Diving in Cambodia
• Diving in the Maldives
• Diving in Australia
• Diving in Japan
• Diving in Fiji
• Best Diving in Europe
• Diving in Mallorca
• Diving in Malta
• Diving In Denmark
• Diving in Egypt
• All Liveaboards in Thailand
• Liveaboards in the Similan Islands
• All Liveaboards in Indonesia
• Liveaboards in Komodo
• Women’s Life Vest
• All-Inclusive Resorts in Playa del Carmen
• All Diving in Mexico
• Diving in Cozumel
• Diving In Similan Islands – Khao Lak Area
• Diving in Malapascua
• All the Diving in Indonesia
• Diving in Bali
• Diving in Gili Islands
• Diving in Komodo
• Diving in Sulawesi
• Diving in Raja Ampat
• All Diving in Australia
• Diving In Brothers Islands

Paddle boarding

Everyday Life

12 Best Catamaran Sailboats

The appeal of the catamaran sailboats in terms of speed , stability, and the ability to embark on long-range cruising has made them hugely popular with today's sailors. But what are the best catamaran sailboats?

Even though catamaran sailboats have become increasingly popular in the last few years, they have a truly rich legacy as one of the most sought after vessels for bluewater cruising.

Thanks to their incredibly wide beams and bigger daft, catamarans have become remarkably favorable for sailors looking to go for long-distance voyages, overnight cruising, and day sailing.

And if space is paramount for you when out there on the water, a catamaran sailboat is the only way to go as they offer extraordinary space to allow you to spend more time on the water with friends and family.

But even with all these amazing features, you're probably still wondering; what are the best catamaran sailboats?

Like their monohull counterparts, choosing the best catamaran sailboat can be quite overwhelming since there are lots of them out there. They come in a wide variety of designs and sizes ranging from small catamarans to huge ones.

The best catamaran sailboats can easily clock 250-mile voyages, offer incredible performance, and have layouts that can be easily optimized for individuals, charter markets, and great accommodation. In essence, the best catamaran sailboats offer respectable performance and offer good load-carrying ability.

That being said, here are some of the best catamaran sailboats that you can get your hands on.

Table of contents

Best Catamarans

{{boat-info="/boats/manta-42"}}

Even though many multihulls are no longer built in the United States these days, the Manta 42 is a true American-built catamaran that brings good living and good value into one package. Designed cleverly for easy handling, this American built catamaran is a great choice for a liveaboard cruiser for sailors looking to go for long-distance voyages. Thanks to its trademark high bows and an enormously curved incorporated forward crossbeam, this catamaran is easily recognizable even from a distance.

It is designed with a uniquely fixed crossbeam, which is very different from conventional aluminum cross beams that support the tension of the forestay. This fixed crossbeam allows for a little bit of movement thereby helping in absorbing enormous twisting forces of the bows. As such, you have to keep in mind that there may be resultant stress crack particularly in the bow area of the vessel.

All in all, the Manta 42 is a superb offshore cruising catamaran that offers a good sail-area-to-displacement ratio as well as plenty of space and accommodation. The cockpit area is refined, luxurious, and is designed with additional stainless pushpit contraptions to help in holding objects such as wind vanes, dinghies, and solar panels. The boat's quality in terms of performance and stability is the benchmark of what a catamaran should be.

Fountaine Pajot Elba 45

{{boat-info="/boats/fountaine-pajot-elba-45"}}

Recently named the "Boat of the Year" for 2019 by Cruising World Magazine and Sail Magazine, the Elba 45 is the latest model in the incredible line of Fountaine Pajot catamarans. This boat was designed to replace the outgoing Helia 44 and stands to be one of the most popular catamarans with Fountain Pajot having sold over 100 Elba 45 hulls long before even the first one emerged from production.

This French-built cat brings to the fore a well-thought-out, safe, and dependable features with 10% less drag, efficient motoring, top-notch performance, and high speeds. It's also designed with fixed stub keels and slightly aft-raked bows, which are all essential in enhancing windward performance; something that most catamarans struggle with.

To improve on safety, the keels of this amazing catamaran sailboat are glued into a particularly designed recess in the hulls. This is to ensure that there are no keel bolts that can rip out and put the boat in danger if the boat gets grounded or in the event of a collision. The rig is also ICW friendly and is a true representation of a standard catamaran setup.

This is, without a doubt, a modern-looking cruising catamaran that has a low-profile lounging space on its deck, high topsides and bows as well as a more pronounced reverse sheer that's essential in minimizing the bulk of the windows while creating additional and useful volume below. This is a true catamaran that occupies a sweet spot for those looking to sail along the bay or for those adventurous sailors looking to set sail for more ambitious offshore cruising plans.

{{boat-info="/boats/leopard-48"}}

With its fine design, straightforward systems, and easy handling, the Leopard 48 has everything it needs to be ranked among the distinguished category of the best catamaran sailboats. This is an excellent multihull that is structured with advanced materials, designs, and innovations that are meant to be fun, spacious, and comfortable.

Designed in South Africa by Simonis-Voogd, is probably the best design in the Leopard family of catamarans. Its two hulls are vacuum-bagged using balsa core to offer maximum firmness while ensuring that the weight is on the minimum. This is done by articulately regulating the level of resin in the layup. With such types of hull shapes, this catamaran sailboat is very fast and can consistently clock 12 knots of speed against the currents.

The boat is also designed with shallow keels as they're filled with closed-cell polyurethane foam that's of great importance in increasing buoyancy and preventing water ingress. To enhance the safety of the vessel, the stern and bow both have bulkheads that are essential in keeping out that water if the sailboat is involved in a collision.

The hulls of this boat are deep and narrow, particularly below the waterline. They also curve higher up to practically reduce the wetted surface area while offering enough deck space and plenty of room for accommodations. Its cockpit is another excellent feature thanks to its lavish spaces that give you the chance of kicking back and relaxing.

This boat is designed to offer superior livability, quick and easy to handle features, as well as enough space for friends and family. It is designed with beautiful lines and immense practicality for those who want to go on long cruising voyages.

Antares 44i

While many people often believe that voluminous cruising catamarans should be used as charter boats, the Antares 44i brings a very different perspective altogether. Designed in Argentina as a complete bluewater catamaran, this is a boat that's specifically built for private boat owners looking for a sturdy and well-equipped bluewater cruiser. This is an absolutely gorgeous catamaran that has a fully-equipped cockpit just to ensure that you can safely operate it even when shorthanded.

Like most catamarans, the Antares 44i is designed with features that allow for long-distance voyages. It comes with a minimum bridge deck clearance of 30 inches, which is essential in mitigating bridge deck slap. The helm station is designed to offer excellent visibility over the coach roof without having to perch the helmsman high above the cockpit.

If you're planning to make those long-distance cruising to exotic places, you'll appreciate this boat's layout. The galley is put down in the port hull so that it doesn't compromise the size of the galley and the saloon. The forward-facing navigation station is up there with the best and is up to offshore standards. And that's not all; the Antares 44i comes with good mounting points for electronics, a large table, comfortable seats, and provides brilliant visibility outside.

This boat is perfectly suited for extended offshore cruising and is a great reminder for anyone who thinks that all catamarans are charter boats and all offshore boats are monohulls.

{{boat-info="/boats/dolphin-ocema-42"}}

Designed by Philipe Pouvreau in northern Brazil, the Dolphin Ocema 42 is a truly unique catamaran sailboat that goes against the conventional norm of catamarans. It is equipped with daggerboards, which are essential in enabling it to point higher on the wind while reducing the wetted surface when running or anchoring in shallow surfaces. This, however, requires a higher level of expertise in sailing. This is because lifting the daggerboards higher up will expose the rudders while the daggerboards can also interfere with the hulls in the event that the vessel runs aground.

But even with that, the Dolphin 42 balances incredible performance and cruising comfort in a very compact package; something that is not very easy in bluewater cruising. That's why it's designed using a foam core to make it lightweight by reducing weight wherever possible. This vessel will most likely never let you down if you want to circumnavigate the bluewater on a high-performance boat that is safe and comfortable.

So if you've been looking for a real sailing catamaran that doubles up as a very comfortable liveaboard sailboat , look no further than the Dolphin 42.

{{boat-info="/boats/catana-50"}}

Regarded as the best built and most stylish cruising multihull, the Catana 50 is a very huge catamaran sailboat. Measuring about 50 feet long with a beam of about 26 feet, this is an amazing catamaran that will test your sailing skills as a single sailor or if you're planning to sail shorthanded.

This boat is designed with a rig that gives you the option of using either a screecher or a self-tending jib. This may seem complex since the sheets are led to winches near each wheel while all other controls lead to a centerline winch that's located in the cockpit. But even with that, this sailboat can be easily tacked once on the course.

This is a real performance-oriented catamaran with efficient hulls and rigs allowing for top speed. This vessel is also designed with a long waterline and a subtle underwater shape at the bow to help in increasing volume while minimizing wave drag. The stern platforms can help in stretching the waterline length while also providing easy access from a dock or a dinghy. The board trunks are also very strong and sturdy to protect the integrity of the hulls if a collision occurs.

In essence, this is a very modern catamaran that's designed to safely make long-distance passages with ease. It is subdued in terms of styling but this doesn't mean that it falls short as far as performance is concerned.

Atlantic 42

{{boat-info="/boats/atlantic-42"}}

Designed in 1993, the A42 has cultivated a legion of fiercely loyal fans thanks to its efficiency and aesthetic. This is the smallest of the Atlantic cruising catamaran line and is hugely popular with sailors thanks to its ease of handling, ocean-going capabilities, and superb use of space. From the forward cockpit, pilothouse to the sleeping cabins, and brilliant galleys everything about this cat is a true classic.

Unlike most catamarans, the Atlantic 42 is designed with a waist-high cockpit that's located forward of the pilothouse just behind the mast. It brings forth a solid construction thanks to the large metal girder-like bearers that run across the bulkheads. This helps the vessel in having the utmost strength, better air circulation under the engine, and a high level of flexibility as far as the size of the engine and its positioning is concerned.

Initially, the boat's style and its outlook were considered conservative but it soon became clear that it is built of high-quality materials and to last. The internal construction of the boat is impressive, to say the least. The exterior looks very beautiful and perhaps much more beautiful than most boats today. Its large aft cabin accommodation is a top drawer while the space separating en suite heads and shower compartments are considered a bonus.

{{boat-info="/boats/fountaine-pajot-bahia-46"}}

If you were to board the French-built Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46, you'll agree that the high-quality of workmanship, layout, and efficient use of space is quite exciting, to say the least. This cat remains very popular among sailors thanks to its easy handling features and incredible performance under the sails. Well, this may not come as a surprise to many of us given that the Fountain Pajot is known for building some of the most remarkable cruising catamarans out there that it can be quite overwhelming to narrow down to a single vessel, but the Bahia 46 simply stands out.

This vessel is designed with hulls that are broader than those of many other catamarans. It's also designed with centerboards and daggerboards that are meant to enhance its performance. These are essential in minimizing draft while ensuring reliability, generous bilge, and in helping to protect the rudders and propellers.

This boat is big enough to manage any type of serious offshore sailing. This is one of the best cruising catamarans for anyone looking for the right vessel for long-distance sailing. This vessel has a very more generous rig than most cruising catamarans, which is essential in enhancing its performance. The six-post Bimini is very strong and clean and can perfectly hold dinghies.

In terms of its look, the Bahia 36 is designed with gorgeous lines with the deck and hulls sculpted with lines that add a touch of elegance to the overall look of an already excellent catamaran sailboat.

Gemini 105MC

{{boat-info="/boats/gemini-105mc"}}

Whether you're looking for a comfortable catamaran vessel to take you for a weekend sailing trip or a long sabbatical vacation on the oceans, the Gemini 105MC is a very satisfactory liveaboard catamaran vessel that offers spacious accommodation, thoughtful design, and a stable cruising platform for anyone who wants to have some good time on the water.

Designed by the legendary Tony Smith, this is somewhat a sailing cottage. Like a land cottage, it is cozy, comfortable, and very safe. This is essentially a 35 feet catamaran that offers great value for any sailing looking for a reasonably-priced catamaran sailboat for the weekend or holiday cruising.

This boat is designed with incredibly slim hulls, which are teardrop-shaped with flat bottoms and smaller wetted surface area. This is to ensure that drag is minimized and to lead to more leeway under sail. Each of the boat's hull is designed with a kick-up centerboard is of great importance in enhancing the vessel's windward pointing capability. This boat also has its rudders raised to enable it to seamlessly cruise in shallow waters where most vessels would otherwise run aground.

The eccentric narrow beam, which measures about 40% of the boat's length, is very different from today's 50%. However, its low center helps in keeping its stable, upright, and of course, safe.

Lagoon 450 F

{{boat-info="/boats/lagoon-450-f"}}

If you're looking for a catamaran sailboat that offers prestige at its peak, look no further than the Lagoon 450. This cat is widely known for offering an all-around comfort without compromising its beauty, spaciousness, class, and elegance. This is an elaborate French catamaran that brings to the table fantastic craftsmanship while leaving nothing to chance.

This is a very safe 45 feet catamaran that's not just comfortable but also very luxurious. The deck layout is centered on an amazing flybridge, which has been redesigned and redefined to offer both the traditional and modern outlook. You can very easily access the bridge, engine controls, steering station in a matter of seconds. As a result, this boat is efficiently designed to give you the ultimate control of almost every situation while on the water.

The spacious and luxurious interior of this boat is worth experiencing. The cabins and saloons are perfectly lit. We're talking about four to six cabins, eight to twelve berths, and up to four bathrooms. In essence, this boat can comfortably sleep eight to twelve people. This boat is designed to offer ultra-modern accommodations and amenities that come with little but amazing touches; all designed to make your life inside the catamaran enjoyable.

{{boat-info="/boats/gunboat-62"}}

An original performance catamaran cruiser from the iconic Gunboat manufacturer, the Gunboat 62 has truly cemented its place as one of the best catamaran sailboats to ever grace the oceans. Honestly speaking, this cat-inspired a whole range of other incredible boats including HH66 Catamaran and the Balance 526.

