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The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate

Which Cruising Catamaran Performs Better…And Does It Really Matter?

A client recently alerted us to a YouTube video posted by a catamaran dealer that is blatantly misleading and inaccurate. If you listen to this dealer, every catamaran manufacturer, other than the Fountaine Pajot brand, is slow, unsafe, not seaworthy and not fit to be a cruising catamaran.

While we agree that the Fountaine Pajot brand is an excellent product (we sell a lot of them), it certainly is not the ONLY good cruising catamaran in the world. There are many products available that are as good and like so many things, when it comes to choosing a cruising boat, it often boils down to personal preference, especially in this category of cruising catamaran.

2022 UPDATE: You will still find some great information below regarding cruising catamarans, especially if you are in the market to buy one. But lots has happened in the Performance Cruising Catamarans category since this post was written a few years ago, like Catana is back in the game with tons of innovation and a fresh new look. In addition to reading this article, be sure to read:

• 2022 Performance Cruising Catamaran Comparison
• We Bought a Performance Cruiser Catana OC 50

Cruising Catamarans Performance

The dealer in the video our client mentioned to us specifically focused on the superior performance of the Fountaine Pajot compared to some of the competing brands in the cruising category like Leopard Catamarans , Nautitech Catamarans , Bali Catamarans , Lagoon Catamarans , and Catana Catamarans .

The fact is that there is very little difference in speed between similarly lengthed cats in this category. All these catamarans are displacement hulls and they pretty much sail to hull speed with intermittent surfing. Therefore, when sailed efficiently, these cats should have very similar performance.

We hear terms such as power-to-weight ratio (sail area to displacement) bandied about a lot by yacht salespeople of the various boat brands as an indicator of performance. While this is definitely a factor and certainly has an effect on acceleration and light wind performance, it is not the only factor. Some catamaran brands will be faster around the cans in a regatta while others will be better when making long passages.

What one should also consider is that when cruising is that a catamaran’s performance will be dictated by sea state as well as wind speed and direction. In light winds, there will probably be a screecher or asymmetrical spinnaker deployed and in strong winds the sails will probably be reefed. This means that in cruising mode, most sail plans are optimized to the conditions. Therefore, when evaluating a cruising catamaran’s performance, there are many factors to be taken into consideration. This is not a simple cut-and-dried argument.

Catamaran Performance Factors & Calculations

To display the different factors and calculations which are relevant when it comes to catamaran performance, we went to Multihull Dynamics for data  and pulled some numbers on the two boats most mentioned in this dealer’s video, namely Lagoon and Fountaine Pajot. Here is what we found on the Multihull Dynamics site:

• Base Speed – An empirically derived indicator of the speed a given boat could average over a 24-hour period (best days run) under a variety of conditions. Here again the Lagoon had better numbers with 9.82 knots versus 9.46 knots for the FP Helia 44 – this explains why the Lagoons are so successful on the long Ocean races like the ARC
• KSP – Kelsail Sailing Performance number is a measure of relative speed potential of a boat. It takes into consideration Sail area, Displacement and length at Waterline. The higher the number the higher the speed predicted for the boat. Here the FP Helia 44 at 6.06 had better numbers than the Lagoon 450 which comes in at 6.02 – the Helia is the lighter boat.
• TR – Texel Rating provides a handicap system for widely varying boats sailing together in a race. The formula is essentially the inverse of the Base Speed formula with constants applied to make the results useful. The Texel rating system permits the calculation of time to sail a given distance. Thus a boat with a higher TR can be expected to take longer from start to finish than a boat with a lower TR. The Lagoon 450 came in at 141 versus the FP Helia 44 at 144.
• Interestingly the Leopard 45 came in with better numbers than the Lagoon and the FP as follows: Bruce number – 1.25; Base Speed 10.65; KSP 7.68 and TR 122.
• The numbers for Antares PDQ44 are very similar to the Helia 44 and Lagoon 450.
• Unfortunately there was no data available for the Bali or current Nautitech designs.

*Disclaimer: All data quoted here was derived from Multihull Dynamics.  Catamaran Guru  offers the details in good faith and  does not guarantee or warrant this data.

>>Click on the pictures above or go to Multihull Dynamics website for a full explanation of the graphs.  

