These Slim New Catamarans Are Redefining the Category. Here’s How.

The opulence implied by the term “luxury power cat” has largely meant the commodious salons typical of these wide-beam motor yachts. Unfortunately, such spaciousness has long come at a price that includes ungainly styling, severely narrow staterooms in the outer hulls, and squirrely handling on big seas—not to mention a lack of compatibility with many marina slips due to the form’s bulky proportions. 

But a handful of builders are addressing such issues with slimmer designs and the use of foils for enhanced performance. Take Bluegame’s BGM75, with a width of 26 feet seven inches, or about 25 percent of its length overall. By comparison, conventional power cats sport beams closer to 50 percent of their lengths. “This is more like a monohull that happens to have twin hulls,” says Luca Santella, Bluegame’s founder and head of product strategy. Another bonus: Thanks to naval architect Philippe Briand’s design, the Bluegame catamaran requires roughly half the horsepower of a 90-foot monohull with a similar interior volume. 

The slimmer approach also enhances seakeeping. “In big waves, wide-beam power cats have a seesaw motion,” Santella explains, because the twin hulls can hit waves at different times, forcing the boat to rock back and forth. “Placing the hulls closer together dramatically reduces this uncomfortable feeling.” 

Bluegame, acquired by style-forward Sanlorenzo Yachts in 2018, used both engineers and designers from its parent company to elevate the BGM75’s layout and look. The full-beam main suite has exceptionally large windows, a side lounge, and a spacious, glassed-in ensuite, while four guest staterooms cross into the boat’s interior rather than remaining confined to the outer hulls. There’s also a full-beam garage with an automatic launch for the tender—another demonstration of how a clever interplay of form, function, and smart styling can expand the power cat’s potential. 

Polish builder Sunreef Yachts is taking a similar tack with its Ultima line, though with more curves and flash. The length of its 66 Ultima is 65 feet nine inches, while the vessel’s 23-foot nine-inch beam is about two-thirds that of its wide-body cat, the 70 Sunreef Power. Nicolas Lapp, Sunreef’s cofounder and chief technical officer, says the approach is about “merging the best attributes of monohull dynamics with multihull living space and minimizing drag.” Aiming for a 2025 launch, the Ultima 66 will be available with diesel-electric propulsion and solar panels, along with an optional hydrofoil. 

The XF60, the smallest member of the Xpedition Foiler line from Voodoo Yachts, has a 21-foot beam, while a combination of 1,300 hp diesels in the upgraded propulsion package and a proprietary hydrofoil blade, called the Xpedition Wing, gives it a top end of 52 mph and an impressive 1,350-mile range at 34.5 mph. “The wing raises the boat 30 inches, carrying about 50 percent of its weight,” says Mitch Pachoud, cofounder and director of the New Zealand brand, who calls such lift “the secret to running a long distance at speed.” The four-stateroom XF60 is a more buttoned-down, less “yachty” vessel than its competition, but the range is a major draw for the explorer-yacht set. 

The most extreme example of the svelte-multihull trend is the T-2000 Voyager from Irish builder Safehaven, presenting a 70-foot length with a 20-foot beam. It features a racy superstructure and wave-piercing hulls. And its performance specs are riotous: Thanks to twin 1,550 hp MAN V-12 engines, it can hit 57.5 mph and has a range of 1,150 miles at 34.5 mph. The T-2000 was put to the test immediately, with its first sea trials taking place in a Force 10 storm with 55 mph winds and 20-foot waves. Retaining the multihull’s interior-volume advantage while closing the monohull’s gap in handling prowess and streamlined aesthetics? This new approach could be the cat’s meow.