The motor catamaran, after gaining ground in the “motor yacht” segment, now has a new frontier: the day cruiser market. The Aquila 36 Sport, a 10-meter multihull with outboards (2x300hp) and space to spare, made its European debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022. We went on board with the Italian importer, FC Yacht Italy, to see how it is designed and how it performs.
Eagle 36 Sports
The eternal confrontation between “form or function” here sees the scales leaning toward function. The catamaran, for line purists, does not garner much support. If, however, aesthetic ambitions are put aside and one thinks about what it offers for a day at the beach, the argument is quite different. Let’s say right away that the Aquila 36 Sport was born directly as a motor boat, both in terms of water line and power and layout.
What’s strange about it? The fact that, in a great many cases, a motor catamaran originates as an evolution of a sailing catamaran by shipyards specializing in the latter. The change in approach is felt due to the fact that the needs of a powerboat sailor are radically different from those of a sailor. It is no coincidence that Aquila Power Catamarans is behind a partnership between the Sino Eagle Group and the U.S. giant, MarineMax. The plant where these hulls are built, in Hangzhou City, China, measures 93,000 square meters. But back to the craft.
Eagle 36 Sports – Blanket
The new Aquila 36 Sport has an overall length of 10.96 meters with the aft platform, but it can also be used as a vessel, without registration. In any case, climbing aboard, it is immediately clear that there is far more space than on a classic 11-meter boat. Carlo Orione, managing director of FC Yacht, speaks of “a habitability of a 44′.” What is not fully understood, looking only at the numbers, is that there is a lot of space, but the boat is all in all “compact.” The width is 4.45 meters, but what is convincing is the management of this beam. Imagine a bowrider (with hard-top) XL and equipped with a galley, refrigerator and sink.
The entire aft area is clear since there are no side walkways, and to access the bow there is a central walkway with an opening in the windshield. This also creates two distinctly separate sections to provide privacy when more than one person is on board. During the test, for example, there were 10 of us on board. Yet, there was never a time when the boat seemed crowded, quite the contrary. Five people in the cockpit, three in the bow, two in the bridge and that’s it, staying all wide, but there would still be room for example on the seat near the platform, which, however, it is better not to use when sailing. From this platform, between the two outboards, there is access to the water for bathing.
To give an idea of space and safety, the boat is approved for up to 26 people.
Eagle 36 Sport – Below Deck
Catamaran daycruiser, but still multihull. What does it mean? That below deck there are two cabins and two bathrooms that enjoy total privacy as they are independent. When there are, for example, two families on board, this configuration allows for both social and relaxing moments with no one around.
Eagle 36 Sports – Navigation
At the level of livability from a catamaran it is logical to expect more even though, as we have seen, theAquila 36 Sport is really well thought out. Less obvious, however, is the maneuverability. Two hulls may hint at difficulty in steering, especially at mooring. This is not the case. The two outboards, combined with the Mercury joystick, make every maneuver accessible.
The version we tested had two 300-horsepower engines, but this Aquila can also install two 400-horsepower engines with which the estimated top speed is about 36 knots. As soon as we are outside, stability immediately emerges as one of the big plus points as does the protection behind the windshield in navigation. There are 10 of us on board, as we said before, and there are 650 (out of 1,350) liters of fuel and 200 liters of water.
Cruising speed is at about 20 knots when overall consumption is just over 100 liters total per hour by both engines. In general, the cat is responsive, smooth on waves, and even without reaching extreme speeds, sailing is fun.
Eagle 36 Sport – Navigation Data*
| TURNS PER MINUTE. (RPM) |
KNOTS (KN) |
CONSUMPTIONS (L/H) |
| 600 | 2.8 | 5.6 |
| 1000 | 4.1 | 8.7 |
| 2000 | 6.6 | 18.5 |
| 3000 | 10.2 | 45.8 |
| 4000 | 17.7 | 79 |
| 5000 | 24.7 | 135 |
| 6250 | 31.2 | 223.7 |
Data Sheet of the boat: Aquila 36 Sport
| Length Over All (LOA) | 10.96 m |
| Baglio Massimo | 4.45 m |
| Full displacement | 9,785 kg |
| Standard Motorization | 2X 300 hp |
| Maximum speed | 31.2 knots |
| Cruising speed | 19/20 knots |
| Fuel tank | 1350 liters |
| Fresh water tank | 1 x 200 / 1 x 485 liters |
| Cabins | 2 |
| Bathroom | 2 |
| Contacts: | www.fc-yacht.it |
*Official site sheet
Eagle 36 Sport – Price
How much does it cost to buy an Eagle 36? The price depends on the chosen outfitting and equipment. There is, however, the Rent-to-Buy formula whereby the prospective buyer pays a down payment of only 20 to 30 percent of the purchase price and agrees to pay a monthly fee that entitles him or her to use the boat for six weeks of the year with the possibility, after seven years, then becomes the full owner.
During the months in which the boat is available, it will be the responsibility of Free Charter, the company of which FC-Yacht is a part, to charter the boat so that it will also meet the costs of mooring, maintenance and insurance. The advantages? Lower the initial investment, but also relieve the owner of all operating and maintenance expenses, leaving the availability to use the boat throughout the year.
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