TS42

TS42 Racing Catamaran is a lightweight offshore performer blending race bred DNA with practical cruising comfort.
A few of these fine sailing boats are based in Western France, West Mediterranean and the East Caribbean with some offered for transatlantic crossings and long-term charters.
Design Philosophy
The TS42, designed by Christophe Barreau and built by Marsaudon Composites (now part of Grand Large Yachting), is conceived as a pure performance multihull—a catamaran that rejects the “floating apartment” trend in favour of light displacement, structural rigidity, and sensory helm feedback. Its composite infused construction, PVC foam core sandwich, and streamlined appendages deliver a platform engineered for speed, responsiveness, and offshore capability.
The design prioritises:
• Weight reduction (light displacement approx. 5.8–6 t depending on configuration).
• High sail area to displacement ratio for acceleration and sustained high averages.
• Direct steering feel via twin aft tiller stations—rare in cruising cats and beloved by performance sailors.
Layout, Interior & Accommodation
Despite its racing pedigree, the TS42 offers a functional, open, and airy interior suitable for performance cruising and charter. Typical layout features include 2–3 double cabins plus optional single berths depending on configuration. The bright saloon with panoramic visibility and a mobile table is part of design and the galley is integrated with cockpit flow, which is ideal for social sailing. The two heads with showers (one per hull in many configurations) are usually part of set up and the forward single cabin and additional skipper space on some models are added too. Finally, large cockpit and forward trampoline are there for relaxation and sail handling. The TS42’s interior is intentionally minimalist—lightweight materials, efficient storage, and a layout optimised for offshore practicality rather than heavy luxury.
RACING PERFORMANCE
The TS42 is widely recognised as one of the fastest performance cruising catamarans in the 40–45 ft category.
Key performance characteristics:
• Mid teens boat speeds in moderate conditions, often matching or exceeding true wind speed.
• Deep, retractable daggerboards (on racing configurations) for upwind efficiency.
• High efficiency sail plan: mainsail ~56–65 m², solent ~34–42 m², gennaker up to 80 m².
• Exceptional helm feedback thanks to tiller steering, giving monohull like sensitivity.
• Light displacement and narrow hulls enabling rapid acceleration and reduced drag.
OFFSHORE RACING AND TRANSATLANTIC CROSSINGS
The TS42 is frequently used for offshore racing, adventure sailing, and high performance cruising, with many owners completing long passages at impressive average speeds.
Transatlantic Capability
The TS42 is fully offshore rated (Category A) and widely proven on transatlantic crossings. Its construction, safety equipment options, and performance profile make it suitable for both ARC and ARC+ rallies, as well as independent transatlantic passages due to her fast delivery crossings between Europe and the Caribbean. The owners and charter operators often equip TS42s with both satellite comms (e.g., Starlink), watermakers, at times also solar arrays and quite often with offshore safety gear (EPIRB, AIS, liferaft). These upgrades make the TS42 a reliable and fast platform for bluewater sailing.
Charter Availability — West Mediterranean & East Caribbean
While the TS42 is not a mass market charter catamaran, several performance oriented operators offer it for bareboat or skippered charter in the West Mediterranean, Corsica & Sardinia, South of France and at times also the Balearics, while during winter montsh these boats are most often chartered in East Caribbean, around Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia & St. Vincent and the Grenadines, as most of TS42s migrate seasonally between Europe and the Caribbean, offering winter bareboat charters in the Lesser Antilles and summer charters in the Med. Its lightweight build and racing pedigree appeal to sailors seeking a sporty bareboat charter rather than a heavy cruising catamaran.
PERFECT COMBINATION
The TS42 racing catamaran is a high performance, offshore capable multihull that blends racing DNA with practical cruising comfort. Its lightweight construction, daggerboard performance, and tactile tiller steering make it one of the most engaging catamarans to sail. With flexible accommodation, proven transatlantic capability, and growing availability in both the West Med and East Caribbean, it stands out as a premium choice for sailors seeking speed, adventure, and minimalist elegance.
If you are interested to charter this rare, offshore racing multihull, be it for long-term charters or transatlantic crossing, please get in touch at charter@supersailyachts.com or call on +44 7792052007.