In my Multihull-show retrospect article I already announced that one of the most interesting catamarans for me of the whole ´25 show was the all new Lagoon 38. This may come as a surprise for you, dearest readers, as these kind of boats seem not to fit the range of the usual suspects which are the more exciting, performance driven cats like HH or Outremer. Well, you may be right, but this time its special. The new Lagoon 38 indeed is a very interesting boat. In many respects.
In times of recession, flatline sales and a predominantly aching industry, it is a statement that the market leader and biggest brand of them all – Lagoon – is putting its focus on launching a new entry-level catamaran. The Lagoon 38 is not even a 38! She is 37.4 feet long (oder all), the smallest in the range. After the booming years, one superlative chasing the other, excess sales figures and big time party, I would say it says a lot that the world´s biggest catamaran builder softens its voice, tones down its marketing. Humble. But not quiet, of course. I really appreciate this new self-effacement. At least during Multihull La Grande Motte, it indeed changed my impression of this brand.
Small boat – big impact
And I have the feeling that the message got through: The new small Lagoon had much more been talked about on the pontoons, I had the impression, than in previous shows. Talking to the dealers, they were happy and smiling proudly: The new small boat is a success outright from its inception. So, let´s do a tour aboard this catamaran: It is indeed worth a look, how the market leader and therefore the market-defining producer of catamarans defines his proposal for an entry-level sailing catamaran.
As usual during boat shows, I try to be on the premises long before the doors open to the public. This way, boats are open and empty, no guests or dealers jostle inside the yachts and I have time to really get an impression of how the boats feel. Despite of another guy taking his chance to roam the boat in these early hours of the day, I was alone. From the outside, the new Lagoon is unmistakingly identifiable as a Lagoon. The designers of VPLP have transformed the design-language of the bigger sisterships to fit the dimensions of this small boat. From afar, you may think that this is a big cat, only the large hull windows in relation to the hull itself may hint her real size.
Discovering the new Lagoon 38 catamaran
I enter the boat via portside aft transom, the way almost any guest will do. Standing in the aft lounge area, I immediately notice two things: First, it is really a small boat! Second: There´s a cushion to make yourself comfortable in almost any direction you look. Central part is an outside table that apparently can be lowered. This way, together with a cushion on the top, it will form a big, central lounging area.
At the table, a folding chair and a bench with cushions are positioned. Here, the small size of the boat comes into play again: The table is not very big. Along its long side two adults may be sitting, but it will be a bit cramped. So basically, this 6-person table in my opinion is indeed a 4-person table. Vis-a-vis, to starboard side, the three steps up to the flybridge helm are located. This whole area doesn´t provide for any reclining space, except for a cushioned „sofa“-like bench facing backwards. A weird place, as there apparently isn´t any backrest cushion, which would make this locations much more attractive in my view.
The large 4-seater aft sofa underneath the solar panel is always one of the prime locations on a catamaran. At least when I sailed catamarans there was always one buddy sitting or sprawling here at the back of the boat. All in all, it´s a clever utilization of the available space, although it feels a bit cramped: A concession to the overall small size of the whole boat. The Lagoon 38 is only 6.65 meters wide. What I instantly notice is the richness and thickness of the cushions. I don´t know if I see ghosts, but I have the feeling that the big players have narrowed the cushion-thickness in the last years to a point when I suggested to my clients to go for custom made cockpit cushions instead of opting for the standard stuff by the shipyards. I may be wrong, but here aboard the new Lagoon 38 this struck my mind, facing the really cozy cushions. I like those.
Blurring the boundaries
Lagoons are catamarans for holidays. No doubt about that. These boats are not made to tackle a sailing adventure on the high seas, conquer oceans or take on wild storms. A Lagoon, as the brilliantly chosen brand name suggests, will take you to the most beautiful anchorages, bays and beaches – and turn your time aboard into the most unforgettable vacation. This is what these boats are made for and what the company has worked on for 40 years now. It´s a well deserved and hard earned reputation, still now Lagoon is the world´s leading catamaran manufacturer and certainly the most valuable brand of the show. A big emphasis for catamaran designers is always the concept of „inside-outside transition“.
