CILIAM VIDEO ON VPLP FACEBOOK PAGE

There is a great vidéo of the interior of "Ciliam" on the VPLP facebook page. The video was edited by SuperYachtMedia. You can see the huge leaving space available on the platform of "Ciliam", the 92 footer Lago luxury catamaran.

DESIGN ISSUES - RELUCTANT TO CHANGE

The amazing Wally 143 ESENSE

Last month I was in a meeting with the general director of a large design company in France working mainly for the car industry and willing to expand his business in the Yachting industry. He had been touring the main boat shows for a year,and been in touch with some of the largest players in France and Europe. He finally told me that he had to postpone his plans (and my potential contracts, who said I've heard that before in the last 6 months) because he realized that most builders were quite reluctant to change. I told him I thought effectively that the business was in general very conservative, slow to move specially compared to the car industry and that I was surprised there were so few innovative breakthrough in terms of design in the industry, that companies innovating in this area would be successful. Of course the main example coming to my mind was Wally Yachts often copied but never matched. I've heard ten times "We want to be Wally", so why don't you do it. ? Wally has been innovating in terms of design and technology since the beginning, probably taking heavy financial risks, but the results is visible.

The BMW designed Z60 by Zeydon, when car designer mess with sailboats

I also spend some times with people from Beneteau telling me that they thought all the production yachts were looking quite the same, including in the Beneteau range and that clients were lost in their choices. No kidding, this is basic marketing.

I am not the only one of course to think the same. Beneteau is already reacting and you should see in the coming year new concepts of monohulls coming out on the market.

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BACK TO CATS - CILIAM


In the catamaran World design innovation has been a little bit more courageous n erms of design specially for one off project.

'CILIAM' a log 92' by VPLP interio By Anne Monique Bonadei

The first really innovative large catamaran to me is CILIAM the lago 92 designed by VPLP. This fast catamaran launched in 2003 features a beam large coach roof. This enable the saloon, dining and kitchen areas to be really spacious, (53 sqm) and the owner suite to be located at mast foot with a great view on the sea. This owner suite concept is now very common on large cats.

CILILAM huge salon/dining area

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TSUNAMI

Greg Young Design TSUNAMI

Greg Young is a well know for designing fast and exiting boats with a very innovative design. TSUNAMI an 85 footer was designed to be a fast charter boat. You might like the color or not but TSUNAMI features a new concept that Greg Young is applying in his catamaran project such as the TAG 60 being built in South Africa. In this catamaran range Greg has designed a unique cabin. He has incorporated the cockpit and the salon as you can see on the image below. The area can be opened to make a huge entertainment or close for more confidentiality as you wish. Check the video

TAG 60 cockpit/salon space.

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SIG 45

The SIG 45 - Le Breton Yacht

The SIG 45 is a smaller but a very innovative catamaran of her size with a sleek design. A VPLP and Bjorn Johansson design, the SIG 45 is very modern both outside and inside. Designed to be fast and easy to sail, the platform is uncluttered both for maneuvers and entertainment while comfortable accommodations are located in each hull. The boat is built and equipped at the highest standards of quality. A real breakthrough.

SIG 45 - Photo Pierre Marie Bourguinat - Voiles et Voiliers

Thanks to Pierre Marie Bourguinat from the magazine "voiles et voiliers" for the SIG 45 pictures.

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I have just mentioned launched catamarans, of course there are many innovative projects on the paper and a few being built actually. In those bad economical times maybe it is time to seat down, take a deep breath and really think how to innovate to be different and succeed in the future.

MOXIE YACHTS - THE M 61 - AN INNOVATIVE LUXURY CATAMARAN - A VPLP DESIGN BUILT BY THE JAZ SHIPYARD IN CAPE TOWN

MOXIE was named after the 51 footer Trimaran skippered by 65 years old Phil Weld in the 1980 OSTAR race. Phil Weld made it first to Newport. The M 61, designed by VPLP, and built in carbon is certainly from the same blood. Some of you will recognize the lines of the famous "CILIAM", the Lago 92 also by VPLP with the same interior designer Anne Monique Bonadei. With this World class team, including Cape Town base Jaz Marine shipyard, Moxie Yachts has defined a new concept of high speed cruising in total confort. For performance, the MOXIE 61 will be fully buiLt in carbon from bottom of the dagger boards to top of the mast. VPLP has imported a sail and deck plan from their experience in designing self handling offshore racers. The mast located aft for better weight distribution will be rotating with a Kevlar rig. The hulls are powerful and feature retractable dagger boards for upwind performance and easier access to nice moorings.

