Windelo, the French builder behind last year’s Boat of the Year–recognized Windelo 54, has announced two larger models—the Windelo 58 and Windelo 62—marking a major expansion of its eco-conscious cruising catamaran range. The new boats, shown at the Cannes Yachting Festival, combine electric and hybrid propulsion, sustainable materials, and bluewater-ready design.

Since its founding in 2019, Windelo has earned a reputation for pushing boundaries in performance, comfort, and environmental responsibility. The new models take the builder into the 60-foot segment for the first time. “Owners are looking for more space, greater comfort, and more autonomy — but also for a deeper respect for the environment,” says CEO Gautier Kauffmann. “The Windelo 58 and 62 open a new chapter in our journey.”

Designed by the naval architecture firm Barreau & Neuman in collaboration with the Stellantis Design Studio, the two new cats build on the brand’s distinctive style: fine hull lines, lightweight structures, and expansive living areas. The Windelo 58 is conceived as a versatile world voyager with a centralized forward cockpit, daggerboards, and a light displacement of 18 tons. It offers up to five cabins and is powered by electric or hybrid engines with solar, wind, and hydro-generation support.

The flagship Windelo 62 carries the same DNA but on a larger platform, with a light displacement of 22 tons and even greater payload and interior flexibility. Both boats emphasize panoramic views, loft-like interiors, and seamless indoor-outdoor living. “We wanted boats that offer more space, more comfort, and more autonomy — without compromising performance or sustainability,” says naval architect Christophe Barreau.

Design Director Hugo Nightingale of Stellantis notes that the automotive approach helped refine the new cats’ proportions and usability. “Our goal is to strike a powerful harmony between performance and everyday usability,” he says.

Both models share Windelo’s hallmark sustainable construction. Basalt-fiber and PET foam sandwich hulls reduce environmental impact, while electric and hybrid drive systems provide silent operation and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.

For sailors interested in seeing these new designs firsthand, Windelo will continue exhibiting at major international boat shows and expects the first new hulls to touch the water in 2026.

Key Specs (Windelo 58): 58 feet LOA, beam 31 feet, light displacement 18 tons, up to five cabins, electric/hybrid engines with solar, wind, and hydro power.

Key Specs (Windelo 62): 62 feet LOA, beam 31 feet, light displacement 22 tons, up to five cabins, electric/hybrid engines with solar, wind, and hydro power.

More information: windelo-catamaran.com

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When French businessman and sailor Olivier Kauffmann decided that it was time to buy a multihull and sail around the world with his family, his search for the right boat came up empty. Instead, he founded ­catamaran company Windelo and opened a shipyard in Canet-en-Roussillon, France, in 2018 with his son, Gautier, now the company’s operations manager. Their goals were to take advantage of the latest building techniques and materials, and to create an eco-friendlier sailboat with a premium on performance.

The Windelo 54 that the Cruising World Boat of the Year jury got to inspect and sail at this past fall’s Annapolis Sailboat Show met those design criteria square-on. The big luxurious cat has a livable and uncommon interior layout. It sails well. And it’s built using composite materials made from recyclable basalt fibers rather than fiberglass, as well as PET foam made from recycled plastic bottles. Adding to its green credentials, the 54 has a hybrid electrical system that relies heavily on carbon-free power sources, such as wind, solar and hydroregeneration, to cover house loads and provide propulsion via two electric motors. But the power system is practical too. Its lithium battery bank is backed up by a diesel generator, providing long-range cruising capability, though company representatives said that it’s rarely needed.

Out sailing on the Chesapeake after the show, the Windelo was well-mannered and quick. Under gennaker, we reached along at 8 knots and better in just 11 knots of true wind. At that speed, the feathering Gori props were spinning and putting power back into the battery bank, which we could monitor on a display screen in the cockpit. And beating upwind, with the self-tacking jib set and the daggerboards down, the 54 was able to sail at close to 35 degrees off the breeze, which is fairly close-winded compared with many other cruising catamarans. 

In the end, the judges were impressed enough by all the features that we awarded the Windelo a Special Recognition Award for innovation. Truly, we’d not seen ­anything quite like this boat before.

