EOS 54, a fast catamaran à la carte

Currently under construction, we hope to discover the EOS 54 at the Grand Pavois in La Rochelle 2016. This catamaran built by Marsaudon Composites on behalf of EOS Catamaran is a streamlined but still efficient model of the famous TS from Christophe Barreau's pencil.

François-Xavier Ricardou Published on August 30, 2016

The history of the EOS 54 it's kind of a family thing. That of the architect Christophe Barreau and all his catamarans. Thus the EOS 54 is an evolution of the former One Off 45, and the younger One Off 45 Absolute 50 . But if it has its own hull and deckhouse moulds, it also reuses the MCat 52's nacelle mould. And above all it is the culmination of Christophe Barreau's experience in the fast cruising catamaran of which he became the pope.

In philosophy, the EOS 54 is a wiser evolution of the TS series - very fast cruising catamarans also produced by Marsaudon. The EOS 54 is intended to be a good cruising catamaran, capable of upwind sailing, strong enough to withstand heavy weather and which doesn't require you to keep your hand on a sheet at all times.

The construction of the moulds and the first copy are naturally done at the Marsaudon Composite shipyard in Lorient, now a partner of Christophe Barreau.

The EOS 54 is above all a catamaran with a controlled weight. A light unit to be fast. Built in foam sandwich, the cruising version is announced at 13.8 tons. In comparison, a Lagoon 560 (17 m) is 30.3 tonnes! More comparable, it's the same weight quotation as an Outremer 5X (18 m and 13.9 t).

The EOS 54 is aimed at the experienced yachtsman who is primarily looking for a reliable yacht with a high level of construction and finish.

The EOS 54 will be available in 3 versions: a cruising version for family long-distance cruising, with top-of-the-range finishes and a well-licked interior. A Race version for a performance-loving user. In this version, the boat could even enter transatlantic ocean races such as the Route du Rhum. Finally a rental version by multiplying the number of cabins. The EOS 54 can then be fitted out with 6 cabins (12 berths). It is also in this last version that we can discover the boat at the grand Pavilion exhibition in La Rochelle at the end of September 2016.

The EOS 54 is characterized by a very short gondola, placed on the stern and a cockpit-salon completely on the same level with a minimum of closing as in the current catamarans. The view from the square has also been worked on to offer the best panorama.

The construction will allow many options. Indeed, the hull moulds are separated from those of the nacelle and the deckhouse. This leaves the choice to modify certain characteristics at the time of assembly. The facilities too, since the catamaran can be equipped with 3 to 6 cabins. The boat can also complete its wheel steering station with 2 tiller bars to offer the crew the pleasure of steering.

On the finishing side, while the Race version will be sober and uncluttered, the C (Cruising) version will have an optional finishing panel. Knowing that each one increases the weight quotation and decreases the performance..

It is interesting to note that the first copy, despite the multiplication of the number of cabins, should not weigh more than the cruise version. Indeed, this model will not receive any valigrage (paint finish). Christophe Barreau estimates that it is possible to gain 1.5 t on a unit of this size by limiting the fittings and equipment.

A respected weight specification and not too wide floats should normally give good performance. For this we trust in the pencil stroke of the architect, who up to now hasn't made many mistakes.