Outremer Catamarans, Fast Bluewater Cruisers From La Grande-Motte

Speed as a safety feature

Outremer has built catamarans in La Grande-Motte, on France's Mediterranean coast, since 1984, around one simple philosophy: a light, fast cruising catamaran is safer and more pleasant at sea because it spends less time out there and can outrun or avoid bad weather. That meant narrow hulls, daggerboards instead of fixed keels, modest interior volume and an emphasis on sailing performance over maximum accommodation.

Outremer is part of Grand Large Yachting, the French group that also owns Gunboat, Allures and Garcia, which gives the brand stable ownership and a shared service network. Gunboat production also takes place at La Grande-Motte.

The Outremer 45 and 51 in the family story

We cover two Outremers in detail, and they show how the yard's modern era fits together. The name Outremer 45 actually belongs to two different boats. The first, drawn by Gérard Danson, appeared in 2000 and stayed in the range until 2014, with roughly 40 built. Its replacement, an all-new Barreau-Neuman design, arrived in 2014 and is still built today. Since 2017 it has carried longer hulls that stretch it to about 48 feet overall, and in 2018 the yard took close to 500 kg out of its structure. A sportier sister, the Outremer 4X, followed in 2016 with a bigger sail plan.

The Outremer 51 sat one step up the range. It took over from the Outremer 49 of 2009, was built from 2013 to 2022 and passed 100 hulls, which made it the yard's best seller. Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman gave it daggerboards, a choice of tiller or wheel steering and the legs to log 200-mile days with only a couple aboard, and a 2018 restyle brought Patrick Le Quément topsides and reverse bows. The Outremer 52 replaced it in 2023, while the 55 sits above both.

Choosing between them is mostly about crew and budget. The 45 is the boat Outremer pitches to couples who often sail alone on watch, with a central helm position and less to handle. The 51 adds roomier cabins, more payload and a little more pace, at a higher price.

Resale, support and what to inspect

Outremer resale is among the strongest of any catamaran. Well-kept 51s typically trade between about $700,000 and $1.3 million, close to what many owners paid new, and current Outremer 45s are priced from roughly $1.1 million new, with the older Danson-era 45s available for far less. Long build queues for new boats support those values. Support comes through the yard and Grand Large Yachting's service network, and owner events and rallies keep the community close.

Survey priorities reflect the performance design.

• Daggerboards, trunks and bearings for impact damage or wear
• Rudder bearings and steering, including tiller linkages
• Rig, mast step and standing rigging age
• Hull and deck laminate condition after high-mileage passages
• Saildrive seals, engine hours and engine room condition
• Sail inventory, which affects performance and resale