A Sailing on the Cheap Boatlife

 

Granted, to call the new Excess 11 catamaran “small” is nuts. At 37ft long and nearly 22ft wide, she’s anything but petite. Nonetheless, as the entry point into Beneteau’s new Excess (or XCS) line, which also includes the Excess 12 and 15, she’s the baby of a bunch. More to the point, this baby exceeded all expectations on a recent test sail on the Chesapeake Bay.

VPLP is the naval architect behind the Excess line. Patrick Le Quement has also contributed exterior flair while Nauta Design has focused on the interiors. The hull for the XCS 11 is all-new, as opposed be being comprised of repurposed Lagoon sections, as was the case with the 12 and 15, with twin chines leading aft, creating more interior volume and a slightly different exterior aesthetic. The XCS 11 also has a lower and sleeker profile than the other two, giving her a look that is both speedy and aggressive. living on a yacht

Construction is done in three sections, all vacuum-infused, with balsa coring in the deck and the hull above the waterline. Another notable difference between the 11 and the 12 and 15 is a hard Bimini edge that hasn’t been rounded off, in the interest of saving weight. It looks different from what we’re used to, but it suits her.

All models in the Excess line have twin helm stations aft and no fly bridge. A double seat for the driver and a companion unfolds behind each wheel. These seats work well. 

There’s an option for engine controls at both helm pods, which is always nice to see on a cat. The controls are outboard and at hip level, right where they should be, so you can work them without having to bend over when docking.

Another point that deserves a nod is visibility. Typically, outboard helms mean you can see the transoms and the bow directly in front of you, but the other bow is obscured. A terrific surprise aboard the Excess 11 is the fact you can actually see through the saloon window to the opposite corner. The saloon windows are even clear rather than tinted, making it that much easier seeing where you’re going. Everyone aboard during my test sail remarked on how well thought-through this feature is.

Our test boat had the optional soft accordion sunroof, which opens and closes manually. It it’s a nice option that allows you to open things up in nice weather. Be warned, though, that it can also make it difficult to tuck the reefing lines into the bag once you’ve dropped the mainsail, since you can’t step on it. An important change that needs to be made topside is extending the non-skid finish on the hardtop out toward the edges, since these edges can get quite slippery when wet. Single long handrails to either side of the cabin trunk, as opposed to the two small rails currently there, would also be nice to have.

Forward pulpit seats are optional, and the bow roller launches the anchor from the front crossbeam. This puts the weight of the anchor well up toward the bows, which isn’t ideal. However, it also means the chain won’t cut into the hulls when the cat swings at anchor. Midway through our test sail, someone pointed out the fact we had six people in the cockpit, and there was plenty of room for all.