Windelo builds about 10 boats a year at its yard on the Mediterranean. Models range from 50 to 55 feet. For design work, the yard uses naval architects Christophe Barreau and Fréderick Neuman, both of whom have experience designing high-end production catamarans for builders such as Catana and Outremer. Hence the slippery hulls and a versatile sail plan that includes a square-top full-batten main along with the two aforementioned headsails.

The kitted-out boat we sailed, with a price tag just south of $2 million, was a Yachting model, which has a number of options in terms of woodwork (all certified as being ­sustainably grown) and upholstery, Incidence sails, and amenities such as a customized hull wrap, a painted aluminum mast and boom, a composite gangway, electric toilets, Corian galley counters, a convection stove and oven…the list goes on. The boat is also available in a more basic Adventure package, with a more limited choice of wood and fabrics, as well as a Sport model that includes Incidence DFi sails (or optional North 3Di sails), a ­carbon-fiber mast with Kevlar shrouds, oversize daggerboards and ­rudders, and other ­performance enhancers.

The standout feature of the 54 is its ­dual-helm forward cockpit, located indoors at the forward end of the salon. In boisterous conditions, this area can be shut off from the rest of the interior by closing a waterproof sliding door. There are openings with canvas covers forward in the ­salon to either side of the mast, with steps and clear overhead panels that can be opened for access to the foredeck, and winches on the spar that are used when reefing.

All other sail-control lines are led ­indoors to three large electric Harken winches between the wheels. The center winch tames the main; the ones to either side are for headsail sheets, and they’re located next to the steering wheels for easy access by the helmsman.

We reached along at 8 knots and better in just 11 knots of true wind. At that speed, the feathering Gori props were spinning and putting power back into the ­battery bank, which we could monitor on a display screen in the cockpit.

The boat’s anchor windlass is also located inside; chain is led out through a hole to the anchor and anchor roller located under the trampoline on the foredeck. During our anchoring drill (on every boat we test, we lower and raise the anchor to see if things go smoothly), I sensed that it might be difficult in certain conditions to keep track of the direction of the chain when hauling it in, though crew giving hand signals on the foredeck would take care of that problem.

Under sail, I appreciated the twin wheels. It was easy to move between them in order to watch the telltales on the headsails, and visibility forward was excellent. Besides allowing the helmsman to enjoy the company of the crew, the location of the cockpit will also allow the person on watch to step over to the nav station or walk aft to the galley to grab a warm cup of something on a dark, chilly night. 

Speaking of the galley, the one on the 54 is terrific. It’s laid out to starboard, in a long U-shape that gives the cook plenty of places to brace when cooking underway. In good weather, windows on either side of the cabin slide open, as do the doors that lead to the aft cockpit, which really opens up the interior to the world outside. 

Opposite the galley, the table can be set to accommodate 10 guests. Just outboard of it, there’s a pilot berth—another fine nod to utility and safety. An off-watch crewmember could rest there but be readily available if needed. Forward of it there’s a desk-style nav station with a flat-screen display for charts or to monitor systems, including the battery bank.

The 54’s two hulls can be laid out in a ­number of ways. The boat we sailed had the owner’s stateroom to port. From the athwartship aft berth, there’s a commanding view of the water through a port in the side of the hull that also curves across the transom. Amidships, there’s a desk/vanity surrounded by lockers; a head and a shower with a bench seat are forward.

Two guest staterooms, each with fore-and-aft bunks, take up the starboard hull, with a head and shower compartment and a washer and dryer between them. Though the hulls are relatively narrow at the waterline, they flare out to provide plenty of living space. Layout options include bunk beds, home office or workshop in the guest staterooms, a skipper’s berth in the forepeak, or four guest staterooms, which would be popular if the boat were to be put into charter.

In recent years, many of the ­more-popular cruising catamarans we’ve encountered during our Boat of the Year trials have tended to have similar features. Not the Windelo. The 54 comes loaded with fresh ideas about how sailors can roam the seas and leave a little less carbon in their wakes. 

Mark Pillsbury is a CW editor-at-large and was a 2025 Boat of the Year judge.

Advanced Construction, Cleaner Cruising

In Windelo’s marketing material, the phrase “Ocean Future” is prominently displayed to highlight the company’s intent to build ­performance multihulls that are more sustainable to own and sail.

