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Fastest Cruising Sailboats

Fastest Cruising Sailboats | Life of Sailing

Last Updated by

Jacob Collier

August 30, 2022

If you're looking to buy a sailboat, getting a cruising sailboat may have crossed your mind. So, what are the fastest cruising sailboats out there?

Like everything else in life, not all sailboats are created equal. Cruising sailboats have a lot to offer if you are looking for a reliable boat that allows you to take a long getaway and is easy to navigate.

Some of the fastest cruising sailboats include the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1, which can travel at 20 knots; the Grand Soleil 34, which touches 20 knots; and the Italia 9.98, which can reach up to 40 knots. Of course, there are many other high-speed cruising sailboats that you can choose from.

If you love to cruise but still want to reach your destination fast, then a fast cruising sailboat will be your best option. After asking many sailing experts and cruising sailboat owners, we finally have the skinny on the fastest cruising sailboats.

As avid watersports enthusiasts and sailboat owners, we can help guide you through the process of choosing between some of the fastest cruising sailboats in the world.

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‍ Fastest Cruising Sailboats

The boat you buy should be influenced by your local waters or where you plan to travel. Because many portions of the coastline are exposed to the ocean, if our coastal cruising grounds were in New England, we’d want our boat to be able to manage offshore conditions Due to the logs and debris floating about in the Pacific Northwest, we’d want a sturdy rudderpost and a shielded prop; a tall rig would be a godsend in the light airs that are common during summer. It would be pointless to buy a boat without a centerboard if I lived near the Florida Keys.

Because her cruising gear makes up lesser of the overall displacement than a bluewater liveaboard yacht, a coastal boat can be a relatively light design. However, going offshore does not require sacrificing sailing performance. The classic Valiant 40 by Bob Perry is a wonderful example. Its low displacement, strong sailing ability, and comfortable layout make it an excellent candidate for long-distance cruising; many other recent designs are the same.

Italia 9.98

Italia Yachts created the Italia 9.98 Fuoriserie, which won the ORC - C - 2015 World Championship. She is a racing yacht that may also be used for cruising. However, the design is intended to race and win, and the mast and boom are composed of carbon fiber. The interior features include two double bedrooms, two sleepers in the saloon, a kitchen, and a chart table.

The 34-foot Italia 9.98 was clearly the most striking of the five boats that made up the Performance Cruiser class in terms of pure look. The boat comes in two versions: the 34 Club, designed for cruising and is distinguished by its twin wheels, and the 34 Fuoriserie, designed for racing.

Both versions have the same interior, which is extremely welcoming and modern for cruising. A wide trimmed in a teak cutaway that can also be used as a ring frame lead to the spacious double-berth forward, which virtually beckons you to climb in and kick far back. The drop-leaf table, crossed by the keel-stepped spar, is flanked by two huge center settees.

The galley and the navigation station, located to port and starboard, are welcome surprises. The galley contains a huge fridge and a two-burner stove gimballed, while the navigation station is bigger than you could anticipate for a boat this size.

Innovative, detachable cloth lockers may be offloaded while in race mode. Cabin doors encased in metal for durability are among the many appealing touches to this vessel. There's a large double stateroom to port and a tiny double cabin to starboard. Except for some teak trim, all furnishings and fixtures are sleek, white composite constructions that appear more aeronautical than nautical. Overall, the entire design and aesthetics are very nice and contemporary.

The cockpit is roomy on the inside; the molded-in bench seats may be enlarged with specialized storage bins, which can be left at the dock for racing and reinstalled when cruising. A large lazarette locker is located aft of the beam-width traveler, which is located aft of the tiller.

The open transom gives the impression of being aboard a larger boat. The German-style double-ended mainsheet is led below deck, adding to the modern motif; sheet leads are, of course, changeable. The genuinely exceptional nonskid is molded into the deck.

The boat has an optional sprit that could be used to fly, reaching, and off-wind sails. Another version of the sprit incorporates an anchor roller; the boat we were on did not have a windlass, but one is available. It would be simple to adapt this boat from racing to cruising mode.

The Grand Soleil 34

When the Italian boatyard Grand Soleil was established in the 1970s, its first model was a 34-footer designed by Finot. It was an instant success, with over 300 units sold. It set the firm on the path to success that lasted decades, mainly with a succession of considerably bigger, more complicated racer/cruisers. The maker opted to go back to its origins with the Grand Soleil 34 for 2020, and it's a fantastic boat.

There are a few key rating criteria that racing boats compete under these days, plus a rising movement of doublehanded classes in several major regattas. Since conditions vary dramatically depending on where you plan to sail, the Grand Soleil 34 doubles as a cruiser. The need for a versatile vessel has been taken into account by Grand Soleil and is evident in its exquisite design. The Grand Soleil 34 does this by offering a variety of keel, rig, and deck options, allowing owners to tailor their boat to their specific location or events.

The shallower of the two keel choices, which is also the ideal cruising configuration, draws under 6 feet and is equipped with a lead bulb; a deeper 7-foot-2-inch foil is also available. A conventional aluminum stick or one of two alternative carbon spars are available as rig options. The boat has dual rudders and wheels, but you can alternatively have a single rudder with a tiller. The power unit on our variant was a 20 hp diesel with saildrive, which was an option. The boat design has the optional 30 hp diesel with saildrive, with a 20 hp auxiliary as standard.

The accommodations are essentially the same regardless of the performance package you choose. You still have options, though. In cruising mode, the open layout features a wide double berth in the bow, but while racing, you can remove the cushions and their base to transform the area into massive sail stowage. For competitive sailors concerned with keeping weight to a minimum, most of the oak furnishings and floors may be replaced with composite materials or even carbon.

A pair of settees flank a drop-leaf table in the middle of the boat, and there's a wide double cabin aft, to port, and a capacious head on the opposite starboard side, via which you can reach a large storage compartment beneath the cockpit seat. The great news is that there is also plenty of storage space for sailing.

Impression 45.1

The Elan Impression 45.1 now features a longer and broader cockpit, defined by dual wheels, a split cockpit table, and a folding sunbed, as inspired by the Elan GT5. A contemporary vertical transom was built, and two big cockpit storage boxes that may be furnished with a grill, sink, or refrigerator. Because of its hull design and recognizable deck saloon windows, the Impression 45.1 is light and airy. The saloon has a big settee that completely surrounds the table without blocking the path.

The galley has been moved forward to provide greater space for living and navigation. You also get solid iroko wood for the interior furniture material after months of testing because it was discovered to have the best endurance characteristics, a lovely traditional aesthetic, and an acceptable pricing point. The Elan Impression 45.1 will be offered with two cabin configurations, one for friends and family and the other for demanding charter parties.

Customers may now select between an open transom for a sportier look and a closed transom with a wide swim platform for safety and comfort. One of the more noticeable improvements is a new window, which illuminates the back cabins and adds to her instantly identifiable appearance.

It's no wonder that many would-be bluewater cruisers have this German Frers design on their wish list. The hull is well-built, featuring a sturdy masthead sloop sail plan—200-mile days are not out of the question—and the deck arrangement is ergonomically efficient. Belowdecks, no two boats are alike, thanks to the builders' willingness to experiment with layout and finish. The RS (Raised saloon) model expands on the already spacious interior. The new Hylas 56 has a similar streamlined hull. It is no wonder that its owners praise the boat's seakeeping and maneuverability.

With the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers, more Lagoons than any other brand of a catamaran have crossed

the Atlantic and more 440s have participated than any other Lagoon. It's simple to understand why

this yacht is so popular among visitors visiting the tropics. The saloon, the spacious cockpit, the broad trampoline forward, and the flybridge provide plenty of opportunities for the crew to have quiet time on passage or assemble for meals and socialize in port. The 440 is not a Sportster when it comes to

sailing, but it is capable of decent trip times while keeping its crew safe and comfortable.

The Meta 50' is a strong and comfortable long-distance cruising sailing yacht. This beachable twin-keel offshore sailing yacht has a 1.80m draught, lovely sunbathing places, and a garage big enough to fit the semi-rigid tender with an outboard motor.

This enormous sailing boat has two double bedrooms in the back, a spacious saloon with an open kitchen and panoramic views, a chart table, a bathroom, and a large owner's stateroom with a dressing room and separate bathroom. In the forepeak, a skipper's cabin with an attached bathroom is also available, which is just one of the many comforts on the Meta.

The Meta 50' is constructed of ultra-resistant prestressed Strongall aluminum and may be customized to meet your exact requirements. Thanks to the ballastable dual keel system, the TurboKeels version will have performance comparable to a 3.50m draught keelboat while simultaneously reducing the list by 15-20°.

Domani introduces the S30, a one-of-a-kind sailing experience that combines sportiness, elegance, and design in a single exquisite sports boat. Less is more, and free time is valuable; that is what you get with this cruiser. The design also uses a back-to-basics approach, with fewer components and less upkeep. It's all about disconnecting from shore power and sailing away in minutes. With electronic sail propulsion, it's light and green, and its manageable size makes it easy to carry or store.

Summer in the Fjords is unlike any other, as is summer in St Tropez. Explore new beaches and seas, meet new people, and expand your sailing horizons beyond the neighborhood harbor. Isn't it true that the goal of every journey is to learn something new? It is easy to see what the brand is all about. The Domani is about Gran Turismo-style sailing: quick, exciting, and elegant.

The Beneteau Oceanis 30.1

The Beneteau Oceanis 30.1, a 31-foot-3-inch tiny yacht that was best-equipped and spec'd out as a specialized cruising boat, was also given the title of Best Performance Cruiser for 2020. But don't be fooled by her modest internal amenities; she is a lively small ship.

The sail layout emphasizes power aloft with a single-spreader fractional number rig with a square-top main. Our test boat has an optional bowsprit and a lap-streak genoa; the normal version features a self-tacking 100 percent headsail. Although dual wheels make handling straightforward, old-school men (like me) can choose a tiller.

A boarding ladder and a small fold-down boarding step are included on the transom. Also, a Facnor headsail furler is stationed alongside the Lewmar windlass on the opposite end. The overall level of attention to detail is outstanding.

The adaptability of the 30.1 was a strong selling point for the judging panel. There are four keel variations, as well as a centerboard. A tabernacle may be added to the deck-stepped mast for simple lowering and trailering to a new location or navigating waterways. It was also the most affordable option in the category, at $160,000. The benefits just kept on coming.

The forward V-berth is undoubtedly spectacular, and the deck-stepped spar described before freed up the space below, especially in the center saloon and eating area. The entire galley is to port at the foot of the companionway, and the enclosed head is to starboard, where there is also a practical tiny navigation station. A large aft double cabin may also be found to starboard. This is an ideal solution for a small family or a couple of couples.

There's plenty of natural light below deck thanks to the coachroof windows, and overhead hatches, which are supplemented by energy-efficient LED lighting. The eye-catching hull decorations grab attention, and the well-executed dodger is an excellent spot to get out of the rain.

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Born into a family of sailing enthusiasts, words like “ballast” and “jibing” were often a part of dinner conversations. These days Jacob sails a Hallberg-Rassy 44, having covered almost 6000 NM. While he’s made several voyages, his favorite one is the trip from California to Hawaii as it was his first fully independent voyage.

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fast sailing yachts

Sail GP: how do supercharged racing yachts go so fast? An engineer explains

fast sailing yachts

Head of Engineering, Warsash School of Maritime Science and Engineering, Solent University

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Jonathan Ridley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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Sailing used to be considered as a rather sedate pastime. But in the past few years, the world of yacht racing has been revolutionised by the arrival of hydrofoil-supported catamarans, known as “foilers”. These vessels, more akin to high-performance aircraft than yachts, combine the laws of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics to create vessels capable of speeds of up to 50 knots, which is far faster than the wind propelling them.

An F50 catamaran preparing for the Sail GP series recently even broke this barrier, reaching an incredible speed of 50.22 knots (57.8mph) purely powered by the wind. This was achieved in a wind of just 19.3 knots (22.2mph). F50s are 15-metre-long, 8.8-metre-wide hydrofoil catamarans propelled by rigid sails and capable of such astounding speeds that Sail GP has been called the “ Formula One of sailing ”. How are these yachts able to go so fast? The answer lies in some simple fluid dynamics.

