Privilège 580 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

A Bold New Silhouette

The 580's most striking feature is its bow. The inverted stems lend the catamaran a bold, modern design that immediately separates it from its predecessors. A more profound change happens aft: the signature owner's cabin housed in a central rostrum, a hallmark of earlier Privileges, has been deliberately omitted. The designers instead pursued a superyacht-inspired approach where exterior design was a major factor from the outset. The result is a deck plan that flows seamlessly from the deep forward cockpit—a space the builder calls an additional, intimate and protected relaxation area—through the saloon and up to the flybridge. The helm station is ideally positioned between cockpit and flybridge, offering proper visibility, good protection and a natural connection to life on board.

Construction and Build Integrity

Privilege Marine builds every GRP component using the vacuum infusion process, a technique that saves weight in anticipation of the considerable gear and provisions a blue-water cruiser of this size inevitably carries. The keel stubs are laminated directly to the hulls and reinforced with an integrated steel frame, while the entire structure is engineered so that the boat can be settled on its appendages when dried out. That level of robustness is consistent with a yacht built to cross oceans, and the CE design category A certification confirms it.

Under Sail

The 580's rig is purposeful and flexible. The test boat carried a square-topped main, a furling overlapping genoa, a smaller stay jib, and a reacher. In around 20 knots of true wind and flat water, the catamaran tracked up to 50 degrees off the true wind under genoa, making almost 7 knots over the ground. Once cracked off to 90 degrees, the furled reacher unlocked a considerable performance gain and the log sat consistently in double-digit territory. All sail controls are led to the raised helm station, where the substantial loads make the two electric winches a necessity—the shipyard includes them as mandatory equipment. The hydraulic steering system, while well-tuned, communicates very little about the rudders' angle, leaving the helmsman to steer largely by compass or autopilot.

Living Spaces and Layout

Privilege treats the interior as a semi-custom canvas. The builder offers two baseline configurations: a three-cabin arrangement with the galley separated and integrated into the starboard hull alongside a skipper's cabin, or a four-cabin layout with the galley in the saloon. In both cases the double cabins are extremely spacious and each has its own bathroom. There are no high-density five- or six-cabin versions—a clear signal of the yacht's private, owner-oriented ambitions. The quality of the joinery is immaculate, and the saloon and cabins remain unusually quiet even at speed, with deck work during manoeuvres barely audible inside.

Deck and Cockpit Practicality

The helm station's raised position puts the skipper close to both the cockpit and the flybridge, while the low boom preserves a powerful sail plan without compromising handling or safety. The forward cockpit is reached directly from the saloon, reinforcing the seamless link between interior and exterior that the designers emphasised. Generous ventilation options, easily accessible on-board technology, and the ability to park the yacht on its keel stubs for maintenance add to the practical appeal.

The Verdict

The Privilege 580 Signature occupies an exclusive niche where serious blue-water capability meets a thoroughly contemporary, owner-driven layout. Its construction is meticulous, its sailing performance is lively for a fully loaded cruising catamaran, and the interior finish is exceptional. The hydraulic steering's near-total absence of feedback is a genuine trade-off that will divide purists, even if the autopilot compensates well. Otherwise, this is a coherent, confident offering that delivers a great deal more than the sum of its specifications.

Pros