The Lagoon 47 arrives at Cannes — what we know, and what we don’t
The Lagoon 47 gets its world premiere at Cannes this September. It replaces the 46, which has been one of the most successful boats Lagoon has ever built and is now in run-out. If you are shopping in that size — and a lot of people are, because it is the size that works — you are about to have a genuine decision to make.
Here is what we actually know, and where the honest gaps are.
The numbers
Just under 15 metres overall — 49 feet 1 inch — on a 13.96m hull with a 7.96m beam and 1.25m draft. Light displacement 18 tonnes. Upwind sail area 128m², with a furling mainsail as standard, which is the detail that matters most for how the boat actually gets used. Two 57hp Yanmars, 700 litres of water and 860 of fuel. Six to thirteen berths depending on layout.
Naval architecture by VPLP, who have drawn every Lagoon since 1984. Exterior by Patrick le Quément. Interiors by Nauta Design.
The honest caveat
Lagoon publishes all of the above as preliminary data, subject to change. We are repeating that here rather than burying it, because we would rather you hear it from us than discover it after specifying a build. Treat the figures as indicative until the first hulls are delivered.
The same goes for the thing everyone actually wants to know — how she sails. Nobody outside the yard has meaningful time on this boat yet. Anyone telling you how the 47 behaves in twenty knots is guessing. We will tell you properly once we have sailed one.
The 46 or the 47?
This is the real question, and it cuts both ways.
Arguments for the 46. It is a known quantity with a deep fleet already sailing in the Virgin Islands. Every surveyor down here knows it. Parts are everywhere. And because it is in run-out, there are finite build slots left — which sometimes means a number worth having. If you want to be sailing sooner rather than later, the 46 is the shorter path.
Arguments for the 47. It is the current generation, which matters for resale in five years more than most buyers expect. The furling mainsail suits short-handed island sailing, where you are often two people and the squall is already visible. And a slightly longer, slightly heavier hull generally means a more settled boat.
If you can wait, wait until Cannes and look at both. If you cannot, the 46 is not a compromise — it is a proven boat with a queue behind it.
What we would do
Book the survey conversation before the show, not after. Build slots for a premiere model move fast, and the difference between ordering in September and ordering in November is often a whole season in the water. If you are anywhere near a decision on a 45-to-50-foot catamaran, tell us now and we will make sure you are in the room when it matters.
The Caribe Current
Liked this? The Caribe Current goes out once or twice a month — new listings, price moves, and what is actually selling in the Virgin Islands.