excess 14

DESCRIPTION

A FUN AND PLAYFUL CRUISING SAILBOAT WITH SLEEK LINES

The Excess 14 is the pure incarnation of the Excess DNA. It is the result of a dedicated design work and an industrial execution, unique to the brand. It is a cruising yacht that is both fun and playful, with sleek lines.

This catamaran is the outcome of innovative architecture, of unbiased research work seeking ‘out of the box’ solutions. The Excess 14 is designed around a layout never seen before on the market, both in the owner’s version and in the charter version. More sensations yet everything you’d expect from a cruising boat: this is the challenge taken up by the Excess 14!

ADDITIONAL INFO

When this boat was introduced in 2022 with exciting fanfare, Groupe Beneteau said Excess Catamarans had squarely hit the bullseye on the brand’s cruising DNA. It is performance catamaran sailing in a production catamaran. And it brings a new standard of sailing enjoyment to the catamaran community.

Building on the success of the Excess 11, the Excess 14 (LOA is 45’9”) takes the Excess concept further with the use of asymmetrical hull shapes. Combined with a taller rig, the Excess 14 redefines the capabilities of the production cruising catamaran.

Group Beneteau aimed the Excess line at performance monohull sailors who do not want to give up the challenge and thrill of monohull sailing but now also want the space and comfort afforded by a modern catamaran.

The builder stopped short of deep daggerboards and the minimalist interior required for ultimate speed potential. Even so, there is more than enough new technology and engineering to satisfy sailors with the need for speed…and whose crew demand to be pampered and comfortable.

The significant design element of the Excess 14 is the use of asymmetrical hulls. This means the outboard surfaces of the hulls are rounded as one expects. But the interior sides of each hull are flat. While this is not a totally new design feature in multihulls, its benefits readily impact the dynamics of a cruising catamaran. Each hull’s asymmetrical shape moves the center of buoyancy to the outboard side of the hull, so the boat seems to have a wider beam and righting moment. The flat sides of the interior hulls also reduce interference drag produced by the hulls going through the water.

Coupled with inverted bows (that easily lift out of the water) and a transom more fully immersed, the result is a better maneuvering boat that is faster and easier to steer.

The hull length is 43’9” and the beam is 25’9”, dimensions that reflect a good-sized platform for comfortable living and offshore capability. The boat’s draft is 4’10”, a good compromise between shallow water boating where catamarans excel, and the upwind performance so often lacking in cruising multihulls. The Excess 14 will not disappoint when sailing to windward or running downwind.

The house on this catamaran sits farther back than other cruising cats, and the mast is stepped forward of the cabin house, much like the Excess 11.

When buying a yacht of this capability, it is wonderful to take advantage of the experienced staff at Crusader Yachts in Annapolis who can help work through the buying process and the

many options available for the Excess line. While it is a production boat, there are many variations of rig, sail plan, deck hardware, interior layout, finish, and equipment that can tailor the sailing and cruising capability of the Excess 14 for each owner.

Crusader Yachts is the key to getting it right.

Many buyers will order the optional PULSE LINE pack for the taller rig (over 70 feet) with square-topped main, with a greater upwind sail area (1453 sq ft), and a 926-sq-foot Code O on its own furler. Your Crusader broker will assist you working through the function over performance issues. The PULSE LINE rig improves the overall sailing performance, but the taller mast comes at the expense of the boat no longer able to travel the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida. Only a knowledgeable and experienced broker can help work through these considerations.

The Excess 14 has twin aft cockpits, just steps from the spacious cockpit. From these helms, forward visibility is unrestricted. The person at the helm can see the sails, wind, and waves much like sailing a monohull. And the salon windows are intentionally clear so the helmsperson will see across the deck to the other side of the boat from either helm location. And the steering is further enhanced by a steering system using textile lines, rather than hydraulics, to provide superior feedback between the twin rudders and wheels.

For sailing on Chesapeake Bay, the Excess 14 will bring smiles as one sails past all but the largest sailboats. And at the end of the day, the comfort of a large, protected cockpit merging into a roomy interior salon, perfectly blend the boat’s comfort and space within performance hulls and a sail plan designed to go fast easily.

The Excess 14 has a CE rating of Class A Offshore. Owners who cruise Chesapeake Bay and other coastal areas can be assured the boat is more than up to the task of sailing at sea. For new boat owners, perhaps just learning the sport, it will be great fun to plan future trips down to the Caribbean with this boat as it will be an ideal cruising machine in the tropics.

There are two interior layouts available: a three-cabin layout with dedicated master stateroom in the starboard hull, with its own head, separate shower, and dressing area. The port hull of this layout has two guest cabins, each with its own head and separate shower. A four-cabin layout is also offered that features four cabins and four heads.

The bridgedeck salon is up a few steps from the cabins in each hull. In addition to full windows all around for great visibility, there is a bright and contemporary interior much preferred these days to dark, traditional finishes. There is a nice centerline settee and table, and an L-shaped galley on the port side. Everything one needs on a modern cruising boat.

With the salon’s sliding door open to the cockpit, the living spaces on this boat are enormous and eminently livable.

The Excess 14 comes with two saildrives powered by 45hp Yanmar diesel engines (upgraded 57hp engines are available). This propulsion package will perform admirably for all conditions, especially if the boat is fitted with the optional and efficient folding propellers. The catamaran has sufficient standard tankage for comfortable cruising in the Bay and points north and south, with two rotomolded 53-gallon fuel tanks and a 79-gallon water tank (a second water tank is optional).

The staff at Crusader Yachts work with each owner through the decisions and options of their new Excess 14. For sailing on Chesapeake Bay, air conditioning is imperative, for example. A knowledgeable broker will spec out a suitable air conditioning system that will be more than adequate, as well as a generator to keep the boat cool while at anchor on the Bay.

There are many other recommended upgrades that Crusader will suggest and take care of in-house, such as converting all marine heads to use fresh water instead of the standard seawater systems on the European boats.

The list of optional interior colors and finishes offers a high degree of personalization of one’s own yacht to make each boat special and unique. And the builder makes it easy to outfit a new boat with equipment one expects for cruising. Canvas work, such as the dodger, Bimini, and enclosure are well designed and best ordered directly from Excess Catamarans. Most owners will also order the optional anchoring kit, davits, and dinghy package as well. Again, the Crusader Yachts team will assist you in these decisions every step of the way to ensure you get the best boat for your needs and plans.

Excess Catamarans is the product of Groupe Beneteau, the largest boat builder in the world. After producing over 6,000 catamarans over the past decades, its knowledge and production expertise assures a solid product built with great value. Crusader Yachts helps ensure it all comes together for each new owner.

Sailing the Excess 14 offers the thrill of the journey, and the comfort and luxury living of the destination on a modern catamaran. Whether day sailing around the Bay, exploring the hundreds of creeks and tributaries around every corner, or heading to New England or the Keys, owners of the Excess 14 can be confident their boat will provide enjoyment and fun for years. And if they decide to expand their horizons, their boat will be ready for future voyaging whenever they are.

The mission statement for the Excess 14 is simple: Build It Strong, Build It Light, Built It Fast.