Asymmetric centreboards, a high rig with plenty of sail area, a weight-saving design and comparatively slim hulls should give the new Outremer 55 greater speeds and more height upwind than the competition from the catamaran camp, which is also widely used in the charter business. This is even an argument in favour of environmental protection. "If you look at the wind statistics for the western Mediterranean, for example, you can sail 95 per cent of the time spent on the water if the boat is already working in five knots of wind," calculates Head of Sales Matthieu Rougevin-Baville. However, if the boat needs eleven knots of wind or more, you only have the opportunity to sail 36 per cent of the time. With an overall length of just under 17 metres, the Outremer should weigh just 13.74 tonnes empty; a comparably sized cruising cat weighs a whopping 28 tonnes.
To save weight, for example, a flybridge has been dispensed with and the traveller is mounted in the cockpit. The boat can be steered directly from the cockpit or from a standing or sitting position on deck. This is made possible by swivelling steering columns. The helmsman can therefore choose between a perfect view of the sails and waves or work well protected under the bimini. A bench seat on the wheel on deck for two people ensures comfort. The tiller steering usually offered by Outremer in addition to the wheel is not available for the 55.
The boat is available with four or three compartments. If the more spacious version is chosen, the entire starboard hull is a cabin with a separate wheel. Particular emphasis was placed on good natural ventilation, which is ensured by hinged hull windows and a wide-opening sliding door in the superstructure. The interior can be highly customised.
However, the shipyard has not yet communicated a price. Outremer is part of the Grand Large Yachting shipyard group, which includes the brands Gunboat (carbon catamarans), Garcia (aluminium cruising yachts) and Allures (aluminium cruising yachts) and, more recently, RM Yachts (performance cruisers made of GRP and plywood). The German dealer for Outremer is Klaus Tietze with his company Cat Sale.
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