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TEST

LEOPARD 48’An innovativeand balancedocean cruisingcatamaran

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The Leopard 48, voted Multihull of theYear 2013 by Cruising World magazine,has been particularly long-awaited bylovers of this type of cruising catama-ran, whether demanding private ownersor future charter customers waiting fornew experiences. Here is our test of thisoriginal catamaran...

Text: Philippe Echelle–Photos: Philippe Echelle and DR

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RETURN TO IMAGES

The Woodstock boatyard near CapeTown, was founded by John Robertson,over thirty years ago. Jerry Caine joinedhim as an associate in 1991. From 1995onwards, close links were developedwith Moorings, with a view to supplyingthe budding bareboat charter market;the fusion with Sunsail and the integra-tion into the Tui international group pro-pelled Moorings-Sunsail to the rank ofworld giant in the sector. Their logisticalexpertise and knowledge of the clientele(mainly American in the Caribbean areaat first) oriented the design of theLeopards (Moorings’ main multihull sup-plier) towards a rationalisation of thefunctionalities and increased internalequipment (cold storage, air conditio-ning, electrical independence). Thechoice of accessibility for the old plat-forms (very low bridgedecks!) howeverpenalised their perception in theEuropean opinion. The globalization ofthe bases and the enlargement of themulti-loving public, led the decisionmakers at the 3rd biggest catamaranbuilder (with Lagoon and FountainePajot) to have a rethink and call on theAmerican architects, Gino Morelli andPete Melvin, designers of the famous

PlayStation (Steve Fossett’s unluckygiant in The Race). A new generation ofcatamarans, narrower, lively, consensualand high above the water saw the lightof day and frequented the boat showsfrom 2005 onwards (Leopard 39, 40, 44,46…). The results came quickly andmore and more private owners allowedthemselves to be tempted by theserobust boats with a coherent specifica-tion.

2012: SIMONIS AND VOOGT ARE BACK!

The 39’ is a lively, balanced and ratherfast catamaran. The 44, by risking theforward cockpit, seemed less dynamic.The arrival of the 48’ seemed to want tobe a synthesis of the qualities of the twomodels, and marked the return of thehistoric designers: Alexander Simonisand Marteen Voogt. This internationaloffice, today based in Holland, still hasits office in the southern hemisphere, inCape Town, which brings the points ofview closer. The Simonis-Voogt designsare rather oriented towards racing or fastcruising monohull yachts (90’ Nicorette I

and II, 85’ Les Folies…), but the officehas integrated the segment’s own deve-lopments, to offer a mature and relevant48-footer.

THE LEOPARD 48’: BETWEENAUDACITY AND BALANCE

By adapting the forward cockpit fromthe 44’ onto the 48’, Moorings andRobertson & Caine assert their commer-cial confidence in this accessory, whichis now displayed as a mark of identity.Introduced by Daniel Tortarolo on SudComposite’s Grand Sud 45, the idea wasreinterpreted by the Morelli/Melvinoffice when creating the Gunboats. Theiraims were different, of course: a ma-noeuvring area inspired by racing for theGunboats, or a relaxation area with nodirect link to the rest of the boat for theothers. Lagoon also seized on this arran-gement on the 440, the 560 and the 52’,but only the Leopards broke completelyfree from the prejudices and designed agenuine second cockpit forward, withcompletely free access! As for the rest,the 48’s definition is quite classical, andintelligently acknowledges the current

1 : The Leopard is a distinctive catamaran, in the right sense of the term...

2 : A clever design - the forward cockpit is well integrated into the overall lines.

3 : The quite slim hulls allow the boat to sail well to windward.

4 : The Leopard 48 is a boat which dreams of wide open spaces and sunshine. It’s up to you to take it there!

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THE LARGE FORWARD COCKPIT IS A DEVICE WHICHIS NOT EASY TO INTEGRATE INTO A CATAMARAN’S

SILHOUETTE; SIMONIS AND VOOGT HAVE HOWEVER SUCCEEDED!

