The Midsize cat category for the 2025 Boat of the Year contest was represented almost as well as the United Nations, with a truly international lineup. It included two nominees from the most prolific builders of cruising cats on the planet, France (Lagoon 43) and South Africa (Vision 444 ES). The third boat (Seawind 1370) was conceived by a builder that started operations in Australia, moved them to Vietnam, and now produces yachts in a brand-new facility in Turkey.
All three brands have enjoyed considerable Boat of the Year success over the years, which made this one of the most highly competitive divisions for 2025. What made it even more enticing were the different approaches from the trio of nominees.
WINNER: Seawind 1370
Seawind Catamarans
This 45-foot cat from Aussie Richard Ward’s growing stable of bluewater cruisers follows on the heels of 2024’s 1170. As Mark Pillsbury notes, the concept was a commercial success from the get-go: “The Seawind representative told us the company took 90 orders for the new 1370 before the first boat was launched. That certainly points to a lot of trust in the quality of the boats, as well as their design and performance. The new model was much like many of the previous Seawinds we’ve seen: well-built, quite suitable for a liveaboard couple, and fun to sail.
“I thought the galley-up location and U-shaped design of the counter space and sink on the 1370 worked well, especially for preparing meals underway. There’s easy access to both the indoor dining table and the cockpit. And underway, the cook has plenty of places to brace in any seaway.”
Herb McCormick also found several features that felt familiar, and noted that Seawind is evolving from a performance aspect. “You step aboard any of the Seawinds, and you know what’s in store: the single-level floor plan, the folding doors that are cleverly stashed overhead in the hard Bimini, even the big stainless-steel barbecue stashed astern,” he said. “And they’ve always sailed well. But Seawind has brought aboard The Design Collective—a pair of performance-oriented French rock stars named François Pérus and Romain Scolari—to enhance the slipperiness of their wave-piercing hulls, and this boat really lit up under sail. Seawind has always marketed their boats for what they call ‘real sailors,’ and they rang the bell here. This is one real sailboat.”
Finalist: Lagoon 43
Groupe Beneteau
One of the true pioneers in the introduction and advancement of cruising catamarans, Lagoon is aggressive when it comes to bringing new cats to the marketplace. Herb McCormick said that the new 43-footer has some big shoes to fill. “The Lagoon 43 is replacing the 42 in the brand’s lineup. It was a huge success story, having sold over 1,100 units,” he said. “With this model, they commissioned the VPLP design office, one of the top French naval-architecture concerns. There will be a 50-50 split of private owners and charter operators, and this boat will serve both markets well.”
Mark Pillsbury added: “I really liked sailing the Lagoon 43. The steering was smooth and responsive, and I liked the location of the helm station on the port bulkhead. The seat was raised high enough for good visibility over the cabin top, but I also felt connected to the social spaces in the salon and cockpit. This is a good arrangement for a shorthanded crew—much better, I think, than a flybridge. After climbing over the side panels at the sterns of several catamarans at the show, I really appreciated the new Lagoon feature that incorporates boarding doors outboard on each transom. It makes hopping aboard from a side-to tie at the dock simple, and it works well when climbing in and out of a tender.”
Finalist: Vision 444 ES
Vision Yachts
The Vision 444 ES moniker stands for “extended scoop.” The hull shape is an evolutionary step in a boat that was familiar to the judging team. “The sistership to this fine yacht is the Vision 444, which was named the winner of its catamaran category in 2024,” Herb McCormick said. “A lot of boats take on the characteristics of the country or coastline where they’re produced, and this cat—built and laid out for extended bluewater cruising—is manufactured in Knysna, South Africa, a salty town on country’s wild southern coast. If you’re sailing in and out of Knysna, you need a boat that can handle any condition.”
Mark Pillsbury adds: “We had the pleasure of inspecting and sailing the Vision 44 with company founder James Turner, a designer and builder who has some very good ideas, and the skills and crew needed to produce an owner-friendly cruising cat. Turner is an all-around waterman with a solid background in competitive racing, in some of his own monohull designs, so he has an innate sense of what makes a boat move. The equipment, sails and accommodations were all executed with the safety and comfort of a shorthanded crew in mind. The helm station of the Vision 44 was very well laid out with all sail controls readily at hand and the necessary gear in place to comfortably tame a powerful sail plan when needed.”
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