Catamaran or monocoque??
For his round-the-world sailing trip, he's a Nautitech 46 - that the family has named Kumbaya - which will be home to all these little people for three years. Although Juliette and Hubert are monohull enthusiasts - they have only sailed a catamaran for a week's charter - the choice was a natural one.
"We didn't really hesitate on the cat. It's more stable, the layout is on the same level, the exterior is safer and you can sail with less heeling. If you do your homework in 30° of heel, it's nice, but you don't necessarily learn to write", hubert laughs. "Seriously, it's choosing to live with 6 people in a 60-roomed five-roomed flat of 60 m2 or a 105 m2 five-roomed flat." he adds.
For two or for a one-year family cruise, the couple would have preferred the monohull, which is generally more fun. But today, living space is essential. Safety is also important, as Juliette explains. "In our opinion, it's safer. From the wheelhouse, we can always keep an eye on the children if they're in the wardroom."
Adapting to navigation zones
The couple also explains their choice according to the chosen navigation zones. Indeed, if in the West Indies, the monohull is perfectly suitable, it is less the case in Polynesia, because of the atolls and coral patates.
Which catamaran??
The couple chose a Nautitech 46 after a long study of what the market had to offer. "There are top-of-the-range catamarans like Outremer with which you could have gone very fast and had a lot of fun, had real sailing sensations, but with a little less comfort on board and a higher budget. Then there are the Fountaine Pajot, Lagoon or Bali ranges, which we find a lot in charter, but which are quite heavy with a lot of equipment" hubert explains.
For the couple, the Nautitech 46 - safe, with no overhang between the cockpit and the saloon, and good visibility on board - was the ideal compromise. "We still wanted to have the fun of sailing and have that feeling of speed. It's not very heavy and goes upwind quite a bit. It's also a small French shipyard that offers a very good customer contact ."
"To sum up, an Outremer will be 2 tonnes lighter than our boat when ours is 3 or 4 tonnes lighter than a Lagoon for example. It's a seaworthy and comfortable boat and the best compromise", concludes Hubert.
On board, there will be 4 cabins, plus a forward point, including one cabin equipped with 3 berths - with two bunk beds. "We didn't want to force the kids to sleep in a double bed all the time. It's important for everyone to have their own space. We also hope to have family visiting and we'll have room for that." concludes Juliette.
