Cure 55

Australia has been home to many high-performance multihull builds over the decades and this heritage and deep understanding of what it takes has just surfaced again in the form of this first production model from the well-credentialled yard of Cure Marine. Overcoming the limitations of many production cruising catamarans - such as upwind ability and weight - doesn’t come cheap but the rewards are clear - as I found out during an offshore day at the helm of hull number one of the Cure 55. The yard has built some of the most fabulous race boats in recent times, such as the awesome Schionning Chill Pill and Zero, thoroughbred cruiser-racer catamarans, as yard boss Dave Biggar explained:
“We’ve been building boats under the Cure banner for about 16-years but up until now we’ve always been building one-offs, mostly high-performance catamarans and a few racing monohulls but over the last 10 years, we’ve learnt a lot more about production by working in parts of the composite industry and pushing the limits in manufacturing technology, so this first production model of the Cure 55 is a mix of everything we know, so it’s something I’m really passionate about.”
The Cure 55 is built in Coolum just north of Brisbane by experienced builders Dave Biggar and Ian McMahon to a design by Paul Bury. Much of the tooling and fit-out has been done using 3D printing along with large CNC machines, meaning state of the art technology at the service of a production catamaran.

Discreet Elegance

On paper, the Cure 55 has some impressive specifications, with full-carbon construction (to CE survey standards) making the Cure 55 a stiff boat - as I experienced when slamming it through two-meter (6-foot) swells. The inherent Carbon properties mean the amount of structure can be reduced, thus the light weight. Yet, there are several thick bulkheads to enhance the rigidity, and a crash bulkhead at the bows.
But the carbon doesn’t stop at the hulls, as the mast, boom, dagger- boards, and even the interior furniture are made from this material. This choice allows the Cure 55 to boast a displacement of just 24,000 lbs (10.9 t) while offering three cabins on board. The nacelle is perched 3’4” (1.02m) above the waterline and the deck is also relatively high. And finally, carbon davits hold an OCS tender, also made of carbon.
Walking along the pontoon towards the Cure 55 at the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show, my first impressions were of a fairly understated profile – low cabin above clean decks with reverse shear leading to blunt bows – so nothing to particularly catch the eye. Like the modern saloon car, unobtrusive aesthetics but ideal for minimizing windage. However, further inspection showed the power of the Cure 55 – tall and straight daggerboards and the fairly tall (75-foot/23 m) Hall Spars carbon rig. In addition, the tall topsides put ample volume to both bow and stern sections.

A Well-optimized Deck Plan

Once on board, you arrive in a roomy aft cockpit equipped with two outboard helm stations; the central section features corner seating with a table adjoining the saloon on starboard. On our test catamaran, there was a large bench seat against the transom, but this can also be fitted with a barbecue and wet bar area. Access to the water or the dinghy is easy thanks to three steps and long swim platforms in the sugarscoops.
Articulating Jefa steering columns offer three positions at the Carbonautica wheels. Just ahead, the carbon fiber dashboard is spacious enough to accommodate a 12-inch B&G Zeus 3S plotter, while two electric winches (Harken 60.2), located next to each console, facilitate sail handling. Similarly, the electric winch control buttons are easily accessible and, as a big bonus, the helmsman benefits from a very large halyard well, which keeps the cockpit uncluttered.
Each helm station features Glendinning Genesys throttles along with controls for the drop-down bow thruster.
A stylish mainsheet track curves around the transom with the sheet at the boom end, for maximum control and twist of the North’s 3Di mainsail.
Moving forward is easily done, thanks to wide sidedecks and all lines are hidden in gutters apart from those controlling the daggerboards, giving me a clear way to the bows. Here, typical of performance catamarans, the area has short nacelle to reduce structure while supported by the elongated and thick longeron base for the headsails. This area is mostly netted to minimize windage and friction; with handy small nets out to the longeron as well. There are huge sail lockers each side with more lockers in the nacelle, including a deep one for the hefty 48V horizontal Lofrans windlass/capstan which runs the rode along the longeron to the 40kg Lewmar Delta anchor, though this is set as far aft as possible, with a view to keeping the weight centered.

A Bright and Comfortable Living Space

starboard with lounge to port and navigation station forward. Most striking is the large surrounding windows, allowing you to keep a 360° watch while seated. The L-shaped galley is located on the starboard side and features a central island offering maximum worktop space. This central island also has four refrigerated drawers providing a total of 540 liters (19 cubic feet) of cool storage. The galley is also equipped with two sinks, an induction hob, a microwave/oven combo, and all the appliances you need for comfortable sailing. A lack of fiddles here is my only gripe.
The port side is dedicated to the U-shaped saloon with a central table that seats seven guests. This can be lowered to become a coffee table or an additional double berth. Finally, an interior nav station allows you to monitor the multihull’s progress while staying sheltered, which is handy on bad weather days.
Typical of Australian designs, the interior is understated with pale, wood effect laminate on the integrated carbon furniture and cabinetry contrasting with black painted niches and vinyl clad soft liners. The wood effect is a product called Di-Noc, a flexible, self-adhesive vinyl finish produced by 3M. Note that that furniture is also made in carbon.
The hulls comprise three cabins, two to port and the owner’s cabin to starboard. The latter features a queen-sized bed aft, bathroom forward and a bench between. Despite the performance aspect demanding slim hulls, volume is good because of the tall topsides. For tropical boats ventilation is essential, so again the Australian Cure yard know this well, fitting ample hatches (including hull escape hatches) throughout. Extensive cabinetry throughout this hull (and the guest hull) gives this boat generous storage but the temptation to overload should be avoided given the slim hulls. The large owner’s bathroom is naturally lit by the elongated side window and houses an electric head with a roomy shower cubicle forward. Given this opulence, fitting a watermaker would be my first option. Stepping over to the portside guest hull shows equally comfy berths. Here, lifting the aft bed, reveals the saildrive Yanmar. Fitted with 250 amp/h alternators, and with no generator, these are important for all-weather battery charging (and can be upgraded to two). However, this will be a noisy rest area under power. A shared bathroom services both cabins, with the forward one using an athwartships queen mattress. Again, surprisingly generous volume above the bed. Ahead, are rows of cupboards for holding long-range provisions; alternately, a utility bench can be installed here.

