CODE [E]- THE ULTIMATE ECO-FRIENDLY LUXURY CATAMARAN

A joy for me again to introduce a new catamaran concept. This one is quite unique since it gathers all the proved solutions available on the market to make a yacht as eco-friendly as possible. It is born out of the drawing boards of Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design. You will find following some renderings and the press release I wrote for the project. I also have a detailed press kit should you be interested.

"La Rochelle, France, the 26 th of February

For the first time, Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design (BRYD) introduces Code[e], a 100-foot eco-friendly luxury catamaran.

Code [e] is an aesthetic, high-performance, state of the art luxury catamaran designed to cruise in symbiosis with the environment. Despite the economic crises, the project had a lot of success during the last Düsseldorf Boat Show as more and more people are concerned about environmental issues.

Olivier Racoupeau: “Code [e] is about protecting, living with and learning from the environment. It matches our way of living and thinking with respect to our natural surroundings. We practice what we preach and believe that technology can help us protect the environment. Our team is constantly studying new ways of reducing yachts negative impacts while keeping a high level of comfort and performances for our clients.”.

Living with the environment:

o Sun : 40 m² of solar panels fully integrated to the structure

o Wind: 2 vertical retractable 1100 Watts silent wind turbines

o Water: 2 Hydro Electric generators will provide power while sailing.

Protecting the environment:

o A Hybrid propulsion system, silent and emission free, will be used with a reasonable 15 minutes autonomy while docking or anchoring for example.

o LED lighting divides by 10 the electric consumption compared to halogen bulbs

o The use of air conditioning is greatly reduced thanks to air intakes located below the platform and a clever distribution system throughout the yacht

o Fresh water from the rain will be captured on the roof, filtered and utilized to minimize the use of the water maker

o A hot water system, located on the top of the roof, will use the sun to top up the classical hot water production equipment.

Learning from the environment:

o An observation station is located on the platform, at mast food ahead of the salon and dining areas. This space will feature touch screen computers connected to the internet, books, revues and magazines about the sea, the wind, the sky and the earth. It will host comfortable couches to speak about environmental issues with guests and friends.

The Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design team has integrated the protection of the environment in each stage of design process. Code [e] is not just a concept; the team is finishing the full specifications and will soon start consulting shipyards to build this unique yacht.

Code [e] – short specifications

- LOA: 31.20 m /102.36 ft

- LWL: 28.40 m /93.17 ft

- BEAM: 13.00 m /42.60 ft

- Draft minimum: 1.38 m /4.52 ft

- Draft maximum: 4.40 m/14.43 ft

- Rig: Sloop

- Mast and boom: Carbon

- Total sail area: 460 m²/4951.40 square foot

- Displacement empty: 70 T

- Engines: 2*260 hp

- Speed (max/cruise): 17/10 knots

- Fuel capacity: 2 * 3000 l (2 * 792.52 US Gallons)

- Freshwater capacity: 2 * 2000 l (2 * 528.34 US Gallons)

- Owner and guests: 8

- Crew: 6

- Construction: Composite

- Process : Infusion

- Conception: BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

- Naval architecture: BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

- Interior designer: BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

- Builder: To be determined

The general specifications mentioned above are preliminaries and not contractual.

Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design - BRYD

Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design was founded 30 years ago. Since the beginning the design office has had a strong reputation for designing innovative yet stylish yachts. Shipyards such as Bénéteau, CIM, JFA, Garcia Yachts, Alliage and Fountaine Pajot have developed strong and long-term partnerships with the design office.

BRYD is located in La Rochelle (France). The crew of 10 is made up of naval architects, designers, and engineers.

Olivier Racoupeau and his team are working for the future and inventing new ways of using technology"

DUSSELDORF BOAT SHOW - BOOT DUSSELDORF - LUXURY CATAMARAN EXHIBITOR

For those of you lucky enough to go the this year Boot Dusseldorf, I am just listing the luxury catamaran builders and designers present at the show.





