Sail - July 2018

Visibility for the skipper is good forward and

to starboard, but if y to port where the house

and hardtop block the view. Either dock to

starboard, add a camera for portside viewing or

be sure to have some crew stationed there to tell

you what’s up.

ACCOMMODATIONS

A little added length and beam makes a surpris-

ing dif erence, and you can order a Leopard 50

with up to i ve staterooms without cramping

any of them. h e size of this new Leopard allows

for a capacious standard master stateroom at

to starboard with a dressing area that leads to

an ensuite head. h e dressing area has a built-in

bureau outboard, a desk/vanity inboard and

the berth falls somewhere between a king and a

queen. h at 17in of added beam also makes for

a noticeable dif erence in the guest staterooms,

which now have walk-arounds on each side of

the berths, so you don’t have to squirm inel-

egantly into bed.

h e standard arrangement puts a VIP stateroom forward in the star-

board hull with the same berth size as the master stateroom at , again

with a private entry and ensuite head with molded shower stall. In the

port hull are two more cabins, each with private heads and showers.

h e forward cabin has a slightly smaller berth and can be i tted out as

a workshop with a stacked washer/dryer. h e i ve-cabin layout elimi-

nates the dressing area in the owner’s cabin and reduces the size of the

head, creating a midships cabin with an athwartships berth and ensuite

head. Last, you can opt for a mini-cabin (Crew? Teenager? In-laws?)

forward in the port bow with a single berth and head. If you can’t keep

this straight, just know the Leopard 50 can be ordered with up to six

cabins and six private heads to i t everything from liveaboard comfort

to bareboat charter ei ciency.

h e galley on the Leopard 50 consists of a counter to starboard, with a

Miele four-burner cooktop over a Force 10 oven and a pair of Vitrifrigo

fridge drawers just at. Forward is an L-shaped counter with sink and

another fridge drawer under the counter. It’s a convenient arrangement,

with everything just a step away and out of the trai c. Completing the

saloon is a nav station to port, with chart stowage and a dashboard for

electronic repeaters from the bridge.

UNDER SAIL

Ah, you’re probably saying, the boat’s going to be a bow-wow: raised

rig, added weight, more windage. Au contraire! Our boat had a square-

topped main from Ullman Sails and was optioned with a short bowsprit

to carry a Code 0 for reaching, plus an asymmetric spinnaker. h e result

was plenty of power for this 50-footer.

I had great fun working the Leopard 50 upwind in 17-plus knots of

wind in a lumpy Gulf Stream. h e steering was also as light and sensitive

as a round-the-buoys racer.

h e Leopard, like many cats, isn’t as close-winded as a monohull, or

more accurately, it isn’t happy jammed up to 45 degrees apparent, where

we dropped to 7 knots. But cracked of a bit to around 60 degrees, I saw

steady 9s and occasional 10s on the gauge, which will get you to Bimini

or Catalina in i ne style.

UNDER POWER

Standard power for the Leopard 50 is a pair of Yanmar 57hp diesel sail-

drives, and for once, you don’t have to lit a berth to service the engines,

with twin cockpit hatches providing easy access. h e Northern Lights

9kW genset is tucked forward in an equally accessible deck locker.

Our test boat had a pair of the optional 80hp Yanmars, and we topped

out at nearly 9 knots at 2,500 rpm. Having twin engines so widely spaced

in each hull gives you spectacular control when turning in a narrow

channel, and you can work the boat sideways into tight docks.

Of note on our review boat was the hydraulic transom platform that

can carry up to a 10t tender and also serve as a “beach” when fully

lowered.

CONCLUSION

All told, I loved the Leopard 50, and I think you will, too. Fun to sail, well

built and designed, and then there’s that Upstairs Lounge. Nice! s

SAIL MAGAZINE

The saloon is light, airy and

easy to move around in

DESIGNER Simonis Voogd

BUILDER Robertson & Caine

U.S. DISTRIBUTOR Leopard Catamarans U.S.,

Dania Beach, FL, leopardcatamarans.com (954)

925-8050.

PRICE $629,900 (base)

Leopard 50

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA 50ft 6in LWL 48ft 11in BEAM 26ft 5in

DRAFT 5ft 3in

DISPLACEMENT 45,415lb

SAIL AREA 1,660ft²

AIR DRAFT 80ft

FUEL/WATER (GAL) 243/185

ENGINE 2 x 57hp Yanmar

SA/D RATIO 21

D/L RATIO 173

What do these ratios mean? Visit sailmagazine.com/ratios