The story began with the reconstruction of a 111-foot monohull named Magistral and quickly continued with the 115′ Obsession II built at CIM. But it was the launch of the three Yapluka 72 from 2006 onwards that really “made its mark on the industry, as these were the first catamarans of this calibre,” says Olivier Racoupeau. Although not all of the projects exhibited in model form every year for more than twenty years at the Monaco Yacht Show and at the Superyacht France pavilion at Boot Düsseldorf have come to fruition, three 110-foot catamarans were built in China at Jin Long Mega Yachts. But it was Nahema, one of the three Yapluka 72s built, on which he sailed for 10 seasons, that the owner of the 107-foot catamaran currently under construction at Baltic Yachts had in mind when he contacted the agency. In this extremely confidential market, Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design’s experience is recognized, while “multihulls are undeniably the way forward for sailing superyachts,” according to Olivier Racoupeau. “Clients find the same qualities as on motor yachts: comfort, living space on board, sailing pleasure, plus the ecological aspect of sailing, which more and more people are sensitive to. A sailing yacht is naturally a hybrid vessel, imbued with a certain poetry, healthy, potentially sporty and dynamic like the Air Yacht 80, but still comfortable and convivial at the same time.”
Isabelle Racoupeau points out that on these one-off projects, “the codes are different, with a level of detail that shows that we are really in another world, a much more luxurious one. A production boat has to appeal to as many people as possible, whereas a custom-built boat has to appeal to ONE customer; we make it to measure.” “It’s therefore a different process from that of a production boat, even a 60 or 70-footer, as the priorities are completely different,” adds Olivier Racoupeau. “From a formal point of view, the way we design things changes because of the volume. On a 70-footer, as on a smaller boat, we work a lot on sharing space, arranging it more peripherally, seeking to enhance the volume. On larger sizes, the approach is reversed; on the contrary, we seek to stage the living spaces, to highlight them by adding details that will catch the eye.” The team’s commitment is, of course, commensurate with the ambition of these extremely complex projects. Seven people were involved at one stage or another in the development of the Air Yacht 80: preliminary design, exterior styling, interior design, digital modelling, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) calculations, etc.
Although these projects span several years, the upcoming launches of these two vessels, the Air Yacht 80 and the 107, once again demonstrate Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design’s expertise in the large multihull segment. This is a rapidly growing market in which Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design is able to respond in a unique and comprehensive manner to the most demanding requirements.
CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL
Patrick SASSIER, representative of the owners of the Air Yacht 80 and Baltic 107 under construction at Baltic Yachts
With an initial 60,000 nautical miles on board Magic Cat (82′) and then several seasons on the Allures 101′ catamarans, Patrick Sassier quickly built up solid experience in the world of large multihulls. This background led François Bich to entrust him with the Vitalia II project, the world’s fastest cruising catamaran, based on Bruno Peyron’s Orange II. In monohulls, he has skippered a 56-meter Perini Navi and a 43-meter Vitters, so it’s fair to say that the world of superyachts holds few secrets for him. His opinion on his collaboration with Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design on the Air Yacht 80 and 107 projects under construction at Baltic Yachts was invaluable to us, particularly on the latter, which he has followed every step of the way.
During the consulting phase of the Baltic 107 project (launch scheduled for spring 2027), for which they wanted a French architectural firm to work with the shipowner, “it was obvious that Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design had to be on the list. From the very first meeting, the feeling between Olivier Racoupeau and the owner was excellent. Olivier has this passion within him and knows how to listen to this type of clientele. The fact that they take care of everything makes sense.” Even though the owner has called on his personal interior designer, Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design understands the issues and provides excellent advice for the smooth progress of the project. Patrick Sassier continues, “I talk to everyone as needed. They’re a great team, with Jeanne Bouvier, the project manager, as the main point of contact. The good thing is that we can talk to them about everything, far beyond the design, such as the technical layout, and all the discussions are interesting. On a custom boat, the architectural agency has to constantly adapt to the client. If it’s possible, we develop it, and if it’s not possible, we have to know how to frame it. And that’s the strength of Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design: they know how to differentiate between their work on production boats and listening to a private client. That’s why they perform so well in the superyacht world. Working with Olivier and his team was definitely the right choice.“
