Leopard 40 VS Lagoon 380 catamaran charter
In this post, I would like to explain why I choose a Leopard 40 catamaran instead of a Lagoon 380, which actually, was my first choice for Charters Eleven’s catamaran charter.
I spent a couple of seasons in Ibiza being the proud captain of a Lagoon 380. A Good looking cat, good sailing features, very handy, not too big, not too small, perfect for chartering…I loved it!!
It was my baby even though I was just the captain for four months a year.
Don’t ask me why, but sailors treat boats as something more than a piece of floating material. As my friend Z would say “Amigo, that’s because they have a name”…maybe, but I also named my old car and I’ve never had the feeling that I have with a boat.
Speak of the devil!… here I’m, happy with the amazing Lagoon 380
Anyway, as I said, I was familiar with the 380. The Lagoon was Charters Eleven’s first choice when hunting a catamaran charter.
Before finding Geronimo, the Leopard 40 catamaran, the only knowledge I had about Leopard Catamarans was what I found in magazines and on the internet.
I had never seen one myself. Almost every catamaran sailing the Mediterranean is built in Europe, more precisely in France. Fountain Pajot, Lagoon, Nautitech, Outremer…they all have the shipyard on the coast of “La France”.
The first time I’ve checked out the Leopard 40 Catamaran myself I thought
“that’s it, that’s the one”
The only thing I didn’t like was the price and the name “Aristocat” 😀
That is Aristocat! Why I named the catamaran Geronimo it’s a long funny story…maybe for next post 😉
I do not want to bore you with information you don’t really care when coming as a catamaran charter customer, as my purpose here, is to talk about what matters to you, once stepping on board.
Quality and design of C11’s catamaran charter
My first time on the Leopard 40 catamaran I found quality materials, layout, and design, better than on the Lagoon 380. To me, only bettered in much larger catamarans.
The cherrywood panelling abounds, the large sliding see-through door to the saloon, the large good looking twin door fridge/freezer, furniture… all of that, place the Leopard 40 one step beyond the Lagoon 380.
Besides, the Leopard 40 catamaran is finished throughout with smart touches such as…
- A rubbish bin with top access from the galley and side access from the saloon.
- A secure and separated dish drainer compartment
- Sunshades at the cockpit
- As the freezer is port side below the nav station, you can pass beers 🙂 straight from the fridge to the galley bench, or back table, or the saloon, quite easily. Very handy!!
Trust me, those small and simple details, make life easier on board.
If you would like more info, there is a good review in Cruising Helmsman Magazine. It did make me understand what kind of catamaran the Leopard 40 is.
Simply a really good one.
The trampoline
What’s a Catamaran without a trampoline? Just nothing else than a piece of fiberglass 🙂
A prominent feature of the Leopard’s trampoline is its bold design.
- It’s Roomy as there is no platform for the anchor’s chain crossing the trampoline.
- Safer, with doubled-up cordage, freeing it from the common problem of a single failure causing the whole tramp to let go.
- Quality material. Not made out of ropes, like a fishing net, but all in one piece, which also makes it much more comfortable. Guaranteed!
Leopard’s trampoline
A good pic of the Lagoon with the anchor’s chain platform crossing the trampoline.
On the Leopard 40 catamaran, not only the trampoline but also the area just before it. Is roomier than on the Lagoon 380, allowing customers not only to sit down but also to lie in the sun.
A beautiful pic of the Leopard 40 catamaran to realize how roomy is the bow area.
Fridge – freezer
Is essential on a cruising catamaran, especially if you stay on board for an overnight charter.
Lagoon’s fridge at the right side.
Leopard has a combined, twin-door (220 Lts) fridge/freezer.
It doubles the capacity of the Lagoon’s fridge.
As simple as that!
Leopard layout with the fridge/freezer at the entrance
Shower
The Leopard fully enclosed shower.
While the Leopard 40 has A fully enclosed hot water shower, on the Lagoon 380 it is necessary to pull the tap out of the sink and hang it up to have a shower.
Everything will eventually get wet… sink, mirror, toilet…
Lagoon 380 shower/bathroom
Cockpit
Well, again, the smart Leopard design makes it more roomy and open than the 380. Come and check it out 😉
The enclosed Lagoon 380 Cockpit
- With its integrated sunshades, the Leopard 40 catamaran also provides full sun protection at the cockpit. Believe me, that’s appreciated when anchoring on a sunny cove!
- The aisle at the rear of the Leopard 40 catamaran provides a handy and nice open area
Of course, after three years on board our Leopard 40 catamaran, there are things I would change and improve, but I’m really happy with my choice, and sincerely, customers are also positively surprised with Geronimo, either they come for an overnight charter or a day charter.
Daniela
Priceless!!Was not my first time in ibiza/formentera on a boat but this was definitely the best one!! After 5x on the island, we were able to see and experience stuff we never did.If you’re looking for an experience for life, please go to him! Every cent you will spend worth due to what you’re gonna experience!!Simplemente fantástico! Gracias Fede!!
Anton
Fantastic day sailingThe whole experience was smooth and professional, from the first contact with Fede who answered all my questions quickly and clearly, to contact the day before to arrange the meeting place etc, to the amazing day itself. The yacht is beautiful and very comfortable. We swam in the sea, using masks, snorkels and fins available on the boat, used the stand up paddleboard, and relaxed on the bow as we sailed.
Emma
Amazing day out on a beautiful catamaran Thank you so much Fede for a fantastic day on your beautiful Catamaran! We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and found it such a relaxing and amazing way to explore the beautiful island.So easy to get in touch with via watsapp. We felt very lucky you were able to accommodate us at short notice! Highly recommend. 🙂
Karla
Best experience in IbizaFederico and Bellen made sure we had the best time enjoying clear waters, seeing beautiful Calas and smaller islands and ultimately enjoying the famous sunset in Ibiza . For sure highlight of our trip!
it’s mandatory to say that both catamarans, the Leopard 40 and the Lagoon 380, with similar features and size, are just amazing sailing boats.
As Forest Gump used to say…It’s all I have to say about that. 🙂
Many thanks for reading this post.
