With all of its experience designing racing and performance-oriented sailing yachts and cats, it’s no wonder that Van Peteghem Lauriot Prévost (VPLP) created this proposal, the VPLP 78. She’s intended for sailors seeking the livability of a catamaran, the intimacy of a megayacht requiring minimal crew, and of course the ability to harness the wind.
With a beam of 34’5” (10.5 meters), the 78’6” (23.95-meter) VPLP 78 certainly boasts more relaxation space than motoryachts and traditional sailing yachts of her size. It’s made all the more advantageous, too, by preventing the mast pillar from having to travel through the saloon. VPLP is engineering the carbon fiber mast’s weight and force to be absorbed by the roof, which will be constructed of fiberglass, as will the rest of the VPLP 78’s body.
Opening up the main deck makes for a more relaxed atmosphere. Witness the fact that the galley is on deck, open to the saloon and starboard-side helm forward plus the alfresco cockpit seating aft. The saloon can convert for dining, too; no formality needed aboard the VPLP 78. For an even better atmosphere, the sliding doors between the aft cockpit and the interior can be left open, as can a two-piece door from the helm to the forward cockpit. The 7’2” (2.2-meter) headroom in the saloon will make the tall set feel even more comfortable.
They’ll be happy with the below-decks headroom, too: 6’7” (2.05 meters). Here, VPLP envisions a king stateroom aft in each hull, with a twin stateroom forward of each. Should an owner want more than the two-person crew that VPLP calls for, one of the twins can be a crew cabin instead. Private stairs lead from the main deck to each stateroom/cabin, so it would be a simple switch. That crew cabin can alternately serve as the mess, too.
The crew can handle the sailing gear and drive from either of the two aft outside helms or the already mentioned interior helm. Control lines run below decks to prevent trips and falls, plus to preserve the VPLP 78’s looks. VPLP drew inspiration from its proven record-setting trimarans in designing the 103-foot-high (31.45-meter) mast and sail plan. Try these stats on for size: Upwind sail area, from the main sail and solent, is 3,466 square feet (322 square meters), while reaching sail area, from the main sail and gennaker, is 5,296 square feet (492 square meters). With that type of harnessing power aboard, it would be a shame to run the engines, though when necessary the twin 185-hp diesels could push the VPLP 78 to 12 knots, according to the designers. Five hundred twenty-eight gallons (2,000 liters) of fuel should permit getting from port to port go under those circumstances. Just keep an eye on the depthsounder, as draft with the board up is 4’3” (1.3 meters) but 14’8” (4.5 meters) when it’s down.
You can see a few more angles of the yacht, designed to meet CE classification standards, on the dedicated VPLP 78 website.
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