The New Lagoons Arrive –

On the Tuesday following this winter’s Strictly Sail Miami boat show, the two Lagoons that debuted at the show were cut loose from the docks so we could get a chance to sail the innovative new designs from the world’s leading builder of cruising cats.

Despite the ongoing recession in new boat sales worldwide, Lagoon—like its sister companies in Groupe Beneteau—has made a commitment to introducing new models that steadily advance the way we think about catamaran cruising. Renowned French multihull designers VPLP have designed the new boats so the hulls, which are roomy, have good fast shapes that allow them to sail well.

NEW THOUGHTS ABOUT CATS
Probably the biggest change in the new Lagoons is the rigs. You can see in the photographs that VPLP has moved the mast well aft instead of placing it right on top of the forward main bulkhead. By reducing the mainsail in size and increasing the size of the genoa, the designers have made the boats easier to sail with the same or better performance.

To give the new designs a unique look that enhances the brand, a look that is both familiar and thoroughly new, Lagoon turned to famed French designer Patrick le Quement who made his name in automobile styling and is on the board of The Sustainable Design School.

The look le Quement delivered is certainly all Lagoon, but with a modernist twist. The three signature elements of the new design are, first, the integral cockpit hardtop that flows seamlessly into the line of the cabin top. Second are the plumb bows that give the new boats a jaunty, purposeful look while extending the waterlines for added speed. And, third, is the distinctive bevel that has been built into the bows and hull deck connection; this detail reduces the height of the hulls and smooths out the look from the side.

Because of the change to the rig and to make sure the boats are as safe as possible, Lagoon had to come up with a way to support the mast on top of the bridgedeck instead of at the forward bulkhead. The solution was to create a massive structural grid in the bridgedeck with a large fiberglass girder running from the aft to the forward main bulkheads that is in turn secured to the hulls on both sides with lateral stringers.

Reports from the crew that sailed the 52 across the Atlantic from France to Miami are that they have never sailed a stiffer catamaran, even in big ocean waves.

SAILING THE 39
We picked up the 39 in Miami’s Government Cut and motorsailed out into the open ocean where we hoisted the small main and rolled out the genoa. The wind had been piping all morning but by the time we got out there it had moderated to 15 knots and the lumpy seas were calming down. It was one of those perfect Miami days with warm sun, a good breeze and puffy trade wind clouds. And, to the west, the loom of possible thunderstorms gathered over the Everglades.

The 39’s raised steering station on the starboard side of the cockpit has a comfortable double seat and offers good visibility forward. All sheets and control lines are led to the helm through clutches and are trimmed using an electric winch. With this set up, the 39 is very easy for one person to sail. That’s what we did. While the crew ate lunch, we hoisted the mainsail, rolled out the genoa and took off for a lovely sail along Miami Beach.

The 39 sails upwind best at about 50 degrees off the true wind and makes a slight touch of leeway when close hauled. But, it likes to sail quickly so we were seeing steady sevens on the GPS as we rode easily through the swells and chop. Throwing the cat through a few tacks, we confirmed that 50 degrees is indeed the right angle upwind and that she will tack sensibly through 100 degrees. I was able to tack her myself as the jib was self tacking. On our way back toward the cut and Miami Beach Marina, we eased sheets and felt the 39 really pick up speed yet she was incredibly easy for a single person to manage. We brought her into the marina and easily docked her using the twin engines. You can just about make a cruising cat crab sideways up to a dock or spin in its own length while maneuvering in tight quarters. The 39 was no exception.

The new 39 was designed to fit into the Lagoon line between the 380 and 4000S2. Almost 700 380s have been built, making it one of the most popular cruising cats in the world. The 39, with the company’s new design thinking and its position in a sweet spot in the market, should become as popular as the previous model.

The 39 has four layout options. The two cabin owner’s version can be built as either the standard model or upgraded to a very well equipped Premium version. You can have the boat built with three sleeping cabins for families with children. Or, if you sail with lots of friends or want to put the boat into charter you can have a four cabin version.