JFA is building the VPLP 110 an amazing 110' fast and sleek catamaran. HALL 7A/B11

BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN will introduce for the first time Code[e] the most advance eco-friendly yacht available on the market. HALL 7A/B11

SUNREEF will be present for the first time in Dusseldorf to introduce their successfull catamaran range including the SUNREEF 102 DD and SUNREEF 114 actually being built at the yard in Poland. HALL 7A/C24

H2X, a shipyard located in La Ciotat who is continuing to build the NAHEMA 120 and has built the BRADLEY motor catamaran. HALL 7A/H26

ALUMARINE, the builder of the large luxury catamaran afloat DOUCE FRANCE will introduce the NOAH motor catamaran. HALL 7A/B11

BEFORE PARIS BOAT SHOW LUXURY CATAMARAN UPDATE

I wanted to take some time a few weeks before the Paris Boat Show to write this post about my clients, partners and friends of the blog.

AEROYACHT

I am currently working with and for Gregor Tarjan on two major luxury catamaran projects. Both will be tremendous breakthroughs in this small market niche. Gregor is a very well know Multihull specialist in the US and has published the successful catamaran bible “CATAMARANS Every Sailor's Guide". He has a lot of energy and just like me really is a catamaran fan.

---

ALCYON YACHT

Paul Renaud has lately designed a 125 footer and a 164 footer for a Swiss client that will soon be introduced in his new website. I like Paul designs because he is just filling a missing niche: Designing very large catamarans inspired by motor yacht comfort but with catamaran advantages. I am working on his new website structure and content. I will keep you informed when it is launched.

---

FRANCK DARNET DESIGN

I trained Franck Darnet’s team to efficiently handle PR. They have been very successful with it and have got national coverage in the French Press in famous financial newspaper “Les Echos”, weekly best selling magazine “ Le Figaro Magazine”, and yachting magazines such as “voiles et voiliers”, “voile magazine”. They also have achieved international coverage in Yachting magazines including a five page article in “YACHT DESIGN”. Franck Darnet has designed the NAHEMA 120 and 150 and recent yachts such has the SUNRISE 45. He is involved with his Miami based partner Karine Rousseau in many other projects such as an eco-friendly hotel, submarine houses, luxury motor homes...

---

BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

Olivier’s Racoupeau design office is really busy as usual working for Beneteau, Fountaine Pajot and on one off projects such as the Z 90 a very innovative catamaran to be launched next year. I wrote the design office last two newsletter as well as part of the website.

---

EXCLUSIVE

I am very happy to have been contacted by ExclusivE founder: Georges Benarroch. He is an amazing personage (as we say in French). Georges has chartered many cats, and has worked very hard to put together the ExclusivE 76 concept with the goal of building the best catamaran in this range. We are almost there, the first unit should be launched first semester next year. I am actually working on his new website and have put together a complete PR plan for him for next year. So look out you will be soon hearing a lot about the ExclusivE 76.

---

JFA

JFA is building the VPLP 110 to be launched in 2010. Their reputation of a very serious and quality orientated shipyard, with a small structure close to the client is growing in the industry. I have written for them their latest news letter. I hope we will get a chance to work together again in a next future.

---

MULTIHULLS WORLD

Jean Christophe Guillaumin, the editor of Multihull world, called me sometime ago and asked me if I would be interested in writing articles about luxury cat in his magazine. Guess what my answer was ? So check the next issue for the Paris Boat Show and you will discover a complete section on yacht catamarans, as well as a complete survey of most of the recent all sized catamarans afloat as well as future projects. If you can not find the magazine in a library close to you, you can download it on the website.

---

NAHEMA

The NAHEMA 120 is being built in la ciotat (France). I was missioned by NAHEMA for a year to make the brand know on an international level. With more than 20 articles in the international yachting press and a very large coverage on the web I think it really is a success. They are now on their own and I hope I will get a chance to work on other projects again in the coming future.

---

WILLMAR

Philippe Guillemin established Willmar a few years ago in Florida. He is the main importer of Fountaine Pajot catamaran and distributes the ExclusivE 76 and other Gilles Ollier designs. He really has a great expertise in catamarans for having built and sail many of them and worked on yachts building projects all around the world. Willmar had some trouble with being found on the web and wanted French speaking people looking for a good value cat in the US and Caribbean to be able to find them. I have launched for him a blog in French working on the necessary most efficient tag words to be found on the web.

---

SPECIAL THANKS TO :

Ewa Starchuska, the experienced SUNREEF PR, for sending me regular information to publish on the blog and sharing some ideas about our jobs. I think we work quite the same way.

Chandler Collins, GUNBOAT marketing and pr for keeping me updated on the GUNBOAT catamarans.

