Design and Construction
Lombard's hull treatment is the heart of the 13's character. The asymmetric hulls carry fine beams below the waterline to slice through waves, then swell out from sculpted full-length chines to preserve generous living space above anchor. Excess engineered the boat lighter than its past models and held to that target, using infused balsa-cored sandwich hulls with solid laminate below the waterline and a deck produced by the builder's new "infujection" process — a blend of infusion and injection intended to keep the sandwich deck as light as possible. A single beam-wide bulkhead divides cockpit from saloon and simultaneously forms the aft-cabin boundaries, while the ringframe sections in those aft cabins are 35mm-thick PET foam sandwich structures. Weight saving runs through the details: cabin doors double as locker doors, and the large forepeak sail lockers are left bare unless a crew cabin is specified.
Rig and Handling
The rig is stepped well forward, with the mast then brought aft so the low boom overhangs the coachroof and a front access ladder puts the lazy bag at eye level. A large mainsail is led straight to a long traveller on the aft beam, its controls running to a winch at the starboard helm, while floating thimbles take the genoa sheets aft for a tight sheeting angle without heavy fixed tracks. Test sailors found the steering direct and balanced, with a communicative weather helm that let the helmsman cross to the opposite wheel without engaging the autopilot. The pronounced rake gives lively responsiveness, and in trials the 13 consistently held late-7-to-8-knot averages at 40 degrees to apparent wind through waves that stalled other designs, and upwind out-sailed a new 50-foot cruising monohull. The Pulse line version adds 9 square metres of upwind sail area via a taller mast that testers said is needed to draw the best from the boat.
Accommodations
Piaton's interior makes deliberate use of non-slip cork in locker bases and carbon-fibre rods to lighten furniture. The layout offers three or four cabins; the starboard owners' suite has a desk facing forward for working, a proper walk-in closet, and a bright en suite with twin basins and a separate shower stall, while the large forward port cabin shares the Excess 14's berth size and links to a second head via a common shower compartment that can instead become a laundry. The galley's U-shape forward of the cockpit table works from inside or out with deep pull-out bins accessed from the passageway, and a forward-facing navstation gives a protected watch position with clear visibility. Two large forward coachroof windows open for ventilation, and writing in Yachting World, the reviewers judged the 13 to offer more accommodation volume than any other yacht in its category anchor.
Known Issues
The principal drawback is acoustic. Testers found the helms loud with apparent wind and wake noise, since the voluminous hulls create drag and the wheels sit close to that wake until the boat begins planing. The beamy hulls and high freeboard also drew a frank note that the 13 will not win a beauty prize.
Refits and Ownership
Practical ownership details are mostly about outfitting the roof and transoms. The composite coachroof can be left bare, covered in solar, or fitted with skylounge seating or a convertible bimini, and it carries rainwater harvesting wells. New folding platform transoms form swim platforms when lowered and seal the scoop when raised, while the helm bench lowers to contain the helmsman and improved biminis add sun protection over earlier models.
The Verdict
The Excess 13 is a genuinely different second-generation Excess: lighter, sharper, and far more communicative than the volume-oriented first wave, yet still roomy enough for serious cruising. It rewards an active helmsman and punishes those who want a silent, flybridge-shaded helm.
Pros
- Lighter build than prior Excess models, held strictly to design weight
- Direct, balanced steering with monohull-like feedback
- Strong upwind performance exceeding a 50-foot cruising monohull in testing
- More interior volume than any yacht in its category per Yachting World
- Flexible three- or four-cabin layouts with practical galley and navstation
Cons
- Helm noise from wake and apparent wind until planing
- Beamy, high-freeboard profile not conventionally pretty
- Pulse line taller mast required to realise full potential