The 39 is a very comfortable boat and offers a lot of amenities for its size. There is an outside table in the cockpit that will seat six and a table in the saloon that will also seat six. The galley to port faces aft and has a large opening window so those preparing meals can still chat with those in the cockpit and drinks and plates can be passed back and forth with ease. The nav station is also to port and faces sideways; visibility from here is excellent so this will be a good place for standing night watches. The boat is finished with a light colored, attractive Alpi wood veneer, white ceilings and molding and light colored fabrics. With the huge windows in the saloon and large square windows in the cabins, the 39 is filled with natural light and effuses warmth and hominess. A couple or a family of three or four could very happily cruise the Lagoon 39 for days and weeks on end.

FLYING THE 52
The sun was getting a bit low when we got the Lagoon 52 away from the marina docks and headed out the cut toward the open sea. Compared to the 39, the 52 felt vast yet was similar to the little sister in many ways. The bigger boat has the same rig with the mast placed quite far aft and the headsail set up to be self tacking. Still, the mainsail was large and required serious effort from the electric winch to get it hoisted and quite a lot of thumb pressure on t

Lagoon 420 •

This innovative cruising cat combines great liveaboard accommodations with thoroughly modern sailing and powering systems.

We set off from Miami’s Bayside Marina in the midst of the Strictly Sail Miami boat show and motored south to the broad shallow expanses of Biscayne Bay. The new Lagoon 420, which was fitted out with twin 75-horsepower diesel engines instead of the standard 40-horsepower engines, motored with real authority. At cruising revs we had it up to 8 knots without any trouble and when we pushed the throttle all the way forward we got the 420 over 10 knots…that’s fast for a 42 footer.

South of the Biscayne Boulevard bridge, we hoisted the big, high roach mainsail and rolled out the genoa. With the engines off, we trimmed to a broad reach and set off down the bay in the steady 10 to 12 knots of easterly breeze.

The 420, like most modern cruising cats does not impart a sense of speed as it gathers way. Since it stays level and because you are sailing from the raised helm and cockpit, you don’t hear or see the rush of water along the hull. But, the speedo and GPS tell the story. Broad reaching in a moderate breeze the 420 will sail at 7-plus knots without breaking a sweat.

We put the boat through its paces for an hour or so, tacking, reaching off, jibing and generally getting a feel for how it handles under sail and the angles it likes to sail best. The 420 sails handily and will tack through 100 degrees, which is not bad for a shoal draft cat with small keels. Off the wind it feels docile in a moderate breeze, but is in fact scooting along nicely. Jibing the boat was all accomplished from the helm and could be handled by one experienced sailor; we had several good sailors aboard so throwing the 420 through jibes was simple.

Lagoon 420 helm

The sheets and control lines have all been arranged to work on two winches—one electric—and through a brace of line stoppers conveniently positioned next to the helm. The helm is raised to starboard so the port jib sheet has been routed across the cabin top, through two fixed deck blocks and then through the line stopper to the winch. This is an ingenious system that allows a single watch stander to handle all lines and sheets right from the helm. The electric winch is a boon for easy sail trimming.

We had a large downwind reacher aboard so we hoisted it on its freestanding Facnor roller furling unit and trimmed its sheet through a block on the stern quarter and then back to the electric sheet winch. This worked really well and gave the 420 another knot and a half or more of boat speed. For pleasant and fun downwind running and reaching, this sail configuration is hard to beat and since the boat remains level and stable, handling the big sail is no trouble on the foredeck or aft.

The breeze began to pick up as the sun got closer to the horizon so our sail back up Biscayne Bay close hauled was spirited and fun. We were just cracked off the wind a few degrees with sails full and by, so we were making maximum knots and having a blast. The cable steering system, which has a very long run to the rudders, felt sure and responsive and the rudders were large enough to provide real control and directional stability.

Lagoon 420 cockpit

Sailing is supposed to be fun and certainly the 420 fulfills that requirement. It also adds a high degree of comfort, convenience and stability that will please both veteran sailors and newcomers. During our sail trials, we had five people from Lagoon aboard as well as three couples from the boat show who were out for a test sail. That’s 12 bodies on a 42-foot boat. But, throughout all of the sailing maneuvers, we never once felt we were bumping into each other or that anyone was in the way. Such is life aboard a modern cruising catamaran where there really is enough room to swing a cat.

