At her launch in 1998, after almost a decade in design and construction, Douce France was the world’s largest cruising catamaran with an LOA of 138’ (42 m) and a beam of 50’6” (15.4 m), a record now held by Hemisphere.
At that time, it was a veritable technological challenge to build a schooner in aluminium, including the masts and spars. She was voted the most innovative sailing catamaran by ShowBoats magazine during the 1999 Monaco Yacht Show.
Thanks to her powerful mainsail and foresail, which have a combined surface area of 400 m², she can easily reach a cruising speed of 15 knots. Featuring six spacious, comfortable cabins which can accommodate up to twelve passengers (in addition to a crew of seven), this giant of the seas is a much sought-after charter boat and remains the largest schooner-rigged catamaran in the world.
