Multihull Solutions expands in Southeast Asia

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Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 owners dining ashore in Phuket

Multihull Solutions recently opened new sales centres in Singapore and Thailand to respond to the significant increase in enquiries and orders across its range of new and pre-owned sail and power multihulls.

Located in the world-renowned ONE°15 Marina in Sentosa Cove, the new Singapore Sales Centre is ideally situated to meet the needs of regional buyers in the market for the world’s finest brands of cruising multihulls, including Fountaine Pajot Sailing Catamarans, ILIAD Catamarans, NEEL Trimarans and Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts.
There are also now three Sales Centres throughout Phuket, at the Boat Lagoon, Yacht Haven Marina and Ao Po Grand Marina, handling a solid stream of clients looking to purchase or sell in this renowned cruising ground.

Paul Stamp, General Manager of Multihull Solutions Asia, said it was an incredibly exciting time for the industry with several factors driving the surge in demand for cruising cats and tris.

“We’ve seen the popularity of multihulls steadily increase over the past 10 years due to the significant improvements in construction, design and performance across ranges offered by leading shipyardssuch as Fountaine Pajot. This demand has been intensified during the covid pandemic as people are looking to escape the city and rediscover freedom on the water,” Stamp said.

The Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 sailing in Phang Nga Bay

“Cruising multihulls are the perfect platform for seasoned yachties and inexperienced boaties alike to shake off the myriad restrictions and enjoy space, safety and stability at sea, while not forsaking any of the comforts of home.”

This year sees a swag of Multihull Solutions’ represented boats nominated for the world’s most prestigious industry awards, including SAIL’s Best Boat Award, Multihull World’s Multihull of the Year, and European Yacht of the Year.

Among the nominees are Fountaine Pajot’s Samana 59, Isla 40 and MY4.S. NEEL Trimarans is also strongly represented with the NEEL 43 and LEEN 56, while ILIAD Catamarans has turned heads with its upcoming ILIAD 60 nominated for Multihull of the Year. Stamp said it wasn’t just catamarans enjoying the attention from buyers, with cruising trimarans steadily increasing in demand.

“Models such as the new NEEL 43, just landed in Australia, are capturing the imagination of clients seeking a boat that has ample comfort and space while delivering scintillating performance,” he said.

“This latest model by the acclaimed French shipyard has revolutionised the concept of onboard living with its innovative loft design, and the compact tri combines the benefits of a multihull’s space and stability with a monohull’s excellent windward performance and impressive speed.”

The Neel 47 trimaran is another Multihull Solutions option

The NEEL 43 in Australia is now for sale and has been fitted to a very high specification, including performance carbon rigging, removeable cockpit and bimini clears, air conditioning, water maker and remote tender-lift system.

Greg Boller, Multihull Solutions’ Sales and Business Development Manager, said there has been intense interest in the NEEL 43 from Asia-Pacific buyers.
“We’ve been fielding solid enquiries on this new model ever since the shipyard unveiled its early plans. We’re excited to finally have the boat in Australia and don’t expect it to be long before this particular vessel is sold,” Boller said.

Rapido Trimarans is another shipyard making waves with their innovative folding trimarans and their 60ft model that has been hailed as the world’s fastest cruising tri.
“It’s another example of a trimaran that delivers great comfort and luxury, but defies expectation when it comes to performance,” Boller said.
ILIAD Catamarans continues to be one of Multihull Solutions’ strongest performers with considerable interest from Asia-Pacific, European and US buyers in the range of semi-custom, long-range motor yachts.

ILIAD 70 power cat off the Australian coast

Since the brand’s launch in 2019, the company has been flooded with orders for its ILIAD 50 and ILIAD 70, as well as the new ILIAD 60, which is due to arrive in Australia in mid 2022.

The design for the innovative new ILIAD 53S has also just been unveiled to the excitement of cruisers looking for a sporty sedan-style power catamaran that delivers exceptional range and contemporary style.

Multihull Solutions is enjoying its highest sales in the company’s history with forward orders across its range of new yachts stretching into 2024. Patrick Gilot, the company’s brokerage manager, said pre-owned yacht sales are also at a record high, with listings selling before or as soon as they hit the market.

“The current situation, where demand is exceeding supply, is also creating an environment where people are exploring options outside of their original plans. Those who were in the market for a specific sailing catamaran are now considering other models because of the limited supply,” Gilot said.

“We are also seeing people expand their criteria to consider power over sail, or trimarans over cats. It’s certainly an exciting time for the marine industry with such a significant increase in interest, which is due to a number of factors. The prolonged period of lockdowns and a sense of fatigue with living through this pandemic has seen many people want to escape the confines of home and enjoy the freedom of life on the water.

Multihull Solutions’ Asia-Pacific team has great depth of experience with the top-range multihulls it sells and supports

“The inability to easily travel and take traditional holidays has also seen the emergence of new clients, many of whom have never sailed before but are now keen to embrace the cruising lifestyle. This environment has also created movement in the sellers’ market with people realising it’s the perfect time to list the boat they no longer use or sell it because they want to upgrade.”

Multihull Solutions’ brokerage division has been kept busy matching buyers to new listings, with most boats selling before they have a chance to be publicly advertised.
“We’re certainly run off our feet, but it’s a great problem to have,” Gilot said. “We have a very comprehensive programme for pre-owned sales and enjoy being able to take the stress out of listing and selling for our clients. Over the past two years, we’ve sold an unprecedented number of pre-owned yachts and seen a marked shift in the movement of these vessels throughout the Asia-Pacific.

“Clients are realising it is not a big deal to purchase a yacht through us that is located in a different state or country, as we are very experienced in arranging delivery crews or shipping to any port in the world, in addition to managing all of the sea trial, survey, tax and financial factors to make it a seamless and enjoyable process.”

The company is looking forward to a resumption of industry events in 2022 and has plans to have a presence at a variety of upcoming boat shows including the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show, Sydney International Boat Show, Cannes Yachting Festival and Nautic Paris Boat Show. It regularly attends most Asian events.

Further information can be obtained by contacting Multihull Solutions Asia on +66 (0) 918 247 966 or +66 (0) 76 238 117 or email info@multihullsolutions.asia.