Design made in Italy
Makai Yachts is a powercat brand, created in 2020 by three founding members, including Jay Nolan and Kresimir Secak. Each of the protagonists has a background in power catamarans: manufacturing, commercial management, sales and marketing. With the catamaran market booming, the team decided to enter the market through the Makai Power Catamarans brand. To design its first model, the Makai 37, which has just been launched and will premiere at the Palma Boat Show 2024, the yard teamed up with Italian designer Emanuele Rossi. Designer and engineer at Eryd Yacht Design, the designer has worked for several shipyards such as Expression, Garcia Yachts and has also launched his own range of daysailers, Eryd. But it was in designing several Maxis that he built his reputation.
Add a sporty touch to the boat
The brief for the Makai 37 was to design a motor catamaran with an elegant, high-performance exterior, combined with a spacious, sophisticated interior. Another objective was to create a boat that could be used in the Mediterranean, Florida or the Baltic Sea.
The designer studied the shapes to avoid the cubic form of some 40-foot catamarans. As for the sporty side of the boat, it is inspired by classically elegant sports cars. The boat is 11.4 m long and has a beam of 4.65 m. A second model, the Makai 45, is due to be launched, this time with a displacement hull for slower sailing.
A shell for sliding on a cushion of air
The Makai 37 features an Air Glide hull, whose tunnel creates a cushion of air for more comfortable sailing. The planing hulls are asymmetrical to optimize performance without sacrificing habitability. This semi-asymmetrical shape is also, for the shipyard, a good compromise between wetted surface and interior surfaces. The Makai 37 should also be more agile to drive, thanks to a hull shape that ensures smoother sailing and reduces jerking.
Croatian infusion construction
Although Italian in design, the Makai 37 is built in Split, Croatia, where a factory has been set up specifically to manufacture the various models. Construction is based on a vacuum resin infusion process with a Divinycell foam core.
A spacious deck layout
The boat's main features include a large hard-top - although an open version is also planned with a center-opening windshield for access to the foredeck. Disembarkation from the bow is via a door in the bow with a landing ladder.
The 19 m2 cockpit is spacious, with a bathing platform, a large sundeck facing the sea, and a beautiful saloon with two bench seats with removable backrests. A galley, a lounge area to port and the helm station to starboard complete the deck layout.
Below deck are two beautiful double cabins, each with its own bathroom and separate shower. Light is provided by the hull's large windows. Finally, each hull offers standing headroom of 2.04 m.
Inboard propulsion coupled with surface propellers
The shipyard has opted for inboard propulsion, which provides a more spacious cockpit than the outboard version. This also eliminates the need to install a bow thruster, according to the designer. To convince owners of the relevance of a sterndrive transmission, the Makai 37 will also be fitted with two in-line surface propellers. As standard, two Yanmar diesel 8L V320 engines are fitted, for a total output of 640 hp. A more powerful 740 hp version is available as an option, with a top speed expected to be in the region of 40 knots.
