It will be fun to see what happens when we compare two catamarans with similar L/Ds using both hulls, and similar L/Ds using each hull individually, while reducing LOA by 9.62 feet. 

The 48 Open, designed by the Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group, with interior design by Nautitech and Christophe Chedal-Anglay Design, displaces 46% of the Bali 5.8, so you could consider the 48-Open half as big based on volume. Off the bat this tells me the 48 Open is a more performance-oriented cruising catamaran. And no, this catamaran does not have a flybridge. The aesthetic benefit is it a much cleaner and more svelte-looking cat with, proportionally, considerably less visual freeboard.

Once again the designers have chosen a “crease”—I hesitate to call it a chine—just below the deck edge to give the impression that the freeboard is less than it might technically measure. There is a true chine above the waterline, again positioned where it will benefit usable interior volume while reducing beam at the waterline for less drag.

The keel is a moderate aspect-ratio fixed fin drawing 5 feet, 1 inch. I think some kind of retractable asymmetrical fin would be better for performance, but it would really be difficult to work into the interior.

The design work on this model uses all the modern design tools available to produce a boat with excellent performance. The 48 Open marks the result of 15 years of successful collaboration between Lombard and Nautitech.

I keep hearing myself say, “once again,” but that’s just the world of production boats these days. New designs seem to be falling into archetypes that appear to be born of one evolving parent model. Similarities are hard to avoid.

You have your choice from among five different interior plans. I have chosen the one I like. Basically the interior options revolve around how many double-berth staterooms you want. You can have as many as four, or you can even have just two. Three seems about right to me.

There are mirror-image double-berth staterooms aft, and another double-berth stateroom forward to starboard. The staterooms are connected by twin adjoining heads with plenty of room for a shower stall in each. None of the starboard-hull layout is cramped.

To port the entire hull is devoted to the owner’s stateroom with a large shower area forward of the head. There is lots of room in the port hull. The main cabin features an U-shaped galley aft to starboard, and an L-shaped dinette to port that I think would seat six people in reasonable comfort.

To port, forward, is the nav station. The wedge-shaped space, almost on centerline, appears to be an entertainment center, and my guess is that outboard of that is where you would find refrigerator and freezer. Once again, the beautiful 3D renderings do not provide sufficient detail for me to analyze the layout, but I get close.

The deck aft of the main cabin has twin wheels, port and starboard, as far outboard as possible, with sail controls just inboard. There are settees and tables in this area for outside dining and entertaining, and plenty of room for lounging. If you need more room for lounging there is plenty of space on the foredeck.

There are no particular novelties to this layout, six people on board seems to be a reasonable crowd for a boat of this size, if you need to accommodate more there are other options. The cockpit is fully covered with more than enough room for a gaggle of solar panels.

I wish I had something new and exciting to tell you when it comes to the sailplan but it appears that the optimal rig geometry for a cruising catamaran is well established.  I prefer the low gooseneck of the 48 Open. There is a short fixed sprit forward for light air and off-the-wind sailing.

The SA/D is 23.3 using the self-tacking Solent jib.

I’ve never been much for cruising catamarans, but if I were, the 48 Open is the type of cruising catamaran that would appeal to me.

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LOA 48’1”; Beam 26’2”; Draft 5’1”; Displ. 29,768 lb.; Sail area 1,399 sq. ft.; Auxiliary twin 60-hp; Fuel 158 gal.; Water 158 gal.; SA/D 2.3 ; D/L 120; L/B 1.83; email: marketing@nautitech.fr; www.nautitechcatamarans.com