While the Fountaine Pajot dealer touts the superior performance of their brand, actual data shows that the Lagoon brand has won more ARC cruising rallies than any other brand of cruising catamaran. These are hardly the statistics of “just a charter catamaran that sails in 50-mile circles and lacks performance”, as is claimed by this dealer. As an example, check out these ARC and ARC+ rally results in which Lagoon consistently features well:

• Spirit, Lagoon 450 Flybridge – 1st Multihull
• Cat’Leya, Lagoon 52 Sportop – 2nd Multihull
• Sea to Sky, Lagoon 450 – 3rd Multihull
• Dreamcatcher, Lagoon 52 – 4th Multihull
• Sumore, Lagoon 570 – 5th Multihull
• Opptur, Lagoon 500 – 6th Multihull
• Lea, Lagoon 52 – 10th Multihull
• 2015: 380 Havhunden, first in ARC+ Multihulls Division in corrected time
• 2013: 620 Enigma, first in ARC+ Multihulls Division in corrected time
• 2012: 560 Feliz, first in ARC Multihulls Division in real time
• 2011: 560 Blue Ocean, first in ARC Multihulls Division in corrected time & third in ARC Multihulls Division in real time
• 2010: 620 Lady Boubou, first in ARC Multihulls Division & 11th overall in real time

This is NOT an indication of how good or bad one boat over another is, but rather an indication of dealer bias !  We are sure this debate will continue but it is our considered opinion that one should look at the overall boat and not be blinded by issues that might or might not be manufactured by over-zealous sales people. As we have said before, it often comes down to personal preference.

Performance Cruising Catamarans

High-performance cruising cats are becoming more popular and there are a lot more on the market than even just five years ago, but it’s not for everyone, especially if you are not a skilled sailor. Daggerboards and bigger rigs require more skill and are not for the average sailor.

We’ve been racing on and off for years on different catamarans and we’ve always had great fun sailing and surfing at speeds of 15+ knots. But as fun as that is, it can be a white knuckled, wild ride in bad conditions and can leave the crew tired and tense because one has to really pay attention. At these speeds any mistake could be catastrophic since there is so much load on the rig. So, make no mistake, sailing fast in less than good conditions is hard work, particularly when you sail shorthanded.

When only the two of us cruise along on our own boat, we really appreciate the pleasure of gliding through the water at 8-10 knots, relaxed and comfortable. Would we love to be able to coast along at a good clip in very light winds? Sure, we would love to own an Outremer or Catana! But that type of performance cat will cost us probably twice the price of a regular cruising catamaran. Is it worth the money for the average cruiser? Debatable.

With the advancement of technology, more people will eventually be able to sail these performance cats skillfully and will be able to afford them as costs come down but until such time, we believe that the average sailor can very happily sail at fair speed toward their destination, safely and relaxed on an average cruising catamaran as discussed above. The fact is, one or two knots of speed, which is what the difference between these cruising cats MIGHT be, will not make or break your passage.

2020 Update: At the time of writing this article, we owned a Lagoon 450 SporTop , not a rocket ship by any means, but a fair sailing boat. We now own a Bali 5.4 catamaran that is significantly lighter and faster in general as a cruising catamaran and we love the extra speed. However, I have to say that this boat is less comfortable underway than the heavier Lagoon. It is more buoyant, a little more skittish and tend to surf much quicker. So one has to pay more attention in more vigorous conditions. It can be tiring on a long passage, but it sure is fun!

Stephen says, “I personally like the Bali because it is a more lively boat and sails very well – when we picked our boat up in France it was completely empty and bobbed like a cork which we were not used to because our Lagoon was a much heavier boat. Since we have now equipped her with all the world cruising equipment as well as big dinghy, etc. she is a little heavier and a lot more comfortable. It is a fact that weight affects performance – the lighter the boat the better performance one can expect. We flew across the Atlantic when we were nice and light but the boat still performs well now that she is at full cruising weight”.

The Bottom Line

So, to conclude this argument, dealers are always somewhat biased about the products that they represent. Manufacturers go to great lengths and spend a lot of money training their dealer networks to be knowledgeable about their products and represent them well with the buying public. They rightfully expect loyalty from their dealers and expect them to present a positive image to the consumer. We all get that. However, when dealers trash and misrepresent their competition with manufactured issues in order to sell their own products, they do a disservice to the buying public and the industry in general.

We want to hear what you have to say! Tell us about performance on your cruising catamaran and also check out our article on  why we chose our own catamaran .

Reminder! Check out these fresh updates on performance catamarans:

Contact us if you have any questions regarding catamarans, Fractional Yacht Ownership or our Charter Management Programs .