Design and Construction
The 420 was designed by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost and built in the Lagoon plant in the southwest of France near Bordeaux. Lagoon, which is a part of Groupe Bénéteau, has grown into the world’s largest volume builder of cruising catamarans. To achieve both the quality Lagoon is known for and efficient volume construction, the company has employed thoroughly modern construction techniques that allow for consistency, efficiency and predictable high quality.

The hulls are hand laid fiberglass with balsa coring above the waterlines and in the decks and super structures. Below the waterline the hulls are solid fiberglass with vinylester resins used in the outer layers to inhibit osmosis. The hulls are built using the resin infusion method, which results in an exact laminate that has the optimum glass-to-core-to-resin ratios.

The interior bulkheads, floors and liners are all fiberglass reinforced and tabbed to the hull to add stiffness and structural integrity. The internal furniture is then installed and permanently attached to this structural grid. The deck and cockpit are attached to the bridge deck and hulls with high strength marine adhesive and stainless steel marine fasteners. Even in rough weather you won’t hear any creaking below decks or see any flexing in the hull panels and deck and cabin structures.

The mast stands 55 feet above the deck and is supported by a simple single spreader, double shroud rig that is angled far enough aft to make a back stay unnecessary. This arrangement allows for the high roach mainsail, which would not fit under a standing back stay. The mainsheet trims via the almost full width traveler on top of the cockpit hard top and then to the helm and the all purpose electric winch. The fully battened mainsail is controlled with lazy jacks and self stows in a sail pack on top of the boom. The roller furling genoa is mounted on the nacelle forward, which also is home to the bow roller, anchor and windlass.

The engines are installed well aft under the steps where they can be accessed through large lifting panels. The 420 we tested has the 75-horsepower engines, which fit into the spaces aft well with plenty of room around each to allow you to perform routine maintenance and repairs. To reduce engine noise, well insulated panels have been fit over both engines, which can double as aft storage platforms for docking lines and fenders.

The quality of the fiberglass laminates, the hull joints, and the rig and hardware are evident everywhere. Lagoon has gone to great lengths to keep the 420 simple, strong and low maintenance without losing the style and comfort of a real liveaboard cruising boat.

Home Afloat
The 420 has two accommodations plans, a four-cabin version for the charter fleets and the three-cabin owner’s plan. We sailed the owner’s version and found it to be incredibly spacious and comfortable.

Lagoon 420 salon

The cockpit aft is the outdoor living room where in the tropics or during the summer you, your family and friends will spend most of your time. The U-shaped seating area has a large varnished table that will seat six for dinner. The table also fits inside the saloon dinette where it can be swapped for the low coffee table. So, if you are eating inside all you have to do is exchange the two tables.

The galley faces aft and joins the saloon with the cockpit. There is plenty of counter space, a three burner stove and oven, double sinks and a useful, side loading fridge-freezer. Overhead cabinets and below counter cabinets provide ample storage.

The chart table and navigation station face forward next to the dinette. This is a good arrangement. If you want to stand watch below decks while the autopilot steers, you can still see in a 360-degree circle as you monitor the radar-chartplotter repeater and sailing instruments and adjust trim with the remote autopilot controller.

The owner’s stateroom occupies the port hull with the large, island double berth aft, the head and shower forward and the den or study in between. The hull is down three steps from the saloon and the whole space can be made private with the sliding door that closes off the companionway.

The guest cabins are in the starboard hull with a large aft cabin and a second double cabin built in under the bridge deck forward. Both are spacious and equipped with private heads and showers.

Lagoon has been working on their interior designs and wood selections over the past two years and have come up with a new interior look that is bright, stylish and low maintenance. The floors throughout the boat are a non-skid finished hardwood called Wenge while all of the cabinets and interior furniture are built of a processed oak called Alpi. Both woods have consistent texture and color so if you ever need to replace a cabinet door or a floor section, Lagoon can provide a piece that is an exact match.

After building thousands of cruising cats for private owners and the charter fleets, Lagoon has evolved the art and science of building and laying out their boats to a very high level. The Lagoon 420 will make a very comfortable floating home.

