It's 7am on a Tuesday in the Exumas. You're anchored in 12 feet of crystal water, two miles from the nearest boat. The generator hasn't run since yesterday afternoon. Coffee brews silently on induction. Your guests are still asleep in their own suites, each with a private head and shower. The crew quarters are separate, accessed through their own companionway. You're standing on 796 square feet of shaded cockpit, looking at a 409-square-foot forward lounge, and realizing you haven't touched a dock in nine days. This is what the Fountaine Pajot FPY80S was designed to deliver.
Who It's For
The FPY80S is built for the experienced cruiser who has already owned a 50-footer and knows exactly what didn't work. You've dealt with the generator that runs all day. You've managed the water rationing. You've navigated the awkward dance of crew and guests sharing the same spaces. You're done compromising.
This is a boat for someone who wants to disappear for two weeks without thinking about fuel stops or marina hookups. It's for the owner who values autonomy over speed, and layout intelligence over sheer size. If you're chartering this boat, you're running a business that depends on guest comfort and operational efficiency. If you're an owner-operator, you're someone who plans to spend 60+ nights a year aboard, not six weekends.
This is not a boat for the first-time catamaran buyer. The systems are complex. The draft is 6'6", which limits your cruising grounds. And the price point puts you in direct competition with used motor yachts that offer more speed and less sail handling.
Design & Layout
Fountaine Pajot calls this a "personal creation," and they're not exaggerating. The FPY80S offers six different layout configurations, ranging from a four-cabin owner's version to a seven-cabin charter setup. The galley can be positioned on the main deck or below. The owner's suite can occupy the entire port hull or share space with a VIP cabin.
What matters more than the options is the circulation logic. Crew quarters are isolated in the starboard hull with dedicated access. Guests never cross paths with provisioning or maintenance. The flybridge is 431 square feet, large enough to function as a second salon. The forward cockpit is 409 square feet, which is larger than the entire main salon on most 60-foot cats.
The beach club is 205 square feet and sits at water level, which means it's actually usable in anything other than flat calm. Storage for water toys is integrated into the hulls, not bolted on as an afterthought. The side-deck lounges extend the living space toward the water, creating sight lines that make the boat feel 20 feet wider than it is.
This is a layout designed by people who have spent time on boats, not in showrooms.
Performance
The FPY80S is not fast. Cruise speed under power is 9-12 knots with the standard twin 270hp diesels. You can option up to twin 380hp engines, but you're still not breaking 15 knots. This is a heavy displacement catamaran on a 36'5" beam. It's built to sail, not motor.
Under sail, the boat carries 3,660 sq ft of upwind sail area and a 3,229 sq ft gennaker. On the yard's own sea trial, the platform averaged 12 knots in 20 knots of wind. The shallow 6'6" draft limits upwind performance, but it opens up anchorages that deeper keels can't access.
What the FPY80S delivers is autonomy. With 634 gallons of fuel standard (and an optional 264-gallon auxiliary tank), 423 gallons of water, and a desalination system that produces 158 gallons per hour, you can stay off the grid for weeks at a stretch. The high-voltage lithium battery bank and solar array mean you can run air conditioning, refrigeration, and electronics without starting the generator.
This is freedom measured in days at anchor, not top speed.
Ownership Conversation
The FPY80S is a serious commitment, and the options list moves the number quickly. Annual operating costs depend entirely on how you use the boat: a charter program offsets a meaningful share of them, while an owner-operator carries the fixed costs alone — and they start before you leave the dock.
Crew is the decision point. A boat this size can be owner-operated with two experienced sailors. But most owners will run a crew of two to three, which adds real money in salaries, benefits, and travel. The crew quarters are designed for this, with private cabins and a dedicated galley. If you're planning to charter, crew is non-negotiable.
Maintenance is straightforward for a catamaran. No complex pod drives or surface drives. No high-speed planing hull to manage. The diesels are proven and accessible, and the systems are well documented. Budget honestly for routine maintenance, haul-outs, and systems upkeep — predictable money, but not small money.
Resale on Fountaine Pajot catamarans in this size range is strong. The brand has a loyal following in the charter market, and the FPY80S is new enough that depreciation will be steepest early, then flatten — the pattern for new models at this size.
Where to Start
The FPY80S is the right boat if you've already decided that a sailing catamaran is the platform you want, and you're willing to pay for the space, autonomy, and layout intelligence that comes with 79 feet of length. It's not the right boat if you're still comparing motor yachts or monohulls.
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