Privilege Series 5
Description
The Privilege Series 5, which has been rebranded the 510, is a luxury long distance cruiser that has made a name for itself thanks to its quality build and finish. These boats are a real step up from other cruising catamarans which is why we have included them in our Luxury Catamarans sections. There is an associated jump in price of course.
This boat has been well thought out with wide, easy-to-navigate side decks and plenty of hand holds. and you can tell very quickly that she was designed for long passages. The helm, engine controls, instruments and electric sheet winches are all around the raised helm station that should make her easy to sail with a short-handed crew. Visibility is good all around from the elevated helm position on the port side.
The hulls, deck, cabin top and bimini are foam-cored and resin-infused, and to reduce weight, furniture and bulkheads are made with foam-cored maple laminates. The quality of the joinery finish is a real step up from less expensive boats, as you would expect.
Sailing
The Privilège Series 5 has rounded hulls, with chines above the waterline for decent living space down below and buoyancy at sea. She feels like a very solid boat under power or motor and is very quiet below. On a reach, you should comfortable hit 9 or 10 knots in a decent breeze.
There’s a full main and genoa, and an inner stay-sail, also with a furler, plus options on light wind and down wind sails off the bowsprit. The new angular lines of the updated Marc Lombard design look like they will cut through a sea- she’s an impressive looking catamaran.
Cruising speed under power is around 8 knots
Down Below
It’s probably the interiors that Privilege are so well known for and it was Franck Darnet who had his hand in designing this one. These are semi-custom boats so owners have a great deal of input into the configuration of individual boats. The signature feature is the huge master stateroom in the nacelle forward- it’s probably the biggest owners cabin in its class and many lead onto a big ensuite bathroom in the starboard hull (I can’t quite call it a head).
Summary
Privilege was started in the 80s by Philippe Jeantot, and launched as a safe family cruising and offshore catamaran. The Privilège Serie 5 ticks all of these boxes. If you are looking for a solid, safe long distance cruiser with the space and ability to soak up all of the toys, then the Privilege Series 5 is your boat.