BWS Thoughts
The 420, equipped with twin 75-horsepower engines, is a powering machine that will exceed 10 knots at the top end. But the boat can also be powered with the standard 40-horsepower engines that will shove it along at eight knots in flat water. Or, you could opt for the Lagoon Hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system that was introduced two years ago, which will reduce the boat’s carbon footprint but will also provide a lower level of performance under power. Having used all three systems in the last two years, we really like the power of the 75-horsepower engine options but would probably choose the 40s for purely practical reasons.

The 420 sailed well and was fun to tack, jibe and run off under the reacher. Lagoon has done a really good job of making the boat easy for a couple to sail and we would think nothing of setting off for extended cruising with just two of us aboard. The working sail plan will suffice in most conditions but we would always carry a cruising chute to give us those extra knots and the extra fun when the wind is moderate and aft of the beam.

For a family cruising boat that has an ocean going pedigree—Lagoons are delivered transatlantic on their own bottoms—the new Lagoon 420 offers the accommodations a family will really appreciate, the quality and systems discerning owners expect and the enduring value any investor desires.

www.cata-lagoon.com

Lagoon 440 •

If you have ever sailed on a cruising catamaran, the first time may well have been aboard a charter cat in the Caribbean. There is no doubt, cruising cats have come to dominate the charter fleets and for good reason. Cats are easy to handle and amazingly spacious. A 40-foot cat has the living space of a 60-foot monohull and has the added benefit that it does not heel. For novices and old salts alike, a cruising cat has a lot to offer.

Lagoon has become one of the world leaders in cruising cat design and construction, which is not surprising since the company, now based in Bordeaux, France, started life in nearby Nantes as a high-tech custom builder dedicated to building ultra-light, ultra-fast offshore racing machines.

JTA, as the company was then known, built winners of such French classics as the Route du Rhum, TransAt, and many more. One of their boats, christened Pierre 1 by its first skipper Florence Arthaud, became one of the fastest sailing craft of its time. It won the Route du Rhum and then went on, under owner Steve Fossett and renamed Lakota, to break records for passage times all over the world.

In fact, Lakota was the model for the amazing trimarans that skipped over the waves in Kevin Costner’s end-of-the world epic film Waterworld. Boats like Pierre 1 are technical marvels constructed of the lightest, strongest materials and under the tightest quality control since they are always sailing right to the edge of the technical envelope.

So it is not surprising that when the company branched out into building production cruising cats in the mid 1990s—the Lagoon 37 and 42 that were created specifically for the charter market— that it created boats that were technically advanced, incredibly durable and bluewater capable.

In 1995, after being taken over by Groupe Beneteau and linked with another Beneteau company CNB, also in Bordeaux, the Lagoon we know today was born and the amazing string of successful cruising cats began to enter charter and cruising fleets around the world.

During the years between the first Lagoons and the merger with Beneteau, the builders at JTA had pioneered advanced production building techniques and they continue to do so today. The vacuum bagging of resinimpregnated laminates that are then cured in 200-degree autoclaves was brought to production line procedures. And, today, advanced infusion techniques help to make the modern generation of boats incredibly strong, light and durable.

From the first Lagoon 37 to the upcoming Lagoon 62, which will be launched in the spring of 2009, the company has continued to innovate and to produce designs, building techniques and a corporate vision that brings to cruising boats all that went into the record breaking speeders of yesterday.

The 440 tells the story
Since hull number one was launched in late 2003, the Lagoon 440 has come to exemplify all of the qualities of the Lagoon line of cruising cats. First of all it has been very successful, with more than 270 of them sailing around the world and more rolling off the line at the rate of five a month.

You will find 440s in all of the major charter fleets. But, just as importantly, you will also find the boats cruising with private owners aboard in every favored cruising ground of the world. And, they are out there making safe, fast passages across all of the world’s oceans. In fact, a Lagoon 440 won the multihull division of the 2007 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers on corrected time.

One of the myths that persists about cruising catamarans is that they are prone to flipping over—since they do not have ballast keels. As a matter of fact, cruising cats have proven to be remarkably stable and safe in ocean crossings. Every French-built cat you find in the Caribbean, South Pacific, Seychelles and beyond got there on its own bottom. And, in all the years modern cruising cats have been delivered around the world, not one has been inverted by bad weather.

