Douce France

Douce France is a 138 feet luxury sailing catamaran design by VPLP design and built by Alumarine in Brittany (France).[1] At its launch in 1998, she was the largest sailing cat ever built and won most innovative Sailing Yacht 1999 - Showboats Design Awards.[2] It was built at Alu Marine also underwent a refit in 2009 and 2015.[3] The exterior and interior design was done overall by Peteghem & Lauriot Prevost (VPLP design). [4] The vessel is known for a panoramic window interior lounge, one of the areas along with the teak wood aft deck, upper level cockpit, and the interior cabins in the twin hulls.[5]

The Douce France was the largest sail catamaran in the World, and significant step from previous designs in this history of these type of vessels.[6] Douce France has been analyzed in attempts to build similar large sailing catamarans especially for luxury cruising.[7]

Douce France has a displacement of 120 tons and has a range of 3500 nautical miles, for up to 12 guests and 8 crew.[8] Typical sail cruise speed is 9 knots and maximum speed under sail is 19 knots.[9] This vessel has twin diesel engines and can motor at 12 knots.[10] The hulls are made of aluminum.[11]

Typically operating as Charter vessel in the South Pacific, it has six cabins and has various items to support hospitality business, such as wine cellar and various tenders.[12]

Specifications:[13]

  • Length (Overall) 42.2m / 138.5'
  • Length (waterline) 38.25m / 125.5 ft
  • Beam 15.4 meters
  • Draft 2.5 meters
  • Sail area - 206m2
  • Gross tonnage - 218 gt[14]
  • Displacement - 120 tons[15]

As of 2018 the vessel is flagged to Belgium.[16]

Designers

Design firm was VPLP design and it was built at Chantier Naval Alumarine in 1998.[17]

  • Naval Architecture:Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prevost, Marc Van Peteghem
    • Additional designers: Vincent Lauriot-Prevost
  • Interior Designers: Anne-Monique Bonadei

Legacy

The same design firm went on make an even larger sailing catamaran, the 145 foot Hemisphere.[18] The sponsors of that yacht spent time aboard the Douce France, which aided in developing that yacht which was completed in 2011.[19] Unlike Douce France, Hemisphere has quarters outside the hulls and additional deck but carried on tradition of a large deck area.[20]

See also

References
  1. "Specs Douce France". doucefrance-yacht.com.
  2. https://vplp.fr/realisation/douce-france/58.html
  3. [https://www.luxurychartergroup.com/yacht.php/douce-france-38/specs/
  14. [http://www.superyachts.com/yacht-charter/douce-france-311/specifications.htm
  19. Gauert, Cecile. "Pendennis Hemisphere: The Year Of The Cat". Yachts International.
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