Together Fountaine Pajot and Couach make a formidable pairing as they prepare to launch Veya, a new powercat range.
French catamaran specialist Fountaine Pajot and luxury motoryacht builder Couach are joining forces to launch a new range of premium powercats. Called Veya, they will combine the powercat design and engineering expertise of Fountaine Pajot with the high end fit and finish of Couach.
The first model in the new range, due to launch this summer, will be the Veya 53. Designed by revered French cat-specialist Berret-Racoupeau, the new model strikes a nice balance between style and volume thanks to a generous beam of 26ft 3in combined with a relatively sleek superstructure featuring explorer-style forward-raked windows and a hull-coloured flybridge hard top.
Seating along all three sides of the cockpit and a bar into the saloon provide a very sociable setting for guests
Near vertical bows and elongated hull windows that follow the subtle flare in the topside moulding adds an air of sophistication to the design.
The emphasis on style is matched by an equally strong focus on user-friendly entertaining spaces. The expansive aft cockpit has seating along both sides in addition to the usual transom dinette and a lovely little bar area facing into the saloon. There is also a large shallow locker beneath the cockpit sole for inflatable SUPs and a hydraulic stern platform rated up to 600kg for carrying a tender.
Moving forward from here, wide side decks lead up to an equally generous sunken foredeck lounge, featuring a secure forward facing settee and two aft facing corner chaise longues.
Skylight over the helm helps brighten up the saloon
The flybridge avoids the common powercat mistake of feeling too big and spartan by restricting it to more manageable proportions and fitting it with a convivial array of corner seating options around the central helm position, a single large dinette to starboard and a wet bar to port. This leaves space in front of the windscreen for a big glass skylight letting light into the saloon below.
This has a large lounging/dining area to port and galley and sofa to starboard, as well as a drop-down TV. The indoor helm benefits from an opening hatch in the skylight above it and a small drinks fridge by the skipper’s feet.
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Inside the Veya 53
Accommodation includes three or four cabins accessed from stairs on either side of the main saloon. The three-cabin layout has an owner’s suite that occupies the entire port hull and includes a sleeping area forward, an amidships lounge/study area and a bathroom aft.
The starboard hull houses the other two cabins, a VIP forward and regular double aft. All three cabins have their beds facing outboard to make the most of the views through the hull windows. Plus there’s room for up to two crew in the bows.
Sunken foredeck lounge looks like another great spot for guests to hang out
Propulsion comes from Yanmar. The standard engines are twin 440hp 6LYs on V-drive shafts but these can be upgraded to a pair of 550hp 6LFs. The top speed for these should be over 20 knots while the range at eight knots is expected to be 550-600nm with the twin standard 1,000-litre tanks or closer to 800nm with the extra 800-litre long-range tank option.
There’s also a 2.5kW solar-panelling option for the hard top instead of a sunroof and space for 40kWh of lithium batteries, enough for silent overnighting with the AC set to ‘eco mode’.
The owner’s suite includes a private study area amidships
Prices start at €1.8 million, but typical deliveries are likely to be €2.1-2.4m. Although the Veya project is a new joint venture, the two companies already have a close working relationship after Fountaine Pajot moved production of its existing powercat range to Couach’s Arcachon Bay facility a couple of years ago.
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