Cool cats: The most exciting new multihulls to know now

Whether you’re after cutting-edge tech, massive volume or sleek sailing performance, the latest wave of multihulls has something for everyone. Sam Fortescue rounds up the standout designs from Sunreef, Baltic, Lagoon and more.

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MC68 McConaghy

LOA: 20.7m
Beam: 9.2m
Guests: 8 in 4 cabins

Claiming to have racked up more maxi line honours than any other yacht builder, it’s fair to say that McConaghy has a certain reputation. The Australian composite expert is also behind the AC40 mini America’s Cup foiler, so when it builds its own line of yachts, there is a weight of expectation. With its new MC68, McConaghy attempts to balance two competing requirements: the desire for the rooftop real estate of a true flybridge with the need for decent performance. Naturally, there is a degree of compromise in both directions. The first thing to note is that there is very little expensive carbon fibre moulded into the hull of the boat: high-quality e-glass on a foam core was reckoned to be more than enough.

The first hull of the semi-custom MC68 was designed with a lot of client input. Her Australian owner moved up from a smaller Lagoon and wanted a boat with the comforts of home, but one that he could have fun sailing as he nears his 80th birthday. He was heavily involved in the details. “When we sold the Lagoon, we started to think we’d made a mistake,” he tells me. “We don’t need tremendous speed, but if we can sail in low wind it saves the engines.”

And sail they can. The boat easily exceeds wind speed with a surprising turn of pace and tops out at 20 knots-plus. Carbon-fibre spars and textile shrouds from Doyle all serve to minimise the weight of the rig – an absolute necessity, since the flybridge raises the boom so far above the deck. Lifting centreboards in each hull keeps the boat pointing well to windward, and a central longeron mounted on a ball joint provides a lightweight, controllable tack point for big downwind and reaching sails. Fully loaded, the boat displaces 35 tonnes, but she sets 257 square metres of upwind sail against that for good passage times.

All the sailing controls come back to her two flybridge helm stations, where it’s simple to handle them alone while the family lounges nearby. “I like to get my hands on the wheel,” says the owner with relish. The jib sheets come back to sliding tracks on the coachroof, which is a little more complex than a self-tacking system, but still manageable alone.

However, it is the interior and its many comforts that really fires up the owner. “McConaghy did the outside, but everything inside was mine,” he says. “The best part is the design of the galley, which everyone says is like a real household kitchen.” Two huge expanses of Corian work surface fill the centre of the saloon, offering twin sinks and no fewer than three different cooking systems – not to mention the multiple wine and food fridges, dishwasher and so on.

This is also a comfortable space for relaxing, with a dining table in warm teak and carbon-fibre trim big enough to seat eight people. Next to the forward bulkhead, with its door out to the forward cockpit, there’s a very large teak desk. It serves as a navigation station with oversight of the yacht’s systems, a place to work and a very fine chart table, with a broad drawer designed to take large folio charts.

Those narrow hulls are divided between four en suite cabins, with the pick of them forward on the starboard side. Crucially, the owner’s cabin is wide enough that the double bed positioned athwartships has access on either side. “I wanted width, so I didn’t have to crawl over my wife to get out of bed!” says the owner. There are also some handy bunk beds for younger guests and a workshop space aft, which the owner is very proud to show off. It’s the sort of feature that comes only with experience and fits well with his plans to sail the boat from the Med back to Australia.

McConaghy is also starting to build the first hull of its Panther electric bluewater cruising series. Touted as “keeping things simple”, the 18-metre Panther 56 uses renewable power technology to keep the generator off as long as possible. The sculpted curve of the coachroof is set with 117 square metres of solar panels, and the electric motor regenerates while the boat sails, offering the potential to sail completely fossil-free. Combined with economical motoring at 7.5 knots, the range under power reaches an impressive 800 nautical miles. At anchor, the boat is completely self-sufficient. There’s no compromise on comfort either, with an induction cooker, microwave, ventilation and more. Displacing just 10 tonnes lightship, performance under sail should be a blast. mcconaghyboats.com

Ultima 55 Sunreef Yachts

LOA: 17m
Beam: 5.6m
Draught: 1.4m
Guests: 6 in 3 cabins

The latest in Sunreef’s new young-at-heart sports line, the Ultima 55 is a fast power catamaran with a low-slung superstructure and lots of exterior deck space, including fold-down aft wings and a broad aft platform. It is also designed to be fun to drive, with sporty bucket seats positioned behind a broad mullion-free windscreen and speeds up to 40 knots.

