lagoon 42 catamaran review

Lagoon 42 Catamaran Sailing Report From A Catamaran Guru Reader

The Lagoon 42 did not make it on “ Our Top Five Cruising Catamarans Picks For 2016 ”, only because we had to make a choice in a very crowded field but we are really rethinking this decision. The L42 is a BIG and very comfortable catamaran for a 42-footer.

The cockpit is very spacious with nice seating and reclining areas all around. The scoops make for really easy boarding from the dinghy and act as great fishing platforms! The helm station is extremely comfortable with good visibility and the sail plan is set up for easy sail handling for a couple.

It really has all the elements for a great cruising catamaran. Furthermore, the price is excellent at around $500,000 for a fully loaded cruising catamaran with watermaker, generator, air conditioners, dinghy, etc. 

Lagoon 42,  Water Dragon,  Sailing Report

Christopher, one of our readers and an owner of a Lagoon 42, “Water Dragon”, shared the video at left with us that features his “Water Dragon” testing the brand new Code 0 sail from North Sails in the Salish Sea just off UBC, North Arm of Fraser River and Wreck Beach, Vancouver, BC. He says:

Sounds like some good catamaran sailing stats to us!

Estelle Cockcroft

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Lagoon 42: A Comprehensive Review

Welcome to the first catamaran review in our new series, and we’re kicking things off with the lagoon 42.

I can’t think of a more popular catamaran manufacturer than Lagoon. They seem to be everywhere you look, in every cruising ground, from the Mediterranean to French Polynesia. If you plan to go on a charter holiday, chances are you’ll book onto a Lagoon. If you plan to buy a cruising catamaran, you’ll probably at least consider Lagoon, particularly if living space is a priority. In short, they’re popular catamarans.

The first Lagoon we’ll be reviewing is the 42, the new and improved version of the 420. This is an exceptionally popular model, and with very good reason. There’s plenty of plain old ‘tours’ on YouTube, so our video focuses more heavily on analysing the different features of the boat with liveaboard cruising in mind. We’ve designed five categories, each with a score out of 10, in order to fully assess this boat. Let’s start with Safety and Design.

Safety and Design

Now, when we say ‘design’ in this context, we’re not talking about aesthetics (that will come later). We’re talking about practical design, with the sailor in mind. The factors that we’re looking at in this category are:

• Helm position
• Helm visibility
• Liferaft position
• Practicality under sail and on watch

Build quality also comes into assessing safety of course, but that’s a separate category all on it’s own.

Firstly, the liferaft. This is an easy one: the liferaft is positioned in the middle of the transom, with excellent access.

Let’s talk about the helm. This is an area that could be perfect, but we feel that Lagoon have made a couple of fundamental design errors. First, the positives: the helm area is large space, plenty of room for one person to helm while the other works the lines. The seat is big enough for two people to comfortably sit together, and all controls, winches and lines are within easy reach. There’s great protection from the sun and weather due to a hard-top bimini with plexiglass panels, which allows you to easily see the sails while remaining under cover. Access to the cockpit is straightforward via steps.

The issues are twofold: firstly, there’s no physical barrier between the helmsperson and the water, apart from a cockpit tent. In rough seas, or even if you just lost your footing, you could easily fall to the sidedeck, and then into the water. Preventing MOB situations is our number one priority, and ensuring the person on watch is totally safe is very important to us. So we would require some kind of barrier in place- that is more solid than canvas- in order to make the helm as safe as possible.

Secondly, while the visibility of the two sterns is excellent, the forward visibility over that high coachroof is quite poor, particularly when sitting on the seat (and particularly for those of us who are on the petite side!). Even Nick would be unable to keep a proper watch while slouched on the helm seat for hours on end; it would require the person on watch to constantly stand up and look around. We like to make our lives as easy as possible when underway, and clearly this is going to be irritating at best. It’s all too easy to imagine getting lazy after your umpteenth day at sea and then missing that obstruction in the water or tiny boat that doesn’t have AIS. Good helm visibility is a must, and therefore we’d look to raising the helm position, possibly on an adjustable pedestal so it can be lowered again if need be.

Another potential issue is the recessed hand holds around the coachroof. We prefer a grab rail that you can clip onto if things are rough. Also, I (Terysa) found I really had to stretch in order to hold on, and as you know, if it’s not easy to do, at some point you just won’t bother and then things become less safe. On the upside, the recessed groove doubles up as a rain catching device. Grab rails could of course be manufactured and added later.

That all being said, we were generally impressed with the safety and design features of the 42. The helm was easy to access from the cockpit, the nav station had excellent visibility with almost 360 degree views, so on night watch we’d definitely stay indoors and do our watches from the safety of the nav station, unless we had to go to the helm for a particular reason or to check sail trim. The liferaft was in the ideal position, there were no hard edges anywhere inside so less chance of injuring oneself in rough seas (or just if you trip and fall), and the deck was wide enough to walk around on comfortably. The issues that we raised were all easily rectified, so it would be more a matter of making these changes either at the time of build (Lagoon seem fairly happy to do this type of thing) or later down the line.

Therefore, we’re happy to give Safety and Design a 7/10.

Build Quality

This is a big category, and one that is very important to us. I want to start by saying that we were very impressed with the build quality and attention to detail we saw evident in the Lagoon range. It’s clear they’ve thought about what they’re doing and they care about making their boats as good quality as is possible at while adhering to their price point. This is a production boat of course, but still- we’d be very happy sailing this boat across oceans.

(Side note: Lagoon are the most popular catamaran to do the ARC rally, which crosses the Atlantic every year. So there you go.)

Let’s get down to the details.

We’re looking at:

• Fittings and latches
• Steering mechanism
• Hull construction

There’s other elements of the boat where you could make an assessment on build quality of course; but to keep things manageable we’ve chosen aspects of the build that hopefully give an indication of the level of quality throughout.

The joinery is, of course, not as high quality as you might find in a catamaran of a higher price point, but that said the quality is there where it really counts. The joinery is veneer faced plywood and the edges are all solid wood, meaning that you’re less likely to get peeling of the veneer over time. Everything felt solid and nothing felt flimsy or had any give in it. The fittings and latches felt similarly robust, and all drawers were soft-close. All edges were curved, steamed plywood.

The hull is constructed of a balsa core, with solid GRP below the waterline. The balsa core keeps the boat light (well, kind of; we’ll get to displacement in a moment) and GRP below the waterline is a must.

Evidence of good build quality is also clear to the naked eye: all struts are oversized and very solid. Take the davit system for example- there’s no flimsiness here. Likewise the struts around the cockpit and in the helm position.

Looking in the engine bay, the first thing Nick noticed was the easy access, which is safer with Lagoons most recent models; they’ve moved the access to inside the stern guardrails, and the hatch opens in such a way to give you additional protection in following seas. The engine bay is very large, which is to be expected on a catamaran this size.

The steering mechanism is a great way to assess the build quality of any boat. In the Lagoon 42 the tie-rod for the rudders was a 2 inch tube with good quality rose joints, and the nuts are torqued and marked to show slippage or movement. That’s good attention to detail.

Our expectations were exceeded when it came to build quality, and we’d have no qualms about taking this boat across oceans. She’s extremely solid, with good attention to detail throughout.

We’re giving it a very good score of 8/10.

Interior Design

This category takes into account a lot of factors, such as:

• Guest accommodation
• Shower room

Basically we’re looking at how easy, comfortable and enjoyable it would be to live on this boat while at anchor, which, let’s face it, is where we spend most of our time.

The cockpit is huge and exactly what we would want in a catamaran cockpit. It’s got a table with an L shaped settee, as well as several other seating options. The helm position is separate but still part of the same space, making the helmsperson accessible while under way. The only issue is the cockpit cushions; they’re hard and thin and not at all comfortable to sit on.

Aesthetics are subjective, but I like the new Lagoon ‘look’. They’ve finally moved on from the light wood veneer and back towards a cosier and (dare I say it) more boaty feel. Interesting move, at a time when the trend is definitely towards lighter coloured interiors, and it works well.

The galley was a little small and to be honest I didn’t love the layout and narrow bench space. It’s actually no bigger than our current galley, although there’s considerably more cold storage.

Ventilation is a big deal to those of us planning to live in the tropics. I won’t go on about it too much (I talk about it a LOT in the video), but suffice it to say that there’s great ventilation in the 42, particularly in the cabins.

Speaking of the cabins: there is a big bed of 175cm width, which has clear access all around it (very important for Nick’s nightly routine of getting up and spending between 3 and 4am in the saloon reading Reddit). Making this bed every day would be so easy as well.

The shower room is huge, obviously, and there’s an incredible amount of storage in the owner’s hull. The guest accommodations are equally impressive and I can definitely imagine either of our parents being extremely comfortable in their own hull with a smaller but perfectly functional shower room/heads.

Nick and I had different ideas about how to score this category, but we settled on 6/10. This is a great space and absolutely huge, but there were some purely personal aesthetic aspects we didn’t love as much as we wanted to, which brought the score down a little.

(And THIS is why we’re opening up the scoring to everyone! Even we can’t agree; so much of this is subjective. Plus, we love hearing everyone else’s opinions and thoughts.)

Performance

Lagoons are not known for their performance. In fact, let me tell you a little story very quickly. Last year we were sailing from Bahamas to Bermuda (about 800 miles) in a flotilla of about 6 boats. We were the shortest, along with a Lagoon 38. We said to each other, “Well, at least we won’t be last. We’ll definitely beat the Lagoon to Bermuda.”

Well guess what? We had 20 knots on the beam the whole way, and they got in 6 hours before us.

That said, they’re hardly a performance catamaran. Let’s take a look at some stats:

• LOA: 12.8 metres
• Beam: 7.7 metres
• Draught: 1.2 metres (stubbed keels)
• Drive type: sail drive (unskegged rudders)
• Mainsail area: 55m2
• Genoa area: 35m2
• Displacement: 12.1 tonnes

And now for the performance polar diagram:

Pointing ability is quite poor, and although the theoretical speeds are around 12 knots in 24 kts of wind at 120°, chances are that the boat will be so heavily laden (I mean, of course you’re going to fill up all those cupboards and lockers if you’re living onboard- I know I would) that it’s not often you’d exceed 10 knots of cruising speed.

We give performance a rather modest 4/10.

Value for Money

This is a tough one, because what we consider to be good value, another person may not. Value for money should be objective- aren’t we just comparing prices after all?- but it’s actually highly subjective. However, we docked points for the discrepancy between the base price and how much we’d have to spend on extras and adjustments to get it ready for a circumnavigation. The full price list for the Lagoon 42 and extras is available as a PDF download below.

We’ll talk more about money in future episodes, but for now we’ll give it a score of 5/10.

Submit Your Scores!

We gave the Lagoon 42 a total of 30/50, and most of that was weighted in favour of build quality and safety (two very important criteria for us!). So even though we ended up with a relatively modest score, we really liked the 42. As our scoring breakdown shows, there are compromises to be made with the 42 (namely in performance and, to a lesser extent, aesthetics) but they’re compromises we may be happy to make.

