Construction begins on world’s largest sailing catamaran

Echo Yachts has begun work on what will be the world’s largest sailing catamaran at their facility in Western Australia. The vessel, currently known as ASC57, is a 57-metre multihull, marking the firm’s expansion into the large-scale sailing yacht market.

ASC57’s design is heavily influenced by the multihull specialist’s earlier project, 56-metre Charley 2.

In collaboration with One2Three Naval Architects, an Australian firm specialising in aluminium multihull designs, Echo Yachts aims to deliver a lightweight, easy-to-operate vessel designed for long-range cruising.

Notably, the yacht will feature a twin-Dynarig sail system provided by Southern Spars, alongside design elements from Dutch Dykstra Naval Architects, renowned for its work on other major sailing vessels such as Black Pearl and Hetairos. The vessel will also include a helicopter landing pad, similar to Charley 2.

The catamaran will also use a regenerative power system with twin shaft generators and battery storage. This system allows it to operate silently under sail and, thanks to a controllable pitch propeller (CPP) driveline, run more efficiently while motoring.

The aluminium hulls are designed for greater hydrodynamic efficiency, which the shipyard claims will further reduce the yacht’s environmental impact compared to traditional motor yachts.

This efficiency has already been demonstrated in Echo Yachts’ other projects. For instance, when comparing a 92-metre monohull to Echo Yachts’ 84-metre White Rabbit. Despite having a similar gross tonnage, the monohull requires 7.2mW of power to achieve a top speed of 19 knots.

In contrast, White Rabbit needs only 4.2mW to reach 18.7 knots – towards a 40 per cent reduction of installed engine powering requirement.

Despite the benefits of increased gross tonnage, fuel efficiency and enhanced stability, however, large multihulls have seen relatively slow growth, with most activity concentrated in vessels under 30 metres.

While there have been notable launches and striking support vessels in recent years, multihulls remain rare gems in the superyacht market.