2025 Fall Boat Shows Special

Sail

Autumn has become THE season for new multihulls... The highlight being the Cannes Yachting Festival, one of the world’s busiest boat shows. But this isn’t the only event on the calendar – check out our Multishow section now! You’ll discover that dozens of new multihulls await you in Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale, as well as in Paris (now at Le Bourget, just on the outskirts), La Rochelle, Southampton, Genoa, Monaco and Barcelona.

Published 01/08/2025

By Emmanuel van Deth

Subscribers Only

Issue: 203

Published: oct. / nov. 2025

Astus 26.5: A Much-awaited Folding Trimaran!

La Rochelle

Initially scheduled for the summer of 2024, the biggest boat in the Astus range will be unveiled about a year late. No matter: interest in small cruising multihulls is growing, and yards capable of positioning themselves well in terms of price clearly have a card to play, even if they’re playing hard to get. Astus Boats specialize in liveaboard trimarans and have made no mistake with this 26.5. For the Breton boatbuilder, this is the largest model they’ve ever offered... but this trimaran clearly remains accessible, both in terms of handling and budget. This, their fifth collaboration with renowned naval architects VPLP, results in a rather sober design, but a taller rig and longer appendages augur well for excellent performance. The Astus 26.5 will be available in three versions: Leisure, Cruising and Sport. www.astusboats.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Astus Boats

Naval Architects: VPLP
Hull length: 26’ (7.9 m)
Beam: 19’/9’10” folded when afloat (5.8/2.99 m)
Width folded on trailer: 8’3” (2.52 m)
Light displacement: 2,425 lbs (1.1 t)
Mainsail: 269/301 sq ft (25/28 m²)
Solent: 118/140 sq ft (11/13 m²)
Gennaker: 323/366 sq ft (30/34 m²)
Max power: 10 HP outboard
CE Category: D7/C5
Price: from € 82,417 ex-tax

New FP41: Attractive and Accessible

Cannes / La Rochelle / Annapolis

Forever Green

This new model is the replacement for the Isla 40, it offers a volume equivalent to that of the Astrea 42, and all for a relatively tight price... You guessed it, the New FP41, whose real name we’ll soon find out, is positioned from the outset as one heck of a challenger in the 40-foot market. This model, which we discovered exclusively at La Rochelle, proved to be gentle at the helm, very pleasant to live aboard and easy to handle. It features the brand’s signature dual helm/sail maneuvering station, a large sun-lounging area on the bimini and another one forward of the coachroof, a large surface area of solar panels (producing 2 to 2.3 kWp), a large opening hatch at the forward end of the nacelle and slightly angled aft berths. The boat we tested was equipped with an electric powertrain, which enabled us to cruise as far as the island of Ile d’Aix without generating any carbon emissions. As standard, the internal combustion option remains available. www.fountaine-pajot.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Fountaine Pajot
Architects: Berret/Racoupeau Yacht Design
Length: 39’8” (12.1 m)
Beam: 22’8” (6.91 m)
Draft: 5’ (1.53 m)
Displacement: 28,000 lbs (12.7 t)
Mainsail: 700 sq ft (65 m²)
Genoa: 377 sq ft (35 m²)
Powertrain: 2 x 20 or 30 HP/25 kW

New FP44: One Catamaran to Replace Two?

Cannes

Forever Green

The New FP44 will make a clean sweep of the range, eclipsing the Astrea 42 and Elba 45. This new model, presented by the builder as a particularly convivial cruising catamaran, puts the emphasis on relaxation areas - a 100- square foot (9.2 m²) forward sunlounger, a 115-sq ft (10.7 m²) lounge deck on the flybridge and an additional lounger in the cockpit. While the manufacturer has remained faithful to its dual helm/maneuvering station, a superb Tesla-style control screen is now available.
Inside, the New 44 features wide forward openings, but notably sees the return of the island unit - this had deserted the nacelle of the Saona 47, which became the Tanna 47.
The FP44 was designed from the outset to be available in a hybrid-electric version. In this green spirit, this catamaran can be fitted with 2,400 Wp of solar panels.
www.fountaine-pajot.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Fountaine Pajot
Architects: Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design
Length overall: 43’6” (13.26 m)
Beam: 24’5” (7.44 m)
Draft: 4’6” (1.38 m)
Displacement: 33,500 lbs (15.2 t)
Mainsail: 840 sq ft (78 m²)
Genoa: 484 sq ft (45 m²)
Powertrain: 2 x 30/57 HP or hybrid
Fuel: 18 US gal (700 l)
Water: 158.5 US gal (600 l)

