Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 as a used boat: Agile and solid cat thanks to good genes

Cat owners live in a constant contradiction: they have so much space on their boats that some monohull owners' eyes water with envy. But if they utilise it to the full, they pay a high price: catamarans are much more sensitive to overloading than monohull yachts. The consequence is logical: twin-hulled yachts often sail around overloaded and are therefore slow. In addition, many customers place more value on living comfort than on sailing performance. As a result, the boats have become heavier over the years - and the rigs not much bigger.

These are trends in the catamaran scene that are unacceptable to Jan Wölper, the owner of an Athena 38. For the Hamburg lawyer, good sailing performance is just as much a part of the multihull concept as plenty of space. "I know how tempting all that storage space is. That's why we've made it a rule to empty our cat completely every autumn. This keeps the boat light."

But Wölper also has a reputation to uphold: He is chairman of the Multihull Deutschland association and has been sailing on all kinds of cats for 40 years, first with his father, then on his own boats and, of course, on multihulls from fellow club members. For the class boss, a bipod has to be able to do both: sail well and offer living comfort.

Athena 38 has no extra pounds

A few years ago, Wölper was looking for a boat like this for himself, but he didn't want it to reach the astronomical price range of an Outremer or Catana. This is how he ended up with the Athena 38 from Fountaine Pajot, one of the shipyard's successful models, which was sold around 240 times for twelve years from 1994 onwards. "The Athena came from a generation when weight was very important: The bimini is just an aluminium frame with cloth, not a heavy GRP moulded part like today. There was no flybridge yet, and the hulls were not as high-sided and slimmer," says Wölper. The boat with its visually appealing deckhouse, large cockpit and comparatively slim hulls still cuts a fine figure today.

"The Athena 38 earned a reputation in the multihull scene for being a standard large-series boat, but still sailing well," says the owner. This is how Wölper came across the French boat, but it took some time before he found it for around 160,000 euros - a proud price for a 16-year-old ship. In 1995, the boat cost the equivalent of just over 183,000 euros ex shipyard, ready to sail. Ex-charter boats in particular are easily available for 20 to 40,000 euros less in the Mediterranean, but the Hamburg native and his wife Diemut shied away from time-consuming and costly inspections abroad. "And the boats there suffer more from the sun and the long season, the cats in the north are in better condition," he concludes. But it is not easy to find anything at all here.

Unpleasant surprise after buying second-hand

The start with the new boat had a few setbacks after the purchase. For example, there were problems with the water supply. It turned out that the tanks were made of aluminium and a lot of oxide had built up in them, reports the owner; this clogged the pipes and pumps and is probably not exactly conducive to good health. The only option was total surgery: remove the tank and replace it with a customised stainless steel version - a job that can be carried out by DIY enthusiasts. Buyers should ask whether the previous owner has already replaced the tank and ask for a discount if necessary.

Then, just a few months after the purchase, disaster struck: a part in the rig failed and the mast came down from above. A replacement was not ordered from the original outfitter Z-Spars, but from Seldén. The owner seized the opportunity and at the same time eliminated one of the cat's weak points: "The boat, like almost all comparable large-series catamarans, suffered from a relatively large amount of forestay sag at the cross. This can easily cost five degrees of height!" In order to improve this, the Hamburg native equipped his boat with backstays, as he also likes to go fast, for example at regattas as part of the European multihull meetings.

Handling under sail with advantages and disadvantages

At one of them, the IMM 2017 in Kerteminde, we climb aboard the "Mai Tai 2" and sail in the fun regatta. After the start, Wölper pulls out the cat's 80 square metre gennaker and the boat accelerates easily in around 15 knots of wind with a few 20-knot gusts up to 9.5 knots; a few times the 10 flashes in front of the decimal point. "With 5 to 6 Beaufort, 10 to 12 knots are also possible in half winds," assures Wölper. Once the colourful cloth is down again, the Athena settles at around 7 to 8 knots at around 50 degrees - respectable figures for a fully equipped cruising boat with five people and their luggage on board. The owner has equipped the boat with two folding propellers, which he believes is a must for a catamaran. "That gives you almost a knot of speed. The best investment so far!"

On the somewhat small wheel, the whole thing has a neutral feel, as is usual for catamarans; a lot of feedback from the rudder is simply not the thing for multihulls. Taller sailors sit a little close to the canvas roof under the closed bimini, but it can be opened for the helmsman in good weather. On the other hand, the helm station is very compact. Wölper has mounted an iPad with a holder next to the wheel as a plotter replacement, which he is very happy with.

All winches and clamps are positioned on the cockpit roof as is customary in the industry - and, according to the owner, also somewhat undersized as usual, at least when he is travelling alone with his wife. The cockpit table is cleverly designed: it has a cut-out on one side and can be rotated. This makes it easy to get round and the bulkhead winch can be reached by the crew without a lot of climbing.

