Reporting from the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, MBY editor Hugo Andreae takes us on a full tour of the Aquila 42, which was making its global debut...
With both Aquila and Leopard launching similar-sized powercats at the 2023 Cannes Yachting Festival, this was a perfect opportunity to see how the two new models differ.
On the face of it, the Aquila 42 looked marginally the sportier of the two with its raked windscreen and more curvaceous styling.
It also seemed to offer a bit more flexibility with two-, three- or four-cabin layouts thanks to a curious ‘flex-cabin’ located in the bridge deck between the two hulls forward of the saloon.
This only has around 5ft of headroom to reduce the chance of it impacting waves passing between the hulls, but this does increase to full standing headroom once you drop down into the ensuite heads.
Interestingly, the remaining cabins make no attempt to span the gap between the hulls, sticking instead to the tried and tested formula of squeezing the beds in longitudinally.
Article continues below…
Leopard 40 Powercat first look: New baby cat to launch at 2023 Miami Boat Show
Aquila 54 yacht tour: Big cat comforts without the sky high price
To complete the picture, there’s also a sociable saloon layout with an aft galley opening out onto the cockpit, plus a flybridge featuring Aquila’s trademark central helm pod with steps leading down to the foredeck.
Underwater bow bulbs that elongate the waterline length claim to improve efficiency and ride quality. The fit and finish also seem a little better than that of the previous Aquila cat, striking a sensible balance between quality and price.
Enjoy the tour…
Aquila 42 specifications
LOA: 41ft 6in (12.64m)
Beam: 21ft (6.4m)
Engines: 2x 300hp Volvo Penta D4
Top speed: 21.6 knots
Starting price: €1,000,000 (ex. VAT)
