Design and Construction
Lombard’s mid-1990s design combines a fibreglass hull with a length-to-beam ratio of 1.73. YachtDatabase notes that this places the Privilège 37 among the beamier small cruising catamarans and describes her as roomy compared with most similar sailing catamarans.
The hull is solid fibreglass rather than cored sandwich construction. The builder’s specifications list a displacement of roughly 14,300 pounds, with iron ballast in the twin-keel configuration. Draft varies from about 3.9 to 4.2 feet, depending on load, allowing her to enter marinas that exclude deeper-keel boats anchor.
Rig and Handling
The Privilège 37 has a masthead sloop rig, with a 49-foot-3 mast. Her sail plan comprises roughly 517 square feet in the mainsail and 344 square feet in the genoa.
With a displacement-length ratio of 159, YachtDatabase classifies her among “light racers” and notes that 31% of similar designs are heavier. That low displacement-length figure, together with the twin hulls and spade rudders, describes a boat intended for lively passage-making rather than ponderous coastal motoring.
Accommodations
The defining accommodation figure is the six-cabin count recorded by Multihulls World. Fitting that many cabins into two hulls within a 37-foot footprint suggests a layout that prioritizes berth numbers over private saloon space—a hallmark of a mid-1990s, charter-oriented design brief.
The 21-foot-6 beam gives the central bridgedeck considerable width. The boat’s documented spaciousness relative to comparable catamarans further indicates that much of her volume was devoted to living and sleeping space.
Engines, Tankage, and Equipment
Factory specifications list twin 27-horsepower drivetrains and a Volvo Penta diesel option. Tankage comprises two 90-liter fuel cells and 470 liters of water. Those figures suit extended cruising without suggesting oceanic self-sufficiency.
The twin-engine layout is a defining operational feature. It provides propulsion redundancy and more precise control in close quarters than single-engine catamarans of the period could offer.
The Verdict
The Privilège 37 is a Lombard-designed catamaran from the mid-1990s that trades outright length for beam, interior volume, and twin-engine practicality. Her light displacement and shallow draft make her an accessible coastal and island cruiser, while the six-cabin layout clearly reflects the charter-minded decade in which she was conceived.
Pros
- Roomy compared with most similar sailing catamarans, with a broad bridgedeck layout
- Shallow, load-dependent draft opens up marinas and anchorages unavailable to deeper boats
- Twin 27-horsepower drivetrains provide redundancy and close-quarters control
- Low displacement-length ratio places her in a responsive, quick-handling category
Cons
- Six cabins imply compromises in privacy and saloon space for purely private use
- Solid-fibreglass hull construction lacks the cored-sandwich refinement of later, vacuum-infused Privilège generations
