In the past, cat shipyards often used the following scheme when designing their motorised multihulls: take a large sailing catamaran, remove the mast and install two larger engines. This made it possible to utilise existing hull shapes and satisfy the thirst for large surface areas and space. Some build the models with engines only even more expansive than those with sails and with a length to width ratio of 50 to 50 and sometimes more.
Bluegame stands out
The fact that Bluegame takes a different approach is immediately apparent at the stern. Here, the two hulls are only visible for a few centimetres above the surface of the water. A sheer deck and the all-round transom shine above them. From this perspective, the BGM75 could easily pass for a very wide monohull. However, the ratio between LOA and Bmax is 50 to 35, while monohulls are around 50 to 25. This niche existence within the niche led the Italians to consistently avoid the term catamaran for their premiere on two hulls. Bluegame founder Luca Santella reveals shortly before casting off: "The difference in width to competitors of the same length is two metres. We have developed the BGM75 from scratch and want to appeal to customers from the motorised monohull sector." Ardent supporters of the original catamaran concept are less likely to be targeted.
Santella is a former professional sailor and captain and a trained architect. He founded the motorboat brand in 2005. Since the takeover by Sanlorenzo six years ago, the Italian, who co-designed Sanlorenzo's SX line, has been Head of Product Strategy at Bluegame. After the takeover, there was room for a Powercat. Santella realised that there was more to be gained from twin hulls in terms of efficiency and seaworthiness. "There are a lot of details, such as the narrow bow, that help to get away from the stereotype of a cat," says Luca Santella about the 22.70 metre long and 8.15 metre wide design. The compact dimensions enabled Zuccon International Project to develop lines that are in line with the existing monohull series.
Optimised hulls
A dream team for the Sanlorenzo Group's first multi Philippe Briand joins in as the boat leaves the port of Cannes. The French designer has already optimised the hulls of the SD series for the parent company and is now talking about pioneering work: "Nobody has done this before. Sailing catamarans are wider because they have to withstand the power of the sails. We started work on the study in 2018." There was a pitch among five design offices that have made a name for themselves in the multihull market. The Frenchman waits impatiently on the flybridge for us to reach the open sea. There is hardly any wind, but there is a little swell in the bay. Briand explains: "Another reason for the narrow concept is to improve comfort. This is because cats with a wide beam roll unsteadily, which is due to the very short rolling period. Monohulls move back and forth very slowly." Off Cannes, the Bluegame-Multi is balanced in the water and shows minimal rolling. The lack of a gyro stabiliser seems like a self-confident gesture, although it is probably included in the range. In fact, the BGM75 hardly rolls even when stationary - and when it does, it is very slow and sluggish.
Colours and materials inspired by the 1950s
If the waves come from the front, the ups and downs in the longitudinal direction are somewhat more noticeable. This does not dampen the pleasure of the concave recess of the foredeck - beautifully finished in teak and without a railing to the front. The foredeck always remains dry because a pronounced V runs through the centre of the foredeck, making the BGM75 almost a trimaran. The sea fence on the flanks, which is discreetly restrained with carbon supports and Dyneema rigging in matt black, leads into the rather short superstructure with windscreens that slant forwards, typical of Bluegame. In the demonstration version, two sofas form the saloon, with a dining area and lounge in front of it with designer furniture, which interior designer Piero Lissoni has chosen and positioned accurately, as he has already done for various Sanlorenzo models. The Italian star architect concealed the only interior helm station in a mahogany-panelled column next to the staircase. Piero Lissoni says: "The warm colours and the choice of materials are inspired by the spirit of the mahogany-planked boats of the 1950s."
Also interesting:
As an option, Bluegame has created a galley on the main deck in favour of a fourth cabin on the lower deck, which is actually one here. The galley and crew quarters for three people on the port side almost reach the two guest cabins. Their beds rise up to form a tunnel between the hulls. The suite in the bow, on the other hand, occupies the full height and width and completely breaks with the layout of two separate hulls. This was made possible by pulling the hull slightly upwards. To prevent the BGM75 from appearing too bulky, small pixels on the windows of the owner's suite create the illusion of a smooth ship's side from the outside. Inside, a pronounced coving on the ceiling gives the sleeping area a pleasant cocoon-like feel. The cosiness is reinforced by taupe-coloured walls and ceilings, the warm wooden floor and the Eames armchair, which is obligatory for Lissoni designs. Velvety light streams from the bathroom on the port side through a grooved glass partition.
BGM75 shows a consumption advantage over mono displacers
The continuity, which is unusual for multihulls, is also evident aft on the bathing platform, which even extends the hatches to the sides. The high-gloss black paintwork looks like a continuous band of windows, but instead of living space it encloses the tender garage and the external engine compartments. There, Volvo Penta engines with 588 kilowatts each work on IPS units. Despite the slightly wider hulls and the "lowered" tunnel in between, the BGM75 shows a fuel consumption advantage over mono displacers. An SD90 from Sanlorenzo, similar in propulsion power and volume, thirsts for 305 litres of diesel at 15 knots, whereas the BGM75 is content with 190 litres. At 1500 rpm and nine knots, the engines require a combined 31 litres per hour during the trip. The double load allows 19.5 knots, in which case 247 litres of diesel run through the pipes every hour. The next BGM will be even more economical in 2025. Bluegame wants to install Volvo Penta's IPS hybrid drive with two 80-kilowatt fuel cells in the 65HH.
Technical data
- Length over everything: 22,70 m
- Length (hull shape): 20,30 m
- Width: 8,15 m
- Draught (full): 1,30 m
- Displacement (empty): 48 t
- Material: GRP, carbon
- Motors: 2 x Volvo Penta D13 1050/1200
- Engine power: 2 x 588 kW/2 x 662 kW
- Speed (max.): 22 kn
- Speed (travelling): 20 kn
- Consumption @ 15 kn: 190 l/h
- Fuel: 1800 l
- Water: 500 l
- Navigation: Garmin
- Concept: Briand Yacht Design, Bluegame
- Construction: Briand Yacht Design
- Exterior design: Zuccon International Project
- Interior design: Lissoni & Partners
- Class: CE "B"
- Shipyard: Bluegame, 2023
- Starting price: 6.8 million euros