To do so, they turned to materials researchers at French school Mines d’Alès to develop a composite sandwich that consists of basalt fibers made from volcanic rock and a foam core made from recycled plastic bottles.

Making fibers from basalt is a process that was ­pioneered in the United States by Paul Dhe in the 1920s, and was further developed after World War II, primarily for military and aerospace use by the US and the Soviet Union. Today it’s used in a wide variety of ­applications, from automotive to construction to wind-turbine blades to heat ­protection.

Basalt fibers are made by melting down naturally occurring volcanic basalt. According to Windelo, no additives are needed in its production, which reduces carbon emissions by a factor of 10 when compared with fiberglass. At the end of its life cycle, it can be remelted in a furnace and rewoven.

The polyethylene terephthalate core material in the boat’s ­composite-sandwich construction is made from recycled plastic bottles that get crushed into small pieces and are then melted down to create foam. During our visit to the Windelo 54, a canister of PET pellets sat on the salon table and looked like a jar of jelly beans. Company literature reveals that producing the foam creates almost half the carbon dioxide generated when ­making the PVC foam that is more typically used in boat construction. In high-load ­areas, PVC is added to the core for greater strength.

More-sustainable building materials are just part of the story, though. By design, the Windelo’s hulls are easily driven, so owners will do more sailing and less motoring. Meanwhile, the builder employs a hybrid-drive system that relies heavily on renewable energy sources, including 5,880 watts’ worth of solar-power panels mounted on the cabin top and Bimini top, wind turbines that can generate 400 watts of power, and hydroregeneration that kicks in anytime the boat is sailing at 8 knots or faster. For the record, we saw 8 knots of speed when reaching in just 11 knots of breeze.

All this power is fed into a bank of lithium batteries that powers a pair of 48-volt 20-kilowatt shaft-drive electric motors. With the throttle wide open, we motored at 8.2 knots; cruising speed was around 6 knots.

The battery bank also powers the 24-volt house electrical system that includes lights, instruments, windlass, induction stovetop, electric oven, watermaker and air conditioner. In a typical setting described by the company, during the day at anchor, making more than 50 gallons of water and using equipment such as the washing machine, dishwasher, stove, oven and lights, the power draw would be about 10 kilowatt-hours. Solar power alone can generate 18 kWh worth of power, providing an 8 kWh surplus. § In addition to the renewables, the Windelo is also equipped with an 18-kilowatt Fischer-Panda diesel generator as a backup. Motoring at 6 knots for four hours, the generator can top off the battery bank in just over an hour. Motoring range using the generator to repower the batteries would be about 1,100 miles.

On a coastal cruise, where you might motor for a couple of hours in the morning and then sail for three or four hours while the spinning props put power back into the batteries, you would arrive for the night at an anchorage with a topped-up battery bank. On a long-range cruise, say in the trades, the batteries would stay charged from solar and hydroregeneration alone. —MP

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Windelo, which has been building catamarans in France since 2018. Has replaced the Windelo 50 and 54 in its lineup with the just-introduced Windelo 51 Sport and Windelo 55 Sport.

Designed by architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, the Windelo 51 Sport and 55 Sport had a brief that sought to achieve at least 10 percent higher performance for each model. The team says it achieved this by using lightweight materials, including carbon; using an oversized carbon rig; increasing sail area with a sport-oriented sail set; sharpening the bows and rudders; and extending the waterline.

Rigging is Kevlar, helping to reduce weight by nearly 15 percent in the upper sections. The traditional bowsprit and aluminum forward beam have been replaced by a stiffer and lighter carbon crossbeam. There are racing deck fittings and high-end blocks on Dyneema lashings, and the sails are made with 3D membrane technology.

Are the Windelo 51 Sport and Windelo 55 Sport more aggressively designed than the models they’re replacing? Yes. In fact, Windelo’s team goes so far as to call the design of these yachts “more radical.”

Where to learn more: click over to windelo-catamaran.com

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Two hulls are better than one: Well, that’s the consensus of the growing number of sailors and charterers who opt for the ever-expanding universe of cruising and racing catamarans. But are three hulls better than two? That was the question posed by this trio of no-holds-barred multihulls, which included the fleet’s sole trimaran, the Neel 52. 