For the confort, a roof as large as the beam garantees a lot of space and light inside. The interior lines are clear and clean. The M 61 offers a large owner suite, two nice ensuite cabines for the guests, and sleeping quarters for the crew and kids. A very large and confortable cockpit is protected from the sun by a ridig bimini top.

The MOXIE 61 is scheduled to be launched end of 2009. Need any body for the sea trials ?

VPLP 25 TH ANNIVERSARY

Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prévost, 25 years of successfull cooperation. (from Nautic News)

VPLP is the most famous multihull design office in the World. With 25 employees, in two different offices, one in Vannes in charge of racing yachts and the other one in Paris in charge of cruising yachts, they are two of the most talented architects in the Multihull World.

Some of their most famous racing yachts :

• PIERRE PREMIER / 60 foot trimaran / 1989
• HYDROPTERE / 60 foot hydrofoil / 1994
• SPORT ELEC / 90 foot trimaran / 1997
• Groupama I-II-II / 60-90-105 trimarans / 1998-2004-2007
• GERONIMO / 110 trimaran / 2001
• GEANT / 60 trimaran / 2002
• BANQUE POPULAIRE V / 131 trimaran / in built

This is just to list a few of them.

So many successfull designs if the racing world has led the team to work on project for the nautical industry with production yachts and custom project.

Some of their production yachts :

• LAGOON 55 / 1987 - LAGOON 47 / 1990 - LAGOON 42 / 1991 ---- LAGOON 44 /2004 - LAGOON 420/2006 - LAGOON 380 the smallest but with close to 500 units built.
• KEENEX 445 / 1990
• SWITCH 51 / 1999
  

Back to the main subject of the blog luxury catamaran.

LONESTAR

VPLP started designing luxury cruising catamarans with the twin 85-footer HIGHEST HONOUR I and II on 1991 (one of them now being LONE STAR ). The twin were already built in composite and designed with sucess for the charter industry .

DOUCE FRANCE

In 1999 they enter the mega catamaran market with the largest cruising catamaran designed and built so far DOUCE FRANCE a stunning 140' built in Aluminum by Alumarine. DOUCE FRANCE has a ketch rig and can accomodate 12 guests with 8 crew.

CILIAM

In 2003, CORIOLAN VI Bis 77' was launched, built entirely in carbon by the Multiyacht Compositi shipyard in italy. The same year came out the ground breaking CILIAM a 92 footer in composite built by Salt House Shipyard in Australia. This catamaran features a very innovative design with a lot of room inside due to the fact that the roof is as large as the beam. The owner cabin is one the main platform at mast foot and enjoys a great sea view. Finally CILIAM is a fast catamaran with a 35 carbon rotating wing mast. In 2003 again, CHE , a 73 footer was launched at the SUNREEF shipyard in Poland.

GEMINI

This year VPLP will reach a climax with the launching of GEMINI, the largest private owner cruising catamaran in the world built at the DERECKTOR shipyard in the US. GEMINI will accomadate 10 guests in five statesrooms and 6 crew. I look forward to see this mega cat launched.

Finally again this year also will be launched one of my favorite project, very small compare to the GEMINI, but really fast the all carbon SIG 45 from Le Breton Yachts.

With other drawings on their boards and a growing market for luxury catamaran, I am sure the team will keep on working on great designs and of course see many of their yachts launched in the future.

WORLD MEGA-CATAMARAN LISTING - LAUNCHED AND IN BUILT

Last year, I listed all the luxury catamarans over 70 feet that I knew of and that I could find on the web in order to write NAHEMA's press kit. This was a special order from NAHEMA and it is available for journalists to read. (Just send me an email, it includes interesting bonuses about catamarans). This morning I asked Nicolas DAHER, NAHEMA's excecutive director, if I could share this list with you on my blog. Thanks to him for giving me a positive answer, so here it is.

