Builder · Luxury · La Grande-Motte, France

Outremer

French luxury cruising catamaran builder, 1984-founded. Performance-focused cruising cats designed for fast bluewater passagemaking.

Founded: 1984
Headquarters: La Grande-Motte, France
Ownership: Outremer Yachting (private)
Tier: Luxury
Website: catamaran-outremer.com

Outremer is the French luxury performance-cruising catamaran builder from La Grande-Motte, founded in 1984. The brand has stayed privately owned. Production stays at the Mediterranean facility.

The brand argument is performance-cruising. Outremer hulls are designed for fast bluewater passagemaking with documented owner reports of 200-mile-day averages on multi-day cruises. The lineup runs from the 45 through the 5X flagship.

Our reviews

Outremer hulls we have on the water.

Outremer

Outremer 45

The French-built performance cruising cat that bluewater sailors buy when they want a cat that actually sails. The 45 trades the saloon volume of a Lagoon or Leopard for daggerboards, a fine entry, and pace under sail.

Lineup

Current platforms.

Outremer 45 / 51 / 55 / 5X

Performance-cruising catamarans

Model breakdown

Each platform, what it does and where it falls short.

Outremer Outremer 45 / 51 / 55 / 5X

The Outremer line is the volume performance-cruising-cat range. Twin Volvo or Yanmar saildrive, daggerboards (not fixed keels), full master suite plus guest cabins.

Things we like

· Daggerboards give performance-cruising upwind capability
· Documented 200-mile-day averages on multi-day passages

Things we don't

· Pricing pushes well above Lagoon and Fountaine-Pajot at equivalent LOA
· Daggerboard maintenance is a 5-year service item

Buyer's guide

The Outremer story and what to know on the used market.

Origin and ownership

Outremer was founded in 1984 by Gérard Danson in La Grande-Motte, France. The brand built performance-cruising catamarans aimed at long-range bluewater use.

The brand has stayed Outremer-owned and privately controlled. Production has stayed in La Grande-Motte.

Design philosophy

Outremer catamarans use light-displacement hull forms with daggerboards (rather than fixed keels). The combination gives upwind sailing capability and fast passage-making speed.

Volvo or Yanmar diesel saildrive is the standard engine rigging.

Used-market notes and known issues

Daggerboard maintenance is a 5-year service item; hardware inspection at survey.

Volvo / Yanmar saildrive seal pattern on 2017 to 2020 hulls warrants inspection.

Light-displacement hull is more sensitive to load distribution than volume cruising cats.

Dealer network concentrated in Europe and Mediterranean; US coverage is thin.

Resale

Outremer holds resale tightly in the performance-cruising-cat segment. Three-year depreciation runs 8 to 14 percent.

Where Outremer fits

Buyers cross-shop Outremer against Catana, Balance, and HH Catamarans on the performance-cruising-cat segment. The argument is performance-cruising design and bluewater passage-making credibility.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Daggerboards vs fixed keels?: Daggerboards give upwind sailing capability and shallow-draft anchoring (boards up). Trade against fixed keels: more maintenance, more complex hardware. Performance-cruising buyers usually prefer daggerboards; charter-fleet operators usually prefer fixed keels.
What's the maintenance cost on an Outremer 51?: Annual service on twin Volvo saildrives runs $4,000 to $6,000. Bottom paint $1,800 to $3,500 (two hulls plus daggerboards). Sail service $2,500 to $4,500. Storage $4,000 to $9,000. Insurance for a $1.4M hull runs $8,000 to $13,000.
Where are Outremers built?: La Grande-Motte, France. Outremer-owned facility.

Compare

Categories Outremer fits.

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