With a 22-foot-9-inch beam and a modest 4-foot-3-inch draft, the Leopard 42 displaces 19,030 pounds and has a rated load of 12,900 pounds. Those figures place it squarely at the volume-carrying end of the midsize cruising-catamaran spectrum.
Design and Construction
The hulls are GRP with a balsa core and solid glass along the centerline. This layup is intended to provide structural strength and added protection against intrusion where the hulls meet the waterline.
An innovative stepped hull form increases interior volume while minimizing wetted surface. The design brief links this feature directly to exceptional load-carrying capacity. High bridgedeck clearance is intended to smooth the boat’s passage through waves for greater comfort.
Fixed skegs protect the rudders and provide solid attachment points for the rudder shafts. The skeg-protected, straight-shaft transmission is also a notable service feature: the running gear can be repaired or replaced in the water rather than on the hard.
Rig and Handling
The fractional sloop rig carries 1,227 square feet of sail. Its sail area is maximized to preserve performance even when the boat is loaded for a long passage.
At the aft end of the cockpit, the mainsheet traveler sits overhead on the trademark targa-wing arch, keeping the crew clear of the sheet path. Oversized Lewmar winches for the main and jib sheets are within easy reach of the double helm seat. All navigation instruments are grouped at the steering console for the person at the wheel.
Twin Yanmar 40-horsepower engines have both interior and exterior access, a practical arrangement for routine checks.
Accommodations
The Leopard 42 was offered with three- or four-cabin layouts. Each layout has en-suite showers and heads, while single berths are tucked into the forepeaks with access through the hulls.
The air-conditioned interior uses a galley-up layout with soft curves and Corian work surfaces. Separate chest refrigeration supports catering for a full complement, and the saloon table converts into a double berth for unexpected guests.
Louvred steps over the sloping saloon windows provide access to the roof and boom while shading the glass below. Large Lewmar Ocean Line hatches and 16 opening portholes provide thorough ventilation.
The deck layout is designed to make the cockpit safe. A direct walk-through leads to a wide aft bathing platform connecting the two transoms.
Equipment and Systems
The standard electrical system is built around redundancy, with three gel-cell service batteries, two gel-cell engine batteries, and two upgraded 90-amp alternators.
A 1000-watt Lofran electric windlass is positioned so it can also hoist the mainsail if needed, providing mechanical backup. The navigation station has an upgraded instrumentation panel, while the helm carries a complete electronics package: VHF, chart plotter/GPS, Autohelm 7000 autopilot, and a stereo with saloon and cockpit speakers.
Tankage includes 95 gallons of fuel, 211 gallons of water, and a 45-gallon holding tank.
Verdict
The first-generation Leopard 42 is a thoughtfully engineered bluewater catamaran that combines a stepped hull designed for interior volume with practical, owner-serviceable systems. Its skeg-protected shafts, solid glass along the centerline, and redundant electrical architecture point to a design focused on long-range self-sufficiency rather than showroom gloss.
Flexible three- and four-cabin layouts, along with the safe, walk-through cockpit, make it a plausible choice for either family voyaging or ex-charter use.
Pros
- Stepped hull increases volume while reducing wetted surface for load capacity
- Skeg-protected straight shafts can be repaired in the water
- Redundant battery and alternator setup is standard
- Air-conditioned three- and four-cabin layouts include forepeak berths
Cons
- Twin 40 HP diesels are the quoted standard power for a displacement of 19,030 lb