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trends (ergonomic navigation station,relatively slim, stepped hulls, moderncoachroof design, generous sail area,careful interior decoration and finishing).

A QUALITY CREATION BY A DEVELOPING INDUSTRIAL TOOL

The Woodstock factory has grown, andnow covers four and a half hectares! Itemploys 600 members of staff and tra-desmen, who produce around threeboats per week. The range, exclusivelydedicated to catamarans, includes 4 sai-ling models (39', 44', 48', 58') and 2Power Cats, the 39’ and the 51’. Theuser requirements of the main custo-mer (Moorings/Sunsail), combined withthe builder’s historic experience, orien-tate the choices towards strongconstruction and reinforced technical fit-tings, to guarantee reliability in intensiveuse conditions, whilst reducing themaintenance and repair interventions.The sandwich under vacuum uses mul-tidirectional E glass cloths, contact lami-

nated on a high density balsa core.Isophtalic resins and gelcoat preventthe appearance of hydrolysis, but thebuilder doesn’t go as far as applying anepoxy barrier below the waterline. Thestub keels are completely filled with clo-sed cell polyurethane foam. The 48’, justlike all the Robertson & Caine boats, isdoubly certified, EC and IMCI: theconstruction satisfies all the current ISOstandards.

A CONFIDENT SILHOUETTE ANDUP-TO-DATE ACCOMMODATION!

The forward cockpit is a device which isnot easy to integrate into a catamaran’ssilhouette; Simonis and Voogt havehowever succeeded! The skilful designof the lateral Perspex panels attracts theeye to this dynamic element, the plun-ging coachroof support and the coach-roof extension attenuate the impact ofthe vertical front bulkhead. Unless seenfrom directly ahead, the eye retains theperception of a wedge-shaped coach-roof; a nice example of design! Wemust now tackle the question everyoneis asking! Does this original arrange-ment raise safety issues? Let’s notefirst of all that it is quite far aft, and thatmodern hydrodynamics and weight cen-tring allow the boat to ride over thewaves delicately rather than force itsway through. The in-house delivery skip-

pers who every year cover several hun-dred thousand miles (average deliverydistance: 6 – 7,000 miles) say they neversee green seas fill the cockpit. It’s to thecredit of the boat’s behaviour, but let’simagine that it did happen... Robertson& Caine and the architects, probably pur-sued by vigilant standards and theirsense of responsibility, seem to haveunderstood the full extent of the issue!During an attentive visit, I was struck bythe robustness of the scantlings and thewatertight barriers, and the drain scup-pers seem capable of emptying thecockpit quickly if necessary.Having arrived alone at the end of theafternoon, for a first night aboard, I wasfirst of all positively surprised by the‘boat’s welcome’. I didn’t need to gropearound looking for the technical equip-ment. The electrical switch panel, theswitches, the pump operation, the WCwere all to hand with good readability.After a scorching hot day, the ventilationquickly cooled the 48’; from this point ofview, the front door is a decisive factor!Completely renewing the areas, thisnacelle, open on two sides, with itswell-designed traditional aft cockpit(excellent exterior soft furnishings, cle-ver ergonomics, with sunbathing areas,a relaxing chaise longue, table for 8 peo-ple...) and its nautical patio forward,transforms life aboard. The panoramic‘picture windows’ bring the marine sce-

TEST

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FROM THE START, ON A CLOSE REACH,THE 48’ PROVED TO BE STOUT-HEARTED, GENEROUSLY

CANVASSED AND WELL-BALANCED.

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5 : In Nice harbour, our 48 awaits us patiently, before setting off for the dynamic test.6 : The famous forward cockpit: more than a marketing ploy, a real plus in terms of pleasure.7 : The deck plan, organised around a navstation which gives pride of place to the electric winch.8 : Comfortable, spacious and well protected by the rigid bimini, the aft cockpit nevertheless remains thearea where everyone likes to meet up.9 : The forward cockpit is accessible from the interior – the saloon ventilation is taken care of in a tropicalatmosphere.10 : The galley is carefully designed and will meet the expectations of the most demanding sailors.11 : The accommodation in the private owner’s version is not really new, but proves to be particularlycomfortable and practical.12 : The cabins are very pleasant, with good ventilation, essential in the tropics.13 : The bathroom in the owner's hull is perfect – pleasant, well-ventilated and easy to live with.