Balance 502: The 482 Redesigned from A to Z

Annapolis

Forever Green

In the same way as the 442, which has become the 464, the 482 has been redesigned as the 502. But let’s be clear from the outset: this is no mere marketing restyling with slightly extended sugarscoops, but is in fact, a profound evolution. Starting with the structure, daggerboards and rudders, now in carbon/epoxy, and then focusing on the new hybrid propulsion system. The combination of the electric motors providing under-sail hydrogeneration, the 3 kWp of solar panels and the 36-kWh battery promises fuel savings of around 25%. In terms of performance, the manufacturer has announced an average speed of 8 to 9 knots on the wind, with peak speeds of 18/20 knots downwind in a breeze.
www.balancecatamarans.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Balance Catamarans
Length: 50’ (15.25 m)
Beam: 25’11” (7.9 m)
Draft: 4’2”/7’5” (1.26/2.27 m)
Displacement: 28,220 lbs (12.8 t)
Mainsail: 1,029 sq ft (95.63 m²)
Self-tacking jib: 423 sq ft (39.31 m²)
Powertrain: 2 x 45 HP and 2 x 15 kW
Fuel: 211 US gal (800 l)
Water: 206 US gal (780 l)
Price ready to go: US$ 1,785,000 ex-tax

Scoop : Leopard 52
A New Flagship Sailing Yacht!

Cannes / Annapolis

The Leopard 50 has enjoyed a good run... but now, along comes the 52! Not much is known about this new model yet, except that it has been booked in at both Cannes and Annapolis. We can bet that this catamaran has been designed for both charter and private owners and that, like the 46, it will offer a hybrid propulsion option..
www.leopardcatamarans.com

Bali 5.2: The Replacement for the 5.4

Cannes / Annapolis

A level of maturity seems to have been reached in the range, with the arrival of the new Bali 5.2, which replaces the former flagship catamaran, the Bali 5.4 - voted MOTY in its category in 2019.
The 15th model to bear the Bali name had been announced by the shipyard for the upcoming Cannes Yachting Festival, but it’s not so far included in the show’s own list at the time of going to press. However, it does appear on the Annapolis list. The 5.2 features all the characteristics of the 5.8 - tilting aft door, forward door, rigid foredeck and huge flybridge. Available in 3, 4, 5 and 6-cabin versions and with numerous customization possibilities, this catamaran will be suitable for a variety of programs. We like the way they’ve retained a “traditional”, forward-facing chart table - except that this location is now becoming becomes a genuine 100% connected control station.
www.bali-catamarans.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Bali Catamarans
Architect: Xavier Faÿ
Interior design: Agence Berco Design and Piaton Yacht Design
Length overall: 52’2” (15.9 m)
Beam: 26’9” (8.16 m)
Draft: 4’7” (1.4 m)
Light displacement: 42,100 lbs (19.1 t)
Mainsail: 1,012sq ft (94 m²)
Genoa: 753 sq ft (70 m²)
Gennaker: 1,130 sq ft (105 m²)
Powertrain: 2 x 57 to 115 HP
Fuel: 317 US gal (1,200 l)
Water: 348 US gal (1,320 l)
CE category: A14/B16/C24/D40

Balance 580: Daggerboards and Carbon..

Annapolis

Forever Green

In St. Francis, South Africa, we got the chance to check out the brand new Balance 580. With her relatively short nacelle and inverted, “broken” angle bows, this model incorporates all the brand’s visual codes but with, of course, much more comfort on deck and inside compared to the 502. Construction is in a silica and carbon fiber combo in the areas subject to heavy loads. The lamination is done by hand and under vacuum with a foam core and epoxy resin. The shipyard offers a full carbon version called the Carbon XP. With daggerboards that dive to a lowered depth of over 10 feet below the surface, the 580 guarantees great performance: under certain conditions, the polars promise she will sail faster than the wind - and even maintain a constant speed of 19 knots in optimal conditions.
The Balance 580 is available in 3, 4 or 5 cabin versions.
www.balancecatamarans.com

Technical Specifications

Builder: Balance Catamarans
Length overall: 58’4” (17.78 m)
Waterline length: 58’4” (17.78 m) Beam: 28’3” (8.6 m)
Draft: 5’5”/11’ (1.65/3.35 m)
Light displacement: 36,750 lbs (16.67 t)
Mainsail: 1,507 sq ft (140.9 m²)
Self-tacking jib: 855 sq ft (79.5 m²)
Powertrain: 2 x 57 HP
Fuel: 264 US gal (1,000 l)
Water: 158 US gal (600 l)