How to design the crossover between the dedicated outside space – the „terrace“ if you will – and the inside, the saloon. There are many concepts: Folding windows, sliding doors and whole transformable „winter gardens“. All the same want to create a most luxurious, spacious and lush environment and at the same time provide the option to have it closed off and separated from each other in times of bad weather or colder temperatures. The solution on the Lagoon 38 is as simple as it is elegant: Three sliding doors disappear completely to starboard. Now upward folding windows or glass-fronts obstruct the view. A seemless, elegant transition. „Outside“ and „inside“ become just words, their incarnation in reality is fluent.
One detail here shows how clever and experienced Nauta Design and Patrick le Quement, the designer for the exterior spaces, have come up with nice ideas to utilize the restricted available space. Both, cockpit and inside saloon tables have multiple positions to be set up. This simple system of putting the table legs into flush mounted sockets allows a quick adjustment to the needs of the crew. From complete separation when the large windows/doors are closed to creating one huge long table. I absolutely like this approach! It utilized the amount of space available in the best way, allows for many arrangements to fit the current needs of the crowd.
Saloon? Galley!
I admit I did have to look twice (and even more times), because the saloon-arrangement was completely new to me. It is basically not a saloon. It´s a huge galley. The Lagoon 38 is clearly not designed to fit the needs of a sailing crew. It´s made to be a holiday machine. That is why the whole saloon is the galley, only the aft-portside area features a small sofa and the said table that can be moved more in- or outside. The rest is galley.
Literally: The whole forward facing part of the saloon is a huge worktop as well as the right part of the saloon, where fridges and the cooking-utensils are located. Here we are again: The Lagoon 38 as a perfect vacation machine. I mean, just take a look at the fridge capacity in this boat, it´s huge! From 130 liters in standard the capacity can be increased to stunning 300 liters, as far as I can see in the price- and options-lists. Three flame stove with liquefied gas and a gas-oven for preparing hot meals.
There´s a big sink, water taps and a huge amount of stowage. Since the whole saloon´s storage space can be used for kitchen utensils and provisions, there is simply no need for any hanging lockers. This way the interior designers could keep free the view out of the large saloon windows, which makes for a nicely light-suffused saloon. Since this catamaran is rated CE-category A8, B12, C16 and D20, you can clearly see what the concept of main utilization of this boat may be: Hosting as many people as possible, providing for a nice leisure time.
Do I like this arrangement? Well, it is certainly doing very well for what it is meant: Large storage volumes, huge cooling capacity (as cold drinks and fresh fruit are paramount for a perfect holiday on the seas) and lush atmosphere. It does its very job very good: I don´t think that on a standard 2-week vacation (with a chartered catamaran) a dwelling inside the saloon other than for preparing meals or traversing to the outside is needed. In this way I think that Lagoon did a make a radical, but clever decision: Throw out anything that is not helping and instead solely focus on the essentials.
Tranquil sanctuary in the owner´s hull
The new Lagoon 38 comes in two layouts. The one seen here at Multihull boat show is the owner´s-version with three cabins, two heads. I guess that the 4 cabin-version for charter companies will enjoy an equally high resonance among the investors. So, how is Nauta Design utilizing the amount of internal volume under deck? Let´s start with the owner´s hull, which aboard the Lagoon 38 is to port side.
Coming down the few steps a whole new tranquil world is opening up. As cramped and kind of „stuffed“ the saloon and aft terrace of the boat may feel, the more open and „freed up“ the space appears down here. It´s a real surprise for me: It is actually quite a beautiful place down here! The „dressing“- or „bureau“-area of the midship section features many cabinets (stowage is always a good thing!), a very large mirror and a nice little desktop. But here´s the surprise: The owner´s beds are located not in the rear end put in the bow-section of the hull!
You may know that I have been an Excess-dealer for several years. Our Excess 11 is a nice reference in this respect. From various, rather adventurous deliveries through the Bay of Biscay I know very well how the seastate influences comfort aboard, regarding cabin locations. In real sailing with Atlantic waves, the forward cabin was always the most moved place aboard. Crew members occupying the bow-cabins were most prone to the ship going up and down, sea-sickness often included. So why do the Lagoon designers put the owner´s bed to the bow, where seastate motions have their most impact? Well, I guess that´s again because of the boat´s concept: A holiday machine. This boat isn´t supposed to do long haul sailing legs. And honestly: Having your cabin in the bow means to have the farthest possible distance between your good night´s berth and the party outside at the waterfront to which you are moored stern-first or your crew mates having a late night´s drink in the cockpit lounge. Makes sense to me.
