WINDELO CATAMARANS, a new and innovative brand of multihulls – Multihulls Mag No. 203 October/November 2020

The Windelo project was unveiled in La Grande Motte in April 2019 at the International Multihull Show. The first phase of construction of the Canet-en-Roussillon factory is now complete, and the Windelo 50 prototype will be launched very soon. An intensive testing phase is then planned before the presentation of the new range in April 2021. We wanted to learn more about this new manufacturer…

While the multihull segment is more promising than ever, creating a new brand from scratch remains a significant challenge. It's no surprise, then, that Olivier Kauffmann, the CEO, is a born entrepreneur. He was Chairman of the Board of Decathlon, founder of Orange Marine (online sales of marine hardware and clothing), and director of Cabesto (distributor of products for fishing, hiking, and boating). A product of the windsurfing generation, Olivier also cultivates a taste for adventure: he took a sabbatical year to embark on a long hitchhiking boat trip! The nascent Windelo saga is also a family affair: his son Gauthier, a young engineer passionate about innovation, manages operations. To date, the range offers four models: a 47 and a 57, whose plans will be available in 2021; a 50, currently being finished but already sold; and a 54, which should be launched in spring 2021. Windelo has called upon the duo Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman, designers of, among other things, a large part of the "classic" Catana range, the Outremer 45, 4X, and 51, and the TS42 and TS5. This signature is a sure bet; the duo remains constantly at the forefront of creativity in the field of high-performance catamarans. Jean-Pierre Prade – founder of Catana with Thierry Goyard – has joined the team as industrial director and consultant; Didier Perrin (Syltec Consulting) brings his expertise in composites; and Jean-Paul Siaudeau (JPS Concept, Imoca and Ultime preparation) is in charge of all electrical systems and propulsion. The Alès School of Mines shares its expertise in materials resistance and assembly prototyping.

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