This is a boat that can perform admirably well in storms with a speed of over 35 knots despite being built using epoxy and E-glass with carbon-fiber structural components. It's designed with a distinct angular outline than most catamaran sailboats of its size and category. This is a vessel that was built for people looking to add more stuff and more gear for their voyages. In other words, you can have all the gear and equipment on this boat and still outperform a racing monohull of the same size.

Thanks to its lightweight feature, this vessel can sail upwind at speeds of over 17 knots and pinch up to 30 degrees. Just for comparison, the Gunboat 62 can tack through 95 degrees and still outperform the best racing monohulls. This boat is designed with a comfortable helm seat that offers 360-degree visibility as well as plenty of storage space, a functional working surface, and a luxurious cabin. Like many performance catamarans, the Gunboat 62 can attain about 20 knots if the conditions are right.

Privilege 615

{{boat-info="/boats/privilege-615"}}

Combining elegance, comfort, and style, the Privilege 615 is a lovely catamaran sailboat that seems to be always ready for a long offshore voyage. The roots of this incredible cat can be traced back to the 1980s when Philippe Jeantot opened up a boat-building company in France. As one of the best productions from the company, the privilege 615 sports a flybridge that comes complete with twin wheels, a sprawling sunbed, and other excellent features that will make your bluewater cruising a breeze.

Whether you want the charter version or a privately-owned version, the Privilege 615 is one of the most versatile catamaran sailboats. Step inside this vessel and you'll instantly notice the quality of the wood finish and the elegance of design. The advanced navigation station is not only ultra-modern but is perfectly stationed at a dedicated corner where you can control everything while still having a conversation with your friends and family.

This boat comes with multiple sleeping configurations to ensure that you and your guests can live aboard the boat for months on end. Although the boat appears like some sort of maze on the inside, you'll easily get used to it when you enter the forward section. That's not all; this boat has gorgeous lines that make the exterior beautiful just like the interior. Its sleek profile, incredible volume, and versatile interior make it one of the best catamaran sailboats out there.

There you have it; these are the best catamaran sailboats out there. It doesn't matter the one you choose, these cats will make your day out on the water and will serve you just right for your offshore voyages or for day sailing along the bays.

Related Articles

Daniel Wade

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

by this author

Best Sailboats

Most Recent

What Does "Sailing By The Lee" Mean?

October 3, 2023

The Best Sailing Schools And Programs: Reviews & Ratings

September 26, 2023

Important Legal Info

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Similar Posts

Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home

September 13, 2023

Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom

December 28, 2023

Best Bluewater Sailboats Under $50K

Popular posts.

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats

Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Elizabeth O'Malley

June 15, 2022

4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

How Long Did It Take The Vikings To Sail To England?

10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

December 20, 2023

7 Best Places To Liveaboard A Sailboat

Get the best sailing content.

Top Rated Posts

© 2024 Life of Sailing Email: [email protected] Address: 11816 Inwood Rd #3024 Dallas, TX 75244 Disclaimer Privacy Policy

10 Best Catamarans for 2023

Table of Contents

Last Updated on November 3, 2023 by Boatsetter Team

Catamarans have taken the boating world by storm, becoming the fastest-growing segment, with both sail and power cats dominating the market. Some of the best catamarans have been launched in the past 12 months! Let us introduce you to five power catamarans and five sail multihulls, and then let us get you on the water with one! Here are the ten best catamarans for 2023 :

• World Cat 260 CCX 
• Four Winns TH36 
• Leopard 40 PC 
• Aquila 42 PC 
• HammerCat 45 
• Fountaine Pajot Tanna 47 
• Bali 4.4 

Balance 442

• Minicat 310 

Find the market’s hottest catamarans for half-day and full-day rent 

Power Catamarans:

World cat 260 ccx.

Image Source: https://worldcat.com/models/260cc-x/

The sixth model in the builder’s center console line , the World Cat 260 CCX , is compact but packed with features, including a wraparound U-lounge for relaxing or casting, a 30-gallon live well, a 120-quart insulated fish box and twin 200-hp outboards that draw on 180 gallons of fuel. This is a small but serious fishing machine.

Four Winns TH36

image source: https://www.fourwinns.com/new-era

The new Four Winns TH36 is the first outboard-powered catamaran introduced by the builder. The dual console design has a walkthrough windshield and room for 15 or more guests. Power is provided by twin 300-hp outboards upgradeable to 350s, making this runabout speedy and fun.

Leopard 40 PC

Joining her 46- and 53-foot siblings, the new Leopard 40 PC is a couple’s cruiser with many of the same features as the two larger models but on a much smaller (and for some, more approachable) platform. Engine packages range from 250 hp to 370 hp, and a top speed of 20 knots is expected.

Aquila 42 PC

Image Source: https://www.aquilaboats.com/news/42-yacht

The new 42 falls in the middle of the Aquila range and offers two staterooms, multiple sunbeds, a utility cabin , and numerous layout configuration options. She has engines from Volvo Penta and a spacious flybridge with steps that lead directly down to the foredeck for easy maneuvering.

HammerCat 45

Image Source: https://www.multihulls-world.com/news-catamaran-trimaran/hammercat-45-an-almost-unlimited-program

The new HammerCat 45 is versatile and can work as a sportfish platform, a dive boat, a day cruiser, or a superyacht tender. This center console has a hardtop and a Carolina bow and is built in epoxy and carbon fiber to keep weight down and performance up. Expect a 55- knot top end and a 30-knot cruise depending on the engine package selected. 

Sailing Catamarans:

Fountaine pajot tanna 47.

Image Source: https://www.catamarans-fountaine-pajot.com/en/sailing-catamarans/catamaran-tanna-47/

This French-built sailing cruiser has space in spades. The new FP Tanna 47 is based on (and shares a hull design with) her predecessor, the Saona 47, but clever tweaks have made this a whole new boat. The cabin house and deck have been revamped, the flybridge is 40% larger, the salon/ galley has gained storage options, and the helm is more ergonomic than before.

Video Source: bali-catamarans.com

Bali has captured the hearts of sailors who love lots of living space, large household-style appliances, and simplicity. Bali cats are unique for their combination salon/ cockpit layout, and the 4.4 joins her siblings in this groundbreaking design. With the touch of a button, a “garage door” lifts, connecting the indoors with the outdoors with minimum redundancy in living arrangements.

Image Source: https://balancecatamarans.com/balance-442/

Fast and packed with proven cruising features, the Balance 442 is the little sister to last year’s 482. Perfectly sized for couples, this boat was designed for distance cruisers by distance cruisers. There’s even an option for a large solar array to make living at anchor easy and just about carbon neutral.

Image Source: https://www.cata-lagoon.com/en/55

French catamaran builder, Lagoon, has introduced a new VPLP-designed cruising cat that you can test in charter soon. The Lagoon 55 slots just above the newly introduced 51and are offered as a large and comfortable flybridge model with up to six cabins to accommodate an overnight crowd. 

Minicat 310

Image Source: https://redbeardsailing.com/products/minicat-310

Not all cats are of the large, expensive fiberglass variety. An affordable multihull can be had in Europe’s Minicat 310 Sport, an inflatable beach cat weighing only 77 pounds and packing down into a single bag. This cat has sophisticated big boat features like roller furling, a fully battened mainsail, keels, and an attachment for a small outboard.

Find catamarans for rent— NEAR YOU

These models, representing some of the best catamaran brands on the market today, are pretty new, so there aren’t many out there yet, but if you get a chance to step aboard one, you won’t be disappointed. One way to potentially test one is via a peer-to-peer boat-sharing service like Boatsetter that pairs owners, who can offset boat ownership costs, with charters, who can enjoy luxury boats without the long-term commitment. 

Check out the hottest boats in the market at Boat Types , and scroll through Boat Guises to find your next boating destination . Keep your eyes peeled to catch one of these ten amazing catamarans on the water!

About Boatsetter 

Boatsetter is a unique boat-sharing platform that gives everyone — whether you own a boat or you’re just renting — the chance to experience life on the water. You can list a boat , book a boat , or make money as a captain . 

List. Rent. Earn— Only at Boatsetter

Zuzana Prochazka is an award-winning freelance journalist and photographer with regular contributions to more than a dozen sailing and powerboating magazines and online publications including Southern Boating, SEA, Latitudes & Attitudes and SAIL. She is SAIL magazines Charter Editor and the Executive Director of Boating Writers International. Zuzana serves as judge for SAIL’s Best Boats awards and for Europe’s Best of Boats in Berlin. 

A USCG 100 Ton Master, Zuzana founded and manages a flotilla charter organization called Zescapes that takes guests adventure sailing at destinations worldwide. 

Zuzana has lived in Europe, Africa and the United States and has traveled extensively in South America, the islands of the South Pacific and Mexico. 

Browse by experience

Explore articles

6 Best Lakes in Wyoming for Boating

Zachary Shares How His Sons Amplify His Love For The Water

Ensuring Insurance on Your Peer-to-Peer Boat Rental

• Articles and Guides

Best Catamaran Brands: Exploring the Multihull World

5th dec 2023 by john burnham / samantha wilson.

In the past 20 years, the catamaran segment has had a big make-over and expanded. These days, center console cats compete with monohulls as fishing and inshore power boats, and both sailing and motor cats cruise long distances, offering both large interiors and ample deck space, plus stability and safety. Whether you’re fishing closer to shore or cruising longer distances, catamarans are no longer seen as the less capable cousins. Some of the top brands in the sector have been driving the innovation for decades, but hot on their heels are daring and exciting newcomers who are pushing the boundaries. There are many excellent brands to choose from, and these are just a few of our favorites;

Leopard 50. Leopard Catamarans photo.

Catamaran Fishing Boats

Invincible boats.

Power cats used specifically for fishing are big business as more people realize the huge speed and stability benefits they offer compared to their monohull counterparts. Invincible have been instrumental in the popularity boom with their excellent range of 33- to 46-foot center console fishing power cats. With cruising speeds of 50 mph (and as much as 70 mph), as well as a suite of advanced livewell systems and accessories, they are one of the industry leaders in this category.  Invincible boats for sale

Freeman Boatworks

Another major player in the power cat fishing sector are Freeman, whose 28- to 47-foot range of seriously hardy fishing cats offer incredible performance and speed (they can cruise at 80 mph) as well as huge fuel capacity and massive livewells. This means they’re perfectly equipped for offshore fishing adventures thanks to their four 450hp outboard engines and extremely comfortable ride even in rough sea conditions.  Freeman boats for sale

Discover more of the Best Fishing Catamaran Brands

Freeman 28. Freeman Boatworks photo.

Power Catamaran Brands

Leveraging more than 30 years of building sailing catamarans, South African builders Robertson & Caine, with naval architect Simonis Voogd, has created today's range of Leopard power cruising cats, among the most highly regarded power cats on the market. The success of their seaworthy line of power cats over the last 10 years has included a 2022 International Best of Boats Award to the Leopard 46 Powercat and a Multihull of the Year award to the Leopard 53 Powercat. One of the smallest ocean-going motor cats is there new 40, which has been nominated as a European Yacht of the Year. Each model offers a spacious flybridge, modern and luxurious styling, and an impressive use of space, and even the 40 sleeps six in three private cabins.  Leopard boats for sale

Aquila Power Catamarans

Power cat specialists Aquila are relative newcomers but have been taking the sector by storm with the variety and scope of their innovative models. Whether its fuel efficiency and stable cruising you’re after for covering long distances, the capability of reaching offshore fishing grounds, or sporty, coastal and day boating that’s on your mind, Aquila has a boat worth looking at. Their offshore, sport, and yacht lines run from pocket-sized 28-foot Molokai fishing cat, to the 70-foot flagship superyacht. In between, we find models such as Aquila 54 Yacht Power Catamaran designed to transport you to every corner of the globe.  Aquila boats for sale

Aquila 47 Molokai. Aquila photo. 

Bluewater Catamaran Brands

Fountaine pajot.

Long gone are the days when catamarans were purely coastal day sailers. Today, a whole new breed of boat is gaining huge popularity with bluewater and round the world sailors looking for more space and more stability than a monohull can ever offer (see our article on Catamarans vs Monohulls ). Fountaine Pajot have been industry leaders in this sector for 40 years, remaining one step ahead of the game with their sailing and now power cats. While they offer an 80-foot superyacht, it’s their 40-foot Isla, the smallest in the range, which is their flagship, showing their dedication to creating strong, safe, durable, and family-friendly boats.  Fountaine Pajot boats for sale

For those looking to buy a high-performance, safe, and incredibly spacious bluewater catamaran that can be handled by two people, the French Outremer brand should definitely be considered. The models feature daggerboards, unlike many cruising catamarans, and the result is superior upwind performance that can help you cover long distances much faster. The brand’s five models currently range from 45 to 55 feet, and in 2022, the Outremer 55 won both a European Yacht of the Year award and Multihull of the Year at the International Multihull Show. Whether you want an eco-yacht with electric power, or a larger family-friendly yacht complete with four full-sized cabins, Outremer has a lot to offer.  Outremer boats for sale

Outremer 4.zero. Outremer photo.

Sailing Catamaran Brands

Sailing purists often lament that sailing a catamaran isn’t true sailing, but these days there is much to argue in that statement. Balance is a relatively new brand, now building a range of beautiful multihull sailing boats, and earning recognition for their efforts—both Sailing World Magazine and Cruising World Magazine’s Boat of the Year Awards in 2022. Their designers, who come from racing backgrounds, have found the right point between a high-performance sailing vessel built with higher-tech materials and a practical, easy-to-handle boat that can be sailed across the oceans by a couple.  Balance boats for sale

Arguably one of the most famous names in the catamaran world, Lagoon was among the first to build practical, comfortable sailing catamarans and became the most popular brand worldwide. The brand has long been one of the top choices of catamaran charter companies the world over thanks to its spacious, practical, safe models. The boats are renowned for their ease of handling and a high level of comfort and luxury. The current model range of sailing cats starts at 40 feet and goes all the way up to 77 feet, while Lagoon power cats go a step farther, to 80 feet.  Lagoon boats for sale

Lagoon 46. Lagoon photo.

