OUTREMER 45
This early version of the popular performance cruising cat from French specialist, Outremer, is intended for those who choose performance over volume. The Outremer 45 originally came in three-, four-, and five-cabin versions, with the latter having a single bunk midway along one hull. The most popular layout for blue water cruising is the three-cabin, owner’s model, which has a very roomy owner’s master suite occupying the entire portside hull.
The bridge-deck saloon is smaller than other 45ft modern cats and, though beamy, her hulls are a little narrower. Her saloon seats six comfortably, though, on a wide L-shaped settee and she has a wellequipped, full-width galley both sides of the companionway, facing the cockpit. There’s also a forward-looking navigation station with a large chart table and plenty of console space for sailing instruments.
The uncluttered cockpit is a good size, however. The single, raised helming station is against the main bulkhead, offering protection from the elements. The smaller coachroof means the decks are wide and easily accessed; there are two large trampolines.
She’s not as high off the water as some, so windage is less than on some more slab-sided cruisers.
Like the Catana, she sports deep daggerboards that noticeably improve her sailing ability to windward, while allowing her to float in the shallows. The large sail area gives her a good deal of power under sail and her slim, sleek hulls mean she’s pretty swift, particularly downwind, when her large gennaker on the short bowsprit is invaluable.