Now, YOU can submit your scores, which you can do via  this link !

Simply tick the box of the catamaran you wish to score (only videos we’ve already released will be available), then use the sliders to score each category, then click the VOTE button. Easy! (But if you need further instructions, you can find them here ).

Make sure you leave a comment with your score and thoughts so we can keep the conversation going!

Nick & Terysa

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Was curious to see the list of upgrades that contributed to the overall price price you mentioned in the video that would be necessary to make this boat offshore ready. I thought the video mentioned the list would be in the description, but I couldn’t find it. My apologies if it was there.

Hey mate! It’s right there in the ‘Value For Money’ paragraph, available as a download. Cheers.

Thanks for the great review. We own a Lagoon 42 (SV Blue Buddha) and manage the Facebook Lagoon 42 owner’s group. If this boat is still on your list, you should join the FB group as there are many threads about some of the items you raised from other owners that are useful for potential owners. Regarding the performance, almost all owners of the L42 use the code zero most of the time instead of the self tacker jib. This dramatically changes the sail plan and performance. Sailing close to wind speed is common and sailing double digits is not a rare occurrence. SV IceCat, a L42, won the cruising multihull division of the 2018 ARC against much larger boats. I know the ARC is not a real race but it is still informative that the L42 did so well. Also, take a look at the performance of SV Starship Friendship during the atlantic crossing which they documented in their Youtube channel. Even though they were pushing the boat a bit too much (multiple days without taking down the spinnaker), the boat took the abuse extremely well and their speeds were beyond impressive. It is not surprising that the L42 is considered by many to be one of the best-performing cats produced by Lagoon in years. Over the years we have sailed most production cats in the 38-46 range and we ended up selecting the 42 specifically because of its performance. It is truly a joy to sail! Nestor & Yolanda at SV BlueBuddha.

Thankyou so much Nestor and Yolanda for your valuable input!

Did you recall the location of the freezer in the salon? That was our one big drawback. To access it, you have to be on the steps down to the port hull and then reach back over. Hard to imagine able to reach into the bottom of the freezer. Just curious how big a deal that is to you and your cruising?

Hi, I’ve been following your reviews and some other things via you tube channels. I have been going to Le Grande Motte for 3 years since the Lagoon 42 was presented and am also a future catamaran buyer, probably for the same reasons you both are. I can’t agree more to your valuation of the boats I’ve seen you review till now. The Lagoon 42 is my favorite since the first day I saw it some years ago, but your input certainly has opened my eyes to some issues I had missed. It will be most intereesting to see what other reviews you come up with, so thanks in advance. In the meantime, I am in Barcelona, so if you are in the area and want to meet for a beer or need any support with local hassle, please feel free to get in touch.

Hi – Loved your Lagoon 42 video! I am trying to decide between a Lagoon 42 and a Bali 4.2, have you ever made a video on the Bali 4.2? I would love to hear what you think of the Bali 4.2. Thanks…

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CatamaranReviews.com

Lagoon 42 catamaran.

From stealing the spotlight in the Sydney International Boat Show to bagging four awards within one year of its launch, the Lagoon 42 catamaran is famous for its almost oxymoronic quality of being remarkably spacious yet compact enough to be easy to navigate. 

Table of Contents

DESIGN – EXTERIOR & INTERIOR

The Lagoon 42 catamaran is a powerful yet graceful product of Patrick Le Quement’s exterior designing combined with France’s VPLP Design. The interior has been designed by Italy’s Nauta Design and the Lagoon 42 boasts a generous space not only in the cockpit but also the helm and the saloon, thanks to the unique uniform cockpit to saloon leveling. 

The Lagoon 42 catamaran’s helm station easily fulfills the need for a large area. The helm station allows for one person to  work the lines while the other helms – making it very convenient for couples or two-person crews. If the need arises, the proximity of the helm station to the line management area even allows the person on the helm to simultaneously do both – manage the lines while also working on the helm.

The equipment at the helm station is not only efficiently angled and placed but is also protected from harsh weather conditions by the hard-top bimini and Plexiglass panels. The Plexiglass panels also provide excellent visibility of the sails, given that the low seat at the helm is not occupied by someone of a short stature which might not make viewing over the high coachroof an easy task. The seat, however, does have room to be comfortably occupied by two people. 

The helm station does have one drawback, though. The helm person is exposed to the sea with nothing but a cockpit tent precluding the fall into the side deck and even potentially into the water on a particularly rough sea day. The safety, therefore, might be something to consider when looking into buying the Lagoon 42 catamaran. 

Another unique feature that the Lagoon 42 catamaran boasts is the replacement of grab rails with the recessed rails around the coachroof. The recessed rails are not characteristically easy to hold onto and might pose a risk to those who do not make holding onto them a strict priority. 

Overall, the helm is spacious, ideally equipped and also easily accessible from the cockpit. 

ACCOMODATIONS

The Pixel glass sliding panels form the way from the cockpit to the saloon for which 3-cabin and 4-cabin versions are available. 

The U-shaped galley does not provide a lot of space with its narrow bench but does have a direct access to the cockpit. It is divided into two parts and has a single sink, three-burner gas stove, an icebox that acts as a refrigerator and a microwave oven. 

The master suite has a 175 cm wide bed, a desk in the middle and a large shower room. The rest of the guest cabins have a relatively smaller  shower rooms but overall there is enough room for 3 couples to be easily aboard the Lagoon 42 catamaran. All hulls, constructed with a Balsa wood core, are light, spacious and bright and have plenty of storage area in the form of underfloor storage as well as cupboards, drawers and shelves. The cabins themselves have multiple opening hatches to allow for ventilation.

The saloon front of the Lagoon 42 catamaran has vertical windows which means there is no unfiltered sunlight but almost a 360° view that can be enjoyed. There is also enough seating space to accommodate a considerable number of people in the cockpit along with an L-shaped settee and an Ottoman.

The build of the interior includes veneer front plywood which is not thin and flaky. The cabinetry is lined with solid wood so the veneer will not peel off very quickly. The joinery also stands out as being of good quality and is considerably fine. The color range is also refreshingly different from the trend of lighter colored interiors. 

ENGINE ROOMS

The engine rooms of the Lagoon 42 catamaran are easily accessible from the stern of the boat without the need for a complete dismantling of the bed. All key steering systems can also be very easily accessed from the engine rooms, making the practical design compatible with safety. The access also means that evaluating filters or belts is not cumbersome and plant machinery can be easily maintained. 

The life raft position is in the middle of the transom which is also very easy to get to and hence definitely a plus point for the Lagoon 42 catamaran.

Perhaps the best part of the Lagoon 42 catamaran design is its compatibility with function. It has been popularly described as being “curvaceous”, owing to the absence of sharp edges. All the corners and edges at the Lagoon 42 catamaran are curved away so there are no hazards if you choose to take the cat into rough seas. 

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

The Lagoon 42 is a 42-foot tall catamaran with an overall length of 12.80 meters and a 7.70 meters beam. It has 300 liters of water and fuel capacity each and a maximum 10 day passenger capacity. The Lagoon 42 catamaran has 45 hp power and a minimum draft of 1.25 meters. The main sail area is 55 sq. meters while the genoa area is 35 sq. meters. 

In conclusion, the Lagoon 42 catamaran provides a good value for its money. It is beamy, fast, light and very spacious for a couple. Although there are issues that can be adjusted with varying levels of effort, Lagoon 42 is quite promising for a catamaran of its price, given the amount of comfort and ease it provides to its owners. 

Lagoon 42 Specs

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• Boat Test: Lagoon 42

48° North Editor, Joe Cline, puts the sails up on the Lagoon 42 — one of the latest evolutions of technology, comfort, and sailing performance in the world of cruising catamarans.

“Man, this thing is effing massive.” I replied candidly, if inelegantly, when my tour guide for the day, Dan Krier, stepped aboard the Lagoon 42 catamaran on which I stood and asked me what I thought.

Any new boat I review is a voyage of discovery. Yet, each time I’ve tested a new cruising catamaran, the result is at least as much ‘your author learns about cruising cats and cat sailing’ as it is a boat review. My lovely afternoon on the Lagoon 42 was hardly an exception though, perhaps with a number of these under my belt now, I’m not quite as green about it all as I once was. Nonetheless, my first impression still revealed my monohull-sailor’s-lens — the size, space, and luxury of the living areas on the Lagoon 42 were simply astounding; lovelier than some of the Lake Union houseboats nearby.

A number of years ago, I reviewed the Lagoon 39, a design predecessor to the 42. The big development with the 39 had been that Lagoon chose to move the mast aft, allowing for a more balanced and high-aspect sailplan. A few years later, some of those innovations were employed and improved in a 42-foot design and the Lagoon 42 made its debut. Several of those evolutions center on weight reduction and hull design, and our sailing experience positively reflected these steps forward.

Sailing the Lagoon 42 was simple and enjoyable. As is often the case, the light to moderate conditions on Lake Union weren’t what the boat was built for — but let me assure you, I had more fun than I expected. The boat’s sail plan is made more powerful and effective by the addition of a Code Zero. Dan told me he orders all stock boats with one because you really want it for cruising in the PNW — I agree completely, but more on this sail and its application later.

We casually untied dock lines and maneuvered out of the marina area. Even with all of its heft and windage, the boat is maneuverable enough with its two Yanmar-powered saidrives that there’s no need for a bow thruster. We hoisted the main effortlessly with the electric winch and unfurled the jib. The total time from leaving the dock to sailing was approximately 86 seconds. Easy.

The boat moved admirably to weather with the square-top main and self tacking jib. In 4 to 8 knots, we were able to make 3 to 4 knots of boat speed and push our true wind angles close enough to the breeze to compete with many cruising monohulls. To be fair, everything about the boat feels better if you sail a bit fatter, a little further from the wind — it’s certainly how I would sail it, anyway. So, real-life performance to weather is good by cruising catamaran standards, but that’s not among the design’s top priorities. And, as I like to say, all boat design is a compromise.

Driving and trimming were a cinch with the go-to sailplan (main and jib), and the raised helm station is really a full-on control center. Everything you need to sail the boat — from engine ignition and controls to sheets and sail adjustments and the impressive navigation and instrument display — leads to that single helm station where there is a bench seat wide enough to accommodate two sailors. There are two adjacent winches to share the load, one of which is electric. Rather than overwork ourselves with the top-handle winch, we used the electric winch more frequently. The position of the helm station is important because of how high it is above the deck and the water. Visibility can be a challenge on a boat this big and broad; but both standing and sitting at the helm gave me 360 degree views and I never once worried about my ability to see around me.

Trimming the boat is an interesting balance between a somewhat adjustable jib and an extraordinarily adjustable main. It’s not news that self-tacking jibs can leave something to be desired in terms of malleability and shape for those, like me, with CSTS (Compulsive Sail Tweaking Syndrome). Overall, I liked the shape we achieved with the self-tacker, and I appreciated the athwartships-adjustable stopping pins on the track, which enabled alteration of the sheeting angle. The mainsail on the other hand, is highly adjustable thanks in part to an unthinkably wide traveller track. Adjusting the traveller is important, because the mainsheet does double duty for standard sheeting and boom height — as with most cruising cats, there is no boom vang. In windy downwind conditions, I imagine you’d be glad to have every inch of that traveller. On our test day, it stayed within about two feet of center and drove the boat well.

