Aquila Announces new 54' Power Catamaran
New Aquila 54′ to offer a range of layouts and full beam master cabin
Aquila Power Catamarans has announced a new addition to their range: The Aquila 54′ Power Catamaran.
Aquila is a US manufacturer with a massive facility in Florida. Their range already includes a fleet of stunning smaller boats ranging from a nimble 32 footer up to a 70 foot beast. I’ve previously written about their 36 foot model, which pretty much incorporates everything you could want in a boat of its size.
This new model will fall squarely into the middle of their range of large cats. These include a 44, a 48, the new 54, and then their 70.
Interestingly, it’s not clear to me whether or not a 70 has actually ever been built. The 70’s page on the Aquila website shows only renderings, and I couldn’t find any for sale on the web. And there might be a good reason for that.
Big cats are in big demand
Very big cats are in big demand. Consequently, the 70 foot upwards market space for cats is an action-packed space. The segment is dominated by Polish cat specialist Sunreef, but also includes boats from manufacturers such as Horizon, Lagoon and Leopard.
Sunreef specifically has made a real name for itself recently with a string of high-profile hull sales and launches. For example this year we had news of the sale and delivery of an 80 foot Sunreef Power to tennis star Rafael Nadal.
The future of Aquila cats
Given the competition in the large catamaran space, Aquila’s announcement of the 54 begins to make sense. Most of all, it may tell us that Aquila’s made a strategic decision to focus on the market that they’re performing the best in. Or to put it more simply, the type of client buying an Aquila is not the same client who is in the market for a 70+ foot boat. If that’s the case, then the new 54 would represent the practical new flagship of Aquila’s large boats.
The Aquila 54 Power Catamaran will offer cabin layouts ranging from 3-5 cabins plus a skipper’s cabin. Also included is a galley-down option, which should free up a significant amount of space in the main saloon. Aquila says the full beam master cabin will offer ‘panoramic views’ through windows on three sides. Finally, the flybridge will have a standard glass windscreen with the option of having it fully enclosed and air-conditioned as well.
Coming in 2020
Aquila says that the 54 is ‘set to debut in 2020’. I assume that that means that a 54 is currently in build and will be launched sometime this year. I’m a fan of big cats and so I’ll be watching this story develop quite closely.