Estelle Cockcroft

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13 thoughts on “The Cruising Catamaran Performance Debate”

Thanks for a sober writing. I am the owner of the Lagoon 380 Hahunden, and agter with you. I have a spreadsheet with 75 different cruising cat models and the elapsed times in 29 races, and there is not much difference in perforfance. Can send it if uou want. Greetings.

I would like to see that spreadsheet for sure!

I own a Venezia 42′ and if my boat is part of your spreadsheet I would especially love to see it! Could you please send me a copy even if it’s not on there?

To discuss performance and Lagoon or FP in the same sentence is crass. These are not performance Catamarans, purely floating caravans. They have no pretence to performance only cruising capacity, any indicator of performance is purely coincidental.

I own a Privilege 495 and wouldn’t trade it for any other cat.

Hi Jack, I am interested in the performance of your boat. I understand that mini keels decrease performance considerably. Thanks Di

I would like to point out that the data that you use from Multihull Dynamics is completely flawed due to an inaccurate displacement value. Multihull Dynamcis inexplicably lists the Helia at 14 tons, while Fountaine Pajot and your site list the boat at 10.8 tons. This is quite a big difference and skews all the metrics calculated by the site. The Helia is obviously a lighter boat and performance in catamarans starts with weight, so it is undoubted that the Helia will be more lively than the Lagoon. I totally get your point that that does not mean that it will be more comfortable. Second, on the ARC data front: my father sailed twice across the same route in the Atlantic in the last 10 years and I’m very familiar with the conditions. The trade winds there tend to be rather lively and in those conditions weight will matter less. I would expect to see different results in lighter conditions. All that said, the dealer in question is undoubtedly doing their marketing with an agenda.

Hi Ivan, thanks for your input regarding the Helia 44 weight discrepancy. We are aware of this and it holds good for both vessels. You will note that the Helia 44 shows a displacement UNLOADED of 10.8T while the Lagoon 450 shows an UNLOADED displacement of 15T. In order to get accurate performance numbers we assume that Multihull Dynamics have used a number that represents the LOADED weight of both vessels. This means that for the Helia 44 it went from 10.8T to 14.1T (an increase of 3.3T) and in the case of the Lagoon 450, it went from 15T to 20T (an increase of 5T), since it a larger boat overall with more capacity. Based on the above I think we can safely say that we are looking at a fair and accurate comparison. Your input is really appreciated and we are always open to comment and correction to ensure the information we put on the site is accurate and fair.

Thank you for the clarification on displacement.I do see that they have bumped up the Lagoon 450 displacement as well so that’s a fair comparison. I wish they published that clearly because it changes numbers quite a bit as all manufacturers typically post the weight of their boats unloaded.It looks like the Lagoon makes up for the greater weight with a bigger sail area, so that will probably add up to greater effort needed to manage those larger sails but with modern systems, all these things can be managed. Thank you for the clarification and your insight overall.

I think the misconception people have about “performance” catamarans, is that the reason sailors gravitate towards them is not their speed, it is their ability to sail in light air. If you have a catamaran that will sail at windspeed or close to it in 5-8 knots, you’ll actually sail instead of cranking up the diesel. Those true performance catamarans capable of this that also have all the creature comforts of the Helia/Elba45 or Lagoon450/46, are 50+ feet long, and twice the price unfortunately.

You are so right! Well said.

Good article! For me, the weight includes all the stuff you are taking on a month long (or longer) journey (Full fuel +extra cans, 2 sups, dive tanks and compressor, 4 cases of wine…). My opinion is that the performance cats hull design suffers more when loaded to the gills. Ride quality is also very important and is often glossed over by the performance cat advocates.

You are completely right and that was part of strategy when we raced across the Atlantic with the ARC rally. We knew that all the cats would be loaded to the max for the crossing which no doubt makes them less efficient sailing cats. Fortunately on the Bali 5.4 the buoyancy calculations is for a fully spec’d and loaded boat. So we left and sailed like a bat out of hell right off the bat and we were sailing very efficiently, making 200+ NM distances every day. We figured that as the other cats start using their fuel, water and supplies, they would sail a little more efficiently but by then we would be well ahead of the pack, and it worked. We surprised even the very fast performance cats and all the while eight of us onboard were sailing in complete comfort and were eating gourmet meals three times a day! LOL- Of course the TS’s beat us but it is hardly a fair fight. LOL

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End of the legal saga between Hudson Yachts and Gunboat

The dispute between Gunboat International and Hudson Yachts is settled. Good news for the Gunboat brand, taken over by Grand Large Yachting in the spring, which sees the opening of a French page.