The 440 is no different. The design is for a moderate displacement cruising cat that can stand up to the rigors of the sea, the wear and tear of charter or cruising, and remain a good value after years of ownership. Lagoon’s approach to meeting these goals is to build solid but very innovative cruising cats in the tradition of their JTA heritage.
The 440, which marks the third generation of Lagoons, sports the company’s unique flying bridge design. By incorporating a raised compartment. The after cabin is a mirror of the master sleeping cabin. The forward cabin is smaller but will be comfortable for a couple.

Throughout the boat the interior has been finished in light, matte-finished wood veneers and off white panels. With the huge windows in the saloon plus the overhead hatches and side ports in the hull, you will always have plenty of natural light below decks and the interior spaces will feel bright and airy. Once aboard you will notice the ample headroom in the saloon and in the cabins of both hulls.

At 44 feet overall length and with a 25-foot beam, the 440 provides a lot of area for living, sailing and enjoying life—about the same size as a small studio apartment—but with a much better and more easily changed water view.

A true cruising platform
When you think of the cruising life, you think of tropical anchorages, white beaches, coral reefs and fun bistros ashore for evening entertainment. For that lifestyle the 440 is a perfect cruising platform since it offers shoal draft sailing that allows you to anchor in special anchorages. And on deck there is plenty of space to stow diving gear as well as water toys like kayaks, sailboards or kiteboards.

The water tanks aboard hold 240 gallons so you always will have plenty of fresh water for afternoon showers and for running a load of shorts through the washing machine. Add an optional watermaker and you will be completely self sufficient for weeks on end.

The anchoring systems are simple and robust so you are able to set the hook with ease and will be able to move anchorages without breaking a sweat if the weather conditions change.

The sailing rig offers plenty of power for a cruising boat so the 440 will sail happily at 8 to 10 knots in a good breeze. From the vantage point of the raised cockpit or flying bridge, you will be able to see sail trim clearly and will have excellent visibility for navigating through coral waters or when docking in tight situations.

With twin 55-horsepower engines, the boat will motor at 8 knots at cruising revolutions. Since the boat carries 180 gallons of fuel, you will have a cruising range, at more moderate speeds, of a thousand miles or more.

During the evening, you will find that the 440 offers the space you want for inviting cruising friends over for sundowners or dinner. You can fit 20 aboard for a party or you can seat eight for a dinner around the cockpit table.
When the day is done and you retreat to your cabin you will be amazed at the privacy and quiet the layout of the 440 affords her owners and guests. The balsa-wood-cored hulls (above the water) provide both excellent strength to weight aspects for the whole boat and the insulating properties that keep the cabins both quiet and cool.

But cruising is not always all palm trees and tropical lagoons and the 440 has been designed to meet the rigor of the sea and the realities of sailing and cruising in cooler and less hospitable waters. The sail plan can be reduced easily with roller furling and slab reefing. As noted, the boat can be handled from the nav station in the saloon. Add a simple heating system and the 440 could easily be a fine home away from home in the higher latitudes.

If you haven’t already sailed a cruising cat, there are plenty of opportunities to do so. Specifically, to try out a Lagoon 440, you can make that happen through The Catamaran Company, Sunsail or TMM Charters, which have charter bases around the world. You will be astounded at the space inside this 44-foot cruising boat and by how easy it is to sail and to cruise.

Lagoon 440
LOA 44’8”
LWL 41’10”
Beam 25’3”
Draft 4’3”
Displacement 26,791 lbs.
Mast height 70’3”
Sail area 1,086 sq. ft.
Water 240 gals
Fuel 180 gals
Lagoon America
Annapolis, MD
Ph: 410-280-2368
www.cata-lagoon.com

Over the last few years, Lagoon has been working on an innovative new hybrid propulsion system to go into their boats. The Lagoon 420 now comes with the dieselelectric setup, which has proven to be popular among long-distance cruisers and voyagers.

The 420’s hybrid system relies on two large DC motors, one in each hull, that drive the fixed propellers. The electric motors are run via a stand alone generator that puts out the power the motors need and enough extra power to charge the house batteries, run the microwave and keep the hair dryers going.

