leopard 45 sailboat data

Sailboat specifications

• Last update: 26th April 2020

Leopard 45's main features

• 2017: Cruising World - Boat of the Year: Charter Boat

Leopard 45's main dimensions

Leopard 45's rig and sails, leopard 45's performances, leopard 45's auxiliary engine, leopard 45's accommodations and layout, leopard 45's saloon, leopard 45's fore cabin, leopard 45's aft cabin.

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• Sailboat Guide

Leopard 45 is a 45 ′ 0 ″ / 13.7 m catamaran sailboat designed by Simonis Voogd Design and built by Robertson & Caine starting in 2010.

• 2 / 16 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US 2023 Leopard 45 $939,000 USD View
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• 15 / 16 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US 2023 Leopard 45 $939,000 USD View
• 16 / 16 Fort Lauderdale, FL, US 2023 Leopard 45 $939,000 USD View

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

LAYOUT Berths : 8 to 11 Heads : 3 or 4 Showers : 4 or 5 Cabins : 3 or 4 Holding Tank Capacity : 45 gal.

Mainsail: 80m2/861 sq.ft. Genoa: 56m2/603 sq.ft. Spinnaker: 145m2/1561 sq.ft.

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SAILING RANGE

Power range, leopard 45 catamaran, sleek and nimble, yet comfortable.

Awarded Boat of the Year honours in 2017 and founded upon the ethos of continuous innovation and feedback from cruising clients, the Leopard 45 sailing catamaran represents astute value, elegant lines and satisfies blue water passion.

With naval architecture by Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design, and with exterior and interior design by the world-class design team at Robertson and Caine, the Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran not only builds on the best features of the current Leopard range but most notably offers new exterior styling and enhanced interior accommodation.

Since the launch of the Leopard 45 in 2017, the exterior styling has evolved and includes the innovative flybridge lounge. This lounge feature first launched on the award-winning Leopard 50! Like her big sister, the lounge on the Leopard 45 includes a seating area, a sunbed, and a table. Access to the lounge is provided by floating stairs leading up from the aft cockpit, without disrupting the helm station. The helm station remains well protected, and integrated into the cockpit and the rest of the boat.

Available in a 3 or 4 cabin layout, the Leopard 45 offers the perfect entertainment package with increased aft area with new layout, the flybridge lounge, ergonomically designed open plan saloon and galley, larger forward cockpit, and more onboard area.

In summary, the Leopard 45 Sailing Catamaran delivers uncompromised, exceptional build quality throughout, new, sleek styling, a sensible and practical layout, sailing comfort across all sea states, and features innovative technologies and multiple entertainment areas.

At Robertson and Caine, we favour a clear, natural flow. The Leopard 45’s increased area, ergonomically designed open plan saloon and galley, increased forward cockpit and more onboard area make her the ideal catamaran for guest entertaining as well as long-range cruising.

Onboard entertaining is accentuated with ample dining space and forward-facing L shaped seating communicating directly with the galley, situated forward. Wide sliding saloon doors afford panoramic views towards the stern, allowing the interior saloon to flow naturally towards the outside aft and forward cockpit.

The boat is flooded with natural light during the day and after sunset, illuminated by subtle hidden lighting, with individual spotlights to highlight certain areas.

The progressive generation

LEOPARD CATAMARANS

Functional elegance and performance sailing

Engine Specifications

Sail specifications, load specifications.

• 3 Cabin Layout
• 4 Cabin Layout

The Leopard 45 is a 45.0ft frac. sloop (rotating spar) designed by Simonis-Voogd and built in fiberglass by Robertson & Caine since 2010.

The Leopard 45 is a light sailboat which is a good performer. The fuel capacity is good. There is an excellent water supply range.

Leopard 45 for sale elsewhere on the web:

Main features

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Technical specifications - Leopard 45

Photos of the boat, technical features.

