Sustainability: Catamaran Builders – Fountaine Pajot | Yacht Style

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This Isla 40 launched in 2020 features solar power on the aft coachroof

Fountaine Pajot has a history of offering eco-friendly solutions on its catamarans, which include the option of installing solar panels across the hardtop or on the aft end of the flybridge. Solar panels are an option on the French yard’s full range, which includes seven sailing catamarans from the new Isla 40 to the stunning Alegria 67, which made its Asian premiere at the Singapore Yacht Show in 2019.

The motor yacht range comprises the MY4.S launching later this year, the renamed MY5 and MY6 (formerly MY40 and MY44), and the Power 67, which was delivered to its owner in Greece last year and is the motor yacht version of the Alegria.

The Samana 59 also shows Fountaine Pajot’s existing solar power options

However, now in its 45th year since being founded in 1976, Fountaine Pajot has revealed that it’s on the cusp of announcing wholesale changes to its approach to sustainability that will fundamentally change its offerings and steer the brand into a new generation.

Romain Motteau, Deputy CEO of Fountaine Pajot Group, said: “This is going to be super exciting. This global vision will include new solutions that we will implement such as solar power and charging solutions, hybrid engines and even hydrogen in the future. We want to be a leader in sustainability and focus on innovation. We will make more announcements about this journey later in the year and we want the whole industry to join us.”

The New 51 scheduled for 2022 will be the brand’s first model to offer a solar system fully integrated into the hardtop

One of the brand’s first steps on this new journey is the New 51, a model designed to succeed the Saba 50, which sold a remarkable 200 units. Instead of offering solar panels as an option to be added on flat surfaces, the 51 will have the option of solar panels fully integrated into the hardtop – marking a first for the brand – and which will work in tandem with lithium batteries.

The 51’s optional solar-power system will produce 2,200W of power, far more than on any previous Fountaine Pajot models of a similar size, which usually produce about 500-600W, according to Motteau. The first unit of the 51 is expected to launch in February 2022, with delivery in April.

The model is first expected to be on public display next year at the International Multihull Boat Show at La Grande Motte in southern France followed by the autumn shows in Cannes, Genoa and Barcelona, and Annapolis in the US. “The 51 is the first step in our new vision,” Motteau says. “The model is really showing the trend of the future Fountaine Pajot boats.”