An innovative solution to the problem of carbon emissions and inefficient diesel engines, the Lagoon hybrid is serving owners well and saving them a lot…not to mention helping to save the environment.

www.cata-lagoon.com

Lagoon 420 Hybrid •

The new Lagoon 420 Hybrid, Lagoon 420 which was developed in league with the large Jeanneau deal in Florida, The Catamaran Company, is nothing short of a real innovative leap; the 420 is the only production boat on the market today that comes with a true hybrid diesel-electric auxiliary power system.

The power system runs off a high-capacity generator that shares two battery banks via a highoutput charger/converter. Power from the battery banks flows to two eight-kilowatt electric engines that in turn drive the propellers. As the engines draw down battery capacity, the generator automatically starts to replenish the charge and will remain on only as long as needed. A generator running at constant loads and speeds is much more efficient than two diesels that are run at variable speeds and will be much longer lasting. If you are looking for a boat with a real difference and one that may help in the fight against global warming, then you should have a look at this hybrid drive system.

The 420 is also a huge, liveabord cruising boat that packs more space and accommodations into 42 feet than you would imagine. The hulls are full sections that carry their beams quite far forward and a long way aft. Below the water you will find stub keels on both hulls and large balanced rudders.

With a light displacement of 24,492 pounds, the 420 is not a lightweight cat but, instead, a fairly solid and stable cruising platform that benefits from both the easy sailing and motoring qualities of a cruising cat and the huge volume inside the saloon and hulls for living accommodations.

The cockpit aft is huge and covered with a rigid Bimini. The saloon has the galley placed immediately to port and a large oval dinette that will seat eight to starboard. The chart table and nav station are positioned to port and forward next to the dinette so you can sit inside during bad weather and still see out while controlling the boat with the autopilot.

The owner’s cabin lies in the port hull and includes a large queen bed, a sitting area and a large head with a separate shower stall. The guest cabin and two smaller heads, with a shower stall between, are in the starboard hull.

The 420, like all Lagoon cats, is finished with an attractive honeycolored veneer on all wood surfaces and well made fiberglass/ gelcoated moldings. The boat will be easy to maintain belowdecks but still looks elegant and airy.

If you want to go cruising and do your part for the environment at the same time, then the 420 Hybrid offers an attractive and innovative solution. For more information contact Lagoon USA, in Annapolis, Md., at 410-280- 2368 or The Catamaran Company at 954-727-0016.

www.cata-lagoon.com

Lagoon 420 •

Never shy to develop innovative ideas, this year Lagoon is introducing the new Lagoon 420 with an energy efficient diesel- electric propulsion system. The big cat comes with either three or four sleeping cabins and separate heads. The owner’s version, which will appeal to many cruisers, has a study or office in the starboard hull.

The saloon is huge and has a big galley, a useful chart table and a dinette that will seat eight. The saloon opens onto the back porch where the crew will doubtless spend most of their time while cruising.

The 420 is designed to be simple to sail. The main sheet leads right to the helmsman and the genoa sheets can be trimmed from either side of the cockpit. The main is a large, high roach full-battened sail that will drive the boat well. The genoa, fitted on a roller-furling system, can be reefed or furled from the cockpit.

The significant innovation in the new Lagoon 420 is the hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system. Lagoon has been refining this system for two years and has had a test system aboard a cat in the Caribbean for over a year that is being managed by the Catamaran Company.

The propulsion system depends upon two high power electric motors that draw energy from the large battery bank. When the battery bank begins to lose amperage, the diesel generator automatically starts and provides the amps the motors require. This system is remarkably efficient. The electric motors are virtually main- tenance free over many thousands of hours of use. The single generator replaces two diesel auxiliary engines so engine headaches are reduced. Moreover, because generators run at constant rpms and constant loads, the engines can operate for many thousands of hours before any major maintenance will be required. A generator runs more quietly than auxiliary engines and uses less fuel.

This is the hybrid power system of the future, and Lagoon and the Catamaran Company are paving the way.

The new Lagoon 420 will make a commodious floating home that can cross oceans and will take her crew in deep waters and shoal with style – and very little diesel.

Lagoon 500 •

The new Lagoon 500 had its American debut at this fall’s Annapolis Sailboat Show and despite the rain, the boat was well received and visited by hundreds of sailors eager to see what the new generation of big Lagoons has to offer. The 500 follows on the successful launch of the Lagoon 440 last year and incorporates many of the design innovations that made that boat so unique and successful.

