Design and Construction
The hulls are balsa-cored fiberglass, vacuum-bagged to keep voids down and resin content tightly controlled anchor, while the keels are filled with closed-cell foam to add buoyancy and slow any moisture migration. The bridgedeck occupies roughly 80 percent of the lateral deck area, creating a vast central volume but leaving only 3ft 3in of clearance underneath at half load — a trade that favors accommodation over open-ocean bridgedeck clearance. Empty the boat sits just over 53,000 lb; with a near-20,000 lb payload it climbs to about 73,000 lb, confirming its brief as a long-term liveaboard or charter platform. The masthead stands 96 feet above the water and the boom is 20 feet high, with good old-fashioned aluminum spars rather than exotic materials.
Rig and Handling
All control lines, including the single sheet for the self-tending jib, run to a trio of electric Lewmar winches right at the helm anchor, which makes short-handed maneuvering plausible despite the boat's size. A hydraulic helm gives little tactile connection to the wetted surface three stories below, so testers counsel keeping a close eye on wind instruments and the rudder-angle indicator. The standard sail plan is a fractional sloop with 2,010 sq ft of area; the optional sprit and screecher are advised for anyone wanting more pace off the wind. In 20 knots apparent, the boat made 9 knots at a 60-degree angle and 7 knots close-hauled at 40 degrees in flat water, though on a broad reach in over 15 knots it dropped under 5.5 knots at 120 degrees — a typical catamaran profile where deep angles are not its forte.
Power and Propulsion
Standard power is a pair of 75 hp Yanmar diesels on saildrives turning three-blade fixed props anchor. At full revs (2,800) testers recorded 8.9 knots; at a 2,000 rpm cruise both engines still delivered just over 7 knots. Owners report the most efficient motoring is a single prop at 2,000 rpm, which yielded 5.7 knots in testing and is said to burn just over one gallon per hour. House power comes from 6 x 210 AH batteries with 2 x 100 AH engine starts, a bank sized for the boat's considerable hotel loads.
Accommodations
The galley and saloon together span 750 square feet, an extraordinary footprint wrapped in cherry-laminate bulkheads and Austrian walnut cabin soles. Headroom is a generous 6ft 6in throughout. Berths measure 4ft 9in by 6ft 6in forward, 5ft 1in by 6ft 6in aft, and a further 4ft 9in by 6ft 6in on the bridgedeck, giving multiple double bunks across the layout. An enormous flybridge with a targa top stretching across nearly half the boat's length adds a sheltered upper social deck, while a hydraulically controlled aft platform lowers into the water for tender storage and swimming.
The Verdict
The Leopard 58 is a thoroughly modern volume catamaran: heavily built, enormously accommodating, and engineered for owner or charter life rather than raw performance. Its bridgedeck and tankage numbers mark it as a long-range liveaboard, and the helm-side winch layout keeps handling manageable. The broad reach speed falloff and detached hydraulic steering are the price of its scale.
Pros
- Vast 750 sq ft saloon/galley with 6ft 6in headroom
- All control lines led to helm-adjacent electric winches
- Vacuum-bagged balsa hulls with foam-filled keels
- Efficient single-engine motoring at ~1 gal/hr reported
- Hydraulic aft platform for tender and swim access
Cons
- Only 3ft 3in bridgedeck clearance at half load
- Broad-reach speed drops under 5.5 knots in moderate breeze
- Hydraulic helm gives little feel for the rudders