Hugo le Breton, Le Breton Yachts, for keeping me updated on the SIG 45 a real breakthrough in catamaran design, a great project.

Tom Ashwell, from Synergy Yachting Partner, for launching with me the www.catamaranpro.com forum which is not really famous yet but we hope will have more success with all the future launches of luxury catamarans.

Greg Young, the talented designer of the Young 80 for sending me news about his designs.

Gayle, from Seaspray Magazine, for cheering me up and being a real catamaran fan.

All the suscribers to the RSS feed and regular readers who didn't suscribe yet.

All of you who have sent me emails and with whom I am keeping in touch even outside the blog.

---

FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

I am actually trying to find a computer partner in the Rennes area ( France) to help me developing a nicer format to the blog with added interactive features. So Stay Tuned...

Z90 - A BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

The Z90 is not a concept, it is actually being built in Italy. Designed by Berret Racoupeau, its sleek design will not go unnoticed. Olivier racoupeau told me that one of the main objective behind the exterior design was to integrated as much as possible all fittings.

• Closed the transom doors disappear in the design, open they host a swim platform and stairs to the deck.


• A large tender is hidden under the platform in between the hulls like they have design on the latest Fountain Pajot Catamarans.







• A very distinctive feature, I have not seen on any other sailing catamarans is the large bulwark which protects the briges and allow fully save movement around the boat much like the Wally Essence.

The accomodations offers a lot of space.

• The deck saloon at cockpit level hosts a dining and a relaxing area with a 360 view on the outsite.


• The cockpit looks more like an outdoor salon with its coaches and confortable setees.


• The owner suite is huge and benefit from the entire width of the roof, 5 meters. For the owner to be able to see outside and not being seen, and for sun protection BRYD has designed what we call in French "louves". Couldn't find a translation.

BRYD also has on the drawing board a 98 footer maybe in a future post.

A LIST OF MEGA SAILING CATAMARANS ABOVE 100 FOOT

Following is a list of mega sailing catamarans above 100 foot being built or just at the state of project. The interest for large sailing catamarans is growing yet few projects above 100 feet are actually being built compared to sailing monohulls not to mention motoryachts of course. I think the launching of HEMISPHERE at the end of the year will push the market forward. Let me know if you know of any other projects than those listed.

IN PRODUCTION
HEMISPHERE (ex GEMINI) - 145 '

The largest sailing catamaran ever.

VPLP Design
Interior by Michael Leach
Built at the derecktor shipyard
Aluminum
Due to be launched end of this year
Available for charter with Burgess



NAHEMA 120

Largest in composite
Gilles Vaton Design
Interior by Franck Darnet Design
Built at the H2X shipyard
Composite
Due to be launched spring 2010



SUNREEF 106

Largest Double Decker
SUNREEF Design Team
Interior by Sunreef and Owner
Aluminum
Built at the SUNREEF shipyard.



SUNREEF 102 DD



SUNREEF Design Team
Interior Sunreef Design
Aluminum
Built at the SUNREEF shipyard





PROJECTS

VPLP

• Saïda - huge (could find the lenght on their website).
• Sailor 164
• Racer 164
• Boreas 140
  
  

BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

• Islander 115' (a lot of living space on deck and inside)

VATON DESIGN

• Nahema 150
  

ALCYON YACHTS

• Alcyon 120 fly

CPA

• Lady C 150'
  

GALILEO

• Arkona 130 '
  
  

MORELLI & MEVIN DESIGN

• Mega catamaran 151'




• Mega catamaran 201' with Cayros design

SUNREEF

• Sunreef 120'



• Sunreef 122'

YAPLUKA

• Yapluka 120
• Yapluka 130'
  
  
  

BLUBAY

• Blubay 122'
• Blubay 142'
• Blubay 162'
• Blubay 182'
• Blubay 202

BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT DESIGN

I didn't spend as much time as I wanted with the luxury catamaran blog lately but I have been very busy with work. I am now also doing some PR consulting for Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design.

2008 is a big year for Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design, the design office was created 30 years ago by Jean Berret. He hired Olivier Racoupeau in 1983 and they co-founded Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design in 1994. Jean Berret is now retiring with more than 15 000 sailboats afloat. Jean and Olivier made up a great, very complementary team : the artist Jean Berret with a design degree from the famous Ecole Boulle in Paris and Olivier Racoupeau with an aerospace engineering degree. Olivier Racoupeau now holds the helm with a very talented crew of 9 designers, architects, engineers.