• Length HT : 45ft (13.72m)
• Max. width : 24ft (7.36m)
• Weight : 16.4 tons
• Draft : 5ft (1.5m) to 5ft (1.5m)
• Max. sleeping capacity : 8
• Number of cabins : 3 to 4
• Bathrooms : 3 to 4
• Water capacity : 780L

Standard motorisation

• Engine Power : 45hp
• Fuel capacity : 700L

Standard canopy

• Total sail area : 410sqft (124.9m2)
• Mainsail area : 244sqft (74.5m2)
• Genoa/jib area : 165sqft (50.4m2)

Ideal destinations for renting a Leopard 45

Leopard 45: A Comprehensive Review

The Leopard 45 is a great sized catamaran for cruisers, and is as popular as the rest of the Leopard range amongst charterers and liveaboard owners.

Leopard almost need no introduction. The South African boat builder has been producing catamarans for many years, and have a proven track record of building good quality production cats that are popular options for both the charter fleet and cruisers.

There are several good tours of this boat on YouTube, and so we are focussing our efforts on a review rather than a simple walkaround. As such, we have divided our analysis into five categories, each worth 10 points.

You, too, can score this boat based on your personal opinion- find out how to do so at the end of this post.

Safety and Design

This category looks at the safety and practical design of this Leopard 45. We consider the following factors:

• Liferaft position
• Helm position
• Safety features
• Practicality while on watch and underway

The locker which houses the liferaft lifts up and slides out, depositing the liferaft onto the aft deck. This was not a feature we were aware of at the time of filming, but have been since educated on- so apologies for not making mention of this in the video.

The helm position has good visibility, well connected to the cockpit with a hard top bimini overhead. The only issue was a lack of any kind of barrier between the helm position and the side deck, apart from an arm rest. We’d want a more robust and complete barrier for the purposes of safety on watch.

We were happy with the grab rails and attachment points, and the flush lockers and hatches on the decks make moving around quite safe.

We also have a question about how quickly the forward facing cockpit would drain in the event of large waves over the bows. (Leopard claim 45 seconds- but what happens if the swell period is 20 seconds?) There’s also a cover you can put over the forward cockpit that will prevent water from entering it to begin with- but this obscures your view from the inside navigation station (where, presumably, you’ll want to be if you’re in weather that’s rough enough to warrant the cover).

We’re scoring this boat a 7/10 for Safety and Design.

Build Quality

Let’s move on to the next category, which is build quality. We look at the following as part of our assessment:

• Hull construction
• Fittings and latches
• Steering mechanism
• Overall robustness

The steering mechanism was robust and the rudder stock was well braced. However, there was no self expanding foam in the conduits to reduce the chance of flooding in the event of water ingress or engine bay breach- with unskegged propellors and a sail drive, this is something that is a real possibility if you hit an underwater object with enough force.

The door to the forward facing cockpit was almost half an inch thick with a good rubber gasket and sturdy handles.

Inside the interior joinery was of good quality, although there’s room for improvement: the latches felt a little flimsier than on comparable models from other catamarans, and the drawer inserts were white melamine. The finish on some of the edges of the cabinetry was a little haphazard, although there were solid edgings on the high traffic areas. We believe that the veneers were alpi, rather than real wood (that’s what they appeared to be, but we’ve had no confirmation). We found the build quality to be above average, but not as high as we would have liked, and certainly not as high as older Leopards we’ve been on.

For build quality, we’re giving it a 6/10.

Interior Design

This category takes into account everything that makes a catamaran comfortable and pleasurable to live on. We look at:

• Guest accommodation
• Ventilation
• Shower access
• General layout and liveability

This is a big category, taking into account a lot of different aspects of living onboard.

One of Leopard’s signature features is the forward facing cockpit. Combined with the large aft cockpit, which has a big table and is well laid out, there’s plenty of seating options. The forward cockpit would be particularly pleasant at anchor where you would find it receives all the breeze, and would therefore likely be the most comfortable area to sit and relax. Certainly, it’s an incredibly popular feature and many other manufacturers are now incorporating a dedicated forward seating area into their designs.

