You're anchored off Staniel Cay. The sun deck is quiet except for the sound of rigging and wind. Your guests are scattered across three levels—some in the beach club, some on the flybridge, a few in the main salon. No one is in anyone's way. That's the point of 116 feet and 6,598 square feet of living space. The FPY120S doesn't just offer volume. It offers separation, privacy, and the ability to host without feeling like you're hosting.
This is Fountaine Pajot's flagship sailing catamaran. A 116-foot statement that bridges the gap between bespoke superyacht and production catamaran. It's built for owners who want the efficiency and seakeeping of a cat, the customization of a one-off project, and the backing of a proven French builder with decades of multihull experience.
Who It's For
The FPY120S is for the owner who has already done the 70-foot cat and realized the limitations. You want more space, more autonomy, and more control over the layout. You're comfortable with crew but don't want to manage a full superyacht operation. You value the catamaran's shallow draft, fuel efficiency, and stability over the monohull's sailing pedigree.
This is not a boat for the casual charterer or the weekend sailor. At this size, you're looking at full-time crew, significant operating costs, and a commitment to long-range cruising. The FPY120S is built for owners who plan to spend months aboard, not weeks. It's for the entrepreneur who works remotely from the Grenadines or the family that treats the boat as a second home.
In volume and customization, the FPY120S plays above nearly everything else at its length. It's closer to a semi-custom project than a production boat, even though it shares Fountaine Pajot's proven hull design and construction methods.
Design & Layout: Three Decks, Zero Wasted Space
The FPY120S is organized across three decks, each with a distinct purpose. The main deck houses the salon, galley, and aft cockpit—1,539 sq ft of connected living space. The salon features butterfly-opening windows that blur the line between inside and outside. This isn't a gimmick. It's functional. When you're anchored in the Exumas in February, you want airflow without running the HVAC.
The owner's suite spans the full beam of the lower deck. At 829 square feet, it's larger than most studio apartments. Direct ocean access, ensuite head, and enough separation from guest cabins to feel like a private residence. The layout supports four to six guest cabins depending on configuration, plus crew quarters aft. This is where the bespoke element matters. You're not locked into a fixed layout. You work with Fountaine Pajot's design team to configure the lower deck around how you actually use the boat.
The flybridge is fully enclosed. This is rare on a sailing cat and it's a significant advantage. You get a second salon with 360-degree views, a full helm station, and enough seating for the entire guest list. In the Caribbean, this becomes the primary living space. In the Med, it's your evening cocktail spot. Either way, it's 355 square feet of usable space that doesn't exist on most catamarans this size.
The beach club is 775 square feet and opens directly to the water. Fold-down platforms, swim ladder, and enough room for tenders, toys, and dive gear. This is where the catamaran's wide beam pays off. You're not fighting for space. You're not stacking kayaks on top of paddleboards. Everything has a place.
Performance: Freedom, Not Speed
The FPY120S is powered by twin 900 HP diesels as standard, with an optional upgrade to 1,300 HP. This isn't a boat you buy for speed. Fountaine Pajot publishes no speed figures for it, and none are asserted here. The sail plan is substantial but not aggressive — this is a cruising cat, not a racing machine.
What matters more than speed is range and autonomy. The FPY120S carries 1,849 gallons of fuel and 1,057 gallons of water. That's tankage specified for weeks in the Bahamas without hitting a marina. The boat is designed for extended cruising, not island hopping. You're not planning your route around fuel docks. You're planning it around weather windows and anchorages.
The catamaran's shallow 9-foot draft opens up cruising grounds that monohulls can't access. The Bahamas, the Grenadines, the Tuamotus—these are places where draft matters. The FPY120S can anchor closer to shore, access more protected bays, and avoid the crowded mooring fields that deep-draft boats are stuck with.
Stability is the other performance advantage. The wide beam and twin hulls mean less roll, less pitch, and a more comfortable ride for guests who aren't seasoned sailors. This matters when you're hosting family or clients who aren't used to life on the water. The FPY120S doesn't feel like a sailboat. It feels like a floating villa.
Ownership: Crew, Costs, and the Reality of 116 Feet
At 116 feet, the FPY120S requires professional crew. You're looking at a minimum of two full-time crew, more likely three or four depending on how you use the boat. Captain, engineer, chef, and deckhand. Crew is the largest line in the budget — salaries alone are substantial, before benefits, travel, and training.
Annual operating costs scale with usage: crew, insurance, maintenance, dockage, fuel, and provisioning, plus haul-outs, bottom paint, and systems upgrades if you're cruising heavily. This is not a boat you can run on a shoestring budget.
The advantage of the catamaran platform is efficiency. You'll burn less fuel than a comparable monohull. You'll spend less on stabilizers because you don't need them. And the shallow draft means lower dockage fees in some marinas. But the savings are marginal compared to the overall cost of ownership.
Resale is the wildcard. Fountaine Pajot has a strong reputation in the catamaran market, but the FPY120S is a new model with limited sales history. The bespoke nature of each build means resale values will vary based on how well the layout appeals to the next buyer. If you over-customize, you may limit your buyer pool. If you stick closer to the reference layout, you'll have more flexibility when it's time to sell.
The smart play is to treat this as a long-term hold. Plan to own the boat for at least five to seven years. That gives you time to amortize the upfront costs and enjoy the boat without worrying about resale. If you're buying this as a two-year flip, you're making a mistake.
Where to Start
The FPY120S is a serious boat for serious owners. If you're ready to move beyond production catamarans and into the semi-custom space, this is one of the best platforms available. It combines Fountaine Pajot's proven construction with the flexibility to build the boat around your specific needs.
Start with someone who knows the catamaran market and can walk you through the build process, the customization options, and the realistic costs of ownership. This isn't a boat you buy off the dock. It's a two-year project from contract to delivery.
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