The Outremer 51 has sold more than 100 units and has sailed all over the world in the hands of yachtsmen who love long cruises. When it was necessary to rethink the model to make it evolve, the shipyard decided not to make a simple update, but rather to invent a new catamaran. Thus, the Outremer 52 has just been presented to the public during the multihull show in La Grande Motte.
Using Gunboat know-how
The Outremer shipyard relied on new skills acquired with Gunboat, a shipyard that also belongs to the Grand Large group. Although there is no question of building a 52 as extreme as a Gunboat, in particular to keep the price affordable, the ability to make certain parts in carbon opens up new possibilities for the yacht's layout.
The width of the sliding door that separates the cockpit from the saloon is obvious when boarding the boat. It has almost doubled! This was made possible by using a carbon bulkhead instead of the old fiberglass one.
The various reinforcements placed throughout the boat: mast bulkhead, daggerboard wells..., also allowed a weight saving of 1 ton on the structure. This weight saving has been used to increase the quality and the number of equipments. The objective openly announced by the shipyard, being to better please the family of the shipowners.
A VPLP plan
This new plan was entrusted to the VPLP firm, whereas the old 51 was designed by Christophe Barreau. It has gained 45 cm in width and above all much more living space. Thus, the aft cabin berths, which were very high on the 51 and accessible by 2 steps, are now at standard heights on the 52. Similarly, the saloon gains in volume with very vertical and much higher portholes to allow visibility forward, even when standing.
Tiller or wheel bar
This Outremer is distinguished by two helm seats on the rear of each hull, a kind of bench seat that can accommodate 2 people. But if the port hull is equipped with a tiller in front of this seat, it is not present on the starboard hull, because of the installation of a seat for the wheel. This same wheel is tiltable, offering a high steering position with a view over the deckhouse, or a low position at cockpit level looking through the saloon windows. This second position will be comfortable during long watches, well protected by the deckhouse.
A real card table
Among the facilities, we note the predominant place of the chart table in the center of the saloon, at the foot of the mast. A real small desk, it will be used for navigation as well as for a computer to work comfortably from home.
3 or 4 cabins
The layout offers a classic 3 or 4 double cabins. In the 3-cabin version, the owner's suite occupies the entire starboard hull, offering a nice space for a couple. We note the work done by the shipyard on the finishes. The Outremer 52 has no reason to be ashamed of the competition in this respect.
