A brief history…
The story of the powercat is a recent one, the first yard to have tested the water being Jeantot Marine with the Euphorie in the early nineties. The seductive idea of combining all the advantages of a catamaran - comfort, elegance, speed and privacy - and those of motorboating, was not however, immediately seductive. Sailors, while convinced by catamarans, were not quite ready to go over to motors, and motorboat fans couldn’t see the interest in such a project… And then Fountaine Pajot took the plunge in 1998, with the Maryland 37, and today offers a complete range right up to 55 feet. Lagoon tried the concept with the successful Power 43 which later became the Power 44 and is coming back this year with the 630 MotorYacht, and is preparing some nice surprises for powercat enthusiasts. Other yards are also getting the feeling that the future of motorboats is inevitably moving towards catamarans. From Sunreef to Leopard, Aquilla to FlashCat, the ranges are developing to meet increasingly demanding and diversifying requirements. Just as with sailing, the catamaran has some strong arguments to put across over the single-hulled motorboat. Comfort, space, privacy and most importantly, safety and reduced fuel consumption are the most undeniable of these. What’s more, designers are now understanding how to enhance multihulls, and it’s clear that powercats (or tris) look rather sporty.
The inside helm station and its two great seats: there’s going to be a fight for who’s on watch!
Jaguar - a BRITISH COMPANY BUILDING IN Asia…
Jaguar has a delightful history, given that at the origin of this powercat, we find the British Lagoon Power 43 / 44 dealer. When the yard decided to cease production of the power 44, clients were understandably asking their dealer which boats they should be looking at as a replacement vessel for those to which they had become so attached. After looking very hard for this rare gem, and looking at what was missing from the market, the team then decided to go for it. And so Jaguar Catamarans was born. To create a beautiful motorboat you need more than ideas, you need to be able to put them into practice. For designing the new range the yard called on Dixon Yacht Design. They then decided to build the boats in Asia, at one of the most reputable yards, which has produced among others, the Gunboat 60, Hakes Marine and other Motor Yachts from known British brands. In short…a great team!
Inside, the table is opposite the galley.
A guided tour
The new Jaguar 48 was launched right at the beginning of the year, and was shown to the public for the first time at the International Multihull Boat Show. A successful start, since the Jaguar impressed many visitors by the standard of finish on hull number one, which had been highly equipped by the yard. Even before going on board, you discover the impressive in-house hydraulic platform aft: launching the tender is now no more than a simple formality.
Once on board, the size is spectacular: to port, the galley is not only attractive, but practical as well. A good starting point from our English friends! Opposite the galley is the salon, with a nice table which can easily seat 6 to 8 people. Continuing forward you find a comfortable sofa, and finally the helm position with two great seats: driving this boat is going to be a real pleasure! All the information needed for easy navigation is at hand, nice and warm inside if the weather isn’t letting you make the most of the flybridge.
But what catches your eye right away with the Jaguar is the incredible owner’s cabin, set in front of the salon, and offering a sumptuous view of your anchorage. The door into this extremely bright suite is a little small on this first boat, but the yard has promised to address this issue with hull number two. Finally in the hulls, there is a double cabin to starboard, and another cabin to port with twin bunks, of course each with its own beautiful bathroom.
But on a catamaran, of course, it is the outside space which counts the most. The aft cockpit has a large table, well sheltered by the overhang of the flybridge. The forward cockpit is also a model example: comfortable and very ergonomic, it will without doubt be approved of both under way and at anchor. Finally the XXL flybridge: there is the outside helm station, a sunbed, and a table which can accommodate not only the whole crew, but also friends in the anchorage. Great for a party!
The build (by infusion) and the standard of finish are of a truly exemplary quality, and from the first boat, you get the impression that there will be a whole series which will delight owners. This particular 48 has been intentionally highly equipped by the yard, and is fitted with the smaller 260 hp engine option. It doesn’t stop it reaching a peak of 18.3 knots... The production boats with the larger 370hp engine option, is expected to acheive 25 knots.
Note that the Jaguar 48 is fitted as standard with 1,500 liters of fuel (an additional 1,000 liters is optional), which makes it highly self-sufficient, and gives it a range which puts it definitively among the rare true cruising motorboats.
Next to the helm station you can see the door which leads to the owner’s suite. This is going to be made larger on later versions.
Boat Shows
The Jaguar 48 will be shown at the next Cannes Boat Show, then Barcelona (Jaguar will; also be exhibiting with scale models at Anapolis, Fort Lauderdale and Paris). Be aware that the yard is already working on developing the range, with a 47 foot trawler yacht, then a JC56, 55T and JC66 they then plan to build a smaller cat at 42 feet and a Jaguar flagship of 76’. For 2015 the yard is already planning on launching the Jaguar 56…
The owner’s suite: simply magical!
The plusses
Very high standard of build and finish
Living space on board
Engine performance
The minuses
The highly equipped version is a little heavy but this is expected on any prototype
Access to the owner’s suite (which has been changed for the production boats)
Fuel consumption at top speed…always too much
Specification:
Yard: Jaguar Catamarans International
Built: Xiamen - Asia
Architect: Dixon Yacht Design
Length: 14.47 m
Beam: 6.828 m
Draft: 1.05 m
Displacement: 20 t
Motors: from 2 x 260 to 2 x 370 hp
Top speed: 25 knots
Diesel: 1500 liters + 1000 liters (option)
Fresh water capacity: 500 liters
Price: £677,000 ex-tax (€798,860)