As a vessel’s hull moves through the water, there are two primary physical mechanisms that create drag and slow the vessel down. To build a faster boat you have to find ways to overcome the drag force.

The first mechanism is friction. As the water flows past the hull, a microscopic layer of water is effectively attached to the hull and is pulled along with the yacht. A second layer of water then attaches to the first layer, and the sliding or shearing between them creates friction.

On the outside of this is a third layer, which slides over the inner layers creating more friction, and so on. Together, these layers are known as the boundary layer – and it’s the shearing of the boundary layer’s molecules against each other that creates frictional drag.

fast sailing yachts

A yacht also makes waves as it pushes the water around and under the hull from the bow (front) to the stern (back) of the boat. The waves form two distinctive patterns around the yacht (one at each end), known as Kelvin Wave patterns.

These waves, which move at the same speed as the yacht, are very energetic. This creates drag on the boat known as the wave-making drag, which is responsible for around 90% of the total drag. As the yacht accelerates to faster speeds (close to the “hull speed”, explained later), these waves get higher and longer.

These two effects combine to produce a phenomenon known as “ hull speed ”, which is the fastest the boat can travel – and in conventional single-hull yachts it is very slow. A single-hull yacht of the same size as the F50 has a hull speed of around 12 mph.

However, it’s possible to reduce both the frictional and wave-making drag and overcome this hull-speed limit by building a yacht with hydrofoils . Hydrofoils are small, underwater wings. These act in the same way as an aircraft wing, creating a lift force which acts against gravity, lifting our yacht upwards so that the hull is clear of the water.

fast sailing yachts

While an aircraft’s wings are very large, the high density of water compared to air means that we only need very small hydrofoils to produce a lot of the important lift force. A hydrofoil just the size of three A3 sheets of paper, when moving at just 10 mph, can produce enough lift to pick up a large person.

This significantly reduces the surface area and the volume of the boat that is underwater, which cuts the frictional drag and the wave-making drag, respectively. The combined effect is a reduction in the overall drag to a fraction of its original amount, so that the yacht is capable of sailing much faster than it could without hydrofoils.

The other innovation that helps boost the speed of racing yachts is the use of rigid sails . The power available from traditional sails to drive the boat forward is relatively small, limited by the fact that the sail’s forces have to act in equilibrium with a range of other forces, and that fabric sails do not make an ideal shape for creating power. Rigid sails, which are very similar in design to an aircraft wing, form a much more efficient shape than traditional sails, effectively giving the yacht a larger engine and more power.

As the yacht accelerates from the driving force of these sails, it experiences what is known as “ apparent wind ”. Imagine a completely calm day, with no wind. As you walk, you experience a breeze in your face at the same speed that you are walking. If there was a wind blowing too, you would feel a mixture of the real (or “true” wind) and the breeze you have generated.

The two together form the apparent wind, which can be faster than the true wind. If there is enough true wind combined with this apparent wind, then significant force and power can be generated from the sail to propel the yacht, so it can easily sail faster than the wind speed itself.

fast sailing yachts

The combined effect of reducing the drag and increasing the driving power results in a yacht that is far faster than those of even a few years ago. But all of this would not be possible without one further advance: materials. In order to be able to “fly”, the yacht must have a low mass, and the hydrofoil itself must be very strong. To achieve the required mass, strength and rigidity using traditional boat-building materials such as wood or aluminium would be very difficult.

This is where modern advanced composite materials such as carbon fibre come in. Production techniques optimising weight, rigidity and strength allow the production of structures that are strong and light enough to produce incredible yachts like the F50.

The engineers who design these high-performance boats (known as naval architects ) are always looking to use new materials and science to get an optimum design. In theory, the F50 should be able to go even faster.

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World’s Fastest Sailboat: Quantum Leap

  • By James Boyd
  • Updated: June 18, 2013

Vestas SailRocket 2

Vestas SailRocket 2

Last November, in southwest Africa, a landmark moment occurred in the history of sailing when Paul Larsen pegged the outright world sailing speed record. In recent years the record was eclipsed in small increments, usually a fraction of a knot, but the Australian’s innovative Vestas SailRocket 2 flew down the 500-meter course at an average speed just over 75 mph, almost 10 knots faster than the previous record held by American kiteboarder Rob Douglas.

Tim Colman’s asymmetric Crossbow established the first 500-meter record in 1972 with a heady 26.3 knots. Windsurfers took hold of the record in 1986 and held it until 1993 when Simon McKeon’s asymmetric yacht Yellow Pages took it and held it until 2004. Windsurfers reigned again for a few years, but it was the kiteboarders who shattered the mythical 50-knot barrier in 2008. In 2009 Alain Thebault’s foiler L’Hydroptère managed 51.36 knots. But the kiteboarders quickly won it back when Douglas pushed the record to 55.65 knots.

With the latest record Larsen not only reclaimed it on behalf of “the boats,” but set a benchmark—65.45 knots to be precise—that will be hard to surpass.

Despite the stunning margin of increase, the record did not come easily. The feat was the culmination of 10 years of hard graft, fiscal uncertainty, and severe setbacks.

The Australian-born Larsen had been best known in the sailing world for his offshore adventures. He crewed on Pete Goss’s ill-fated Team Philips , then ended up sailing around the world in The Race with Tony Bullimore. He completed another lap aboard Doha 2006 , winner of the Oryx Quest.

In 2002, he and his Swedish girlfriend, Helena Darvelid, herself an accomplished offshore sailor, teamed up with English naval architect and speed sailing junkie Malcolm Barnsley.

The catalyst for the SailRocket project was the book The 40-knot Sailboat written in 1963 by American rocket scientist and yacht design visionary Bernard Smith. At a time when yachts still had long keels, Smith described the idea of a sailing vessel dubbed the “aero-hydrofoil” with neutral stability: where the heeling moment from the rig is completely offset by a foil located to windward. Smith built models to prove his concept, but it was only when the first Vestas SailRocket was launched in the spring of 2004 that his concept was proven at full scale.

Initial progress was slow. In 2005, after two seasons getting to know the platform, they replaced its softsail rig with a wing. The first trials with the boat were on Portland Harbour, close to Larsen and Darvelid’s home in Weymouth, Great Britain. In 2007, the duo decamped to Walvis Bay, Namibia, a venue with perfect characteristics that offered more opportunity to carry out runs: a gently sloping beach, regular winds, and a 1,000-meter stretch of obstruction-free water. In recent years, Namibia has taken over from The French Trench in Saintes Maries de la Mer, France, as the preferred location for breaking sailing speed records. All the speed records set by kiteboarders were done in Luderitz, Namibia, some 250 miles south of Walvis Bay.

The first big speeds came in 2007, with SailRocket hitting an instantaneous speed of 42.4 knots during one run. It was well short of the record at the time, but fast enough to prove Smith’s concept. That number also enabled Larsen and Darvelid to gain vital sponsorship from wind turbine manufacturer Vestas.

With such a groundbreaking boat, teething problems were inevitable. They were getting faster, but the boat, rather than the pilot, was still mostly in control. A significant issue was the steering. “The back of the boat looked like Edward Scissorhands,” says Larsen. “We had three rudders hanging off the back; one system was confusing the other. It was a mess.”

After nearly destroying the boat in a crash, Larsen and Darvelid, along with Barnsley and engineer George Dadd, set out to create a better steering system. With this fitted, and_ Vestas SailRocket_ rebuilt, they set off again, as Larsen says “on one of the wildest runs I’ve ever had in that boat.” The steering was better—the boat would bear away to some degree—but far from perfect. On one run, Vestas SailRocket ran onto the beach at 35 knots.

But despite the troubles controlling the boat, Larsen knew they were on the right track. After tweaking the rudder over the next few days, they did one run, in big winds and relatively rough conditions, where Larsen felt for the first time that he was in control of the beast. It was a landmark moment.

“After that run, we booked the WSSRC for the first time,” he says, referring to the World Speed Sailing Record Council, which administers and validates all sailing speed records.

While the boat continued to get faster, a more fundamental design issue became apparent. With the pilot’s seat in the rear of the main hull, trying to keep the boat pointed in the right direction was a challenge. It was, Larsen describes, “like trying to fly an arrow backwards. It would try to turn around and fly the proper way with the weight at the front and the feathers at the back, by turning laterally into the wind, or vertically if it had to.”

On one memorable occasion, Vestas SailRocket took off and performed a complete backflip, leaving Larsen upside down in the water and the boat once again in pieces. The video of this crash went viral on YouTube and has been played more than 400,000 times. But this was one of many incidents: “We had rounded up into the wind, smashed the wing, and folded up the beam at least four times before we even got to the flip,” he recalls. “Each one of those was a big crash, big repair, damaged wing, broken struts; once we got the boat going really quick, then she started to somersault.”

Amid all of this, the world record was being pushed further down the track by the kiteboarders with Douglas stealing it from the windsurfers and then Frenchman Sebastien Cattelan being the first sailor to break the 50-knot barrier. But Vestas SailRocket also made its mark. The same day as the backflip, SailRocket became the world’s fastest boat, as opposed to board, at a speed of 47.3 knots.

The following season Larsen and company realized time was running out for Vestas SailRocket . They had an unofficial run of 49.38 knots and a peak speed of 52.78 knots, but the runs were still very much do or die. Larsen endured another full backflip and a separate catastrophe when the forward beamstay broke, causing the beam to fly back into the main hull and the boat to fold up, putting the pilot in the hospital. “It went from over 47 knots to a standstill, and the beam came back at me like a cricket bat,” says Larsen. “I still rate that as the most violent crash in yachting yet.”

With Vestas SailRocket reaching the limit of its potential, the team was already deep into the design of Vestas SailRocket 2 , harnessing all the knowledge they’d learned from the first boat.

While Barnsley spearheaded the design of the first boat, the principle designer of the second was Chris Hornzee-Jones, a structural engineer and aerodynamicist, who heads the company AeroTrope and designed the wingsail for the first Vestas SailRocket .

Launched in March 2011, Vestas SailRocket 2 incorporated all the fundamental features of the first boat: a hull to windward incorporating the all-important foil, a single crossbeam, and a wingsail inclined to weather by 30 degrees. In other ways, however, it was a significant step forward. At 40 feet long by 40 feet wide, it was slightly bigger, and the hull was now more like a glider fuselage sitting on two short floats at the bow and stern, with the rudder mounted on the forward one. To leeward the wingmast sat atop a third float.

Most noticeable was that while the floats pointed in its direction of travel, the fuselage was offset to starboard by 20 degrees to point into the direction of the apparent wind in order to minimize drag at high speed. They also “reversed the arrow,” putting the cockpit in the bow of the fuselage. They enlarged the wing from 172 sq. ft. to 193 sq. ft., added a hooked section at the bottom of the wing (giving it a hockey stick profile), which acts as an endplate for the wing and also provides some control over how high the leeward float flys.

In the cockpit, in addition to the steering wheel, the controls Larsen uses during a run are the mainsheet and the control for the flap on the outboard extension of the wing. There are also controls for raising and lowering the main foil and the low-speed skeg, and controlling the wing when stationary.

During the 2011 season, the team made solid progress. Vestas SailRocket 2 proved more controllable and stable than the previous boat, and in two seasons of use it experienced none of the same catastrophes that afflicted the first boat. However, regardless of the wind speed, the new boat couldn’t surpass the low 50-knot range. By this stage, Douglas had pushed the record to 55.65 knots.

The culprit proved to be the foil, mounted on a bracket well aft on the windward side of the fuselage.

In 2011, the team trialed two foils. Both were L-shaped, one a conventional asymmetric teardrop shape—with a similar section to an IMOCA 60/Volvo 70 daggerboard—the other a ventilating foil. With the former both the low- and high-pressure sides of the foil are put to use, but when traveling at speeds approaching 60 knots the foil cavitated. This is a common problem for propellers, caused when pressure on the low-pressure side of the foil becomes so low it causes the water to vaporize, effectively detaching it from the foil. With only one side of the foil working, the performance of the foil drops suddenly, with potentially disastrous effects.

