For years, catamarans were the practical choice for charter fleets and long-range cruisers. Lately they have stepped into the superyacht conversation, not as outliers but as benchmarks for space and ease. Sunreef’s new 94-footer, Petite Belle, shows why the category keeps winning over traditionalists who value comfort without the theatrics.
The photographs tell a clear story of volume used intelligently. Broad terraces descend to the water and frame an outdoor living zone that feels more beach club than cockpit. There is room to spread out, to set a breakfast table and still have a quiet corner for a book. Warm teak underfoot and the soft slap of water along the steps set the tone for slow mornings at anchor.
Inside, the salon reads as light and calm. Sunreef has a habit of giving glass as much priority as wood, and here the windows pull in the horizon from both sides. Low seating keeps sightlines open, and the space looks like it can handle a family lunch without crowding or convert to a quiet evening with the lights dimmed. You can almost feel the cool of the air against sun-warmed skin and hear the discreet hush of conversation rather than the clatter of a busy interior.
A dedicated dining area underscores that this is a yacht meant for proper meals, not just canapés between swims. It looks chic and proportioned, the kind of table that encourages you to linger. The owner’s suite, flagged as spacious, reinforces the point that a 94-foot catamaran gives you the floor area many monohulls achieve only at longer lengths. No gimmicks here, just the luxury of room to move, to unpack, to feel at home.
Up top, the flybridge is the social summit. The presence of a Jacuzzi says afternoons are designed, not improvised. The sounds are small and satisfying, the gentle whirl of jets and the clink of ice from the nearby alfresco bar. With shade overhead and 360-degree views, it is hard to imagine a better perch for a slow passage along the Riviera or a sunset in the Greek islands. Forward, a plush bow lounge provides the counterpoint, quiet and breezy, where the sea breeze carries the salt and the conversation drops to a murmur.
At the stern, what Sunreef calls an ocean lounge sits right at the water’s edge. This is where catamarans earn their keep. Access to toys is simple, transitions from swim to sofa are easy, and the whole scene has the relaxed choreography of a well-planned beach day. There is no sense of squeezing through a transom. The sea feels like an extension of the deck plan.
The numbers are straightforward. Petite Belle measures 94 feet, is offered by Northrop & Johnson, and carries an asking price of €16.5 million. Luxury cats like this are changing how owners think about time on the water. A wider platform means stability at anchor, a near-constant flow between indoors and out, and the ability to host without the bustle. In other words, a yacht that privileges the two places you spend most of your time, the deck and the main salon, over a top speed you will almost never use.
There will always be purists who prefer the cinematic profile of a long, lean monohull. That preference has a place. Yet the cultural shift toward slow travel, shared space, and unhurried days makes a compelling case for the big catamaran. Petite Belle turns square meters into grace, and it suggests that good taste at sea looks less like spectacle and more like the confidence to give guests room to breathe.
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