PROUT CATAMARANS
by George Day
Blue Water Sailing
August 2008
Like a phoenix, the venerable English catamaran builder reemerges under a new company banner and with a whole new range of designs for the modern owner of big cruising cats.
The Prout name has long been associated with quality cruising catamarans, which were built in England for many years. A pioneer in the production cruising cat market, Prout made many innovations and tested many great ideas. More than 4,200 Prout cats were built over the years.
But, the new Prout is a far cry from the original company. After closing its doors in England several years ago, the company and the brand lay dormant while molds were sold and a new owner located.
Into the fray stepped Canadian boat builder Celebrity Yachts, which was well established as a builder of motor yachts in the Far East for the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets. Celebrity is a company that has been successful with big boats and knows how to take big ideas and make them happen.
That’s what the new Prout is all about: Big ideas, big boats and big builders behind them.
The first of the new boats to roll out of the Prout factory in China is the new Prout 72SC, designed by Bill Dixon. A sleek, modern cruising cat on a large scale, the 72SC has a powerful sloop rig, a trim cabin over narrow hulls, a huge cockpit aft and the new Prout innovation they call the “Beach Deck” aft of the cockpit. The 72SC—sailing catamaran—will make an amazing floating and cruising home.
The huge cockpit and saloon form an indoor-outdoor living space where you will have plenty of room to entertain your friends. The Beach Deck aft will be your launching pad for water sports and dinghy excursions. There is plenty of room aft for dive tanks, a compressor, dive gear and much more. And there is room enough on deck to stow sailboards, sailing dinghies, kayaks, and even a jet ski.
Prout 725C Salon
For most sailors and boat owners, the saloon of the 72SC will be the largest open space they have ever encountered on a private sailboat, since the boat has more than 40 feet of beam.
The hulls provide ample interior space for four cabins, each with their own en suite heads. But the interiors of the boats are all semi-custom so an owner could easily choose to have one hull all to himself with a large cabin, dressing room, large head and a study.
For those who want to indulge in a truly epic cruising boat that will cross oceans quickly and provide extraordinary living space, the new Prout 72SC has it all. The company is also prepared to build sailing catamarans in the 80, 93 and 100-foot range.
On a more humble level, Prout is building and will introduce at this October’s Annapolis Sailboat Show the new Prout 45. Like her big sisters, the 45 is a semi-custom cruising cat that has blue water capabilities.
The 45 will have several new design features that will set it apart from the rest of the fleet in the mid-40s range. The Beach Deck aft adds a lot of deck space and will be appreciated by owners as the transitional level between the dinghy and the cockpit.
Prout 725C Salon Rendering
Inside the saloon, Prout is offering a unique plan that has the galley aft next to the cockpit and is set up to function as a bar as well. The big dinette, which will sit four adults easily, is to port. Forward and to starboard there is a curved lounge and cocktail table that is raised one step to provide the best possible visibility through the vertical cabin windows.
The plan for the 45 shows two double cabins and a large head in each of the hulls. This can work fine but there will be owners who want to have their own head and not have to share with guests. No doubt Prout can accommodate this semi-custom alteration.
With a proven brand name and a solid company behind it, Prout rejoins the sailing and cruising market with innovative new designs and the ability to build what their customers really want.
Prout G55 Side View
POWER CATS THAT ROAR
Although Prout has long been known for building sailing and cruising catamarans, the new association with Celebrity Yachts, a powerboat and motor yacht builder, offers the company the opportunity to really delve into the burgeoning market for cruising power catamarans.
The company now has designs for eight power cat models from 50 to 98 feet, which can be built on a semi-custom basis. For those seeking a true mega yacht, the 98 footer has a huge owner’s cabin that stretches the full 30 feet of beam, huge guest cabins, a dining room that will seat 12 and deck space for dozens of friends and guests to lounge.
In the 50-foot range, the fly-bridge cat design looks sporty, fast and will be the most fuel-efficient, twin-engine power cruiser you can find.
Prout SLY 98C Interior layout
CHARTER A PROUT
Through Prout Catamarans in Ft. Lauderdale it is now possible to delve into the charter side of cruising and yacht ownership.
Prout has charter
vacations available in the Bahamas and can arrange for charters elsewhere.
On the yacht ownership side, the company has an ownership program for the Prout 55 that will allow you to own your own boat and earn money from charters in the weeks and months you can’t be aboard.
For more information contact:
Gary Fretz
Prout Catamarans
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
(954) 609-6282
boats@proutcats.com
www.proutcats.com
