/ 
An expedition catamaran designed around what's happening on land
With an overall length of 22.90 m and a beam of 10 m, Garcia Yachts? new project represents a significant shift in scale compared to the Explocat 52. But the dimensions aren?t the most interesting aspect. Unveiled at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival, this 72-footer primarily serves to showcase a concept that the shipyard plans to adapt into 62- and 82-foot versions: an expedition catamaran designed as much around what its crew will do at their destination as around the voyage itself.
This principle leads to viewing the sailboat as a logistical base. Kayaks, diving gear, skiing equipment, and paragliding gear must all be stowed on board in spaces suited to the owner?s plans. On a boat designed for remote stopovers, this carrying capacity is no minor consideration. It affects traffic flow, storage, handling, and, ultimately, the weight estimate.
Garcia is therefore planning a semi-custom design for the owner?s version. The interior layout will allow the kitchen to be placed either in the gondola or in a hull. The stated goal is to tailor the layout to the crew?s composition and the boat?s intended use rather than impose a single layout.
The shipyard is also considering a version designed for expedition charters, featuring more cabins, and a scientific configuration capable of accommodating equipment for sampling, analysis, or the deployment of equipment at sea.
Two side bags to keep the rear deck clear
The design of the decks particularly illustrates this approach. On the 72-foot model presented, Garcia has included two decks, each with different functions.
A small semi-rigid dinghy is mounted at the stern of the port side of the hull, on a built-in launch ramp. It must be able to be deployed quickly for short trips: scouting an anchorage, passing a mooring line ashore, or local shuttle service.
This approach is particularly well-suited to anchorage in high latitudes. In certain situations, mooring isn?t limited to simply dropping anchor. Running a mooring line to shore can help stabilize the boat in a confined space or improve its stability when the anchorage requires extra precautions. This is where having a small boat available?without the need for heavy lifting?really comes in handy.
The second tender is larger. It must be installed on the flybridge and lowered using a crane. It serves as a self-propelled vehicle for exploring the area around the main boat with more people or equipment.
Above all, this layout frees up space at the stern of the catamaran. Instead of dedicating a large portion of the deck to a tender suspended from davits or mounted on a platform, the design reserves this space for activities and cargo handling.
A true indoor wheelhouse for exposed watches
The other key design choice concerns the boat's steering. The Garcia 72 features an interior wheelhouse located at the front of the hull and slightly elevated. The shipyard calls it the ?Belvedere Pilot House.?
Behind this name lies a rather practical design choice for a sailboat intended for cold-weather sailing: the ability to helm, monitor the course, and stand watch from an enclosed space. The inverted roof is designed to provide outward visibility, while the wheelhouse combines the navigation station and living quarters.
This approach builds on a design already used on Garcia?s Exploration monohulls, where crew protection is a key requirement. It takes on a new dimension on a 10-meter-wide catamaran, whose gondola allows for more space to be dedicated to this function.
A second station is planned for the flybridge, which is directly accessible from the wheelhouse. It is intended for maneuvering and outdoor navigation when conditions permit. This dual setup eliminates the need to choose between an outdoor station that offers a good view of the boat and a sheltered station for long watch shifts.
In high latitudes, the challenge goes beyond comfort. The cold, sea spray, and duration of exposure all contribute to fatigue. An enclosed wheelhouse helps reduce this exposure. In addition to double-glazed windows, Garcia offers thermal insulation and heating powered by a central boiler.
Aluminum and a width of 10 meters change the game
Garcia remains committed to aluminum, the material around which the shipyard has built much of its expertise in cruising yachts. The project calls for hulls with curved, cauldron-shaped forms rather than hulls consisting solely of developable surfaces.
The shipyard also has experience with multihulls, specifically the Explocat 52. Garcia notes that 15 of these boats are already sailing. The transition to the 72-foot model, however, is a significant step. It?s not just a matter of adding 20 feet.
At 10 meters wide, the new design provides a platform for increasing living and utility space, storage capacity, and the separation of spaces. This width becomes particularly advantageous when the boat needs to accommodate the owner, a professional crew, tenders, and recreational equipment all at the same time.
It will also have practical consequences. A 10-meter-wide catamaran no longer docks at port facilities in the same way as a conventional cruising sailboat. Finding a berth, accessing certain maintenance facilities, or arranging for winter storage becomes more challenging. For a boat whose itinerary focuses on anchorage spots and remote destinations, this trade-off may be acceptable. Nevertheless, it must be factored into the sailing plan.
The announced sail plan includes a 137 m² mainsail and a 123 m² solent. The mast height is 32 m. These figures give an idea of the boat?s scale, but do not yet allow for a serious analysis of its performance under sail. In particular, the displacement and polar curves are missing to put these sail areas into perspective.
Autonomy will be the true arbiter
This is probably where the concept still has its most interesting insights to offer. An expedition support vessel is truly self-sufficient only if its energy, hydraulic, and logistical capabilities are in line with its mission.
However, based on the available information, Garcia has not yet disclosed the volume of the 72-foot yacht?s water and fuel tanks, the battery capacity, the electrical power output, the specifications of the watermaker, or the propulsion system.
Neither the displacement when empty nor the displacement when loaded is specified. Yet this is a key piece of information for a catamaran designed to carry two tenders, their engines, fuel, sports or scientific equipment, spare parts, and supplies for voyages far from port.
The payload will therefore need to be monitored closely. A multihull is sensitive to increases in its displacement: accumulating equipment and supplies can affect its handling and performance. The challenge lies precisely in balancing the capabilities of a support vessel with those of a sailboat that must continue to cover long distances efficiently.
The appendages are another significant unknown. In particular, the draft and the chosen configuration will determine access to anchorages, performance under sail, and certain potential grounding scenarios. Nothing in the currently published specifications allows for a definitive conclusion at this time.
From 62 to 82 feet: a family still in the conceptual stage
The 72-foot model is not being marketed as a vessel that has already been built and is available for test sailing. For now, it represents a family of boats that Garcia plans to offer in 62-, 72-, and 82-foot versions.
This distinction is important. The specifications provided allow for an analysis of the overall design and layout, but do not allow for an assessment of the future vessel?s performance, actual range, or seakeeping ability.
The project is nevertheless based on a clear shift in the requirements for long-distance voyages. It is no longer simply a matter of having a sailboat capable of traveling long distances and protecting its crew. On this scale, the boat must also carry the necessary resources to make the most of a destination once it arrives there.
This is probably where the Garcia 72 stands out the most. Its two tenders, storage spaces, interior wheelhouse, and various configurations are designed with an expedition-oriented layout in mind rather than simply as a yacht layout.
Now we need to know the specifications that will turn the concept design into an actual boat: displacement, payload, fuel tank capacity, power generation, appendages, propulsion system, price, and construction schedule. For an expedition catamaran, these specifications will be at least as important as its 22.90-meter length.