A ventilating foil with more of bullet shape (a sharp leading edge, and a blunt trailing edge) is, in hydrodynamic terms, much less efficient: Its effective working area is much reduced, and it creates more drag. However, this shape theoretically removes the cavitation issue and allows the foil to operate smoothly at speeds well in excess of those where a conventional foil starts to struggle. During the 2011 season Vestas SailRocket was mostly being sailed with this foil, only it failed to ventilate properly. In desperation the team took out the grinder and progressively shortened the foil in 6″ chunks, down from 3’3″ to 1’9″, before returning to base to consider the data.

Back in Great Britain, the team planned to build a new foil, but was unsure what exactly to build. Talking to the experts only caused more confusion. They were advised a ventilating foil shouldn’t be able to get beyond 30 knots, but they had achieved speeds in excess of 50 knots with it. So they reverted to their original concept of a ventilated foil, only a depth of around 2′ submerged and a chord of 10″ at its maximum—about 60 percent of its original area. They also fitted Cosworth data loggers to the foil to establish where cavitation or ventilation was occurring.

The eureka moment came not with the new foil on its own, but when they added a strategically placed fence to prevent ventilation in an area of the foil that shouldn’t have been ventilated. And the rest, as they say, is history. Initially they set a new record of 59.23 knots, and 10 days later Larsen managed 65.45 knots with a peak speed of 67.74 knots.

What’s it like at 60 knots? “It depends on how close I get into the beach,” says Larsen. “If I stay out of the rough stuff, it is a short, sharp, bumpy ride, like on a high speed powerboat. This thing doesn’t knife through the waves, it skips over the top of the small chop. At the back of the boat it is pretty good, just riding on a foil, it is pretty civilized. The visibility is brilliant. I have got no sunglasses or visor on. There is no spray coming into the cockpit, compared to the last boat. I only feel a little bit of spray just when I start up.”

At present there are no plans to progress with Vestas SailRocket . The point has been proven. From the heavens Bernard Smith, who passed away on Feb. 10, 2010, can smile. Larsen is adamant the concept will go faster; in theory there is nothing to stop this genre of boat from hitting 100 knots. But it will require another foil. With his offshore background Larsen is intrigued to see if the neutral stability concept can be developed for more practical applications, but only if it makes boats like the 131-foot Banque Populaire maxi tri [the outright ’round the world record holder at 45 days] look like pedestrian dinosaurs.

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What Are the Fastest Types of Sailboat (and Why)?

For most of us in our "normal" sailboats, we can get going "fast" on a good breezy day. Even a small day-sailer can give you a white-knuckled ride in the right conditions, and good racers in modest boats can put up double-digit speeds. Twelve knots can feel really fast when you're used to half that. But what does fast mean now, and what are the fastest types of sailboats? And what makes these speed demons fly?

The fastest types of sailboats are:

  • Specialized performance boats : 65.45 knots
  • Foiling multihulls : 44 knots
  • Foiling monohulls : 50 knots
  • Windsurfers & kiteboards : 50+ knots
  • Racing skiffs :
  • Performance multihulls : 20 knots
  • Offshore racing monohulls : > 20 knots

As of this writing, the fastest sailboat in the world is a specialized boat called Vestas Sailrocket 2. In 2012 she recorded a sustained speed of 65.45 knots over a 500-meter course in a sanctioned speed record. Other fast sailboats include a variety of foiling monohulls and catamarans, kite surfers, windsurfers, and performance catamarans and trimarans.

Stick around, strap on your crash helmets, and come look into what causes ludicrous speed in today’s modern sailboats. First, we'll explore what makes sailboats fast or slow. Then, we'll explore the fastest sailboat types and their speeds (jump to the list ).

fast sailing yachts

On this page:

What is "fast" for sailboats, what makes a sailboat...not fast, the fastest types of sailboats.

"I feel the need, the need for speed!" Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun

Fast is always relative. If you sail a small dinghy, the eight knots that has you white-knuckled and hiking hard barely pegs the fun-meter on a fifty footer racing sled.

But for "Fastest" there are absolutes. The World Sailing Speed Record council keeps records of various sorts as part of the World Sailing organization. They keep records for straight-line speed (500 meters, nautical mile) and many distance records from races and ocean crossings.

What makes up "fast" is also determined by the type of measurement. A kite surfer will put up amazing speed numbers of a mile but can't cross oceans. Some ocean races only allow certain classes of boats - multihulls are often excluded, and ocean race records are recorded by elapsed time and average speed.

To determine "fast" for our list, we're going to look across categories and pull out the best of the best.

fast sailing yachts

To understand why screaming fast boats are fast, it's important to know what these speedsters need to overcome to break out and sail fast.

Power and Weight

If you apply the same amount of force to two objects with different mass, the lighter object will accelerate and move faster. Throw a light plastic ball with the same force as a steel ball the same size, and the plastic ball will fly faster and farther.

With sailing, in the same conditions with the same driving forces (wind and sail area), the lighter boat will sail faster. If you can reduce weight, you can go faster, and racing sailors can be over the top stripping weight to improve performance. It's not just weight in the hull; weight up the mast can hurt a boat’s performance too.

Using modern building materials like carbon fiber and honeycombed cores cuts major weight from hulls. Couple that with multi-hull or foiling designs which eliminate heavy keels, and you get light, fast boats.

Friction, Drag, and Wetted Surface

Although water doesn't feel it, it's rather sticky. On a molecular level, water adds considerable friction when a hull pushes through the water. High-performance yachts have mirror-polished finishes to eliminate drag, but a slick bottom isn't enough to get the insane performance we're looking for.

Friction between materials is governed by how slippery the two surfaces are and the surface area of contact between them. Imagine dragging a piece of plywood flat across a carpeted floor. There's a lot of contact between a 4' x 8' piece of plywood and the carpet: thirty-two square feet. It will be hard to drag lying flat.

Now lift one end of the plywood and drag it. You've cut the surface area from 32 square feet to a few square inches, and the plywood drags easily. The same concept applies to boat hulls - the less hull you have in contact with the water, the less drag to slow you down.

Displacement hull shapes can affect how much area is in the water and will change as the boat heels.

Multihulls can lift a hull out of the water in the right conditions, cutting drag in half.

fast sailing yachts

Hydrofoils aren't a new concept, but recent advances in materials science and yacht design have led to major advances in boat speed. Foiling boats lift the entire hull clear of the water, reducing the wetted area to the foils in contact with the water.

Several production boat companies are experimenting with “foil assisted” monohulls - traditionally ballasted boats with foils to lift them partially out of the water to reduce wetted surface drag. Time will tell if the technology works and the market wants it.

In some of the fastest boats, air drag can also be a factor as speeds get over 20 knots. Streamlining of above-water components takes on new importance.

Sail Area and Force

Bigger sails catch more wind, any sailor knows this. And bigger boats have bigger sails, right? But how can you look at the sails and hull together to make the boat faster?

Yacht designers use the Sail Area to Displacement (SA/D) ratio to categorize boats by performance. Displacement is equivalent to the weight of a boat, so the lighter the boat the lower the displacement.

Calculating sail area to displacement Sail Area to Displacement isn't a straight-line ratio since the impact of displacement isn't linear. It's calculated by dividing the sail area in square feet by the displacement in cubic feet to the 2/3 power. SA/D ratio = sail area (sq ft) / (displacement in cubic feet)^2/3 To get displacement in cubic feet in seawater, divide the weight of the boat by 64 lbs, the weight of a cubic foot of seawater.

The higher the SA/D ratio, the more powered up the boat. By reducing displacement increases the ratio. Kiteboards and windsurfers take this to the extreme, with very low displacement boards for hulls with large amounts of surface area.

Developments in wing sail technology have also increased high-end performance. Sail performance is more about lift than size , and wing sails generate tremendous lift with a trimmable, reduced airfoil profile.

The SA/D ratio goes out the window once a boat foils, since it's only a rough guideline assuming the hull is in the water. Foiling changes all the math.

fast sailing yachts

Sailing Faster than the Wind

For centuries, sailing faster than the wind was as inconceivable as flying. Modern boat designs and foiling technology has changed all that. Once a boat moves at an angle towards the wind, its apparent wind - the wind observed on the sailboat - increases. This generates lift, and a lightweight boat with a lot of sail area can generate enough lift to sail faster than the wind.

Apparent wind is how the wind feels on the boat. It's the true wind added to the wind caused by the motion of the boat. The faster the boat moves, the more forward the wind feels.

Add foils, and all bets are off - the current America's Cup is a stunning display of boats sailing many times the speed of the wind.

The physics explaining this (read on kqed.org ) are beyond this article; the result is the sails generate lift to accelerate the boats past the true wind speed and the boats sail on their own apparent wind.

Very few of the world’s fastest types of boats are commonly available, and most of them are racing focused and seen in those venues. There are some affordable, smaller options, though they take some physical fitness and skill to sail.

Ice boats and land sailers deserve a mention, as they sail on the wind. But they don't float, so we're not putting them with the boats. Water is a lot less sticky when it's frozen, and sailing on blades has gotten speeds over 100 miles per hour. The land speed record for a wheeled land sailer is 126.1 MPH (202.0 KPH).

fast sailing yachts

Specialized Performance Boats

Many of the top sailing speed records have been set by purpose-built boats designed for setting speed records. These are the sailing equivalent of drag racers - purpose designed for speed rather than other competition or use. Two of the best-known are Vestas Sailrocket 2 and Hydroptère .

Hydroptère is a sixty-foot foiling trimaran and set the world speed record in 2009, sustaining 50+ knots over 500 meters and one nautical mile.

Vestas Sailrocket 2 is the current speed record holder over 500 meters with 65.45 knots and holds the nautical mile record with 55.32 knots. Vestas Sailrocket 2 is a trimaran in that she has two hulls (or floats), but the specialized design has a wing sail offset over one while the helmsman sails from a pod on the other hull.

Foiling Multihulls

While the specialty boats are setting records, a variety of foiling multihull boats are raced in sizes from small single-handers up to the AC72's used in the 2013 America's Cup. Boat speeds in the 2013 America's Cup were typically at thirty knots or higher, with speeds hitting 44 knots.

There are many foiling multi classes, including the GC32 and the F50. Even a small foiler like the IFly15 can hit speeds of 25 knots.

Multihulls don't need ballast for stability, so they accelerate to foiling speeds without tipping and stay on the foils with three points of contact usually in the water.

Foiling Monohulls

Foiling dinghies like the Moth woke dinghy sailing up to high foiling speeds. Several single-handed small dinghies are in the market, and sailors have been experimenting with adding foils to existing designs like the Laser and even the Opti to hit double-digit speeds.

Foiling monohulls are trickier than cats since they have only two foils and are less stable. Dinghies use crew weight to keep stability, but larger monohulls have been a problem because of pre-foiling stability without a keel.

The foiling AC75 designs in the 2021 America's Cup solved this with moveable foils, which act as ballast when retracted and foils when in the water. With sophisticated computer feedback systems and skilled sailing, these boats have cracked 50 knots on the racecourse, with in-race speeds in the 30 and 40-knot range when the boats are foiling. These boats can foil in less than ten knots of true wind, hitting speeds three or four times the wind.

Windsurfers & Kiteboards

Drag race speed records are set and broken by windsurfers and kiteboards regularly. The "hull" is a surfboard - a low profile, low displacement hull. Large sail area and low displacement allow speeds over fifty knots in record attempts. Even casual wind and kite surfers sail at high speeds in moderate wind conditions.

fast sailing yachts

Racing Skiffs

Ultra-light hulls with minimal ballast and massive sail area, racing skiffs ranging from 11 to 18 feet are favorite classes down under in Australia and New Zealand. From single handers to crews of four, these ultrafast boats have been pushing the edge of faster than the wind performance for years, and are still some of the fastest small race boats you'll see on Sydney Harbour.

Sailors pushing the edge have added foils to skiffs (of course...), creating more fast entries in the monohull foiling category.

fast sailing yachts

Performance Multihulls

Gunboat and Outremer are two examples of high-performance catamaran brands you can use for something other than racing. These boats use lightweight but tough construction and sleek designs to make bluewater capable cats capable of double-digit sailing speeds in comfort and safety.

They aren't cheap for the average boat owner, but they are fast and comfortable. Cruising at 20 knots isn't a dream.

