HH Catamarans, Carbon Performance Cats from Hudson Yacht Group

A contract builder starts its own brand

Hudson Wang's Hudson Yacht Group began building partnerships with brands such as J Boats, Gunboat and Pearl around 2009. After a string of contract builds he decided to create a brand of his own, and in 2012 he brought in New Zealand composite boatbuilder Paul Hakes. The two formed HH, the initials of their surnames, and worked together for 12 years until Hakes left in 2024. From the start the group partnered with Morrelli and Melvin, the American naval architects behind many fast multihulls, to design a new range of performance cruising cats.

The yard in Xiamen covers more than 1.2 million square feet on a harbor, according to HH, and a second purpose-built factory in Cebu, Philippines, now handles HH44 and HH52 production. The range today runs from the HH44 and HH46 through the HH52, HH56 and HH66 to the HH80 and HH88.

The HH44 and the hybrid turn

The HH44 is the HH we cover and the brand's entry point. It was the first HH designed in house, by Hudson Yacht Group naval architect James Hakes, with Morrelli and Melvin responsible for the appendages and much of the performance work. It was conceived around electrification from day one: a 48 volt boat with a clean coachroof for solar panels and the EcoDrive parallel hybrid. HH sold 37 hulls before the first one launched in 2023.

Two versions share the hull. The Ocean Cruising (OC) has fixed mini keels and an aluminum mast, while the Sports Cruising (SC) has carbon daggerboards, a carbon rig and the hybrid as standard. In 2024 the SC won Sailing World's Boat of the Year, a Cruising World Judges' Special Recognition and a SAIL Top 10 Best Boats award. Prices in 2024 started at $995,000 for the OC and $1.45 million for the SC.

Owning an HH in America

HH boats are sold to an international clientele, and US owners buy through the company's sales and brokerage network; the HH44 made its US debut at the Annapolis show. Because production volumes are small and the boats are new, resale history is short, but demand for fast, well-built cats has kept used HH values close to new in recent years. A carbon cat with hybrid drive needs a surveyor who knows both composites and high-voltage systems.

What to check on a used HH:

• Daggerboard trunks, boards and bearings for impact damage
• Carbon rig, longeron and chainplate areas, ideally with thermography
• EcoDrive motors, battery state of health and charging records
• Solar array and 48 volt wiring, especially after tropical use
• Hull build location, Xiamen or Cebu, and warranty transfer terms
• Rudder bearings and steering on high-mileage boats