Lagoon, which is a division of Group Beneteau and based in Bordeaux, France, is no stranger to building large catamarans. The company was launched in 1984 as a division of Jeanneau, also a division of Group Beneteau, to build high tech offshore racing multihulls. Boats built by Lagoon have raced and won most of Europe’s Grand Prix multihull events and have crossed oceans and sailed around the world.

In the early 90s Lagoon entered the cruising boat market and was subsequently linked with custom builder CNB (also a division of Group Beneteau) and its facilities were moved to the southwest of France where it has steadily expanded over the years.

Now focused solely on building cruising catama-rans, Lagoon has gained the reputation of being one of the world’s leaders in catamaran design and construction. The company has a worldwide network of dealers and has supplied boats to hundreds of private owners as well as the major charter fleets around the planet.

DESIGN CONCEPT
Lagoon builds cruising cats from 38 to 67 feet so the new 500 fits into the top end of the line. Three versions of the boat are offered: an owner’s layout with three sleeping cabins, an owner’s layout with four cabins and a charter version. For our purposes here, we will discuss the owner’s versions.

The new 500 was designed to provide its owners with a luxury yacht with ample room for extended cruising with multiple guests, for living aboard and for elegant entertaining. The 500 is intended to be both comfortable and easy to sail and to be fully equipped with all of the amenities many modern cruisers require.

On deck, the sailing systems have been created so that sail handling can be managed by two people in most conditions, while down below engineering spaces have been designed to accommodate all of the systems needed for climate control, electrical demands and water consumption. For example, the engine rooms in the after ends of both hulls have been designed to accommodate a watermaker, genset and air conditioning units.

The 500 is a boat for living outside and enjoying tropical cruising. The flying bridge concept that was introduced in the 440 has been refined to make the elevated steering station more accessible and comfortable. Instead of being somewhat cutoff from the after cockpit and the main saloon, the 500 design has made the bridge more streamlined and has integrated multiple access routes up and down.

The view from the flying bridge is unusual for a sailboat and gives excellent perspective for sail trim, mooring in close quarters or piloting through tropical shallows. With all controls at hand and a large seating and reclining area, this is where the crew will congregate while underway.

For wet conditions or when you have had enough sun for the day, the skipper can move to the nav table in the saloon, which faces forward. From there it is possible to steer, navigate and control the engines. Sailing the 500 from the nav table will, however, require regular trips on deck to check sail trim.

Part of the outside living scheme is the forward cockpit, which has long bench seats and wide sunbathing areas. In calm weather this too will be a good place for guests and crew to gather. The nacelle, which carries the anchoring system, runs forward from the cockpit so you will be able to deploy and retrieve the ground tackle while still enclosed by the cockpit sides.

With the steering station located above on the flying bridge, the afterdeck is wide open

The after cockpit has a large seating area that is well protected by the overhanging rigid Bimini, which is an integral part of the flying bridge. Access to the water or the dinghy is via the large steps running down the sterns of both transoms. For open-air meals or for partying with cruising friends, the afterdeck will get a lot of use. Plus there is plenty of storage for water toys, scuba equipment and even a spare inflatable dinghy.

The side decks have been made wide and easy to move around and are well integrated with the afterdeck and the bridge. Moving from space to space you never find yourself climbing over a large coaming. The deck hatches have been recessed to be flush with the deck so that you don’t stub a toe as you move fore and aft. Also the flush hatches give the 500 a sleeker look.

The 500 was conceived to really go places with a full crew so the builders have included tanks for 254 gallons of water and the same amount of diesel fuel. With two 55-horsepower engines (75-horsepower engines are optional) the 500 should burn about 1.5 gallons an hour at cruising speed so it will have a range of about 1,000 miles under power alone.

Large cabins

But the 500 is first and foremost a sailing machine. The hulls have been designed for good performance and comfortable seakeeping qualities. Overall the boat has been kept quite light by modern cruising cat standards so it should be easily driven under sail. The bridgedeck under the saloon offers enough clearance to avoid excessive wave slapping when sailing to windward. And windward performance has been enhanced with fairly deep keels and high aspect spade rudders.

