Multihulls Special 2021: Kingship creates KingCAT powercats

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The KingCAT 51 is the first of the KingCAT range to be built

Kingship Marine has developed a new line of power catamarans starting with the KingCAT 51 and including the KingCAT 85 and the enormously powerful KingCAT 138.

Founded in 2004 by Roger Liang and headquartered in Hong Kong, Kingship has a shipyard in nearby Zhongshan. One of Asia’s leading yacht builders and refit facilities, it has a strong background in superyachts, having built a range of models from 89-144ft including the in-build Grand Voyager 144.

More recently, the shipyard has also been building large, high-speed aluminium catamaran ferries such as the powerful 42m model that provides the underlying hull shape and platform for the KingCAT 138.

“Owners usually buy a new yacht for more space. A catamaran offers a good solution as it’s very stable and gains space by width instead of length. It’s the fastest growth sector for yachts under 100ft,” says Liang, who was involved in Italian shipyard Baglietto in the 1980s and Green Bay Marine in Singapore in the 1990s before creating Kingship.

The first KingCAT 51 is expected to debut in 2022

“The likes of Lagoon and Leopard did a great job of introducing catamarans to the recreational sector and we believe there’s huge potential market in emerging markets. Catamarans are also a great way to reduce your environmental footprint by simply choosing the right hull. And because they’re very efficient, they can be powered by hybrid propulsion.”

Kingship says it’s developing a range of layouts for the KingCAT 51 more suited to clients in Asia-Pacific and is targeting the likes of Greater China, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and other Pacific nations. Solar power and hybrid propulsion are among options on the 51, with the first unit expected to launch by the end of the year or early 2022.

“We see the 51 as a very suitable size for Asia,” Liang says. “The newer markets of Southeast Asia and China appreciate the space layout. It’s logical to trade the interior space of a monohull for the deck space of a cat as day boating is common here. The 51 can entertain over 20 people comfortably as it has four separate large areas, with an area devoted to karaoke.”

KINGSHIP’S BIG CATS

The KingCAT 85 and 138 are based on aluminium hulls and are able to be customised. In 2019, Kingship delivered a towering 78ft tri-deck powercat that has been used privately on a lake in China, but its KingCAT 85 is based on a sea-going hull by Canadian Ivan Erdevicki with an overall length of 85ft and a beam of almost 38ft. The yacht offers accommodation for 12 guests in five cabins.

The KingCAT 85 by Kingship Marine

“With the KingCAT 85, the aim is to have the biggest volume for a pleasure yacht categorised under 24m,” Liang says. The KingCAT 138 has a hull by Australian firm Incat Crowther and styling by Dutch firm Vripack, which has worked with Kingship on many of its previous superyacht designs.

“Because it’s built on a proven platform for fast ferries, the KingCAT 138 will be a unique, very fast yacht. It will be stable up to 40 knots, so suitable for a young billionaire in a hurry,” Liang smiles.

The Kingship CEO admits that the cruising catamaran sector is growing, in terms of owners and also builders and range of models on offer but is backing his company to make an impact.

Kingship’s KingCAT 138 features styling by Vripack and the platform of a 42m, 40-knot ferry

“By drawing on our commercial-ferry sector experience, we can provide proven world-class designs, the fastest build times, the most reliable boat, at a very reasonable price,” Liang says. “There are many great products on the market. The only way to differentiate is to offer something different and good value.”