Design and Construction
In plan view the 465 devotes almost its entire gross footprint to deck, including an extended forward nose that lets the accommodations reach well ahead of the main crossbeam almost all of its gross planform is occupied by deck. That wedgelike bow is not mere styling: it allows the four staterooms to creep forward without inflating beam, and the deck itself was described by one reviewer as a masterpiece of GRP sculpture. A small keel fairing protects the rudder and prop on beach landings, and the aft hull divot is sized only to nestle the inflatable dinghy. With a brochure D/L of 115, the design is reasonably light for its size, and the builder’s careful weight monitoring was credited with keeping the hulls from sliding into bargelike proportions while preserving speed.
Rig and Handling
The 465 carries a big fractional rig with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 27.54 and a huge mainsail whose halyard is led to an electric windlass. Jibs and genoa track to the top of the house rather than the side decks, holding sheeting angles close and clearing clutter from the side decks for safe movement. Most importantly, Lombard specified real daggerboards, which testers noted would help make the boat fast upwind real daggerboards for this design. The narrow hulls, however, are not conducive to weight-carrying, a trade that favors passage performance over payload.
Accommodations
Below, the forward nose expands the living space into four staterooms, each with an adjoining head. The saloon is built around a big wrap-around dinette, and the cockpit separates the twin wheels from the socializing area so the helmsman keeps clear sightlines without crowding the lounging space. The arrangement reads as a serious cruising layout rather than a charter compromise, with private quarters and a central gathering space that flows to the aft deck.
The Verdict
The Privilège 465 is a thoughtfully engineered cruising cat that pairs Lombard’s daggerboard performance intent with an interior layout stretched forward by an extended nose. Its light D/L, close-sheeted rig, and separated cockpit mark it as a sailor’s catamaran rather than a bare condo-platform, though the narrow hulls cap its carrying capacity.
Pros
- Real daggerboards for strong upwind capability
- Light 115 D/L keeps the hulls quick for the size
- Four staterooms each with private head
- Deck-centric plan with extended nose maximizes accommodation footprint
- House-mounted sheet tracks clear the side decks
Cons
- Narrow hulls limit weight-carrying capacity
- Huge mainsail demands powered halyard handling
