In their twenty years of constructing highend custom catamarans, Sunreef have built themselves a unique and enviable place in the world of multihulls. The Polish brand, founded by Frenchman Francis Lapp, has made a global name for itself and now aims to combine luxury and ecology. Is the innovative Sunreef 80 ECO trying to solve an impossible equation? We went in search of the answer in the waters of the Persian Gulf.

Test location: Dubaï
Conditions: 5 to 10 knots of wind, calm sea

Metallic navy blue

Here in the Dubai Marina district, near the artificial islands of Palm Jumeirah, the first Sunreef 80 ECO finally fits perfectly into its environment. Everything in Dubai about excess, whether it’s the length of the pontoons or the relentless heat, but it is in a small car, electric of course, that we arrive at the Marie-Joseph. Her name sounds very French in this globalized world. It is a nice tribute that the owner of the shipyard paid to his parents: he gave their first names to his first personal Sunreef. For the event, the family made the long trip to the United Arab Emirates from France. This catamaran is worth the trip: electric propulsion, intelligent energy management and new solar panel technology, the “green touch” is clearly in evidence. Her metallic navy-blue livery integrates the photovoltaic cells, making the 80 ECO shine like a thousand lights under the Gulf sun. But this large catamaran requires constant attention from her crew to keep her perfectly clean out here in this environment: the very dry air is often saturated with sand dust.

The aft cockpit opens onto a huge hydraulic platform.

Two 180 kW electric motors

From ...