“The Ultima is a little unusual for a Sunreef,” says founder Francis Lapp. “The brand heritage is clear, but the design is edgier and more dynamic. The elements that characterise a Sunreef are there, from the solar panels to the extreme comfort and flexible exterior living. It’s just in a faster, more compact form.”

Not a hint of a flybridge for this yacht, because the concept is more about watersports and active family time than kicking back with an Aperol. There’s a deck socket for a removable crane arm to handle a jet ski or tender, which can be stored aft, and plenty of stowage space for smaller toys, fishing or diving equipment among aft lockers and under seating.

All the same, it’s not short of sunbeds. There’s a full walkaround deck, with a small sofa nestled under one side of the aft overhang and a compact bar to the other side. The glass panels dividing inside and outside can be folded completely out of the way to create one  large open-plan space for summer cruises. But further north or in the searing heat of the UAE, where this boat is built, you can also keep the two areas separate so that the saloon can be climate-controlled.

Natural light is a real feature of the yacht – both in the galley and saloon and below deck. There are three guest cabins – two to port sharing the same head, and a more spacious en suite owner’s cabin to starboard. A fourth crew/guest single cabin is accessed via a ladder revealed by raising part of the dinette seating.

Like all Sunreefs, the Ultima 55 totes a decent array of invisible solar panels built into the curved superstructure. Although the exact specification has not been revealed, Sunreef says that it is enough to generate “many” kilowatt hours of power under the summer sun. That should help keep drinks cool and showers hot without burning any fossil fuels but, of course, there is still a 10kW genset. More interestingly, there is a hybrid propulsion option, which combines twin 350kW electric motors and a large battery pack with twin 600-horsepower drives.

Around half of the 16 yachts sold to date have gone with the classic propulsion set-up, which has been upgraded to twin Volvo Penta IPS800s for 1,200 horsepower of grunt. That gives an exhilarating top speed of 40 knots, with a 20-knot cruising speed. The efficiency of the hulls means that there’s not a huge difference in range between the two speeds – 240 to 280 nautical miles on a single 1,500-litre fuel tank.

It is billed as sustainable because of the solar panels and hybrid option, but that is up for debate if you’re packing in two IPS800 drives and haring around at 40 knots. What is certain is that the yacht has efficient hulls that benefit from a small, fixed foil running between them to raise the boat in the water. It doesn’t quite fly, but the foil does hugely reduce drag and fuel consumption – as does the lightweight carbon fibre deck. Combined with the surface drives, it makes for an efficient package and a wonderfully smooth ride. sunreef.com

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OC 194 Owen Clarke

Designed for serious adventure, Owen Clarke Design’s 23.6-metre aluminium expedition catamaran is being built for high-latitude exploration. Ice-reinforced, ketch-rigged and fitted with retractable centreboards, the efficient multihull design has the rugged capability more commonly associated with monohull explorers. It offers long-range autonomy, hybrid propulsion and shallow-draught versatility. owenclarkedesign.com

Holld 74 Holld Yachts

The brainchild of two charter buddies, Holld Yachts aims to bring a customisable superyacht-standard finish to a catamaran capable of round-the-world performance. Despite its 22.55-metre length, it is designed for family use with no pro crew and can be handled by just a couple. At the same time, the sailing systems have been pared back for simplicity: daggerboards are optional, the mainsheet operates on a captive winch, and there is all-electric furling with no hydraulics aboard.

What there is, however, is a carbon-fibre hull precision moulded in the Netherlands for optimum performance. It offers a whole lot of interior space thanks to a broad beam of 10.2 metres and the decision to build it with mini keels rather than daggerboards as standard. Choose a layout with up to four cabins, connected via a huge saloon.