Cruising Catamaran Brands

Whether cruising coastally or traversing great oceans, the capable, comfortable, meticulously crafted sailing cats by Antares are up there with the best of the best. Currently, the boutique brand builds six of its 44-foot models annually at their factory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The creation of Canadian designer Ted Clements, the 44 has long-term living in mind, focusing on interior space (there’s even an industry-leading 6.75 feet of headroom in the master cabin), as well as long-term sustainability. A hybrid version is available that carries electric motors, a hydrogenerator and extensive solar panels.  Antares boats for sale

Built in Cape Town, South Africa, Xquisite catamarans are another relative newcomer making waves since their launch in 2014, recently earning awards from Cruising World and Sail magazines for the X5 Plus, a 54-footer. With a range of luxury power and sailing catamarans, unique styling, high performance, and emphasis on comfort make them very competitive in the cruising cat category. From their trailerable pocket-sized 30 SportCat sailing catamaran, to their Sixty Solar Sail and Sixty Solar Motor (using all green energy), as well as their two power cats, it’s a diverse and innovative range.  Xquisite boats for sale

Discover more of the Best Cruising Catamarans . 

Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail. Xquisite photo. 

Liveaboard Catamaran Brands

Bali catamarans.

Catamarans offer twice as much interior space as a monohull of the same length, making almost all of them ideal liveaboards. If you’re looking for modern styling in the interior, you’d do well to start with one of the 38- to 54-foot models offered by BALI. Utilizing an open-space concept, a solid forward deck with built-in comforts, and the unique BALI doors that open the main saloon to the world outside in good weather, BALI Catamarans put an emphasis on liveaboard comfort, and even their models under 44 feet offer impressive amounts of space. Produced in France, by the well-known Catana shipyard, the brand has small-scale production ensuring each boat is of the highest quality.  BALI boats for sale

HH Catamarans

Relative newcomers to the catamaran world, HH launched in 2012 as a performance catamaran brand and is now giving some of the bigger brands a run for their money. Working exclusively with the successful US design firm of Morelli & Melvin and building at its own factory in Xiamen, China, the HH range now encompasses eight models between 44 and 88 feet in length. Hulls, decks and structures are very high-tech—100-percent carbon using infused epoxy resin. These semi-custom boats allow you to choose everything down to the layout of saloon and galley (as well as the helm positions) ensuring you have the perfect spaces for long-term living. With eco-credentials, elegant styling, and lightning speed, HH are collecting awards left, right, and center.  HH boats for sale

HH 55. HH Catamarans photo. 

Small Catamaran Brands

Nautitech are one of the top names in the industry and their catamarans, built in France, are well-designed for both coastal cruising and bluewater sailing. Their range of small sailing catamarans—the 40 Open, 44 Open, and 48 Open—offer a good balance of performance, luxury, space, and safety, and as the name “Open” indicates, the main saloon can be opened wide to integrate saloon and cockpit spaces. Owned by Bavaria Yachts since 2014, Nautitech uses quality materials ensuring their boats, while smaller than many other brands, are equipped for long-distance adventures.  Nautitech boats for sale

Built in Australia, Seawind catamarans come in five models from 38 to 45 feet long (plus a 52-footer) and demonstrate lively performance in keeping with their relatively lighter weight and use of modest-sized diesel sail drives or outboard engines. The well-engineered boats are designed for those who wish to sail their own boats and have easy access to all control lines from the cockpit, while steering from helm stations either to port or start, well-protected from the elements. The brand has evolved over the years since its founding in 1982 but continues to produce according to its mission “innovative design, quality of finish, outstanding performance and sea-handling ability…”. Seawind boats for sale

Nautitech range. Nautitech photo. 

Catamaran Brands for the Money

Catana are not inexpensive catamarans—in fact they are semi-custom in a production sense—and they’re not intended to be your typical series-built white, fiberglass model. It’s the performance and style that you get for your money that has put them on our best-value list. Part of the BALI Group, Catana has a long history of building high-performance, strong, capable, and spacious cats with daggerboards for upwind performance. Most recent models are 49 and 53 feet long, built with carbon-infusion hull construction. The small-scale of production means every vessel is constructed to top quality, meaning you’re getting exactly what you want  for your money.  Catana boats for sale

Beneteau’s Excess range is a recent introduction that offers good- performing, cruising catamarans at good value for the price, from the largest boatbuilder in the world. Built by CNB/Lagoon in France using their long-standing catamaran know-how, the Excess line of four models—37 to 49 feet—are lively performers without the price tag and complexity of other high-tech, high-performance sailing cats. Nonetheless, Excess lead designer Bruno Belmont has managed to pack a huge amount of features into even their smallest models, meaning you’re getting many of the features of a larger boat for a considerably lower price tag.  Beneteau boats for sale

Beneteau Excess 11. Beneteau photo.

Luxury Catamaran Brands

Described by one reviewer as the “Tesla of sailboats”, Kinetic’s range of luxurious catamarans are in a league of their own, built without compromise. In light winds, Kinetic cats can sail faster than wind speed. Founded in 2018, Kinetic catamarans are seriously high-quality, high-performing cruisers crafted in South Africa of all-carbon and infused epoxy resin construction to innovative designs by Simonis Voogd. The fact that they’re semi-custom allows owners to choose everything from the layout, to the rig, as well as the interior furnishings, fixtures, and equipment. While it probably doesn’t come as a surprise, these are some of the most expensive cats on the market by size, but the quality and build is flawless.  Kinetic official website

Sunreef Yachts

Sunreef’s range of exquisite custom-built sail and motor catamarans see them placed well into the superyacht category, with their luxury models ranging from 60 to 88 feet for power cats and 50 to 80 feet for their “smaller” sailing range. Established in Poland, Sunreef—and their founder and president Francis Lapp—were pioneers in the luxury catamaran sector, and remain ahead of the game today with consistent innovation and dedication to eco yachts including green propulsion, renewable energy, and sustainable finishing materials.  Sunreef boats for sale

Sunreef Eco Yachts 80 Sunreef Power. Sunreef Yachts Eco photo. 

Written By: John Burnham / Samantha Wilson

John Burnham is a marine ​editor and writer with ​decades of journalism experience as ​Chief Editor of​ boats.com,​ Sailing World, Cruising World, and ​other boating websites. As a competitive sailor, he has led teams to world and national titles in the International One-Design, Shields, and other classes. Based in Newport, Rhode Island, John is a​ PCC leadership coach, a member of the ​America’s Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee​, and a ​past board member of Sail America and US Sailing. For more, see  johnsburnham.com .

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: John Burnham / Samantha Wilson

Related Articles and Guides

6th Sep 2024

The Best Mini Yacht Brands for Cruising and Luxury

16th Aug 2024

Best Luxury Pontoon Boat Brands Have it All: Glamor, Speed, Fishing, Waterslides...

10th Aug 2024

Deck Boat vs. Bowrider: Which Runabout is Best?

19th Jul 2024

The World’s Best Yacht Brands

• Explore Rightboat
• Boats for Sale
• Boating Articles
• Buyers Guide
• About RightBoat
• Sell Your Boat
• Boat Selling Advice
• All manufacturers
• All categories
• Are you a broker/dealer?
• Learn more about the Rightboat:HUB

Enter your email to keep up to date with the latest news

Join for free

Sign up now for free and discover how easy it is to keep up to date with THE latest boats for sale. Find your right boat, and tailor your voyage to finding your next boat.

Benefits of becoming a member:

• Set up tailored alerts
• Personalise your experience
• Download full specifications and broker details
• Keep tabs on your favourite boats

Are you a broker? Join as a Broker

Rightboat - join for free.

Do you have an account already? Login

Save this search

Save your search and receive new boats in your email..

You can unsubscribe from your alerts whenever you like. By pressing the button you accept the Legal Terms and conditions

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

Discover the Top Power Catamarans for 2024

• By Yachting Staff
• Updated: September 10, 2024

Power catamarans have seen a surge in popularity, growing both in size and appeal. These cruise-focused yachts offer homelike comfort, fuel efficiency and user-friendly operation, making them a favorite among avid travelers. Their popularity extends to the bareboat charter market for the same reasons.

In this article, we explore the world’s top power catamarans, ranging from a 36-footer ideal for a cruising couple to a 78-footer perfect for entertaining friends and family. The propulsion options are diverse, including outboards, diesel inboards, hybrids, and even all-solar setups.

Top Luxury Power Catamarans

The following power catamarans are all vessels we’ve reviewed. They are listed in no particular order.

• Fountaine Pajot MY44 : A family-oriented cat suitable for long-range cruising and aimed at owner-operators. 
• Silent Yachts 60 : This is a catamaran that can cruise comfortably for long distances using emissions-free solar-electric propulsion.
• Horizon PC74 : With interior and deck space like a much larger vessel, the PC74 is perfect for cruising the Bahamas and Caribbean.
• Aquila 36 : This beefy 36-footer is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran.
• Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat : A spacious design, this vessel fits the volume of a 130-foot-long monohull into just 78 feet of length overall. 
• Horizon PC68 : This cat has a stable ride, long range, volume to spare and intriguing layout options.
• Two Oceans 555 : An elegantly simple yet luxurious 55-foot custom with the space and amenities of a much larger vessel.
• Lagoon 630 : From its open salon to its spacious decks, the Lagoon is a comfortable and luxurious platform.
• Fountaine Pajot MY5 : A midsize cruiser with serious big-boat space for family and friends. 
• Prestige Yachts M8 : The voluminous 65-footer lets owners customize onboard spaces.
• Aquila 47 Molokai : Calling all anglers: This cat has 60-plus-knot speed and is set up for serious bluewater adventure.

Fountaine Pajot MY44

The  Fountaine Pajot MY44 , a creation of Italian architect Pierangelo Andreani and French designer Daniel Andrieu, has a main deck that’s open from the aft-deck seating all the way forward to the starboard helm station. The sense of spaciousness is significant, for several reasons. First, four glass panels aft can all slide to port, creating an indoor-outdoor space with the aft deck and salon. In the salon, 32-inch-high windows extend for 12 feet down the sides of the yacht, with three sections per side, bringing in natural light along with the three forward panes that comprise the windshield. Finally, 6-foot-6-inch headroom provides vertical clearance, with a 21-foot-7-inch beam that adds interior roominess while keeping the yacht stable.

Quick Specifications

Silent Yachts 60

Solar panels, ocean-crossing range and self-sufficiency define the electric Silent-Yachts 60 power catamaran. If there was any question that the “Tesla moment” has arrived in yachting, the Silent 60 clearly provides a positive response. Consider, for a moment, crossing oceans in silence at 5 to 6 knots without consuming a drop of fuel and never needing to plan your course between fuel stops. Imagine sitting at anchor and running the air conditioning all night, not to mention all the galley appliances plus the washer-dryer, without the hum or fumes from a genset.

Horizon PC74

As founder and director of The Powercat Company, a Horizon Power Catamarans distributor, Stuart Hegerstrom had long believed that catamaran builders needed to design their yachts to more stylish standards.

“The boats were very boxy,” he says, based on his years of experience with cats in the charter market. He and his partner, Richard Ford, asked Horizon to produce models that had high-end finishes and looked good inside and out.

The Horizon team brought in mega-yacht designer JC Espinosa to work with its own craftsmen. The result aboard the  Horizon PC74  is a catamaran with exterior styling, layout and functionality that should appeal to private and charter owners alike.

The Aquila 36  is a departure from her sisterships in that she is an outboard-powered, express-cruiser-style catamaran, but she also adheres to MarineMax’s philosophies.

With a single main living level from bow to stern and a beam of 14 feet 7 inches, the Aquila 36 is like a bowrider on steroids. She has seating that can handle 20 adults for outings and barbecues, and there are two staterooms below, one in each hull, for family weekending. The staterooms have nearly queen-size berths, en suite heads, stowage and 6-foot-6-inch headroom.

Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat

Lagoon is a division of Groupe Beneteau, the world’s largest builder of sailing yachts, and the  Lagoon Seventy 8 Powercat  is a developmental sistership of its Seventy 7 super sailing cat. The Seventy series yachts are built at Construction Navale Bordeaux in France, which had to add a new yard to construct these catamarans because they require separate stern molds for the power and sail versions.

Horizon PC68

Multihull yachts ride differently than monohulls, often counteracting the sea’s motion for a smoother, more stable ride. On the Horizon PC68 , sharp hull entries make head seas seem gentle, and a Humphree stabilization system with blades reduces roll. Horizon uses SCRIMP construction for resin saturation that maximizes strength with an 111,112-pound displacement. And with a 5-foot-4-inch draft, the PC68 invites island cruising.

Two Oceans 555

With 27-knot speed, house-like volume, an on-deck master and top-tier tech, the Two Oceans 555 is a formidable power catamaran. Dave Jirikovic of HMY Yachts was on a quest. The sales broker was looking for the meanest, nastiest patch of Gulf Stream he could find to show a potential client what the Two Oceans 555 power cat could handle. And just as he had intended to show us, the broad-shouldered power cat didn’t even notice. He even dropped the single-lever throttles back to idle and left the 25-foot-wide Two Oceans 555 beam-on to another set of square-edged seas. The 55-footer brushed that off too. Jirikovic tried quartering into the seas—never a happy angle for catamarans—and the yacht drowsed through them.

Fitted with the optional twin 300-horsepower Volvo Penta D4 diesels, the  Lagoon 630 MY  burns only 1.64 gph total at 6 knots, giving a theoretical range of 2,952 nautical miles with standard tankage of 793 gallons. Hull No. 1 had an optional 502-gallon tank, giving it transatlantic range.

Luxury, stability and economy are all hallmarks of Lagoon’s return to luxury motor yachts. If you can take a ride, it will be worth your time.

Fountaine Pajot MY5

The flybridge deck on the Fountaine Pajot MY5 is a standout feature, offering virtually unobstructed 360-degree ocean views and an elevated beach club vibe. Aft of the off-center starboard helm is a spacious area perfect for entertaining, complete with a wet bar, refrigeration center, and ample seating. It’s the most popular space aboard according to the builder. And if the weather turns for the worse, a second helm station in the saloon allows the skipper to pilot the MY5 in climate-controlled comfort.