DOUCE FRANCE THE LARGEST EVER UNTIL GEMINI IS LAUNCHED

LAUNCHED

DOUCE FRANCE 138’4’’ VPLP ALUMARINE 1998
LADY BARBARETTA 105’ CPA CMN 2003
ALLURES 99’4” BLUBAY COMPOSITE WORKS 2006
CILIAM 92’ VPLP SALT HOUSE BOAT BUILDERS 2003
SUN TENAREZE 86’ JOUBERT NIVELT JFA 2004
HIGHEST HONOR 85’ VPLP DRA 1991
LONESTAR 85’ VPLP DRA 1991
MAGIC CAT 82’ GILLES OLLIER MULTIPLAST 1996
ALUMARINE 80 80’ P. LAURENT ALUMARINE 1992
ETOILE MAGIQUE 80’ PLESSIS/ DILASSER BOB ESCOFFIER 2005
LADY PACA 79’ ALUMER 1991

FAT CAT 78’ MORELLI 1992
CORIOLAN VI 77’ VPLP MULTI YACHT COMPOSITE 2003
ZINGARA 75’8’’ MATRIX MATRIX YACHTS 2005
AKASHA 75’8’’ MATRIX MATRIX YACHTS 2005
LIZ 75’4’’ VATON DESIGN PETTER YACHTS 2000
PRIVILEGE 745 74’5’’ MARC LOMBARD PRIVILEGE 2006
PRIVILEGE 745 74’5’’ MARC LOMBARD PRIVILEGE 2007
PRIVILEGE 745 74’5’’ MARC LOMBARD PRIVILEGE 2007
CHE 74 VPLP SUNREEF 2003
NAHEMA IV 72’3’’ YACHT INDUSTRIES YACHT INDUSTRIES 2006
INDIGO FLYER 71’ WORMWOOD DOUGLAS BROOKS 1989
BELLA DONNA 70’2’’ YACHT INDUSTRIES YACHT INDUSTRIES 2005
WONDERFUL 70’1’’ BERRET RACOUPEAU YACHT INDUSTRIES 2004

Clearly we can see there is a positive trend in this market which is increasing in number and in size as you can see below in the "being built" list.

NAHEMA 120 THE LARGEST BEING BUILT IN COMPOSITE

IN BUILT

GEMINI 145’ VPLP DERECKTOR SHIPYARD
NAHEMA 120’ GILLES VATON NAHEMA
SUNREEF 102’ SUNREEF SUNREEF YACHT
HH100 100’ VPLP ALUMARINE
BLUBAY 95’1’’ YACHTS INDUSTRIES YACHTS INDUSTRIES
BLUBAY 92’1’’ YACHTS INDUSTRIES YACHTS INDUSTRIES
GUNBOAT 90’ MORELLI/MELVIN GUNBOAT
CATANA 87’ CHRISTOPHE BARREAU CATANA
YAPLUKA DD 85’1’’ YAPLUKA YACHTS INDUSTRIES
EXCLUSIVE 76’ GILLES OLLIER DESIGN KING CAT/J EUROPE
EXCLUSIVE 76’ GILLES OLLIER DESIGN KING CAT/ J EUROPE
SILHOUETTE 75’8’’ MATRIX MATRIX YACHT
The catamarans mentioned above are ocean sailing cruising catamarans.

Day charter catamarans are not mentioned.

I also read in the last Boat International Issue that 2 Berret Racoupeau Designs (27 and 31 meters) were being produced but I couldn't find any more information. In the latest issue of Showboats, the Global Order Book features a new 85 foot by JFA but again couldn't find more information. If you have any they are very much welcome.

Charte Allures Catamaran with Windward Islands.

LAGO 92 - CILIAM

Another stunning VPLP catamaran, the Lago 92 CILIAM was seen in Valencia attending the Americas Cup. This LAGO 92 offers an amazing exterior design. I found the picture above of CILIAM docked at the Port America's Cup on the great website Shipspotting. This picture was taken by Manuel Hernandez. CILIAM belongs to a European business man found of sailing and was launched in 1999. She was built in full epoxy at the Salthouse Boatbuilders Shipyard in Auckland. CILIAM is not only fast, (weight has been strictly kept under control and the huge 35 m rotating mast is in carbon fiber) but also very confortable with a lot of space inside (140 m²/ 1000 sq ft). The salon is amazingly large. The interior design, by the French/Italian Anne-Monique Bonadei who also designed DOUCE FRANCE, is very clear and pure. Personnaly I really like it. Each guest cabin has a double bed which can convert to two single. I didn't find CILIAM available for charter on the web. If any body has more information about this catamaran, please let me know.