Cataruga Tortue 147: Sustainable long-distance catamaran made of aluminium and paulownia wood
Tortue 147 is the name of Cataruga's first almost 15-metre-long aluminium catamaran. Never heard of it? The brand was launched by Frenchman Jean Sommereux, an entrepreneur with a passion for sailing. He is not the first of his guild to launch such an endeavour or maintain a shipyard in order to realise his own visions. As with many business leaders, Sommereux's entrepreneurial background is also reflected in his choice of sailing vessel and the associated shipyard. Before him, Leonardo Ferragamo transferred the style of the Italian fashion house of the same name to Nautor Swan and Hans Georg Näder transferred Ottobock's carbon expertise to Baltic Yachts and vice versa. Jean Sommereux and his brother founded EGO Paris, a manufacturer of designer outdoor furniture based in the north of Lyon. Their favourite material: aluminium.
Jean Sommereux also applied the principles of his company - technical precision, elegance and durability - to his catamaran. With the Tortue 147, he is not aiming for speed sailing; like the turtle that gives it its name, the 7.85 metre wide sail base is designed to move at its own pace, with confidence and composure. The brand name Cataruga is also a combination of "Catamaran" and "Tartaruga", which means "turtle" in Portuguese and Italian. Sommereux entrusted the interior and exterior design to interior designer Jean-Michel Kalfon, who had to take a certain stealth look into account despite the turtle theme.
Comfortable and safe, not necessarily fast
Cataruga found a suitable building site in Hergla, Tunisia, where the hull of the Tortue 147 is made of recyclable aluminium with a thickness of between 8-10 mm. Each hull has three watertight bulkheads plus a crash box. The empty displacement is 20 tonnes and the draught is just 1.45 metres. The French development team has dispensed with centreboards, while slightly pronounced bulbous bows are intended to reduce wave resistance and ensure softer immersion in waves.
Wood from fast-growing Paulownia trees was used for the interior fittings. According to the manufacturer, these absorb ten times more CO₂ than other tree species. As the wood is light, stable and naturally resistant to moisture, paulownia has been used for years in the construction of kitesurf boards. Veneer from the bluebell tree characterises the polygonal windows of the saloon with island kitchen, navigation system and pilot berth in front. The long-distance ambitions of the Tortue's earth-mover are reflected by a watermaker that produces 100 litres per hour.
Tortue 147 with Ballast system and hybrid option
A ballast system with two tanks, each holding 1.2 tonnes, allows fresh water or diesel to be moved between the hulls. The development team was thinking less about increasing performance and more about increasing comfort and stability depending on the load, wind and sea conditions.
The Tortue 147 currently comes with two 57 hp Yanmar diesel engines. Hybrid drives with 2 x 60 hp diesel plus 2 x 10 kW electric motors or purely electric versions are also planned for future models. The sail area is between 100 and 180 square metres, depending on the version, and is optionally moved by electric furlers. The power supply on board is provided by solar panels with 5.5 kW output, two 8 kVA inverters and lithium and AGM batteries with 25 or 60 kWh capacity. A 6 kVA generator serves as an emergency generator.
Cataruga celebrated the premiere of the Tortue 147 at the Multihull Show in La Grande Motte and is looking forward to welcoming interested parties.
Technical data Tortue 147
- Length: 14.70 m
- Width: 7.85 m
- Draught : 1,45 m
- Displacement (empty): 20 t
- Material: Aluminium (8-10 mm)
- Sail area: 100-180 square metres
- Design: Jean-Michel Kalfon