Prestige Yachts M8

How fitting it was that Prestige Yachts introduced its new M-Line flagship, the M8 , at Portopiccolo, a picturesque yachting village outside Trieste, Italy. Formerly a quarry, the cliff-side area had been chiseled into a clean site rife with eye-catching vistas, much like the French builder’s 65-foot power catamaran and its nearly 3,000 square feet of usable real estate.

Aquila 47 Molokai

With every boat, there’s an origin story. In the case of the Aquila 47 Molokai power catamaran, it starts with MarineMax, which saw people renting boats for bareboat charters. MarineMax Vacations was born. After experimenting with several production yachts, the company decided to build its own: the Aquila line, designed for charter as well as for sale to owner-operators.

• More: Aquila Boats , Fountaine Pajot , Horizon Power Catamarans , Lagoon , Lagoon Catamarans , Power Catamarans , Prestige Yachts , Silent-Yachts , Two Oceans , Yachts
• More Yachts

Austin Parker Launches Two New Yacht Series

Customize Your Ride: The Argos Nautic GT14 RIB Tender

Alia Yachts to Debut SAN Superyacht in Monaco

Coming Next Year: Tiara Yachts 56 LS

A Standout New Brand

Low-Hour Cruiser: Sea Ray L550 For Sale

Caribbean Cruiser: Sanlorenzo SL72 For Sale

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Best catamaran and multihull: We sail the very best yachts on two and three hulls

• Toby Hodges
• March 20, 2024

Toby Hodges takes a look at all the nominees and the winner of the best catamaran and multihull category in the much-anticipated European Yacht of the Year Awards

There are many categories in the  European Yacht of the Year  awards, from the best  luxury yachts  and  performance yachts  to the  best yachts for families  and event a  best specialist yacht category. But with multihulls rapidly increasing in popularity, the best catamaran and multihull category was possibly the most hotly anticipated.

The small number of entrants in this category in no way reflects the rich range or huge demand for multihulls. Many new models were launched by the big yards in the preceding years and they’re struggling to keep up with bulging order books.

However, these three shortlisted represented a choice pick of the latest fast cruisers and each, in their own very different ways, are responding to this insatiable demand for high end space and pace cruising.

Best catamaran and multihull

Best catamaran and multihull winner 2024 – outremer 52.

My highlight test of 2023? Sailing this Outremer 52 for 200 miles over two days and nights! Quite how such a large vessel, one that is capable of doing laps of the planet in true comfort, is also capable of providing such enjoyable sailing is the secret sauce that helps scoop this prize.

And it was pushed hard for this award by the disruptive HH. But the Outremer is such a well rounded, measured and thought out yacht for bluewater cruising at a reliable speed – it’s the full package, a dream boat for family bluewater sailing and arguably the French yard’s best and most refined model to date.

Designer VPLP was tasked with replacing the popular and well proven 51 with more comfort and stowage, while maintaining the performance. It says it took the best of the 55 (which won this award two years ago), and the best of the 51’s deck plan to create this 52. The result means too many good features to point out here, from the variety of helm positions, including a completely protected position inboard using the swing pedestal, to the well conceived spaces. I’d therefore recommend reading our full test report online or in YW’s June 2023 issue!

Neel continues to enjoy its cruising trimaran niche, using the wow factor of bridgedeck accommodation combined with the type of sailing enjoyment and feedback monohull sailors appreciate.

The impressive lightwind performance and direct feel of a Neel I am used to. But I don’t think I’ve ever been so surprised by the amount of cabins or space as I was on this 52. It’s available with four to six cabins plus the option for two crew cabins aft! Some of this maze works well, other areas, such as the forward cabins in the main hull not quite so well. Horizon and rig sightlines and some finishing also leaves room for improvement.

The HH44 seemingly manages to achieve the space and pace balance in a compact 45ft package, while also being one of the most innovative and exciting new production yachts I have sailed. From its looks to layout, to practical on deck solutions such as swing pedestals, side gates through the bulwarks and transom gates that double as swim platforms and boost cockpit security, it’s packed with fresh thinking.

And on the subject of ‘fresh’, the natural ventilation encouraged into the yacht through those massive forward facing coachroof windows which open – a feat made possible thanks to a stiff carbon composite structure – negates any aircon requirements.

With its deep carbon boards and tall carbon rig the HH44 is a powerful, reactive animal to sail. However, it’s the incorporation of the first parallel hybrid electric drive units which really makes this high tech high performance cat stand out. The electric motors are attached to the aft end of conventional diesel engines, not only providing silent power, but renewable energy through regenerative drives while sailing.

Best catamaran and multihull 2023

Best catamaran winner – nautitech 44.

If the very best catamaran delivers the ideal comfort to performance compromise, here’s a catamaran that seems to strike the perfect balance.

For those who cite a lack of visibility and protection as reasons not to choose this aft helm route, try sailing this first – direct steering brings so much more helming pleasure that you get the enjoyable feeling and communication more associated with a monohull. The attention to keeping weight low and central, vacuum infused vinylester build and a low coachroof and boom all aid this performance. The fine entry Lombard-designed hulls allowed us to properly point upwind at 8 knots (in 13), but it was the hands-on steering sensation that really stayed with me.

While there’s no real inside/outside boundary – the saloon bridges both – the Chedal-Anglay interior design works well. It is not as voluminous as some, but is certainly enough to be smugly comfortable at anchor, finished to a good quality, with walnut Alpi trim as standard. The layout option for a ‘smart room’ office/laundry/bunk room or stowage cabin is indeed really smart.

Out of all the multihulls nominated or sailed last year, this cat impressed me the most under sail. It’s the ideal size to go distance sailing, with good performance, low draught and space for family and friends. It had me dreaming.

Balance 482

I was drawn to the Balance 482, thanks to the combination of good looking modern design, high average speeds and, chiefly, the profusion of clever thinking and practical ideas that it brings. The South African build uses a foam core with E-glass laminate and cored furniture for a light weight of 11.3 tonnes, but also with the ability to take a generous payload.

An electric furler option combined with screecher sail helps offer effortless handling and fun sailing, although the 482 prefers a breeze in the double figures. Smart options such as load cells on the rigging, a bowsprit camera to monitor the anchor chain, plus engine room and mast cams all help for maintaining vigilance. Other features we like include the solar panels properly installed on raised brackets, raincatchers built into the coachroof, and how all sheets and lines are led to the helm station. But the prize solution is the VersaHelm, which allows you to swing the wheel inboard, close off the helm station, and stand watch and steer from a fully protected position.

Catana Ocean Class

The Catana Ocean Class is a bulky model which is geared more towards creature comforts than the higher performance of its predecessors. That said, it uses carbon in the structure and roof, foam cored furniture, the tanks are mounted low in the hulls and it has daggerboards and fine entry bows. The weight savings help it offer a massive 5.5 tonne cruising payload, plus there’s capacious stowage and large tank, refrigeration and laundry capacity.

Positioned between Lagoon and Outremer, the Catana echoes a bit of its sister brand Bali’s concept with its internal cockpit-cum-saloon layout while providing good ventilation via large sliding doors and opening windows. We liked how it’s easy to handle solo from one helm station, including the electric remote control of the boards, plus the layout of the galley and navstation.

Those chasing speed and helming pleasure should perhaps look to the C-Cat 48, as it’s as close to helming a fast monohull as a cruising cat is likely to get and one of the rare times we enjoyed sailing upwind in light breezes on a multihull! This is largely thanks to a lightweight, stiff build – the Comar yard has managed to save 1.7 tonnes over the first boat (9.5 tonnes light) and increased the draught of the curved daggerboards to 2.95m.

A carbon roof and rig comes as standard, as well as an epoxy hull, full carbon deck, bulkheads and compression beam. It is a little quirky with comparatively small volumes, but this François Perus design will outperform most other performance cats and monohulls of a similar length.

The Excess 14 shares that direct sensation you get from aft helms and some of the performance of the C-Cat, but in a more balanced, voluminous layout for cruising. The Excess 14 benefits from the research of VPLP’s Vannes racing office, where attention was focused on weight reduction, with savings particularly in furniture, on improved stiffness (PET foam cored sandwich for main structural bulkheads), and the efficiency of deeper fixed keels.

The result is telling on the water, as it should be for any best catamaran contender, where you can log easy miles: we clocked late 7s upwind, reached in the late 8s and regularly averaged 9 knots with gennaker in 12-15 knots. Clear glass windows give acceptable visibility from the helms through the coachroof and the comparatively minimalist interior. In short it offers a good mix of volume, reasonable performance and enjoyable sailing – see our full review last month.

Sailing performance was another key facet in the battle of the big cats from the big cat yards, Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot. Both models offer luxurious amounts of space for home from home comfort, as watersports bases for long term cruising.

The decision to push the mast to the front of the coachroof to allow for a larger genoa than its recent preference for self-tacking jibs has paid off on the Lagoon 51. It helped us sail efficiently into the waves (albeit not pointing too high) before clocking double figures reaching with the code sail in 15 knots.

The Lagoon’s large flybridge with dual access is a USP at this size that will be a hit or miss deal breaker for many. The 51 offers unrivalled accommodation volume in three, four or six cabins, and relaxation zones, and good circulation through these big spaces. Once again the jury applauds Lagoon for thoroughly testing the prototype model during a six month tour. Over 100 have already sold.

We saw in our December issue how the experienced owners of the Fountaine Pajot test boat choose to live and work full time aboard their Aura 51. It’s a design that promotes space, enough to take friends, family and crucially for them, all the toys to enjoy at anchor. Its capability of averaging 8-10 knots also appeals, although the single side helm and hydraulic steering result in scant connection to the sailing in light winds (the same applies to the Lagoon).

The fact the yard already offers this in a hybrid version and has an electric and hydrogen model in the pipeline could sway some, but the decision between the FP and the Lagoon will likely come down to preference between a central flybridge or offset bulkhead helm together with interior design and layout.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

8 Best Catamaran Brands for Cruising in 2021

Sharing is caring!

Today’s best catamaran brands sail the globe, carrying families to destinations from the West to the far-flung East. Catamaran’s advantage is the unsurpassed safety that they offer. The stable designs make passengers feel safe even when sailing in less than ideal sea state.

There is many options when is comes catamaran sizes, layout, and purpose . If you are looking into knocking off hundreds of mile-days, the best option might be a performance catamaran. If you’re looking to island hope with your whole family and some guest then maybe you’ll look for a functioning layout.

No doubt you already have some brands in mind. Nevertheless, this best catamaran brands article may probably enlighten you further before you make a decision. 

Why Are Catamarans Popular?

Big cockpit, solar panels, fridge & freezers, open layout, good anchor and windlass, fountaine pajot.

Three main reasons for catamaran’s popularity: stability, speed, and comfort. 

You feel safe because your boat is stable , thanks to the two hulls and the geometrical balance that they give to the boat. With a yacht having a single hull, you tend to spill your drink more often. 

Seasick passengers feel better, your food and drinks do not slide off the table, and you can walk around the deck with confidence on a multihull vessel. 

Another advantage is fast passages. A catamaran with a similar length as that of a monohull boat runs 25% faster and with the maximum speed of the wind, that difference can even go up to 100%. 

Your catamaran will also be your big and comfortable home on the water . With a large cockpit, wide decks, and huge and comfortable cabins, every passenger on-board can feel like they are on a deluxe mansion in the middle of the sea. 

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Features to Consider

These are some features to check when buying a catamaran. This isn’t a complete list because its very dependant on your own personal needs. All of the best catamaran brands we list have all these features.

If your family is big, you will want every one of them to be comfortable enjoying their space and activities in a big cockpit, where they have a spacious room for dining and entertainment.

It is nice if the cockpit directly leads to other rooms such as the saloon and the galley.

Solar panels are becoming the norm on all types of vessels. Catamarans are only coming out with more comforts and gadgets that all consume electricity. So, it’s very uncommon to see a catamaran without them these days.

Check out our review of the best marine solar panels on the market .

The advantages are: diesel cost will remain low and the boat does not produce much noise like boats running their generators all night. 

For the environment, the big advantage is they generate low amounts of carbon emissions.

You need cooling equipment on-board to keep your beverages cold and provide storage for freshly caught fish. 

You need this equipment to be compact and perhaps you need something that can be opened left and right. A fridge with a stylish slim tower design suits perfectly for saving space.

An open layout will offer you and your guest spectacular views of the sea and the sky .The main saloon can be wide-open with no mast intrusion. With a wide, open saloon area, you can transition to the cockpit with no tripping ledges to bother you.

Spend more time anchored away from the marina and crowds with a good anchor that moors your vessel to the bottom of the sea. Check out the ship’s windlass capacity for secure mooring, anchoring and moving of heavy weights. 

8 Best Catamaran Brands for Cruising In 2020

When you compare brands, you would like to know how they fare with the models they manufacture. It is important that the catamaran you get is one you feel fully confident maintaining, troubleshooting and enjoying with friends and family. 

Here are 8 best catamaran brands we deem as the cream of the crop. 

Lagoon is currently the world’s leading manufacturer of cruising catamarans . They started operations in 1984, but only launched their first line of catamarans in 1987. 

When Lagoon was established in 1984, they were only a direct development from Jeanneau’s racing division. There, they get involved with monohull and multihull racing circuits that produced the world’s greatest racers whose winning records remain unmatched to this day. 

At present, Lagoon operates under the umbrella of Groupe Beneteau , the world’s largest manufacturer of sailing yachts.

Lagoon is run under these production and design principles: 

• Superior protection from the sun
• Maximum use of available space (hence their trademark vertical cabin windows)
• Supreme comfort 
• Close attention to trends and expectations set by private customers

The company boasts of having over 60 zealous catamaran distributors and specialists around the world. Their catamaran range is the largest with 9 sailing and 2 power models with hull lengths measuring from 40 to78 feet. 

For inquiries, the Lagoon has plenty of information on their website .