Maneuvers are a slower proposition on any cruising cat compared to a similarly-sized monohull, but the Lagoon 42 went through her paces with leisurely grace. With even a small amount of boat speed, getting through a tack required no assistance from backwinding the jib (kind of challenging with the self tacker) or goosing the turn with motor power.

After making our way upwind toward the south end of the lake, we unfurled the massive Code Zero and started to have even more fun. The big sail offers a great deal of versatility, adding a lot of sail area and oomph for headings ranging from a close reach down to a full run. Not that I think anyone is likely to choose to spend much time at it, but we even played with sailing wing-on-wing with the Code Zero.

There was lots to like about the sail right out of the box, and the sheeting and trimming appointments were well placed. Unlike pretty much everything else, the Code Zero can’t be trimmed from the helm. Instead, it sheets to winches on the aft quarter of the cockpit area. These winches are waist height when standing, giving a powerful ergonomic position for the trimmer. True sail shape geeks may look to add a clever aftermarket tweaker of some kind to offer twistier profiles in lighter air, but the sail design gives a lot of versatility for upwind sailing. The Code Zero adds a lot to the way the boat sails. On reaching angles, our speed jumped up to 5 knots — really nice in those conditions. With the Code Zero furler little more than a couple feet forward of the jib furler and headstay, one must furl the sail to change tacks. It’s a smooth running furler, so you don’t need to be an America’s Cup athlete to wind the sail in for a maneuver.

Our light lake conditions didn’t really show another important innovation on the Lagoon 42 while sailing, but winding the Yanmars up to the max did. The design of the hulls is focused on bow buoyancy. These aren’t flat-bottomed daggers aimed at planing, but when we brought the boat up to 9 knots (a speed you would very reasonably expect to see and exceed when reaching or running in a stiff breeze), the boat had a very bow-up trim. Images of the boat sailing in heavy air confirm what we felt under power. This boat trim tendency is crucial for a cruising cat which, with its surplus of space, may get loaded down with gear while living aboard. You don’t want even a heavily loaded cat to be bow heavy or at risk of digging into waves, and the Lagoon 42’s hull forms offer all the assurance a sailor could hope for in this department.

I’ve written and maintain that a cruising catamaran would be my boat of choice when it comes to pure enjoyment at some quiet PNW anchorages. The interior accommodations almost leave me speechless. The expansive cockpit is perfect for all-season cruising since it is covered by the coachroof, and I imagine that most meals would be enjoyed around its table. Single-level living with a modern indoor-outdoor feel is handsomely accomplished between that large cockpit and the saloon just ahead of it. In that saloon, you’ve got what is clearly among the most functional and luxurious galleys around — if there was such a thing as a chef’s kitchen on a boat, this is it. The galley would be a challenge on a heeling monohull with few options for bracing, but on a stable cat like this, it works and I’d love to cook there.

The two hulls are broad enough to offer a full queen aft-berth with walk around sides, lots of light, and standing headroom. Depending on intended use, there are three- or four-cabin layouts available. Our test boat’s three-cabin “owner’s version” would no doubt be my choice, with the comfort and privacy of your own hull with the aforementioned queen berth, as well as lots of additional storage, a desk for working remotely, and a gigantic head with separate monster shower.

As I said to Dan at the start of our day, this is a seriously big boat with oodles of room, style, and comfort. These cruising catamarans are getting to be better and better sailing vessels, and the Lagoon 42 is one of the latest and best designs embodying this balance of performance and the combination of strength, stability, storage, and space you’d want on a go-anywhere cruising boat. The bonus with the Lagoon 42 is that you get all of that liveability in a package that is still manageable in tight quarters and easy to sail for a family, a couple, or even a singlehander.  

Joe Cline has been the Managing Editor of 48° North since 2014. From his career to his volunteer leadership in the marine industry, from racing sailboats large and small to his discovery of Pacific Northwest cruising —Joe is as sail-smitten as they come. Joe and his wife, Kaylin, welcomed a baby girl to their family in December 2021, and he is enjoying fatherhood while still finding time to sail, make music, and tip back a tasty IPA every now and again.

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Released in 2016 and awarded Yacht of the Year 2017, the launch of the Lagoon 42 was of crucial importance to CNB , because it had to replace a bestseller, the 420/421 of which 270 units were produced.

1. The Lagoon 42’s design and construction

With its VPLP hull , and an exterior design by Patrick Le Quément and the Italian interior furnishings of Nauta Design, it feels like some real magic went into the creation of this catamaran. The Lagoon 42 is deliberately “curvier” than its predecessors . The swoopy gullwing bridgedeck was designed to minimise pounding from the sea in rough weather. The high glazed vertical windows, that bend around the cabin corners, reduce the greenhouse effect in tropical climates. The composite bimini is also curvy and angles up until it almost looks suspended.

The injection moulded construction gives it a slightly lighter weight of 13 tonnes , which, far from making it a lightweight (a Marsaudon TS 42 of the same dimensions weighs exactly half as much) at least enables it to avoid getting bulkier from one generation to the next. A solid, structural centre beam adds strength and rigidity while reinforcing the forestay fitting as well as the anchor roller with an anchor chain well that runs along the top of the beam rather than below it.

Like other contemporary Lagoons , the mast (VMG Soromap) has been moved aft for a wider choice of downwind sails. The mast’s position also helps keep the weight centred to reduce pitching. The boom is also shorter and the mast higher. The square-top mainsail (by Incidence) has a larger sail area of close to 40ft² over standard mainsails. A forward positioned self-tacking jib makes sailing easier with small crews.

2. On the Lagoon 42’s deck

The super wide transoms enable almost two of you to move around the front of the catamaran and are only two steps away from the cockpit level. However, the “flush” effect that the designers have gone for almost removes any means of holding onto the extremely slippery coachroof… What happens when there’s rough weather?

In the cockpit, the starboard table accommodates 8 people , facing a couch that seats another two. The raised helm to port is just three steps from the cockpit. Visibility is good when you’re tall (but almost non-existent when you’re sitting down and you’re short!) and there’s enough room for two crew members to work together with all the winches and instruments to hand. Lines lead to the cockpit, right into the hand of the helmsperson who can manoeuvre their boat on their own , thanks to the self-tacking jib. The ergonomics are very good, you can stand up everywhere and visibility to the sails through the raising hard-top bimini is excellent.

On the other hand, there aren’t any handholds on the opening roof and I dread to think of getting around in bad weather, on the rear hard-top bimini (where the mainsail track is mounted) which is slick as anything… A special mention goes to the folding davits , which don’t encumber the swim zone .

3. An interior full of space and comfort

A genuine three-panel glass door leads from the cockpit to the saloon and the U-shaped galley. The latter includes a cooker/Eno stove with three hobs and a single sink to starboard as well as refrigeration to port. The top-loading fridge is just at the edge of the stairs to the port hull and is so deep that you have to be careful not to fall into it when you’re trying to reach to the bottom !

There is a large L-shaped settee inside that also serves as a seat for the chart table/nav station. This is a plus point because here there’s a set of B&G sailing instruments for a position check and where you can operate the helm using remote controls from inside. The quality of the woodwork is satisfactory with cubby holes where the bottom part of the opening hatches is often made of solid wood, which adds some real durability to areas that are often weaker. There are no sharp angles to hinder movement .

Our trial boat had a proprietary starboard hull. From the island bed in the rear with a real slatted bed base , there’s a view over the surrounding area. A lovely office and a WC occupying the entire front end complete the picture. The massive shower also gets a special mention !

On the port side there are two cabins and two smaller shower rooms as well as an additional sleeping area (crew) at the end of the hull.

4. Trial at sea: sailing on a Lagoon 42

Four of us set out to try this new future superstar from the Lagoon shipyard . This boat is specifically designed for four. A couple with two children.

While the crew we had was ideal for a test under real conditions of use, the wind was having none of it… With just 10 knots of wind, we weren’t likely to capsize this lovely catamaran on this occasion… With the mainsail and self-tacking jib fully deployed, we managed 6 knots with 11 knots of wind. Not bad for a motorhome!

As soon as there were regular gusts, the boat took off and we didn’t need any further excuses to rig the Code Zero (732ft²). Mounted on a furler, it deploys in seconds to radically transform the behaviour of this Lagoon 42 cruiser. Still under a light breeze despite being out to sea, as soon as we picked up a gust of 10/12 knots, the boat accelerated to 8! This way, we blew everything that came near us out of the water in the Baie de Saint Raphaël, 45-50’ monohulls included !

5. Under power

Returning to port using the engine, our twin 57hp Yanmars with saildrives mounted with the Rolls Royce of propellers (Flexofold) delivered a speed of almost 9 knots at 3,200 RPM. At cruise speed, we got 7.7 knots at 2,000 rpm. With 2 engines and only 300L of fuel, the tankage seemed a bit light, but there’s so much space on board that it would be easy to bring a second tank with you. One last word on the engines, they each have a massive locker where the easily accessible helm jack is routed .

6. In conclusion

The spacious, extremely comfortable, well-designed, elegant and solidly constructed Lagoon 42 catamaran has got everything it takes to be a hit and the sales figures back this up!

Discover our latest used catamarans for sale on Band of Boats ! This trial was written by François Meyer.

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Lagoon 42 Review

We are talking about the opportunities that the Lagoon 42 sailing catamaran will provide to its crew and guests. The veterans of the topRik team will remember their visit to the Düsseldorf 2016 exhibition, where the premiere of the double-hull vessel took place, and together with you will board the cat delivered this year. As usual - a lot of photos, videos and reviews from mass media sailing writers.

• FEATURES OF LAGOON 42
• VIRTUAL TOUR
• MAX SPEED LAGOON 42

At the Exhibition in 2016

Six years later, from deck to roof, through the saloon to the cabins.

• ADVANTAGES OF LAGOON 42
• REVIEWS OF LAGOON 42 FROM PROFESSIONALS
• VIDEO REVIEWS OF LAGOON 42
• PRICE CALCULATOR

Purposeful double hull sailboat Lagoon 42 with superb interior finishes, designed by French naval architects VPLP Design showcases all the features of a great cruising catamaran.

The very next year after the world premiere of Sail Magazines awarded him the title of Best Multihull between 41 and 50 feet (12.5 and 15.2 m) . But Lagoon 42 did not stop there and at cruising speed broke into the leaders of Cruising World's Boat of the Year in its category.

A bright novelty of 2016 in the world of cruising catamarans is the third generation of 42-foot catamarans from the Lagoon shipyard . The ancestor of this family was Lagoon 420, which perfectly fulfilled this role in 2008-2010. It was replaced by Lagoon 421 (2009-2015).

Lagoon 42, released in 2016, filled the gap between two popular models - Lagoon 450 and Lagoon 400 and approached the Lagoon 45 in terms of comfort.