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nery inside, without generating agreenhouse effect. The atmospheregains from this convivial arrangement,which reinforces the boat’s vocationas a versatile water sports platform atanchor, and encourages leisurely crui-sing in the lagoons. If you want pri-vacy and safety, the watertight doorand its 3 levels of closure, as well asthe venetian blinds, allow a rapid andeffective reaction. The galley has beendealt with carefully; the Force 10 coo-ker/oven, almost of professional stan-dards, the drawer type fridges, thedouble sink, the generous Corian wor-king surfaces, all meet the expecta-tions of a demanding sailor, the hos-tess or the crew member who loveshis food. I must admit that I immedia-tely appreciated this interior organiza-tion. The quality of the finishing ishigh, the choice of cherry wood for theclassic facings is superb, the harmo-nious marriage with the contemporary

materials is successful, and avoids theostentation of an all-wood interior –this balance is at the origin of thewarm style of the 48’; the woodworkis remarkable. Sleeping comfort(access, environment, peripheral ergo-nomics, privacy) is excellent; theattractiveness of the bathrooms in theprivate owner’s version, tested andvalidated, deserves a special mention.

HANDLING AND PERFORMANCE

On arriving aboard, the day before ourtest, convinced that the 48’ had arri-ved in France on a cargo ship (like theprevious model!), my examinationwas carried out using this convictionas a criterion, without discovering anyproof to the contrary! It was only thenext day, when clarifying this ques-tion, that the importer confirmed thedelivery trip had been by sea – 7,000miles! I confess to being blown awayby this revelation, that nothing aboardconfirmed, not even the inspection ofthe engine lockers, which are perfectlyeloquent in this respect...We were lucky, in summer, in the Baiedes Anges (Nice) there was somewind: a steady 15 – 17 knots from thesouth, with a choppy sea but no swell.From the start, on a close reach, the

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DELIVERY SKIPPER’S REPORT

I have not sailed a cat like this before which so effor-tlessly picks up very light air and turns it into solid boatspeed. At 8kts of true wind coming in off the beam

we would make 6 kts of boat speed, just beautiful! And the boat behavesvery well in bigger conditions too, like you normally find the first few days outof Cape Town, it sails like a big boat, it just ploughs through the waves, andwithout loosing speed and without the familiar slamming of boats with lowerbridge decks, it is a really well balanced boat. If I had a little more money Iwould buy one myself!

Kenneth Hoiem, delivery skipper for Mana Mana, our test boat

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48’ proved to be stout-hearted, gene-rously canvassed and well-balanced. At50° to the apparent wind, we weredoing almost as well as the theoreticalpolar, around 8.5 knots, and the boat

passed pleasantly through the waves.Ignoring its quite heavy frontal aerody-namics, this Leopard benefits from thework carried out on its nice steppedhulls. These quite slim hulls made head-way smoothly in this 80 cm – 1m chop,and sailed to windward without makinga fuss. By bearing away a little, around80° to the apparent wind, the 48’ tookoff and hovered at around 9 knots,which is remarkable and frankly a nicesurprise. The 48’s balance and agilitywere really superior to those of the 44’in these conditions. Under spinnaker,the catamaran will sail deep downwindand maintains a steady speed, accele-rating in the gusts. As is the currenttrend, the navstation proved practical,readable and easy to use. The steeringwheel is linked to the rod connectingthe rudders by cables; the steering pre-cision is appreciable and the directionaleffect of the rudders is sensitive. Theelectric primary winch is the essential

companion to this grou-ped manoeuvring archi-tecture, which, despiteits advantages, is biome-chanically less suited tomanual use.The Quantum SouthAfrica sails are of a gene-rous specification andwell cut; the Sparcraft(South Africa) mast, witha 6° rake, is elegant andnicely finished. Manoeuvringunder power with the 54hp engines is a model ofsmoothness and motorpower. I emphasize thebalance when pivotingand the ease of use; ourtest 48’ was equippedwith fixed propellers (leftfree to turn)! The dyna-mic feel under way is the-refore to its credit, taking

into account the drag induced by theseappendages! Folding versions areessential; they will also offer the samemanoeuvrability and better perfor-mance under sail.

