For the past year, the Excess brand has been announced by the Bénéteau group. Already producing the Lagoons, the shipyard had announced this new brand to fill the gap between comfortable catamarans more dedicated to charter (comfort at the expense of performance) and high-performance catamarans that play the speed card (light and not loving overload). On the Excess we must find the pleasure of sailing, the performance of multihulls while keeping a beautiful habitable volume.
The Excess range will be available in 5 models (11, 12, 13, 14 and 15) with two models presented simultaneously for the launch: the Excess 12 and 15. These two new products will be presented at the Cannes Motor Show in September 2019.
While waiting to discover these sailboats, the site only broadcast virtual images and presented models. And to keep passionate lovers waiting, a competition has been created with the first prize: the Excess 12 itself!
A skillfully orchestrated communication
At the end of July 2019, the site is making progress in its calculated communication by presenting the 2 models pulling under sail in the Garonne estuary at the foot of the site in Bordeaux. We don't know any more than we can discover from these images.
Classic lines
The catamarans designed by VPLP are quite modern in their lines. We find a glazed surface of the deckhouse less vertical than on a Lagoon and not totally straight bows (with a slightly old design). The glass surfaces for lighting the cabins are also of moderate size, giving the boat a somewhat traditional look.
On the other hand, the sail plan with the mast very far back (as on the last Lagoons) requires a sponge that crosses the centre of the square. This positioning allows to have a self-steering jib without penalizing its surface too much. With the helm stations at the back of each hull, the boom is just above the nacelle and not perched and inaccessible. It will be a plus when it comes time to put his HS in his cover. On condition that you can walk on the roof of the deckhouse, as the canvas opens to let the sun enter the cockpit. The manoeuvres are carried out again on 2 winches in front of the steering stations. Undoubtedly, the circuit from the mast base to this rear station will generate some friction...
Not too much equipment to reduce weight
As for the layout, the Excess has been made simple again with a large trampoline (no front cockpit increasing the weight of the construction). On the other hand, the nacelle is very long towards the rear and ends almost at the same level as the skirts.
The interior is treated with a modern design that uses several gelcoat colours (grey and white) combined with wood and stainless steel. It's clean, bright. A visit to the Cannes Motor Show will allow you to better appreciate it.
In the meantime, here are the few images that the site unveils in preview.
Excess 15