Subcontracting disputes

Gunboat International, a US-based specialist in luxury carbon catamarans, had signed a subcontract with Hudson Yachts & Marine (HYM). The largest Gunboat models were made in the Chinese HYM yard in Xiamen.

Dissatisfied with the services, the American shipyard sued its subcontractor before the American court of Rhode Island for refusal to pay warranty on defective parts and not delivery, for a total of 10 million euros. He then accused him of having launched the competing brand HH Catamarans, designed in California in collaboration with the Morrelli and Melvin design team and produced in China.

Out-of-court settlement

In a press release, HH Catamarans announced that an amicable agreement had been reached with Gunboat International. The company indicates that both parties worked and discussed in good faith to resolve outstanding issues during this difficult period. Gunboat International, now a subsidiary of Grand Large Yachting , wished Hudson Yachts & Marine Industries every success with its new HH Catamarans range...

The agreement, the content of which remains confidential, has yet to be approved by the US bankruptcy management institution.

French production?

While the production page in China of the Gunboats is definitively turned, a question remains open since the takeover of the American catamaran brand by Grand Large Yachting . Will the group, which also owns overseas, produce Gunboats in France? The choice of this organisation, which was discussed on 16 August at the Gunboat site, was not yet final during our last exchanges with the company.

6 Best Performance Cruising Catamarans (Buyer’s Guide)

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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!

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First look: HH44 – smallest offering yet

• Toby Hodges
• September 5, 2023

Big solar capacity, fixed keels or daggerboards, protected helms and drop down transom platforms are just some of the key feature that make the HH44 stand out

Product Overview

The old adage that the many benefits of a cruising catamaran are achieved at the cost of its sailing qualities is no longer true and a growing proportion of buyers are seeking performance boats that are responsive and fun to sail. This part of the multihull market has of course existed for a long time, with the likes of Outremer, Catana and more recently Gunboat and Marsaudon Composites proving that lightweight ultra-fast catamarans can be safe and comfortable, yet also exhilarating.

HH Catamarans has grown rapidly since the yard was founded in 2012 by entrepreneur and boating enthusiast Hudson Wang. He has since ploughed some US$50 million into the company, including 1.2 million square feet of manufacturing space with state of the art production equipment, predominately at Xiamen in south-western China.

Wang has also recruited top talent, including Kiwi boatbuilder Paul Hakes, who as CEO has brought his knowledge of building very high end raceboats to a cruising audience who want an equal level of attention to detail in an impeccably finished yacht that also offers a high level of comfort and without sacrificing speed.

The latest model to hit the water, the HH44, will be the smallest in the range and therefore available to a wider audience, even if the price tag still ranges upwards of US$1 million ex VAT. Nevertheless this hasn’t deterred 35 owners ordering boats off-plan before the first one left the yard.

This Morrelli & Melvin design is not as ultra high performance as some of the earlier and larger HH models. This is especially true in the OC (Ocean Cruising) versions of the HH44, which have an easily handled format with aluminium mast, white gelcoat finish and mini-keels as standard instead of daggerboards. Nevertheless displacement is one third lower than that of many catamarans of this size, which promises enjoyable and rewarding sailing, as well as markedly reducing time spent under power when passagemaking.

SC (Sports Cruising) models include current race boat technology, including carbon C-foils and rig, a painted hull finish, plus over 4kW of solar panels.

They also have a parallel hybrid EcoDrive system developed by Isle of Wight company Hybrid Marine. This is intended to provide all the key benefits of an electric boat – including silent, fume-free motoring, instant torque when manoeuvring, and hydro-regeneration while sailing – without sacrificing the reassuring backup of diesel engines.

The first boat, an SC model painted in a striking metallic silver, was scheduled to hit the water this summer. Demand has been such that HH is currently building an additional set of moulds and two production lines will run for the HH44 at its Cebu facility in the Philippines.

