General Info: Sunsail to start adding Lagoon cats to their fleet.

[DrRobinson]

This article talks about Sunsail starting to add Lagoon cats to their fleet. It's interesting to me because I thought Sunsail/Morrings (TUI Marine) and Leopard (Roberts and Caine) were part of the same company.

https://www.caribjournal.com/2019/01...ribbean-fleet/

From the article below, "The Moorings and Leopard Catamarans are part of the Travelopia family, a leading specialist travel group owned by global investment firm KKR."

https://blog.mooringsyachtownership....ard-catamarans

I wonder if Leopard couldn't satisfy the volume of cats needed from Sunsail/Morrings, or if there was that much demand from perspective new boat owners for another option?

[Jim Woodall]

While in the BVI last November (2018), a charter captain and mate from a privately chartered Leopard (they are the owners) came aboard to look at our 2019 Lagoon 42, Ocean Song. Both of them also work for several of the big charter companies from time-to-time. The captain seemed to think R&C was having trouble keeping up with the local demand post-Irma. The Moorings (and perhaps Sunsail) has moved boats to the BVI from other fleets throughout the world to restock the Tortola fleet.

Beneteau and Lagoon shifted production to help meet the new demand and have been doing a good job getting new boats to the BVI. I don't think R&C has the production capacity to do the same.

The Lagoon 440 - 450 model line has been a huge success as both a charter and private yacht. The 460 will most likely continue that success. The Lagoon 42 is currently smashing sales records for cruising catamarans. I think the Lagoon 380 is by far the best-selling cruising catamaran ever built and the 42 is very unlikely to catch up. Nonetheless, at something like 500 boats ordered to date she is making a strong run.

Regardless of people's thoughts on Lagoon -v- Leopard -v- Fountaine Pojot as cruising catamarans, the Lagoon 450 series (I include the old 440 and new 460 as members of the series) and the new Lagoon 42 are incredibly popular boats. The demand for those two models is extraordinary requiring Sunsail and perhaps the Moorings to take note as R&C's production lags in comparison.

Both the captain and first mate from the Leopard felt that Lagoon had "knocked it out of the park" with the new Lagoon 42. Two weeks ago the captain asked for my spec sheet for Ocean Song saying they were considering an "upgrade" from the 2016 Leopard.