Catana 59'

Catana, since 1984

When Jean-Pierre Prades and Thierry Goyard created the double-edged company in 1984, they chose an Australian architect, an unknown in Europe and a specialist in fast cruising catamarans and racing trimarans: Lock Crowther. The southern hemisphere's pioneer, who passed away prematurely in 1993 (victim of a heart attack on one of his productions, the 48-foot DEGUELLO), profoundly influenced the philosophy of the Var-based builder, which, 20 years later, was to become one of the world leaders, after it had set up at Canet-en-Roussillon. The first model in this long saga was the 40'. In its DNA, it had all the underlying characteristics of the Crowther experience: compact nacelles, flared bows, bulbous forward sections – emblematic features which would widely influence the future designer of the modern Catanas, Christophe Barreau. The ocean cruising virus seems to be indissociable from the Cogolin or Canet production; the young architect sailed up to Spitsbergen in the C40' DIABOLO, before visiting Patagonia with his one-off 45-footer (again a Catana!). The torch was taken up by Bruno Nicoletti, in BRUMAS PATAGONIAS I and II, a 44 and a 471, with which he sailed...