Features of Lagoon 42

• Brand: Lagoon
• Hull type: Catamaran
• Overall length, m: 12.8
• Width, m: 7.7
• Draft, m: 1.25
• Displacement, t: 12
• Air draft, m: 20.65
• Water tanks, l: 300 (+300 opt.)
• Exterior design (Architect): VPLP design
• CE Certification: A:12 - B:14 - C:20 - D:30
• Mainsail type: Fully battened
• Jib type: Self-tacking
• Mainsail area, m²: 55
• Jib area, m²: 35
• Code 0 area, m²: 68
• Engines: 2x45 hp YANMAR 4JH45
• Fuel tanks, l: 300 (+300 opt.)

Virtual tour

Max speed lagoon 42.

The maximum speed of a Lagoon 42 yacht depends on various factors such as wind conditions, sea state, and load on board. However, according to the manufacturer's specifications, the maximum speed of a Lagoon 42 sailing yacht is around 8 to 9 knots (9 to 10 mph or 15 to 17 km/h) under sail, and around 10 to 12 knots (11 to 14 mph or 18 to 22 km/h) with the engines running.

It's important to note that these are only approximate figures, and actual speeds may vary depending on the aforementioned factors.

Review of Lagoon 42 by TopRik Team

TopRik team on the approach to the pier recalled how almost 7 years ago he attended the premiere of a catamaran, which this time we had to test as a probable addition to our “flotilla”. The double-hulled sailboat Lagoon 42 became a highlight of the Düsseldorf exhibition and in the same and subsequent years collected the most prestigious awards in its category.

The designers of the catamaran gave it a modern design, in particular, the bow shape of the floats changed - they became chopped off, which gave the cat a visually more aggressive look.

Of course, our skipper did not remain indifferent to the way the developers placed the control station on the port side. He even kept pictures from the exhibition of this post in several angles.

The skipper liked this arrangement of the station. But he was disappointed that in order to view the bow of the cat on the starboard side, he would have to bend down more than once when mooring or setting off. In addition, one could only hope that a small boat without AIS would not be encountered to this side.

In all other respects, our captain was satisfied with both the powerful helm and the helm panel, where all the necessary devices for monitoring the passage of the route and the operation of all the equipment of the catamaran are located. Very solid reverse and throttle lever.

In general, the compact arrangement of all the elements that are involved in the management of the yacht were very pleasing. Most of the sheets and halyards are brought to the winches at the helm, which are dropped into special bags under them so as not to create traps for the helmsman's legs. There are also two additional winches in the cockpit.

Directly from the control station there you can climb a ladder to the roof if you need access to the boom.

Other amenities are also very well thought out: a double folding seat and a bimini hardtop over the helm station with opening hatches. In addition, the post can be protected from rain and wind from all sides with a transparent film.

So, while talking, we reached the pier and were able to see for ourselves what the skipper of the topRik team was talking about. We saw approximately what is shown in the photo below. Two ladders on both sides for climbing into the cockpit with very wide lower steps that can be equipped with ladders for descending into the water if you feel like swimming.

Very roomy cockpit with traditional sofas on both sides of the table and along the transom. And with absolutely non-standard sunbeds on the starboard side and below the helm station. 10 people can easily fit in the cockpit alone. There you have a refrigerator with a freezer for cooling drinks and storing ice cream.

A large locker in the center of the transom is designed for life-saving equipment - rafts, pumps and vests. Everyone liked the very strong davits and their fastenings: they are really able to withstand a boat with a hard bottom and a motor.

Shown above is a bare deck and below is a teak deck. So, it will be much safer if the catamaran is intended for a family with children.

We appreciated this ledge of the lower step flush with the board. This is an additional convenience if the boat is side to the pier, which will facilitate the ascent to the pier and the descent from it to the deck: there will be no need to climb over the side or place some kind of additional ladder .

Of course, the very wide side decks did not hide from our eyes. Walking on them should be done with care so as not to step on the hatches during rolling - there are a lot of them here, they serve to ventilate the cabins, and the hatch on the very bow of the hull opens the entrance to the forepeak. A very roomy cabin is created as a result. For those who are involved in charter business, Lagoon 42 is just a godsend!

On the foredeck itself there is a lot of space for creating a sunbathing heaven with the help of several huge mattresses with headrests, you can even place a couple more sunbeds with backs on the nets. And pay attention to the roof - there is also a place for sun loungers. But we are not sure that they can be used at all while the yacht is moving, especially with the sails raised. As they say, better not try this at home...

Seeing this extended mast, we expect to find... well, of course, here it is - a folding bowsprit. This decision of the architects made it possible to shift the center of sail and provide Lagoon 42 with a sail plan using a gennaker, which allows it to reach speeds of up to 15 knots with a true wind of 22 knots. Great entry for the ARC Rally across the Atlantic!

We said that the cockpit alone can accommodate more than 10 people, not counting, of course, the skipper and assistant at the helm. And now add to this the number of people on the foredeck, from which we have just returned. And that's not all! Pass through these huge sliding doors into the saloon and you will discover additional work and leisure areas.

We classified the skipper's table and the galley as work areas. As you can see, these two important places for the functioning of the yacht are adjacent...

Well, not really, as the galley continues to the port side (one of the hallmarks of the Lagoon), so there is room for chef and a helper from among the guests or family members. The galley is equipped with all the necessary equipment, not every home kitchen can boast of such a set. Just look at the number of shelves, hanging and floor cabinets!

As usual, we pay attention to the rounded joints of the walls of the furniture - there are no dangerous sharp corners here that can be the cause of injury during pitching or a single large wave. This is high level of comfort from catamaran designers!

The galley furniture, like everything else, can be supplied in various solutions: with dark or light veneer. The comparison is illustrated below.

We attributed a large dining space to the recreation area. Pay attention to how conveniently the skipper's table is located - between the galley and the dining table: not a single snack or drink will escape the captain's eyes (and mouth too). But in front of him, as in front of all the rest in the cabin, a magnificent view opens up through these large windows with portholes. They provide not only natural light, but also natural ventilation of the room.

Without sitting at the tables, we go down to the cabins. We tested the 3-cabin option. The master suite occupied the entire float with a sleeping area, lounge and bathroom.

A large double bed, a sofa with a table and a wardrobe in the living room, a well-equipped bathroom with a separate shower, washbasin and toilet - everything you need and a little more.

This “a little more” that was taken in luggage bags from home can be laid out on cabinets, shelves and bedside tables. In our opinion, there is enough space, and you won’t have to limit yourself even on a long cruise due to the lack of your favorite gadget, book or outfit.

Two double cabins in another float – for guests or children. These are also cabins with fairly high ceilings, hatches and portholes. As in the owner's cabin - enough light and air. Each cabin has a private bathroom. The large double bed, if desired, can be replaced with two single beds or one bunk bed.

In the four-cabin version, they are located in pairs in each float, each with its own bathroom. Bow cabins differ from aft cabins only in that they taper slightly towards the headboard.

Taking into account the two places for the crew in the forepeaks and the possibility of organizing 2 berths in the saloon, 12 people can be freely accommodated on the yacht. This is a very attractive option for those who like cruises with a large group of friends, have a large family or organize charter voyages.

Advantages of Lagoon 42

Traditionally, we begin the section of advantages with the identified shortcomings, among which various experts noted recessed handrails on the roof, which are inconvenient to use, and a problem with viewing the bow of the right float from the helm station. It also seemed to some that there was not enough storage space for a long cruise. There was some disagreement regarding all these cons though – these are down to preference.

But this placement of the electrical panel caused general disapproval - all experts experienced in practice what happens when a passenger accidentally leans on such a panel when he/she loses balance.

If it is not possible to move it to another place, it would be necessary to provide for it some kind of strong transparent cover. But on the other hand, the panel is very convenient - push-button, not touch, ideal for use in sailing conditions.

But all these shortcomings are more than outweighed by the large-scale advantages of Lagoon 42 associated with a high level of safety, ease of operation and the comfort of everyday life on board.

• Safety. Exterior designer Patrick Le Quement with the naval architects of France's VPLP Design have reduced the weight of the vessel using modern casting technologies for making the floats and other parts of the catamaran. The bottom below the waterline is completely fiberglass, yet much lighter sandwiches with a balsa core were used for the hulls. At the same time, the central load-bearing beam gives the structure strength. The result is excellent vessel stability even in heavy seas at high performance.
• High seaworthiness. The design team of Lagoon 42 once again shows that their fame is well-deserved. Even the catamaran type of the sailboat made by them shows exceptional performance. Lightweight, with a low wetted area, it tacks well under sail. And, of course, let's not forget that Lagoon catamarans are the most popular double hulls that take part in the ARC Atlantic Crossing Rally.
• Ease of management. The architects did all they could so that the catamaran can be managed by a single skipper with coastal sailing experience. And if you have experience of long autonomous navigation, then handling this catamaran alone will be an even easier task.
• Comfort for life on board. It is provided by large spaces on deck and in the hulls. Wide side decks do not constrain guests and crew during movement. The large areas of the cockpit and saloon, united into a single zone by a sliding door, create the feeling of freedom. There is a lot of natural light and ventilation in the rooms not only on deck, but also below deck, in comfortable cabins with fairly high ceilings, portholes and hatches.
• Made for family. The safety of the catamaran, a large number of places for recreation, dining, swimming and sunbathing provide ample opportunities for family cruises with children.

Reviews of Lagoon 42 from Professionals

Well-known journalists and yachtsmen provided reviews of the Lagoon 42 over the years – we start from the day of the world premiere and end with testing at sea a few years after this event to confirm the high titles that this sailing catamaran was awarded.

Chris attended the world premiere of Lagoon 42 in Düsseldorf in 2016 and did a full review of the cat which he shared with Yachting Monthly readers.

Anticipating the skepticism about catamarans seen five years ago among racing sailors, Chris Beeson stated that "a boat is to be lived in, not looked at". The reviewer credited the shipyard for bringing in the VPLP design team and commissioning them to develop a boat aimed at the growing family market.

Calling the project smart, Chris emphasized that VPLP's naval architects, knowing a lot about designing sports racing yachts, did a great job and created a boat that is easy to sail, spacious, comfortable and even somewhat luxurious. Developing his idea further, the author stated that this is not a deviation from the norm, but a prudent expansion of opportunities for family swimming. Few yachtsmen want their family to live on a wet shore during the stay, and they most likely will not have the desire to go around Cape Horn during the weekend either.

Ease of operation, convenience for life on board and safety - these are the main goals that the manufacturers were striving for. Even with a little practice in maneuvering, this will not be a problem even in strong winds, thanks to the two engines.

The speed of this catamaran is comparable to that of a monohull of the same size, but only in the case of a catamaran you will feel such clear feedback from interaction with the boat through the helm. An automatic staysail takes care of rotary tacking. The sails can be steered by one person or even by an autopilot while the skipper enjoys the views.

From the elevated helm station, three corners of the catamaran are perfectly visible, and to view the fourth, just crouch under the bimini. From this place you can control all the sails.

In the cockpit there is an excellent shaded seating area with plenty of seats, two platforms for launching into the water. Davits on the transom allow you to launch and raise the boat.