The aft beds of the Excess 11 catamaran had for a long time been among the largest on cats of this size. With the new Lagoon 38 the concept of using up all the available area from hull-side to hull-side to make the biggest possible bed is applied here as well. Having slept myself in these beds for many nights myself, I can guarantee you a wonderful sleeping experience! Nevertheless, the bed´s width on the Lagoon 38 is nowhere near the size of the Excess 11, which is logical because there´s less hull-width in the bow than in the rear. So sleeping crosswise to the sailing direction won´t be possible. Sadly. I like the large amount of natural light that enters through the big windows, but again, these are too high to enjoy a nice view outside when laying in bed. This has been arranged much better in the Excess 11. The huge amount of wooden veneers makes for a warm, cozy atmosphere: Less bare white GRP, more feeling of „value“.
The forward part of the owner´s hull is dedicated to hygiene. The bathroom has a decent size. Again, which is a surprise for me, smaller than that of the „performance sister“ Excess 11. Nevertheless, everything you are looking for in a ship´s bathroom is there: Electric toilet, sink, lots of stowage and a large shower. This shower has a big size and – a plus! – can be corned off from the rest of the bathroom completely with solid doors. Less wiping after your shower. Standing inside I thought that two persons could take a refreshing shower here with ease. If you are elderly or worn down from a hard day mountainbiking ashore, you may sit down while taking your shower on a large seat. Maybe some „wasted“ volume here, but cleverly used. Again, the large window area makes for a nice atmosphere with so much natural light.
Full house: Guests aboard the Lagoon 38
The guest hull on the opposite side shows how supposedly the majority of Lagoon 38-boats will be looking like, interior-wise. Here, two guest cabins and a shared bathroom are located. The bathroom is decently sized, albeit far from offering the amount of volume and luxury of the owner´s head. Nevertheless, there´s a WC, a separated shower and a small sink. Stowage is limited as there is only one little cabinet for your hygiene-products.
As for the forward guest cabin, it´s the same as the owner´s. It´s a bit an upside down-world for me as I am used to seeing owner´s cabins in the back of a boat. Same way ´round on the Lagoon 38. The guest cabins aboard this catamaran are also both nicely covered with wooden veneered-panels to show the least amount of bare plastic. I personally have nothing against a more „cleaner“ atmosphere, nevertheless I am sure that many people will like this amount of warm colored wooden material.
Let´s imagine a normal, standard family charter holiday. Two weeks in Greece or Croatia. It is summer time, so temperatures will be high, making it even comfortable to sleep outside at night. When I was sailing in Greece in summer, outside temperatures never dropped below 20 degrees. Our standard family will sleep long, enjoy a nice breakfast and set sail for a 3-4 hours sailing leg to the next location. Dropping anchor there, enjoying the afternoon for swimming, snorkeling or discovering the secluded bay on an SUP.
After enjoying a Greek salad, some sweet wine, two or three ice-cold beers, they crash into their bunks, falling asleep. Just to wake up the next norming and repeat this routine all over again. For such a vacational use, all aboard the Lagoon 38 is more than sufficient: Bathroom sizes, bed sizes … why would you need more? Even more, in times of economic recession, devaluation of money and the general urge to cut spendings, bringing a catamaran to market that is smaller sized – by offering all amenities for a perfect vaction – is a very clever move. I am sure that this boat will attract many people who still want to spend some leisure weeks on the seas without spending too muc of their restrained budgets.
Sailing the new Lagoon 38
But how does this new catamaran sail? Well, obviously there was no chance to take her out during the show, so let´s look at the numbers instead. Lagoon´s marketing promise is bold: „Always dream big!“ Does it apply to her sailing capabilities as well? The catamaran has a displacement of 10.2 tons and features an upwind sail area of 72.2 square meters. The -optional- flat top mainsail surely looks impressive, but due to the high boom (for the flybridge helm) its sail area comes in at 55 square meters. Comparing this to the Excess 11: Displacement is roughly one ton less with a total upwind sail area of 77 square meters with self-tacker, impressive 90 to 95.5 square meters (latter with Pulse-Line pack) with the optional Genoa. So of course, Lagoon is not a performance-catamaran at all.
