A catamaran for pleasure, the 30 SportCat restores light sailing to its rightful place, and allows you to rediscover sensations sometimes forgotten on large cruising catamarans.
If you look back over your shoulder, you'll see that the sporty catamarans that were so popular in the 80s really contributed to the success of the multihull.
A category that has almost disappeared
Over the years, these small catamarans have mainly been confined to sail schools. The slightly larger models, around 10 m, sometimes with two small cabins in the hulls, have virtually disappeared, to be replaced by folding trimarans.
It now remains to be seen whether Xquisite will confine the 30 sportcat to its sailing school, or whether the brand has real ambitions for this boat, which could resurrect the concept of the open, sporty 30 ft catamaran.
From that point of view, the competition is more likely to come from the folding or non-folding trimarans. The only catamaran in the same category is the Windpearl Ventio, a 35-foot (overall) catamaran with a totally open deck and two cabins.
A fairly high price tag
Finally, while the seriousness of the 30 Sportcat's construction and the quality of its fittings are to be commended, the advertised price for this model is a little perplexing. At nearly $300,000, the catamaran Xquisite is almost 50% more expensive than the Windpearl, which offers two real cabins.
A price tag that could well put off potential buyers, even though it has to be said that the boat was very well received at the first boat shows, both by professionals and yachtsmen. In its defense, the 30 Sportcat comes complete, and the few options you can add correspond to a specific use of the boat.
After spending a few hours at her helm, we really hope that the price will come down and that more people will have the pleasure of sailing her. A boat that's simple, reassuring and fun to sail, that's been a bit lacking in the multihull world.