Offshore Racing Monohulls

Almost all of the records in the big offshore races are still held by the big maxi racing monohulls, and these are still some of the fastest boats in the world. If you follow offshore racing, you’ll know names like Comanche , Wild Oats XI , Rambler , and dozens of others hold line honors records on most of the major ocean races. While specific races like the Volvo Ocean Race or the Vendee Globe don't always make the records books, they sail fast over great distances.

fast sailing yachts

These boats are campaigned by full crews of professional sailors. Design innovations and updates are constant, with new boats built to outpace and outperform. While they don't have the straight-line speeds of the fast foilers and inshore racers, average speeds close to twenty knots over hundreds or thousands of miles of offshore sailing is some serious offshore velocity.

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Fastest sailboats: The teams aiming to break 80 knots

Yachting World

  • April 6, 2022

It's been nearly a decade since Sailrocket set a new record to become the world's fastest sailboat. Now two teams are hoping to set a new record with their radical designs, Mark Chisnell reports

fast sailing yachts

On 24 November 2012, Paul Larsen and his Sailrocket team rewrote our understanding of the physics of sailboats, stamping their names indelibly in the record books as they set a new record for the world’s fastest sailboat.

A little over a week earlier, at a spot called Walvis Bay on the coast of Namibia, Sailrocket 2 had pushed the outright sailing speed record up by the biggest-ever margin – from 55.65 to 59.23 knots. The performance on the 24th smashed it beyond all expectations though, a gloriously windy day that saw Sailrocket 2 deliver a 65.45 knot average officially becoming the world’s fastest sailboat.

It was a remarkable human achievement, piloting a boat down a 500m course at speeds that had previously been thought impossible. “Your job is to go 100% down that course, there’s no halfway about it,” Paul Larsen told me, almost a decade later. “By the time you’ve got a big team and all the momentum of that project going, your biggest fear is not going fast.”

The risks are inescapable though, as Larsen had revealed in a blog; “As I lay awake in bed that morning I considered writing a little note that I hoped would never be read and stashing it somewhere. Too morbid. Just get it right, Larsen.”

Growth of the world’s fastest sailboat

To put Sailrocket’s performance into context you need to consider the trajectory and history of the sailing speed record . It started back in 1972 with Tim Colman and Crossbow setting an opening mark of 26.30 knots.

fast sailing yachts

Yellow Pages in 1993. Photo: Frederick Clement/DPPI Media/Alamy

By 1993, Yellow Pages had upped that all the way to 46.52 knots – an average improvement of almost a knot every year. But then something changes, progress halts for over a decade. The windsurfers and kiteboarders eventually start nudging it back up, but it’s 16 years before another yacht – Alain Thebault’s foil-borne L’Hydroptère – sets a new record, not even five knots quicker than Yellow Pages .

It was thought that the speed of sailing machines was reaching a ceiling, a physical limit defined by the cavitation point. If you have ever made a cup of tea at altitude then you will know that the boiling point (the transformation point where water changes from a liquid into a vapour), varies with pressure. The lower the pressure, the lower the temperature required for water to boil. So, at the top of Everest, water will boil at about 68°C.

There’s also low pressure on the leeward side of an aero- or hydrofoil . Foils provide a lifting force because of the pressure difference between one side and the other. This difference creates the force as the foil tries to equalise the pressure.

fast sailing yachts

L’Hydroptère claimed the record in 2009. Photo: Christophe Launay

If a hydrofoil goes fast enough then the pressure to leeward will drop sufficiently that the water starts to ‘boil’ or vaporise. This creates a loss of lift, and instability as smooth flow turns chaotic, with vapour bubbles flowing down the foil to an area of higher pressure where they collapse.

It’s this speed limit that we see America’s Cup and SailGP foilers hit on a reach. Once the speed gets much above 50 knots the foils – which are designed to suppress cavitation for as long as possible – finally start to cavitate and the boats just can’t go any faster.

To get past this point a completely different type of foil is required, one that does not try to eliminate cavitation but instead tries to stabilise it, and this is the secret to the 65-knot speed of Sailrocket 2 . “That’s the brilliant [foil] design that we settled on, with a lot of help from guys like Aerotrope and Chris Hornzee-Jones. Chris did amazing work behind the scenes on that project, including designing the final foils,” said Larsen.

Article continues below…

fast sailing yachts

Syroco: Radical design aiming to set a new speed record

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SP80: Swiss team hoping to build the fastest sailboat

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Vestas Sailrocket 2

Sailrocket obliterates world record….again

Matthew Sheahan talks to Paul Larsen shortly after he exceeds 65 knots, shattering his own world record

The team realised the foil didn’t need to be impossibly thin to suppress and avoid cavitation. Instead, they could encourage it and push past the cavitation point with a foil that would cavitate in a stable fashion.

“To make a dinghy or a powerboat analogy, it’s like when you get over that hump and the boat gets up on the plane. We all know when the water separates off the back of the boat, you don’t want your transom gurgling around at the back there with all that drag,” Larsen explains.

fast sailing yachts

Current speed record holders Paul Larsen and Vestas Sailrocket 2. Photo: Vestas SailRocket

In a similar fashion, Sailrocket 2 ’s foil is able to shed the turbulent, draggy flow of early cavitation and replace it with a single smooth pocket of vapour around the foil as air sucks down from the surface. Larsen calls this a base ventilated foil, it’s also sometimes termed a super-ventilating foil.

“So you end up with these very shallow camber, base ventilated foils, and they’re not overly efficient but they don’t have a limit,” he explained. “They keep working. It’s like a jet fighter’s wings. They’re not efficient, but if you put a big jet engine behind them, they keep going where the others stop and hit the ceiling.”

Force alignment

The jet engine was the other part of the problem. How do you generate enough power from the aerofoil to push a horribly inefficient hydrofoil up to the speeds required to start cavitation, and then blow through that barrier?

The answer lay in a decades-old idea – force alignment. In conventional sailboats, be they dinghies, multihulls or yachts, the aerodynamic force created by the sails is both pushing the boat forward and pushing it over.

The force is resisted by a combination of a hydrodynamic force from a foil in the water, and weight – either the crew’s bodyweight or the weight of a keel. These two forces act at a distance from the centre of effort of the sail – creating opposing levers, with the forces of mass and hydrodynamic lift opposing the aerodynamic force generated by the sail (or wingsail).

The use of these forces to create a propulsive forward force demands a structure of a commensurate size and strength. So to go faster required more force and/or lighter overall weight, but also stronger structures. It was big improvements in the strength and weight characteristics of materials that allowed much of the jumps in speeds set through the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

Vestas Sailrocket 2

Vestas Sailrocket 2 used force alignment to achieve her remarkable speeds

But there was another way: by offsetting the forces and aligning them. “So [you] have the centre of effort of the aerodynamic forces, the sail or the wing, directly aligned with the opposing force of the foil,” explains Larsen. In other words, remove the levers by having the force from the sail directly oppose the force from the hydrofoil.

“We didn’t come up with that concept, that was written about in the 1960s by Bernard Smith in the book The 40-Knot Sailboat ,” Larsen adds. Smith’s insights were so far ahead of his time that it took almost five decades for them to be fully realised in Sailrocket 2’s record.

Sailrocket 2 achieved the force alignment with a wing mounted on the leeward hull that was canted over the windward hull by 30°. The force it generated was driving the boat forward and trying to lift the windward hull out of the water.

This force was resisted by a foil under the windward hull. And so that foil was pulling down rather than pushing up. It’s a crucial distinction between Sailrocket 2 and the type of foiling craft used in the America’s Cup or SailGP. In those boats, it’s the leeward hydrofoil that pushes back against the sail force. It also lifts the whole boat up and out of the water.

These two breakthrough ideas – force alignment and super-ventilated foils – along with a ‘no guts, no glory’ attitude, took Larsen and his Sailrocket 2 team over 65 knots, a mark that has been held for almost a decade. But might the time have come for that record to be broken?

“I think we’ve sat on it for long enough and it’s definitely time for it to be challenged,” Larsen says. “There was a time I was quite protective and proud of it, and wanted to sit on that throne for a while. But right now I want to see what other people can do with it and see what their solutions might be. I’ll see if it motivates me enough to get back out there myself!”

New fastest sailboat challengers

There are two major challenges shaping up to take on the Sailrocket team’s record and both should take to the water later this year or early in 2023. One of them, Syroco , has been set up by Alex Caizergues, the first man to travel sail-powered at over 100km/h on water, and twice holder of the outright sailing speed record on his kiteboard. The other, SP80 , has come out of the Swiss engineering school École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

fast sailing yachts

Kite-powered SP80 challenge uses a super-ventilating surface piercing foil. Photo: SP80

Both are using the principles that Larsen established, and both teams think they won’t just break the record but will smash it. Syroco ’s stated target is 150km/h, a breathtaking 80.99 knots. SP80 is also chasing the 80-knot barrier.

“I actually like where both projects are aiming,” said Larsen. “They’re definitely using the force alignment concept.” Both the SP80 and Syroco teams will use a kite, aligning its aerodynamic force with the hydrodynamic force from a foil. This should allow the generation of an immense drive force on a relatively light structure. They will need all the power they can get to push through the cavitation point.

The SP80 project is also using a super-ventilating, surface piercing foil like Sailrocket’s. “Vestas Sailrocket and the work done by Paul Larsen and his team was the main source of inspiration that we used to develop the boat,” said Benoît Gaudiot, one of the three founders of SP80 .

They started throwing around ideas in 2017, building super-ventilated fins for a kiteboard. Gaudiot, an experience kitespeed sailor quickly got it to 41 knots. They were going to need a different approach to beat the record though.

“The body cannot handle the power that is required to reach more than 60 knots,” said Gaudiot.

fast sailing yachts

SP80 co-founders Xavier Lepercq, Mayeul van den Broek and Benoît Gaudiot. Photo: SP80

Another of the founders, Xavier Lepercq, built a simulation tool, and they started developing designs. What they came up with was a trimaran powered by a kite, whose aligned force was balanced by a surface-piercing foil.

Once this was formulated the team quickly grew, with EPFL pledging its support and sponsors coming on board. “In the team, we have six full-time employees and almost 40 students from EPFL,” explained Mayeul van den Broek, the team’s project manager. They tested a prototype on Lake Geneva in 2020 and in June 2021 began construction of the full-size craft at Persico Marine.

The transition to a kite means that the biggest challenge to both teams is control – accurately balancing the aero and hydrodynamic forces. SP80 has tackled it with what they call the ‘power module’. “The idea behind this is to balance the force. The way we designed the boat, the main thing to achieve was stability,” said Gaudiot.

The exact mechanism of the power module is confidential, but it’s visible at the back of the boat in their visualisations and animations. It provides a direct link between the kite and the hydrofoil and appears to ‘trim’ the hydrofoil depending on the force vector coming from the kite. The shape of the foil and the linkage to the power module are key to the flight stability of the craft.

fast sailing yachts

Swiss SP80 team has been testing its prototype on Lake Geneva. Photo: SP80

“It’s fully mechanical and it’s fully adjusting the balance by itself,” said Gaudiot. “The controls will be quite simple for the pilot. There will be no need for me to control the height, the elevation of the boat, just the direction. And the power of the kite.” The kite lines will run to the cockpit and be controlled with the hands, while the direction of the boat will be controlled with the feet.

The SP80 team plan to challenge the record from a base in the south of France early in 2023, and Paul Larsen is looking forward to it. “I think the SP80 is a more practical solution that has made compromises for practicality. And I think I can get my head around that one a bit more. I think SP80 is probably closer to getting results. And I want to see how a kite’s going to go against the [Sailrocket] wing, because historically wings are faster.”

Flight on water

Looking to spoil the Swiss party is Syroco , a French company that comes to the world sailing speed record with gold-plated credentials. Co-founder and CEO Alex Caizergues has already held the record on his kiteboard.

“Since Paul broke the sailing speed record, I knew that we had to change the software and the way to go fast on water. I knew that I had to assemble around me a team of people able to build this kind of craft,” Caizergues recalls.

Caizergues isn’t just an athlete, he’s a business school graduate with an entrepreneurial track record. Syroco was set up in 2019 with four co-founders and support from technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.

fast sailing yachts

Artist’s rendering of how the Syroco craft will look in action. Photo: Syroco

They want to do more than just break the record, building a technology business around the attempt. The team has about 15 people working in Marseille with specialists in fluid mechanics, structures, software and data analytics.

