Aquila 50 Sail: surprising performance for the queen of space and innovation. Full sea trial.

Aquila 50 Sail: Full Sea Trial

It’s early morning when I get the Pier Sixty-Six Marina in Fort Lauderdale. The crisp air and completely cloudless sky already suggest it’s going to be a beautiful day—an adjective that, for us sailors, unfortunately also means there will be little wind. A condition in which cruising sailing catamarans usually struggle quite a bit, to put it mildly.

I turn the corner of a dock and spot the Aquila 50 Sail waiting for us, moored stern-to. At first glance, I’m immediately struck by her flowing profile. This catamaran has a silhouette that’s light-years away from the boxy (and frankly awful) shapes the market has accustomed us to.

I step on board and immediately start analyzing the hybrid propulsion system, one of the key innovations introduced on this cat. Power today comes from two 40 kW electric motors, each fed by an 80 kWh battery pack. The system, produced by Torqeedo, promises on paper around 40 nautical miles of range before needing to start the 40 kW onboard generator, which not only provides charging power but also runs the air conditioning, induction cooktops, and all onboard systems.

The sail plan of this Aquila 50 Sail is very well thought out. You can choose between a traditional mainsail and a square-top version—the latter is what we have today—measuring an impressive 96.4 square meters. A choice I fully agree with, as the nearly seven extra square meters of sail area are positioned high up, right where they are most effective. The genoa has a slight overlap, measures 66 square meters, and brings the upwind sail area to a total of 162.4 square meters. Completing the setup is a 103-square-meter furling Code 0, which I’m quite sure we’ll be using today.

We cast off and move away from the dock using the bow thrusters and differential throttle control. Maneuvering the Aquila 50 Sail is genuinely easy with all these aids. From the flybridge, visibility is excellent—you can clearly see the bows, and judging the dimensions of this large catamaran is not a problem at all.

We proceed under power along the channel leading out to the ocean. At 6 knots, consumption is just over 10 kWh, meaning we could cruise for nearly 50 miles without starting the generator. It also means that if we did turn it on, we wouldn’t just sustain the batteries—we’d actually be able to recharge them, resulting in a very interesting energy balance. Electric propulsion, moreover, feels very much like sailing in itself: absolute silence, with only the gentle lapping of waves against the hulls.

Aquila 50 Sail: Sea Trial under Sail

Once out in the ocean, we find a long swell just under one meter high and about 6 knots of true wind—challenging conditions for a cruising cat…

We hoist the mainsail quickly—thanks to the electric winches, it’s child’s play—then unfurl the genoa. All running rigging is led to port and starboard of the helm station, and handling this sailing catamaran alone is not only easy, but also extremely comfortable and safe.

I bear away and set the Aquila 50 Sail at around 50 degrees to the apparent wind. In these conditions, I expect speeds close to zero. Instead, the cat gradually accelerates, starts generating apparent wind, and before long we’re making over 4 knots—4.4 to be precise. I try heading up, and once again the Aquila 50 Sail surprises me, pointing as high as 35 degrees to the apparent wind while losing only two tenths of a knot!

That’s a performance well above average for a cruising cat, especially considering she’s not equipped with daggerboards.

Fully thrilled, I ask to furl the genoa and deploy the Code 0. Once again, the maneuver is handled with great ease, since the sheets for this sail are also led back near the helm. This boat is truly manageable by a single person.

I bear away a bit more and, at 90 degrees to the apparent wind, fine-tune the mainsail and Code 0. The Aquila 50 Sail immediately accelerates, reaching 5.5 knots. I head up to 50–55 degrees apparent, trim the Code 0 slightly, and the cat surges forward again. In a moment we pass 6 knots, topping out at 6.2 knots.

We’re on a cruising catamaran, sailing faster than the true wind, which is still very light, fluctuating between 5 and 6 knots.

This Aquila 50 Sail is a true revelation. I can only imagine what kind of performance she could deliver in moderate breeze or with more advanced sails.

The sail set we have today, while triradial and well made, is certainly not a high-performance inventory—something that makes the figures we recorded even more impressive.

