I am just back from the 2024 Miami International Boat Show where I had the good fortune to spend a hour or more aboard the new Windelo 50 cruising cat from France. The Windelo concept is to provide a spacious cruising cat that has a powerful rig and slippery hulls so the boat will sail well in a very wide range of wind conditions, which reduces the amount of time when you need to motor. But when motoring is required, the boat is powered by electric motors that are fed from a large lithium-ion battery bank. The batteries are charged by the huge array of solar panels on the cabin top, and a diesel generator kicks in when the battery levels fall below a certain percentage of charge. A fairly new French company, Windelo has partnered with the American firm Just Catamarans in Dania, Florida who will be the brand’s North American representative. An interesting and innovative addition to the performance cruising cat fleet, Windelo has a lot going for it. Check out Just Catamarans and the Windelo 50 and 54 here.
