Author: Gideon

Xquisite Yachts, based in Cape Town, have plenty of news to share this month

Sixty Solar Sail

The first Sixty Solar Sail was launched last week in Cape Town and they’re hosting a viewing on the 26th of July. Shortly after this Yacht will be sailing up to Annapolis for the boat show in October, where Xquisite are hoping that she will be nominated for the 2025 Boat of the Year and Best Boats competitions.

They will be documenting the sea trials, and the 7,000nm delivery trip, with a detailed walk-through video on their social media channels.

Sixty Solar Power

Meanwhile, on the power side, the first hull is Sixty solar power is launching in September from their Portuguese production facility. They we will be hosting a preview day before the yacht motors over to the Xquisite Catamaran Center in the Bahamas, where she will be available for review and test sails and charters as well.

54’ E-PLUS

This is a new model that is replacing the X5 PLUS model from 2025. She features a hybrid prolusion system, with solar panels and a battery bank unmatched in the industry (60kWh Li batteries and powerful 4.75kW solar panels).

Join us for a deep dive in to the World Speed sailing record attempt by a a Swiss team called SP80.

The current World Sailing Speed Record of 65.45knots was set by Paul Larsen on Sail Rocket 2 in 2012. 🚀

Will this new team break the record? They have an innovative kite design with a mission to record an average speed of 80 knots (148km/h) over 500 metres powered only by the wind. They’ll need to hit top speeds of between 85 and 90 knots.

The plan is to work through the kite sizes step by step from 15 square metres up to a huge 55 square metres to beat the record. They’ll be sailing in Leucate in the South of France where the Tramontana blows off the Pyrenees. They will be using a kite for power and lift and a foil to keep them anchored to the water. 

We are all looking to reduce the amount of plastic we use, whether it’s those disposable coffee cups or reducing our use of plastic bottles and containers.

Lagoon is doing their bit to help customers achieve the latter with a new partnership with Uvoji, a leader in water purification systems (UVC LED). There will be no need to store water bottle packs on board a Lagoon. Travel with peace of mind and enjoy healthy water straight from the tap, for all everyday uses!

This partnership is one part of Lagoon and the Beneteau Group’s ambitious environmental strategy.

The partnership covers all future Lagoon catamarans from 40 to 78 feet, which will be fitted with the innovative
Oji Nautic water treatment system as standard.

Lagoon chose Uvoji to equip its catamaran fleet thanks to their LED UV-C technology, Oji Nautic. The aim is to phase out the use of plastic bottles on board, promoting plastic waste redcution and preserving the environment.

Thomas GAILLY, Director of the Lagoon brand, said: “The UVOJI solution allows our owners to take to the sea without piling up numerous plastic bottles on board, while enjoying pure water throughout their voyage. A great step forward in the field of eco-yachting”.

How Does Uvoji Work?

Adapted for the marine environment and Lagoon’s electrical installations, the Oji Nautic water purifier uses the germicidal properties of ultraviolet light (UV) to eliminate bacteria, viruses, and contaminants from tank water, ensuring a supply of pure fresh water on board .

Ultra-compact, lightweight, and silent, Oji Nautic provides sailors with a simple, fast, and effective solution for drinking water at sea.

The unit is 16cm in height, weighs just 0.9kg and offers a maximum flow rate of eight litres per minute: a simple, fast and silent solution for drinking-water without chlorine or chemicals. The durable system is easy to operate, with low maintenance and little impact on batteries due to its low power consumption.

Thomas Zunino, the CEO of Uvoji, said “We are very pleased and proud of this 100% French partnership with the Lagoon Catamarans brand and the Beneteau Group, a world leader in eco-navigation. Our technology makes a significant contribution to preserving the environment by offering an ecological alternative to the consumption of bottled water and therefore to single-use plastic, a considerable source of ocean pollution. By offering yachtsmen the ability to consume water on board simply, safely, and efficiently wherever they are at sea, at anchor or in port, we are working alongside the Beneteau Group and SEIMI to offer a more environmentally friendly way of sailing.”

SEIMI, the exclusive distributor of Oji Nautic systems for the maritime and river transport market in France, will play a key role in the implementation of this collaboration thanks to its expertise and experience.

Enjoy a free Starlink pack with the purchase of an Excess catamaran

The Starlink Offer that Excess Catamarans were offering at the International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte has been extended and will now run through to the end of May 2024!