A global cruising catamaran brand that was established in 1976, Fountaine Pajot appeared in the industry out of the quest for sporting performance by Jean Francois Fountaine, Daniel Givon and Yves Pajot. 

The company’s first cruising catamaran was launched in 1983 and 15 years later, Fountaine-Pajot launched its Motor Yachts adventure.

With office location at Aigrefeuille FRANCE, the company was originally founded in Aigrefeuille-d’Aunis town, in Charente-Maritime. They have built another factory at La Rochelle.

Since its inception in the industry over four decades ago, Fountaine Pajot’s commitment to become the very best in the cruising catamaran business remains the guiding light that allows them to hold onto to their comfortable position as a world leader and stand out in the competition. 

So why get a Fountaine Pajot? 

The catamarans Fountaine Pajot produces pride themselves with:

• Spacious areas for relaxed and comfy living
• Saloons featuring 360-degree panoramic view
• Convivial and well-equipped galleys
• Easy descent into passageways
• Easy one-step boarding
• Well-balanced rigging
• Stability while anchored
• Easy port maneuvers

Leopard Catamarans sticks to their promise of producing quality and seaworthy vessels with great livability in mind. The company has a large sailing fleet to provide a wide range of options, and for racing enthusiasts, they can look at the company’s catamarans with their contemporary designs and budget-friendly costing.  

Leopard Catamarans keeps on pushing the limits of catamaran design. Constantly monitoring feedback from customers , Leopard continues to innovate by incorporating ideas coming from their own experts and from people who are not directly involved in their organization.  

What sets Leopard catamarans apart are their spacious interiors, large outdoor living spaces, and large cockpits with direct access to the saloon. In addition, Leopard’s renowned build quality and exceptional blue water capability are qualities that remain unbeaten in the industry. 

Leopard is a business founded by John Robertson and the late Jerry Caine in 1991. Today, the business is a part of the leading travel group Travelopia, a firm owned by the global investment company KKR. Leopard Catamarans’ headquarters is located in Cape Town, Africa.

June 1984, South of France: A collaboration between a young naval architect Gérard Danson and an expert technician named Daniel Cailloux would be the beginning of a long journey toward leaving an indelible mark in the world of cruising and sailing. 

Their project: To build a performance and ocean-faring 40-foot catamaran. The vessel’s design was aimed at long-distance cruising .

Danson was a creative designer who understood the key elements that would guarantee the marine qualities of a perfect multihull. For him, the key elements are fine hull, lightness and reduced windage.   

Before the first boat was even launched, a second boat was put into production, which attracted new people to join in the project. The business needed to be registered, and so a name for it had to be created. Later, they approved a name: OUTREMER shipyard came into being.

Outremer’s boats began to monopolize the podiums of the world of racing with catamarans that were built to order to suit their owners’ needs. The boats featured open cockpits, small and large coachroofs, and inboard motors. 

Outremer’s head office is located in La Grande-Motte FRANCE.

Another great shipyard that started operations in the year 1984 was Catana, a company that is also based in France. They are specialists in manufacturing fast cruising catamarans. 

Catana is committed to continuous innovation and research, which helps them to produce some of the fastest cruising vessels the world has ever known. Some models from the company can traverse the high seas with speeds reaching up to 30 knots . Customized catamarans they offer range from 42-90 feet in hull length, all designed for ocean cruising. 

Catana catamarans are built utilizing state-of-the-art Carbon Infusion and Twaron processes, which allows builders to use foam cored sandwich in making components such as decks, hull, and bulkheads. This approach in ship construction makes Catana units fast and unsinkable. 

The Catana shipyard was founded in Cogolin in the Var region of France and has its central office located in Canet-en-Roussillon, France. The company is owned by Olivier Poncin who was the person behind the creation of PONCIN YACHTS GROUP in 2001.

With administrative and managerial located in United States, Pedigree Catamarans is an American business created by internationally-renowned sailor Philippe Jeantot in 1985. 

Drawing from his wide experience, Jeantot went on to design catamarans that set a standard in performance, construction, safety and comfort. Today, Privilege Catamarans is part of the Hanse Yachts group of companies . 

By 1996, the brand had attained the position of being the global authority in large catamarans with hull lengths of over 50 feet with the Privilege 745 model as the company’s flagship. During this time as well, Privilege obtained the recognition of being the dominant shipyard in the US cruising catamaran market. 

The Privilege team boasts of their unparalleled expertise and experience that allow them to build premier catamarans. These catamarans are prized for their circumnavigation abilities and their topnotch comfort and safety both underway and at mooring. 

Every Privilege cat is built according to the requirements set by its owner, and crafted with the finest materials to fashion the most excellent on-board experience.

Prout’s history goes back 85 years to humble beginnings when a partnership started between Mr. Jeoffrey Prout and his two sons, Francis and Roland. 

Together, they created a boat which was first tried out on a duck pond. The boat would soon become the forerunner of small folding sailing canoes and boats which would soon get the attention of boating enthusiasts all over the world. 

The idea to lash two canoes together came in 1949, and the Prouts began to experiment with this idea, resulting to the first catamaran ever created. More experiments were conducted afterwards, which led to the creation of a more sophisticated, race-capable catamaran called the “Shearwater 1”. The Shearwater 1 won every race it entered. The brothers then went on to develop bigger cruising multihull boats. 

The company (G. Prouts and Sons) was dissolved in 2002. A new administration, Prout UK, took over and continued to trade from the Prout Catamaran’s yard in Canvey Island, Essex, England. The new administrator said that production of some models will not cease.

In 1981, the first Gemini catamaran was launched in England. The launch was never thought to be the beginning of a new legacy in the industry. 

The man who started it all was Tony Smith and he started a cruising company registered under the name Performance Cruising Inc. (PCI). He ran the business together with his wife Sue. 

Originally born in the UK with a career that also started there, Tony made about 300 Telstar catamarans in the country before he moved the business to the US.

In 1996, Tony started working on a new Gemini model (Gemini 105M) which would become the pinnacle creation of his career. With beautifully-shaped hulls, sleek decks, and a pilot-house that extends all the way to the cockpit, the new model became an instant success. 

However, financial hurdles were to come and forced the business to enter into partnerships. 

In 2010, the manufacturing of Gemini catamarans was sub-contracted to Hunter Marine, and the original manufacturing plant was converted to industrial units and office, where Gemini Catamarans and the Catamaran Center are now located. Hunter Marine is based in Doral, Florida.

Here are the best catamaran brands with all the salient points in their history as a business, and the principles that guide them. 

With regard to the particular models offered by each brand, we have a separate post for that, along with articles discussing good brands for couples, keel types, and equipment and gear to use while living on-board. 

Make sure that you get a catamaran that suits the purpose you intend to use it for. If going offshore, don’t get a catamaran that is designed for chartering. 

If staying around the coast for entertainment, a Lagoon might suit that purpose. If you want to traverse the seas really, really fast, get a Catana or Outremer. It all depends on the purpose. 

Read our review about the best cruising catamaran for a couple .

Happy Sailing!

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Get your "Sailing and Boating" Free Guide

• Apply for Vendor
• Vendors List
• Delivery & Payments

TOP 10 Best Catamaran 2024: Motor and Sailing

This time we put together the list of best catamarans in our opinion: most daring, interesting and exciting models that the yachting industry has to offer. After all the testing that we conducted, we based our picks on overall quality, price to comfort ratio, performance, design and overall impression of driving the vessel.

Aventura 37

• Brand: Aventura
• Overall length, m: 10.80
• Overall length, ft: 33
• Width, m: 5.94
• Displacement, T: 12.8
• Water tanks, l: 2 x 250
• Mainsail type: Fully battened
• Jib type: Furling genoa
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 94
• Jib area, sq.m.: 36
• Engine: 2 X 20 HP
• Fuel tanks, l: 2 x 250

There are multiple reasons we decided to put this particular Aventura model this high in our list.

First of all, this yacht is just gorgeous. STGi shipyard went full out on combining making this spacious yacht look like a luxurious palace on the water with its large windows, convenient bimini and lots of space on upper deck. You get a grill and dining table in the cockpit, with shelves, comfortable furniture and cupboards – like you never left the shore.

It makes sense why this boat got dozens of orders from enthusiastic yachtsmen way before it was revealed at any boating show.

As you enter the saloon, you see how those windows come into play – the interior created by Lasta Design Studio is fully lit with natural light in any weather conditions, providing passengers with most comfortable social spaces. Here you have a coffee table with cushy sofa and fully equipped galley with sink, oven, stove, refrigerator, cutting table and everything else a chef might need. When it comes to cabins, this yacht is surprisingly spacious too – especially the owner’s cabin, which takes the entire right hull.

When it comes to performance and handling the yacht, we can say for sure that the responsive helm is one of the most important things on board. Aventura 37 not only has that, but also a special area for handling the lines with high-quality Harken winches at your fingertips. The helm station has a Garmin charplotter nearby and it’s very easy to look up and immediately assess the situation thanks to great visibility from the helm, except for a small blind zone to the right of the helm.

Multivariance of this boat is, probably, one the most attractive features of this boat: you get 4 different layouts, allowing you to tailor the yacht for your personal needs:

• Standard version – 3 cabins & 2 bathrooms;
• Trio version – 3 cabins & 3 bathrooms;
• Quatro version – 4 cabins & 2 bathrooms;
• Charter version – 4 cabins & 4 bathrooms.

Of course, the Aventura 37 is made using the most efficient way possible: Airex foam, fiberglass and polyester are poured into molds to create a sandwich matrix. And with sails from Elvström, mast equipment from ZSpars and yacht rigging from Harken and Spinlock you can be sure that you will get the best yachting experience.

• Brand: Excess
• Overall length, m: 11.80
• Overall length, ft: 36
• Width, m: 6.73
• Displacement, T: 10.1
• Water tanks, l: 300
• Mainsail type: Square-top
• Jib type: Self-tacking
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 50
• Jib area, sq.m.: 32
• Engine: 2 X 29 HP / 2 X 45 HP
• Fuel tanks, l: 2 x 200

Compared to Lagoon 40 this model’s weight was reduced by a ton, interior and exterior optimized and the equipment was modernized. Excess 12 offers a great sail plan with a flattop main, self-tacking jib and optional sprit, allowing you to get to 8 knots without any handling problems in 25-30 knots of wind. Powerful twin Yanmar engines working at 2000 RPM alone will give you 6-7 knots, so this cat is definitely much sportier than most catamaran of this size with high level of comfort on board too.

Starting from the transom, this boat is already optimized towards a large company on board: swimming ladders, davits for tender, spacious cockpit with a dining table, two large photos and bimini allow a family or charter passengers to feel as free as possible on this 12-meter boat. A freezer for drink and ice-cream is a great addition. And if you need more equipment, you can always browse for any additional products at topRik marketplace.

There are two helm station, allowing you to have excellent visibility all around. On the right station you have your lines and devices, with nice wide steps leading to the sidedeck. The sailing wardrobe is provided in two versions: Standard and Pulse, which has additional 5 m² and a mast that is almost a meter higher. Square top mainsail and self-aligning boom are featured in both versions and the mainsail is easier to manage alone thanks to aft mast.

Passing a large sliding door into the saloon, you end up inside a cozy looking living room (or so it seems) with curved edges everywhere to increase safety, big windows and hatches, tons of storage and refrigeration space. The control post here allows the skipper to enjoy his meal and control the route at the same time.

After visiting this boat once, it makes sense that this boat received the Best Midsize Cruising Catamaran for 2020 award. This model will be perfect for those, who don’t want to be restricted in terms of comfort but still want to dabble in sport rigging and handle the boat themselves from time to time. Charter businesses should also pay attention to Excess 12 as it will definitely attract many clients over time.

• Brand: Lagoon
• Overall length, m: 12.8
• Overall length, ft: 39
• Width, m: 7.7
• Displacement, T: 12
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 55
• Jib area, sq.m.: 35
• Engine: 2 x 45 HP
• Fuel tanks, l: 300 (+300 opt.)

The Lagoon brand took the world by storm with its new model 42, taking the inspiration from its predecessors and introducing new design from Patrick Le Quement and VPLP Design with rounded smooth curves of the hull and very straightforward-looking cockpit structure. It doesn’t look like it tries to scare or impress you, but instead invites you on board with its reliable layout, sunbathing lounge at the cockpit, shade from the bimini and wide tri-sliding door between saloon and the cockpit.

Mast was also moved aft here for the same reasons: to ease the handling, allow for more downwind sail choices and improve maneuvering. Self-tacking jib makes driving even easier. It’s not as sporty as some other vessels though – so if you are looking for a challenge, this boat might now be for you. The shipyard’s priority was to make this model as comfortable as possible for its price and segment. And they did a great job when it comes to this!

Just look at this saloon – it looks so classy and noble. You can invite the pickiest business partner in here and be confident that they will enjoy the trip. Control station is incredibly comfortable for the skipper to use from a comfortable sofa, windows are huge and abundant, galley has all you need to prepare tasty meals. Thanks to the number of hatches, the airflow is great too, which will be a boon on a hot day.

Overall, it is one of the best boats out there for a family cruise or charters. The main reason why it got third place is due to a certain lack of storage place that should, in our opinion, come with such price tag. It will still be incredible for those, who want to go on a cruise without worrying much about untangling dozens of halyards manually or constantly working together like a regatta team to squeeze good speed out of it. Solar panels on board are another plus of this boat – they will provide you with additional charge for all your electrical equipment on board, so the circuit needs will be easier to manage.

Aventura 45S

• Overall length, m: 13.5
• Overall length, ft: 43
• Width, m: 7.5
• Water tanks, l: 2 x 400
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 74
• Jib area, sq.m.: 51 / 85
• Fuel tanks, l: 2 x 350

This one is so hot it burns – straight out of Lasta Design’s drafting board and onto the yachting market, this vessel is the most modern variation of 13.5-meter sailing elite catamaran with sharp strict lines, very high boards and, as a result, ceilings in the cabins. Compared to model 44, the cheekbone in exterior design is more pronounced, but the wetted area and weight of the boat were reduced. Mast was moved to the saloon, which allows for more efficient sail plan with gennaker, additional asymmetric or symmetrical spinnaker.