Chris compared the wide side decks of the cat to the boulevard and suggested going to the bow deck if you wanted to sunbathe - there is a huge area for that. You can also use the huge sun lounger in the cockpit near the helm station.

Refresh yourself after sunbathing with drinks from the saloon galley fridge. At the same time, you can refine the route at the chart table.

If you want to take a shower and change clothes, there is a bathroom in the owner's cabin, which occupies the starboard hull. For family members or guests, there are two cabins in the left float with private bathrooms. There is also an option with 4 cabins, each with a private bathroom.

The catamaran is suitable for a family going on a cruise in the Mediterranean, or a couple planning a trip around the world. Climb aboard for a while and this catamaran will sell itself, Chris concluded.

Zuzana Prochazka wrote her review in 2016 at the world premiere of Lagoon 42, and then updated the material in 2017 after testing the boat at sea.

Zuzana pays tribute to exterior designer Patrick Le Quement and naval architects of the French company VPLP Design, who have long been known for their racing hulls for the world's leading shipyards.

For the Lagoon 42, they designed the lower part of the deck to allow this "gull wing" to minimize the impact of waves in rough seas. She noticed that the glazed windows of the saloon go around the corners and cool the spaces perfectly.

The author said that the designers have achieved a reduction in the mass of the boat to 11.8 tons.

The mast position opens up the headsail and provides more options for flying sail selection. This solution also balances the yacht's weight relative to the center. The shorter boom and longer mast give you the opportunity to improve the sailing plan: the straight top mainsail adds nearly 4 m² to the sail area. The automatic jib makes solo sailing easier as it moves forward from the mast.

Raised helmsman's post on the left side, its equipment and design are thought out to the smallest detail. From the convenience of communicating with passengers in the cockpit to the ability to work here with an assistant without interfering with each other: one is at the helm, the second is managing the winches. If desired, there is room for a third.

The significant dimensions of Lagoon 42 and its high performance do not interfere with sailing the yacht alone, since all the equipment necessary for this is located within reach of the skipper standing at the helm. To control the sails, a window was cut in the roof above the helm station, allowing you to control the mainsail.

Zuzana also noted that there are no handrails on the cabin roof, and the slot that replaces them is not a good solution, especially for those who will keep their balance by grabbing this smoothly finished part with wet hands.

Speaking about the interior of the catamaran, the author noted that the Italian Nauta style adds elegance to the design. Textiles and decor can be ordered in different versions.

During testing, Zuzana was part of a team of 4 people. Testing begins in Biscayne Bay in Miami and under the Rickenbacker Bridge Causeway with a true wind speed of 8 to 10 knots. The team had to pass through the central span of the bridge, as the air draft was almost 21 m, and the team did not want to damage the antennas located on the mast.

Then, nevertheless, with a wind speed of 11.6 knots, the boat managed to reach 6.1 knots. The real fun began after the installation of a giant code 0 area of 68 m²: in total, with a wind speed of 10 knots, the cat was moving at a speed of 7 knots per hour.

On 57 hp Yanmar engines the yacht developed a speed of 8.7 knots at 3200 rpm. Zuzana advised yachtsmen going on autonomous long voyages to increase the volume of water and fuel tanks.

She concluded by saying that Lagoon hit the mark with the model 42. She suggested that most of the new models will be in demand by private owners, and only a small part will go to the charter business.

Video Reviews of Lagoon 42

Some footage is always welcome when it comes to choosing a yacht.

Let’s start with BoatTube – as always, they provide a high-quality walkaround tour of the yacht, no audio commentary:

Lagoon 42 at the sea – informative demonstration of vessel’s seaworthiness:

Sea test, interior tour and great audio commentary – three in one:

The title of the review says “overly detailed” – and it sure is:

A lot of footage – interior, exterior, during movement and management:

As we have seen, the double-hull sailboat Lagoon 42 is a very versatile catamaran, which is focused on more than one target audience. By releasing this boat into the world, the shipyard undoubtedly focused on the family segment of the yacht market, but after 5 years on the market we saw that it is in demand by a much wider audience of yachtsmen, including:

• couples with and without children;
• lovers of cruises in the company of close friends;
• supporters of comfortable autonomous navigation;
• those who prioritize living space on a cruise ship;
• entrepreneurs who rent boats or deal with charters;
• those wishing to experience the speed qualities of the catamaran and its maneuverability when sailing alone.

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Where to buy lagoon 42 at a bargain price.

Good news for you: you are already in the right place to buy the Lagoon 42 at the lowest price. TopRik marketplace experts will provide you with the opportunity to buy a Lagoon 42 catamaran that will exactly match your ideas about your dream boat in all the criteria:

• sailing plan;
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• the number and configuration of cabins;
• interior design and finish.

Marketplace specialists will not only pick up and equip your catamaran, but also deliver the boat to the agreed place.

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Lagoon 42: Catamaran Review

This new best-selling catamaran is a floating french apartment.

The all-new Lagoon 42 is a great example of the new breed of modern-day catamaran. This design builds on the success of the world's biggest production cat brand, which in turn is part of the giant Beneteau group. It's an ultra-modern cat with the clean, efficient lines of a modern European design — vertical bows, high freeboard and big picture hull windows.

If you needed any further proof that catamarans are now the hot favourites with cruising sailors you only had to stroll the 2016 Sydney International Boat Show marina. Not only were cats more numerous than we have seen before, but they were drawing the visitors in big numbers, often at the expense of the monohull yachts.

The trend towards cats has been building for some time, but it seems 2016 is their time because many buyers see them as the logical choice. This new Lagoon 42 from the world's biggest catamaran builder is on-song and welcoming of the new-age sailor seeking more of pretty much everything in a 'stick boat'.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT - A new best-seller the Lagoon marque Part of Group Beneteau, Lagoon has been at the forefront of production catamarans for decades but has definitely kicked a goal with this latest generation cat.

The numbers speak for themselves as this model has notched 160 sales already since the November 2015 launch and is set to blitz the 270 builds of the previous Lagoon 42 and 421 models.

This new 42 has the standard three sleeping cabin layout with the master suite taking up the whole starboard hull. There's a master island double berth aft, a study desk in the middle and very spacious bathroom at the front end. The latter is one of the biggest 'bathrooms' I've seen in a sailboat with an extra big shower booth.

The portside hull has two double berth cabins each with their own smaller en-suite bathroom shower/WC. So three couples will be very comfortable going away on this cat!

The saloon is mega-size and provides a separate navigation station and galley. The U-shaped galley can service the cockpit directly and has an 12-volt icebox as well as fridge, gas stove and micro-wave oven. Note also the sliding doors to seal off each of the two sleeping areas and create more privacy.

Priced as a base boat from $760,000, out test 42 with upgrade to 57hp Yanmar and folding propellers cost $850,000 for a veritable home-away-from-home.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT - A modern apartment on water The immediate impression coming aboard this modern catamaran is one of sheer size and light for an overall airy feeling. It's akin to a modern apartment on water with a chic, uncluttered interior and vertical windows around the saloon front. The latter means there's no direct sunlight into the cabin and you have a clear view looking out.

Another key feature is the roomy cockpit-entertainment area just two steps up from the stern boarding platform and on the one level with the generous-sized saloon. With the large sliding glass doors open you have a brilliant indoor/outdoor living area. Dare I say the perfect party zone!

But what I love about the Lagoon 42 is the opening up of the interior through bigger, wider hulls, so there's proper double berths in the sleeping cabins. You also have big picture windows and air-vent ports so these sleeping cabins feel light, airy and, with a view, you stay connected with your environment.

HULL AND ENGINEERING - Resin infused and slipper hulls The Lagoon 42 uses a hull shape with its bulk pushed above the waterline (with a speed chine aft) so there's less surface drag underway.

Lagoon also uses the latest resin infusion and sandwich coring technology to reduce hull weight while still maintaining a very comfortable interior.

The 42 is designed to sail with a full cruising load of people, stores, fuel, water, etc, so it really does meet its design brief. Up on deck there's access around the cabin and netted areas for'ard so there's plenty of room for guests to spread around.

Indoors, the light-coloured interior with Alpi Oak veneer finish provides a warm feeling, as does the concealed lighting and big saloon settee.

Underway, the high freeboard and protective deck cabin keeps the crew protected from cold air and spray, even when we sailed off in lumpy seas.

ON THE WATER -  Not dramatically different to previous Lagoons, just better! The vertical bows and rolled topsides especially make the Lagoon 42 look modern and sporty. The rig has moved back amidships allowing for a bigger, more efficient self-tacking headsail. Combined with a taller mast and shorter boom plus (optional) square-top mainsail it's a very powerful rig.

With optional asymmetric spinnaker, the Lagoon 42 has clocked 16 knots in a 23 knot trade wind. That's quick! But even on a cool Sydney test day it was nice to step into the saloon.

The width of the Lagoon, plus having twin diesel saildrives, makes her super easy to exit from any dock or tight marina berth. As a yachtie, I immediately liked the single helm station that's offset to port and elevated to provide a clear 360-degree view, allowing you to chat to guests in the cockpit.

Key sail controls are right next to the helm so solo-sailing is possible if you have no crew. There's two big Harken winches, one electric to take care of halyards and sheets plus a big drop-bag for rope tails. You also get set of B&G wind instruments on the dash.

Even in light 8-10 knots we moved along pretty nicely and could tack without going into stays. When the southerly wind finally started to kick we were doing 6 knots upwind at about 40-degrees in 12 knots — all with very little heel, of course!

The Lagoon 42 responds well to the helm and turns better than you'd expect of a catamaran without daggerboards. Keeping in mind the cruising function, Lagoon has gone for long, shallow keels on each hull. These keels do a reasonable job upwind but, importantly, they make her fast off the wind where you're more likely to spend more time. The keels are also protect the bottom and fixed rudders if you run aground, or deliberately beach the boat. They're sealed from the main hull so even if damaged they won't let water in.

The Lagoon 42 draws only 1.25m so you can nose her into shallow waters and anchor right up to the beach. With wide stepped stern platforms it's easy to go for a swim, or board your 3.2m RIB slung in the rear tender lifts.

VERDICT - In short, she is the platform to live the Lagoon dream! Overall, this is a top-class European catamaran that ticks the box for coastal or longer range cruising. The boat meets the strict European CE safety standards and comes with water-tight fore and aft bulkheads in each hull. The mainsail stows into a boom bag with clever weighted lines to throw over and secure the package quickly.

A clever feature is the hand rail moulded into the cabin-top edge for added safety on deck, though I'd still like to see some visible grab rails. But this is a hard cat to fault — about the only extras I'd add are the optional Code O Reacher for long coastal passages, and perhaps a watermaker so that trip to the Barrier Reef could be extended.

