Fountaine Pajot 48 First Look, Specs and Expected Price

The Fountaine Pajot 48 takes over from a best-selling 47

The Fountaine Pajot 48 is the third boat in the La Rochelle yard's rebuilt sailing range, following the FP41 and FP44 of 2025. Its job is to replace the Tanna 47, which itself had evolved from the Saona 47, so it inherits one of the most important slots in the Fountaine Pajot catalog: the family cruiser and charter workhorse just under 50 feet. Visitors to the yard's La Rochelle Open Days on July 2 to 4, 2026 could sea trial an early boat, the official reveal followed on July 16, and the world premiere came at the Cannes Yachting Festival on September 8 to 13. Its US debut is the Annapolis Sailboat Show on October 15 to 18, 2026.

Demand was strong before most buyers had stepped aboard. Multihulls World reported about sixty FP48s on order ahead of Cannes, and deputy CEO Romain Motteau told the magazine he expects it to become the brand's next best seller. SAIL has already put it on the nominee list for its Top 10 Best Boats of 2027.

One note on lineage. SAIL wrote that the 48 replaces both the Tanna 47 and the Elba 45, but Fountaine Pajot's own launch material is clear that the Elba's slot went to the FP44, and the FP48 succeeds the Tanna 47 alone.

Twenty inches longer, eight inches wider, 8,100 pounds heavier

Multihulls World laid the new boat next to the outgoing one. The FP48 is about 20 inches (49 cm) longer and 8 inches (20 cm) wider than the Tanna 47, and it weighs about 8,100 lb (3.68 tonnes) more, while sail area climbs only from roughly 1,388 to 1,442 sq ft. Fountaine Pajot lists a hull length of 14.43 m (47 ft 4 in) and a beam of 7.90 m (25 ft 11 in), and SAIL gives a light displacement of 39,021 lb.

The biggest change is below the waterline. The Tanna drew about 3 ft 11 in on short keels. The FP48's keels are much longer and reach 5 ft 5 in (1.64 m), a choice aimed at better upwind grip and tracking. Multihulls World sailed hull number one, fitted with the hybrid drive, off La Rochelle and came back surprised: despite the weight, it called the boat relatively nimble in light air, crediting the hull lines and those extended keels.

Fountaine Pajot's specification sheet lists an 85 square meter (915 sq ft) mainsail, a 49 square meter (527 sq ft) genoa and, per Multihulls World, a 140 square meter (1,507 sq ft) gennaker. Full test numbers had not been published when we wrote this page, so treat any speed claims from dealers with caution until the magazine reports appear.

A raised helm and three outdoor living areas

On deck the FP48 follows the formula of the 41 and 44, scaled up. The helm sits at mid-height on the starboard side with all sheets, halyards and trim lines led to it, and YACHT noted that Fountaine Pajot separates the wheel from the working station so two people can handle a maneuver without getting in each other's way, while one person can still sail the boat safely. An optional sunshade covers the helm.

There are three distinct places to relax. The fully covered aft cockpit has a table for eight, several loungers and an optional port-side chaise that faces aft and outboard, which SAIL predicted would become the favorite spot aboard. Up top, the flybridge lounge also seats eight. Forward, a cockpit with built-in storage and a coffee table over the windlass replaces most of the trampoline area, and the remaining small nets can be swapped for solar panels.

Aft, an electrically lowered bathing platform doubles as a tender dock, though it is an option rather than standard. Fountaine Pajot quotes up to 2,300 W of solar integrated into the roof.

A three-meter door and a galley in the middle of everything

The saloon and cockpit connect through a sliding glass door about three meters (nearly 10 ft) wide, so with it open the two spaces become one room. The galley sits on centerline as a walk-around island with a bar, more storage than the 44 and a larger, more accessible refrigerator, and it gives direct access to the forward cockpit. It is a big change from the L-shaped galley of the Tanna 47 and puts the cook at the center of the boat rather than in a corner.

Full Maestro, Classic Maestro or the five cabin Quintet

Every FP48 has the same starboard hull: two double cabins with transverse berths, which YACHT notes are easier to climb into and make better use of the hull's width, each with its own bathroom and separate shower. The differences are all in the port hull.

The Full Maestro gives the owner the entire port hull. The aft cabin has its own entrance from the cockpit as well as stairs from the saloon, followed by a work area, a long dressing room and a large bathroom with a separate shower and toilet compartment. The Maestro shortens that suite to fit a multifunction room that SAIL describes as storage, a private dressing room or a children's cabin. The Quintet reaches five cabins, one of them with bunks in the middle of the port hull, aimed at large families and charter fleets. YACHT adds that the bow compartments can be fitted as crew cabins with their own toilets.

The separate cockpit entrance to the aft port cabin is a useful detail. A charter skipper can come and go without walking through the guests' saloon, and private owners can use the same door for easy access from the swim platform.

Twin 45 hp Yanmars, 80 hp, or the ODSea+ hybrid

Standard power is a pair of 45 hp Yanmar diesels mounted aft and well insulated from the accommodation, with 80 hp engines optional. Tankage is 700 liters (185 gallons) of diesel in two tanks and 700 liters of fresh water.

The hybrid alternative, ODSea+, combines two 25 kW electric motors, a 32 kW generator, two 27 kWh battery banks, two 6 kW inverters, solar input and hydrogeneration while sailing. It is a large upgrade at 195,237 euros on YACHT's German price list, so ask a dealer to show you the energy budget for your own cruising pattern before signing. For coastal cruising with plenty of marinas, the 80 hp diesels are the simpler, cheaper buy; for long stays at anchor with air conditioning, the hybrid starts to make sense.

Ordering an FP48 in the US, and what used boats will cost

Searches for a fountaine pajot 48 today are mostly about new boats, because there is no used market yet. YACHT's price for the cheapest three cabin, three head version was 790,160 euros including German VAT, or roughly 664,000 euros before tax. For US buyers we estimate about $800,000 for a lightly optioned diesel boat after shipping and commissioning, and $1.1 to $1.3 million for a Full Maestro with the hybrid, larger engines, lithium, generator, watermaker and air conditioning.

With about sixty orders in hand before Cannes, early delivery slots are limited. Dealers with show boats from the 2026 autumn circuit will sell those as demonstrators, usually with a modest discount and full warranty, which is the closest thing to a used FP48 you will find in 2027.

Budget around $55,000 to $100,000 a year to keep a 48-foot catamaran in the US, before depreciation. The 25 ft 11 in beam needs a wide slip or a mooring, insurance for a new boat of this value is significant, and the deeper keels mean a little more care in the Bahamas and the Florida Keys than the Tanna demanded.

Salina 48, Tanna 47 and other boats behind the name

Fountaine Pajot has used 48 before. The Salina 48, a Berret-Racoupeau design introduced in 2007 as part of the same generation as the Orana 44, had a raised helm and a saloon turned 90 degrees to use its width. It is a far lighter, older boat that still turns up on brokerage lists, so if you see a fountaine pajot 48 advertised under $500,000, it is almost certainly a Salina rather than the FP48.

The Tanna 47 itself is the obvious alternative. It measures 13.94 m by 7.70 m, weighs about 14.7 tonnes, draws 1.20 m and has 2 x 50 hp engines, and good ones are on the market now with no waiting list.