Design and Construction
The defining construction story is the composite sandwich. Hulls and deck use basalt fibers and a PET/PVC foam core, with the basalt made from volcanic rock and the foam from recycled plastic bottles rather than conventional fiberglass basalt and PET foam sandwich construction. At end of life the basalt can be remelted and rewoven. The builder states no additives are needed in basalt production, cutting carbon emissions by a factor of 10 against fiberglass, and the yard estimates total carbon impact down by 47 percent once internal manufacturing and local supply are counted. Visually the 54 shows narrow but tall hulls, noticeably reversed bows, and imposing all-vertical nacelle windows; one show boat wore a gray livery.
Rig and Handling
The 54 carries sloop rigging with a square-top full-batten main and a self-tacking jib, plus a gennaker of 190 square meters for offwind work. Twin wheels give the helm good sightlines, and the center winch handles the main while the side winches serve headsail sheets near the steering. In testing, beating upwind with the self-tacking jib and daggerboards down, the boat sailed at close to 35 degrees off the breeze, and under gennaker it reached 8 knots and better in just 11 knots of true wind close to 35 degrees off the breeze. The day before one magazine’s test it had been clocked at 17.5 knots, with the builder promising 20 knots under sail is not utopian. Under power, wide-open throttle gave 8.2 knots and a cruising speed around 6 knots from the pair of 48-volt 20-kilowatt shaft-drive electric motors.
Accommodations
The layout is the boat’s other signature. A forward cockpit is sheltered from the elements and can be sealed from the interior by a waterproof sliding door in boisterous conditions, while open and modular living spaces and sliding side windows plus aft doors blur the line between inside and out and deliver a 360-degree sea view. The galley to starboard is a long U-shape that lets the cook brace in a seaway; opposite, the table seats 10 with a pilot berth outboard and a desk-style nav station forward with a screen for charts and systems. The sailed boat showed the owner’s stateroom to port with an athwartship aft berth, while the starboard hull held two guest staterooms with fore-and-aft bunks and a washer and dryer between them. Abundant and substantial storage, plus smooth circulation, round out a spacious owner’s suite concept. Maximum configuration is four cabins plus a skipper, category A, twelve persons.
Energy and Equipment
Hybrid-electric propulsion sits at the core. Two electric motors draw from a 1,120 Ah 48V lithium bank of 53.8 kWh, fed by 5,880 watts of solar on cabin and Bimini tops, wind turbines at 400 watts, and hydrogeneration that engages at 8 knots or faster — the feathering Gori props then spin power back into the bank, viewable on a cockpit display. A Fischer-Panda 18-kilowatt diesel generator backs the renewables; motoring four hours at 6 knots, it tops the bank in just over an hour and gives roughly 1,100 miles of generator-assisted range. The house system runs windlass, induction stove, oven, watermaker and air conditioning. The builder claims solar alone makes 18 kWh with an 8 kWh surplus over a stated ~10 kWh daily anchor draw.
The Verdict
The Windelo 54 is a considered answer to the question of what a low-impact blue-water catamaran looks like, pairing a genuinely recyclable basalt composite with an energy loop that can run appliances and propulsion from sun, wind and motion. Its layout trades some private-cabin convention for a flowing, view-rich living deck, and its daggerboards and narrow hulls give it real upwind and offwind legs. The hybrid plant is sophisticated but dependent on its generator and battery health over time.
Pros
- Basalt/PET recyclable structure with claimed major carbon reduction
- Self-generating electrical system with hydro, solar and wind input
- Upwind ability to 35 degrees and strong offwind pace under gennaker
- Open, modular interior with sheltered forward cockpit and 360 view
Cons
- Complex hybrid plant with diesel generator backup dependency
- Narrow tall hulls and daggerboards demand attentive handling and storage