The platform at the transom is perfect for swimming, sunbathing or attaching a dinghy. There are wide steps on both sides with solid metal railing, leading to the side decks. As for the cockpit, it has good old dining table with seating on both sides. Bimini will hide you from scorching sun, and the flybridge on top will allow you to enjoy more pleasant weather. Sometimes such flybridges are a safety hazard, but in this case the sofa up there is also surrounded with reliable railing.

The saloon interior is always good on Lagoons, this one is not an exception. Note the lighter interior gamma, interesting solution with a seating place right next to the beam, skylight allowing to observe the sails right from here. This yacht has a lot of possible options: starting from electric winches and davits to air conditioning systems and a whole dinghy directly from the manufacturer. Feel free to use our price calculators for any boats features on our website to estimate the additional price.

Speaking of customization – Aventura 45S is like a Swiss Army knife of yachting, as it comes in whopping 6 possible layouts and has an option for a Comfort pack (additional amenities, such as upholstery and batteries).

We are sure that this boat, if customized right, will fit everyone except those, who prefer complete minimalism and even asceticism on board – this boat just can’t help being flashy and convenient. Don’t forget about the modern solar technologies used by the shipyard, which allow 3 possible version of panels installed – such innovations always make our planet just a little bit happier.

• Brand: Fountaine Pajot
• Overall length, m: 12.58
• Width, m: 7.2
• Displacement, T: 12.7
• Water tanks, l: 2 x 350
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 70
• Jib area, sq.m.: 41
• Engine: 2 x 30 HP (2 X 50 HP)
• Fuel tanks, l: 470

Right away, we are going to mention that this model snatched one of the best yachting awards out there - Multihull of the Year 2018, so it completely deserves a place in this list. Even more so, in 2019 it won another award - European Yacht of the Year.

The reason for that is huge amount of space on board for family, friends or charter passengers. You probably noticed, that the cat looks almost square-shaped, and thanks to 7.2 beam you can throw a party here without any limitations. Great sunbathing area at the bow is one the best social areas we visited – it doesn’t have any steps or pits and just feels so non-restrictive because of pure open space.

Of course, as a cruiser, this model has CE certification A and is prepared to take on a long voyage with its 700 liters freshwater capacity (with enough room for a productive watermaker), 600-liter max fuel tanks and twin Volvo Penta engines (3x30 HP or 2x50 HP). Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design tried their best to marry long-term cruising ability with sufficient performance and Astrea 42 is what came out of it.

The saloon here is extremely smart-looking – immediately put into serene and productive mood. Huge skylight in the roof allows you to always keep your eyes on the sails, large refrigerators ensure that your cooking needs are always satisfied. The full-fledged galley even has a dedicated exhaust hatch for convenience.

As for controls, the starboard helm station provides direct access to all the winches, which are thoughtfully collected in one place, making the boat easy to manage alone with a decent chartplotter. After climbing up to the flybridge, look out for the boom – the head room here is not infinite, but sunbathing area is large enough for several people and will be frequently used in summer. Here you will notice solar panels, so popular nowadays in the yachting community.

The reason why we put this one lower than Aventura 45S is that it has slightly less customization options. And yet it still is very similar in this regard (don’t forget that this list compared the best cats in the world). You can choose between Maestro and Quatuor versions, move bathroom positions, pick between Oceanic and Comfort version – check our price calculator to learn more about all possible options.

• Overall length, m: 13.99
• Overall length, ft: 46
• Width, m: 7.96
• Displacement, T: 15.77
• Water tanks, l: 2 x 300
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 80.5
• Jib area, sq.m.: 46.5
• Engine: 2 x 57 HP
• Fuel tanks, l: 2 x 520

How can bigger Lagoon be lower in the list than its smaller brother? The answer is simple – price. If it would have the same price tag as model 42, we would put it at the first place right away.

But if you can handle such a hit to your wallet, Lagoon 46 is one of the best options out there. French taste and love for quality shows in every single feature on board this yacht: imposing exterior design (Patrick le Quément’s child), truly luxurious interior developed by VPLP, 1040 liters of fuel, 80 m² mainsail area and powerful 2 x 57 HP engines. All that allows for ocean crossings with the comfort of best hotel suites and without worrying about supplies – tons of storage space is also included.

The transom with its cockpit sofa and dining table has an already classic look for Lagoon line-up, but everything is bigger and there’s more room thanks to always 8 meters of yacht’s width.

True to it’s easy to manage approach, Lagoon moved all the winches right to the left side of the helm, with a bimini with skylights covering the skipper from rain. The access to flybridge is provided from both decks and the cockpit. The overall sailing area was increased by 10 m² due to moving the mast aft and optimizing its center of gravity. Even though the yacht is 14 meters long, it can achieve 9 knots of speed with full mainsail and gennaker.

Here's how the interior looks – the cabins are executed in the same manner. The line between high comfort and luxury is crossed here, since the saloon on the picture above is way above normal. Just the ceiling height is already unusual, and when it comes to cabins, this height is even more surprising. As a skipper, you will get a large owner cabin with writing desk, multiple cupboard and drawers, shelves, sofa and large island bed. This yacht also boasts huge number of beds: enough for 12 people, which is great for charter businesses.

We are sure that this model will be a great pick for financially stable individuals who are interested in long-range cruising, huge number of options available, automatic control system and luxury level accommodations.

• Overall length, m: 11.39
• Width, m: 6.63
• Displacement, T: 9.5
• Water tanks, l: 2 x 265
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 75
• Jib area, sq.m.: 49
• Engine: 2 X 20 HP (2 x 30 HP)
• Fuel tanks, l: 300

Replacing legendary Lucia 40, this model had large shoes to fill – and Fountaine Pajot made sure that the yachtsmen were not disappointed with the new kid on the block.

The threatening sci-fi design of this boat contrasts a lot with home-like sweet beige tones and rounded shapes of the interior. It is not as large as a 14-meter boat but the price is also much more affordable. Cockpit has a lunge, L-shaped sofa around the dining table and a hardtop above. All seating places have usual storage lockers underneath, there is a small refrigerator for drinks in the cockpit and you can even get and additional grill, which is impressive for a 40-footer. There’s not as much space at the bow though.

The saloon provides you with enough comfort to forget that you are at the sea at all, making it easy to hop from one marina to another, relying on 2 x 265 l water tanks and 2 x 30 HP engines, just in case. The control station here doesn’t have a proper seating place right next to it, but this solution reward good eyesight – the screen is visible from saloon and cockpit sofas, so you can just glance at it from time to time, controlling the situation. Overall, the interior is very ergonomic and well worth the investment.

There are 4 possible layouts: Maestro 2, Maestro 3, Quatuor 2 and Quatuor 4. Make sure to visit our full review of Isla 40 or use the price calculator to know more. There are also 3 version of the boat: Grand Large (cheapest and providing basic amenities), Oceanic (has lazy bag, electric winch, pressurized seawater system and more), Comfort (includes previous two version and adds TV/HIFI pack, freshwater pump and more). You can add a washing machine, gas oven, a microwave etc. – if you have any questions regarding possible equipment, feel free to message us anytime.

Some people prefer thrill, some prefer comfort. This one is definitely not for thrill lovers – this convenient boat is made for family vacations, parties on the water, charters and tourism. You will not set a sailing speed world record on it and you don’t really need to anyway.

• Overall length, m: 13.94
• Displacement, T: 14.7
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 77
• Jib area, sq.m.: 52
• Engine: 2 X 60 HP (2 x 60 HP)
• Fuel tanks, l: 2 x 470

This is another powerful, luxurious, yet expensive beast from Fountaine Pajot – Tanna 47 is the winner of prestigious Boat of the Year 2023 award in the category Best Cruising Multihull. It is, indeed, the best is business thanks to 14 meters of length and 7.7 meters in beam, resulting in large amount of space, which is also well organized (you can check out the virtual tour around the boat on our Tanna 47 sales page). This yacht has almost the same features as Aura 51, even though its smaller in size and is more affordable.

Clean and sophisticated design of this yacht is evident in both exterior and interior, which is very fitting, considering various advanced electric devices available (winches, outlets, audio packs, 220V main grid option, 2000W inverter/charger etc.) It is truly the marvel of modern yachting engineering. If other yachts of this size try to be a home on the water, this one wants to be your smart home: everything is automated to the max, with best chartplotters, autopilot, forward scan, second VHF, solar panels and other useful equipment purchasable.

The minimalism and hi-tech feel don’t leave you inside the saloon thanks to predominating white tones, tons of natural lights and very glassy surroundings: you are surrounded by windows, hatches and skylights all around. Galley here is better than most kitchens on shore, with conveniences like garbage disposal section and larger than average table, oven and refrigerator.

With all these futuristic amenities the designer didn’t forget about sailing performance: Tanna 47 is capable of reaching 7 knots with winds of 14-15 knots. The helm location is slightly away from the winches, but the boat can still be managed alone, even though a small crew is recommended. Also, many yachting journalists expressed their surprise after experiencing how good a large boat like this is in terms of handling.

Remember: if you get confused in all the devices of this boat, you can ask us what’s the best for your use case.

Yet another island-named yacht from Fountaine Pajot – but don’t think they are overly represented here, based on our experience and tests, FP just happens to make very good multihulls.

For this particular model the shipyard went with a sleek limited version of flybridge, which allows the yacht to avoid looking like a wedding cake and also reduces its weight and price. Some only prefer a full-fledged flybridge, but this solution will be praised by those who don’t go up the flybridge much anyways, and seek for balance between comfort and sportiness.

Other than that, this boat comes with unusually powerful 2 x 50 HP optional engines (2 x 60 HP as an option), 75 m² mainsail and 49 m² of jib area. With such equipment the cat easily gets to 6 knots and all the way to 10 knots with strong winds. For a cruiser with CE A, this is quite impressive. Helm station is also at the starboard side, between seating area under bimini and lower cockpit deck. You would need to bend over a little to see the left hull, but other than that, the visibility here is more than enough. And since its so close to dining table and fridge, you can always refresh yourself with a drink while driving.

Unfortunately, the winches are quite far from the helm, so you’ll have to leave to adjust them – we at topRik prefer more convenient placement, and that’s one of the reason this yacht is lower in this list than some others.

There is no lounge here, but plenty of comfortable seating, dining and storage space. The design of the cockpit is very inviting, the same goes for saloon and the cabins. But the most special thing about this yacht is, surprisingly, the displacement – it is only 14 tons, achieved by a lighter bridge and hull optimizations. It is no wonder that it was acknowledged as Best Boat 2020 in Best Multihull Cruising Boat 2020 category.

• Overall length, m: 16.56
• Overall length, ft: 52
• Width, m: 9
• Displacement, T: 27.7
• Water tanks, l: 960
• Mainsail area, sq.m: 107
• Jib area, sq.m.: 74
• Engine: 2 x 115 HP
• Fuel tanks, l: 1100

We would like to finish with the largest catamaran out of 10 in this list – Lagoon 55. Even though it’s a great representative of Lagoon multihull range, it’s sheer size and materials used in production make it difficult for most people to afford, with some premium pricing included for bragging rights.

In year 2021 this yacht won prestigious British Yachting Award and since then conquered the hearts of many yachtsmen with its sheer size (16.5 x 9 m) and excellent long cruise capabilities (960-liter water tanks and 100 liters of fuel on board). Sure, for that you have to pay with high displacement, which ends up being 27.7 tons. To move such a mansion a lot of sailing area is needed, and mainsail of 107 m² and self-tacking jib of 74 m² will do the job. You can also replace standard twin 80 hp engines with 115 hp optional ones.

Here we get a full bridge, of course – roomy, comfortable magic carpet flying above the water surface with large sunbathing area, separate galley, perfectly usable control station and comfortable sofas. The hard top has skylights in it, and the area is well protected with metal railing.

The cockpit is incredibly large too, with tons of space for 8-10 people at once. In case of bad weather conditions, it can be protected with a waterproof tent, going around the perimeter. The cockpit too has a separate galley with the refrigerator (that’s the premium we were talking about – galleys for everyone).

Overall, the space is the single most important feature of this yacht, resulting in more free movement and larger number of passengers on board. There are 3 layouts available: with 4, 5 and 6 cabins. You can also choose between Essential and Comfort equipment packs (more information in our price calculator).

If price is not an issue and you want a really large catamaran, Lagoon 55 will definitely be a great choice.

This concludes our top 10 list – we hope it was at least somewhat helpful to you. Good luck in all of your yachting adventures!

• Glossary of Nautical Terms
• Law & Rules

• Profile details
• Comparison list
• Gift certificates
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Refund Policy
• Tallinn, Valukoja 8/2 (Regus Offices)
• +37253060890
• Mon-Sun 10.00 - 18.00
• [email protected]
• View on map
• Leave feedback

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Sailing Totem
• Sailor & Galley
• Living Aboard
• Destinations
• Gear & Electronics
• Charter Resources
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

2022 Boat of the Year: Best Cruising Catamaran (Under 50’)

• By Cruising World Editors
• December 15, 2021

During and in the four days immediately following the US Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland, the  Cruising World  judges inspected and sailed on 27 boats vying for recognition. Learn more about the boats in our  2022 Boat of the Year  »

The sweet spot for cruising catamarans, for most multihull sailors, is right there between 40 and 50 feet: manageable by a couple, not so large that finding a place to park or dock is prohibitive, and with lots more room to spread out and bring the toys and kids than a monohull of similar length. This year’s set of nominees features industry stalwarts Leopard and Fountaine Pajot—both of which have enjoyed plenty of success in previous Boat of the Year competitions—and a pair of relative upstarts from Bali, the cruising offshoot from French builder Catana. The former are all-around cats with plenty of versatility; the latter aim to cater more toward the cruising/liveaboard part of the equation. Choices, choices! It proved to be a challenging quartet of cats for the judging panel to evaluate and sort out. 

