LE BRETON YACHTS - THE SIG RANGE

Sig 45, Sig 60, Sig 60 Open, Sig 80

PRESSURE DROP 112 PICTURES OF THE SIG 45

Please find the links to the article about the Sig 45 in Pressure Drop and to a gallery of 112 pictures of the SIG 45 in h2oshots.com, often lifting a hull, in the San Francisco Bay.  Beautiful pictures.

http://h2oshots.smugmug.com/Sailing/Cig-45-Vomonos/24666558_WDJQ6q#!i=2016502360&k=8tPzhh7

 

ONBOARD THE SIG 45 "VAMANOS" IN FRISCO BAY

SIG 45 AMONGST THE SAIL MAGAZINE BEST BOATS NOMINEES 2013

Our favorite "small" luxury catamaran, the SIG 45, is amongst the Sail Magasine Best Boats Nominees for 2013.

This is how the editorial staff describes the Sig 45 :

" This high-performance cat is both a souped-up racing machine, with a carbon/epoxy hull and a rotating carbon rig, and a stylish family cruiser. The narrow hulls, canted daggerboards and open bridgedeck layout speak of speed; the simple, but well-appointed interior looks both attractive and comfortable. One-design class rules (not to mention a gorgeous teak deck) promise to make this a unique racer-cruiser multihull."

SIG 45 GOING 25 KNOTS

This is an amazing video of the SIG 45 going 25 knots and lifting its daggerboard out of the water.

PICTURES OF THE SIG 45

Here are some pictures of the beautiful and fast SIG 45 recently launched in California. Enjoy this amazing design by Le Breton Yachts.

SIG 45 SEA TRIAL VIDEO IN CALIFORNIA

SIG 45 NUMBER 2 BEING BUILT TO WATCH THE 34 TH AMERICA'S CUP

A second unit of the SIG 45 is being built for a californian entrepreneur at Westerly Marine in California.

Westerly Marine has built many successfull race boat and launched a 65 Morelli and Melvin design luxury catamaran last year. This second SIG 45 interior design will be different. The private jet designers Robinson + Robison design are working on a contemporary and very light interior.

It should be launched late this summer and will be the perfect sailboat to be aboard to watch the 34 th America's Cup in San Francisco.

SIG 45 A REALLY BEAUTIFUL VIDEO IN THE BAY OF CANNES

SIG 45 NEW WEBSITE - NEW VIDEO AND ACCESSORIES

As you already know the SIG 45 is my favorite small luxury catamaran.



Hugo Le Breton has launched a new website where you'll find nice pictures of the SIG 45 sailing and the above video. As mentioned on the website they are also working on another project the SIG 60, will she be faster ? Will she follow the same concept of an empty platform ? Or will she host a salon under a designed roof ? More to come... In the mean time I guess you'll enjoyed as much as I did this video of the SIG 45 sailing.



You will also find on the SIG website the Le Breton clothing collection with the logo.

CATAMARAN - KEY WORD IN GOOGLE TRENDS

I am actually working on a new blog enlarged to other yachting subjects. To check the efficiency of key words on Google I am using the Google Trends applications, check the following results for catamaran.

The picture above shows the results for the keyword catamaran on google since 2004, by countries, cities and language. New zealand, australia and France come first, which is not really a surprise since they are the catamaran countries. More surprising maybe are Spain and Netherlands ahead of the United states. In the city section I am just amazed to see Marseilles (south of France) ahead of Paris. Maybe because Marseilles is closer to the sea shore. In the language section Dutch is ahead of English, they must really like catamarans. Maybe the proof is with Hugo Lebreton SIG 45.

Look at the trend over the year 2008 now.

AS the google team says remember those are still approximations. If you want to know more and try your own stats go the Google Trends, you can "play for hours". This is funny to see that thetrends is decreasing over the years. I would have thought the opposite since catamarans are more and more popular. Maybe less people use google as search engine and have direct access to the websites. You can see that peeks also corresponds to important news, such as accidents, race results or the press release of SUNREEF YACHTS ONE FIFTY one of the largest catamarans project released in Newswire, a press release website I am also using with success for my clients.

You can also notice a seasonality where the search increases going close to summer time in Europe and US.

You can also do cross searches, try for example : sailing yachts and motor yachts.
Anyway a nice tools to play with and use to find strong keywords for your website or blog.

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.

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.

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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.

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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...

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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...

THE SIG 45 IS SAILING - FAST - FIRST VIDEO

Not only she is beautiful but she sails fast. Enjoy watching the Sig 45.

SIG 45 - She is sailing

I received a great message this morning from Hugo Le Breton, they have just launched the SIG 45 and guess what she looks really great.

