Hull, Architecture, and Design Philosophy
VPLP's hull form is the foundation everything else rests on. The geometry was refined with feedback gathered from some 310 previous Outremer owners, making it an evolutionary design grounded in real-world passage-making rather than tank testing alone. The result is an efficient shape that allows the boat to match wind speed up to around 12 knots — a threshold Outremer considers central to its environmental philosophy. As commercial director Matthieu Rougevin-Baville framed it, if you can sail at 5 knots you can sail 95% of the time, reducing reliance on the twin 60 hp diesels to genuine emergencies. One owner famously sailed round the world with his family yet filled the tanks only three times.
At 27.2 feet of beam and a light displacement of 13,500 kg, the boat is wide enough to feel like a small apartment yet disciplined enough in weight to remain genuinely fast. The daggerboard option — offered in addition to fixed appendages — delivers 15 degrees better windward performance, which on a cruising catamaran is the difference between laying an angle and motor-sailing in frustration.
Rig, Helm, and Short-Handed Handling
Outremer's determination not to fall into what its CEO Xavier Desmarest called the Saab syndrome — disappearing because you failed to renew yourself — manifests most clearly in the helm arrangement. The signature feature is a tilting helm pedestal that allows you to sit up on the side deck in fine weather, or shelter under the hard top when conditions deteriorate. The result is three usable helm positions: comfortable seating on each side, a standing support in the middle position, or a sheltered cockpit station — each offering full command of the boat. Tillers remain available as an option, but Outremer worked specifically to give the wheel genuine helm feedback, an often-neglected detail on production cats.
The sail plan is generous: 104 m² of mainsail and a 68 m² genoa as the working wardrobe, with a self-tacking jib (48 m²) and options for a 140 m² gennaker or a 220 m² asymmetric spinnaker. Powered winches are electric rather than hydraulic, saving kilos and simplifying maintenance. Everything about the setup is aimed at short-handed bluewater sailing; former Lagoon 52 owners who stepped aboard one of the early deliveries described it as both comfortable and easy to maneuver.
Accommodations and Interior Ergonomics
The saloon is where VPLP and Darnet Design's collaboration is most visible. A wide opening at the rear completely dissolves the boundary between cockpit and interior, creating ergonomic continuity of space rather than the segmented layout typical of production cats. Bay windows retract fully behind the coachroof bulkhead, and the 360-degree view from the saloon and cockpit means navigation awareness is never sacrificed to cooking or conversation — the forward sight line stays unbroken even from the chart table. A central island in the galley can transform into a high table with a fold-up shelf, adding a social dimension to what is otherwise working cabinetry.
Ventilation was treated as a design priority rather than an afterthought, with Outremer explicitly positioning it as preferable to air conditioning, which needs more fuel and results in additional weight. The coachroof carries 2.3 kW of solar panels, and with that generation capacity Outremer claims electrical self-sufficiency — sufficient to run watermakers, dishwashers, and the full hotel load without the engines. CE certification covers 8 to 16 persons, and the layout is offered in three-cabin owner or four-cabin charter configurations.
Construction and Technical Improvements
Outremer's position inside the Grand Large group — the same group that owns Gunboat — has brought measurable structural benefits. The coachroof is now stiffer despite being lighter and having more openings, a counterintuitive achievement that reflects improvements in lamination transferred across the group. The structure is designed to accommodate electric propulsion once the technology matures; the current twin-diesel installation was explicitly sized knowing that the boat has been designed to accommodate an electric propulsion system as soon as the technologies are complete and reliable.
Known Considerations and Refit Support
Because the 55-2 is a relatively recent design, the community of long-term owners is still young and the catalog of well-documented structural issues remains thin. What is documented is that the builder backs the boat with an integrated services arm — Outremer Services within Grand Large Services — offering seminars, sea training, charter, refit, and an approved partner network. For buyers considering long ocean passages, that factory support infrastructure matters more than it might on a mass-market brand.
The one practical consideration worth noting is the air draught of 80.7 feet. The mast height restricts access to certain bridges and marinas that short-masted cats pass freely, a routine planning factor for Mediterranean and inland waterway itineraries.
The Verdict
The Outremer 55-2 is a rare boat that earns its premium positioning through engineering rather than marketing. VPLP's hull form, the tilting-helm ergonomics, the lamination advances borrowed from Gunboat, and the disciplined weight management combine to produce a catamaran that can genuinely be sailed offshore by two people without compromise. It is not a floating condo that can occasionally sail; it is a performance passagemaker that happens to be livable.
Pros
- VPLP hull delivers genuine light-air performance, matching wind speed to around 12 knots under sail
- Tilting helm pedestal with multiple positions is the most thoughtfully engineered steering arrangement in its class
- Electric winches, solar self-sufficiency, and superior ventilation reduce running costs and engine hours
- Daggerboard option adds meaningful windward ability relative to fixed-keel competitors
- Stiffer, lighter coachroof from improved lamination process
- Factory-backed Outremer Services refit and training network for offshore owners
Cons
- 80.7-foot air draught restricts access to bridges and certain marina berths
- Three-cabin owner layout leaves less volume than four-cabin charter rivals if privacy for guests is a priority
- As a newer model, the long-term offshore track record is still accumulating compared to Outremer's older 51 and 5X platforms
- Air conditioning requires optional installation; the ventilation-first philosophy suits warm-weather sailors but demands planning in colder climates
