The Aquila 44 Feature Article - Issue 136

It is with pleasure that we share this article on the Aquila 44 that appears in the May/June 2014 issue of MULTIHULLS WORLD, the world's leading publication on catamarans and trimarans.

Aquila 44 - It's got The Lot!

From the Pages of MULTIHULLS WORLD

We've been talking about it for some time now, but is the motorized catamaran market finally going to take off? Judging by the way the three leaders in the sailing sector,(Fountaine, Lagoon and Leopard) are getting ready for battle, it would appear to be the case. And as Dumas wrote, the Three Musketeers were really four, and there could be a surprise coming out of the Far East. Having produced fifteen Aquila 48s over the last two years, the team responsible for the concept decided to ride the wave of success and offer the 48's little brother, the Aquila 44. We had a chance to have a first look around at the Miami Show.

The Aquila 44 looks right at home, moored between superyachts and trawlers alongside Collins Avenue, a few yards north of the legendary Ocean Drive. In fact the American market is its number one target, and the team have concentrated their efforts on analyzing the habits of its amateur sailors. At the heart of the Dream Team that has been assembled around the Aquila project is Lex Raas, the man who popularized sailing catamarans in the charter fleets. He's now determined to do the same thing with their motorized cousins. By his side, there are three other major players who have key roles. In charge of design and conception: Seaway. Never short of innovations and good ideas, the research department of the Slovenian architect firm J&J Design wasn't going to miss out on the chance to get involved in a new chapter in sailing history. To develop and establish the brand they needed a big name. They chose the American MarineMax. Not only is it one of the leaders in boat distribution in the States, but its "Vacations" division is the ideal way to shift large volumes quickly, and to promote the boat to renters, and hopefully, future owners. In between these two, they needed a serious industrial player. They found one in Sino Eagle Group. Founded by John Xiong in 1985, and based in Hangzhou, south of Shanghai, the company has seen meteoric growth, and didn't hesitate to invest in a brand new 110 000m² factory where they can build boats up to 75 feet in length. These days in China, you can have big dreams!

On Board

Despite being surrounded by some big boats, including its 48 foot big brother, from the quayside the Aquila 44 seems bigger than its name would suggest. Wide (6.56m) and high (5.70m air draught) meaning that all the dimensions have been clearly designed to offer as much volume and comfort as possible. Stepping on board only confirms this impression. There are three levels: a flybridge/terrace on the upper deck, an indoor living area on the main deck and a sleeping zone in the hulls forward of the salon.

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