On massive platforms like these, the options and possibilities are almost endless, and all three of these boats were true marvels of ingenuity, technology and innovation. Of course, with sticker prices ranging from $1.5 million to $4 million, they well should be. At the end of the day, however, this triumvirate also offered excellent sailing. As far as the question of cat versus tri, at least for 2025, the judges made a firm choice.

WINNER: Neel 52
Neel-Trimarans

With five boats now in the growing lineup of Neel trimarans, judge Herb McCormick remembers how it all began. “Eric Neel was the whiz-kid head honcho at Fountaine Pajot when he left the world of production catamarans to launch his own company specializing in cruising trimarans,” McCormick said. “He was a solo offshore racer who competed in events such as the Route du Rhum, so performance was truly paramount. But production tris? Other than sport boats, nobody was building tris for cruisers. But he was a visionary and saw a void in the marketplace that demanded to be filled. His first 43-footer was cool, and I remember driving it for the first time: smooth as silk, with amazing visibility. It was clear that he was onto something. Neel is no longer with the company, but this sweet 52-footer is a fully formed extension of his original foresight. You really have to sail a tri to understand the differences from a cat: the motion, the stability, the overall ride. And this boat, under sail, really delivered the goods. The accommodations are sweet, and the systems sophisticated but straightforward. It’s the logical evolution of an iconic company.” 

Judge Mark Pillsbury gave a more granular assessment: “Owners don’t just get their own stateroom aboard the Neel 52 trimaran. They get a two-story suite with a head, shower and private office located aft in the starboard float, and a stunning view from the berth located on the bridge deck. The living space on this boat is tremendous. I could have spent the better part of a day going through the Neel’s engine room. Every wire and hose were clearly labeled and easily accessible. There was even a bank of chargers for all your onboard power-tool batteries. Wow.”

Finalist: Windelo 54 Yachting
Windelo Catamaran

“In the past few years of our Boat of the Year inspections and sea trials, it has seemed like there are fewer and fewer differences between the various nominees,” judge Tim Murphy said. “So, stepping aboard the Windelo, it was refreshing to see all sorts of new thinking in terms of building materials, layout and propulsion. The forward cockpit was a new take on a trend popular with some high-end cats. The hybrid diesel-electric motors and electrical system were innovative, and the move to build the boat using basalt fibers rather than fiberglass was definitely out-of-the-box thinking. Berths in the aft cabins were surrounded by glass. Underway, the water views are fantastic, and at anchor, the living space is filled with light. What’s not to like about that?” 

Herb McCormick added: “I really didn’t know how I felt about the Windelo when I first stepped aboard it. Not one but two steering stations in the interior. I’ve sailed many a big cat like a Gunboat with an interior helm in the salon, but never a pair of them. But once the dockside inspections were over and we hoisted sail, I was thoroughly impressed. It seems that happens every year in the Boat of the Year contest. Suddenly those helms made a lot of sense. The same as the sea berth right in the main salon, which is a great idea for offshore sailing: You can get some rest and still be back in the action in a moment’s notice if need be. This is a special boat, and we had no choice but to honor it as such.

Finalist: Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail
Xquisite Yachts

Judge Tim Murphy provided the overview: “The Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail comes from an impressive company that we Boat of the Year judges have watched grow from almost nothing in the past eight years. We’ve previously honored the 50-foot X5 and the X5 Plus from this builder, and we’ve been particularly impressed by the service regime that creator Tamas Hamor has established among Xquisite owners. It’s adapted for true worldwide travel. 

“In the 60, Hamor his taken his explosive creativity to new levels in detail after detail. In Hull No. 1, we found that his ideas were still one step ahead of the available technology. But keep an eye on this boat and this builder—new things are happening here that we’re sure will trickle through the fleets of boats from other builders.”

Mark Pillsbury added: “By design, the Xquisite Sixty Solar Sail is intended for sailors who want to travel and live off the grid. The boat is loaded with solar panels; employs a number of highly efficient systems for air conditioning, cooking and the like; and has a hybrid propulsion system that operates in conjunction with a large bank of lithium batteries. Xquisite is a builder that has employed gear, electronics and connectivity in a way that gives owners the systems needed to manage, maintain and sail a big vessel in conditions and locations that otherwise might not be possible for a shorthanded crew.”

Click here to return to the 2025 Boat of the Year main page.