LIKES >> Huge living space, one-level saloon/cockpit >> Light and airy interior >> Ease of sailing short-handed

NOT SO MUCH >> Folding propellers not standard >> Missing visible grab rails on cabin >> Could do with bigger water tanks for longer trips

Specifications: Lagoon 42 Price as Tested: $850,000 with upgrade to 57hp Yanmar/folding propellers and options Base Price: From $760,000 Length Overall: 12.8m Beam: 7.70m Draft: 1.25m Mast Clearance: 20.65m Light Displacement: 12,000kg Working Sail Area: 94sq m Auxiliary Power: 2 x Yanmar 45hp diesel sterndrives Fuel Tankage: 300lt Water Tankage: 300lt Sleeping: 6-12 Further information: The Multihull Group (TMG), phone 1300 175 325, see www.themultihullgroup.com.

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• Lagoon 42 Millenium

YOUR FAMILY GETAWAY

Length overall

Upwind sail area

Number of berths

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Boat of the Year 2017 - Cruising World

Best Boats 2017 - Multihull

Sailing Today Awards 2016 - Multihull

Asia Boating Award 2016 - Best Multihull Sailing Yacht

THE PERFECT BLEND

The Lagoon 42 affirms a distinctive style and personality.  Performance combines with strength in a unique design and thoughtful construction.  A generous catamaran, the Lagoon 42 is always at ease, while cruising and at anchor.

VERSATILITY AND EASE OF HANDLING

Under sail, the beautiful reaches of the Lagoon 42 demonstrate balance and high performance.  They are the result of expert craftsmanship and organic design by VPLP Design and Patrick le Quément.  Her unique style combines dynamic energy with smooth handling.

THE FREEDOM OF SPACE

Just two steps separate the swim platform and the cockpit.  The ergonomic design guarantees space and fluid movement on board.  Sheltered and well ventilated, the cockpit is an open invitation to relax.

ELEGANCE AND MODERNITY

Echoing her exterior lines, the interior design, by Nauta Design, combines elegance and softness with contemporary woodwork.  Light, comfort, privacy… the style of the Lagoon 42 offers a wealth of benefits to share.

VIRTUAL VISIT OF THE LAGOON 42

Enter the cockpit of the Lagoon 42 from her aft transoms and imagine yourself at sea… 

Your tour begins here.

Interested in this catamaran?

Specifications

• Overall length 13.32 m / 43’’8’
• Waterline length 12,50 m / 41’
• Beam 7,70m / 25'3''
• Water draft 1,25m / 4'1''
• Air draft 20,65m / 67'9''
• Light displacement (EEC) 12,1 t / 26,681 Lbs
• Upwind sail area 90 m² / 968 sq.ft
• Square top mainsail (opt.) 59m² / 635 sq.ft
• Self-tacking jib 35m² / 377 sq.ft
• Code 0 (opt.) 68m² / 732 sq.ft
• Motorisation - standard 2 x 57 CV / HP
• Water tank capacity 300 l / 79 US gal
• Fuel tank capacity 600 l / 159 US gal
• No. of berths From 6 to 12
• CE approval A : 12 / B : 14 / C : 20 / D : 30

PRESS releases

Lagoon 42 Review

Welcome to what we hope to be the most comprehensive and up-to-date Lagoon 42 catamaran review on the interwebs. We manage the Facebook Lagoon 42 owners’ group and are the owners of Blue Buddha hull #333, currently under charter management with Dream Yacht Charter (DYC) in Antigua. We will be curating this review with input from owners who are active in the Facebook group. Please suggest changes or additions using the comments feature below the article.

The Lagoon 42 is likely to become the best selling Lagoon catamaran ever made. With over 500 hulls made in the first 3 years of production, the L42 is far outpacing the Lagoon 38 sales numbers by a wide margin. There is a reason for this. The L42 is one of the fastest production cats on the market today and its large width-to-length ratio (as wide as the L450!) makes the boat feel much larger than other boats in this size-range without sacrificing performance. The boat is extremely easy to sail by a couple and thus is likely one of the best options for couples who will be sailing with limited or no additional crew. Yet, like all boats, the L42 has issues and compromises worth knowing. Below we review all systems and key features of the Lagoon 42, including common issues.

Speed/Performance

Most people reading this review have seen the promotional video of the L42 doing 16 knots. I confess that video was what initially got me excited about this boat as I thought the L42 would be as fast as an Outremer 45 but with much more space and at a much cheaper price tag. The reality is that the L42 is no Outremer – but it is fast. You won’t be hitting 16 knots unless you have an empty boat flying the spinnaker in 25 knots of wind on the flat waters of the Abacos (like they did in the video) but you will often hit double digits surfing down waves and will cruise in the 8-9 knots without feeling that you are about to break the rig.

In strong winds, upwind performance is very decent. We cruise at 7+ knots at 60 degrees true (45-50 apparent) in 18+ knots of wind with one reef in the main and full jib. Even faster speeds are commonly reported by owners with folding props and over flat waters. Downwind in strong winds, the boat flies. On the southern coast of Antigua, we cruised at 8-9 knots and hit 10 knots of speed in 20 knots of wind using full sails. We even kept these speeds after reefing the main when the wind climbed to 25+ knots. And we got these speeds without the folding props or a square-top main!

In light wind, the boat is extremely sensitive to the sail plan. Without a spinnaker or code zero, the boat is simply a tank that will barely move. You will essentially need 10 knots or more to get the boat moving above 3 knots of speed. However, with a spinnaker or code zero the boat becomes a rocket ship. Doing 9 knots in 12 knots of wind with the code zero is common. On passage from Guadeloupe to Antigua we cruised at 7 knots in 9 knots of wind using an undersized asymmetric spinnaker at 60 degrees true. So having the right sail plan is imperative to get the boat moving in low winds.

Overall, the L42 is one of the fastest production catamarans in this size range. It will not fly at 16 knots like in the marketing videos, but with the right sail plan you will comfortably beat most same-size cats and monohulls and the boat will take you across passages fast and in comfort.

As most recent boats, the L42 is easy to handle short-handed given that all lines come back to the helm. The self-tacking jib also makes it possible to single-hand the boat easily. The main is easy to raise with the electric winch with little friction as long as the reef lines are prepped in advance. Reefing is also a breeze especially if the main halyard is marked for the correct reefing points. Some owners have reported rapid chafing of the first reef line due to an unusual angle of the first reef set up during commissioning, although we have not experienced that issue. Our 1st reef line has no sign of chafing after almost 1 year of use.

Now, for those who like to actively trim sails and get the most performance out of the boat, you should know this boat is tricky to properly trim. First, with the standard sail plan, the center of force is significantly aft of the beam resulting in severe weather helm. The skipper will need to know how to properly flatten the main and power the jib to reduce the weather helm and increase speed (see my trimming guide with more details on how to trim the L42). Trimming the main correctly is much more complex than just easing or sheeting in the main sheet as it requires a good understanding of how the traveler and the main sheet are used together to find the correct trim for each wind angle. In addition, the leech of the factory jib is cut a bit too long, which makes it difficult to remove the twist. It is almost impossible to flatten the jib enough when needed, even when correctly positioning the jib cart. So in some wind speeds and angles, you will be unable to trim the jib correctly and will lose some speed (albeit only enough to make a difference if you are racing!).

Trimming the Lagoon 42: https://bluebuddhaadventures.com/how-to-trim-the-sails-on-a-lagoon-42-cruising-catamaran/

Here is a list of the many safety features of this boat that we love:

• The bow and stern have watertight sacrificial compartments. As long as the valve connecting these sections to the main bilge is closed, the boat will not sink when you hit that iceberg off the coast of Greenland.
• The sugar scoops are as wide as you would find in much larger boats creating a very safe platform for entering/exiting and during passage.
• The location of the life raft is as ideal as it comes. It is placed inside a dedicated open compartment on the most aft section of the boat and can be deployed easily even if the boat is upside down.
• Unlike cats with a flybridge and high booms, the boom of the L42 is low enough that is fully accessible by just walking on the coach roof. This increases safety if something happens that needs to attending during rough weather (i.e, untangling a line, bringing the sail down manually during a storm, etc).
• The U-shape galley is narrow enough near the stove that it is easy to brace yourself and cook safely even in rough weather.
• There is a mast compression post in the middle of the saloon. This has often been seen as an eyesore and undesirable consequence of the new mast location. However, several times that post has saved a crew member from falling in rough weather. In fact, we now consider the compression post a critical safety feature as we often find ourselves being grateful that the pole is there when needed to regain our balance.

Safety Concerns

There are some safety issues that potential and new owners should keep in mind. Some owners have added additional handholds throughout the boat including on the steps towards the hulls. There is definitely a lack of handholds needed by anyone with limited mobility specially when coming to the saloon from the hulls. At least one injury was reported in the owner’s FB group after a crew slipped while walking on the edge of the coach roof. The issue is that the no-skid grip surface ends about 1 foot from the edge of the roof and thus that area of the roof is quite slippery. Some owners have solved this problem by adding 3M non-skid translucent tape to the smooth surface. Another major safety issue is that the helm station is exposed and unprotected. Unlike the new lagoon 450S that has a door to protect the helmsperson from falling overboard, the helm of the 42 is fully open to port. We temporary solve this issue during the passage by simply closing that opening with webbing. Other owners have considered more permanent solutions like adding a custom fiberglass barrier door similar to the one in the 450S.

Mast step and hatch recall. Furthermore, there have been 2 major safety-related recalls. The first was for a modification of the mast step that impacted 2018 and prior models. This recall was likely related to two dismastings reported by owners of earlier models. We have not heard of any other dismastings after the recall and the 2019 and newer models have a different mast step setup. The second recall was to install a reinforcement to the escape hatches. This recall is not unique to the L42 (or to Lagoon) as it impacts all boats that use that same 3rd party hatch. There have been several reports of these hatches failing in other boats resulting in the partial or complete sinking of the boats (we know at least of 3 Helia 44s that experienced similar hatch detachment issues). We have not heard of any reports of the L42 experiencing this problem.

Design issues we love and hate

There are a number of clever design issues that we find extremely convenient, some of which are unique to this specific model.

The helm station is amazing. We have sailed almost every current catamaran model in the 42-45 foot range, and the L42 has by far the best helm station. All instruments are ideally located and angled just perfectly for the helmsperson. You would think that angeling the instruments so that they can be seen easily by the helmsperson would be a design 101 issue, but this is actually a rare benefit of the L42 that is not available in most other boats this size. Likewise, the side by side helm/line management areas make them ideal for a two-crew to manage any sail changes without getting on each other’s way. Yet, the stations are close enough so that the helmsperson can maintain one hand on the helm and still manage the line if needed. This setup is actually not that common in other boats. For example, in the L450 flybridge, the first mate has to climb behind the helmsperson when tacking if two-handed. In the Helia 44, the stations are too far apart so that it is quite difficult for the helmsperson to manage the line without using the autopilot.

The helm seat is too low. The only thing that is universally hated about the helm station is the height of the helm seat. It is simply too low unless you are a basketball player. When seated, your visibility is significantly reduced which has led many owners to make modifications. These go from replacing the cushions with a taller one to replacing the seat altogether. Likewise, the helm station provides limited visibility for short people. Some owners have built a folding step on the helm seat to provide better visibility while others have built a completely new higher subfloor.

