FP55

Ever More Comfort - Subtly Integrated

With its flybridge (entirely dedicated to both onboard living and sailing), its immense rigid foredeck, and its door connecting the saloon directly to the forward cockpit, the FP55 marks a true break from the shipyard’s smaller models. We took advantage of a light morning breeze off the coast of Saint-Raphaël to check out hull #1 a few days ahead of its official unveiling at the boat show in Cannes, just a few miles to the east. Unfortunately, the wind didn’t quite live up to expectations, but it would have taken more than that to stop us from hoisting the sails!

Despite its imposing flybridge and its 32.1-t light displacement figure, the FP55 retains a surprisingly balanced silhouette. The Berret-Racoupeau design team have succeeded in combining XXL space with elegance.

With an overall length of 55’8” (16.98 m), the FP55 is the largest model in Fountaine Pajot’s “standard” lineup. The full upper deck significantly alters its silhouette… and necessitates a particularly high boom that remains tricky to access.

Three distinct outdoor living areas: the aft cockpit, the forward cockpit, and the flybridge. Each has been designed as a small, relatively self-contained “island.”

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Practical info

Boat Test price5.00€ Inc. tax

Purchase

Boat Test price5.00€ Inc. tax

Purchase

Test location: Saint-Raphaël, South of France
Conditions: 3 to 8 knots of wind, calm sea

A 55-footer That Feels Like a 60

We’d arranged to meet early in the morning, but we had to hurry: a light onshore breeze was still blowing at 8 knots, but the forecast predicted it would die down quickly. On the dock, the FP55 first impresses with its sheer size. At 55’8” (16.98 m) long and 28’10” (8.8 m) in the beam, this newcomer is reclaiming a niche that Fountaine Pajot hadn’t really occupied since the large Marquises (the 53, which became the 56) was launched in 1991. Following the recent segmentation of the FP lineup, the Samana 59 - now known as the FPY 59S - leads the yacht section. So, in fact, the FP55 is the largest model in the “standard” range.
What struck me when I first saw this catamaran was that its silhouette is elegant, even though its advertised lightship displacement figure is 32.1 t - not far short of 71,000 lbs. It’s almost hard to believe: the 55 strikes me as sleeker than the 59, even though it’s 4 feet (1.2 m) shorter and 4 t (8,800 lbs) heavier! Frankly, the Berret-Racoupeau design team have really outdone themselves here - they are true magicians! The arch...

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