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Every year, it seems, the Boat of the Year fleet includes a company and boat with a groundbreaking approach that borders on the radical, something that seems completely different from everything else afloat. For 2025, that yacht was an impressive catamaran, the Windelo 54 Yachting. 

Judge Mark Pillsbury said: “In the past few years of our Boat of the Year inspections and sea trials, it has seemed like there are fewer and fewer differences between the various nominees. So, stepping aboard the 54-foot Windelo, it was refreshing to see all sorts of new thinking in terms of building material, layout and propulsion. The forward cockpit was a new take on a trend popular with some high-end cats. 

“The hybrid diesel-electric motors and electrical system were very innovative,” he added. “In addition to solar power, the large lithium-ion battery pack can be recharged with hydrogeneration, which greatly expands the cruising range. The move to build the boat using basalt fibers rather than fiberglass was definitely out-of-the-box thinking. Berths in the aft cabins were surrounded by glass. Underway, the water views are fantastic, and at anchor, the living space is filled with light.”

The father-and-son entrepreneurs who launched the company in 2018 were originally interested in developing an eco-friendly personal boat to sail around the world. The design team of Christophe Barreau and Fréderic Neuman was commissioned to draw the lines. Windelo’s tagline is “Ocean Future,” and before long, the builder had expanded its line to three models. Along with the 54, there are 47- and 50-foot cats. 

The Special Recognition prize is in honor of the unusual building materials and methods, as well as the forward-thinking approach to systems and power. But this is also a striking boat, and it sails very well. With a crisp inventory of French-built Incidence Sails, including a square-topped main and multiple headsails, the 54-footer provided plenty of sailing thrills, topping off at more than 8 knots of boatspeed under gennaker in a mere 11 knots of true wind. 

Windelo is a company that we expect to hear much more about going forward. In appreciation of what its team has already achieved, we present the company with the Judges’ Special Recognition award for Boat of the Year 2025.

Click here to return to the 2025 Boat of the Year main page.

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Following the U.S. premiere of the Windelo 50 Yachting in Miami earlier this year, Windelo Catamaran made its first-ever appearance at the 2024 Annapolis Sailboat Show as a Boat of the Year nominee with its Windelo 54 Yachting. The Windelo 54 Second Star arrived at the Annapolis show fresh off a transatlantic journey on its own hull along the north route.

Designed by architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, and conceived with sustainability and performance as paramount, the Windelo 54 Yachting builds on lessons learned from the Windelo 50, such as sailing at 3 to 4 knots on true wind speed for minimal energy use, and has cutting-edge features that offer comfort and performance while significantly reducing the environmental impact of cruising.

Key features include:

• Eco-Friendly Structure: Constructed with an environmentally-friendly composite sandwich of basalt fiber and PET foam, which reduces the boat’s carbon footprint by 47 percent.
• Solar and Electric Propulsion: Equipped with 5,880 W solar panels, electric motors, and an under-sail hydro-generation system, offering zero-emission sailing and up to four hours of autonomy using purely green energies.
• Unique Interior/Exterior Design: The Windelo 54 offers enhanced interior/exterior modularity with a spacious nacelle and a forward cockpit at the foot of the mast, centralizing vessel operation for a safer and more comfortable sailing experience.

The Windelo 54, which earlier this year was named Multihull of the Year in the Premiere category at the International Multihull Show in France, has electric motors for more sustainable cruising and is built with an eco-responsible composite that reportedly reduces the environmental footprint of the production process by 47 percent. The composite is made of basalt fiber (volcanic rock) and PET foam (from recycled plastic bottles). Windelo architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman developed this composite in collaboration with researchers from the École des Mines d’Alès in France. 

Windelo’s Electric Drive System & Green Energy Explained

Windelo’s team also reorganized the onboard space for additional guest comfort, with a forward cockpit and full-length nacelle that is open 360 degrees. Essentially, according to Windelo, the sailing experience has become more comfortable and social while entirely connected with the surrounding environment.

The Windelo 54 can use renewable energy, including solar and hydrogeneration, for up to four hours of engine range per day at 6 knots. That’s with all the navigation and “home comforts” being used, according to the builder. Windelo also used natural, eco-friendly or bio-based materials in the boat’s interior design. Examples include wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council along with recycled and organic textiles. Like the Windelo 50, the Windelo 54 can be ordered in three versions: Sport, Yachting and Adventure.