The 500 is not a racing machine but it should offer her owners high average cruising speeds and will be able to achieve excellent daily runs when passagemak-ing. Moreover, because of the boat’s moderate displacement and the oval cross-sections of her hulls, it should have a gentle motion in choppy seas instead of the rapid pitching of lighter hulls.

LUXURY LIVING
The 500’s saloon is enormous and will easily hold 20 people for a party. Eight can sit comfortably around the dining table, 10 in a pinch, so entertaining friends and family can be an all-inclusive affair.

The galley, which is to port and down a step, has all the amenities of a modern apartment’s kitchen and plenty of counter space for creating meals.

The nav station, as noted above, is on the 500’s centerline and commands an excellent view ahead. The table is large enough for standard paper charts and has enough locker space for all electronics and the navigator’s tools.

In the owner’s version, the starboard hull is the master suite with a large centerline double berth aft, a study and dressing room amidships and the large head forward. For those planning to live aboard, this suite offers enough space for all personal gear and plenty of privacy when guests are aboard.

The large portlights in the hulls feature screening for privacy

The port hull houses two large double cabins, each with its own head and separate shower. Guests will have plenty of privacy and will be insulated from others onboard, or from a raucous party on the afterdeck. More important, they will be as comfortable aboard the 500 as they would be at a luxury resort. (The trouble may be getting them to go home.)

Simple and elegant, the interior styling of the 500 offers the warmth of varnished hardwoods offset by off-white fiberglass trim. In the saloon, 360-degree visibility means that you always know what is going on in the anchorage or while under sail. The saloon is bright and with opening hatches fore and aft will be cool even at midday in the tropics.

Because such comfort afloat often comes with a high electrical bill, the 500 has been provided with a large battery bank that can be recharged with either shore power or a genset. The addition of a watermaker will mean that you and your guests can shower whenever you like.

It is easy to imagine living aboard the 500 since it is so spacious and so well thought out.

BWS THOUGHTS
Catamarans had a surge in popularity in the late
90s and the Lagoon models led the way. With the backing of Group Beneteau and a history of high tech racing boat engineering and construction, the company knows how to build multihulls that are both extremely strong and fast through the water.

The 500 will be a lot of fun to sail. And while
driving the boat from the flying bridge, you will have a view that is rare among the cruising fleet. You should be able to make excellent passage times and will do so in a boat that promises to be as stable as a train on rails. The racing and ultralight cats may sail by the 500 but on average, the big new cat will carry her own over the course of a long passage.

Years ago a noted designer—L. Francis Herreshoff—referred to the accommodations aboard cruising boats as “a little cabin in the woods.” He meant that cruising boats of his day were simple, rustic and lacking in the amenities of home.

That day is just about gone, and the new Lagoon
500 is a fine example of what new cruisers want in boats for cruising, living aboard and exploring the planet. They want boats that sail easily, motor well, are safe and robustly built, and as comfortable as possible.

The new Lagoon 500 fills these requirements well. Not only will it not heel and can make good speeds, it offers all the style, luxury and comfort a sailing family could want.

BWS looks forward to sailing the new 500 offshore and will report the results in a future issue.

LOA 51’0” (15.54 m.)
LWL 49’0” (14.93 m.)
Beam 28’0” (8.52 m.)
Draft 4’7” (1.40 m.)
Displacement 32,300 lbs. (14,650 kg.)
Sail area 1,717 sq. ft. (159.6 sq. m.)
Water 254 gal. (960 l.)
Fuel 254 gal. (960 l.)
Air draft 82’0” (25.82 m.)
Engines Volvo 55-hp. diesel (x2)

Lagoon America
105 Western Ave.
Annapolis, MD 21404
410-280-2368

Lagoon 500

The 500 has a raised steering station with full visibility and seating for six above the cockpit with secondary controls located at the forward-facing nav station in the main saloon. All lines are led to the bridge-deck, freeing the cockpit of lines and allowing for a refrigerator, washbasin and ample seating under the hard Bimini. Interior options include three-, four- and five-cabin layouts with the last option most appropriate for charter work, where Lagoon sends over 20 percent of its fleet.