Windelo's largest catamaran carries the French yard's commitment to performance, energy independence, and thoughtful construction into a 62-foot bluewater platform.
An ocean-going catamaran earns its place through demands that leave little room for compromise. It must shelter its crew when conditions deteriorate, maintain progress when the breeze softens, and carry enough self-sufficiency to make genuinely remote anchorages a real destination rather than a wishful one. The Windelo 62 has been conceived to meet exactly those requirements.
Windelo's guiding principle is straightforward: long-range cruising should remain, above all else, a sailing experience. Efficient hull forms, well-considered systems, and a reduced environmental footprint provide the foundation, and the Windelo 62 represents that thinking at its most fully developed. The boat targets owners who want to cover serious ocean miles under sail, spend extended periods living aboard, and accomplish both without accumulating unnecessary diesel hours.
The Windelo 62 and the range it sits within
Windelo's current line-up spans from the 50 to the Windelo 62, with each model shaped by a consistent set of priorities: strong sailing performance, sheltered and centralised sail handling, electric or hybrid propulsion, onboard renewable energy production, and a design sensibility rooted in life at sea rather than marina amenity.
The Windelo 50 is the compact explorer of the group, manageable short-handed yet fully capable offshore. The 54 builds in additional volume and range for family crews or long-term liveaboards, the 58 offers a larger and more adaptable platform, and the Windelo 62 sits at the head of that progression, providing the most space and the strongest focus on bluewater living.
Fine hull forms, daggerboards, an efficient sail plan, and weight-conscious construction underpin the performance of every model in the range. The forward cockpit, positioned close to the mast and sheltered within the nacelle, defines a handling philosophy shared across all four boats.
Performance and handling
The Windelo 62 measures 18.88 metres overall, carries a 9.48-metre beam, and has a light displacement of 22 tonnes. These numbers reflect a boat with the scale a genuine ocean-going multihull demands, but they also point to a design intent focused on sailing efficiently rather than simply delivering a generous interior.
The sail plan pairs a 140m² mainsail with headsails totalling 64m², and daggerboards sharpen upwind performance considerably. For owners whose ambitions run to ocean passages, sustained daily runs matter far more than peak numbers. A capable passagemaking catamaran justifies itself by keeping miles ticking over reliably, holding engine hours low, and delivering its crew to their destination in good shape.
The centralised forward cockpit brings the helm, sail handling, and deck visibility together in a single sheltered position. From there, a crew member can monitor the sails, watch the bows, and scan the horizon without being exposed when conditions worsen. Short-handed sailors benefit because there are fewer reasons to leave the helm; family crews benefit because communication on passage becomes simpler.
Living aboard the Windelo 62
The Windelo 62 is not conceived as a stripped-out passage machine. Its ambition is to hold offshore capability and the character of a long-distance home in balance, without sacrificing either.
Below decks, the design prioritises natural light and a sense of connection with the sea. Generous glazing keeps the interior tied to the outside world, while the nacelle layout allows the saloon, lounge, dining area, and helm station to function as a shared living environment, suited equally to long breakfasts at anchor, calm watches underway, and shared meals at the end of a passage. When a full complement is aboard, enough separation exists to allow genuine privacy.
Depending on the chosen layout, the Windelo 62 accommodates up to five cabins plus a dedicated skipper cabin, making it a credible platform for an owner-operated world cruise, a family sabbatical, or extended cruising with guests. Where professional crew are part of the picture, the boat can be configured so the skipper cabin has independent access from the forward cockpit, complete with its own head and shower, keeping owner and crew spaces clearly distinct without creating friction in the daily routine aboard.
The aft terrace and forward deck areas extend the available living space outward. Aboard the Windelo 62, the sea becomes a constant backdrop to daily life rather than something encountered only when venturing on deck.
Construction and energy systems
Windelo's environmental commitment reaches well beyond propulsion choices. The hulls and deck are built using basalt fibre and PET/PVC foam sandwich construction, a combination the yard says reduces environmental impact by 47% while retaining the structural stiffness and strength that offshore use demands.
Energy autonomy sits at the centre of the Windelo 62 concept. Solar panels, hydrogeneration, and wind turbines all feed into the onboard energy system. Under sail, the electric motors contribute to hydrogeneration, replenishing the batteries as miles are covered. At anchor, solar production sustains day-to-day life without needing to run a generator.
For cruising sailors, the practical consequences matter as much as the environmental reasoning. Reduced generator use translates directly to quieter anchorages. Electric propulsion makes harbour approaches calmer and more controlled. Less dependence on carried fuel removes one of the more persistent logistical burdens of long-range cruising.
The Windelo 62 is available in two propulsion configurations: Electric Propulsion and Dual Propulsion. The electric option prioritises silence and simplicity. Dual Propulsion retains diesel engines for sustained motoring passages while keeping electric drives for manoeuvring and everyday use. For owners planning crossings through regions such as the South Pacific, where distances are long and self-sufficiency is not optional, the choice between those two configurations deserves careful thought.
Who the Windelo 62 is built for
Buyers in today's bluewater market expect a level of comfort that would once have seemed ambitious, though not at the expense of genuine seaworthiness. They want real autonomy delivered without unnecessary complexity, and they want sustainability that holds up in remote conditions, not just in the marketing.
The Windelo 62 answers those expectations through a performance-led design rather than a floating apartment. Its credibility rests on fundamentals: efficient hull forms, daggerboards, centralised sail handling, and a manageable rig. From New Zealand, where coastal waters give way quickly to serious island-hopping and ocean planning, a catamaran needs to be both genuinely capable and genuinely liveable. The Windelo 62 is built to satisfy both sides of that equation.
Windelo 62 specifications at a glance
Length overall: 18.88m Beam: 9.48m Light displacement: 22.0 tonnes Draft: 1.35m / 3.00m Maximum cabins: 5 + skipper cabin Category: A / 13 people Mainsail: 140m² Solent: 64m² Appendages: Daggerboards Hull construction: Basalt and PET/PVC foam sandwich Deck construction: Basalt and PET foam sandwich Engines: Electric and hybrid Energy sources: Solar, hydrogeneration and wind turbines Starting price: from €2,850,000 ex-VAT
Verdict
At its largest scale, the Windelo 62 draws together the yard's core commitments: a bluewater catamaran that treats sailing performance, comfortable living, energy autonomy, and a lighter environmental footprint as parts of a single brief rather than competing priorities. For owners preparing for serious offshore passages who value quiet anchorages, thoughtfully considered living spaces, and genuine independence from engine hours, the Windelo 62 merits serious attention.
