The southern French manufacturer Outremer has been active in this growing segment for over 30 years. Since 2007, the shipyard has been part of the Grand Large Group, a congenial merger of blue water yacht shipyards: the aluminium manufacturers Allures and Garcia as well as the performance cat manufacturers Outremer and, more recently, Gunboat. The shipyard has realised an ideal mix of safety, performance and comfort for the catamaran sector; the Outremer 49 already won the European Yacht of the Year title in 2010. And the new 4X model has achieved this even more impressively.
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The boat is the even hotter version of the Outremer 45, extended by around one metre. This measure alone creates additional diagonal and longitudinal stability, which improves behaviour in waves and on rough courses, according to the shipyard. This is helped by a more aft-facing mast position, which also allows for larger headsails - a general trend for catamarans.
The 4X is also braced with carbon bulkheads and fitted with a rotating carbon mast, which is held in position by Kevlar shrouds and Dyneema tensioners. Whether this is more marketing than weight saving remains to be seen: Handrails, davits and tiller are also made of carbon fibre. Details that seem to make little difference in themselves with a total weight of around eight tonnes, but which add up. For example, the entire interior is kept light, and fabric partitions with zips instead of doors are further proof of this (which is also cheaper).
The boat itself is made entirely of foam sandwich using the vacuum infusion process, the underwater area is a full laminate - a process that stands for controlled resin use, low weight and clean laminates. According to the shipyard, the boat actually weighs just 8.2 tonnes, whereas any commercially available cruising cat of a similar size weighs at least two tonnes more.
The bridge deck is around 90 centimetres high above the water, and the deckhouse is relatively small and positioned far aft. Both measures help when sailing in rough seas. The 4X is equipped with carbon centreboards, which creates more height upwind and helps with course stability in the waves. The concave freeboards are striking, stiffening the sides and taking the visual fright out of the high sides. The boat is steered using the tiller on the top deck outside the cockpit or with the additional wheel on the superstructure, which can be decoupled from the steering system. No, the Outremer 4X is not a normal cruising catamaran.
As fast as the wind
What shows best under sail. During the test off La Grande Motte on the Mediterranean, an important spot on the world map of multihull sailing as the venue for the multihull trade fair in May and also the home port of the Outremer shipyard, there was a lack of good wind. But the conditions demonstrated just as impressively (or precisely) the capabilities of the construction.
In four to six knots of wind (2 Beaufort), the cat can achieve similar boat speeds. Fast or even faster than the wind, a desirable characteristic that also makes the use of the engine rare. Sailing when others are already motoring is a pleasure. Likewise, when the boat whizzes past a similarly large cruising cat as if it came from another planet.
Measured values of the Outremer 4X
And then there's the steering. While the characteristics of many other cruising cats quickly encourage the helmsman to use the autopilot, he looks forward to the 4X. He sits relaxed in one of the high swivelling bucket seats on deck and enjoys the direct steering. To manoeuvre, he uses the wheel where the controls converge.
A highly effective profile is set there using active mast rotation, the sheets are operated and the outhaul is trimmed. It's a pity that the genoa's hoisting point consists of just one. There is no track or on-the-fly adjustment, just a short Dyneema masthead with an aluminium thimble and fixed stop as a guide. A shortcoming that could easily be remedied with an adjustable trim line. As an alternative to the genoa, a self-tacking jib is available, as well as a gennaker and code zero, both of which can be set on the short, fixed carbon bowsprit.
There is plenty of room for extra cloths (and other stowage); the two foreships are empty and serve purely as sail load with the great advantage that Code Zero and gennaker can be set directly from the hatches.
In order to be able to handle the mainsail easily, there is - as usual - a rigid walk-on bimini. However, this is kept very narrow and the full sun protection function is provided by roll-out fabric panels. Nice: All-round visibility is guaranteed from the cockpit and in the deckhouse, and the helmsman can see all four corners of the boat from the wheel.
Under engine, the crew is happy about the low noise level: the two 30 hp Volvo Penta engines only emit a maximum of 69 db(A) at cruising speed, which is pleasantly fast at 8.1 knots. An exciting feature for low fuel consumption, less noise and exhaust fumes and longer maintenance intervals: powered by just one engine, it still chugs along quite quickly at 7.0 knots.
Another striking feature on deck is that the cockpit is comparatively small for a 45-footer. This impression of relative smallness is repeated further forward in the steplessly adjoining saloon. However, it does what it is supposed to do: There is an L-shaped sofa (which could be used as a sea berth), forward-facing navigation (which can be upgraded to an electronic helm station) and an adequate galley. Two opening windows in the front, in combination with the large sliding door, provide ventilation. The design is sober and quite straightforward, it fits in perfectly with the modern lines of the exterior.
A hull just for the owner
The Outremer 4X is available in two versions: In the more spacious version, the entire starboard hull, which can be separated by a sliding door if desired, is reserved for the owner couple, who then have a double berth, plenty of cupboard space and a large bathroom with a separate shower in a private atmosphere.
In the so-called offshore version, the space is used for two cabins and a smaller bathroom. The port hull is always equipped with two cabins and a bathroom.
While the interior heights of 1.96 metres in the saloon and at least 1.87 metres in the hulls are decent and the aft berths are also quite large with a shoulder width of 1.60 metres, the berths in the bow with a shoulder width of 1.40 metres are no wider than a French bed, which is more popular with younger people. A certain amount of cramped space is also noticeable in the passageway, where the centreboard lockers crowd into the way. On the other hand, there is plenty of storage space overall; complex and bulky additional equipment that is desirable when travelling around the world, such as a watermaker, washing machine and generator, can be easily accommodated.
The accessibility of the installations, whether in the bilge, in the stern or even in the ceiling, where no inner shell hinders work on the electrics or electronics, is also practical and just as important on long journeys.
Price of the Outremer 4X
Simple, fast and safe: the Outremer 4X seems to follow the shipyard's own specifications perfectly. The price of €1,279,250 upwards is quite high due to the small number of units, excellent materials and elaborate construction.
- Base price ex shipyard: 1,279,250 € gross incl. 19% VAT.
- Guarantee/against osmosis: 2/2 years
Status 2025, how the prices shown are defined, read here!
However, there is currently little direct competition. Catana, HH Catamarans, O-Yachts and the group's own brand Gunboats are all worth mentioning.
YACHT rating of the Outremer 4X
The Outremer 4X is the ultimate travelling machine for active sailors who want to do without the engine even in light winds. A boat for fast passages and great sailing fun in all conditions.
Design and concept
Consistent overall orientation
High-quality, lightweight, solid construction
Stiff carbon fibre blades
Mast rotation, carbon mast
Sailing performance and trim
Very high potential
Good controllability
Wheel and tiller
Jib hole point not trimmable
Living and finishing quality
Neatly finished interior
Narrow passage (swords)
Equipment and technology
High-quality accessories
The Outremer 4X in detail
Technical data of the Outremer 4X
- Designer: Barreau/Neuman
- CE design category: A
- Torso length: 14,62 m
- Width: 7,10 m
- Depth: 1,00-2,00 m
- Weight: 8,2 t
- Mainsail: 68,0 m²
- Furling genoa: 55,0 m²
- Gennaker: 115,0 m²
- Machine (Volvo): 2 x 22 kW/30 hp
Hull and deck construction
Vacuum injection process, under WL full laminate, otherwise foam sandwich. Carbon bulkheads, laminated
Shipyard
The test was first published in 2017 and has been revised for this online version.