Inside, the layout is a little different to most other production catamarans: the galley is situated forward, and the saloon aft. There’s also a forward facing navigation station, a feature that is occasionally forgotten about in modern catamarans but one we consider to be very important for keeping watch overnight (and during the day for that matter!).

The model we viewed does not have island berths in the aft cabins, although apparently this is changing for future builds. The interior aesthetic is light coloured veneer with grey bench-tops and accents, with plenty of natural sunlight and ventilation. Overall, it’s a lovely space.

Our score for Interior Design is 7/10.

Performance

• Length: 13.72 metres
• Draught: 1.5 metres
• Weight: 14,500 kg

We couldn’t find a polar diagram for the 45, so here’s a polar for the 46; we can assume performance will be similar.

Maximum speed is 12-14 knots at 110 degrees, and she can’t point higher than 55 degrees.

We’re therefore awarding her a 4/10, like most other non-performance production catamarans we’ve so far reviewed.

Value For Money

Base price is €459,000 and fully specc’d to a high blue water cruising standard the price is more likely to be €559,000.

The value for money is average, and we’re awarding this category a 5/10.

Our total score is 29/50.

While we liked certain aspects of the Leopard 45, we know this isn’t the boat for us (a fact that seems to have created a bit of an outcry amongst ardent Leopard owners!). The forward facing cockpit is not to our liking; we’d quite like a forward facing seating area, but not a deep cockpit that could fill with water while underway in rough seas. We don’t expect to have to deal with that sort of weather often, but we know that there are a couple of long passages in our future that may be more to windward and also where the weather can be a little inclement (ie, the passages between the Pacific islands of Tonga and Fiji and New Zealand). However, we really like the older, pre 2011 Leopards, and have not ruled out that option if we end up buying from the used market.

Submit Your Scores!

Now, YOU can submit your scores, which you can do via  this link !

Simply tick the box of the catamaran you wish to score (only videos we’ve already released will be available), then use the sliders to score each category, then click the VOTE button. Easy! (But if you need further instructions, you can find them  here ).

Make sure you leave a comment with your score and thoughts so we can keep the conversation going!

Nick & Terysa

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• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: August 2, 2017

Off on a charter vacation, friends want to party together, couples may seek out nooks of their own and families will cherish a place for the kids to romp while the folks enjoy their chill time. Some like to sunbathe, others prefer shade. The skipper could be an old salt or a recent grad of a learn-to-sail program who needs a hand pulling the strings. Some come for the sailing, others for the revelry. And no one, I repeat, no one wants to get stuck in the smallest cabin, with a shared head.

What’s a designer to do?

In the case of the new Leopard 45 catamaran, which made its North American debut last fall at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, naval architect Alex Simonis carefully considered the design brief put together by the single largest buyer of sailboats on the planet — the parent company of Sunsail, The Moorings and Leopard Catamarans brands — and then he stretched the design envelope to create what CW’s Boat of the Year judges named Best Charter Boat for 2017.

South Africa’s Robertson and Caine is the sole supplier of catamarans for Travelopia Marine, formerly TUI Marine. Charter versions of their boats (four heads, four cabins) are sold into The Moorings and Sunsail fleets worldwide. The remaining 45 percent of the company’s annual output goes to Leopard owners, who overwhelmingly opt for a three-cabin, three-head layout, with the owners suite occupying an entire hull.

The first things I noticed when I stepped aboard the 45 were the views. From the stern, you look through the entire boat, thanks to a wall of clear polycarbonate at the forward end of the saloon that includes a watertight doorway leading to a second cockpit on the foredeck. Overhead, you see plenty of sky through a large port in the coachroof; to either side, well, you guessed it, you’re surrounded by windows. In the cabins below, long ports in the hull and opening hatches overhead let the light — and sights — pour in too.

“They’ve really opened up the structure,” noted BOTY judge Tim Murphy when helping to choose a contest winner.

To do so, Simonis replaced fore and aft structural bulkheads on the bridgedeck with a latticework of fiberglass and stainless steel. This allowed him not only to replace solid panels with windows but also move the mast aft, creating a better-balanced sail plan. The payoff is improved performance and easier sailhandling.