HH44 specifications

LOA (transoms raised): 14.23m / 46ft 8in LWL: 13.28m / 43ft 7in Beam: 7.15m / 23ft 6in Draught (fixed keels): 1.52m / 5ft 0in Displacement (OC model): 8,750kg / 19,290lb Payload approx: 4,750kg / 10,000lb Mainsail: 74.2m2 / 799ft2 Solent jib: 51.1m2 / 550ft2 Base price 44-OC: US$957,000 ex vat Base price 44-SC: US$1,325,000 ex VAT Builder: hhcatamarans.com

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HH55 Catamaran Review

• By Herb McCormick
• Updated: June 27, 2018

If you truly loved catamarans, if money were no object, if you wanted high performance but also wished for a boat that you could actually sail as a couple, if state-of-the-art carbon-fiber construction were something you could really understand and appreciate, what would you buy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the HH55.

Built in China to exacting standards, and created by the renowned multihull designers and partners Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin, the HH55 looks and feels like something conceived and launched in a future time and place, and deposited here in 2018 as if by time machine. Tellingly, the naval ­architects, Morrelli and ­Melvin, and one of the principal boatbuilders, New Zealander Paul Hakes, were all involved in the development and evolution of the original Gunboat brand. With the HH55, they’ve taken that concept and run with it.

The 55-footer certainly looks and feels like a next-generation Gunboat. The hulls maximize the waterline length and boast what might be called a reverse sheer line, and the bows, which look slick and pierce waves, are swept slightly aft. And there are definitely some overlapping features to a Gunboat, the most prominent being the forward steering station inside the central saloon (though you can also opt for twin wheels aft) that opens up to a forward cockpit where all the sheets, halyards and reefing lines live. It’s clean, functional and has withstood the test of modern times.

The materials and technology incorporated in the HH55 would not be out of place on Starship Enterprise. Carbon fiber is employed throughout in a sandwich laminate that incorporates infused epoxy resins and Core-Cell foam cores, which makes the boat lean and strong and also provides sound and heat insulation. Rod rigging is eschewed in favor of light, durable aramid fibers. The fractional spar and V-shaped boom are prepreg carbon that’s baked in an autoclave. A CZone digital control and monitoring system, linked to a B&G ­Hercules central processing unit, provides a seamless electrical interface among all electronic components and state-of-the-art autopilots and sailing instruments. It’s all powered by lithium-ion batteries.

In the interior layout, customization is both available and encouraged. On the model we tested, the owners suite spanned the length of the entire port hull, with a comfortable double berth aft and a large head with an enormous shower stall, forward. The starboard hull housed double cabins in the ends, with separate heads. The main cabin is airy and equipped with an ample galley, dedicated nav station and spacious dining area; sliding glass doors open up to create a vast, seamless space between the interior saloon and the outdoor aft cockpit, which features a second dining table, sun bed, wet bar and barbecue. Luxurious is the word that readily leaps to mind.

Not surprisingly, the bloody boat sails like a witch. The curved carbon daggerboards maximize the performance and control. The helm is as smooth and silky as can be. During our test sail on Chesapeake Bay, in about 11 knots of true wind, the HH55 slipped through the water like a hot knife through butter. During our Boat of the Year contest, only one boat surpassed the 55’s sailing prowess, its bigger, more powerful sister, the HH66 (see “Hook In and Hang On,” opposite).

Our BOTY judges were smitten by the yacht. Bill Bolin was impressed with the arrangement and functionality of the galley: “I thought it was exceptional. It’s U-shaped and very deep. The crew would be out of the way of the traffic patterns, with people moving around and going in and out of either hull or the staterooms or heads. It was very well thought out.” Ed Sherman said, “I like the way it’s laid out. The builders have demonstrated that they can build a cruising-­oriented boat that offers a good turn of speed and performance, but a couple can run it without outside assistance. It’s a really cool boat.”

Of course, with a price tag over $2.5 million, it better be. But for those well-heeled enough to afford it, it might just be a bargain. It’s hard to imagine more fun at any price.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

• More: 50+ ft , Bluewater Cruising , hh catamarans , multihull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Following a range of successful models that were designed by Morrelli & Melvin (the original 62, then the 48 and the Gunboat 66 ), Peter Johnstone, the original Gunboat founder before Grand Large Yachting days, turned to British record breaking yacht Designer Nigel Irens for the next cat to come out of the GB bag: the Gunboat 60 .

This design was quite an evolutionary step for the famous marque, with a more curvaceous look, a hull chine, axe bows and big near vertical wrap around windows for 360 degree views. 60 foot is the sweet spot for a smooth ride, plenty of living space and  300+ miles daily passages in good conditions. Not many boats can pull off those kinds of miles in the day. The O-Yachts Class 6 catamaran comes to mind, and HH catamarans, but Gunboat was bossing this market segment first.