“Our l’aile d’eau concept… it’s a little bit like Sailrocket,” said Caizergues. The concept is very simple; a hydrofoil will ‘fly’ underwater, pulled along by a cable that’s connected to a kite flying in the air above it.

Suspended between the two is a capsule containing the pilot Alex Caizergues, and a co-pilot. The aero and hydrodynamic forces oppose each other in an almost perfect representation of the aligned forces concept that powered Sailrocket 2 .

It should have the greatest speed potential because there is nothing extraneous. The capsule is only there because both the aero and hydrodynamic wings must be controlled, and the forces balanced by the pilots (not automated).

fast sailing yachts

The Syroco prototype under test being towed by a RIB. Photo: Syroco

And that’s the tough part, controlling it, particularly keeping the foil in the water. “Nope,” responds Alex, quickly, when I mention this possibility. “The foil never goes out of the water.” The Syroco foil isn’t surface piercing, it runs below the surface, only connected to the capsule and the kite by a cable.

It doesn’t rely on dragging air from the surface to stabilise the cavitation around the foil. Instead, it will rely on the cavitation creating its own stable pocket of water vapour around the foil – this is called super-cavitation. When it occurs the water flows around the bubble of vapour as though it were a solid, significantly enhancing the performance of the foil – as long as the bubble remains stable.

The problem is keeping the bubble intact. Paul Larsen pointed out that the cable gives the air a pathway down to the super-cavitating foil. “How they’re going to stop air sucking down from the surface and rupturing the bubble, that’s the real trick. It’s a very dynamic problem to solve. It’ll be interesting to see how well their simulations live up to the reality of what they’re about to strap themselves into…”

The control mechanisms for the final craft are still being worked on, but they have flown a prototype, towed by a RIB rigged with a 5m-high mast that simulated the force from the kite. The team hopes to commit to a final design with construction starting in the spring.

Human element

And then of course, there will be the matter of executing the plan on the day. “If you’ve done your maths, you’ve done your engineering, you’ve been thorough, that gives you confidence when you stand up on top of that course on one of those big days and you’re not exactly sure what’s about to happen,” recalls Larsen.

fast sailing yachts

Kiteboarder and businessman Alex Caizergues leads the Syroco project. Photo: Syroco

“You know it’s probably just slightly above your top wind range but all the cameras are rolling and the drones are in the air and everyone’s waiting with their stopwatches. That gives you the confidence to say: ‘Yeah, I’m going to go and wring its neck.’”

“Any crashes I had [and there were several] usually all the systems I had in place [for safety] were still completely locked on among all the wreckage. You’d go and flick off that lever you were going to use to control something – because by the time you’ve realised what’s happening, it’s happened.”

“If we go again with Sailrocket, then safety will feature bigger. I wouldn’t get in that boat and go that speed again. We got away with it because we had to.”

“Safety is really important for us,” agrees Benoît Gaudiot. They have built a kevlar cockpit for protection, installed a six-point harness and an F1-inspired seat. Gaudiot will wear a helmet with oxygen that will switch on if the helmet detects water in contact with its mask. “I would be able to stay in the water for a few minutes to have a diver come and open it.”

“The critical point on the boat is the hydrofoil. If the hydrofoil breaks, the boat…” Van den Broek interjects. “…will take off,” Gaudiot finishes the sentence for him.

Their enthusiasm for the project is infectious, the words tumbling out. And no one wants the boat to take off. One big advantage that they have that Larsen did not, is that they can release the power source. “With a kite it’s a few lines and you can just cut it super-fast,” says Gaudiot. “You can do it by yourself. You can do it from a distance, from the chase boat. You can do it automatically.”

“I think both those guys [Caizergues and Gaudiot], they’ve got the mentality,” said Larsen. “They’re not going to get up there and be scared of what they’re doing or intimidated too much by the craft.”

And what if they do break the record that Paul Larsen and his team have owned for almost a decade?

“We opened the door on a whole new world full of potential. And so there is a part of me that’s curious as to what lies further down that path. We validated the concepts that could get above what people thought were the cavitation limits and the ceilings of speed sailing. We proved you could get beyond that. They can take you to new levels of physics.

“The boat [ Sailrocket 2 ] is sitting there in perfect shape. It was made to last forever… we could rig that thing up and do 65 knots in a week or two.” And if his record goes, I wouldn’t put it past him to dust her off and do just that.

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Thoroughness above all is what counts for us. Precision in every detail shapes how we think and act, as well as who we choose to partner with. This includes the internationally renowned yacht designers at judel/vrolijk & co. You can see this in the timeless shapes, thoughtful deck layouts, and dynamically elegant lines of each Dehler.

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How the world’s fastest sail racing boats fly above the water

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The 13 Fastest Superyachts in the World

These boats prove that size doesn't have to mean slow..

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13 Fastest superyachts

When American businessman John Staluppi embarked on his yachting journey, it was to break records. He wanted his first yacht to be the first boat over 100 feet to exceed 30 knots, or 34.5 mph. He achieved it with the 118-foot For Your Eyes Only, delivered in 1985. It was also the first motoryacht in the US to have a combination of MTU diesel engines with water-jet propulsion.

His second yacht would smash all previous records. Delivered by Heesen in 1988, Octopussy fulfilled the Bond enthusiast’s aim to break the then 50-knot barrier with a top end of 53.17 knots (61 mph)—a speed that every other shipyard at the time said couldn’t be done. Octopussy  immediately entered the record books as the world’s fastest yacht.

“That record was important to me because when you pull into any place there’s always a bigger boat or a prettier boat, but there aren’t many people who can say, ‘Hey, this is the fastest yacht in the world,’” Staluppi told Robb Report .

Heesen’s latest delivery, the 197-foot Ultra G , is one of the Dutch yard’s fastest projects these days, with a propulsion package totaling 22,000 horsepower, including four water jets that deliver a top speed of 37 knots (42.57 mph).

Of course, 43 mph is a paltry number compared to many of the yachts on this list, including the new Bolide 80. That Italian stallion, which will make its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show, runs at a blistering 84 mph. It shows that speed, even in the large motoryacht category, is very much alive.

Here are 13 of the fastest motoryachts, past and present, that have ever been on the water.

1. Bolide 80 | 84 mph

fast sailing yachts

Victory Marine calls the Bolide 80 its first “Hyper Muscle Yacht,” which will be part of a limited-edition series from 60 to 170 feet. Designer Brunello Acampora and his tema of engineers pulled out all the stops on this 80, creating a full-carbon-fiber boat with more than 6,000 horsepower. The multi-stepped hull helps propel the Bolide to its top speed of 70 knots (84 mph), while accomplishing the seemingly impossible task of burning about half the fuel of a much smaller flybridge motoryacht at lower cruising speeds. The designer took care to give the Bolide a streamlined profile, with aerodynamic shapes to reduce resistance. The interior includes the captain’s cabin, a full-sized galley, open salon, and a forward owner’s area with a bedroom, en suite and wardrobe area. It will make its global debut at the Monaco Yacht Show.

2. ‘Foners’ | 80.56 mph

fast sailing yachts

Clocking a thrilling 70.10 knots (80.56 mph), the 136-foot Foners has maintained pole position as the world’s fastest superyacht for over 20 years. Powered by two 1,280hp MAN engines coupled to three Rolls-Royce 6,700 hp gas turbines driving three KaMeWa water jets, the all-aluminum boat is less about piercing waves and more about parting the seas. Delivered in 2000 by Spanish shipyard Izar as the King of Spain’s royal yacht, no expense was spared, including a superstructure lined with Aramid fiber for the express purpose of bulletproofing the interior.

3. ‘World Is Not Enough’ | 77.1 mph

fast sailing yachts

You need to only look at the 007-inspired name to know that World Is Not Enough is another rapid racer commissioned by John Staluppi, this time with an opulent interior designed by his wife Jeanette in partnership with Evan K Marshall. Delivered in 2004 by Millennium Super Yachts, the 139-footer is powered by two Paxman diesel engines and two Lycoming gas turbines to produce a staggering 20,600hp and a breathtaking 67 knots (77.1 mph). When not leaving other boats behind, World Is Not Enough has a cruising range of 3800 nautical miles at a comfortable speed of 10 knots.

4. ‘Galeocerdo’ | 74.8 mph

fast sailing yachts

Wally founder Luca Bassani designed the 118-foot Galeocerdo to maintain speed in rough seas. Launched in 2003 by Rodriquez Yachts, the boat racks up an eye-watering 65 knots (74.8 mph), thanks to its three Vericor TF50 gas turbines, each driving a Rolls-Royce KaMeWa water jet. Another performance-enhancing feature is the lightweight titanium exhaust system designed to resist the extreme temperatures generated by the gas turbines. Wind tunnel tested at the Ferrari facility in Maranello, Italy, the boat generates 16,800hp and a 45-knot (51.8-mph) cruising speed that’s faster than most motoryachts running flat out. It also enjoys a highly futuristic exterior design.

5. Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 | 72.5 mph

fast sailing yachts

When Italian supercar brand Lamborghini teamed up with yachting stalwart The Italian Sea Group, the end result had to be style and performance. The Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is all about the power of ‘63’. Designed and built to celebrate the year 1963 when Ferruccio Lamborghini founded his car company, the 63-footer delivers a whiplashing top speed of 63 knots (72.5 mph). And naturally, it’s one of just 63 in the series that will ever be made. Built out of carbon fiber, it’s fitted with two MAN V12-2000HP engines. MMA fighter Conor McGregor took delivery of hull number one in 2020, which reportedly cost $4 million.

6. ‘Chato’ | 71.9 mph

fast sailing yachts

Back in the mid-1980s, passionate Baglietto customer and leading US Porsche and VW dealer Baron John von Neumann, commissioned a new 85-ft. speed demon from the Italian builder. The entrepreneur was tired of his 34-knot (39-mph) Baglietto getting creamed from Monaco to St. Tropez by faster cruisers. With a hull design by the legendary Alcide Sculati, the all-aluminum Chato came with MTU’s latest 3,480hp V16s coupled to KaMeWa waterjets. Weighing 60 tons, and packing almost 7,000 hp, the military-looking superyacht with its battleship-gray paint and bright-red diagonal hull stripes, hit an astonishing top speed of 62.5 knots (71.9 mph) during sea trials. Chato is currently for sale in the South of France for $715,000.

7. ‘Oci Ciornie’ | 69.04 mph

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Oci Ciornie’s Vripack-designed interior may take inspiration from aircraft designs, but it’s the boat’s naval architecture by Don Shead and the combination of two 1,800hp MTU 16V 2000 M90 engines, a 4,600 hp AVCO Lycoming gas turbine and Arneson surface drives that put it on this list. Delivered in 1998 by Palmer Johnson with an aluminum hull, the 82-foot boat thrusts through water at 60 knots (69.04 mph), giving all eight guests the waterborne ride of their lives.

8. ‘Destriero’ | 68 mph

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The numbers almost defy logic. With a length of 224 feet, the all-aluminum superyacht Destriero is massive. Now add a trio of GE Aviation LM1600 gas turbines totaling an insane 60,000 hp and the incredulity only increases. Flat out, Destriero could scythe through waves at a staggering 59 knots, or 68 mph. Back in 1992, just one year after its launch, the Fincantieri-built rocketship showed its chops by challenging the famous Blue Riband trans-Atlantic speed record. Averaging 53.09 knots for the 3,106 nautical-mile run, Destriero shattered the record, only to be denied the trophy for being classed as a private yacht and not a commercial passenger vessel. Sadly, today the iconic yacht lies largely abandoned at one of Lurssen’s yards in Germany, awaiting rescue.

9. ‘Ermis²’ | 65.59 mph

fast sailing yachts

Some yachts feature slippery hull designs, others are propelled by rockets, but the McMullen & Wing-built Ermis² is one of the fastest yachts on the superyacht circuit thanks to its lightweight materials. Built from a combination of carbon/epoxy, aerospace grade carbon fiber and titanium, the 123-foot boat taps out at 57 knots (65.59 mph.) Delivered in 2007, its 10,944 horsepower comes from three MTU 16V 4000 M90 engines. Designed inside and out by Rob Humphreys, its classic looks disguise the speed demon within.