The Sport version is a high-performance boat built with carbon and technical fabrics to reduce weight, along with equipment and deck gear options to optimize performance under sail.

On the Yachting version of the Windelo 54, owners can choose the widest range of customizations, such as materials and detailed trims. 

The Adventure version—which is ideal for owners who want to offer their boats for charter—has upgraded hull protections with robust, easy-maintenance materials for exploration cruising.

Windelo 54 Specifications

About Windelo Catamaran

Windelo Catamaran, founded in Canet-en-Roussillon, is a shipyard dedicated to building eco-friendly, innovative, comfortable and high-performance catamarans. The family-owned company is driven by a passion for boating and a commitment to protecting the environment. For more information, visit Windelo’s website.

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The Windelo 50, which first grabbed our editors’ attention at last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, is an eco-conscious cruising cat that prioritizes functionality in a comfortable package that’s capable of crossing oceans. Add to that a powerful rig, modest displacement, daggerboards and genuine electric autonomy, and it’s easy to understand why the boat turned heads at its US premiere in Miami this past spring. 

Since Hull No. 1 rolled off the factory line in Canet-en-Roussillon, France, in fall 2019, the Windelo naval architecture team of Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman has given this crossover cat a racy, stylish look. The new version is billed as the Windelo 50 Yachting, and it underscores a substantial move upmarket with a sleek, dynamic appearance and solid craftsmanship. Significant upgrades have been made to the decks and superstructure, and the layout is reimagined for greater comfort and flow. 

The aft deck is expanded to create a more comfortable relaxation area with enhanced protection from the elements. The builder uses large molds, which is why the surfaces have a notably smoother finish. A new nonslip surface, with a more attractive diamond-shaped texture, is directly integrated into the mold.

The Windelo 50 is also built with a composite sandwich structure that includes environmentally friendly materials, basalt fiber and PET foam, which reduce the boat’s carbon footprint by nearly 47 percent, according to the builder. The integration of two electric motors, 5,880-watt solar panels and an under-sail hydrogeneration system facilitates zero-emission sailing. The combination also allows daily recharging of the battery bank, providing up to four hours of autonomous ­propulsion using exclusively green energy sources when cruising at 6 knots.

At the base of the mast, the forward cockpit centralizes all boathandling activity, while enabling the skipper to remain near the center of social activity. The cockpit can be fully enclosed, providing protection from the elements. The deck housing creates additional space for relaxation, and the living area can be transformed into a terrace via a winch mechanism and sliding or removable bulkheads, along with sliding glass doors. 

According to the builder, even in light air, the Windelo 50 can sail at true-wind speed, courtesy of the hull-design weight distribution.

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The team at Windelo is celebrating the news that the Windelo 54 has been named Multihull of the Year for 2024 in the Premiere category at the International Multihull Show in France.

“Receiving this award is a tremendous honor and a real recognition of all the work accomplished by our Windelo family,” Gautier Kauffmann, Windelo’s co-founder, stated in a press release.

The Windelo 54, which has electric motors for more sustainable cruising, is built with an eco-responsible composite that reportedly reduces the environmental footprint of the production process by 47 percent. The composite is made of basalt fiber (volcanic rock) and PET foam (from recycled plastic bottles). Windelo architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman developed this composite in collaboration with researchers from the École des Mines d’Alès in France.

Windelo’s team also reorganized the onboard space for additional guest comfort, with a forward cockpit and full-length nacelle that is open 360 degrees. “Your sailing experience has become more comfortable and social while entirely connected with the surrounding environment,” Kauffmann added.

Creation of the Windelo 54 follows the builder’s Windelo 50, which was named European Yacht of the Year in 2022. The Windelo 54 builds on lessons learned with that design, such as sailing at 3 to 4 knots on true wind speed for minimal energy use.

The Windelo 54 can use renewable energy, including solar and hydrogeneration, for up to four hours of engine range per day at 6 knots. That’s with all the navigation and “home comforts” being used, according to the builder.

Windelo also used natural, eco-friendly or bio-based materials in the boat’s interior design. Examples include wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council along with recycled and organic textiles.

