When you first get to know Leopard catamarans, you are instantly transported to the warm equatorial seas, so their design calls for a beautiful vacation near the islands. And this is not surprising as the explosive expansion of the sailing market has led to the Leopard catamaran brand itself.

History

Sailing has played an important role in the history of the Leopard brand. In the early 1990s, the South African shipyard Roberston and Caine achieved success in building custom racing yachts from 30 to 70 feet. In 1993, their 70 foot Broomstick won the Cape to Rio Yacht Race, and it was not the only Cup on the shelf in their Woodstock office near Cape Town.

In 1994, the world’s largest charter operator The Moorings commissioned from a South African shipyard the development and construction of a fleet of sailing catamarans for travel in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, the Seychelles and so on. In four years, the South African company handed over to the customer more than 100 hulls, each of which, as proof of its quality and seaworthiness, arrived at the «port of registry on» its own. It is not surprising that the quality of the construction, the focus on comfort and, most importantly, the global representation of catamarans, has led to private orders from Roberston and Caine. In 2000 the Leopard brand was launched and in 2007 the line was expanded with the first motor catamarans.

After more than 20 years of collaboration, Roberston and Caine have launched more than 1800 hulls of catamarans, and today the company is one of the largest players in this market. Leopard catamarans are found almost anywhere in the world. The manufacturer prides itself on the availability of help and service wherever you are in the world.

Features

Leopard catamarans are the only North American and European NMMA and CE certificate holders in the world. Focusing on cruise relaxation, the designers have developed many innovations embodied in the various models of Leopard catamarans. These include rigid roofs that protect both the cockpit and flybridge from the sun; a forward cockpit with access to the salon; additional crew cabins with separate access and the possibility of placing the owner’s cabin on a platform between the hulls. Thanks to the collaboration with the global travel agency TUI (owner of the charter companies The Moorings and Sunsail), there are various offers for Leopard catamarans to finance the purchase and the so-called «partial ownership».

Model range

Focusing on long journeys in comfort, Leopard today offers four models of sailing catamarans from 40 to impressive 58 feet. It is the flagship model launched in 2012 that has embodies the greatest number of innovations and has won international awards on many occasions. It has a full forward cockpit with direct access to the salon, a hydraulic bathing platform, a «dinghy»crane, and an extended flybridge with seating for 12 people. The manufacturer is particularly proud of the super-modern steering axle, designed for independent control even of such a large boat.

The range of motor catamarans includes models Leopard 43 and Leopard 51. Like its relative in the sailing range, the Leopard 51 Powercat is the true embodiment of modern design and high comfort levels. And it is not surprising, because the engine line has the same designer as the sailing line – Simonis Voogd Design. The 51-foot model was introduced in 2014 and since then more than 100 hulls have been built.

Production .

South Africa’s largest shipyard, Roberston and Caine LTD, is located next to Cape Town in Woodstock. The shipyard now employs 1,300 people and production is so efficient that the yard runs three catamarans a week.