The engine rooms are easy to access. The engines are located aft of the berth with easy access from the stern of the boat. Some boats have the engines under the berth requiring you to dismantle the entire bed every time you need to check the oils. Other boats have the engine so far aft that the opening is in the sugar scoops making it a bit unsafe to access while on passage. Not so on the L42. Furthermore, the engine rooms provide easy access to all key steering systems so in case of a failure it is easy to identify what went wrong.

The anchor locker is deep. After years of chartering, we learned that the location of the windlass breaker is one must-know piece of information to get during the technical briefing. In many boats, the anchor locker is not deep enough and the chain piles up tripping the windlass and requiring a mad scramble to reset the breaker. That is something we never have to do in the L42 as the locker is quite deep and the chain never piles up.

Outdoor locker space is at a premium. The two bow lockers are large but they must be limited to light items like sails, fenders, and toys. The only two forward lockers are small especially if you have a generator or the extra water tank. Lockers in the cockpit are even more limited. You essentially have one single large locker under one seat and a smaller locker dedicated to the gas canisters. The amount of space is sufficient for the non-live aboard but for those cruising full time finding enough space is a challenge. Now, you could reframe this as an opportunity to get rid of all those useless things you want to bring (e.g., big inflatable swan!) but the reality is that owners planning to cruise full time in remote areas will need to find creative ideas to add more storage space. For example, we added a large cooler as a seat for the cockpit table that can double as a wet locker for all snorkeling/dive gear.

We have a love-hate relationship with the davit system. The first time we used a L42 we hated the new davit system. Yes, it is easy to use with the electric winch on the helm but we found it extremely awkward and somewhat unsafe to get in and out of the dinghy with the davit bar always getting in the way. When I first complained about this issue in the owner’s group, most people reported having a different experience and loving the davits. Later, when we were able to sail our own boat, we realized that the length of the lines that attached the davit to the dinghy makes a massive difference. If the lines are too short, the davit bar becomes a safety hazard when trying to clip the dinghy but if the lines are long enough the bar becomes a key safety improvement as you can hold on to the bar easily while trying to clip in. So we no longer hate it as we used to and actually feel the entire system is excellent with one exception: it is impossible to raise the dinghy without using the electric winch. Some owners have even installed additional blocks to get more purchase but they indicate the system is still too heavy to raise it manually. Honestly, this worries us because we want to be able to operate all systems manually in case the electric winch fails. Imagine being stuck in remote french Polynesia with a broken winch and being unable to lift your dinghy without getting a hernia or pulling a muscle!

The staterooms are large for a 42ft boat. In the 4-cabin 4-head layout, both aft staterooms have their own heads with separate showers. The forward rooms are large compared to similar boats (Fountain Pajot Astrea) and although the head does not have a separate shower, it is large enough not to feel claustrophobic.

Storage space in the 4 cabin layout is minimal. For those interested in the 4 cabin layout for extended cruising, keep in mind that storage is minimal and mostly inadequate for anything more than a couple of weeks of cruising. Setting a 4 cabin model for extended cruising would require adding storage to the cabins. Doing so for the aft cabins is easy as you can simply add a layer of cabinets to space under the cockpit seat. In our case, we will be converting one of the aft cabins into a master cabin by removing the walls to the head, removing the toilet, and adding additional storage where the toilet used to be. We know of at least one other owner planning to do a similar conversion.

Storage space in the galley is also limited. Owners’ opinions on this issue vary. Some feel the number and size of cabinets are not sufficient for extended cruising while others feel that with some modifications, the boat offers adequate storage. Common modifications include adding the Lagoon microwave storage unit to the port side, adding additional storage under the upper cabinets, and adding baskets to store items behind the seats. We have not tested the limit of the galley storage as we have provisioned for no more than two weeks. So the jury is still out about how we feel about the storage situation in the galley for extended cruising.

This is a very large 42ft boat! That is not an oxymoron. At 25ft wide, the L42 is as wide as the L450 and significantly wider than other boats in the range (FP Lucia 22ft, FP Astrea 23ft). It is also a true 42ft boat unlike the Astrea 42 which is actually 41.3 ft. Thus, the boat truly feels closer to a 45ft boat without the expense :-). This extra space is especially critical in the 4 cabin layout as it allows the two aft heads to have separate showers. In contrast, for example, the Astrea 4 cabin does not have separate showers in any of the heads. The entertaining space in the outdoor cockpit is also quite large for a boat this size and the outdoor cockpit sits 8 for dinner. Our only complaint about the entertaining space is the lack of a proper entertaining area on the bow, like the one found in the FP Astrea.

MAJOR AND MINOR ISSUES IN NEED OF ATTENTION BY NEW OWNERS

The saildrives seals are failing prematurely. There are countless owners reporting water in the sail drives within days of launch. In fact, several owners had to haul out in Portugal and Spain for service due to water leaking into the drives. We experienced the same issue after 8 months of charter use. We know of several cases in which Yanmar has paid for the haulout and seal replacement as long as there is no evidence of damage to the saidrive (e.g., fishing line, etc) so this seems to be a common warranty issue that we hope that it is solved soon by Yanmar.

The factory anti-fouling fails prematurely. Another common complaint of new owners is that the entire bottom paint is mostly gone after a couple of months of Caribbean cruising. We have heard from several charter company base managers indicating that this is an almost universal issue with all new Lagoon boats coming into the charter fleet. Our bottom paint suffered the same fate. The paint was gone all the way to the gelcoat in several areas after just 8 months of use. Our recommendation for new owners is to not get the factory antifoul package and instead use a commissioning company to put a high-end antifoul. We are repainting our boat with Seajet 038 which was highly recommended by our base manager. Apparently Chris Doyle conducted an extensive test of several antifouling agents and found the new Seajet 038 to be the best http://www.caribbeancompass.com/painttest_2017.html

The factory-installed watermaker has been a disaster. Complaints about the watermaker either not performing to specs or not working all together have been nearly universal and have affected almost all 42s in the DYC Caribbean fleet. The Facebook owners group has extensive discussions about this issue and some possible solutions. Until the core of the issue is solved, our recommendation to potential owners is to not get the factory option and instead get a more reliable watermaker installed during commissioning.

Test the bilge pumps frequently. Some owners have reported that the Rule Mate 1100 bilge pumps do not work correctly and may need to be replaced. Ours works fine. The Rule 2000 has been reported as a better option.

Some fuel tank caps are defective. There have been a few reports of the fuel tank caps breaking and spilling diesel into the bilge. When I mentioned this to our base manager, she mentioned our caps were replaced preventively as this appears to be a common issue. A pic of the culprit caps below.

Refrigeration ventilation needs upgrading. We have seen several reports of the freezer and fridge units, in both the saloon and the cockpit, either underperforming or failing prematurely. The general consensus seems to be that this is due to poor ventilation behind the units given that increasing ventilation has solved the issues. One owner added computer box fans to the panel on the port aft cabin that connects to the back of the freezer/fridge units and got great results. Another owner added vents to the top of the saloon freezer to improve performance.

The blocks at the base of the mast need can get tangled. The factory blocks at the base of the mast do not come with springs to keep them up. This leads to the blocks collapsing on each other and getting tangled. Under the wrong conditions, this can lead to blocks breaking. Solutions include adding springs to the blocks to keep them from collapsing or simply running a bungee cord through the middle of the blocks to keep them up. We used bungee technique is what we did with Blue Buddha and it cost us no more than $2.

There are other issues that have been reported but I wanted to keep this list to only those issues reported by more than 1 owner. For a comprehensive list of all issues, I invite readers to see the “Issues” topics in the Lagoon 42 Facebook owners group.

In sum, the Lagoon 42 is a beamy, fast, and extremely comfortable boat that is arguably one of the best catamarans for cruising couples. At this size and price range, it is difficult to find a better catamaran in the market. FP did a great job with the Astrea 42 as it is a great boat that should be on the shortlist of anyone seeking a cat in this size range. Yet, the Astrea is smaller and more expensive and thus the Lagoon 42 provides better value. We always talk about whether we will refit our L42 when we start our circumnavigation in 4 years or get something else. So far we have not seen anything that would tempt us away from our Blue Buddha – unless I win the lottery and decide to get the amazing-looking New Privilege Signature 510 🙂

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Really liked your article on the 42! This article justifies my thoughts on the Lagoon 42 as the cat that fits my budget and is best in category until I have 1.8 million to spend on a Privilege. Thank you, I look forward to reading all your articles.

Thanks Bill! If you are on Facebook, make sure you join the Facebook Lagoon 42 Owners group. There is a great community there with lots of wisdom. Best, Nestor.

Great and helpful article. I’m currently researching for a liveaboard vessel. I’ll be sure to join your FB group to gather more information. Thank you so very much for putting the information out there.

Great article, enjoyed your blogs too. We are on a similar path of 1,000 days to start living to “live” versus living to work, and also considering a L42, also looking at the Bali 4.2, mainly for Med sailing 6 months a year and living on the hard for the other 6 months. Thank you for sharing your insights.

• Lagoon 42 - Yacht in review
• Sailing Hub
• Yacht model reviews

Curvy, fast, and comfortable, the Lagoon 42 will not disappoint novice to expert sailors alike. 

Intended to replace the popular Lagoon 420, the Lagoon 42 includes many of the exceedingly popular Lagoon features. As one of the fastest luxury catamarans on the market, it is a joy to sail and cruise along in. Read all about the Lagoon 42 in Yacht4Less’ comprehensive review.

Lagoon 42 catamaran - Exterior features

Lagoon 42 layout - interior features, luxury sailing equipment & extras, where can you charter a lagoon 42 catamaran, pricing for the lagoon 42 luxury sailing catamaran.

You may also like:  Lagoon 620 review  | Lagoon 77 review | Lagoon 52 review  | Bali 4.6 review |  Lagoon 46 review  |  Lagoon 40 review  |  Sun Odyssey 519 review  |  Saba 50 review  | Lagoon Seventy8 review

Designed by the renowned Patrick Le Quement and French naval architects from VPLP Design, who gave the boat lovely curves befitting VPLPs signature racing hulls. 

With a large aft deck, you’ll be able to enjoy plenty of time outdoors, enjoying Sundowners from a large rectangular dining table that will comfortably seat 7-8 people. There is also a well-sized day lounge on the port side for more seating. 

Like many of the other Lagoon models, the mast has been moved backwards to enable more downwind sail choices and reduce pitching. The higher aspect ratio rig with the taller mast makes for easier sailing. 

To further make sailing easier, the Lagoon 42 has a self-tacking jib, so now tacking is as simple as turning the wheel.

Additionally, you’ll find that the Lagoon 42 catamaran has a pretty smooth ride, as Lagoon’s gullwing bridge deck helps in rough waters.

With a nicely designed steering station, you’ll find the Lagoon 42 has great visibility and plenty of room. You’ll enjoy a nice Bimini top to provide some shade while you’re up there. 

Like many other luxury catamarans, it is so nice to have level decking where you can easily walk from the inside to the outside. The Lagoon 42 has a nice tri-sliding door that gives galley access and allows nice airflow throughout the cabins. 

