Faced with increasingly fierce competition in this key segment of the 45/50-foot market, it's important to keep a competitive catamaran, a fact that the shipyard has clearly understood, especially as the Leopard 46 is heavier than its predecessor, weighing in at just over 17 tons. The Leopard 46 therefore gets a slightly longer mast and slightly more powerful winches. This brings the standard sail area to 144.4 m2 (1,554 sqft), with the option of adding a spinnaker and/or gennaker. There's even the option of a set of Ullman sails optimized for performance.
A Longer mast to increase the sail area
For our test, we had the standard sail with a Code 0, which is nowadays an essential sail for boosting a pure cruiser. To put the 46 through its paces, we had an easterly wind of 7 to 9 knots, with smooth sea. Rather mild conditions, in line with what we often find in Chesapeake Bay, but already giving us an idea of the new Leopard's capabilities.
The first thing to notice is just how easy it is to use. Everything has been designed to be controlled from the helm, making this catamaran easy to operate single hand. The second pleasant surprise, once the sails are hoisted, is the catamaran's responsiveness, taking advantage of the slightest breeze to accelerate. The 46 needs a little time to establish a stable speed, but once underway, its performance is quite satisfactory. As a catamaran with keels, its optimum performance lies around 90° to the true wind, and this is precisely where we achieved the best results. Under code 0, with 11.5 knots of wind, the Leopard 46 made 7.8 knots. Then, as we tacked, we hit a little more wind, enabling the multihull to reach 8.5 knots with 14 knots of wind, which is pretty decent. In slightly more sustained conditions, the catamaran should easily maintain a speed of 9 knots, which is quite satisfactory for the boat's program. Unfortunately, we didn't have a spinnaker on board this model. A pity, as the catamaran should perform quite well with this sail. In addition to performance, we really appreciated the smoothness at the helm, as well as the multihull's responsiveness. Tacks and gybes are carried out smoothly, making sailing all the more enjoyable.
When it comes to on-board comfort, the helm station is also to be commended. It has a clear view of the sea and the rig, as the hard-top is fitted with a roof window, and is fully electronically equipped to keep all the necessary information at hand. It also allows you to keep in touch with the rest of the crew, whether below in the cockpit or in the sun lounge just beside. Last but not least, the whole helm station can be completely enclosed by a transparent canvas, a real plus for rainy days.
Gas or electric engines
To get out of the marina or for windless days, the Leopard 46 is equipped as standard with two 45 hp Yanmar engines, which can be increased to 2 x 57 hp as an option, a proven power in this category.
However, there's another, far more innovative option: the catamaran is available with electric propulsion, a first for the shipyard which, after extensive testing, validated the system developed by Fountaine Pajot. A carefully considered choice - and a wise one, since it's the high volume of orders that will bring the price down - which relies on two 25 kW (34 hp) pod-type electric motors associated with two 27 kWh lithium batteries. This electrical energy comes from a number of sources, starting with solar panels, a generator and a clever propeller-driven hydrogeneration system that recharges the batteries at speeds of 4 knots or more.
The whole system is controlled by the HMI, a simple and intuitive interface that indicates the status of the electrical system in real time, i.e. the production of solar energy or that coming from the hydrogeneration. It also allows you to intervene on the system to fine-tune settings, and in particular to choose the desired percentage of hydrogeneration. If the battery is too weak, the system automatically switches on the generator to replenish the charge, and in the event of overload, the system automatically goes into safety mode. This is an effective solution that ensures almost total energy self-sufficiency during a cruise. In terms of safety, the battery bank is equipped with an extinguishing system to prevent on-board fires, and is also designed to withstand humidity, high temperatures and vibrations. Finally, the battery pack is EMC-compliant, meaning that it is designed to operate without creating electromagnetic interference for other on-board electronic devices. The batteries are rated for 4,000 cycles, so there's plenty to look forward to. The only downside is that the cost of the system ($187,000) is currently rather high.
