Safety on board

Designed by architects Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, Windelo catamarans are recognized by their hulls’ taut lines, devised to enhance performance and seaworthiness.

• Their height of two meters minimum above the water, in addition to inverted bows and a long trampoline, mean they have no difficulty cutting through the waves.
• Good weight centering and taut lines lessen movement when pitching – a true sign of performance and comfort.

• Windelo catamarans are light for their category (11.2 metric tons for a Windelo 50 and 12.8 metric tons for a Windelo 54), with a 90 cm bridgedeck clearance below the nacelle.
• The lengthened buoyant hull flares out above the waterline, making the catamaran only moderately sensitive to payload.
• The peaks are slim, and the hulls narrow for greater waterline length.

High-performing, seaworthy, and easily handled shorthanded, Windelo catamarans will enable you to distance yourself from bad weather quickly and to react faster when the weather changes.

In the event of an impact, the crash boxes located at the bow and stern prevent water ingress in the living quarters of the hulls. Windelo catamarans are completely unsinkable and designed to enable the crew to survive on board in the event of severe damage, particularly if the two floats are flooded. The catamaran will be lower in the water but will continue to float. Life aboard can continue, as can sailing at a very low speed.

The daggerboards can be lifted and lowered vertically, separately, and manually. They optimize lateral stability and contribute to an amazing performance upwind. With the crew carrying out maneuvers from the cockpit, safety is enhanced since there is no need to move about on deck to work the ropes.

The daggerboards on the Windelo catamaran is designed to be retractable, so you can sail on any seas and in any weather. In shallow waters, the daggerboards can be lifted to reduce draft. This is also very handy in heavy weather at anchor since it will minimize the boat’s wind and cross-current resistance.

All the running rigging is centralized in the cockpit, and the reefing is positioned at the foot of the mast, midships, close to the cockpit.

The whole crew is much safer by eliminating the need to move about on gangways and on deck to maneuver. You can sail comfortably with peace of mind, particularly in heavy weather or on night watches.

If the crew still wishes to move outside while you are sailing, the Windelo catamaran’s decks and gangways are wide and flat for greater comfort and safety.

The Windelo cockpit is part of the nacelle and opens onto the saloon. Its design is central to sailing the boat and living together on board.

Peace of mind is the key word when you sail with young children. Children can also move about safely on the catamaran’s nacelle and join you at the helm without having to put on a life jacket and risk going outside. Whether in the saloon, on the sofa lounge, or at the helm station, you can always keep an eye on your children.

Sail confidently double-handed or shorthanded; you are safe and protected in this forward cockpit, and no need to wander out on the deck. You will especially appreciate this during the heavy seas.

During night sailing, the position of the cockpit at the foot of the mast and seamlessly joined to the nacelle presents many advantages:

• It eliminates the need for the skipper or the crew to move about outside. Greatly reduces the risk of a man overboard; you will no longer need to sail with a lifejacket and a harness at night.
• It keeps the skipper close to the crew at rest, both in the quarter berth in the nacelle and the cabins.
• Thanks to the galley seamlessly backing onto the cockpit, this means you can cook or have a drink without taking your eyes off your course.
• The centralization of all the boat’s commands limits the number of movements and the need for lighting.
• Courtesy lighting can be found throughout the boat, facilitating life on board for the crew while maintaining the best night visibility conditions

Windelo catamarans are equipped with a 53.8 kWh battery bank and 2 x 20 kW electric motors, each with a direct shaft line transmission. Several safety points are worth mentioning.

• Brushless direct transmission electric motors have no parts subject to wear (no drive belt or inverter), so they require little maintenance.
• They are highly
• With electric power, there is no need to preheat your motors. Your motors are at full power as soon as you switch them on – ideal when you need to escape danger quickly.
• Fire risks associated with fluids are also eliminated, and you do not produce CO2 when your electric engines are working on batteries.

Windelo catamarans come with a large battery bank (motors and service), which is recharged primarily with green energy produced on board (solar panels, hydrogeneration, wind turbines), so their energy range is incredible.

You can continuously  :

• Have your equipment turned on (communication, weather, home comforts, etc.)
• Recharge your batteries.

Several options also add even greater safety, such as:

• Radar: vessels and squall (weather) detection
• OSCAR cameras: UFO detection

• Rally safety equipment preparation (ARC)
• Frontscan sensors
• Satellite communication equipment
• 2^nd generator as backup
• 2^nd automatic pilot