Fine-tuning for the Athena 38

At the helm, a handle dangling from the bimini frame and leading a rope aft over pulleys catches the eye. The owner acknowledges the questioning look with a grinning explanation: "I sometimes sail the boat quite sportily with male crews. That's our life insurance!" He has rigged a rope connection to the clamps of the mainsheet traveller, which allows both to be opened with one pull in the event of a sudden hammer squall, thus taking the power from the main in a matter of seconds. Whether the end piece of the traveller rail will survive is questionable, but better a torn-out bar than a capsized cat. However, he has never used the handle.

There are more customised solutions like this on deck. Wölper has rigged fixed Barberholer thimbles for the genoa sheet. "The short rail for the centreline is a joke, it only works just downwind." For deeper courses, they have therefore set up the cordage solution.

Clever ideas have also been realised on the foredeck. Above the halyard winch on the mast is a plastic-coated rope that is stretched to the foot of the mast and under the saloon roof when sailing. The owner explains what this is for during the next tack: The sheet likes to get caught on the winch during manoeuvres, which makes it annoying to run forward and clear. The rope reliably prevents this.

A piece of quality of life

After the regatta is over and the Athena 38 has left much larger boats in the stern water, it's back to the harbour. How satisfied is the Hamburg native with the build quality and interior fittings?

"I was surprised at how good the boat still looked after 16 years," he says. The wooden parts are hardly susceptible to scratches, there are no cracks or bubbles anywhere in the gelcoat or laminate. When he wired a few new electrical appliances, the existing wiring proved to be clean, very clear, easily accessible and there were even empty conduits still installed that he could use. "I was used to different things with my old cat. We first had to bring it up to a reasonable standard after we bought it."

For a 38, the space in the cockpit and saloon actually seems very generous, despite the boat being 16 years old. Contemporary: the L-shaped galley and the organically shaped seating area have a modern look, with plenty of light coming in through the surrounding window. "The kitchen is great, the fridge is huge," praises Jan Wölper. "It's made to measure for the curves of the cabin." The seating area, on the other hand, is cosy but impractical because nobody can sleep on the roof due to the pronounced curvature. However, he plans to solve the problem with a lowerable table. As far as he knows, an Italian interior designer worked on the boat. Such assistance can sometimes backfire in boatbuilding, but the lines, colours and shapes are just right.

Everything is well ventilated - sometimes at the expense of appearance

The Athena 38 also impresses below deck. In keeping with the year of construction, there is still a relatively large amount of dark wood here, but it is well contrasted by white panelling. However, many stowage spaces are open, which is favourable for ventilation, but not everyone likes the look. Unusual: the storage spaces in front of the forward berths are only separated from the berths by a Velcro curtain. This brings light, but also moisture, at least if the space is used for stowing ropes, fenders or similar items. The two central bathrooms are pleasantly bright thanks to the escape hatches and can be perfectly ventilated as the former can be opened. On some catamarans, such as Lagoons, they are only installed as fixed windows.

The owner's only criticism of the hull is the keel hooks. They were glued under the finished hull to protect it in the event of grounding. The problem: there is audible water in them. "The boat had no damage to the keels; we don't know how the water got in. But as there are no drain plugs or inspection hatches, we can't get it out either." They want to take a closer look at this in one of the coming winters. All in all, the Athena leaves a positive impression. It appears to be well-built, sails comparatively well and has just the right amount of space to convert some monohull sailors to multihulls.

The Fountaine Pajot Athena 38 in detail

Technical data of the Fountaine Pajot Athena 38

• Designer: Joubert/Nivelt
• Built: 1994 to 2006/approx. 240 boats
• Torso length: 11,60 m
• Width: 6,30 m
• Depth: 0,95 m
• Weight: 5,5 t
• Mainsail: 50 m2
• Genoa: 38 m2

Hull and deck construction

Sandwich laminate with PVC foam core

Price and shipyard

• Base price ex shipyard 1996: 182.119 €
• Used boat price: Depending on the condition, an investment of around €110,000 to be expected. However, there are currently no offers on the European market

Status 03/2024

YACHT review of the Fountaine Pajot Athena 38

Good sailing cat with a lot of living comfort for the size and solid build quality

Design and concept

• + Successful compromise between space and sail horsepower

Sailing performance and trim

• + Pleasing performance
• - Genoa traveller too short

Living and finishing quality

• + High build quality, good design
• + Functional pantry
• + Plenty of light and good ventilation

Equipment and technology

• + Durable fittings and winches
• - Aluminium water tank

The article first appeared in YACHT 01/2018 and has been updated for the online version.

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