But she was never intended to be. I climb up the three stairs to reach the „bridge deck“, where the flybridge helm station is located. Here the helmsman will find his steering wheel and the main working winch. All ropes needed to operate both the selftacking Jib and the mainsail are diverted here. There are only two more secondary winches mounted down on the coamings of the aft terrace which will operate a Code 0 or Gennaker. Central elevated steering, one of the trademarks of Lagoon as well.
The steering post is protected by a rigid bimini-top. I discover lashes to fit full enclosure all around (these are found down below as well), so that you could have the whole outside area be protected from rain or harsher weather. Also on the roof of the saloon is another salor panel and some sunbathing matresses. And usually, here the big-time discussions get sparked: Flybridge contra aft steering, performance versus safety, comfort versus loneliness. Here´s what I think about it.
Pros and cons of a flybridge helm on a catamaran
Standing behind the steering wheel of the Lagoon 38 I try to imagine casting off or doing sailing manoeuvres. The view from this elevated position is certainly much better than that of, for example, her sister, the Excess 11. I can very clearly make out both bows, which is the most important thing when negotiating this big boat through narrow channels or marinas. Also, the rear view to starboard-side is absolutely brilliant: When berthing this catamaran, I´d try to always determine my steering impulses over those three corners. The view to the portside rear end of the boat is totally obstructed, so one would try to land her over starboard.
So that´s definitely a pro: Vision and sight over 75 percent of the boat´s vicinity is perfect from up here. Putting the downside of a much smaller sail area aside, this all comes to a price. As usual, a boat can always just be a compromise. Pulling your blanket to one side will take away some coverage on the opposite. Same here. As much as the elevated helm position is good for keeping a good view, as much does it restrict the helmsman in action: On the Excess 11 standing down there at the rear end of the hull, the helsman can simultaneously operate the stern dock lines as well. All at once. On the Lagoon, you will need more hands to land her safely. As these boats are meant to be sailed by many more people than just the owner-couple, extra deck hands won´t be a problem, I guess.
Another con is the mainsail. It´s a full-batten main, which is cool, but the boom is attached very high up in the mast. This asks for two concessions: First, after having taken down the mainsail, bringing the canvas in order and nicely stack the sail is a bit of a stress. Working up there to pack your main can be a hazzle. Secondly, as the center of pressure created by the sail is way up there in the rigging, so is the leverage. I would assume that reefing starts much earlier than on aft-steering cats, further reducing the already inferior sailing capabilities.
But again: The Lagoon is a vacation machine. Sailing was never, let alone performance-sailing, was never a core promise nor really the demand of their clients. I am sure that the Lagoon 38, being naval engineered by the pros at VPLP, will do fairly well on the cat´s preferred points of sails: Reaching and downwind. Judging from what I´ve seen when sailing myself and what people tell me, sailing is not among the top 3 priorities when going for a leisure-oriented catamaran, escpecially when chartering one.
The sailing vacation of your lifetime
And so this „floating island“ comes up with many spots scattered around from top to bottom, from bow to rear, where the people can lay down, sunbath, have a couple of drinks, read a book or simply enjoy the time at anchor. One of these areas is on the portside of the roof, on to of the fly-deck. A nice double matress: Of course, use it only when not sailing. As there aren´t any guard rails or safety of any kind, falling asleep up when when underway may not be the smartest thing to do.
Much safer and surely the prime spot for resting your oars is on the foredeck between the two hulls. The net is spanning between the catamaran´s bows with the large bowsprit/crossbeam slightly offset to portside. While laying down on the bare net when underway might be cool, at anchor a nicely arranged set of cushions invites for having a drink in the shadow. There are plenty of such areas scattered all around on the Lagoon 38 so that everyone will find a dedicated spot, I´m sure.
