Privilege Serie 5

The Privilege Serie 5 is a 50-foot bluewater cruising catamaran built by Privilege Marine at Les Sables d'Olonne, France. Designed by naval architect Marc Lombard as a successor to the Privilege 515, the Serie 5 was first unveiled publicly at Strictly Sail Miami in early 2015. The boat targets long-distance passagemakers who want generous interior volume, a polished finish, and dependable offshore capability in a modern multihull platform.

The Serie 5 is offered in three- or four-cabin layouts. A notable feature of the four-cabin version is a full-width owner's cabin positioned at the centre of the yacht, a relatively unusual arrangement at this size that gives the owner a private, separated space while guests occupy the hulls.

Lombard gave the Serie 5 deep, wide U-section hulls for strong buoyancy reserves and a comfortable motion at sea. Above the waterline, chines add interior volume and extra buoyancy in a seaway. Skegs are structurally isolated with crash boxes to prevent water ingress forward. The hulls, deck, cabin top, and bimini are all built using vacuum-infused polyvinylester resin over Divinycell foam sandwich, rather than the older hand-lamination method, producing a lighter and more consistent structure. To keep topside weight in check, furniture and bulkheads are also fabricated from foam-cored maple laminates.

Interior joinery uses light oak with a matte varnish finish. Standard equipment includes a climate control system capable of heating and cooling, opening blinds for privacy and light management in each cabin, and a height-adjustable dining table in the saloon.

In light air the Serie 5 gets moving easily for a boat of its displacement, and on a beam reach in a moderate breeze it comfortably reaches 9 to 10 knots. The test vessel for the Multihulls World review recorded a peak of 16.7 knots off Portugal during an offshore passage. Under power, twin 75 hp Yanmars push the boat to a brisk 7.8 knots at cruising rpm and close to 9.7 knots at wide-open throttle. The twin saildrive configuration keeps manoeuvring straightforward in harbour.

Lombard lengthened the waterline and increased the sail area compared to the predecessor 515, improving light-air performance under load. The boat was designed to maintain consistent speed even when fully provisioned for a long passage, which is a common shortcoming on volume-built cruising cats.

Below deck the Serie 5 offers either three or four double cabins depending on the chosen layout. Each cabin is served by its own head and shower. The four-cabin charter layout places two cabins in each hull, with forward berths running athwartships and aft berths configured as doubles or convertible twins. Headroom throughout is generous for a 50-footer.

The saloon is wide and bright, with large windows and an integrated nav station. The galley is practical for offshore use, and the cockpit flows naturally from the interior through wide sliding doors. A sunbathing area forward of the mast provides additional deck space for lounging at anchor.