STARLINK X EXCESS OFFER

For sailors who want to ride the waves and surf the web!

Imagine sailing off on your greatest adventures with the ability to stay connected to the entire world. Thanks to Starlink, you can now enjoy a high-speed internet connection, even on the open ocean. Whether you want to work remotely or stay in touch with loved ones, Starlink provides a seamless Internet experience wherever you are.

Starlink is proving popular with sailors thanks to its ability to provide a fat, stable Internet connection at sea, around the world.

With a compact, easy-to-install antenna on your Excess 11 or 14, you will get a robust, reliable internet connection, even in the most remote locations with no to worry about areas without network coverage or unstable connections.

Work where you like! – the Seven Seas become your new office. Explore the planet with a high speed Internet connection to stay in touch with family and friends with all the information you will even need at your fingertips.

To take advantage of this offer, contact your Excess dealer.

For any purchase of an Excess 11 or Excess 14 until May 31st 2024. MOBILE PRIORITY subscription – 50 GB for a maximum of 3 months if you purchase an Excess 11 or Excess 14 only with the 2kVA CONVERTER [12V/220V 50HZ] compulsory option + if Excess 11 only with the STAINLESS STEEL DAVITS compulsory option and for Excess 14 only with the COMPOSITE DAVITS compulsory option.

The MOBILE PRIORITY subscription – 50GB or equivalent will be included for a maximum period of 3 months from delivery of the boat.

The first Cure 55 catamaran (hull #1) has reached a big milestone in the build process. The cabin top is done and the Cure production team have spent the week attaching the structure to the hulls.

It’s always good to see a new build take place like this and with the cabin top windows being cut, the Cure 55 is beginning to show her lines.

Cure 55 Catamaran Taking Shape

Every part of the new Cure 55 was designed with a view to raising the bar in every area.

Her power to weight ratio means high performance but this is a design focused primarily on safety. This is a boat to cross oceans with speed and comfort.

The Cure 55 was designed by Paul Bury with support from the in-house Cure Design team.

Cure 55 Specs

• LOA (including bowsprit) 17.78m / 58.53ft
• LWL 16.64m / 54.59ft
• BOA 8.69m / 28.51ft
• Draft (Dagger boards up) 1.3m / 4.26ft
• Draft (Dagger boards down) 2.41m / 7.91ft
• LWL to BWL ratio 12.17 : 1
• Bridge deck clearance 1.01m / 3.31ft
• Sail area (main & jib) 164m2 / 1,765ft
• Displacement light ship 9.5T / 20,944lbs
• Displacement maximum 13T / 28,660lbs
• CE category A

To celebrate their 40th anniversary this year, Lagoon is going big on parties and events! An that includes the 2024 Lagoon World Escapade, where Lagoon owners meet up over a 3 day event to sail, eat, drink and share stories.

What are the Lagoon Escapades?

Already enjoyed by many Lagoon owners, the Lagoon Escapades have become an unmissable party every year with three days of navigation, socialising and festivities.

To mark Lagoon’s 40th anniversary, owners and future owners are invited to take part in the biggest Escapade yet, spread out over multiple countries and sailing grounds.

This year, a series of World Escapades will take place all over the world at the same time. it’s going to be a global party!

When Is It?

The festivities will take place from the from 17 through 19 May 2024.

How to Get Involved

Just register via your Lagoon dealer. by filling out the form HERE.

Vaan Yachts, the aluminium eco catamaran manufacturer from the Netherlands, has recently presented the first Vaan yacht fininshed in ‘Vivid Alu’ finish.

To get the look, the aluminium hull was sanded to a smooth matte finish, giving it a raw and tough look. Along with the chique and soft cork decking, the large windows and the clean white painted cockpit, it enhances the catamaran’s luxury finish.

As well as looking great, there are functional benefits too as the Vaan Vivid Alu finish does not have to be repainted. You maintain the look with cleaning, and any scratches are re-sanded. What’s more, the Vivid Alu is 100kg lighter than a painted hull.

As well as a stunning finish, the Vaan Vivid Alu is also more eco-friendly. As there is no paint or fairing, the amount of chemicals used and emissions produced in the manufacture of the hull is reduced. It also makes recycling more efficient.