This is what this boat is made for, right? Becoming a platform and base for a family or two, for a bunch of good friends, to provide for a perfect floating home during your summer´s vacation. It can bridge distances quickly: If winds are blowing favourably, harnessing the power of nature, if wind direction might become a bit off, the two 29 horse power Diesel engines are sufficient to make for a nice quick cruising speed. But it´s not just the boat alone that is full of news, there are some very interesting details worth to be mentioned. I have covered Groupe Beneteau´s strive to becoming more sustainable and „greener“ a couple of times, with the new Lagoon 38 some further action is taken by the company.
Full of good stuff: Sustainability
All along the boat´s interior, large stickers are put on the furniture. One reads „Water purification“. As an option, this catamaran can be equipped with a water purification system. Made by Uwoji, this system will disinfect and purify fresh water to put it back for use in the system. The standard 300 liters can be upgraded to 500 liters, making even long voyages more self-sustainable. When powered by the two, all in all 1.4 kilowatts peak delivering solar panels, even more.
All raw materials used for the furniture of the Lagoon 38 have been FSC-certified, the cushions (at least on the model on display in La Grande Motte) are made from recycled materials as well. Groupe Beneteau has replaced glass fibers for non-structural GRP-parts already by natural hemp. The resin used for these is said to be bio-sourced. Small details, for sure, but decisive steps and certainly, in view of the large number of units built by Lagoon, not so small in total.
This is supported by another interesting Lagoon shown here at La Grande Motte. This time, not one of the brand new models. In fact, it´s a 12 years old boat. Usually, after this lifespan and extensive use, most GRP-boats are worn down, grown old, have become „soft“ and will be disposed of. Lagoon has started a program for Lagoon-owners to closely survey and professionally refurbish their boats. A thorough refit done in Beneteau´s Monfalcone shipyard, re-launching old boats completely renewed with a full 2-year-warranty. Something you only get with brand new boats. A commitment I find remarkable!
Who will buy the new Lagoon 38?
But back to our little-big Lagoon 38. Who is it good for? Who will buy such a catamaran. Well, of course you have to be very careful with putting out numbers, especially so shortly after the launch. As rumors were circulating on the pontoons of La Grande Motte and some dealers told me, the company is very happy with the feedback and also incoming orders. I personally think that this catamaran will be a best-seller. For charter companies and non-sailors.
Why? Look at this detail. This is what is left from something we call „chart table“ on other boats. There is simply nothing left that a thorough sailor might expect. Not even a little Captain´s area as it is done on the Excess 11, which even there has been dubbed „makeshift“ by some. The Lagoon 38 doesn´t sport something like this at all! The VHF radio is mounted to a corner, that´s it. Yes, clearly, a statement: This boat is solely made for people who seek maximum leisure.
And I am perfectly fine with this! This was what I usually tell people who are mocking the sailing capabilities of Lagoons (and other, more leisure-oriented brands): These boats do best what they have been made for. If you want to sail the oceans and discover faraway places, this boat might not be your first choice. Providing a perfect family vacation, a floating home, a base to explore the shores in nice weather coastal cruising? Perfectly fine! Even the owner´s version with the nicely done „office“ could be an interesting purchase choice for private ownership.
Equipped with latest Starlink or other WiFi-connecting devices, the Lagoon 38 could become a nice asset to act as your boat office and remote working-base. Here´s where the circle is completed: I started this article with stating that in times of economic recession and people having less and less budget at hand, offering smaller and smarter solutions is paramount. It is the only way out especially for companies focused on (and dependent) on selling large numbers of units. Getting prices down for the big boats is hard, building smaller boats much easier.
In this I see a bright future for the Lagoon 38. She is definitely worth considering to replenish older units in the charterboat fleets of the world, which in turn could also offer lower weekly rates. It may be a nice alternative to other established all-out leisure catamaran brands as Lagoon, being the biggest catamaran maker in the world and part of the Groupe Beneteau, is known for decent series production quality and spotless after sales service. We will see how sales numbers develop. She is definitely not „my“ kind of cat, I´d chose the Excess 11 or a small Nautitech over her any time. But I absolutely see and understand why so many families just love Lagoon´s concept – and will certainly be attracted to this holiday machine.
Also interesting: Catamaran articles on NO FRILLS SAILING:
First time ever sailing a cat? Here´s how to prepare
My first ever catamaran delivery: Biscay storm in a cat!
Entry level owner´s catamaran – Excess 11