The Lagoon 42 layout is a great benefit. Inside this luxury catamaran, you’ll enjoy a spacious U-shaped galley that is well equipped with a three burner Eno stove and a top-loading fridge. The galley is open to the rest of the living space which includes an L-shaped couch where you can sit to run the outboard-facing nav station. The nav station includes a second set of instruments so you can monitor things at the helm from inside as well. The saloon also has a nicely sized table that seats about 7-8 people.

Like a lot of luxury catamarans, the interior living space is spacious and comfortable. You can get the Lagoon 42 in a 3 or 4 cabin layout. The 3 cabin Lagoon 42 layout includes an amazing master that runs the span of the starboard hull. Each cabin has its own head, for maximum comfort and privacy. The cabins also have great headroom, at just around two meters.

Aside from the great layout, the Lagoon 42 is luminous and well ventilated with 5 portholes along the cabin roof, wrap-around cabin windows, and tri-fold doors to the deck. Lagoon’s high-quality woodworking offers a beautiful and elegant finish. 

The Lagoon 42 can be outfitted with plenty of bells and whistles for all the luxury sailing enthusiasts out there. With solar panels, a generator, a water maker, air conditioning, speakers in the saloon and cockpit, and a three-meter dinghy, the Yacht4Less recommended Lagoon 42, the “Beauty L,” has all that you need to enjoy your luxury sailing yacht charter . If you have specific requirements, talk to your Yacht4Less Charter Consultant so we can find the right boat that fits your needs!

Aside from the extras listed above, Yacht4Less can arrange water sports equipment, provisioning, and whatever other needs you may have.

Additionally, you can also arrange to have your Lagoon 42 catamaran charter be fully crewed, or just skippered. Imagine how luxurious it would be to spend a week aboard a Lagoon 42 fully crewed with a captain and private chef to take care of whatever needs you may have.

Our recommendation is the Lagoon 42 “Beauty L,” which can be chartered from Athens, in the Alimos (Kalamaki) marina which is a mere 30 km from Athens International Airport. 

Athens, the capital of Greece is in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and is well connected by air or sea. There are several airlines that have non-stop flights between the USA, Canada, the UK, and the rest of Europe, and several more that offer one or two stopovers. You could also get to Athens by boat if you’re coming from Italy. Take the ferry from Brindisi, Bari, Ancona and Venice to Patras Port, where you can then take a two-hour bus ride to Athens.

For a week on a luxury catamaran sailing yacht charter, it is surprisingly affordable depending on the time of year you charter . Between September and May, the offseason, the price for a Lagoon 42 catamaran charter is about €3.700. In the shoulder seasons, May-June and Aug-Sep, you can expect to pay €6.000. In high season prices go up; June-July is about €7.300 and July-Aug is about €8.900. Of course, these prices don’t include Yacht4Less reductions. You might also like: Yacht charter Cost - The Ultimate Guide to saving money

Keep an eye out for exclusive Yacht4Less deals for booking in advance, loyalty discounts, and last minute deals as well! At Yacht4Less we guarantee the best price possible for your luxury sailing experience. 

With comfort, performance, and design - the Lagoon 42 is the perfect luxury sailing catamaran for your sailing holiday. Contact the Yacht4Less team for more information about this particular model, or to enquire about the many other available boats!

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Lagoon 42 Owner’s Review

Category: Cruising Cats Tag: Lagoon Catamarans

Many thanks to Anas and Noëllie for helping with this owner’s review. They live and work all year round aboard their Lagoon 42: “Malaika”. If you have ever wondered about becoming a Digital Nomad in style, this is worth a read!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and “Malaika”. Just a quick summary. What are your plans on the boat? How did you get here? Is there a story behind the name? Yes sure! We are Anas and Noëllie and live all year round aboard a 42 ft sailboat we named Malaika. We bought her back in August 2020 in Brittany, France and sailed all the way down the Mediterranean sea where we got to experience our very first WARM summer in the Balearics.

Our plan is to have no plans, and keep improvising as we go. Simple!

We work remotely on our laptop and travel where there is good food and warm waters. For now we’ll stay in the med, visiting Spain, Italy, Croatia, and Greece. The food and all the history here in Europe is just fascinating and we have plenty to explore before crossing to the other side! What’s the best thing about her? It has to be the living space and the large panoramic windows! Malaika isn’t just a home for us but is also our office. So having a lot of options to sit around and work while enjoying the beautiful view of our anchorage was very important and the Lagoon 42 is absolutely perfect for that. We can go as far as saying that we have the best office in the entire world and feel very fortunate!

What´s the worst thing? The helm seat is very uncomfortable for long passages and also quite small. It’s not adjustable and set quite low so the visibility really isn’t great.

How has Malaika aged. Gracefully? Which part of the boat has suffered the most wear and tear if any? We take great care of her and overall she’s aged pretty well. But if I had to point out one thing, it would be the quality of the veneer. It is so delicate and fragile that it’s almost impossible not to scratch it, particularly in the living room where we spend most of our time cooking, eating and working….

Would you make any changes to the basic design if anything? 3 main things, for example. What’s the headroom like, for example. Do you knock your head anywhere. Is she easy to get about on in a rolling sea? I would probably change the layout of the guests’ bedrooms and merge the forward cabin’s wet room with the aft cabin’s bathroom to create a larger shared bathroom. This is an option that Fontaine Pajot offers on the 40 and 42 but is sadly not possible with Lagoon.

In rolling seas, she is mostly fine but we think the safety around the boat could be improved and a grab rail on either side should be added.

What are the essential options for this boat in your opinion? eg sail plan, watermaker, solar, engine upgrade, folding props etc. Just to help people who are looking at ordering a Lagoon 42 Our first advice would be to take your time choosing your options and not to order everything with Lagoon as you can easily find better alternatives for a fraction of the price.

If your plan is to live at anchor most of the time, then definitely include solar panels (minimum 1300W if you have a fridge and freezer), a watermaker (we have a 12v aquabase producing 105L/h) and a good inverter (minimum 2,000W).

If you are a full time liveaboard like us, then definitely consider ordering custom shades and outdoor covers. Not only will they protect you from the heat or rain but will also give you more privacy (which is no luxury on a boat!).

The last option that we would recommend would be to take the ‘comfort pack’ which includes an electric sea water and fresh water pump (essential at anchor) and a fresh water doc inlet (really practical in marinas).

What are the “Nice to Haves”? I’d say the cabinet instead of the sofa is a nice to have but not essential. I don’t think anyone would really seat down below reading a book so you are better off with storage!

Are there any options you wouldn’t bother with, or would be better to source yourself after the purchase? A lot of options offered by Lagoon are way overpriced and not competitive such as the solar panels, watermaker etc.. Not to mention the 2000 euro microwave…

Of course there are things you can only do with Lagoon like changing the sofa in the owner’s cabin to a cabinet (which we did and would recommend doing) but a lot of options can be done after purchase with your broker.

We personally feel like a generator and air conditioning aren’t necessary onboard. If you have a decent solar panel surface, you’ll be just fine and if you live at anchor, you always have the breeze coming in from the very large window in the saloon (the air flow really is fantastic on this boat).

How is the storage generally? Is there enough room for your all of your kit ? For a couple, definitely yes! There is a huge amount of space between the 3 rooms and the two forward peaks. We feel however that the cockpit lacks storage if you take the outdoor fridge as an option but we are looking at ways to improve that this winter!

Is she easy to sail short-handed? To shorten sail? Easy to reach the boom if there are problems with the reefing lines etc? Yes reaching the boom is super easy and even more so with a hard top bimini (we walk on it with no issues) How is the helm position. Is the visibility good/ How about access to the lines and so on Not great when sailing… The visibility over the bow is very poor which was quite annoying in Portugal as we had to avoid a lot of fishing pots on the way. The helm seat isn’t comfortable either for longer passages but again we knew that from the start. I think Lagoon has changed it now but the visibility will be the same regardless.

Sailing this boat, however, is a breeze! Everything is conveniently placed and the self-tacking jib is a game changer for us. Sailing short-handed would definitely be possible.

Typically, what’s your average speed on passage? I’d say we average about 6 knots. 15 knots of wind on a beam reach is our sweet spot.

Is she easy to dock, what’s the visibility like? Yes, she definitely is easy to dock. We just have to be quite careful with the sugar scoops as they are wide and low but other than that the visibility is very good on either side.

What is she like at anchor? Is the anchor set up good? Any advice on anchors, I think you were looking at new options The Lagoon 42 originally comes with a Delta 20kg which really isn’t enough for a boat of this size and this weight. We initially upgraded our anchor to a DELTA 25kg but testing it for a year in various conditions, we decided it was time for an upgrade and bought a ROCNA 33.

Our Delta anchor had a very poor holding power in soft mud and seaweed and failed to reset after a wind shift in Portugal which got us quite close to some rocks.

With the anchorage being too packed with boats in the high season, we also wanted an anchor that sets fast, even with a 3:1 scope which definitely wasn’t possible with our old Delta. We liked both the Spade and the Rocna, both seemed very good and are praised online.

Are you happy with the living space? Cabins/saloon/galley/heads. We definitely are. We had plenty of guests visiting us the past year and the layout is just perfect for hosting. The galley is conveniently placed between the two tables (saloon and cockpit) meaning we are constantly part of the conversations and can interact with our friends while we cook.

Both tables comfortably sit 5 to 6 people and you have the perfect amount of space to relax during the day.

The rooms are spacious, the airflow is excellent and we definitely have plenty of storage inside (we could do with a little more on the deck).

Where’s your favourite spot on the boat? Anas loves chilling in the cockpit and I prefer siting on the roof with the view. We also love having drinks on the trampoline when we have people, a great spot to watch the sunset.

How is the finish and layout of the interior? Does she creak under sail? We are very happy with the round edges and much prefer that to the sharp edges that some other manufacturers offer. The stairs could be a bit safer with a handrail but overall it’s fine. On rare occasions the boat was a bit squeaky but mostly at the very beginning, now it’s actually a lot better.

The month following the delivery of our boat, we went to sleep at anchor for the first time and the wood around the bed was so loud that we didn’t sleep a wink. We recorded the sound and the following week, a guy from lagoon came and fixed it with a few screws. Since then, no problem! Anything else you would add to help people thinking of buying a Lagoon 42, either new or 2nd hand? Don’t rush it, test your boat and do your research! New boats will have flaws, especially production catamarans (tested fast and manufactured by agency staff) that will need to be fixed so you will have to test your equipment before setting off for your big adventure.

We see a lot of people picking up their new boat and leaving the dock after a couple of weeks straight to the canaries but you do really have to test and double check every single detail INCLUDING the work done by your broker.

Sailing skills are a fraction of what’s required to live on a boat and knowing your floating home (including the electrical system and plumbing) is crucial for your safety and the one of your crew. You will meet a lot of so-called experts along the way but educate yourself online and learn from other sailors.

Boating is a very old industry, most re-sellers do not even own or live on a boat and don’t even care about their customers as they never stick around for very long anyway.

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BOAT REVIEW Lagoon 42 Catamaran

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