CONCLUSION

I discovered a distinctive catamaran inthe good sense of the term; the cockpitarrangement is not a marketing ploy,but a very good idea for this type of pro-gramme. The serious construction isreassuring; the equipment and finishingmake life aboard pleasant. Its perfor-mance is satisfactory, in the upper halfof the segment, and it is very pleasantto helm.

TEST

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATION

Architects: Alexander Simonis and Marteen Voogt.Builder Robertson/Caine (Cape Town,South Africa)Length: 14.75 mBeam: 7.64 m Draft: 1.34 mUnladen weight: 14.46 t, half-laden: 17.28 t Bridgedeck height: 0.91 mMast height above the water: 22.60 mMainsail area: 90 m²Genoa area: 53 m²Gennaker area: 150 m²Engines: 2 x 39 hp or 2 x 54 hpFuel: 700 lWater: 780 lBlack water tank: 170 lPrice: 429,000 euros exc. VATMain options, exc. VAT:54 hp engines + folding Brunton propellers:9,000 eurosRaymarine electronics pack: 9,300 eurosBattery charger: 824 euros Lewmar 54 electric primary winch: 2,706 euros4 solar panels on the bimini: 5,238 euros60 l/h Spectra watermaker: 15,840 eurosBowsprit + Code 0 + square-headed main-sail: 9,800 eurosCommissioning: 10,818 eurosSafety equipment: 4,727 euros Delivery to Nice (France): 28,000 euros, Fort Lauderdale (USA): 27,700 euros

Model: Nautitech 482 Salina 48 Evolution Lagoon 450Builder: NAUTITECH FOUNTAINE PAJOT LAGOONWindward sail area in m²: 116 136 134Weight in t: 11.2 10.5 15.5Basic price in €, exc. VAT: 525,550 472,000 371,000

T H E C O M P E T I TO R S

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� Dynamic, balanced catamaran� Good finishing and interior design� Strong, reliable boat

� The curtains in the cabins don't guarantee total blackness

� The laminated floors rest on varnishedwooden supports (ageing?)

� Contact between the martingale and thealuminium struts on the forward crossbeam (electrolysis?)

The electrical switch panel, the switches, the pumpoperation, the WC...all to hand with good readability.

The engine lockers are immaculate, yet the boathas come from South Africa by sea.

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There are no davits; anarticulated gantry takestheir place. The sys-tem is strong and relia-ble, and avoids puttinga strain on the aft sideof the crossbeam.

The mainsail area (90 m²) and the square headoffer extra power in light weather, but the boatremains tolerant in moderate winds under full sail.

Does the 6° mast rake play a role in theLeopard 48’s dynamic qualities? It’s a fact that

the catamaran tacks perfectly under just themain, gybes well and displays a real dynamic

balance.

The emblematic forward cockpit is plea-sant to use and does not prejudice either

performance or safety.

The hulls’ hydrodynamics are good, the‘step’ increases the internal volume withoutincreasing the wetted surface area, thebows are quite slim and the aft sectionsdon't provoke suction.

The bridgedeck height iscomparable to European

models: 90 cm.

The navstation seems to be establishingitself on this generation of catamarans,the grouping of the control lines is appre-ciated by both helmsman and crew, andworks very well on the Leopard 48.

Adjusting the mainsheettension using twotackles as opposed to atrack is not a problemfor this type of boat. Astrong pad eye aft of thecap shroud chainplateallows the leech to betightened downwind!

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