Windelo 50 catamaran

[mglonnro]

I stumbled upon this boat a while ago when I (just for the fun of it) googled "ecological catamaran" and got this and a gigantic Sunreef (what's that all about?) in the search results.

This weekend I got to see the Windelo 50 live in Cannes and that was thrilling!

- Partly using more ecological construction materials (basalt fiber + PET core)
- Diesel-electric hybrid propulsion (not Oceanvolt!)
- Classical cool looks (!)
- Forward cockpit (!!)
- Performance catamaran (comparable to the Outremer 51)
- Brilliant

I wrote a short blog post about it here: https://nakedsailor.blog/2021/09/11/bonjour-windelo-50/

[mglonnro]

Forgot to add an image of the beautiful boat!



Feel free to disagree

[Chablis 1]

Absolutely the best catamaran out there. Fast, livable, ecological, easy to sail and maintain. Christophe Barreau signature once again. Well done!
Would love to see one in real life.

[Tupaia]

First impressions; Some cool features like the stern platform. Interesting construction techniques.


But no mention of the actual benefits, weight savings.



It does look like the designer used Lego for the interior and it has the aerodynamics of a brick.

[Chablis 1]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

Forgot to add an image of the beautiful boat!

Attachment 245140

Feel free to disagree

Hej Mikael. Just checked your blog. Är du från Finland och seglar runt I Sverige?
Thomas

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Tupaia

First impressions; Some cool features like the stern platform. Interesting construction techniques.


But no mention of the actual benefits, weight savings.



It does look like the designer used Lego for the interior and it has the aerodynamics of a brick.

Who doesn't love LEGO!

The base specs are very close to the Outremer 51:

Windelo 50:
- length 50.0 ft
- beam 26.0 ft
- light displacement 11,2 ton
- sail area main + jib: 135 m2

Outremer 51:
- length 51.3 ft
- beam 24.8 ft
- light displacement 11,2 ton
- sail area main + jib: 131 m2

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by Chablis 1

Hej Mikael. Just checked your blog. Är du från Finland och seglar runt I Sverige?
Thomas

Så är det, just precis!

[jmh2002]

The enclosed forward cockpit is an interesting evolution. Kind of like a pilot house, but forward instead of aft.

In general there a several innovative concepts on the boat - I'm not sure if they will all work out but it's good to keep pushing the boundaries.



Here's an in depth video that I came across on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFDeKYt0SP4

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by jmh2002

The enclosed forward cockpit is an interesting evolution. Kind of like a pilot house, but forward instead of aft.

Yes! I thought the Broadblue Rapier 500 was (or is?) a cool boat as well. The concept looks a bit similar, but one big difference is that Windelo's forward cockpit can be separated from the other living area, and it has water drains in the floor.



EDIT: Well, on second thought, it doesn't look that similar at all Two different ways of implementing a non-traditional concept, maybe. Of course, the HHs and the Gunboats do that as well.

[NaClyDog]

I've been curious about this cat. I cannot seem to find any photos of the heads. I've sent an email to the manufacturer asking for some but no reply yet.


Did you manage to get a full tour of the interior at Cannes? Did you see the heads? How many and were they cramped?

[mglonnro]

Originally Posted by NaClyDog

I've been curious about this cat. I cannot seem to find any photos of the heads. I've sent an email to the manufacturer asking for some but no reply yet.


Did you manage to get a full tour of the interior at Cannes? Did you see the heads? How many and were they cramped?

Yes, absolutely!

They are selling a layout option with a large bathroom section in the owner's hull, but the one boat they have finished (a Windelo 50 Adventure) has an office there instead.

Hull #1 has separate showers and heads (one package per hull, mirrored) placed in the middle of the hull (see attached pic for port hull).

In my humble opinion (and coming from a Hanse 388), they did not feel cramped at all. I think reserving the whole front part of one hull for that function would be a waste of space. (Although it would look good, of course )

One thing perhaps missing, though, compared to the Outremers for instance, is a good place (outside the shower) with a big mirror to be used by people who use make up and other items in that category.

Of course, if you have "the office" somewhere, that might inevitably migrate to being the "beauty room".

Shower:


Head (I love the placement of the small washing machine!):


Shower+head position. In Windelo 50 adventure hull #1 the bow cabin is changed to an office.