Photo credit Instagram: @oliver_bzh, @_a_l_a_i_a_, @sophie_bre_voyage

This is the key section for Gunboat owners isn’t it? Gunboats are all about speed, and Nigel Irens doesn’t disappoint with his Gunboat 60 design. You will be sailing at true wind speed and even over in lighter airs and she pinches close to the wind if needed (40 degrees TWA is not an issue on these boats). If you have spent this kind of money on a boat, the chances are that you will have a full sail locker with a Code 0 to do the work upwind in lighter airs and a Gennaker to fly off the wind, not to mention a range of sails inbetween.

When the breeze fills in, you will comfortably hitting double digits in knots and sailed to her full potential she will sit in the twenties, but you will need to be alert and on your toes. 300-mile days are your target in good conditions. This is the kind of performance that has inspired other manufacturers such as Balance Catamarans and Kinetic to name a few.

The Gunboat record is over 400.

And there are plenty of safety features on the 60 to help you manage all of this power. Digital load sensors monitor the stresses on the rig in real time and, if you are not the kind of sailor who relishes flying a hull in a multi-million dollar yacht, you can program the system to automatically release the sheets on the mainsheet and the headsail when rig loads hits a limit.

Even so, the Gunboat 60 is not designed to be sailed by a novice. You will need some serious miles under your belt before you slip into the helm seat, or employ a seasoned captain

As with all Gunboats, the construction was high end racing yacht quality. The hull laminate is carbon fiber set in epoxy resin, fully infused and post-cured over a CoreCell foam core. All the fittings and components inside are foam-cored and skinned with wood veneers to keep the weight off and the look luxurious. The rig is carbon with a Marstrom rotating wing-section mast and aramid fiber rigging. All the Furling gear was sourced from Facnor.

One big design change from previous models was the installation of carbon centerboards instead of daggerboards. This makes for a safer structure along with carbon retractable rudders, which are retractable. The centerboards are operated with by hydraulic rams and fitted with shear pins that allow the boards to kick up in the event of a grounding.

The narrow hulls slice through the water and she sports a high bridgedeck, and nothing forward of the mast except the nets and a long carbon bowsprit. The hulls and bridgedeck are constructed in one mold, and there is no forward beam.

The Gunboat 60 is set up with the forward cockpit that has proven so popular with owners: just behind the mast and forward of the saloon. , All working lines come into this space and are managed by a set of three Lewmar winches. She’s set up to sail with a short handed crew. You helm on one of two Edson carbon wheels : one outside and one inside. Take your pick according to the conditions and weather.

From the Saloon wheel, you can see the headsail telltales and the mainsail above through two deck hatches. The mainsheet is managed from here or dumped with a big safety one button if you feel the boat starting to become overpowered. The nav station is tucked neatly forward on the starboard side with a plotter and autopilot in front of the wheel as well.

Behind the helm position, the cockpit opens aft into a large, comfortable, open space with sofas, tables, and a window through to the galley on the port side. There’s an electric barbecue aft.

Despite the fact that this is a 60 foot boat, the living accommodation is not huge (there’s a trade off for all of that speed), but it is hardly cramped either and luxuriously fitted. The layout is normally four double-berth staterooms, plus a crew cabin forward to port with two single berths. This space is sometimes configured as an office or workspace.  The berths in the midship staterooms are athwartships, and aft, the berths are smaller and run along the hulls. There is plenty of light down below through hull ports and deck hatches.

Large, near vertical windows enclose the saloon, with the galley to port and dining area to starboard. Once you have the two windows and all of the doors open at anchor, the breeze flows though – one of the defining designs of most Gunboats. There’s plenty of working space in the galley with all of the mod cons that you’d expect on a luxury performance catamaran.

Many Gunboat 60s were designed to leave a small footprint when under power with a hybrid propulsion system. Optional electric motors turn the propellers on retractable sail drive legs powered by a large lithium-ion battery pack. These are charged by solar and the props when you are sailing. There are a pair of generators for backup.

Many of the Gunboat 60s, such as Moonwave, have further developed the power system over the years.

The boat motors up to 9 knots for around half an hour before the generators kick in. If you are just using the engines to get in and out of marinas, you will have considerably longer on battery power alone. The idea, of course, is to get the sails up as quick as possible. In anything over 4 knots of wind, you should be sailing.

