Design and Construction
The Thira 80 is a twin-keel catamaran with a solid foredeck and no trampolines, a departure from the open-net bows of earlier cats that instead yields a usable lounge platform forward. Wide, safe side decks with high bulwarks make transiting to the bow straightforward, and glass panels set into the gunwales keep the sightline clear for anyone seated in the saloon. The hulls are built in La Rochelle, France, and the stern is arranged like the beach club of a large motor yacht, with sugarscoops complemented by a large hydraulic platform that doubles as a swim terrace. Two side deck lounges with retractable balconies fold down over the water, and similar fold-down wings appear at the cockpit edges to expand the social footprint. A robust water-tight door leads directly from the cockpit into the interior saloon, a detail that speaks to the superyacht brief rather than the production roots of the design.
Rig and Handling
All line handling is led to twin flybridge helms, where electric winches and a proven fractional rig keep sail management contained at the steering stations. The working genoa and a light-wind Code Zero both run on electric furlers, and the standard wardrobe is an Incidence Hydranet ZZ set paired with a Profurl hydraulic furling system. With a 2,153-square-foot mainsail and a 1,507-square-foot genoa, the upwind sail area exceeds 3,500 square feet; in testing conducted in 10 knots of wind and smooth water, the boat proved ready to devour the miles under sail alone. Cruise speed in most conditions sits around 10 knots with a maximum near 13, and standard power is twin 270 hp diesels with options up to 425 hp per side.
Accommodations
Three main layout families are offered: Maestro, VIP, and a six-cabin version. The Maestro places a large owner's stateroom and bath forward in one hull, an impressive VIP stateroom with its own bath, and two guest cabins with double berths and ensuite heads. The VIP Maestro (galley-down) configuration lists one owner's suite, one VIP cabin, and two double cabins, each with dedicated baths, plus a crew quarter. The VIP version instead pairs the large owner's or VIP stateroom with four guest cabins, all with double berths and private baths, while the six-cabin layout gives six separate cabins with en suite baths and showers. The builder claims the owner's cabin exceeds the space of any other catamaran of her size, and the expansive ensuite can take a sauna, hammam, or whirlpool bath. Buyers may choose galley-up or galley-down, and an optional jacuzzi hot tub can be fitted to the forepeak. Crew are housed in a captain's cabin with a gull-wing door to the cockpit, two single bunks, and a mess area, with further berths possible in the forepeak lockers. Large paddleboard lockers sit atop each side deck.
Equipment and Power Systems
Transparent solar panels stretch over the side lounges, and Fountaine Pajot has built four kilowatts of flexible photovoltaics into the flybridge and salon roof, with another 4.2 kilowatts available in clear overhead panels as an upgrade. A hydraulic dinghy platform makes a swim terrace and stows a tender up to 4.3 meters. Freshwater capacity is 423 gallons with diesel at 634 plus an optional 264 gallons, supporting long independent passages. The boat will be offered in both sail and motor yacht versions.
The Verdict
The Thira 80 is a superyacht-scale catamaran that translates Fountaine Pajot's production-cat expertise into a personalized flagship, with a solid foredeck, fold-down balcony social spaces, and a sail plan that can carry her at double-digit speeds without engine assistance. The breadth of layout choice and the depth of owner-driven customization set her apart from the brand's prior production past, though the complexity of her hydraulic and electrical systems demands a serious ownership and maintenance posture.
Pros
- Largest and most customizable Fountaine Pajot catamaran to date, with superyacht-grade stern and side-deck beach-club spaces
- Proven fractional rig with electric furling and all controls at twin flybridge helms; strong upwind sail area over 3,500 sq ft
- Multiple owner, VIP, and six-cabin layouts with galley-up or -down and expansive ensuite options
- Serious solar capacity and tender stowage integrated as standard or upgrade
Cons
- 66.0-ton displacement and 36-foot beam place her outside normal marina and crewed-cat norms
- Heavy reliance on hydraulics (platform, balconies, furlers) implies elevated system-management load
- No trampolines and solid foredeck trade the open-catamaran feel for volume and structure
