Why a Leopard 50?
Living aboard long-term with young kids, while planning to sail offshore, and stay at anchor in fairly remote areas, we sought a boat that offered large living spaces and storage, as well as an inherently safe layout.
We set our sight on catamarans in the 45-50 foot range, large enough for the comfort we wanted but still manageable short-handed. While a lighter and faster sailing boat would have been nice, we discarded performance-oriented models such as from Outremer, Catana or Balance due to their much higher price for a much smaller living space. So like many cruising families we considered the popular French cruising catamarans manufacturers like Lagoon, Fountaine Pajot, Bali & Nautitech. We had experienced most of them during various charter holidays, however the Leopard catamarans, which are not common in Europe, had caught our eye at a boat show and were our favourite for a few reasons, primarily comfort and safety related.
Helm position
While it sacrifices some steering feel and opposite corner visibility, the mid-height helm (a.k.a bulkhead helm) is our preferred setup over the aft helm and flybridge helm. Aft helms are great for rudder feel and reverse-docking, but are very exposed to the elements in case of rough weather. Flybridge helms are great for visibility, but mean a raised boom which affects sailing performance and the ease of accessing the sail when needed, plus they make communication difficult with the rest of the crew downstairs.
They each have their compromises, but we feel the mid helm position (which Leopard catamarans share with Fountaine Pajot and the smaller Lagoon models) is the safest and the most convenient overall. It's easy to fully enclose it to stay dry and it's always right there next to the salon to quickly grab something or adjust a sheet. Also, since all the lines come back to the helm (including reefing lines and spinnaker sheets) it's easy to sail single-handed while the other parent is busy downstairs with the kiddos.
Our first crossing: Bay of Biscay, Aug 2024
Roof lounge and front cockpit with front access door
These are fantastic both at anchor and underway. Sundowners or morning yoga up top, quiet reading break or family brunch at the front... they offer more options to hang out together or take some (sometimes much needed!) time alone. Importantly they mean there is always a windy/windless sunny/shady spot where one can cool down/warm up when necessary.
When sailing in anything but roughest conditions the front cockpit seats are perfectly safe and dry and are a great place to get some fresh air and reduce seasickness. On top of that they make it easier and safer to reach the boom or the head sail when necessary.
Note that on the Leopard 45 and 50 the stairs to access the lounge are right behind the helm seat (but on the opposite side of the boat on other models), which we like because we can see/help the kids getting up and down from the helm.
Rooftop sunset dinners: Middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Nov 2024
Internal layout and windows
More unique to Leopard is the forward facing kitchen sink and full-height wrap-around windows in the salon. While this makes doing the dishes more pleasant, it also means there is great forward vision while seated inside which is convenient when eating underway or on watch duty from inside. The large skylight above adds even more natural light to make the salon feel bright and airy, with the added benefit of being able to see the mainsail from under.
Different front yard in the Cheasapeake: USA, May 2025
Airflow
This is the big one that Leopard absolutely nailed, while some other manufacturers seem to have never actually cruised in warm and/or rainy places. Fiberglass boats are basically uninsulated green houses, so since most people sail during summer time or under the tropics, airflow is critical to avoid sleeping in hotbox hell or running energy-hungry aircon for those lucky enough to have it. The aft-cabins are typically the worst because with the curved shape of the hulls they do not get much of the head wind at anchor.
Thankfully on Leopard catamarans there is one large ceiling hatch, one side porthole and one rear porthole in the aft guest cabin. Plus another small ceiling hatch and side porthole in the ensuite. The master adds an extra small hatch in the room, and another large one in the bathroom, for a total of 7 openings!
Even better, the salon has 2 large portholes but also the front cockpit door which is almost 2m tall. Open it at anchor and close the aft cockpit one and all that anchorage breeze now heads down to cool down the cabins.
But in the tropics it often rains too, so don't we need to close the door and the portholes to avoid getting wet inside? No, because Leopard catamarans have that long "visor" ahead of the mast that covers the front cockpit. First it shades the windows from the sun to limit heating, but second it prevents rain from reaching the windows even when windy, so the door and portholes can remain open and do their cooling job, brilliant!
Second Atlantic crossing: Bermuda to the Azores, June 2025
Quality of interiors
The idea was to sail for a year, knowing if we potentially liked it, we could do another year (or more who knows now?), but a massive tick in the box was that we wanted our floating home to feel like, well…just that: a home!
The interiors of the L50 were by far unmatched to any other catamaran within the same price range we looked at. The design is light and airy, the quality of the wooden carpentry and finishes down to all the smart designs mentioned above like the skylight features both in the galley and helm enhancing brightness and visibility, and the very cosy feel of the galley, which also has a cool feature: our galley dining table turns into a giant 5th bed (very used during rough passages or night shifts!)
Other considerations compared to closest competitors
Cable steering gives better feedback than hydraulic
Deeper keel and rudders should give better upwind performance
Higher bridgedeck clearance reduces slamming in heavy seas
Specifically, why the Leopard 50 over the 45?
Given Antoine is 6'4''/1.95m and bangs his head multiple times a day in most boats we chartered, the extra headroom was necessary to keep him healthy long term!
More seriously between kids toys/books/school supplies, food/tools/spare parts plus our various watersport equipment (SUP, kites, wings etc) we felt the extra storage capacity wouldn't go astray. Plus the ability to have a roomy owners' cabin with 3 guest cabins was appealing as we planned to regularly welcome friends and family members aboard. A larger boat can also accommodate a larger (350kg) & more capable tender, which is valuable as it makes provisioning and exploring further away safer and easier.
We also expect the longer waterline and marginally deeper draught to bring slightly better performance upwind and in heavier seas.
The downside is of course budget, upfront and also during marina stays and for hauling out, but we were lucky to find our dream Leopard 50 for sale 2nd hand at a price we could afford.