“We’ve got some crazy ideas,” naval architect Eliot Thorne said at the launch. One such idea is the carbon-fibre davits, which have been moulded into the underside of a lightweight platform carrying sunbeds, cantilevered out over the stern. The first hull is due for completion in January 2027 and is being built on spec, so there is still time to make your mark on fittings and styling. holld.com

XF450 Voodoo

After tiptoeing around the sub-30-metre mark, Voodoo Yachts of New Zealand has stepped up with a 36.3-metre catamaran concept focused on comfort and performance. It is the first true superyacht design floated by the yard and fits into its fast explorer line, with a top speed of 40 knots and cruising at 30 knots. Its generous 450GT of interior volume gives the XF450 room for five large guest doubles and up to nine crew. But its key feature is the 72-square-metre beach club and aft deck, which includes a gym and lounging area, each with its own drop-down balcony. voodooyachts.com

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TS40 Deo Juvante

Deo Juvante has unveiled the TS40, a 40-metre explorer trimaran conceived for long-range cruising with higher speeds and improved stability. Developed with naval architects LOMOcean and interior designer Kurt Wallaeys, the concept claims a range of more than 3,000 nautical miles and cruising speeds of around  20 knots. Features include expansive living areas, low-noise propulsion, optional helipad facilities and a Quistrebert Brothers special-edition exterior treatment for added visual impact. deojuvante.com

Eighty 3 Lagoon

Following the recent launch of its Eighty 2 sailing cat, Lagoon has unveiled a motor yacht version based on the same hull by VPLP and interior from Nauta. As with the sailing version, the emphasis is on greater comfort and loose furniture. The layout is flexible and, compared to previous luxury models from Lagoon, such as the Seventy 8, greater customisation is possible.

Without the encumbrance of a mast and rig, the large 50-square-metre flybridge requires no winches, and there is no reason to have twin helm consoles. This frees up more space at the bar and around an eight-person dining table. With no sails to cast shadows, the hardtop gets the solar treatment, giving the boat plenty of power in the heat of the day and keeping the generator turned off for longer.

The forward cockpit still has its direct access via the saloon, but this power version of the boat also has a rigid teak-laid foredeck instead of a trampoline, offering more space for lounging and occasional dining. Other key attractions include a gigantic 22-square-metre aft platform that slides open with a second leaf to create a vast beach area. And the four-cabin layout adds an impressive fold-down balcony to the owner’s suite. Twin 580-horsepower John Deere N3 engines and an 8,500-litre fuel tank give the boat an Atlantic range of some 3,500 nautical miles. catamarans-lagoon.com

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Aera Royal Huisman

The storied Dutch yard has published a concept cat based around minimal emissions, intriguing S-shaped open superstructure geometry and a wingsail. At 50 metres length, the yacht has all the creature comforts of a much longer monohull, including two pools and a private foredeck for the owner. With an efficient America’s Cup-inspired wingsail, regeneration technology and fuel cells, the yacht should be capable of operating with near-zero emissions. Cor D Rover has imagined the lattice-work structure, which also helps to reduce the volume to below the 500GT mark. royalhuisman.com

Axiom 40 Giamboi Designs

Mauro Giamboi’s 40-metre concept catamaran has gone all-in with the 120-square-metre beach club. Fold-down wings reveal lounging areas lit by dappled light shining through the glass-bottomed infinity pool above – one of three on board. There’s even a waterfall cascading down to conceal the space between the hulls. The owner’s suite covers 75 square metres and has its own private foredeck terrace. Among the four additional guest cabins
on the lower deck are two VIPs with drop-down balconies that connect them to the beach club. giamboidesigns.com

EkoKat 62

The Montenegro-based team behind EkoKat were all about maximising usable space on this 18.9-metre, with the claim that it matches a 40-metre monohull. The 10-metre beam and three decks do give it a huge internal volume and lots of exterior lounging space. And the idea of splitting the saloon into cabins at night with soundproof glass screens is intriguing. Superyacht designer Dasha Moranova is collaborating on the interior design and there is an interesting support structure for the brand, which is developing four charter/management bases in Montenegro, the Caribbean, the Maldives and Langkawi. The hull is built in China (six already exist for other clients) and comes in seven variants. ekokat.international

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VisionF 101

After a long build process, VisionF has brought its flagship 30.7-metre to the launch stage. The first boat was put through its paces in lumpy conditions off Istanbul during the winter, passing with flying colours. In seas up to 2.5 metres, the boat proved stable and managed speeds over 20 knots with ease. It is the first RINA-certified commercial catamaran of its size, with a light aluminium hull and composite superstructure. This boat is all about outdoor living with a huge 140-square-metre flybridge, vast cockpit and foredeck lounge. Layout options offer accommodation for up to 12 guests, or a huge 40-square-metre owner’s suite.

