In our Powercat A-Z series, we pick some of the biggest and best powercat producers in the world. Today we look at Dracan
Polish newcomer, Dracan, was established in 2023 as a specialist builder of sporting, outboard-powered, cabin-equipped powercats with sector-leading style and supremely flexible day spaces.
In pursuit of that goal, the firm’s first step was to appoint Błazejak Yacht Design, led by Robert Błazejak, Poland’s most experienced catamaran designer and a man with first-hand knowledge of the world’s leading yacht brands.
The second step was to appoint Model Art as its shipyard of choice for the construction of its new boats. With three factories in Poland encompassing more than 25,000 square metres of production space, as well as 25 years of experience, a workforce of 1,000 employees and a CV that includes collaborations with some of Europe’s most prestigious powerboat brands, that puts construction, as well as design, in very safe hands.
And as if to rubber-stamp the calibre of this approach, its debut model, the Dracan 42, has already received nominations for both Multihull of the Year and European Powerboat of the Year.
The Dracan range
As things stand, the original Dracan 42, launched to much acclaim at the Cannes Yachting Festival in 2024, remains the only production model in the Dracan fleet. However, while details regarding fleet development are currently provisional, it looks like three new boats are due to be added to the range in line with the blueprint laid down by that first design.
The Dracan 42 Gran Coupé will use the same underpinnings as the existing 42 but will add uprated weather protection for an extended season, courtesy of a fully enclosed saloon and a fresh interior layout designed to make best use of that. A new entry-level model will also be introduced in the form of the outboard-powered Dracan 36. And a new flagship 52-footer is also currently under development.
The Dracan 42 is set to be joined by a new entry-level 36 and a flagship 52
Our pick
As a powercat with its Mercury V10 400hp outboards hidden beneath raised sunpads, the Dracan 42 extends its day spaces well aft of the transom, creating a lovely unbroken swim platform spanning the entire 16ft beam.
Ahead of this, the raised sunbeds morph into L-shaped dinettes, split by a central walkway that takes you forward, past a port galley and a starboard bar, to a deep, safe bow lounge that’s kept deliberately narrow to create the volume for a choice of three lower deck layouts.
The Supreme configuration provides a long ensuite VIP cabin in each of the two hulls; the Voyage layout uses a long cabin in one hull and a pair of doubles split by a bathroom in the other; and the Holiday arrangement boosts cruising capacity with a pair of cabins and a bathroom in each hull.
While eight-berth accommodation is extremely impressive on a 41ft boat, the recreational flexibility of the vast cockpit, with its big galley, dedicated bar and options-rich T-Top, feels every bit as rewarding.
See our complete A-Z guide to Powercats
