Excess 11

Return of the Overlapping Genoa

We already tested the Excess 11 over 4 years ago now... but in the meantime, the smallest catamaran from the big manufacturers has established its place on its market, with well over 200 units delivered. This year, this much-loved model is now equipped with an overlapping genoa in place of the previous self-tacking jib. We sent our professional tester Brieuc Maisonneuve to take stock of this evolution - an opportunity to rediscover the smallest model in the Excess range...

Pulse Line rig with overlapping headsail: the Excess 11 gains in speed!

Before/after: genoa overlap adds 145 square feet (13.5 m²).

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Practical info

Boat Test price5.00€ Inc. tax

Purchase

Boat Test price5.00€ Inc. tax

Purchase

Test location: Les Sables-d’Olonne, France
Conditions: v8 to 10 knots of wind, big residual swell

Conditions were gloomy in the Vendée region, where the first low pressure systems of the autumn had been rolling in for several weeks. Finding a weather window to test the Excess 11 equipped with an overlapping genoa proved to be quite a challenge. The day before, Claire, the brand’s marketing manager, offered me a short afternoon slot between two fronts. A quick glance at the forecast made me hesitate a little: was the Excess team reckless or confident? Testing a cruising catamaran, even a lighter and better-canvassed one, is a real challenge with less than ten knots of wind and a heavy residual swell!
When I arrived in Les Sables-d’Olonne, the drizzle and grey skies typical of this time of year did little to lighten the mood. Only the excitement over the imminent start of the Vendée Globe round the world race, scheduled for two weeks later, could break the melancholy of this out-of-season seaside resort.