NAHEMA IV - Berret Racoupeau Design

When I visited the office in La Rochelle a few week ago and met with Olivier Racoupeau I was very impressed by the organisation, the management of the office. They are succeeding in remaining creative while providing their clients with a very strict design process from defining the Concept to the delivery of the boat : This is state of the art yacht design. They've designed only sailboats, in fact I could say they are in this way some kind of unique in France. They have created many monohulls for production yards such as BENETEAU, WAUQUIEZ, JEANNEAU, ALLIAGE. They have also designed many winning race boats : 4 world champions, the admirals cup winner in 1985, the BOC challenge in 1989-1990, and 3 mini transat. I will not list all their monohulls designs it would take one hour, back to real boats : catamarans !!!

Eleuthera 60 - Fountaine Pajot - Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design

BRYD is now recognized world-wide as one of the top office in catamaran design. They are working with Fountaine Pajot, the world leader in production catamarans with more than 1 800 units launched. For Fountaine Pajot, BRYD has created the Marquise 56' in 1991 (38 units), the Eleuthera 60' in 2004 (27 units), the Salina 48 ' in 2007 (27 units) and the Galathea 65' (to be launched in 2009). BRYD has more and more requests for larger units. They have also designed luxury catamarans with the YAPLUKA 60 and 70 (WONDERFUL, BELLA DONA, NAHEMA IV), the ALDABRA 60, the CIM 116, and have now in production and on the drawing boards a 75, a 90 and a 98 footer. I will soon write a post about the Z90 an amazing mega cat being built in Italy.

Wonderful - Yapluka 70 - Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design

I am very happy to work with them. I did some re-writing for their website which will be launched by summer time. I will let you know. I wrote their newsletter and will post a copy of it on the blog so stay tuned.

For more information about Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design, you can email Isabelle Ramirez.

DUSSELDORF BOOT REVIEW - A GREAT SHOW

Nahema's stand at the boote dusseldorf 2008

I just came back from the Dusseldorf Boote yesterday where I spent 11 days with NAHEMA's team and had a great time. This was the best boat show I attended in the last 12 years.

Special thanks to Nicolas Daher, NAHEMA's the executive director for trusting me, Malouréne Corbeille, sales assitant for her energy and patience, and Sonja-Dana Roelen, our clever hostess for laughting at my fith degree French jokes.

From left to right Nicolas Daher, Malouréne Corbeille, Sonja-Dana Roelen, and your blogmaster Sébastien Barthez

NAHEMA was the only one mega-catamaran builder and displayed two models the NAHEMA 120 and PHENOMEN by Nahema an amazing 150 footer. The largest catamarans exhibited at the boat show was the CATANA 50.

Boat shows are the occasions to meet very interesting people you exchanged only mails with. Amongst many others I was very happy to meet with :

- Ewa Stachurska, SUNREEF's PR manager. She is a very very energetic, efficient young lady. We talked for a few minutes about the show and how we worked. It is always interesting to exchange point of view with a profesionnal doing the same job. I hope next time we will have more time. Ewa was in Dusseldorf to see if it was worth it for SUNREEF to be there next year. Since she came at the beginning I had a hard time answering her questions but now I can. Yes Ewa it is worth it and for many reasons. First, you have more than 280 000 visitors coming for all around Europe and even farther. So in terms of brand image being there is a great thing, you get your brand noticed. Second, I noticed the visitors really loved watersports and are very curious. Third, when you come in Dusseldorf in January you don't come for the weather, you come for the show. Fourth, all the people in the superyacht hall 7 I talked to told me this was their best show as far as potential buyers, press and networking. Fifth, this is a long show and tiring, however people have more time. You get to talk with partners, press who are not in a rush and conversation have a lot more value. Sixth, average purchasing power is endeed pretty high. Finally, the public in this show litteraly love multihulls.

- Olivier Racoupeau, a successfull naval architect based in La Rochelle, who designed many monohulls for Beneteau, catamarans for Fountaine Pajot, Yacht Industries (Yapluka), and has actually three mega-catamarans in built, a record. I have the chance to go to Olivier Racoupeau offices in a couple of weeks so I will let you know more about his mega catamarans concepts. Check Olivier's amazing monohull project of the EVOE in collaboration with Isabelle Ramirez and Couedel Hugon Design.

