Multihulls World n° 197

Issue #: 197

Published: September / October 2024

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Italy, the new multihull Eldorado?

Since the end of the 1980s, France has been the undisputed leader in the production of cruising multihulls. Things could have been different though - the major builders of two- and three-hulled sailing yachts were all based in the UK by the late 1970s... But fast forward a few decades, and the USA, China and above all South Africa have become pillars of the multihull industry. But now a new country is emerging: Italy! Although Italian yachting and design tradition is well established, apart from builders such as Comar Yachts, Ita Catamarans and Wider Yachts, multihull activity has remained relatively timid. But this year, the Cannes Yachting Festival and, a little later, the other Mediterranean boat shows, will see a veritable flood of new Italian craft: yachting brands flying the great green-white-red ensign are now setting sail on two hulls, such as San Lorenzo, which is launching a new brand, Blue Game, or Austin Parker, which will be unveiling its first powercat, the Apycat 56. The high-tech brands of all-carbon sailboats are not to be outdone: Neo Marine will be presenting a true speedster, the Neo 560. All these new boats - and many more - feature prominently in this issue. But the Italians are not the only ones causing a stir with premieres and announcements of new models: After two relatively quiet years, the entire multihull industry is innovating, reinventing and setting new standards... It’s been a long time since we approached boat show season with such enthusiasm!
So we’ve also prepared a worldwide guide to this fall’s boat shows, to help you prepare for your visit.

Enjoy reading!

Emmanuel van Deth
Editor in Chief