SAIL Magazine Awards HH55 Best Large Multihull
Flying a hull on a 66ft, all-carbon-fiber catamaran may sound futuristic, if not impossible. But stand back, because the HH66 is already delivering precisely these kinds of thrills in the here and now. This past fall, HH Catamarans brought hull #4 of its current flagship to the East Coast, where it made a statement at the Annapolis boat show that went something like: “I’m bold and beautiful, and I’m likely to decimate the competition while providing the utmost luxury for my owners.”
Designed by the multihull experts at Morrelli & Melvin, the HH66 sports C-shaped daggerboards that were optimized with the help of data from the last two America’s Cups, along with T-shaped foiling rudders and a Southern Spars carbon mast, boom and longeron. The sailplan is fairly versatile, with a 125 percent Solent, a square-top mainsail and the option of a self-tacking jib controlled by a captive, belowdeck winch.
Despite its many go-fast features, the HH66 is anything but a Spartan racer belowdecks. Layouts are semi-custom with lovely touches like gloss finishes, exceptional joinery and any number of name-brand accessories, including electronics, galley appliances and systems. (The boat at the show even had a built-in piano!) The interior arrangement is somewhat influenced by where the helm is positioned: traditional dual helm stations may be mounted at either side of the aft cockpit bulkheads; or you can go with a single centerline helm forward inside the saloon (with optional tillers on the quarters). However, once the helm is set, the galley, settees and sleeping accommodations can all be easily tailored to an owner’s individual needs.
Beyond that, custom topsides paint mixes are available and the toilets are carbon, because, well, it’s cool. Despite its intimidating proportions, the HH66 is also a breeze to sail thanks to the hydraulic rams controlling the mainsheet and sails that are trimmed by buttons at your fingertips. In 20-25 knots of wind, this boat will fly a hull if sailed aggressively, so consider yourself warned: excitement ahead.