The larger sibling of the two Bali cats entered for BOTY 2022—all the Bali offerings feature an innovative “garage door” separating the saloon and cockpit, which when raised creates a seamless indoor/outdoor living space that has proven to be highly popular—was the 46-plus-foot 4.6. It’s yet another one of this year’s catamarans with the ever-popular flybridge that has become a design staple for many cat builders. Judge Tim Murphy found it a pleasure to sail. “On some of the other cats, you felt you were fighting the sail controls,” he said. “Not here. It’s laid out nicely. It has a double-ended mainsheet system with no traveler but control at both ends, so you’ve got a port and a starboard sheet, and I think that’s a fine way to control the mainsail. It’s arguably easier to jibe with that system than a standard traveler; you have good athwartships control throughout the maneuver. Bali cats are known for comfort, but this one sails well too.”

At 40 feet, the Bali Catspace—the second of two boats from the brand entered in the 2022 BOTY contest—is the smallest offering in the Bali line, but judge Murphy found the open floor plan particularly alluring: “The living experience of being able to open up the back end of these cats so you create an indoor/outdoor platform is terrific. I didn’t give it much thought until I chartered a Bali, and it was totally delightful. The sailing performance was actually fine, but it was that back porch that made the trip.”

Dream Yacht Charters has added more and more Bali cats to their fleets, and it’s easy to see why. With their vast interior space; plenty of amenities including air conditioning and multiple fridges, including ones that would not be out of place in any well-equipped household kitchen ashore; and surprisingly effective sailing prowess given their systems and accommodations, these boats are almost synonymous with the word “vacation.” Take the interior layout of the Catspace: It has four staterooms with private heads, the forward pair with berths aligned athwartships and the aft set laid out in a fore-and-aft configuration. It’s hard to imagine a better use of space for four couples or a family in 40 feet of waterline.

Yes, a 40-foot catamaran is a design challenge; it’s fairly easy to accommodate loads of features in a 50-foot multihull, but it’s quite another to include all the creature comforts and niceties in considerably less real estate. But Murphy felt that the Isla 40—another 40-footer like the Catspace, but this one from longtime cat leader Fountaine Pajot—pulled it off well. The Isla also had a tall order to fill in that it replaced a previous cat of the same size in the builder’s lineup, the highly successful Lucia 40. “The mission for this boat was described in thirds,” Murphy said. “Bareboat charter, crewed charter and private ownership. I think they’ve created a boat that accomplishes all those missions. The boat sailed well, but it was also laid out well. In fact, the owner’s cabin to starboard was superb, one of the nicest places on any boat we inspected. We toured a lot of much bigger boats that didn’t have that sort of space.”

But when all was said and done, the Bali Cats and the Isla ran into a juggernaut with the Leopard 42, which proved to be a powerhouse BOTY entrant. It’s pretty clear by now that the relationship between South African builder Robertson and Caine; their lone client, the Moorings; and naval architects Simonis and Voogd, who bring the Leopard brand to life, is strong and fruitful. And they have a wall full of BOTY award-winning plaques to prove it. It’s time to make room for another. The judges found much to like about the latest Leopard, including the offset steering station to starboard and the lounge space forward accessed via a front door in the saloon. But the Leopard sealed its victory with an awesome sea trial in which it overhauled and passed a popular new monohull that shall remain nameless. Cats can’t point? Wrong!

What put the boat over the top wasn’t just the sailing performance, which was obviously terrific, but also the tools with which to sail the boat, and its overall deck layout, all of which optimized the experience. Murphy said, “With the Leopard, you have visual eye contact from the raised helm station to starboard down into the cockpit, you’ve got a visual line of sight into the saloon, and you’ve got a pretty good visibility over the top of the cabin top everywhere. You had access to your main sheet right there where you needed it. This was one of the boats that had no traveler, but instead had a windward and leeward block on the mainsheet. I think that’s a fine system, I like the control you have. Jibing works fine and is easily controlled.”

It was one little thing in a series of them, all of which added up to a boat—the Leopard 42—that was the unanimous winner in the 2022 category of Best Cruising Catamarans (Under 50’).

• More: bali catamarans , Boat of the Year , Boat of the Year 2022 , Fountaine Pajot , leopard catamarans , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Pre-Owned: 1988 Hylas 47

Catalina Introduces the 6 Series

Sailboat Preview: Elan GT6 Explorer

For Sale: 1984 Camper & Nicholsons 58

Point Your Compass Due South, Bitter End Yacht Club Reopens October 23rd.

Understanding Wind in the West Indies

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

All the Best Things at GU, Uniqlo’s Sister Store

GU , Uniqlo’s sister brand, officially launched in the States today with its e-commerce site and New York City flagship store, and Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo and I got a chance to stop in for a sneak peek earlier this week. (Check out the reel of our tour on the Strategist Instagram page.) Located in Soho a couple of blocks from Uniqlo, the two-story shop houses trend-forward pieces like barrel-leg jeans, half-zip hoodies, and nylon cross-body bags. After a walk-through and trying on different items, Liza and I concluded that the clothes definitely skew younger than Uniqlo’s, but there were still plenty of things we loved and would actually wear (as two moms of young kids). Below are some of our favorites — plus a few we think will be veritable hits. (A note about sizing: The range is limited from XS to XL, with some of the stuff more generously proportioned. In general, Liza and I found everything to be more or less true to size.)

GU (pronounced like the letters G and U ) is going hard on the barrel-leg trend, offering multiple styles and colors for both men and women. Liza looked amazing in this dark-wash pair, while I was intrigued by the baggier vintage-wash jeans that were just the right amount of edgy without looking like I was cosplaying someone a generation younger than I actually am.

Liza and I both loved these painter pants. They have a subtle barrel wide leg and a cut that’s super-flattering to the butt. Liza prefers the light beige shown here, while I like the darker brown style . In terms of sizing, we found the pants true to size, but I should note that the sizing is not numerical and instead goes from XS to XL. I tried the small, my normal size, which is equivalent to waist size 26, and it felt right to me. The inseam also worked on both me (five-two) and Liza (five-seven), though I will say that without shoes, the hem drags on the floor for me.

I wanted this skirt as soon as I saw it on the publicist at the first preview I attended a few weeks ago. I love its length and the fact that it could be dressed up or down. I sized up to a medium in this and would either go black or gray, though the latter can admittedly veer dangerously close to school-uniform territory.

There were a lot of good sweatshirts at GU, and this was one of our favorites: a half-zip hoodie in an appealing butter yellow.

Just a really solid, go-with-everything, pointelle-and-lace tank at a good price. It looked very nice on Liza.

I predict this oversize nylon cross-body bag will overtake Uniqlo’s ubiquitous half-moon bag in popularity in the next couple of months.

And this glittery tote might just be the next Baggu .

As part of its U.S. launch, GU debuted a collaboration with Japanese street label Undercover called Kosmik/Noise. I kind of love this Wizard of Oz T-shirt.

The collection includes this tracksuit with the brand’s signature side-tape accents.

These satiny ballet flats definitely have Miu Miu vibes and are pretty comfortable.

The velvet mary janes are also very cute.

We also really liked this ribbed double-zip cardigan that has a fitted, corsetlike silhouette.

This sheer, frilled mock-neck is another great layering piece.

While we didn’t try this on, Liza and I both liked the idea of a two-piece set that could be worn multiple ways. The knit slip dress looks especially nice.

The Strategist  is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about  here . We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

• the strategist
• saw something; said something
• men's fashion
• women's fashion
• unisex fashion

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

Deal of the Day

Micro sales, greatest hits, most viewed stories.

• These On Running Shoes Are 40 Percent Off (Till Midnight)
• The 10 Very Best Toners
• The 17 Very Best Work Bags for Women
• The 11 Very Best Loafers for Women
• New Stuff Alert: Clare V Catchalls and Caraway Cast Iron
• How I Sleep: The Narcoleptic Napping in Her Prius
• On My Mind: Greek Mattresses and Snoopy Doormats

Shop New Arrivals

Follow Eater online:

• Follow Eater on Twitter
• Follow Eater on Facebook
• Follow Eater on Youtube
• Follow Eater on Instagram

Site search

• Los Angeles
• New Orleans
• Philadelphia
• Portland, OR
• San Francisco
• Twin Cities
• Washington DC

Filed under:

• Eater at Home

The Best Food Storage Containers That Aren’t Tupperware, According to Eater Editors

The storied 70-year-old brand is going bankrupt, but luckily we have loads of other party-worthy alternatives

If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy .

Share this story

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on Twitter
• Share All sharing options

Share All sharing options for: The Best Food Storage Containers That Aren’t Tupperware, According to Eater Editors

Hear that sound? No, it’s not the burp of locked-in freshness. It’s Tupperware, the storied American MLM company and food storage brand, announcing its intent to file for bankruptcy . While there’s currently no plan to halt production — the brand has asked for court approval to continue operations while it morphs “into a digital-first, technology-led company” — it definitely seems that part of the “macroeconomic challenges” it has been facing include an influx of new, better, more readily available competition. When Tupperware debuted 70-some years ago, an easily washable, heatable storage container for food was a revelation. Today there are infinite, arguably better options to keep and reheat leftovers. With Tupperware Parties most certainly now a thing of the past, we asked Eater staffers to share their go-to food storage solutions. Here are some of their favorites.

Ikea 365+ Food Storage Containers

Eater LA reporter Rebecca Roland is a fan of Ikea’s a-la-carte collections. “While most other food storage systems come in sets, Ikea’s vessels are mostly sold by the piece, which offers the opportunity to buy 10, 20-ounce soup containers if need be, or none at all,” she says. “Both the snap-on lids and the press-in wood varietals are vacuum-sealed and very good at keeping food fresh. The tiny six-ounce containers tend to be my favorite for leftover sauces or mirepoix. As always, glass is the way to go — it stacks better, and won’t hold on to food scents.”

Ikea 365+ 6-ounce Food Container with Lid, 3 Pack

Prices taken at time of publishing.

Big Bee Little Bee

Like most people, special projects director Lesley Suter struggles with storing and finding a bunch of mismatched lids. “It’s why I was so easily persuaded to buy these silicone clamshell containers from Big Bee Little Bee,” Suter says. “They open fully flat, which is key for fitting in the dishwasher, are easier to load food in and out of than zipper-style silicone bags, and, most importantly, come with the lid attached. They aren’t quite as leak proof as some other options out there, but they are definitely a new staple in my fridge.

Big Bee, Little Bee Softshell Food Container

• $15 at Big Bee, Little Bee
• $15 at Amazon

“A few years ago I asked for only one thing for Christmas,” says special projects director Lesley Suter. “The opportunity to throw out every piece of mismatched jars and deli cups and replace it with one, huge, Costco-size pack of Snapware. I like the fact the containers are glass, which makes me feel less squidgey about leaking microplastics when reheating, and as the name implies, the lids go on securely with a very satisfying ‘snap.’”

Snapware Total Solutions 10-Piece Glass Storage Set

• $20 at Walmart
• $33 at Amazon

Rubbermaid Brilliance Container

“Years ago, my sister-in-law gave me some food inside a Rubbermaid Brilliance container and it’s still the storage container I reach for first,” says Eater’s deputy editor, Monica Burton. “The lid makes a perfect seal that’s further secured with clips that click satisfyingly into place. The rectangular shape allows it to hold all manner of items, including slices of pizza or cake as well as soupier substances, and the sturdy plastic has never warped in the dishwasher. For all of these reasons I have never returned it to its rightful owner, though, I admit, it would make sense to buy myself a few more. The glass version looks just as functional, if heavier.”

Rubbermaid Brilliance Food Storage Container

• $14 at Amazon

Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Storage Container Set

• $40 at Amazon

Ziploc Bags

Eater Dallas editor Courtney Smith eschews most hard-sided containers altogether and prefers regular old Ziploc storage bags instead. “They’re great for anything that is malleable and for when you need to make room in the fridge,” she says.

Ziploc Slider Gallon Bags, 68 count

• $10 at Target
• $10 at Amazon

Deli Containers

Eater staff reporter Amy McCarthy goes the way of The Bear and opts for standard, restaurant-style deli containers. “I need something I’m not going to feel too guilty about throwing away when I inevitably forget it in the fridge,” she says. Yes, chef.

Freshware Food Storage Contaiers, 50 Piece

• $16 at Amazon

Stasher Bags

“I’ve been using the same set of Stasher snack bags since 2018,” says Kaitlin Bray, Eater’s director of audience development. “While I’ve flirted with other reusable containers in the last six years, I haven’t found anything nearly as durable or lightweight. The silicone bags are not cheap, but I be snag a set of the sandwich-size bags whenever they are on sale.”

Stasher Silicone Food Grade Reusable Storage Bag

• $18 at Amazon

Mepal Lidded Nesting Bowls

One of the nice things about Tupperware is the array of colors. Editor in chief Stephanie Wu has found something just as cute in a set of lidded nesting bowls. “These bowls, which come with matching lids, are freezable, microwaveable, dishwasher safe, and leakproof,” she says. “Plus, they’re stylish enough to double as serving bowls, and they nest easily when not in use.”

Mepal Microwavable Nested Storage Bowls

Mepal’s microwavable nested storage bowls are quite the talent. Use them to heat up and serve dinner, then store leftovers in the fridge or freezer. After you’re done, stick them in the dishwasher, then nest or stack them for compact storage.

• $77 at Foo52

Cliik Containers

Eater New York reporter Emma Orlow stocked up on the cute, stackable Cliik contaniers few months ago and has been generally impressed. The jar-like containers come in a variety of oblong sizes and colors, are made with “ultra-durable, BPA-free Tritan® plastic,” according to the brand, and feature universal lids that magnetically stack.

Cliik Container 3 Pack

• $49 at Cliik

OXO Good Grips Storage Containers

“I swear by OXO’s Pop food storage containers, which are littered all over my house and pantry in varying sizes,” says executive editor Erin DeJesus, “though the majority of them are in the 1.1-quart ‘small’ size, which currently contain everything from couscous to a variety of dog treats. The bigger ones are great for dry-goods storage — rice, flour, sugar, the basics — and they’re also hardy enough for popping open and shut multiple times a day when necessary. See: those dog treats.”

