The Windelo 50 was a game changer when it was launched in 2020. Now it’s back with a fully revamped Mk2 version as Sam Jefferson discovers
In 2021 I was invited to test an all-new bluewater catamaran, the Windelo 50. There is nothing unusual about this; there are an awful lot of catamarans launched these days. Some go on to great things while others wither on the vine. Given that Windelo was a relatively unknown company back in 2020 and, what’s more the hull of the new boat was built out of basalt – yes that’s right, basalt – laminates, I was inclined to wonder whether the latter fate might await the Windelo 50. I couldn’t have been more wrong. From the moment I stepped aboard the boat you could tell that this was a company that meant business and the 50 had the air of a yacht that was going places – in every sense of the word. This was a big, bluewater catamaran with genuinely good performance but also impeccable green credentials. Not only was the hull made out of more sustainable basalt laminates but the hull is cored with PET [Polyethylene Terephthalate], which is an elaborate way of saying that the foam core is made using plastic sourced from old plastic bottles. Throw into that the fact that the Windelo 50 was powered by twin 20kw electric motors and you have a boat that is a cut above in terms of sustainability.
So was it a flash in the pan? The answer is a resounding ‘no’ and perhaps the most powerful rebuttal of all is the fact that here I am, two years later, once more standing on the quayside looking at the Windelo 50 Mk2. Revamped and ready to go. Now, Mk2 yachts can be a tricky subject matter to test sometimes because the level of overhaul can vary from something as specious as sticking a sprit on the bow and thereby re-sizing the boat, right through to a root and branch overhaul. In the case of the Windelo, it’s erring towards the latter, as the yard has constructed an entirely new deck mould to go on the existing hulls. In case you’re wondering, this is a big deal as it costs a pretty penny to construct an entirely new deck moulding. If you’re pondering what was wrong with the old one, the answer would be nothing, because it doesn’t exist; the MK1 Windelo had a deck constructed using several different moulds which were put together like a jigsaw puzzle. This gave the boat a certain distinctive look but it’s also understandable that the manufacturer has chosen to refine the design by going for a single deck moulding.
Concept
The basic concept remains the same, h
