Design and Construction
The 435 is a 13-meter catamaran with a solid fiberglass deck and solid hulls, iron ballast, and twin stubby fixed keels drawing 4 feet 4 inches or, in the alternative, daggerboards that extend draft to 8 feet 2 inches. The broad foredeck is one of the real beauties of these big cats, lending easy movement forward and a secure platform for sail handling. Below, the bridge deck carries a cockpit that can be arranged with the wheel forward in typical cat style or with twin wheels aft more like a monohull, letting an owner choose helm visibility and social flow. With a displacement-light D/L of 112 and a displacement-maxi D/L of 167, she spans a wide cruising load range while keeping a manageable wetted surface for a boat of her beam.
Rig and Handling
Her rig is tall and fractional, built to drive a large mainsail and forward canvas efficiently. A drifter genoa and an asymmetrical chute can be flown from the fixed bowsprit, extending her light-air range without cluttering the deck. Testers found the mainsail by Incidences Voiles trimmed on an Andersen winch, with the halyard led to the mast foot and the sail carried on Fredericksen sliders and trolleys. Traveler adjustment is reduced to a single rear winch on the portside of the cockpit, and all maneuvers of the genoa jib and furler on the roof are directly accessible from the helm station, so a short-handed crew can trim from the steering position. The balance of the keels promotes gentle passage in choppy water, a quality that matters more than raw speed for the cruising brief.
Accommodations
Inside, the saloon is a strong point, with big windows all around affording 360-degree visibility and a circular dinette that suits the open layout. The galley sits in the deckhouse but down one step, and in the owner’s configuration it opens to a bar counter with a panoramic view on the sea. The standard hull arrangement is mirror-image, with double berths forward and aft in each hull and two heads. An alternative drawing shows one queen-size double forward on centerline and an additional head, giving a more conventional owner-forward plan without sacrificing the symmetry of the remaining staterooms.
Power, Tankage, and Equipment
Auxiliary power is a pair of 40-horsepower Yanmars, a twin-engine setup appropriate to a catamaran of this size. Tankage is generous for extended cruising: 106 gallons of fuel and 198 gallons of water support long passages without constant replenishment. The fixed bowsprit and tall rig, combined with the manageable winch layout, mean that the standard boat is already equipped for offshore work rather than merely dock-side comfort.
The Verdict
The Privilège 435 is a thoughtfully laid-out cruising catamaran that balances beam-driven volume with a manageable rig and a helm-forward sail plan. Lombard’s styling and the Archétype interior give her a saloon that feels open and bright, while the choice of keel or daggerboard lets a buyer match draft to intended waters. Her collaborations show in the clean cockpit mechanics and the keel-balanced behavior testers noted in chop.
Pros
- Proportionately beamiest hull form in her class (L/B 1.88) for volume and stability
- Broad foredeck and configurable cockpit (forward or twin aft wheels)
- 360-degree saloon visibility with circular dinette and step-down galley
- Tall fractional rig with bowsprit-driven drifter and asymmetrical chute
- Single-rear-winch traveler and helm-accessible genoa furler for short-handed sailing
- Twin 40-hp Yanmars with 106 gal fuel and 198 gal water for extended cruising
Cons
- Daggerboard draft of 8 ft 2 in limits some shallow cruising grounds
- Displacement-maxi D/L of 167 shows she loads heavily when equipped for liveaboard use
