SAIL Magazine noted that the Excess 12 was the first Excess model to reach U.S. shores, appearing at the Annapolis show. Boat of the Year judges later named it Best Midsize Cruising Catamaran for 2020.
Design and Construction
Excess Catamarans launched the line as a sportier alternative to the production catamarans then available. The Excess 12 follows that brief through careful weight control and reshaped hulls.
The boat is built in three sections. It shares the Lagoon 40’s bridgedeck and inner-hull design below the waterline, but VPLP reworked the outer hull sections with two new chines that create more interior volume.
Construction uses vacuum infusion, with balsa coring in the deck and in the hull above the waterline. Compared with the Lagoon 40, a literal ton of weight was removed, most of it from the interior furnishings. The designers stripped furniture from the saloon and cabins, replaced hanging lockers with fabric garment bags, and substituted cupboards for drawers, with most of the weight savings coming from the interior furnishings. Conventional hardware such as drawer pulls was also removed.
The result is a light-ship weight of 22,712 pounds, a displacement-to-length ratio of 185, and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18 in Standard trim and 19 in the Pulse version.
Rig and Sailing Performance
Both the Standard and Pulse versions carry a self-tacking jib and square-top mainsail. The mast sits well aft, allowing a smaller main that’s easier for shorthanded crews to manage.
The Pulse version adds a 3-foot-taller mast and 54 square feet of sail. It also adds gray, tri-radial laminate sails from Incidence and an 86-square-foot-larger Code 0 set on an optional sprit. On the Standard boat, an optional sprit also provides the attachment point for a Code 0.
All sail-control lines lead to the twin wheels, which sit outboard and well aft on each hull. There’s no flybridge. Testers found the steering quite nimble, and once the sails were trimmed, tacking required only a turn of the wheel.
In light air of 7 to 10 knots, the boat made 4.5 to 5 knots at 50 degrees apparent and increased to 5.4 knots at 75 degrees. In gusts of 25 to 30 knots, it sailed at better than 8 knots both closehauled and reaching. Despite the spray, both helms remained dry.
Cockpit and Helms
The twin helm stations are integrated into the outboard hull sides at hip level. From there, the driver can watch the bows while docking, with sightlines extending to the tips of both bows.
Each helm has a double seat that folds up to clear the aft steps and swim platforms. A bimini wraps inward from outboard to shade the helms, while its center section slides open to provide an unobstructed view of the mainsail. Clear rather than tinted glass throughout helps with visibility at night.
The starboard helm carries a Raymarine MFD and the engine controls. The port helm has wind instruments and a tablet repeater. Adding engine controls to both sides is optional. One tester noted that the aft corner of the cabin creates a blind spot from the wheel.
Accommodations
The Excess 12 is available with four cabins and four heads, four cabins and two heads, or three cabins and two heads.
In the owner’s version, the port hull contains the master suite. It has a cut-away berth aft, a large head and shower forward, and a vanity desk and sofa amidships. In the starboard hull, two double cabins share one head.
The streamlined interior includes a corner navigation desk just forward of the galley to port. An optional Fischer Panda genset has its start controls in the owner’s cabin.
The test boat’s accordion sunroof opened manually. However, because the canvas center section can’t be stepped on, the sunroof made it harder to tuck lines into the mainsail bag. The microwave’s elevated position on a pedestal also drew criticism for looking odd.
Engines and Equipment
Standard power comes from twin 29 hp Yanmar diesels with saildrives. One test boat was upgraded to 39 hp engines. At 2,000 rpm, testers recorded 6.5 knots, while wide-open throttle added another knot.
In a separate test with Flexofold propellers, the boat reached 6.8 knots at 3,700 rpm and 6.1 knots at 2,300 rpm.
The engines are accessed through the transoms, but they sit far enough forward that reaching the belts and impellers requires a stretch. The aft starboard engine room also has space for an optional watermaker.
The Excess 12 is sold in Standard and Pulse trim, with gray or orange accents.
Verdict
The Excess 12 succeeds as a lighter, more responsive cruising catamaran, trading some creature comforts for livelier sailing. Its VPLP-designed hull chines and stripped-back interior provide volume and agility without the flybridge bulk of its cousins. The aft-mast rig also makes shorthanded sailing genuinely simple.
The awkward access to belts and impellers and the conflict between the sunroof and mainsail-bag line stowage are real drawbacks, but they’re relatively minor beside the boat’s pace and excellent visibility.
Pros
- Reshaped, chined hulls add interior volume while cutting a ton compared with the Lagoon 40
- Aft-mast, self-tacking rig is easy for shorthanded crews to manage
- Clear sightlines to both bow tips
- Helms stayed dry in spray
- Strong light-air and breezy performance for a 38-foot cruiser
Cons
- Belts and impellers are a stretch to reach from the transom engine access
- Accordion sunroof complicates mainsail-bag line stowage
- Microwave placement on a pedestal looks awkward
- Aft cabin corner creates a blind spot from the helm
