New Outremer 55 by VPLP

Had this new Outremer 55 cruiser cat on the queue to be published for some weeks, today with VPLP (the European quintessential Multhull design studio) releasing their news update gave a good step to publish it.

The Outremer cruising cats (like Catanas) are more performance oriented than say the Leopard/Fountain Pajot line, not reaching though the refinement of a Gunboat or HH. Their past designs didn’t called much our attention (aside they were actually great sailing performers like the X series) but this new 55 nails the looks in our view.

We have a good Arg friend as captain in the Caribbean & Europe working on special deliveries & trips for many clients and the Outremer line is the one he likes the most. Of course the sailing perf has a lot to do as doing those Atlantic crossings or Caribbean long stays are surely better spent on superior sailing platform.

Below details from the concept by VPLP. Read additional news on the studio here:

A SECOND OUTREMER BY VPLP DESIGN

After the launch of Outremer 5X nearly ten years ago, Grand Large Yachting, the group that owns the Outremer brand, is once again placing its trust in VPLP to design the new 55 footer it unveiled at the last Dusseldorf Boat Show. 

A novel aspect of the project was the method employed to achieve the design, which involved starting from scratch without betraying the brand’s DNA of building accessible cruising boats capable of high performance. “To get where we wanted to be, we had to do I don’t know how many workshops and meetings with copious toings and froings on approaches and parameters between the builder, exterior designer Patrick Le Quément, and interior designer Darnet Design,” says Marc Van Peteghem.

Our remit was to undertake a comprehensive review of possible usages. In other words, we had to find answers to questions such as “Who are we designing this boat for?” and “What do people do aboard?” The study involved all the stakeholders in open-minded discussions where we unpacked all the problems. Everyone at VPLP was seduced by this innovative approach. “We work on other projects with Grand Large Yachting, such as the Gunboats, and every time they amaze us with their mental agility and receptiveness,” says Marc Van Peteghem.

As a result, the new Outremer 55 features a plethora of innovations without reneging on the brand’s signature characteristic, the daggerboard. What’s new? A fully opening door between the saloon and the cockpit without a step in the deck, an adjustable stern bench seat, a kitchen island and, above all, a foldaway steering wheel which can also be set in one of three helm positions. The design goal is simple says Marc: “Adaptability to the user, of course.”

The first Outremer 55 should be in the water by the end of the year, before its official unveiling in the spring of 2021 at the International Multihull Boat Show in La Grande Motte on the south coast of France.