Nicholas Harvey, chief revenue officer of Aquila Group, opened the press conference at the Annapolis Sailboat Show with significant enthusiasm as he announced Aquila Group’s expansion into the sailing catamaran market. “In a way, we’re returning to our roots,” he said. “Lex and Alain Raas (company founders) started in sailing and we have deep expertise in charter as well.”
Aquila Bets on the Sailing Catamaran Market
Most builders today are moving production from sailing to powercats but Aquila is bucking that trend. “The sailing catamaran market measures about 1100-1200 new units per year while powercats are currently at half that around 450-500 units,” added Harvey who has extensive knowledge of the sailing market from his days at Beneteau and Jeanneau. “That leaves a lot of room for growth and we’re determined to make our mark.”
With this initiative Aquila is pursuing their mission of becoming the “number one catamaran company in the world” but they’re also entering a crowded market with at least a half dozen established production sailing catamaran brands already vying for attention.
Aquila’s global launch plan
Aquila will offer models for both charter and private ownership. Many Aquila signature features will cross over from their powercats including the forward steps from the deck to the flybridge, a solid foredeck, the centerline helm, panoramic windows, a large home-style refrigerator, and the popular aft bar area with stools. Four to six cabins will be available each with their own direct entry and it will be possible to convert a multi-cabin charter layout to an owner’s suite configuration as an aftermarket change. The hulls will be built in a single mold and options will include Aquila’s patented dinghy crane and Hybrid Ocean Drive with engines from Volvo Penta and electric motors from Torqeedo.
Representatives from Aquila noted that these models won’t be just their current line of powercats with masts and smaller engines but rather from-scratch designs from J&J Design. Sino Eagle Group, Aquila’s parent company, operates a 120-square-meter shipyard and enjoys significant purchasing power, and although pricing hasn’t been released, it is expected to be competitive.
In the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, exclusive distribution will be done by The Catamaran Company. A dealer network is yet to be determined for Europe and other parts of the world.
The launch of the new models is scheduled to start in February 2026 with the Aquila 50ES debuting at the Miami International Boat Show followed by its appearance at the International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte in the south of France in April. The 44ES will follow in late 2026 and the 63ES is expected to premier in 2027.
“We’re looking to create category killer with this series,” adds Harvey. “I think we have a set of real winners in these new models.”
