Leopard 44: Leopard 44 Porn!

[FLLCatsailor]

I tried posting this earlier, but it didn't seem to take...

I love the segment of the video when the crew is sitting back eating breakfast at breakneck speeds...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RuW2fBxKPEA

[Jim Woodall]

I spoke with a couple recently who had chartered a Leopard 44 in the BVI with 3 other couples. They said that even though the boat was heavy (34,000lbs +) that it felt pretty nimble and they consistently reached double digits speeds with the wind in the 13-17 kt range. I thought the speeds they talked about sounded a little high, but in the video segment there were double digit speeds displayed and I saw wind speeds in the 12-17 kt range.

That seeems like very impressive boat speed to me under the conditions on a boat rigged for charterers.

[Kiwikat]

Cool vid

[webejammin]

Nice video. I was at a sailers and crusers party last weeknd in the Salish sea just north of Seattle and a family had a Leopard 44 2 year old what a nice looking boat, It made my 34 ft Gemini 105Mc look really small. I want one

[webejammin]

Nice video. I was at a sailers and crusers party last weeknd in the Salish sea just north of Seattle and a family from BC had a Leopard 44 a 2 year old what a nice looking boat, It made my 34 ft Gemini 105Mc look really small. I want one But where to put it with a 26 ft beam

[Jim Woodall]

I'm very interested in the Leopard 44. Two of my biggest concerns are bridgedeck clearance and how the forward cockpit handles green water. Several "experts" have pointed to the forward cockpit as a real safety issue in heavy seas. All the talk I've heard is theoretical, nothing from anyone who has sailed the boat in those conditions. (Mainly because virtually no one has very much experience with theses boats yet) Can anyone add some real world knowledge?

[FLLCatsailor]

Jim,

The bridge deck clearance of the L44 is 0.77m, which is respectable for this size of a yacht.

When it comes to the "experts" I trust the delivery captains who bring the boats over from cape town, as well as the captains shuttling those boats up and down the windwards from one moorings base to another. These guys have delivered these yachts through all conditions, and not had any major issues. I've asked the technical manager for Leopard Catamarans how many they have built so far, and how many blue water miles they have completed to date. I will post that once I get it.

The biggest thing you have to worry about with the fwd cockpit is having one too many rum punches up there, and spilling it. Luckily with the massive scupper, one bucket of water and the alcohol abuse away.

There are too many armchair sailors.

Other manufactures have slammed the fwd cockpit on the L44... Something I thought was absolutely hilarious is one of the big competitors to Leopard highlighted their exposed fwd cockpit area in an email blast this week. The same bunch of guys who have been blasting the L44's fwd cockpit.

[Eleven]

Scuppers need to be big, with no carpets and cushions to block them. That's all.
I'm not sure why you'd want one, but it seems to fit in nicely with the layout. A bigger concern would be the integrity of openings and windows, if any.
Storm at sea, run before it with drogues deployed. Storm at anchor. Well, maybe there's a risk there, so pick a decent spot, and keep up to date with forecasts.
Like the hard bimini's, answer to sunburn and keeping cool.
Sail area 'looks' small but is obviously about right. Over 8kts and a swell becomes a roller coaster anything but well off the wind.

[FLLCatsailor]

Originally Posted by Eleven

I'm not sure why you'd want one, but it seems to fit in nicely with the layout. A bigger concern would be the integrity of openings and windows, if any.

Originally Posted by Eleven

Storm at sea, run before it with drogues deployed. Storm at anchor. Well, maybe there's a risk there, so pick a decent spot, and keep up to date with forecasts.
.

Eleven, I think you hit the nail on the head here about keeping up to date on forecast... I think so many people put so much focus on sailing in terrible weather. I know that it happens from time to time, and I have been caught in some nasty weather in the past on trans-Atlantic trips. That being said, I never leave port if the weather looks questionable, and the average cruiser who is not on a time frame can pick their weather windows.

I often times leave port on a Friday, whistling dixie, and eating bananas. I'm not superstitions. I always keep up to date on the weather though.

[Dave]

Originally Posted by FLLCatsailor

Jim,

The bridge deck clearance of the L44 is 0.77m, which is respectable for this size of a yacht.

When it comes to the "experts" I trust the delivery captains who bring the boats over from cape town, <snip>.

Although no expert, I was 1st mate on delivery of hull #3 from S.A. to Turkey. 10,000 miles in 10 weeks. Yes, the boat is quick and smooth. We dragged warps when we hit 17 knots on the wave faces. We only had a couple of waves over the bows and the front porch was not an issue. It was however a great spot for people watching in Gibralter.

[vientoman]

As it relates to the original title of this post, this is an excellent example of what a wide variety their is in the images that people find attractive. Some people like low maintenance, comfortable, laid back jean girl cats, others like high maintenance, lean, red headed, racer cats. Although it's easy to criticize the various attributes of each, I think it's also important to realize how doing so can be insulting to those expressing their desires.

Personally, I believe there to be no wrong doing in appreciating the appearance and pure esthetic beauty of a well formed cat sheathed in carbon fiber and lacy sail covers. However, I sometimes cant help looking at athletic cats sporting a strange combination of a dacron square top main and exotic impractical shoes.

leopards, lagoons and other cats like this seem to often find themselves serving others in charter; not their's anything wrong with that in certain european cultures. Ha.

Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to indulge in an attempt at creative writing. I'm a aircraft/marine composite structures engineer and builder (flagship; Sail #1 of the new F-44SC due for launch mid summer 2013) As you can tell I've spent too much time in the shop lately.

[Jimbo485]

Originally Posted by vientoman

As it relates to the original title of this post, this is an excellent example of what a wide variety their is in the images that people find attractive. Some people like low maintenance, comfortable, laid back jean girl cats, others like high maintenance, lean, red headed, racer cats. Although it's easy to criticize the various attributes of each, I think it's also important to realize how doing so can be insulting to those expressing their desires.

Personally, I believe there to be no wrong doing in appreciating the appearance and pure esthetic beauty of a well formed cat sheathed in carbon fiber and lacy sail covers. However, I sometimes cant help looking at athletic cats sporting a strange combination of a dacron square top main and exotic impractical shoes.

leopards, lagoons and other cats like this seem to often find themselves serving others in charter; not their's anything wrong with that in certain european cultures. Ha.

That is a great video!

There are many cats out there, but probably 90% of them are better than half a boat or just one hull.... Ha Ha!!

Here is a recent 3000 mile sail we did on a Kelsall 40, with all the ups and downs, not only the good bits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc0R...s&feature=plcp

[vientoman]

truly inspirational.

thanks for reminding me why I've spent the last 5 years mixing 350 gallons of epoxy resin.

My boy turns 5 in December and we hope to be heading out the Columbia River then turning left.

Thanks again.

F-44SC Catamaran

very cool vid.