Multihulls World #179

SAILBOAT TESTS
Astus 22.5
Tricat 6.90
Ocean Explorer 72

POWER TEST
MY4.S

CRUISING
Postcards
San Blas Islands

CHRONICLE AROUND THE WORLD
Namibia

RACING DESTINATIONS
Bol d’Or Mirabaud
St Barth Cata-Cup

ONE MAN AND HIS MULTIHULL
Mad about my Gunboat

PRACTICAL
Multihull Basics: Rigging kit

SECOND-HAND Lagoon 39

FEATURES
The photographer’s eye
News from the pontoons
Multi forever green
Racing news
Shopping
List of boat tests
Who’s who: Phillip Berman

Multihulls to suit every taste!

350 of you responded to our big survey (thank you for your answers, by the way), allowing us to note that 56% of you own a multihull whose average length is 40 feet - and still fairly recent, averaging 8 years old... That is to say, a multihull valued at around € 250,000. So yes, we are a long way from the seven million euros (excluding tax, of course) of the Ocean Explorer 72 that we tested in Finland a few weeks ago. It’s an old story: as soon as a luxurious and prestigious multihull slips into our pages with its shiny stainless steel, the reactions come thick and fast...

Admiration, envy, dreams - but also rejection and conflict. No matter the innovations, technological prowess and quality of finish, some even view it as an editorial error, a provocation: “But how many people can afford a multihull costing seven million euros?” Answer: Not hundreds, but quite a few nonetheless. A good explanation is better than a lasting misunderstanding: we know perfectly well the “average multihull” available to you, dear Multihulls World readers. It costs - obviously - more than the € 800 you might pay for a Hobie 16 that’s been around a bit (see our second-hand test in MW166) and also exceeds the € 45,000 base price for an Astus 22.5 or a brand new Tricat 6.90, presented in this issue. And since there is something for everyone, as long as it’s on two or three hulls, you will also discover a very attractive powercat, the MY4.S. Just to be sure, though, its price is... well centered!

Enjoy reading,

Emmanuel van Deth Editor in chief

Gerbert Rambaud CEO of de Jours de Passions