Nautitech 48 Blends Performance with Modern Style

THE FRENCH CATAMARAN BUILDER, Nautitech, has been in business for a generation and has an excellent reputation for building fast cruising cats. Under new ownership in the last few years, the company completely refreshed its line with sweet sailing and finely built production cats, starting with the Open 40 and then followed by the Open 44.

This year, the company is launching their new Nautitech 48 which has all the elements of its sisterships but with a more modern look. Note the reverse curve the sheerlines and slightly reversed bows. And, without a flying bridge, the 48’s cabin and cockpit hardtop are sleek and streamlined.

Working closely with the Marc Lombard Design Group and the designer Christophe Chedal-Anglay, the in-house design team wanted to push the envelope for cats of this size, both in pure naval architecture and advanced sailing performance, but also in the 48’s ability to be adapted to a significant degree to an owner’s special requirements.

On the performance side of the equation, note that the hulls have full length chines above the waterline. This provides narrow and hydro-dynamic hulls with a minimum of wetted surface; that translates into speed through the water.

Forward, the trampolines are large to reduce weight and there is a sizeable bow sprit from which you can fly large downwind sails. The rig is tall and with a full-battened mainsail will be powerful on all angles of sail. The self-tacking jib will provide close sailing angles and will be a breeze to handle when tacking up wind.

Aft, the 48 has twin helms set at the back of each hull so the helmsperson will have a good view of the sails and great visibility forward. This is a particularly French design feature since there is an ethos amongst French sailors that you should be out in the weather and experiencing the exhilarating sensation of sailing fast. Also, you simply can steer better from these helm positions, particularly in the confines of a marina.

The mainsheet on a performance catamaran is the primary sail trim driver so it is important to have it handy and easily adjusted from the helms. On the 48, the mainsheet will be double-ended so you can trim from both helms. Also, with the main traveler on the transom at the aft end of the cockpit, the ability to adjust the sheet car position and thus the twist in the mainsail is possible from both helms. In puffy conditions, you can play the traveler easily to reduce sail pressure and strain on the rig.

Nautitech certainly has staked out a position in the market as builders of good sailing production cats that do not carry the price tag of the more exotic carbonfiber and daggerboard breeds. For good sailors who are into cruising, this configuration makes a lot of sense.

As noted at the top, the 48 is a modular boat in that it has five different layouts that can be mixed-and-matched to get a boat that will be highly personalized. We’ve seen this in several production monohulls but other than the semi-custom high-end cats out there the production builders have kept their options list fairly short.

The central concept in the interior design is to facilitate open air, one-level living. The large cockpit is basically an outdoor living and dining space under the protection of the full hard dodger. This then merges with the interior saloon with it’s galley, nav station, inside dinette and a raised bar counter. The combined spaces could host a party of 15 or so and will seat up to eight for meals.

While there is no standard version of the new design, many owners will opt for a three-cabin layout with the owner’s suite in the port hull and two cabins in the starboard hull. The master suite has the double berth aft with a vanity and storage amidships and a huge head forward. The head has twin sinks, a separate head compartment and an enclosed shower stall. This is a suite one could live in full time for many years.

In the starboard hull, there are several options that include what Nautitech calls their “Smart Room.” This space in the forward section of the hull can be set up as a workshop, or a home office with a single berth, or as a double guest cabin or even with upper and lower bunk beds.

For family cruising and for couples who like to sail with friends and entertain, the 48 has a layout that really works well and is the result of many years of design development. Altogether, the new Nautitech 48 is an attractive, stylish and fast addition to the catamaran cruising fleet and should prove very popular among discerning sailors. Read more here

For family cruising and for couples who like to sail with friends and entertain, the 48 has a layout that really works well