Leopard Catamarans 52

The Leopard 52 is a sailing catamaran of 51'8" (15.75 m) overall — 51'10" with the lifting platform — on a 26'9" (8.16 m) beam, drawing 5'7" (1.7 m), with a waterline length of 50'3" and a displacement of 45,232 lbs. She follows the Leopard 50 and is built for blue-water passagemaking and long-term liveaboard use, on advanced composite infusion construction with a one-piece hull mould and a reverse deck mould.

Ten layout configurations are offered, running from four cabins through six, with forward and aft utility rooms, a port owner's cabin and a skipper cabin among the variations. Tankage is 238 gal of fuel — 56 gal more than the Leopard 46 carries — and 185 gal of water, with a 61 gal holding tank. All Leopard catamarans are NMMA and CE certified.

Naval architects Simonis Voogd drew the 52 for performance and ease of handling, and the rig reflects it. Total sail area is 1,812 sq ft, and a taller mast with a longer boom gives 17% more upwind sail area than the Leopard 50. The boom also sits lower, which puts the stack-pack within reach and makes sail handling safer. Performance sail options include a square-top mainsail and a Code 0. Stepped hulls and an overlapping genoa are what keep the boat agile rather than merely large.

Standard auxiliary power is twin Yanmar 57 hp diesels, with 80 hp versions optional. Electric drives are the third option: Leopard's Electric Thrust System pairs two 25 kW electric drives with two 27 kW lithium batteries carrying integrated fire suppression, a 24 kW range-extending genset and regeneration under sail, monitored by touchscreen at the nav station and the helm. A built-in roof platform takes up to 1,600W of flush-mounted solar wired straight into the house bank. The protected helm station puts every line aft, the upgraded twin-seat helm keeps visibility and the social spaces within reach, and Raymarine touchscreen navigation, digital switching and system monitoring are standard.

There is 438 sq ft of integrated indoor-outdoor living space, and the stackable sliding saloon doors are what unlock it — open them and the saloon and aft cockpit become one room. A forward watertight door gives safe foredeck access and real cross-ventilation, and panoramic wraparound windows keep the saloon light from every angle.

The interior is a clear step up from the 50: premium materials, indirect lighting, soft upholstery and oak flooring with rounded corners. The galley faces forward with full-size appliances, and the options list runs to a dishwasher, a wine fridge and an induction cooktop. Socially the boat is arranged in zones — a built-in chaise longue and configurable tables in the aft cockpit, sunbeds in the forward cockpit, an elevated coachroof lounge beside the helm for company underway, and a saloon table that converts from coffee height to a full dining setup. An optional grill at the swim platform keeps open-air cooking out of the traffic.

The 52 is the flagship of the Leopard sailing range, above the 45'7" Leopard 46 and the 42'7" Leopard 43, and it carries the brand's full systems catalogue: ten layouts, the Electric Thrust System, 1,600W of solar and 238 gal of fuel. Its direct cross-shops are the Lagoon 51 Iconic at 51'2" and the Fountaine Pajot FP51 at 52'2", both within inches on length and both offering four to six cabins.

Where those two lead with interior volume and finish, the Leopard's case is configurability and passagemaking intent: the layout matrix genuinely covers the couple, the family and the charter operator, and the rig upgrade over the 50 is aimed at owners who intend to cross oceans rather than hop islands. Leopard has delivered over 3,000 catamarans worldwide and the 52 is in service across 22 global cruising destinations — the kind of fleet depth that shows up later as parts availability.

The 52 is for owners who intend to stay out: months at a time, ocean passages, a boat that has to be a home as well as a yacht. If you are deciding between a boat you visit and a boat you live on, this is squarely the second.

Spend your time on the layout matrix rather than the options list. With ten configurations, the difference between the right boat and the wrong one is usually a utility room, not a piece of equipment — and whether you take the aft utility room or a sixth cabin is not a decision you revisit later. If you are considering the Electric Thrust System, work the energy budget against your real house load, air conditioning included, before you settle how hard the 24 kW range extender will be working. And confirm the loaded displacement at contract so your passage planning starts from the boat you will actually own. If this is more boat than two of you want to handle shorthanded, the Leopard 46 does the same job at 45'7".