The builder is also is putting the finishing touches to its Superfast 46 – a carbon-fibre dayboat capable of hitting a hair-raising 80 knots with two 450-horsepower Mercury Racing Sport Master outboards. visionf.com

Synthesis S.60 SPARK Marine Projects

This 19-metre foil-assisted catamaran was conceived as a more robust alternative to conventional dayboats, which are often pressed into guest-transfer duties beyond their intended use. First unveiled at the 2025 Monaco Yacht Show, the concept has since been refined with input from captains, crew and owners. The platform was built for full-season operation to support guest transfers, watersports and extended-range duties, with a stable catamaran hull, raised deck and customisable engineering platform. sparkyachting.com

Aion 52-60 Independent Catamaran

From humble 11-metre beginnings a few years ago, Independent Catamaran has now launched a range of 15.8-, 17- and 18.2-metre sailing catamarans. The boats have a sinuous modern profile courtesy of Lorenzo Guadagnucci with an open-plan saloon-cockpit whose stated aim is to create a “loft above the sea”. All the same, IC hasn’t neglected performance, with slim hulls at the waterline, deep daggerboards that will help the boats go to windward and a generous sailplan. Choose galley up or down, with an indoor helm station in the latter. Either way, there’s a nav station that transforms into a workspace or a media centre, and four or five cabins in the hulls. independentcatamaran.com

Unica 58 Austin Parker

LOA: 17.7m
Beam: 7m
Draught: 1.4m
Guests: 6 in 3 cabins

Austin Parker has been through a change of ownership and now bursts out of a period of reflection with a bold new look for its boats and a new shipyard in Pisa. It offers three very different lines, but by far the most intriguing is the Unica, whose debut 58 has a catamaran hull and input from that titan of automotive design, Pininfarina. “It was a big challenge, because it was Austin Parker’s first catamaran,” says Stefano Luppi, lead designer for Pininfarina. “But we wanted to do something different by combining a low-profile sporty look with a high volume.”

Glass plays a large role in the design, with a distinctive glass “tick” in each hull, trawler-style windows at the front of the superstructure and huge areas of window at the side. The hull and superstructure are otherwise built in vinylester composite with limited carbon reinforcing. There is a clear design nod to some of Pininfarina’s more celebrated cars, from Ferrari to Maserati, in the fluid lines and aerodynamically curved coachroof.

To my mind, this is a boat in which to enjoy sunny climes, with its combination of beach club, cockpit, flybridge and foredeck lounge. Undeniably generous exterior space gives three outdoor eating locations, and the same for sitting or sun worship. The sports-style fly also includes a wet bar and a full helm station. And yet the beam is not so unwieldy as to make berthing difficult.

For the interior, which offers a large owner’s cabin in the bow alongside two further guest cabins, Pininfarina makes much of its vertically integrated design process, drawing on influences as diverse as airport lounges and Formula 1. The aim was to maximise the sense of space, starting with the large “loft” style saloon. With the wall-hugging sofa on one side and a six-person dining area on the other, there is plenty of empty space left in the centre of the room. In this version, you have to climb a low step to reach the galley, and, while this gives fine views out through the trawler windows, it also fragments the space.

Also up at the front of the saloon, hidden behind a movable panel, is the navigation console. “We wanted the main console up like a flybridge,” says Luppi. It’s an extravagant claim for a single step, but the design does work well, creating cavernous underfloor storage space. As an alternative, the galley can be positioned further aft so that the whole front is given over to the helm console.

Displacing a fairly hefty 33 tonnes, the catamaran form is nevertheless efficient enough that the boat only requires two relatively modest Volvo Penta IPS650s to give it its 22-knot top speed. Better still, it cruises at 20 knots, although tankage limits the range at this speed to 260 nautical miles. Cannes was the launchpad for the first of these yachts, which was built on spec, but four more are already in production. austinparker.com

First published in the June 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.