- Merijn de Waard, Superyachtimes' (click on the link you will see pictures from the show) website founder and editor, who took the great picture of our team. Merijn has done things the right way, creating a website about the industry easy to surf and with interesting and well written content. Keep up the good work and you will get good results.

- Philippe Touet, Incidence Sail maker, the best sails maker in the world for multihulls. I have known Philippe for ten years now and he is always a great guy with such an amazing knowledge about sail making and multihulls. He has designed and made the sails for Francis Joyon's IDEC and so many other multihulls and mega-yachts. Philippe, who is an experienced sailor, a member of the Banque Populaire team since 2007, teamed up with Groupama from 1999 to 2007 and took part to the America's Cup in 87-92-95. Check his records,amazing. He is a also a fun guy to be around for partying with his collegue and friend Huges Destremau another experienced sailor. If you need sails for your catamaran call Incidence.

- Others, Frédéric Jaouen from JFA, Laurent Charlier from H2X builder of the Bradley and of the NAHEMA 120, Olivier Lafourcade from 20 years old CNB a reference in sailing yacht building, Nicolas Claris from the Claris agency, Shipman's team, builders of the most performant carbon cruising monohulls on the market...

Getting around Dusseldorf : a few advice if you plan to visit or exhibit at the show next year.

• Book a hotel close to the city center and Königs allee, this way you will not be far away from the altstadt where most of the fun goes on at night, from the harbour with its Frank Gehry architecture (one of my favorite architect) and trendy night life, from shopping, and most important from the subway line U78 which takes you in 20 minutes right inside the show.
• Book your restaurants ahead of times, most of the brewery are booked during the complete duration of the show. Some great tables : Café Madrid - real spanish Tapas, Okra - cheap and very good Ethipian food, Lido - quite expensive but an amazing restaurant made of glass and wood above the Rhine in the Franck Gehry district with a view on the water and modern buildings, Rosie modern german and international food with good music, Bandido-the best mexican restaurant I have ever been too, Sila - Thai a real treat book and ask to be in the backroom, seated on the ground if you don't mind taking you shoes of and order a Mai Tai and a degustation menu, Schlüssel a real brewery with traditional alt beer and good food.
  

WONDERFUL, YAPLUKA 73

I didn't mention the Yapluka Shipyard yet on my blog but it is one of the largest luxury catamaran builder. I will soon write a more complete post about this yard. For the moment I will let you discover WONDERFUL, a Yapluka 74 cruising in the British Virgin Islands. WONDERFUL was designed by the French designers team Berret Racoupeau. If you have a look at WONDERFUL's website you will want to book a charter right away. "Nothing but pleasure" should be the motto for this yacht. Wonderful offers a special luxury equipment that sets her appart from over cats of her size, she features on the fore deck a two persons fresh/salt water jacuzzi. The interior layout, elegant and confortable, has been very well tought out. The interior is elegant and confortable. In the port hull you will find a large double cabin with a queen size bed you can split into two single beds. The starboard hull feature the owner stateroom and a double cabin you can join to make a huge suite. Of course each room features a flat screen tv, an independant A/C, and a Playstation II to play music, read DVD, and play games.

WONDERFUL's crew is highly professional. The Captain, Waren J. East. a class 4 officer of the watch who has attended the United Kingdown Naval Academy, holds a Paddy diving diploma and will send you home with a picture diary of your cruise. The chef, Elisabeth Lee, looks like a great cook. She runs a website www.gods-kitchen.com where you can discover all the great dishes and sample menus she prepares aboard WONDERFUL. This magnificient catamaran cruises in the BVI and the Bahamas, you can book a charter with Sunreef Yacht Charter, Central Yacht Charter, Catamaran Sailing, First Class Yacht Charter for example.

CIM 116 - MAXI CATAMARAN

I have found this maxi catamaran project on the CIM shipyard website. This shipyard has built workboats and maxi yacths for 20 years. This unitis their first catamaran project. They asked the Berret Racoupeau team to take care of the design. The emphasis has been put on the fluidity of mouvement on the deck and in the salon. The hulls are dedicated to the guest for their tranquility. You will find more drawing of this project on the CIM shipyard website.