Like the Windelo 50, the Windelo 54 can be ordered in three versions: Sport, Yachting and Adventure.

The Sport version is a high-performance boat built with carbon and technical fabrics to reduce weight, along with equipment and deck gear options to optimize performance under sail.

On the Yachting version of the Windelo 54, owners can choose the widest range of customizations, such as materials and detailed trims.

The Adventure version—which is ideal for owners who want to offer their boats for charter—has upgraded hull protections with robust, easy-maintenance materials for exploration cruising.

Where does Windelo build its catamarans? In a 17,200-square-foot facility in the Occitania region of France, at the port of Canet-en-Roussillon.

Where to learn more: go to windelo-catamaran.com

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The Windelo 50 is an environmentally friendly fast cruising catamaran designed for long-distance sailing adventures. With its outstanding performance, high comfort levels, and sturdy construction, it inspires confidence in sailors to embark on vast ocean voyages. The yacht’s slightly fuller lines, powerful rig, and daggerboards ensure efficient sailing even when fully loaded, allowing travelers to cover vast stretches of the ocean without compromising on essential equipment. Cruising World got on board during the 2024 Miami International Boat Show.

Key Features:

• Performance blue water cruiser
• Electric hybrid engines
• Indoor loft – reimaging indoor/outdoor living
• 6,000 watts of solar panels
• Full electrics cruising at six knots or four hours

Specs at a Glance:

• Length 15.24 m
• Beam 7.92 m
• Maximum draft 2.32 m
• Minimum draft 1.03 m
• Light displacement 11.2 t
• Freshwater tank 400 l
• Blackwater tank 200 l
• Max. number of cabins 4 (+1 skipper)
• Max. number of people 12
• Type of engines Electric and hybrid engines
• Engines power 2 x 20 kW
• Generator 18 kW (or 2 x 18 kW on option)
• Batteries park 1120 Ah 48V battery bank (53.8 kWh)
• Green energies Solar, hydrogeneration, wind turbine
• Fuel tank 500 l

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Addressing growing American demand for more environmentally friendly performance multihulls, Windelo Catamaran—a French shipyard specializing in eco-advanced performance catamarans—and US-based dealer Just Catamarans, have announced a new partnership to better serve the United States. Just Catamarans, who specialize in the performance cruising segment, will take a strategic role in the growth of Windelo Catamaran within the US market. 

The new partnership will be in place as the Miami International Boat Show kicks off in February 2024, where the Windelo 50 Yachting is set to make its US premiere, after its successful launch in Europe in 2023. 

Designed in collaboration with the architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, and designer Charlotte Schiffer, the Windelo 50 is a fast, bluewater cruising catamaran that features an electric propulsion system, which includes two electric engines and an inventive hull construction technique that utilizes volcanic basalt laminates, presenting a more sustainable alternative to traditional fiberglass matting.   

“Our entire team looks forward to working with Windelo,” said Thomas Chambers, president of Just Catamarans sales. “Representing a bespoke brand of performance multihulls that focuses more on sustainability and introducing electric-hybrid propulsion in this market is exciting for us and our clients.”   

Founded in 2004 and based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Just Catamarans is a recognized catamaran service specialist that also offers sales for brokerage and new boats for clients across the full spectrum of catamaran ownership.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Just Catamarans aboard the Windelo family,” said Gautier Kauffmann, founder of Windelo. “The reputation of Just Cats in the US, and their expertise in developing and supporting high-end performance cruising multihulls, will be an undeniable strength for the development of Windelo in the US market. Just Catamarans will be a key partner to the service footprint for all of our clients visiting the US and the Bahamas aboard a Windelo. While Just Catamarans will boost the visibility and service of our brand in the territory, we understand how important it is for our customers to maintain direct contact with the shipyard throughout the lifecycle of their boat. This is why, together with Thomas’ team, we set up a partnership that [creates] a joint approach to sales and service of our owners’ catamarans.”

Windelo Catamaran is a French boatyard based in Canet-en-Roussillon. It builds innovative, eco-advanced performance catamarans. After three years of research on eco-friendly materials and guided by strong family values, Olivier and his son Gautier Kauffmann, both passionate about sailing, founded Windelo in 2018 to build comfortable, environmentally friendly recreational craft.

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