OXO Good Grips POP Containers

• $45 at Bed Bath & Beyond
• $33 at Target

More From Eater

Sign up for the sign up for eater's newsletter.

The freshest news from the food world every day

Thanks for signing up!

Check your inbox for a welcome email.

Oops. Something went wrong. Please enter a valid email and try again.

The New Season of ‘The Great British Bake Off’ Hits Netflix Next Week

The Best Recipes to Welcome Fall, According to Eater Staff

Tupperware, You Got Real Weird in the End

How These Top Restaurants Got Their Michelin Stars

Please Put Your Light Away at the Restaurant

What Do I Do With All This Mint?

6 Best Performance Cruising Catamarans (Buyer’s Guide)

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We may also earn commissions if you purchase products from other retailers after clicking on a link from our site.

Performance cruising catamarans are impressive-looking vessels that focus on speed above comfort. These fast boats are ideal for racing and long cruising vacations. But with the numerous brands and models on the market, how do you know which is the best one?  

The best high-speed performance cruising catamarans are the Outremer 4x, McConaghy MC50, Nautitech 44, Gunboat 62, Balance 526, and Marsaudon Composites ORC50. All these boats deliver outstanding speeds and are light in weight, relatively comfortable, and incredibly safe.  

This article will explore the brands and models that I believe have the best combination of performance and comfort . We’ll look at their speeds and what makes them cruise so fast. We’ll also examine the factors to consider when shopping for a performance cruising cat.  

Table of Contents

How Fast Are Performance Cruising Catamarans? 

Cruising catamarans are generally faster than monohulls of similar lengths. This means most well-built and well-balanced cats will arrive at their destination much sooner, and the cruise is much more comfortable. Performance cruising cats like the Nautitech include deep daggerboards and rudders, narrow waterline beams, hull chines, and big sail plans that allow for faster sailing than a standard cruising cat.

Outremer 4X

Outremer Catamarans are well-known for their high speeds. These exciting cats sport brilliant designs, narrow bows, and large rigs. Built in Southern France, the vessels are strong and long-lasting since their structures feature materials such as carbon, glass, and vinyl ester. 

The Outremer 4x is a stable and comfortable high-speeding cruising catamaran that performs ocean crossings and confronts any weather with remarkable ease. Named the European Boat of the Year in 2017, this 48-foot (14.6 m) bluewater cruiser sails faster than wind speed and attains maximum cruising speeds of 20 knots.

The 4x is an upgrade of the extremely popular Outremer 45, thus retaining Outremer’s core values of speed, safety, and comfort. It’s built for maximum performance and enjoyment, with the lightweight, carbon fiber structure allowing for additional speed under sail . 

Featuring comfort typical of much larger vessels, the Outremer 4X features 4 double cabins, hot water showers, a full kitchen, spacious storage, and excellent ventilation. There’s also an expansive deck, an unobstructed cockpit, and large trampoline areas. Most importantly, your safety is assured through the cat’s unique features including a robust structure, offshore design, stability, and unrivaled speed potential.

The 4x’s cutting-edge design makes it ideal for competitive racing or blue water cruising, and it does both without compromising your comfort, safety, or onboard livability. However, to sail at maximum speed, the boat must remain lightweight, requiring your interior to be fitted out quite minimally. The other downside is the high price tag; the Outremer 4X commands a price between $912,322 and $1,202,945 .

McConaghy MC52

The McConaghy MC52 is a performance luxury cruising cat reflective of McConaghy’s 50 years of experience in building high-tech composite projects. The luxurious boat features a flybridge, retracting centerboards, optimized hulls, and an open space bridgedeck combining the salon with the cockpit. You can also customize the boat to your specifications.

This hi-tech cat comes with sizeable sliding salon windows and frameless doors that provide fantastic views. Its wave-piercing bows can cut through waves, thus helping to increase performance by minimizing pitch resistance, while still retaining a smooth ride. Also, the saloon offers spacious dining space for up to 8 people, and the galley area is more like a penthouse.

The manufacturer’s background in building high-end racing yachts has resulted in an incredibly strong and lightweight vessel capable of reaching 22 knots (40.7 km/h or 25.29 mph). The main downside to this boat is the boom placement on the mast, which is much higher than other high-performance cats. This makes accessing the mainsail somewhat challenging. It also increases the MC50’s center of gravity and center of effort.

You can get the MC52 for about $1.6 million.

Nautitech 44

The Nautitech 44 easily blends comfort and fun to deliver an impressive sailing performance, whether you take short trips or long ocean crossings. The boat offers a good balance under sail, and it features helming stations on each hull. Plus, there’s an integrated hardtop bimini complete with sunroof opening. Slim hulls translate to higher speeds, with the vessel reaching up to 17 knots (31.4 km/h or 19.51 mph).

The well-laid-out interior boasts a functional design, ample storage space, plus all the equipment you require for ocean cruising, such as a fridge, watermaker, and solar. 

Nautitech 44’s twin helms give you the real sailing experience with a fantastic view of the sails and great visibility when maneuvering into port. However, you might not appreciate being stuck in the aft helm position without protection in lousy weather or during hot days.

Nevertheless, the boat’s responsiveness makes sailing more pleasurable. Plus, it’s affordable; the price is between $236,000 and $334,000.

Marsaudon Composites ORC50

Marsaudon Composites vessels are ideal for both racing and cruising. The sporty-looking ORC 50 comes with large inverted bows, an angular coachroof, a high freeboard, and a sturdy rotating carbon mast. In addition, the vessel is light which allows it to accelerate quickly, while the angular coachroof offers lots of space and excellent visibility. 

The ORC50 can attain 23+ knots (42.5+ km/h or 26.41+ mph) and is among the fastest high-performance livable multihulls. It’s capable of doing more than 350 miles (563.27 km) per day.   

The downside to the ORC50 is it’s a bit technical to sail, thus requiring a skilled sailor. Furthermore, its immense power and speed can be intimidating to less experienced sailors. Solely designed for speed, the ORC50’s interior is simple, less roomy, and somewhat spartan; hence the boat might not be all that comfy. Still, it’ll get you where you want to go pretty fast, and it’s an excellent value for money at approximately $787,751.25.

Gunboat 62 

The Gunboat 62 is a true high-speed catamaran capable of sailing at 20 knots (37 km/h or 23 mph) over true wind speeds and known to notch up speeds of 36+ knots (66.7+ km/h or 41.45 mph) on a surf. The initial 3 Gunboat 62 boats featured epoxy, E-glass, and carbon fiber construction, but the fourth vessel was all carbon, sported a taller rig and a more expansive sail area. 

These structural features made the Gunboat 62s extremely light, and they formed the original luxury high-performance cruising cats.

This multihull sailboat boasts a carbon mast, round hull sections for a minimized wetted surface area, high-aspect rudders, and retractable daggerboards. The steering station offers 360-degree visibility and sports overhead hatches that you can use to monitor the mainsail trim. The boat also contains 3 private cabins with queen berths, 2 spacious heads with showers, an aft cockpit, galley, and lounge.

On the downside, Gunboats are pricey cats; hence they’re also expensive to maintain. The Gunboat 62 isn’t that spacious either as it’s more focused on speed, but it’s extremely comfortable, plus there’s plenty of space for hanging out. You can buy this catamaran starting from $2 million .

Balance 526

Built with a combination of carbon fiber, E-glass, epoxy, closed-cell foam, and composite bulkheads, this boat is strong, light, and can withstand terrible weather. The retractable daggerboards allow for good upwind performance. All high load areas contain carbon fiber, while furniture and cabinets feature cored sandwich construction, producing the lightest yet most robust catamaran. 

A Balance 526 will reach speeds of up to 20knots without stressing the rig too much.

The boat is available in various layouts and comfortably accommodates 6 people. The spacious aft cockpit and saloon provide panoramic visibility. And since Balance 526 can handle the extra weight, you get performance plus all the creature comforts you desire.

Still, Balance 526’s pricing is on the higher end, beginning at $1,440,000 . Also, the slender hulls result in less space down below. Nevertheless, the boat lives up to its name, achieving the perfect balance between superb performance and comfort.

What Makes Performance Cruising Catamarans So Fast? 

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Narrow Hulls 

Performance catamarans contain two small narrow hulls, which cause them to have less water resistance. Smaller hulls mean the vessels have much smaller bow waves to fight, allowing them to move extremely fast. In addition, the less hull area is underwater, the faster the boat is capable of moving since there’s less drag.

Having said that, it’s important to note that a narrow hull is more prone to burying its bows in rough seas. The wider the hull, the more buoyancy it offers, but only up to a given point. After which, the excessive width becomes unmanageable and performance suffers. The key lies in finding the right balance.

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Considerable Length

The longer a cruising cat is, the faster it’ll move. While each vessel bears a maximum hull speed, in most cases, the lengthier the boat, the higher the speed it can reach. The length of the hull (length on the waterline) also has a significant impact on the speed performance. Thus, the cat attains maximum speeds when the wavelength is equal to the length on the waterline (hull speed).

Therefore, the longer the length of the hull, the better the performance of a high-speed cruising cat. You can also compare two cruising cats’ speeds based on this measure. 

Performance Cruising Catamarans Have Quality Builds

Modern cat manufacturers continue designing more innovative high-performance cruising cats that deliver a new blend of performance and cruising features. They achieve this by using advanced construction materials, better daggerboard designs, and creative weight allocation. They also keep a keener focus on onboard amenities. For instance, asymmetrical daggerboards placed midships in each hull can help achieve proper balance and hull trim.

The overall goal is to design cruising cats that offer high speeds, outstanding performance, and enough offshore comfort. 

Here’s an article if you are wondering what daggerboards and centerboards are and why they impact performance so much.

Performance Cruising Catamarans Are Light-weight

The lighter a cruising catamaran, the greater its performance. And some of the most popular high-performance catamarans find an optimal balance between performance and comfort. As a result, modern performance-based cruising cats have embraced the use of carbon composite construction for hulls, daggerboards, and rigging, instead of the somewhat heavier glass fiber materials.

A weighed-down cat produces less speed, which means excess immersion of the hulls renders the boat sluggish . The hull submersion also reduces the bridge deck clearance, promoting uncomfortable hull slamming.

You won’t find much difference in top speed between performance catamarans bearing similar lengths because they all have displacement hulls and mostly sail to hull speed with occasional surfing. This means that under skilled hands, these cats should exhibit roughly the same performance. A cruising cat’s performance is also highly dependent on the state of the sea, wind direction, and speed, amongst many other factors.

What To Consider When Choosing a Performance Cruising Catamaran

Speed is the number one consideration when choosing a high-speed cruising cat. Yet there are other factors just as important since they contribute to the overall cruising performance, including:

•  What you’ll use the vessel for and where. Are you planning on doing coastal cruising or serious offshore cruising? Consider the number of people that you’ll be sailing with and the activities you’ll engage in. This also helps determine the size catamaran you’ll need.  
• Comfort. While some racing enthusiasts might prefer spartan accommodation plans, most enjoy relative comfort on the high seas. In any case, modern high-speed cruising cats are designed to provide a certain level of creature comforts. And since most performance cats are custom-made, new boat owners may decide precisely which features to include in their cats. 
• Quality. To produce light boats, builders employ the use of fine resins, carbon, epoxies, foam cores, and fiberglass. They build using a combination of vacuum-bagged techniques, foam cores, foam composite bulkheads, and make furniture and cabinetry with cored sandwich construction . 
• Livability. One cannot underrate the appeal of sailing in a vessel with no heeling, not to mention the high privacy attained from separate living and sleeping areas. Panoramic views and exceptional deck space for lounging and entertaining are also essential in ensuring maximum cruising comfort. Fortunately, most high-speed cruising cats offer all these features and more.
• Equipment. Sailing upwind is a challenge for cruising cats since they tend to make lots of leeway. To make things easier, high-speed cruising cats come equipped with bigger rigs and either daggerboards or centerboards. However, this also means skilled sailors are required to operate them. 
• Cost. Catamarans are generally expensive, but a cat built with longer, leaner hulls and less costly materials can still give an outstanding performance. Such materials include foam cores, epoxy bulkheads, and epoxy resins. Furthermore, it’s not necessary to use only carbon to build a lightweight boat. 

Final Thoughts

Performance cruising catamarans are built using exotic, high-tech, lightweight materials to deliver an electrifying sailing experience. And as we’ve seen from the above list, these boats deliver performance plus much more. They’re not only speed cruisers, but they also provide a smooth, comfortable, and enjoyable cruising experience. 

So, whichever option you go for – from the luxurious Gunboat 62 to the much more affordable Nautitech 44 – you’re sure to get a boat that suits your needs. 

• Wikipedia: Spinnaker
• Wikipedia: High-Performance Sailing  
• Yachting World: Fountaine Pajot Elba 45 Review
• Aeroyacht: Catamaran Speed
• Cruiser’s Forum: Nautitech 44…
• Nautitech Catamarans: Nautitech
• Katamarans: Marsaudon Composites ORC50 (TS5) Review
• Outremer USA: New Outremer 4x Performance Catamaran
• Dutoit Yacht Design: Balance 526 Review
• Go Downsize: How Fast Do Catamarans Go?
• Catamaran Guru: The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate
• The Boat App: The Fastest Cruising Catamarans of 2020
• Sail Magazine: Performance Cruising Cats Set New Standards in Sailing Speed
• Cruisers Forum: Fast Cruising Catamarans – How Fast?
• Lagoon – Inside: The Secrets of a Catamaran’s Performance
• Sail Magazine: 10 Great Cruising Cats
• Cruising World: 40 Best Sailing Catamarans and Trimarans, Cruising Catamarans…

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment.

Recent Posts

Must-Have Boat Gear for Catamaran Sailors!

Sailing is probably the most gear-intensive activity I've ever done; there are so many decisions to be made about what gear to buy now, for tomorrow, and what to definitely never buy. The gear on...

6 Best Trailerable Trimarans For Bluewater and Coastal Sailing

Having a boat costs a lot of money, even when you are not using it, marina fees, etc. And once it is in the water most sailors never go very far from their "home marina" and sailing will be somewhat...