Fast Boat to China

In a bid to reduce manufacturing costs, Peter Johnstone moved production of the Gunboats from South Africa to Hudson Marine in China. The relationship turned sour following multiple warranty claims on the boats, which were mostly do do with the new centreboard design. Johnstone accused Hudson Wang of sub standard manufacturing quality, and Wang counter sued claiming that the problem was with the original design. It is not unheard of to go through these issues with new boat designs, especially at this kind of high tech level. The problems were eventually resolved, but the damage was gone and the 2 parties fell out over the issue.

Johnstone moved production for his next model, the 55, to the US and later ran into financial difficulties while Hudson Wang ended up launching a performance catamaran brand of his own.

Gunboat 60s – Where Are They Now?

60-01 Defiance (ex Fault Tolerant, ex Golden Gun) Follow them on Instagram on @sailingdefiance

60-02 Flow Flow caught on fire in Badalona near Barcelona in May 2023 and was written off. Not good news.

60-03 Moonwave Moonwave has been lavished with upgrades since her launch including a new power unit. Head to Moonwave.com or check out our Moonwave Gunboat article

60-04 Alaia (ex Jade) You can follow Alaia on alaia60.com and on social media.

60-05. Prana (launched before Jade)

60-06. Arethusa

60-07 Never completed?

60-08 Momentum

How Much Does a Gunboat 60 cost? What is the Price Ticket? Gunboat 60s are no longer in production, so you will need to buy second hand to get your hands on one. There aren’t many, and they hold their price, as do most Gunboats. When they were launched, the list price was around $2.5m. You’ll still likely pay up to $2m for one today.

What Happened Between Gunboat and Hudson Marine? Gunboat International, the North Carolina yard, sued the Chinese yard accusing the builder of not finishing the build properly on the Gunboat 60s and that the yard refused to pay warranty claims on constructed yachts they claimed weren’t built properly. Hudson Yacht and Marine Industries denied the allegations and then countersued Gunboat, saying that design flaws, not builder error, led to the warranty claims and that it was not contractually obliged to fix mistakes that were a result of the design. In the end Gunboat picked up the repair tab (some $10m) and then tried to terminate the contract with HYM. However, the Chinese yard refused to return the molds and tooling, according to Peter Johnstone. Johnstone then accused the company and its owner, Hudson Wang, of launching a “knockoff brand” of carbon fiber performance catamarans onto the market despite signing a non-compete contract.

What Was the Cause of the Dispute? Most of the problems came from the centreboard design, which was new to the market at the time. There were also problems with the hydraulic propeller system (or “skeg system”). Gunboat also accused Hudson of “deliberately, willfully and maliciously obtaining Gunboat’s trade secrets with the intention of utilizing said trade secrets in connection with, and incorporating them into, the competing HH Catamaran 55 and 66 series, and HYM and Wang did, in fact, appropriate and utilize said trade secrets for their own benefit and profit.”

Safe to say that this is all water under the bridge now. The Gunboat brand was sold to Grand Large Yachting who now manufacture the 68, a completely different design developed by VPLP. And yes, HH still market the 55 and 66, 2 boats designed by Morrelli and Melvin who designed the earlier Gunboats. It’s a small sailing world.

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• Search forums
• Sailing Anarchy

Gunboat vs. HH Catamarans

• Thread starter Cheap Beer
• Start date Sep 18, 2015

More options

Super Anarchist

• Oct 3, 2015

bruno said: Its a pretty basic business problem: bit off more than they could chew and not enough focus on the engineering and manufacturing processes for complex systems and highly loaded platforms. Is the initial concept and subsequent design and marketing working? Yes, quite well, in addition to fortuitous timing with the America's Cup initiating a resurgence in interest in multis. So all in all much to be applauded for, just have to make through an extended teething phase and maybe come out on the far side. All those who are hastening to decry the unskilled labor force in NC, wake up, not only are those high end motorboats high tech and serious about weight savings and strength, they also build them in numbers that a blow boy could only dream off. There are working class peeps running vacuum pumps in Nascar, sportfisher yards, airplane factories, car afctories, etc., don't need an ivy league degree to figure it out. Click to expand...

kent_island_sailor

bruno said: A good union wage building blades for TP in Iowa 10 years ago was described as $11/hr. Sometimes we forget what its like for those less fortunate or more content with a simpler life. As for nonsourced: story said office of the governor at the top, maybe you only believe if its from Faux gnus Click to expand...

