Seawind 1600

The Seawind 1600 is a 52-foot performance cruising catamaran introduced in 2018 as the flagship model from Australian builder Seawind Catamarans. Designed by the renowned naval architecture firm Reichel/Pugh, the boat targets bluewater passagemakers who want genuine offshore capability alongside high-end comfort. It won the SAIL Magazine Best Large Multihull (50 ft and above) award and has been marketed under the Passagemaker designation, reflecting its purpose-built credentials for extended ocean passages.

The 1600 is positioned in the luxury performance segment, with a base price around $900,000 USD and options such as upgraded 80 HP Yanmar engines pushing the delivered price toward $1.2 million. Displacement-to-length ratios are kept lean at around 95, enabling the boat to get moving in light airs despite its size.

The hulls are built using vacuum-infused sandwich construction with vinylester resin over a PVC foam core, giving a stiff, light structure with good resistance to osmosis. Carbon fiber reinforcement is used in high-load areas above the waterline, while Kevlar laminate below the waterline provides puncture resistance. The result is a hull that is both lightweight and tough enough for sustained bluewater use.

A notable design feature is the pair of recessed captive daggerboards and retractable high-aspect rudders. When both are raised, draft drops to just 1 ft 10 in (0.54 m), allowing the boat to access shallow anchorages or even beach itself. When deployed, the daggerboards dramatically improve upwind performance and windward ability relative to a conventional fixed-keel catamaran. The twin helm stations sit under a structural hardtop with excellent 360-degree visibility, and all halyards and control lines are routed below deck to keep the cockpit uncluttered.

The Seawind 1600 carries a square-top mainsail paired with a 7/8 self-tacking jib on a roller furler, a combination specifically suited to shorthanded or two-person cruising. The sail plan is managed through centralized Harken winches accessible from either helm station. Optional additions include a screecher of 990 sq ft and an asymmetric spinnaker of over 2,300 sq ft for downwind passages.

In sea trials with 16 knots of breeze on a beam reach, the boat returned 8.9 knots through the water, even with a full crew, fuel, and water aboard. In lighter 12–13 knot conditions, speeds of around 6 knots were recorded close-hauled. The daggerboard configuration gives the 1600 noticeably better pointing ability than conventional cruising catamarans, and the boat is reported capable of speeds in the high teens to over 20 knots on a broad reach in stronger conditions.

The Seawind 1600 is offered in two primary layouts: a four-cabin arrangement with two heads, and a three-cabin owner's version where the entire starboard hull is given over to a full-beam master suite with its own head and shower. Both versions accommodate six to ten berths depending on configuration. The saloon is galley-up, with the cooking area opening directly to the cockpit for easy passage of food and drink during social sailing.

Interior joinery uses ash timber paneling with walnut flooring. The navigation station occupies a substantial area of the saloon with strong forward visibility and ample space for chart plotting equipment. The fully molded heads compartments feature oversized showers. The cockpit connects to an extensive swim platform and features an L-shaped dinette alongside the helms, making it a practical living and entertaining area underway or at anchor.