Under Power

As expected, the wind soon dies completely and we have to furl the Code 0. We still have quite a few miles to cover to reach Miami in time, where the Aquila 50 Sail will be on display at the city’s boat show.

We engage the throttles and the two electric motors begin pushing us forward in total silence. At 7 knots we’re consuming just 22 kW; at 7.5 knots, 28 kW; and at 8 knots we’re still under 40 kW. This means we can cruise at typical passage speed, with the generator running, for an unlimited time while burning very little fuel.

Curious, I push the throttles fully forward and quickly reach 9.2 knots—a highly respectable top speed for this hybrid version of the Aquila 50 Sail.

Of course, a traditional version is also available, with a pair of inboard diesel saildrives capable of pushing the cat to even higher speeds. In my view, however, this hybrid setup is perfectly balanced and already delivers everything you need for cruising in the best possible way. The 80 kWh battery pack and the 40 kW onboard generator also serve many other functions, ensuring full onboard comfort without constant concern about energy consumption.

In short, this is a high-level cruising catamaran that I would personally choose exactly in this configuration—not only for summer cruises, but also to set off on a long circumnavigation.

Below are the figures recorded during the remainder of the trial, highlighting how excellent range can be achieved even without running the generator. The data was collected with six people on board, in slight seas, with water and fuel tanks at 100%.

The new Aquila 50 Sail in detail

To fully understand the scope of the innovations introduced by the new Aquila 50 Sail, it’s worth pausing for a moment and listing them—because there are quite a few.

Design

The design of this sailing yacht deserves the first mention. Light-years away from the shapes we’ve grown used to with pure cruising catamarans, it manages to offer significantly greater volumes than its direct competitors while maintaining sleek, flowing, sporty lines. A result that is far from obvious.

Stern

The stern of the Aquila 50 Sail incorporates two major innovations. The first lies in the width of the aft sections of the two hulls. Much wider than anything previously seen on a sailing catamaran, they can genuinely be used as a beach club area.

The second innovation is the aft platform, operated by a winch, which allows a large tender to be lifted and stored on a system of adjustable cradles that ensure stability while underway. This area is also transformable: the stanchions and lifelines that enclose it can be moved forward or aft, depending on whether the tender is on board.

The combination of these two features eliminates the need for a heavy hydraulic platform and effectively creates one large beach club area from which to fully enjoy time at anchor.

Flybridge

The flybridge of the Aquila 50 Sail is enormous yet perfectly integrated into the yacht’s sporty lines—an impressive result that reflects the shipyard’s extensive experience with power catamarans. The major innovation here is that it can be accessed not only by the usual staircase from the aft cockpit, but also via two gently sloping side decks that connect it directly to the bow.

This innovative system simplifies movement on board and makes all maneuvers easier, including docking and anchoring—but that’s not all. Viewed from the side, you’ll notice how the flybridge develops in continuity from the foredeck, creating a monolithic structure that provides remarkable structural rigidity, clearly perceptible while underway.

The flybridge hard top is walkable and equipped with two access ladders, a very practical solution for safely handling the opening and closing of the lazy bag.

Cabins

The interior space engineering of the Aquila 50 Sail is truly out of the ordinary and makes this 50-footer unique in its category. The layout can be customized starting from the four-cabin owner-focused version, all the way to the charter-oriented configuration, which boasts as many as six cabins and six bathrooms.

But the surprises don’t end there. Cleverly, each cabin has its own private access and an en-suite bathroom with a separate shower stall—even in the six-cabin version. A feature that enhances guest privacy and makes life on board far more comfortable.

Another important innovation is the option to purchase the six-cabin version and later, perhaps after a period in charter service, convert it back to the four-cabin layout through a simple and non-invasive modification.

Conclusion

The new Aquila 50 Sail truly won us over. It’s an innovative sailing catamaran that manages to be fast and spacious at the same time, attractive and highly functional. With a starting price below one million dollars—less than 850,000 euros—it is extremely competitive and likely represents one of the best choices currently available in terms of value for money.

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