It was a rather self-confident appearance with which the Beneteau Group brand announced its debut. Even the name seemed to say it all: Excess sounded like excess, like debauchery, and the slogan "Be immodearte!" even more so: it could be understood as a call to excess, but what was meant was not to conform to old conventions: "Be non-conformist!" was the message.
This is also the brand message, the product philosophy: with Excess, the world market leader has expanded its range of cruising catamarans. Until now, this only consisted of the Lagoon series, whereby "only" is a grandiose understatement; nobody builds anywhere near as many multihulls as the shipyard in Bordeaux.
Other interesting cruising catamarans
The new line, although manufactured in the same halls, is intended to appeal to a younger, more active, more lifestyle-orientated target group, to offer more sailing fun, to be less of a holiday home on the water. And that's exactly what the Excess 11 looks like.
The aft hull sides are adorned with the letters "XCS", an acronym of the company name. Even more than the eye-catching logos, however, the proportions signalise that this is not a cat like any other.
A relatively short, flat coachroof hunches over the high, massive-looking hulls, which are moulded in relief. There is no room for a flybridge. The main boom is almost flush with it, which reduces pressure losses. The mast is positioned in front of the superstructure on deck, further aft than usual, which results in a more efficient sail plan because it is more elongated. And instead of a slightly remote central steering position, the cat is steered from two wheels, mounted close to the sterns and at the same height as the cockpit.
The Excess 11 catamaran is a hybrid creature
These are characteristics of a sports catamaran, and yet it would be wrong to categorise the design as such. The Excess 11 is not a pure performance boat, but a both-and cat.
Although many efforts were made during development and construction to keep its displacement and centre of gravity low, at nine tonnes it was quite heavy. Performance-enhancing details such as lowerable centreboards or a pivoting mast are missing and are not available at extra cost.
The Excess 11 does not gain its unique position by being excessively sporty, but by standing somewhere between a berth and comfort marvel like the Bali Catspace and a proven express sailor like the Dazcat 1195 from England. A hybrid, so to speak.
The sails of the Excess 11 are not sporty
In the standard version, it has a sail carrying capacity of only 4.2 - due, among other things, to the self-tacking jib, which is easy to operate but limited in area. Nevertheless, the shipyard offers a remedy for an extra charge.
Both test boats, which we were able to sail off Cannes in light winds and off La Rochelle in medium winds, were equipped with the "Pulse Line", which is also ordered by 80 per cent of owners. The package, which costs just under 20,000 euros, includes a 1.10 metre higher mast, which provides five square metres more sail area, laminate sails instead of Dacron sails and a short aluminium bowsprit. A useful extra in every respect.
There is even a carbon mast available for the Excess 11 on request, but this is very expensive and offers hardly any more additional performance than the Pulse rig. This is because it does not change the sail carrying capacity; it remains at 4.4 despite the weight advantage.
The speed of the Excess 11 is fast
At sea, the cat is particularly convincing compared to the more comfort-orientated competition. It's not a revelation, that's for sure. But the way it can be set in motion in 5 to 6 knots of true wind under Code Zero, and after a bit of a run-up and with the sheets shrouded, it makes around 4 knots is respectable, at least for the touring cat genre. This puts it well ahead of the majority of its competitors, and in some cases significantly so. This is the first indication that the designers around VPLP co-founder and design legend Vincent Lauriot-Prévost have done a great job.
The programmes he uses to model the underwater hull originate from ocean racing. His office designs high-end constructions such as Boris Herrmann's Imoca 60 "Malizia" or François Gabart's Ultim trimaran. And when he starts talking, as he did during the test, his blue eyes sparkle. "Nowadays, we can make much better predictions about resistance and performance," he says. "This now also benefits production boats. And it gives the shipyards more room for manoeuvre."
He has calculated that up to 15 per cent more speed to windward would be possible with shorter and deeper keels instead of the long fins. Even with a moderate draught of 1.60 metres, the increase is at least eight percent.
With more wind the Excess 11 shows temperament
On the second test run, in a fresher breeze, the light wind impression is confirmed. The 37-foot cat needs no more than 3 to 4 Beaufort to demonstrate its temperament. More impressive than the speed, which remains within the expected range, is the directness and responsiveness at the helm, which comes close to that of good monohull yachts.
The Excess 11 moves swiftly through the wind when tacking, picks up speed quickly and offers a first-class view - both sideways and forwards, through the vertical, non-tinted windscreens. Even under Code Zero there is no blind spot - unlike on cats with a flybridge console. A considerable safety advantage when there is a lot of traffic on the water.
If you order electronic control levers for the engines, you eliminate another typical catamaran shortcoming: limited visibility during harbour manoeuvres. The Excess 11 can then be guided from both helm stations and steered with centimetre precision into any gap or onto any jetty. There are no blind corners.
The Excess 11 is a spaceship
The engineers at VPLP have not only succeeded in creating an above-average sailing and easy-to-control cruising cat; the Excess 11 also offers unrivalled volume for its length. The berth dimensions in particular are first-class and in some cases even surpass competitors with a length of 40 feet. Even in the foredeck there is no cramped space with double occupancy.
With headroom of over two metres in the saloon and at least 1.90 metres in the hulls, the boat outperforms many 45-foot monohull yachts. The storage space is also adequate. Although there is a lack of cupboards in the saloon and galley, there are predominantly open shelves which, when utilised, quickly give the impression of being untidy. And where other catamarans open up the space under the berths with pull-out drawers, the Excess 11 can only be accessed from above - because this saves weight and, not least, construction costs.
Below deck, the boat looks modern, but also a little sober. You have to like that. And at least with the two early build numbers that we sailed in the test, the workmanship left a lot to be desired. There were clear squeaking and creaking noises coming from the pantry module, which could be heard all the way into the owner's cabin. Instead of solid veneers, the edges of the interior were only covered with thin foils. Otherwise, however, the installations and components showed the routine and solidity that Lagoon is known for.
This article first appeared in YACHT 24/2021 and has been updated for this online version.
Technical data
- Designer VPLP
- CE design category A
- Hull length 11.06 m
- Width 6.59 m
- Draught 1.15 m
- Mast height 17.29 m
- Weight 9.0 tonnes
- Mainsail 55.0 m²
- Self-tacking jib 22.0 m²
- Engine (Yanmar 3YM30) 2x 29 hp
Hull and deck construction
GRP sandwich construction with polyester resin, hull vacuum-infusion laminated, deck injection moulded
Price
Base price ex shipyard € 388,535 incl. sails (as of 7/2023)
Guarantee/against osmosis
2/2 years
Shipyard
Excess Catamarans, 162 Quai de Brazza, F-33072 Bordeaux Cedex, www.excess-catamarans.com
YACHT rating
The smallest is also the best model in the still young Excess range to date. However, the Excess 11 also needs the optional Pulse rig with more sail area to come close to fulfilling the brand promise
Design and concept
- + Moderately sporty design
- + Efficient hull lines
- + High level of customisability
Sailing performance and trim
- + Sufficiently agile with Code Zero
- + Direct control, good balance
- - Rudder vibrations on the test boat
Living and finishing quality
- + Very good berth dimensions and headroom
- + Plenty of storage space on and below deck
- - Creaking noises in lounge/pantry
Equipment and technology
- + Good components, useful options