10. ‘Why Not U’ | 63.3 mph

fast sailing yachts

Why Not U is a yacht that comfortably cruises at 47 knots (54.1 mph)—a speed most owners only dream of reaching. When time is of the essence, the boat cranks up its Vericor TF40 gas turbine engines to max out at 55 knots (63.3 mph). Delivered by Overmarine in 2001, Why Not U ’s 4.3-foot draft makes it well suited for cruising shallow waters, while its sunbathing areas allow guests to catch some rays traveling at the speed of light.

11. ‘Alamshar’ | 52 mph

fast sailing yachts

Alamshar is another custom collaboration between Donald Blount and Pininfarina commissioned by Aga Khan IV, this time with interiors by Redman Whiteley Dixon. It was reportedly built for an estimated $200 million at the Devonport shipyard in Falmouth, United Kingdom, and took 13 years to complete. When it was eventually delivered in 2014, Alamshar’s top speed of 45 knots (51.78 mph), generated by twin Rolls-Royce Marine engines and three waterjets, seemed worth the wait.

12. ‘Moon Goddess’ | 51.78 mph

fast sailing yachts

Exterior designed by Espen Øino with an interior by Franco Zuretti, the all-aluminum Moon Goddess is a 115-foot yacht with a turquoise hull that matches the color of its oversized leather sunpads. When cruising at 30 knots (34.52 mph) or tearing up the oceans at 45 knots (51.78 mph), most other boats just catch a glimpse of sea spray that the planing yacht leaves in its wake. It’s powered by twin MTU 16V 4000 M90 diesel engines with twin water jets, which generate a combined 7,498 hp.

13. ‘Azzam’ | 35.7 mph

fast sailing yachts

At a staggering 590 feet bow-to-stern, the Lurssen-built Azzam earns the title of world’s longest privately owned gigayacht. But with its remarkable-for-the-size top speed of 31 knots (35.7 mph), it’s also the fastest. Twin 12,000hp MTU V20 turbo-diesels do the day-to-day powering at up to 18 knots (20.7 mph). But crank up the twin GE LM2500 gas turbines, coupled to four Wartsila waterjets, and there’s a staggering 94,000hp on tap. Of course, like Azzam ‘s original owner, it helps if you own a few oil wells: At max speed, the yacht reportedly burns 13 tons of fuel an hour. Launched in 2013 at a reported cost of some $600 million, Azzam accommodates 30 guests pampered by up to 80 crew.

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The 8 Fastest Cruising Catamarans (With Speedchart)

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Cruising catamarans are some of the most comfortable boats to roam the water, making them fantastic for both long-term voyages and short-term vacations. Still, cruising catamarans can be great racing boats, but just how fast can they go?

Some of the fastest cruising catamarans include the Gunboat 68 (35 knots), Outremer 45 (25 knots), ORC50 (25 knots), FastCat 435 (20 knots), TS 42 (35 knots), and Lagoon 440 (20 knots). Yet, there are many more cats that can reach 35 knots safely. 

If you are interested in knowing about the fastest cruising catamarans, I have you covered. I will be discussing some of the most popular, fastest cruising catamarans and the features that make them so excellent for sailors in need of speed. You will learn more about each catamaran’s speed and amenities, and I will let you know a trick or two to maximize your speed under sail. 

How Fast Are Cruising Catamarans?

On average, cruising catamarans can reach top speeds of 15 knots , around 17.3 mph (27.84 kph). However, some exceptional, racing-designed cruising catamarans can reach up to 30+ knots in the right wind conditions. 

When you want to better understand catamaran hull characteristics, I suggest the book Catamarans a Complete Guide (amazon link) by the president of Aeroyacht catamarans and that you check out my article Why catamarans capsize .

Factors That Impact Speed

Weight & size.

When you consider a catamaran’s speed, you will need to keep in mind the boat’s weight and narrowness. A vessel that can travel at 15 knots will still move slower if the boat is heavy or has a wide, extensive hull. When increasing the total weight of the boat, the boat “sits” lower in the water, thus increasing water drag and reducing speed.

Why trimarans are faster than catamarans!

Now that we know how weight impacts sailing characteristics, it follows that; if you are planning on racing your catamaran, you should remove as much luggage or extra gear as possible. Eliminating as much weight as possible will help you travel at your cat’s maximum speed .

Narrow Hulls

The hydrodynamics of the ship will heavily affect your speed. Narrower boats can chop through the water with less effort, making slender ships with pointed hulls far faster than wide vessels. So if you are looking for the fastest one available, you should look for a slender hull.

Slim hulls vs. space is a common tradeoff for catamarans optimized for family sailing .

Wind will also affect your ship’s speed, so do not expect your cruising catamaran to reach the maximum speed without heavy wind. Generally, cruising catamarans have two large sails (at least) to power them through the water, and some are so efficient that they can travel even faster than the wind.

Although a strong wind is needed to energize the sails and move the boat, too much wind will instead make the sails less efficient, and maximum speed is most often attained at lower wind speeds but with flat water.

Light Weight Materials

Faster cruising catamarans are often made from carbon fiber materials and fiberglass to keep the weight down. If you are looking for the quickest catamaran that you can find, you should note the materials that the ship is made out of and try to get one that is primarily made from carbon, glass, and resin materials. 

While you are looking for the perfect catamaran for you, you should keep in mind what you NEED and what is NICE with your ship. Usually, this decision is between size and speed, but some of these excellent vessels have both. 

Lightweight materials are usually costly; for example, a carbon fiber mast will probably cost you +$20 000, depending on the cat’s size.

I have written a buyer’s guide that explains the concept of NEED vs. NICE , which will make choosing the right boat faster and more accurate.

Gunboat 68 (+35Kts)

Gunboat 68 is a cruising catamaran designed to reach the highest speeds possible. Made by Gunboat, the ship uses Grand-Prix racing boats’ designs to develop the speediest cruising catamaran on the market. 

Gunboat 68 is made entirely from carbon composites, which keeps the ship lightweight and fast. Gunboat 68 is the perfect catamaran for anyone who wants to reach the highest speeds possible while maintaining control of the vessel and not bouncing around too much. 

Gunboat 68 has comfortable, spacious living quarters, though it also has a spacious deck with luxurious seating. Indeed, this cat has it all, making it one of the best cruising catamarans for racers and casual sailors. The design maximizes all of the living spaces and uses lightweight materials to add elegance and luxury to a speedy racing catamaran. 

Gunboat 68 is one of the fastest cruising cats out there, with its maximum speed at more than 30 knots . Gunboat 68 can achieve these fast speeds, thanks to its lightweight construction and narrow hull design. 

Still, Gunboat can customize your ship’s plan to accommodate your needs. Whether you are looking for a faster, more lightweight boat with a more extensive sail or a more comfortable cruiser, Gunboat 68 is an excellent option for you. 

Specifications

  • Maximum Speed: 35 knots
  • Length: 68 ft (20.75 m)
  • Beam: 29.9 ft (9.1 m)
  • Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) board up and 9.84 ft (3.8 m) board down
  • Displacement: 23.7 tonnes

TS 42 (ORC 42)

The TS, or Tres Simple , cruising catamarans, designed by Marsaudon Composites, are some of the fastest cruising catamarans in the world. 

Marsaudon developed the ship’s plans using racing boats’ streamlined designs and combined them with a cruising catamaran’s comfortable living spaces. The TS 42 has an inverted hull which helps it glide on the water swiftly without requiring much fuel, but it also has a spacious below-deck area with plenty of luxuries.

TS cruising catamarans are often considered the fastest cruisers on the market, with their speed comfortably reaching upwards of 35 knots in the right wind conditions. Generally, TS catamarans can sail at 20 knots, even with moderate wind. They are the perfect catamaran for racers and high-speed travelers, and yet they still have the amenities of a pleasant live-in vessel. 

The TS 42 has a large galley and comfortable cabins, making it a cozy home or vacation vessel. With multiple bathrooms, large windows, and open lounge spaces, these catamarans are superbly comfortable to live in. 

The deck and cabin space are divided by a large, openable window, which adds extra light and ventilation to the living areas. It also has plenty of on-deck space, which is rare in such a small vessel with an inverted hull. 

If you think I’m using too many confusing nautical terms, you’ll find all the answers on my Catamaran parts explained page .

  • Length: 42.8 ft (13 m)
  • Beam: 24.3 ft (7.4 m)
  • Draft: 4.9 ft (1.5 m) with boards up and 7.5 ft (2.3 m) with boards down
  • Displacement: 5.8 tonnes

Outremer 45

Based in France, Outremer (pronounced uutremeer 😉 ) designed their Outremer 45 to be a long-lasting cruising catamaran that sails smoothly at high speeds. The Outremer 45 can reach about 15 knots, but the most comfortable sailing speed is 10 knots. However, it can travel up to 25 knots in the right wind conditions, making it a quick ship with all of a perfect cruising catamaran’s luxuries. 

It is made for durability from carbon, vinyl ester, and divinycell so that it can last many years without repairs. The Outremer 45 has a narrow hull, and it is designed to be as thin as possible to maximize speed and fuel efficiency. Outremer 45 still has comfortable living quarters with large windows and lounge spaces within the boat. Indeed, it sacrifices no comfort for speed.

In this article, I talk a lot about catamaran characteristics, both interior and exterior, if that’s something you want to better understand, then I recommend an article where I write about trade-offs in design choices .

The Outremer 45 was initially designed to be a boat that would last 50 or more years, and it excels in its durability. It has an open, uniquely expansive side deck and plenty of on-deck conveniences that make sailing a breeze in the ORC50.

With supreme safety features such as tall railings, slip-free grips on deck, and enclosed lounge spaces, it is one of the safest catamarans available (is safety your top concern? I wrote a list of the safest catamarans on the market). 

  • Maximum Speed: 25 knots
  • Length: 48 ft (14.6 m)
  • Beam: 23.3 ft (7.1 m)
  • Draft: 3.3 ft (1 m) with boards up and 6.7 ft (2.04 m) with boards down
  • Displacement: 8.2 to 11.1 tonnes

Marsaudon Composites ORC50

Marsaudon Composites designed the ORC50, or Ocean Rider Catamaran 50, with both speed and comfort in mind. The ORC50 can be used for cruising, but it is also a great racing boat that has been awarded honors from many races worldwide.

Marsaudon borrowed designs from racing skippers to plan the ORC50, bringing together a cruiser’s comfort with the speed of an award-winning racing boat. 

This cruising catamaran is lightweight, which allows it to gain speed at a fast rate, but still has comfortable living quarters inside the boat. It has a rotating carbon mast, which helps to eliminate turbulence over the mainsail and therefore increasing sail efficiency and speed!

With strong winds, the ORC50 can reach up to 23 knots , making it extremely fast for a cruising catamaran. The ORC50 can easily reach speeds much faster than the wind speed, which is a unique quality of this fast, yet comfortable catamaran.

The ORC50 is an excellent long-term living ship with its many organizational compartments, expansive galley, and well-ventilated sleeping cabin. It also has plenty of couches and seating areas built into the boat, and its intuitive design adds plenty of comfort to the cruising catamaran without weighing down the ship. 

  • Length: 50 ft (15.23 m)
  • Beam: 27 ft (8.2 m)
  • Draft: 5.6 ft (1.7 m) with boards up and 8.9 ft (2.7 m) with boards down
  • Displacement: 13 tonnes

FastCat 435

African Cat’s catamarans, including the FastCat 435, are designed for speed and racing. This ship is mainly composed of epoxy, fiberglass, and carbon components, making it very lightweight to ensure that it travels as swiftly as possible. 

The FastCat 435 may be as light as possible, but it is durable enough to last for many years in the most extreme conditions.

The FastCat 435 has comfortable living quarters and well-designed comfort spaces so that you can get the most out of your trips. The FastCat also has a green hybrid design, and it uses primarily electric power, which can help you prolong your sailing and use less fuel. 

I find solar-powered/electric cats pretty exciting, so much so that I wrote an entire article called The Best Solar-Powered Catamarans on the subject.

