Fountaine Pajot Lavezzi 40 vs Leopard 40

[1rkghost]

Im currently trying to purchase used catamaran and have narrowed down to two boats the fountaine pajot lavezzi 40 and leopard 40. Both boats are 2006 and the pre negotiated asking price for both boats are the same. Both are four cabin version. Which boat would you buy and why?

[Overlord]

I am on my 2nd leopard, my brother in law just bought a leopard 45 and my close friend bought a leopard 45 last week.These boats are hand laid in cape town , south africa .The factory is fantastic ! Sure i am a bit biased but what i have experienced is a high quality, simple, effective plumbing, electrics etc. Designed so that it is simple to use and repair , over spec so that the average charterer cant break.Sweet lines,bridge deck clearance no hassel at all.I am not a fan of sail drives but different strokes for different folks
I would not hesitate and go for the leopard . Look after them and you should get your money back. They are very popular and relatively easy to sell.
Good luck

[Tellie]

I find the Leopards to be heavier built. I own an FP and if I had a choice between the two at the same price and pretty much the same layout and condition personally I'd favor the Leopard.

[Factor]

As I have said before - provided its a morelli melvin designed leopard, then its the Leopard - by a small but clear margin

[yeloya]

I have absolutely no idea on Leopards, but have been sailing on LAvezzi couple of times. Lavezzi's are fast, reliable and well built cats. However, osmosis has been common problem in most of them. (3 out of 4 Lavezzi's sold in Turkey came to us for treatment !!!!, along with some trawlers manufactured by FP)
If you go for Lavezzi, you should carefully check this out. Secondly, Lavezzi's are now discontinued and replaced with Lipari's with similar design but better sail plan, hard bimini and roomier inside.. If you cannot afford Lipari, I would suggest that you give a serious look to Athena, if you can find a well kept one..
Good luck..

Yeloya

[xxuxx]

LEOPARD!

[Gordon]

LAVEZZI 40.

[muskoka]

Lavezzi, obviously.

The newer Leopard 40's are built in Shanghai and the 2 delivery crews I met in Hong Kong complained. A lot. That being said the boats looked fine to me, so it may just be a bunch of whinging.

[Overlord]

Leopards do not suffer from osmosis.They only made a handful in china and this was discontinued.

[s/v Holiday]

Any other Robertson and Caine models made in China?

Thanks

[SearenitySail]

Originally Posted by wildride380

Any other Robertson and Caine models made in China?

Thanks

Being a former beach cat sailor, and owning a boat designed by Morrelli & Melvin, I have followed them for quite a while.

Everything I recall reading was that any Leopard catamarans produced in China were going to be for the Moorings/Sunsail Pacific charter fleet. I believe that was to start with the Sunsail 384/Leopard 38 and was only the 4-cabin charter version. All 3-cabin versions are to be produced in South Africa as there evidently is only one set of 3-cabin molds.

That Leopard 38 (not to be confused with an earlier R&C Leopard 38/Moorings 3800) has now evolved into the Leopard 39. I don't know if that is produced in China nor do I know if the new Leopard 44 will be produced in China, but I would expect at least the Pacific charter models would be.

I believe they are also producing a Powercat in China, but I don't know if that is just for the charter fleets.

The Moorings 4000/Leopard 40 were all produced in South Africa and designed by Morrelli & Melvin. I do not believe they are producing them anymore.

Marshall

[Dragon Lady]

Have you been on board both boats?
The layout of the boat is something you have to live with and like which ever way you go.
If the Lavezzi doesn't have osmosis by now it should be OK, if it does use it to get a discount or if you prefer the leopard, buy it and be happy.
This forum is great, but make the decision what to buy yourself, you have to live with the boat.

[SearenitySail]

Originally Posted by Dragon Lady

Have you been on board both boats?
The layout of the boat is something you have to live with and like which ever way you go...This forum is great, but make the decision what to buy yourself, you have to live with the boat.

Dragon Lady,

Probably the best answer; assuming this is the same OP, I think he got a very similar answer on another forum.

Marshall

[muskoka]

Probably either one would make you a pretty happy camper. It seems as though both the Leopard owners and us Lavezzi owners are both keen on our boats! A quick search of CF will give a good assessment of those aspects of both craft (and production boats in general) which are negative, but I reckon it's mostly small issues which we all learn to mitigate.

We chose our boat on the basis of nuances of the design which fitted our expectations better, but that's not to say that we think our boat is objectively better or others are lacking. As Dragon Lady said, you've got to get on both and decide which works best for you. You've also got to sail both with the same viewpoint to finding which one you enjoy sailing more.

I've got friends sailing cats, ketches, junk rigs, gaff rigs, sloops and cutters. Everyone of us are pleased with our choices, for various reasons. So I can only conclude that a 'beauty contest' or poll taking, is probably not the way to select a boat. It's a bit like choosing a suit....

[goingcarbbean]

These two cats are very similar. For a Caribbean liveaboard I'd go with the Leopard. For lots of sailing, I'd go with the Lavezzi. The big difference is the location of the traveler. On the Leopard it's up on the arch, keeping the back of the cockpit open. On the Lavezzi it's on the aft coaming. If you have a problem with it in rough seas, it's better lower down. If you're a liveaboard and only coastal cruising in good weather, you'll appreciate having it out of the way.