Lagoon Catamarans’ furling boom system unveiled
Lagoon Catamarans says it’s made a major leap forward in catamaran sailing technology. In fact, it promises to redefine the sailing experience with its first-ever production catamaran furling boom system.
The system has been 12 years in the making, with efficient prototypes making their debut about three years ago. The company says it’s been field testing since.
“We were not alone,” says Bruno Belmont, the Lagoon Catamarans’ multihull expert. ‘We had a big team. Sparcraft was one of the main helpers, and Incidence Sails was also in the team, as well as Facnor.
“The furling system could not be a copy of a monohull system because of the horizontal compression of the battens,” Belmont explains. A catamaran rig is raked aft due to the design of the sail plan. This means the sail cannot run up a standard sail track, given the precise angles required relative to the boom when hoisting and lowering. A catamaran mainsail is also fully battened with a high roach aspect to provide good power to propel the vessel. The engineering in Lagoon’s system has been designed and tested to take all of these factors into account for a smooth and controlled furling operation.
“It is evident that this is a really clever setup,” says Joe Fox, TMG Yachts sales manager, who has tested the system. “It’s simple, easy to use and looks great. This is a real winner and a real game changer. It’s going to be very exciting to deliver these for our Australian clients on the Lagoon 46 and the Lagoon 51.”
Lagoon Catamarans has the exclusive rights to this system, with the factory option available on both the Lagoon 51 and the Lagoon 46 from January 2024.
Visitors to SIBS 2023 may have spotted the Lagoon 51 making its UK debut with Ancasta. Winning the Multihull of the Year 2022 gong at the British Yachting Awards, it’s said to boast extra-wide transoms, swim platforms and a large aft cockpit with plenty of seating and an extendable table for entertaining.