The FastCat is an excellent option for anyone who wants a smaller cat with a comfortable design and incredible speed. FastCat’s electric power is also a unique, favorable feature for anyone who wants to use less fuel. 

  • Maximum Speed: 20 knots
  • Length: 42.7 ft (13 m)
  • Beam: 24.4 ft (7.4 m)
  • Draft: 3.9 ft (1.2 m) with boards up
  • Displacement: 2.4 tonnes

The Lagoon 440 cruising catamaran, like the FastCat, has an electric powering version, which cuts down on fossil fuel usage and ensures that your ship will keep moving. The Lagoon 440 is also among the easiest catamarans to maneuver, thanks to its electric drivetrain and automatic engines. 

The speed of the Lagoon 440 usually maxes out at 10 knots with low winds, but with higher winds, it can quickly gain speeds up to 20 knots (some argue even higher, but I’m doubtful). The Lagoon 440 is an excellent cruiser and comfortable catamaran, but it is not an all-out racing cat.

Lagoon is a well-known brand, but there are some caveats, and are Lagoons still making good catamarans?

Below the deck, the living spaces in the Lagoon 440 are magnificent. The ceilings are high, allowing the tallest of passengers to stand in the cabin. The many storage compartments and furnishings have a modern, elegant design. The interior is one large primary cabin with a few private spaces below the deck. 

  • Length: 44.6 ft (13.6 m)
  • Beam: 25.3 ft (7.7 m)
  • Draft: 4.3 ft (1.3 m)
  • Displacement: 10.5 tonnes

Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42

Fountaine Pajot designs some of the most luxurious yet speedy cruising catamarans available in the world. They are renowned for their safe, durable designs that make sailing a comfortable, relaxing experience. And on a personal note, i think the name sounds beautiful!

Their cruising catamarans use an inverted hull design that has become a signature mark of Fountaine Pajot vessels. This hull type allows the water to pass beneath the ship quickly, which increases the speed and fuel efficiency of the cat. 

The Astréa 42’s primary benefit is its spacious, comfortable living quarters and large, open deck spaces. The ship’s interior spaces have large windows, large lounging areas, and plenty of storage compartments. 

The cabin’s ventilation is also excellent, which reduces the classic musty smells of sea living. You can also get two different models of this catamaran, either in a one-cabin option or a two-cabin option, making it an excellent vessel for larger or smaller families.

The Astréa is ideal for long-term sea living and family vacations (it is not as fast as some more racing-oriented cats). Although the Astréa is not the speediest cat available, with its speed maxing out at about 10+ knots, even in favorable wind conditions, its luxurious atmosphere and comfortable cabin spaces make up for its relatively slow speed. 

Don’t get me wrong, despite its lower speed compared to the boats on this list, the Astréa 42 can still get you places quicker than many other cruising catamarans (and most monohulls). So, if you want all of the elegance and comfort of a cat and are not too worried about racing, this ship is an excellent option for you.  

  • Maximum Speed: 10 knots
  • Length: 41.3 ft (12.6 m)
  • Beam: 23.6 ft (7.2 m)
  • Draft: 4.1 ft (1.3 m)
  • Displacement: 12.3 tonnes

Privilege Signature 510

The Privilege Signature 510 is a long-distance cruising catamaran designed for long-term voyages and sailing in extreme weather conditions. It features a durable, weatherproof design that will protect you from rainy and cold weather while sailing. 

The helm and living spaces are completely covered, making it safe to live in, even in cold or stormy weather. It also has an automatic sail adjustment system with the controls at the helm, allowing you to make any adjustments from the helm’s safety and comfort. 

Privilege Signature 510 also has an elegant, well-designed living space with plenty of amenities, including an accelerated cooling system, a spacious bathroom and kitchen, and plenty of windows for natural lighting.

With an elegant floor plan, this cozy ship is perfect for long-term living.

The Privilege Signature is not the fastest catamaran on the market, with a maximum speed of around 13 knots. Still, it is one of the quicker cats considering its elaborate amenities and comfortable size.

  • Maximum Speed: 13 knots
  • Length: 50 ft (15.24 m)
  • Beam: 26 ft (7.98 m)
  • Draft: 5 ft (1.57 m)
  • Displacement: 25 tonnes

Although cruising catamarans are great boats for slowly cruising along the water, they can also be swift, substantial racing boats that reach speeds of up to 35 knots. These speedy cruising catamarans still come with all of the amenities of leisure boats, but they also reach incredible speeds without rocking or tossing. 

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Flagship of the new FIRST line, the First 27 is unquestionably  the fastest and safest cruiser  in this size range. Her  modern  and state-of-the-art design brings the magic of planing sailing to families, couples, and solo sailors alike, wherever the cruising ground and whatever the weather conditions. A true pocket yacht, she has an inboard Yanmar diesel, a working galley, a real head and plenty of storage, as well as room for up to six crew members for  overnight adventures . 

NAVAL ARCHITECT : Samuel Manuard INTERIOR DESIGN : Sito Concept & R&D : Seascape

Best Pocket Sailor / Day Sailor 2022

WHY FIRST 27 ?

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MODERN & FAST

A light vacuum-infused hull, a modern design and a deep low-center-of-gravity keel make the First 27 significantly faster, delivering stable and safe planing sailing to anyone who sails her.

Very high stability due to an unsinkable hull combined with three unsinkable chambers, a crash-box, an inboard engine, and balanced twin rudders for complete control make safety one of her strongest points. 

UNDER CONTROL

Carefully thought-out cockpit ergonomics, minimized and simplified deck controls, double winches, and a perfectly balanced steering system assure easy handling in single-handed, double-handed or fully-crewed setups.

A reliable 15 HP inboard engine coupled with simple linear shaft drive and foldable propeller guarantees high cruising speeds, ease of use and low maintenance.  

Even with a fixed keel, the First 27 is a fully trailerable boat offering you a new level of freedom. You can easily discover distant shores without long sea deliveries, save on marina costs, and store your boat in your backyard during the off season.

SAILING EXPERIENCE

The main promise of the First 27 is her performance and unique sailing experience. Again and again, she will surprise you by getting to plane with as little as 12 knots of wind. Her stability comes from her wide, flat hull on the waterline and a lead T-bulb keel, and her easy handling comes from her carefully thought-out design and cockpit ergonomics. Increased bow volume, accompanied by a balanced twin-rudder steering system, keeps you in complete control, whether you are sailing upwind or safely planing downwind. The excitement of her lively planing and easy handling will become your afternoon sailing routine on the First 27!

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LIVING ONBOARD

On top of matching the speeds of most racing boats, she also offers a surprising level of comfort. The clean and minimalistic light-weight interior offers all essential amenities for onboard living. She is designed to sleep up to 6 adults, 2 in the bow cabin and up to 4 in a very bright and openly-spaced salon, and is also equipped with a removable table and fridge. At the midpoint, you'll find a galley with a gas burner and a sink with fresh water. Thanks to innovative, foldable magnetic doors, the midpoint can also be converted into a proper marine toilet with a black water tank or used as a front cabin extension. A large and open cockpit welcomes you with comfortable benches, a removable indoor/outdoor table and a swim ladder with a shower on the stern. 

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The easiest way to keep your boat safe and ready to cruise anytime.

The new Seanapps  app is the ultimate solution to help you indulge your passion for boating. With the touch of your finger, you can easily connect, monitor and order services for your boat – from routine maintenance, to requesting a wash or fuel or having us complete a repair.

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The information below is intended for general informational purposes only and is subject to change without notice and does not constitute a contractual agreement. Any descriptions, representations, or statements made in this document are not to be considered binding unless explicitly stated otherwise in a formal contractual agreement.

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New First 44 “Lenny” will race in the 2023 Transpac

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8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Kokomo,' the Lightning-Fast 192-Foot Sailing Superyacht

Posted: March 15, 2024 | Last updated: March 15, 2024

<p>The 192-foot Kokomo was the second largest sloop in the world when it launched from New Zealand’s Alloy Yachts shipyard in 2010. It remains the largest fast-cruising sloop available for charter. The yacht’s commissioning owner Lang Walker (who died in January 2024) was a seasoned sailor who gave all three of his yachts the same name.</p> <p>The first was a 131-foot sloop, which Walker replaced five years later with a 171-footer. The same day he took delivery of his 171-foot sloop, he placed an order for the third and final 192-foot Kokomo, which he planned to use for racing and cruising around the world. He also kept the same design team for all three yachts, with exterior and naval architecture by Ed Dubois and interior by UK’s RWD.</p> <p>The reference to the yacht’s name has had different explanations over the years, ranging from the pseudonym of a composer whose music Walker played as a child to a nod to the Beach Boys’s song from their 1988 album Still Cruisin’, which references a fictional utopian island called Kokomo. The island fantasy was brought to life in 2011 when Walker acquired a private island in Fiji’s Great Astrolabe Reef and named it Kokomo.</p> <p>Here are eight unknown facts about one of the most game-changing sailing yachts on the water.</p>

2.-SY-Kokomo_Sailing_1-064

The 192-foot Kokomo was the second largest sloop in the world when it launched from New Zealand’s Alloy Yachts shipyard in 2010. It remains the largest fast-cruising sloop available for charter. The yacht’s commissioning owner Lang Walker (who died in January 2024) was a seasoned sailor who gave all three of his yachts the same name.

The first was a 131-foot sloop, which Walker replaced five years later with a 171-footer. The same day he took delivery of his 171-foot sloop, he placed an order for the third and final 192-foot Kokomo, which he planned to use for racing and cruising around the world. He also kept the same design team for all three yachts, with exterior and naval architecture by Ed Dubois and interior by UK’s RWD.

The reference to the yacht’s name has had different explanations over the years, ranging from the pseudonym of a composer whose music Walker played as a child to a nod to the Beach Boys’s song from their 1988 album Still Cruisin’, which references a fictional utopian island called Kokomo. The island fantasy was brought to life in 2011 when Walker acquired a private island in Fiji’s Great Astrolabe Reef and named it Kokomo.

Here are eight unknown facts about one of the most game-changing sailing yachts on the water.

<p>When <em>Kokomo</em> was launched, she was the second-largest sloop in the world and carried the largest set of sails made by Doyle Sails in New Zealand. The 23,971-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker is half the size of a professional football field, while the 9,688-square-foot mainsail needs a crane to lift it. Because of the gargantuan size of the sails, the designers entered a new era of spar and winch design, having to “reinvent” the deck equipment—winches, mast, boom, rigging and sails—to cope with the 31.6-ton load on the genoa sheet and 32-ton load on the main sheet clew. The 244-foot carbon mast is the largest ever made by Southern Spars.</p>

You’re Going to Need a Bigger Boom

When Kokomo was launched, she was the second-largest sloop in the world and carried the largest set of sails made by Doyle Sails in New Zealand. The 23,971-square-foot asymmetric spinnaker is half the size of a professional football field, while the 9,688-square-foot mainsail needs a crane to lift it. Because of the gargantuan size of the sails, the designers entered a new era of spar and winch design, having to “reinvent” the deck equipment—winches, mast, boom, rigging and sails—to cope with the 31.6-ton load on the genoa sheet and 32-ton load on the main sheet clew. The 244-foot carbon mast is the largest ever made by Southern Spars.

<p>The yacht’s 130-ton lifting keel is one of its most impressive features, though it’s largely left to the imagination. The interior layout is carefully designed so that the keel structure remains hidden. Dubois Naval Architects positioned the keel box to come above the main deck, serving as a partial separation between the bridge and the main salon (see inset). <em>Kokomo</em> was only the second yacht to be fitted with a lifting a keel, the first being 246-foot M5 (ex-Mirabella V), the world’s largest single-masted sailing yacht. This innovative design shortens Kokomo’s 28.5-foot draft when the keel is fully extended, to just 15 feet for shallow waters.</p>

A Hidden Lifting Keel

The yacht’s 130-ton lifting keel is one of its most impressive features, though it’s largely left to the imagination. The interior layout is carefully designed so that the keel structure remains hidden. Dubois Naval Architects positioned the keel box to come above the main deck, serving as a partial separation between the bridge and the main salon (see inset). Kokomo was only the second yacht to be fitted with a lifting a keel, the first being 246-foot M5 (ex-Mirabella V), the world’s largest single-masted sailing yacht. This innovative design shortens Kokomo’s 28.5-foot draft when the keel is fully extended, to just 15 feet for shallow waters.

