Spotlight – Fountaine Pajot MY6: Double happiness

Compared to the previous release from Fountaine Pajot’s new-look power cat range – the MY5 – the 13.4-metre MY6, which made its Asia premiere in Hong Kong in March, has further honed both aesthetic and utilitarian elements. The exterior, co-created by French naval architect and designer Daniel Andrieu and Italian yacht and automotive designer Pierangelo Andreani, is a combination of sporty lines-meets-traditional motor-cat angular edges of the hulls that add to stability and help maximise interior space.

There are more premium touches on the MY6 (formerly known as the MY44) that appear immediately on boarding: the full-beam hydraulic swim platform is very deep and stretches all the way across the 6.6m full beam; a few steps up from there into the cockpit, views flow into the open 20sqm saloon, with its large panoramic windows, is furnished in a variety of earthy- and neutral-toned luxe finishes – from deep pile carpet to leatherette sofa fabric and matte-lacquered open-grained wood veneer.

Saloon tables fold out easily for when larger numbers are in the lounge/dining area. The yacht’s galley is at the aft of the saloon, to starboard, a spacious open area – containing an oven, stovetop, microwave, plenty of storage and counter space, plus a large fridge-freezer – is handy for both indoor and cockpit access, particularly when doors are slid open for the latter.

Generously wide side decks lead to the bow, where just forward of the windshield, sun pads that transform into reclining loungers can be fitted with removable tabletops.

The owners of this hull were particularly impressed with the layout and division of cabins

On the flybridge, a flexible sitting/lounging area has replaced what was previously fixed sofa seating, sociably adjacent to the relaxed-but-rigid upper two-seat helm station. More engagement with self-drive owners is on-trend for motoryacht cruisers and might be well appreciated in the case of this particular boat. This MY6 has shared owners – two families of close friends, spanning a few generations, enjoy the larger dimensions, and elevated finishing of their previous power and sailing catamarans. They are scheduled to take delivery by early May and are happily anticipating being able to use the boat through Hong Kong’s summer season. The flybridge is also home to a wet bar with a refrigerator and a basin – a grill station can be added as an option.

And with the MY6 flybridge dining table and seating around it being more generously proportioned than on the previous MY44 model, and the multiple adjustable configuration possibilities of the lounging area by the helm station, owners and guests have a prime relaxation area up top. The hardtop roof has a large retractable panel at the helm and lounging area that can bring sunshine into the upper deck or keep it shaded at the flick of a switch (or manually).

“Other catamaran users who viewed this boat have said they find this flybridge set-up very attractive and relaxed for when they may have family or a group of friends on board,” says Kelly Yeung from Asia Yachting, the Hong Kong Fountaine Pajot exclusive dealership that also distributes the French brand exclusively in the Philippines; it is also a dealer in other parts of Southeast Asia. “And people who like catamarans usually like the open areas to be flexible and not so formal.”

The helm’s controls and display panels are cleanly laid out, and the chance to switch from thruster to joystick control proved to be very useful for manoeuvring around a tightly spaced berthing area on our visit.

Back indoors, the headroom in all areas is generous – particularly so in the saloon, the cabins in the lower decks in the two hulls and also in an enclosed area forward, between both hulls, accessed by a short staircase to the left of the saloon helm station, that’s more formal-looking than the one on the flybridge. The multi-purpose room can be used for storage, as a study or, as in the case of this hull, Asia’s debut, it makes a comfortable additional cabin for passengers or crew.

The lower helm – with its more rigid twin seats – also has thruster and joystick controls. Cruising is around 20 knots, going up to a maximum of about 28 knots from the diesel-fuelled twin Volvo Penta D6-IPS 650 engines, accessed via a hatch in the deck of the cockpit.
Speaking of cabins, the master and two guest accommodations are housed in separate hulls, each with its own access. The master’s stairwell, to port, opposite the galley, leads to a corridor – which gives a sense of privacy – and the ensuite cabin size is spacious. In the starboard hull lower deck, two VIP cabins are also well-proportioned, and equally stylishly furnished and lit.

Indoors, the headroom in all areas is generous – particularly so in the saloon, the cabins in the lower decks in the two hulls

The owners of this hull were particularly impressed with the layout and division of cabins in the new MY5, which they inspected – and the renderings of the more generously-proportioned MY6. And they took the standard configuration – which for Hong Kong includes the ‘tropical’-strength air-conditioning and comes with Bose audio system and flat TV screen housed at the inner end of the galley. The engines selected were upgrades to IPS 650s, with the 500 model being standard.

As with all Fountaine Pajot yachts, there is an international warranty for two years, and Asia Yachting additionally arranged a maintenance package.

With the generous spacing across decks, comfort and ease of handling, this catamaran should be making its shared owners happy this summer and beyond.

Technical Specifications: Fountaine Pajot MY6

LOA: 13.4m
Beam: 6.6m
Maximum draft: 1.3m
Displacement (max load): 25.4t
Engines: 2 x Volvo Penta D6-IPS 650 480HP (standard: IPS 500 370HP)
Cruising speed: 20kts
Max Speed: 28kts
Fuel: 2,000L
Water: 700L
Cabins: 3
Crew cabin: 1

www.fountainepajot.com