"Le Breton Yachts Update October 2008

Dear all
September and October have been busy and productive, so we decided to send a short update in advance of the next Newsletter. The SIG45 has been launched, the mast and sails are rigged, and she is ready to go!
The transport
The transport from the yard to the sea was a journey of about 7km. Tuscany served up a beautiful day for the trip. The boat went into the water the next day, once all the final preparations had been completed. The pictures tell the story. For more images, please visit the gallery on our website.
The launch
The launch was uneventful, but of course an exciting day for the team. No leaks, she floats on her lines and looks stunning.
Getting the boat up to speed
Over the next weeks, the team will be getting the boat up to speed. A first, very gentle, but enjoyable sail has been completed in 5 knots of wind, but we look forward to reporting on the progress of the boat, as we start exploring her potential in stronger winds with bigger sails.
A full newsletter will follow soon.
Hugo Le Breton"

More pictures soon....

CANNES BOAT SHOW 10-15 SEPTEMBRE 2008

Like every year the Yacht show season in Europe will start in September with Cannes followed by Monaco. This year Cannes will be very interesting for luxury catamarans.

Cannes - 10-15 Septembre 2008

LE BRETON YACHT will exhibit for the first time the SIG 45. It is the first unit for this shipyard with its news breaking project.

SUNREEF will be there and strong with 3 SUNREEFs.

• The SUNREEF 70 POWER "JAMBO" see my previous post.


• The SUNREEF 70 : the first 70 foot sailing SUNREEF with a Japanese interior.


• A SUNREEF 62 : another of this very successfull range of 62 footer.
  

YACHTS INDUSTRIES with their latest BLUBAY 95.

SIG 45 - ALMOST THERE

A real nice looking catamaran

Some news of the smallest of my luxurious catamarans the all carbon SIG 45 by LeBreton Yachts. I decided to write a few posts about this project because I think it really shows how a boat building project should be handled. You begin by defining the best way you can the concept behind your project, in this case to "combine beauty, genuine speed and confort in yachts that are fast, exciting and simply enormous fun whether for fully crewed racing or short handed cruising". Then You get some advice from a great sailor with lots of experience for the SIG 45 : Bruno Peyron (see my previous post), and you find the best subcontractors corresponding to the projet : the architect (VPLP in this case for a fast multihull), Indiana Yachting for the shipyard (lost of experience in composite work) and an innovative talented

designer Bjorn Johansson (who tragically died in a motorcycle accident early this year).

The SIG 45 galley and salon in the port side hull.

The SIG 45 will be launched this summer. This fast catamaran with its sleek design also offers a luxurious interior with three double cabins and two heads.

The SIG 45 salon with lots of light inside.

The SIG 45 at the Indiana Yachting shipyard

As you can see on the picture above published in the April Newsletter of Le Breton Yachts the hulls and the deck have been assembled together and the sails have been cut by Northsail in Connecticut.

An interesting feature of the project is also the one design class rules which is actually being developped. This will enable owners to enjoy exciting racing with their SIG 45 everything being organised by the the SIG 45 class association.

I told you they thought about every thing.

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.

SIG 45 - NOT BIG BUT FAST, DESIGNED AND LUXURIOUS

Hugo Le Breton, founder of Le Breton Yachts contacted me and sent me some information about his creation the SIG 45. I thought with such a name the guy was French from Brittany where I leave. The SIG 45 being designed by VPLP with Bruno Peyron as a consultant I had no doubt this was a "Britanish project". I was wrong. Hugo Le Breton is English/Dutch but he does speak French. Let me write about his amazing catamaran. First the SIG 45 is already a success, the first unit is sold, and deposits have been paid to reserve production slots for number 2,3 and 4. This is not a big suprise given the experts gathered around the project.

Architects :VPLP, the most famous and experienced multihulls designers in the world, if you read my blog you already know about them for their cruising catamarans but they have also designed many successfull racing multhulls.

Bruno Peyron is the technical consultant. Bruno has a very long experience of racing multihulls, he holds with the maxi-catamaran ORANGE 2 both the around the world record and the 24 hours record.

Bjorn Johanson has designed the award winning MIRAGE. He has drawn a very confortable yet minimalist interior. One hull welcomes the owner suite with a bathroom, a salon to seat six people and a generous galley. The other hull welcomes the guests or family, and the watch station. The inside living space eguals one of the 45 feet cruising monohulls. The deck of course is huge, double that a 45 feet monohull. As Hugo Le Breton says "This is not only a fast boat". I can imagine a family or friends sailing between the Greek islands or in the BVI and why not in the Cheseapeake Bay. Often with sailing boats speed means shorter distances from one place to another but also safety to avoid bad weather forecasts. I don't consider speed as dangerous. I am not a fan of competition but of fast sailboats yes, just for the fun of it.

The SIG 45 will be built all in carbon at the Indian Yachting shipyard in Italia. This shipyard is very famous for its work with carbon fiber. They recently launched a NAUTA 72 and has built three PRADA boats for the America's Cup. They are also very good at teck work with few Wally Yachts on their list.

Well this is a long post, there is so much to say about the SIG 45 I recommend you to take a look at Le Breton Yachts Website : http://www.lebreton-yachts.com/.

No doubt that with such a team if I was looking for a fast catamaran to buy I would go for the SIG 45 without any hesitation and with a lot of confidence.

Mr Le Breton when SIG 80 or a SIG 100 ?