<p><em>Kokomo</em> might be big on technology, but never at the expense of design. The wheelhouse has fold-down computer screens that conceal the navigation equipment when not in use, converting to beautiful carbon counter tops. This design sleight of hand transforms a highly technical area into a tony lounge. It’s a theme that extends to the foredeck, where the yacht’s two tenders are concealed in dedicated lockers. There’s also a fully retractable tender crane that launches the tenders from either side of the boat but disappears out of sight when guests are using the Jacuzzi. “The designated deck lockers were an advanced feature at the time of her launch,” says Wynne, adding that another bonus is that diesel tanks are fully available. “The tenders can be fueled onboard before launching.”</p>

Now You See It, Now You Don’t

Kokomo might be big on technology, but never at the expense of design. The wheelhouse has fold-down computer screens that conceal the navigation equipment when not in use, converting to beautiful carbon counter tops. This design sleight of hand transforms a highly technical area into a tony lounge. It’s a theme that extends to the foredeck, where the yacht’s two tenders are concealed in dedicated lockers. There’s also a fully retractable tender crane that launches the tenders from either side of the boat but disappears out of sight when guests are using the Jacuzzi. “The designated deck lockers were an advanced feature at the time of her launch,” says Wynne, adding that another bonus is that diesel tanks are fully available. “The tenders can be fueled onboard before launching.”

<p>Kokomo can accommodate up to 10 crew in total, but theoretically it only takes two to sail—a helm person and a sail trimmer. That sounds almost impossible given the size and complexity of yacht. But all sails are controlled by joystick on the flybridge. And when the boat is in full-on racing mode, there are control stations on both sides, providing visibility of the sails. Thanks to the hydraulics system, the mainsail can be hoisted and lowered on a wireless remote control. Of course, maneuvers like stowing the massive genoa can never be automated. That’s a job for a half-dozen good sailors.</p>

It Takes Just A Few Good Sailors

Kokomo can accommodate up to 10 crew in total, but theoretically it only takes two to sail—a helm person and a sail trimmer. That sounds almost impossible given the size and complexity of yacht. But all sails are controlled by joystick on the flybridge. And when the boat is in full-on racing mode, there are control stations on both sides, providing visibility of the sails. Thanks to the hydraulics system, the mainsail can be hoisted and lowered on a wireless remote control. Of course, maneuvers like stowing the massive genoa can never be automated. That’s a job for a half-dozen good sailors.

<p>The hallway that leads to the owner’s cabin is lined with a mosaic tapestry made from sea glass woven together with wire. Backlit to create an unusual effect, it’s just one of the eclectic works of art that decorates the interior. The main salon also has a stunning and colorful work of glass art as another example.</p>

Art On Board

The hallway that leads to the owner’s cabin is lined with a mosaic tapestry made from sea glass woven together with wire. Backlit to create an unusual effect, it’s just one of the eclectic works of art that decorates the interior. The main salon also has a stunning and colorful work of glass art as another example.

<p><em>Kokomo</em> is not all tech features. The yacht’s modern interiors combine dark wood floors and calming cream furnishings start in the main salon and continue across the five guest cabins. Penned by British studio Redman Whiteley Dixon, the design carefully wraps around the lifting keel without sacrificing or impeding on any interior guest space. The yacht accommodates up to 10 guests in a master suite, VIP, one double cabin and two twins. There are other accommodations for up to 10 crew. On the foredeck, the Jacuzzi brings another element of outdoor entertainment, bolstered by a sunken cockpit.</p>

Interior Matters

Kokomo is not all tech features. The yacht’s modern interiors combine dark wood floors and calming cream furnishings start in the main salon and continue across the five guest cabins. Penned by British studio Redman Whiteley Dixon, the design carefully wraps around the lifting keel without sacrificing or impeding on any interior guest space. The yacht accommodates up to 10 guests in a master suite, VIP, one double cabin and two twins. There are other accommodations for up to 10 crew. On the foredeck, the Jacuzzi brings another element of outdoor entertainment, bolstered by a sunken cockpit.

<p>The mandate issued by Walker was to create a yacht that was a “quantum leap forward” from his previous yachts, with superior sailing characteristics and guest comfort. The mast’s height is too tall to sail through the Panama or Suez Canals, which meant it would have to be designed to sail around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The maiden voyage took the yacht from the New Zealand shipyard to Australia, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji. It also spent time at Walker’s private island (pictured above), also named Kokomo. The vessel has since spent many years exploring the Caribbean and Med. It’s based in both regions during the respective cruising seasons, with charters available through Cecil Wright.</p>

World Traveler

The mandate issued by Walker was to create a yacht that was a “quantum leap forward” from his previous yachts, with superior sailing characteristics and guest comfort. The mast’s height is too tall to sail through the Panama or Suez Canals, which meant it would have to be designed to sail around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope to reach the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The maiden voyage took the yacht from the New Zealand shipyard to Australia, New Caledonia, the Solomon Islands, and Fiji. It also spent time at Walker’s private island (pictured above), also named Kokomo. The vessel has since spent many years exploring the Caribbean and Med. It’s based in both regions during the respective cruising seasons, with charters available through Cecil Wright.

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We build light and therefore fast sailing yachts from carbon. Our credo is to reduce a yacht to what is necessary to provide our customers with a reliable, safe and pure sailing experience. At 70 to 100 feet - or 20 to 30 meters - in length, you will enjoy the ultimate comfort that only a luxury yacht can provide. It goes without saying that our designs are developed by the best architects in the world. Likewise, you can be sure that as a German shipyard we deliver only the highest quality. Following our motto: Keep it simple: It should look good and must sail nicely. 

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8 Yacht Clubs and Marinas in the Philippines to Moor Your Boat In

Yacht Clubs and Marinas

FoodfindsAsia.com | 8 Yacht Clubs and Marinas in the Philippines to Moor Your Boat In | Filipinos’ history as a maritime people date back to prehistoric times. In fact, the Philippines’ basic sociopolitical unit today, the barangay, traces its etymological origins to the balangay , the ancient outrigger boats that were used by precolonial Filipino communities to explore and conquer islands this side of the Pacific. As a people belonging to a seafaring culture, it’s no wonder that modern Filipinos are taking a retrospective look at their glorious past as Austronesian mariners and are developing a renewed love for the ocean and marinas as present-day yachtsmen.

Today, Philippine marinas look to accommodate more and more yachts and other pleasure watercrafts as the years go by. In 2017, an ASEAN Briefing op-ed piece named the Philippines as a country with high potential in yacht industry growth. The natural beauty of the Philippine islands and its fantastic bays, combined with a growing interest in leisurely sea travel, can explain the spike in yachting activities throughout the country.

Are you part of the demographic that’s become enamored of the yachting lifestyle? Do you want to know where in the country you can berth your watercraft? Leading sailboat and motorboat authority Europa Yachts is happy to enter the conversation, and recommends the following locations for discovering the Philippines through yachting. Here is a short list of clubs and marinas in the country, organized by island region.  

Manila Yacht Club and Marina, Manila, Metro Manila

Established in 1927, the Manila Yacht Club and Marina is one of the oldest yacht clubs in all of Asia, and is nestled in the scenic Manila Bay. It is also near other well-known landmarks in the city, such as the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), the headquarters of the Philippine Navy, and the US Embassy. Facilities in the marina include a launching ramp and a fueling center, and the club itself is host to a restaurant and gorgeous function rooms. The Manila Yacht Club only welcomes visitors who arrive by boat, and it charges an initial security deposit of USD 750 upon arrival. Club membership is mandatory for medium and long-term mooring of boats.

Subic Bay Yacht Club, Zambales

The Subic Bay Yacht Club, which was founded in 1998, upholds itself as the country’s premier yacht club. It operates in the deepest bay in the country, and can host vessels well beyond 50 meters in length. Already benefitting from the innate beauty of the Zambales mountains surrounding it, the club hosts a number of other attractions, including its luxury accommodations, swimming pools, and its own movie theater, bowling alley, and nightclub. Those who venture outside of the club’s premises can also shop for well-priced imported goods at the Subic Freeport Zone, engage in water sports , or sign up for diving excursions.

Punta Fuego Yacht Club, Batangas

Peaceful Punta Fuego is a mecca for those who love the sport of sailing. As per its official website, the Punta Fuego Yacht Club aims to serve “a dynamic and vibrant community of boat enthusiasts and yacht owners.” This it does by playing host to a diverse population of watercrafts, from large catamarans and mono-hull yachts to small boats. Non-members of the club may use the berths for up to 3 weeks, and can refuel at the marina’s fueling station. The yacht club offers other amenities such as locker rooms, shower rooms, Internet facilities, a chart room, and a restaurant called Barracuda Bar, which serves delicious fares. Outside of the yachting crowd, Punta Fuego Yacht Club also caters to those wishing to celebrate weddings, conferences, and corporate events in their opulent quarters.

Puerto Galera Yacht Club, Oriental Mindoro

Further south, yachtsmen may moor at the Puerto Galera Yacht Club in Oriental Mindoro, an island location that’s home to tourist attractions like the Sabang Wreck dive site, lively beachfront resorts, and the Malasimbo Music Festival. Puerto Galera Yacht Club has been in operation for almost thirty years and lends services such as refueling provisions and yacht repairs from its marina. Boat owners also enjoy optimal convenience if mooring here, as they can also shop for spare parts in the nearby Batangas port.

Busuanga Yacht Club, Puerta del Sol Bay Marina, Palawan

Beautiful Palawan is a bucket-list destination for many, especially those who dream of cruising its crystalline waters. Accommodating the yachting community in this island province is the Busuanga Yacht Club, which promises secure mooring amidst breathtaking white-sand beaches. Here, each vessel will benefit from a typhoon-safe harbor, easy refueling, and direct access to transportation hubs like the New Busuanga Airport. Adjoining this marina is the Puerta del Sol Bay Resort, which offers luxurious accommodations to visitors. When not atop the deck of a boat, travelers can also explore the lagoons and freshwater lakes of Coron, go shipwreck diving, or relax in the hot springs of Maquinit.

Iloilo Sailing Club, Arevelo, Iloilo City, Iloilo

Iloilo Province is home to some of the country’s most beautiful old-world architecture, a flourishing ecotourism industry, and delectably fresh seafood cuisine. What will round off an unforgettable visit to Iloilo, however, is an excursion to the Iloilo Sailing Club on a leisure watercraft. The club accepts visitors and encourages membership in the case of medium and long-stay mooring. It also hosts a number of amenities and activities, including a dinghy storage, a beach bar and restaurant, and classes for those who want to learn about sailing. In recent months, the Iloilo Sailing Club has also been a convenient meet-up point for big maritime events, such as the Iloilo-Guimaras Paraw Regatta and the Seafarers’ Job Fair.

Cebu Yacht Club, Mactan Island, Cebu

The historic Mactan Island in Cebu was the site of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s arrival in the Philippines. Now known as a commercial hub that hosts a prolific furniture and musical instruments industries, Mactan is also the location of the Cebu Yacht Club, an institution that is beloved by the locals. Aside from being an ideal spot to restock on much-needed fuel and supplies, the Cebu Yacht Club is also a trusted club to commission for boat repairs. There’s a good vibe in this club for everybody, as it sports both luxury accommodations and a waterfront strip of restaurants that laid-back diners can frequent. MINDANAO

Holiday Oceanview Marina, Samal Island, Davao del Norte

The Holiday Oceanview Marina is a major attraction of Samal Island in Davao del Norte Province, one that welcomes Filipino and foreign yachtsmen alike to moor within its premises. The space is quite roomy, in fact, with 56 berths that can fit vessels up to 15 meters in length. The club also has a boat ramp that can accommodate boats up to 18 meters in length. The well-guarded and weather-safe marina is a gateway to some of Mindanao’s finest attractions, such as the Pearl Farm, Hagimit Falls, and Giant Clam Sanctuary.  

There’s no better way to discover the Philippines from end to end than getting onboard a seaworthy vessel and going on a long cruise, with stops in some of the most beautiful places in the country. Find a safe harbor in any of these major clubs and marinas, and participate in the renaissance of sailing in the Philippines.

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