Do you remember all those luxury catamarans that used to ply the seas before the turn of the millennium? Probably not – because they didn’t exist.
Only since 2002 and the founding of Sunreef Yachts in the Polish city of Gdansk, has there been such a thing as a series-built luxury catamaran of superyacht size – and, having experienced the yard’s new 29 metre, the logic of invoking the power of two seems entirely irrefutable.
French entrepreneur Francis Lapp started Sunreef 20 years ago and, while it remains a family firm, it has grown steadily to incorporate a workforce of 1,800 people that includes an in-house team of interior and exterior designers, naval architects and engineers. More than 175 Sunreef yachts, sail- or power-driven, have now been delivered, and the yard is currently tackling its most ambitious project to date – a remarkable 49-metre catamaran which, when completed, is estimated to set the owner back around €60 million (£50m). It would have been worth making the trip to Gdansk just to see the giant structure taking shape, but the city’s maritime history is fascinating in itself.
The massive yards