Simplicity and Technology

Hull rocker is fairly pronounced to aid handling (which also kept the stern from dragging during our sea trials) and fairly deep foils – both the straight daggerboards and the twin rudders give good lateral stability. In terms of systems, simplicity is the essence of the Cure 55, reflected by the avoidance of complication where possible but this is backed up by some good smarts. Like the 3.9kw solar system that uses quality 15,000W Victron and systems to run the boat from a 29 kWh bank of 48V lithium batteries – all stored in large foredeck locker.
House systems are managed by a Czone digital bus that uses simple software Modes for the owner to use/configure.
The rig has Cyclop Smart- tune load sensors on the shrouds, essential on performance catamarans, with an app to put data on your phone as well. Unusually, the rig is only a single spreader, without lower shrouds.

A Catamaran Focused on Performance

The age-old challenge for the designers of this kind of boat is blending power with sailability. The latter meaning recreational owners or couples can sail it without fear. Especially important because hull number one is going to an inexperienced couple; something I discussed aboard with sailmaker Ben Kelly:
“The beauty of a reasonably light boat is that you don’t need a huge sail wardrobe, so from fairly early in the wind range the boat will sail, yet this boat only has four sails on it; a fairly minimalistic wardrobe, it therefore is easy to handle and the systems are all designed to be simple enough for short-handed couple”, said Kelly, Multihull Specialist for North Sails Asia Pacific.
The sailplan uses a North 3DI Ocean cruise laminate mainsail that has three reefing cringles; all operated from the twin helms. Interestingly, the lines run from the mast in an L-shaped track under the nacelle to each helm. This does create some friction but worked fairly well during our windy test sail, where we reefed to the first cringle. The simple headsail plan uses a self-tacking jib on an inner stay set on the mast top (the more radical plan found on dedicated performance boats is a deck-stepped mast and jib track, to close the slot and lower the center of effort). Outside of this, with generous clearance, is a furled Code 55-screecher style sail that has a fairly wide wind range, including light-upwind capabilities.
Off the Gold Coast a heavy two-meter (6-foot) swell smashed against the shallows where a recent cyclone had shifted the sandbanks, so we warily motored seaward on the Cure 55. An impressive 8.2 knots showed on the B&G, with a top speed of nearly 11 knots available, reflecting the efficient shape of this boat. Breaking swells over the bows caused no problems or groans from the structure of the Cure 55. Once clear, we pointed to windward to quickly hoist the squared topped mainsail using the electric Harken and guided by the lazy jacks. The low boom on the cabin roof gives easy access to the mainsail, aided by a Harken switch track allowing lower stacking of the sail, supported by a rack structure on the alloy boom.
A wind speed of 20 knots required us to reef, again easily done from the console, before we unwound the Code 55. At the wheel, the Jefa mechanical linkages gave feel with precise handling as I put the boat off the wind and we galloped away, reaching 16 knots boatspeed at a 100 degree apparent wind angle. “Lively”, was the word I later wrote in my book, with a balanced feel on the helm while the boat responded quickly to gusts, accelerating and decelerating; so rewarding the discerning helmsman. With the skyscrapers of the Gold Coast receding, it was time to go to windward for our return to the coast, so the Code 55 was quickly furled and the jib deployed. Again, all done from the helm, before we sheeted-in and I pushed the Cure 55 hard to windward while battling cross-swells. Here, the numbers showed us doing 14 knots with an impressive 24 degrees of apparent wind angle as the true wind moderated to 18 knots. At times the hull hummed, tingling my hands nicely on the wheel, showing we were in the groove. So, a most fitting way to end our day because this Cure 55 really rewards the discerning yachtsman and is a most impressive boat.

Conclusion

Elegant, well-built, and comfortable, the Cure 55 also delivers on its promises of performance. It remains easy to handle even for less experienced sailors, but will reward more experienced boaters even more by offering them a unique feel at the helm. Whether you are experienced or not, you’ll appreciate the comfort at anchor or in the marina, making the Cure 55 an excellent compromise between cruising and performance.

My grin says it all about helming this thrilling boat…

The cockpit is sheltered by the hardtop, has ample relaxation space, while also being highly functional, with the helm stations set well outboard.

Low profile topsides, hidden lines and slim hulls minimize windage on the Cure 55.

Benefitting from the absence of a flybridge, the boom can sit nice and low.

The Code 55 and self-tacking jib is an easily managed sailplan but for regattas a Code Zero will added.

Daggerboard control is carried out from the cockpit.

For offshore work, the comfy saloon is fully fitted for cruising, with lightweight carbon composite furniture, representing an excellent choice.

An extensive navigation station includes a dedicated loadcell screen reporting on shroud sensor data.

Offset to starboard, the vast L-shaped galley is completed by a central island.

The owner’s suite has ample volume and ventilation is good with hatches on every bulkhead.

A generous volume is devoted to the owner’s bathroom, with electric head and large shower cubicle forward.

The guest cabin on the forward port has a queen-sized bed with ample headroom. Note all the cabinetry.

To compensate for the weight of the engines under the aft bunks, the batteries add weight forward.

When the polars promise speeds of more than 25 knots with just 20 knots of wind, you know you’re dealing with a high- performance catamaran...