Excess 15

Excess 15 Details

The Excess 15 is the flagship of the Excess line of catamarans. Measuring 48’5” LOA, its beam is 26’4”, and draft is 4’7”. This is a big catamaran, capable of sleeping up to 14 people in its optional six-cabin layout.

Like all Excess catamarans, the Excess 15 is intended to make performance a priority on the modern cruising catamaran. Based on a hull shared with the Lagoon 50, the builder shaved a full ton of weight out of the boat, and in light air, that is quite noticeable. Where other cats are motoring in light air, the Excess 15 continues sailing, using its asymmetrical spinnaker or Code 0 to harness the breeze. 

Group Beneteau created the Excess brand to showcase its innovation in building boats that sailors will love to sail while also providing the benefits and comfortable accommodations of a modern cruising catamaran. The Excess 15 does this particularly well and will prove a popular alternative for cruisers who need the space and accommodations of a big catamaran.

There are two aft helm stations, with unrestricted visibility forward over wide side decks, much like sailing a monohull. The lack of window tinting gives the person at either helm great visibility across the saloon to the other side of the boat. Any small blind spot can be eliminated by leaning across the helm seat a few inches. Great sight lines were important design criterion for the Excess line.

As the primary helm, the starboard station has all halyards and sheets led aft, with Harken winches at both helms to assist in raising and unfurling the sail and adjust the sheets. The builder includes dedicated bags to hold the jumble of lines that normally clutter the cockpit and helm.

To provide the highest degree of connection between sails and rudders, the steering system uses Dyneema lines as steering cables to provide a high level of feedback at the wheel. One will be able to feel developing weather helm and adjust sails or course accordingly.

There are full engine instrumentation and navigation modules at each helm station, and a small bimini over each helm. The helms can be enclosed as well.

The Excess 15 comes in three configurations: a three-cabin layout with three heads (with separate showers), a four-cabin layout with four heads (with separate showers), and a six-cabin layout with six heads (showers are part of the head). Clearly the layout with three cabins will be the owner version of this boat.

The standard boat has two water tanks, each with a capacity of 63 gallons. There is a 32-gallon holding tank in each hull. And the Excess 15 has two aluminum fuel tanks that each hold 137 gallons of fuel for the pair of 57hp Yanmar 4JH57 saildrives.

The Excess 15 cockpit and interior offer enormous living spaces, light and bright because of the builder’s choice of light fabric, honey-colored furniture, white wall covering, and sand plywood flooring. The many windows and opening hatches provide excellent ventilation.

The saloon is much like a large living room, with an aft-facing galley, to satisfy any gourmet chef, with stainless-steel appliances and plenty of storage. Visibility in the saloon is fully 360 degrees. A large saloon table, surrounded by a large L-shaped settee and moveable bench seat, is electrically raised and lowered to serve as coffee table during the day and then raise and unfold when it needs to be a dining table for a large party. 

Lockers and drawers are plentiful around the boat and in all staterooms.

The starboard hull is the master stateroom, and the full length of the interior functions as a master suite, including his and her’s vanities and sinks. A huge forward shower is also an exceptional feature on this catamaran.

There are many options for the Excess 15 and performance packages to improve its sailing capabilities, especially in light air. The Pulse Line pack includes a taller mast for greater sail area, a squared-off mainsail and self-tacking jib in a higher quality gray, tri-radial sail material. The package also equips the boat with all deck hardware for a spinnaker pole and hardware/furler for a Code 0.

Also included with this optional package are bright orange composite steering wheels, and special hull graphics.

The benefits of the Pulse Line pack mean one can shut down the engine sooner or continue sailing even in light air. And the boat will look more like a boat set up for racing...while those aboard enjoy life on a luxurious modern catamaran.

The Excess 15, especially with the hull graphics and colorful trim, will turn heads as she sails past slower cats and monohulls. She is lighter and more slippery than her Lagoon counterpart. And while the competent Lagoon will safely take you anywhere in the world at 6-7 knots, the Excess 15 will be a rocket ship by comparison.

And that is the essence of the Excess line. Be immoderate.