Among its contemporaries, the 435 is proportionately the beamiest catamaran for its length. Its L/B ratio of 1.88 creates the voluminous platform expected of a comfortable cruising multihull rather than a lean racer.
Design and Construction
The Privilège 435 measures 43 feet overall, with a beam of 23 feet 4 inches. It is a 13-meter catamaran with solid fiberglass hulls and deck, iron ballast, and a choice of appendages. Twin stubby fixed keels draw 4 feet 4 inches; alternatively, daggerboards increase the draft to 8 feet 2 inches.
The broad foredeck is one of the boat’s real attractions. It makes moving forward easier and provides a secure platform for sail handling. Aft, the bridge deck carries a cockpit that can be configured with the wheel forward in typical catamaran style or with twin wheels aft, more like a monohull. This gives owners a choice in helm visibility and the cockpit’s social flow.
The boat has a light-displacement D/L of 112 and a displacement-maxi D/L of 167. That gives it a wide cruising load range while retaining a manageable wetted surface for a boat of this beam.
Rig and Handling
The tall fractional rig is intended to drive a large mainsail and forward canvas efficiently. A drifter genoa and an asymmetrical chute can be flown from the fixed bowsprit, extending the boat’s light-air range without cluttering the deck.
On the test boat, the Incidences Voiles mainsail was trimmed on an Andersen winch. Its halyard was led to the mast foot, and the sail ran on Fredericksen sliders and trolleys. Traveler adjustment was handled by a single aft winch on the port side of the cockpit. All maneuvers of the genoa jib and furler on the roof were directly accessible from the helm station, allowing a short-handed crew to trim from the steering position.
The balance of the keels promotes a gentle passage through choppy water—a quality that suits the boat’s cruising brief better than a narrow focus on raw speed.
Cockpit and Accommodations
The saloon is a strong point. Large windows provide 360-degree visibility, while a circular dinette suits the open layout. The galley is in the deckhouse but set one step lower. In the owner’s configuration, it opens onto a bar counter with a panoramic view of the sea.
The standard hull arrangement is mirrored from side to side, with double berths forward and aft in each hull and two heads. An alternative plan shows a queen-size double berth forward on the centerline, along with an additional head. This creates a more conventional owner-forward arrangement without sacrificing the symmetry of the remaining staterooms.
Power, Tankage, and Equipment
Auxiliary power comes from a pair of 40-horsepower Yanmar engines, a twin-engine installation appropriate to a catamaran of this size.
Tankage is generous for extended cruising, with 106 gallons of fuel and 198 gallons of water. Those capacities support longer passages without constant replenishment. Together with the tall rig, fixed bowsprit, and manageable winch layout, the standard boat is equipped for offshore work rather than merely dockside comfort.
Verdict
The Privilège 435 is a thoughtfully arranged cruising catamaran that balances beam-driven volume with a manageable rig and a helm-forward sail plan. Lombard’s styling and the Archétype interior produce an open, bright saloon, while the choice between fixed keels and daggerboards allows buyers to match the boat’s draft to their intended waters. The collaboration behind the design is evident in the clean cockpit mechanics and in the keel-balanced behavior testers noted in choppy water.
Pros
- Proportionately the beamiest hull form in its class, with an L/B of 1.88, providing volume and stability
- Broad foredeck and a configurable cockpit with either a forward wheel or twin aft wheels
- 360-degree visibility from the saloon, plus a circular dinette and step-down galley
- Tall fractional rig with a fixed bowsprit for a drifter genoa and asymmetrical chute
- Single aft winch for the traveler and helm-accessible genoa and furler controls for short-handed sailing
- Twin 40-horsepower Yanmars, 106 gallons of fuel, and 198 gallons of water for extended cruising
Cons
- Daggerboard draft of 8 feet 2 inches limits access to some shallow cruising grounds
- A displacement-maxi D/L of 167 shows that the boat loads heavily when equipped for liveaboard use
