The year for powerboating
Some boatbuilders have been trying to get themselves noticed on the cruising market (both coastal and offshore) with their powercats for 20 or even 30 years. Thanks be to them: today, we have to admit that these pioneers had got it right. In this second Power Special Edition, more than 100 models are now included in our Buyer’s Guide. This year, there are so many new models that the usual single class for powerboats in our Multihull of The Year awards has now been divided into three categories for this fifth running of the election. The most prolific multipower models (Leopard and Aquila) now exceed 100 units built.
At the end of the 1990s, powercats were still being called power catamarans, as opposed to... sailing catamarans. Today, this complementary offer to sailboats has expanded: it now includes trimarans and features in all types of programs - day sailing, fishing, coastal sailing, river cruising, and offshore work. In the early 2000s, mutipowers were limited to 35 to 60-foot models, but now they cover all sizes - and consequently, all budgets. Compared to a monohull, stability and greater surface area, coupled with lower fuel consumption for the same size boat, are the strong points of the multipower, a formula that is making an impact every day. No matter what hardcore sailors say, multipowers are still multihulls for going boating. Even without sails, they can take you a long way and delight your family and friends. When used intelligently, they don’t necessarily need to be greedy diesel guzzlers. Some builders are even focusing on electric propulsion - our test of the brand-new Silent 60 will give you some key figures. Some, like Peter Weil, have not hesitated to remove the two internal combustion engines from his powercat to go fully electric. This shows that sailing is not necessarily the only virtuous option for environmentally conscious sailors.
Enjoy reading,
Emmanuel van Deth - rédacteur en chef
Gerbert Rambaud - CEO of Jours de Passions
CONTENT OF SP17
2022 MULTIPOWER BUYER'S GUIDE
ON TEST
WorldCat 280CC-X
Silent 60
60 Sunreef Power
Power 67
Vision F 80
CRUISING
Power Postcards
PRACTICAL
Multihulls Basics: Provisioning your multihull
ONE MAN AND HIS MULTIHULL
From internal combustion to electric
FEATURES
The photographer's eye
Second-hand: Leopard 43 PC
List of Multipower Tests
Who's who: Behind the scenes