Riight, thats why Boeing is shifting production down to hicksville Design and Construction The Davis 70 strives to retain the sharp entry, sweeping flare and gracious tumble home that made its predecessors legendary. Each 70 boasts an all-glass hull and advanced composite coring from the keel to the waterline. Davis constructs the boat from a two-piece split-hull mold, with laminates forming the solid fiberglass bottom and a Divinycell-cored topside. A one-piece fiberglass cabin house and the separate fly bridge top off the deck, and the one-piece fiberglass cockpit drops into place. But make no mistake, the owner has tremendous say in the design layout and construction on every one of these 70-foot, semi-custom builds. With that said, there is only one thing that Davis will never let a prospective owner change: Davis will never sacrifice comfort and style. http://www.davisyachts.com/luxury-boats-accessories-buddy-davis-boats/  

And I was wrong, I think the wage range was actually $11-13/hr in 2007, with full union benefits so the total cost to the empolyer would maybe twice the hourly, to be fair. Where I live the Davis Bacon rate for carpenters is about $55/hr., just for comparison.  

dreaming my life away...

bruno said: Riight, thats why Boeing is shifting production down to hicksville Design and Construction The Davis 70 strives to retain the sharp entry, sweeping flare and gracious tumble home that made its predecessors legendary. Each 70 boasts an all-glass hull and advanced composite coring from the keel to the waterline. Davis constructs the boat from a two-piece split-hull mold, with laminates forming the solid fiberglass bottom and a Divinycell-cored topside. A one-piece fiberglass cabin house and the separate fly bridge top off the deck, and the one-piece fiberglass cockpit drops into place. But make no mistake, the owner has tremendous say in the design layout and construction on every one of these 70-foot, semi-custom builds. With that said, there is only one thing that Davis will never let a prospective owner change: Davis will never sacrifice comfort and style. http://www.davisyachts.com/luxury-boats-accessories-buddy-davis-boats/ Click to expand...

• Oct 4, 2015

ProaSailor said: bruno said: Riight, thats why Boeing is shifting production down to hicksville Design and Construction The Davis 70 strives to retain the sharp entry, sweeping flare and gracious tumble home that made its predecessors legendary. Each 70 boasts an all-glass hull and advanced composite coring from the keel to the waterline. Davis constructs the boat from a two-piece split-hull mold, with laminates forming the solid fiberglass bottom and a Divinycell-cored topside. A one-piece fiberglass cabin house and the separate fly bridge top off the deck, and the one-piece fiberglass cockpit drops into place. But make no mistake, the owner has tremendous say in the design layout and construction on every one of these 70-foot, semi-custom builds. With that said, there is only one thing that Davis will never let a prospective owner change: Davis will never sacrifice comfort and style. http://www.davisyachts.com/luxury-boats-accessories-buddy-davis-boats/ Click to expand...

I though the cod-head design went out in the 1600s or does the bow flare make it look like that?  

Its the acres of bow flare.  

crashtestdummy

Isnt GB now out of business, at least in NC? Apologizes for not reading alone way back if it was stated before. I tried to visit the factory while on vacation in July and no one was there.  

Now let me think, why would you want a solid lam hull that is subjected to high slamming loads? And what current highly popular development ocean racing class prefers them also? And if you bother to look at the photos there's all this funny black stuff and whats that honeycomb stuff? but hey, you must be right, they are a bunch of redneck retards and they don't sell boats to wealthy demanding customers, you' riight.  

bruno said: Now let me think, why would you want a solid lam hull that is subjected to high slamming loads? And what current highly popular development ocean racing class prefers them also? And if you bother to look at the photos there's all this funny black stuff and whats that honeycomb stuff? but hey, you must be right, they are a bunch of redneck retards and they don't sell boats to wealthy demanding customers, you' riight. Click to expand...

Maybe GB used the flared bow as a mold for their foils.  

• Oct 5, 2015

https://www.navalengineers.org/ProceedingsDocs/FAST2011/FAST_B/B12-3.FAST2011.Allen_et_al.pdf  

is there any aerospace composite stuff going on in N or SC?  

I really admire the Gunboat idea and some great boats are out there but by telling the owners ( via the media)they are crap doesn't seem clever to me  

The business GB is in is a very hard one, if for no other reason that keeping the cash flow going over the various builds can't be easy. I do find it funny SA is VERY MUCH the status quo on reporting on them.  

I thought in 101 custom engineering was you perfect one before you move to the next?  

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