Speaking of sailing, the Leopard scooted right along in 10 knots of breeze. We saw 6.1 knots closehauled and 7.7 knots when we bore off to a reach. The helmsman steers from a raised platform to starboard in the cockpit. There’s a bench there where a couple can sit comfortably, and thanks to a series of blocks and clutches, all sail control lines are led to a pair of electric winches on the cabin top, just forward of the wheel. Working sails consist of a square-top main and a slightly overlapping genoa. The Leopard version of the 45 that we sailed also carried a screecher set on a continuous-line furler tacked down on a sprit.

All of Robertson and Caine’s boats — current production also includes the Leopard 40, 48 and 58, along with related charter brands — have balsa-­cored hulls and decks, with solid fiberglass anywhere hardware is mounted. The builder has begun to infuse smaller parts, so look for the use of that technology to expand. Hulls have fine entry points and are relatively narrow below the waterline for performance, then flare to provide room to roam in the cabins.

A fitted-out Leopard 45 sells for about $580,000, depending on options and toys. Ready to go, with charter kit, in The Moorings’ yacht-ownership program, the price is similar.

Summing up his dockside visit and our sea trials, Murphy noted, “The experience really is a beautiful thing, to be able to be in that aft space on a boat and see so much of the world. I think they’ve done a really nice job in 45 feet of providing different spaces.”

I agree wholeheartedly.

Mark Pillsbury is Cruising World’s Editor.

• More: 2011+ , 40' - 49' , catamaran , Coastal Cruising , leopard catamarans , multihull , sailboat review , Sailboats
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WILLIWAW IS A 2021 45 LEOPARD MODEL AND PERFECTLY BLENDS INTERIOR COMFORT WITH EXCELLENT SAILING PERFORMANCE AND A SLEEK EXTERIOR.

Williwaw meaning North Wind is an innovative and seaworthy catamaran. She is outfitted beautifully with all modern comforts.

Leopard press release

Two immediately noticeable areas of innovation are the exterior styling and interior accommodations. The exterior styling has evolved into a sharper, more angular look, topped by a sleek new saloon hard top, which extends from aft cockpit to forward cockpit. The aft area and the forward cockpit have increased in size, and she is finished off with a saloon sized overhead skylight.

With side to side sliding doors opening between the aft cockpit and the main saloon, it creates a large, well-ventilated living area during clement weather and two well-protected areas while at sea. Panoramic views of the ocean have been improved with larger and sharper windows, giving a full view forward from the aft cockpit. Despite its larger living areas and its higher level of sophistication, the Leopard 45 is faithful to its pedigree of robust, easy to maintain, easy to maneuver, blue water catamarans."

The forward cockpit is accessible via a weather tight door, and a raised helm station provides excellent visibility while being well protected. Onboard entertaining is accentuated with ample dining area and forward facing L shaped seating, allowing direct communication with the galley, which is forward. The interior has an elegant, light finish that is accented with grey contrasts. True to form, the design is open, modern and fresh, with a focus on quality of finish and materials. The stylish interior is designed for ample headroom, an ergonomic layout, and delivers safety and comfort at sea. 

WILLIWAW LAYOUT 

Williwaw features a 3 cabin-3 head layout. The 3 cabin layout includes 2 cabins in the port hull, leaving the starboard hull entirely dedicated to the owner"s suite, complete with work station and large private washroom.

L.O.A.: 45 ft L.W.L.: 42 ft 11 in Beam: 24 ft 2 in Draft: 5 ft. 1 in Mast Height:  

Engine: 2x 45 hp Propeller Dimensions: 3"blade 406 x 380 mm Engine No. Cylinders: 3 Fuel: 185 gal

Head: 3 Showers: 3 inside plus outside deck shower Cabins: 3 doubles. 1 master and 2 doubles, one double has an extra berth. 

Extra Details

Water: 206 gal  Mainsail Area (Standard): 1328 sq ft Displacement: 31967 lbs

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