First high-speed sea trial – 900 miles aboard the Catana Ocean Class

Joining the Crew on the First Offshore Voyage of the Ocean Class Catana Catamarans – The Perfect Opportunity to Test Key Features That Make This Catana Designed for Blue Water Sailing:

• Sailing Performance: in all conditions

• Offshore Safety: in challenging weather

• Life Onboard with Crew: validating the expanded living space and habitable volumes with seven people aboard

• Deck Layout Ergonomics: for maneuvers and adjustments with a reduced crew during watches (1-2 people)

• Onboard Comfort: thermal and acoustic insulation, ventilation, and wave handling

• Equipment Reliability and Accessibility: electronics, electrical systems, plumbing, refrigeration, air conditioning, etc.

The two-day trip preparation focused on several key areas:

• Maintenance and preparation of the rig: changing and prepping headsails, reefing, and deck hardware

• Stocking the boat and crew: water, fuel, provisions for 10 days

• Weather briefing and navigation strategy

• Locating and checking the vessel’s safety equipment: engines, sail drives, bilge pumps, systems, etc.

T-minus 4 Hours Before the Storm

The first hours at sea confirmed the forecast: intense.

Waves reaching 6 meters abeam and wind gusts up to 48 knots. A bold start for our first night on board..!

To stay safe, the skipper chose 3 reefs in the mainsail and 3 reefs in the genoa — safety first.

These conditions propelled the boat to over 9 knots on a close reach, between 40–60° apparent wind angle.

48 Knots and 230 Miles Later:

By morning, off the Spanish coast, it’s time to assess the situation: all is well on board, and part of the crew even managed to rest peacefully.

On the performance side, the boat handled the waves beautifully and maintained an average speed of 9.70 knots safely.

Exiting the Gulf of Lion brought calmer conditions. The wind dropped first to 15 knots, then to 10 knots under bright sunshine — the beginning of a beautiful day of sailing.

Night Watch, Maneuvers – Life Onboard Settles In Naturally:

By the second day, the crew had organized night watches: 2 people per watch, 3 groups, and 1 person on standby. The main objective was to test the helm setup with a small and relatively inexperienced crew.

As night fell, skipper Benjamin handed over to the first watch team: Alizé — the only woman on board — and Hugo, the videographer.

The rest of the crew settled into the three spacious cabins, while the captain chose the large saloon couch, ideal for resting while keeping an eye on the helm, the bows, and the chart table.

Silence settled into the expanded living space… The use of the side and aft cockpit windows really came into its own, fully insulating from outside noise and temperatures — especially in the middle of November.

The starboard side window also proved to be very practical for staying connected with the on-watch team, and for passing along all kinds of things (food, gear, clothes…).

In the Middle of the Night, Around 2 a.m., the Boat Seems to Be Flying Over the Water

The speed log shows 12.5 knots on a close reach! The crew, having already gained confidence in the Ocean Class during the storm on the first night, hesitated to wake the captain to put in a reef. But the forecast predicts an increase in wind to 30 knots. The moment has come.

The captain climbs to the helm station to assist the crew, and they decide to take in two reefs based on the forecast.

Since the helm station is designed so all maneuvers can be performed from a single area, the tasks are split as follows:

One crew member at the forward station wraps the halyard on the starboard forward winch and then eases the tension. He then takes in the second reef (tack) by loading it onto the port forward winch.

Meanwhile, the helmsman, comfortably seated aft, eases the mainsail sheets while keeping them under control via the aft winch, and then tensions the second reef (clew) using the upstream winch.

The entire maneuver takes less than 10 minutes, and they’re back on course — ready to face the waves with renewed confidence!

Discovering a Secret Island…

The forecasted front delivered as expected — 19 knots at 45°, allowing the Ocean Class to perform beautifully, even surpassing the routing predictions, reaching up to 12.3 knots SOG on a close reach!

The joy of helming the OC under sail fully revealed itself at sunrise, off the coast of Cap d’Irta, offering the crew an unmatched experience as they gently awoke from a smooth night at sea.

Land ho! Just before noon, Guillaume — on watch — reported spotting an island dead ahead: “L’Illa Grossa,” the largest of four island groups that make up the Columbretes archipelago. Elliptical in shape, it’s the perfect opportunity to launch the drone — more than 30 miles off the Spanish coast.

For the First Time During the Crossing, the Wind Eases

This leads the crew to make changes to the headsails.

On the agenda: rigging additional deck hardware, hoisting the socked spinnaker, and setting up the Code 0 in place of the gennaker. All of these maneuvers were carried out by just one or two people.

Mission accomplished for the deck layout’s ergonomics! All operations can be done easily, with a very small crew — and in complete safety.

Meanwhile, Alizé and Benjamin took the time to fully explore the comfort of the galley, which features:

• Three distinct Corian countertops for meal prep

• A large oven capable of baking up to 3 dishes at once

• Four burners for cooking sides

• A microwave to reheat meals during watch changes

• And the ultimate comfort feature: a dishwasher!

The sunshine, the view, and the temperature on this day were truly exceptional. In just a few minutes, the cockpit transformed into an open-air terrace, fully connected to the sea.

Next stop: Benissa!