SURVEY RESULTS - AFT TRANSOMS: A STEP TOWARDS OPTIMIZATION

A few months ago, we presented an article on the aft  transoms  of our Excess catamarans, explaining the reasons behind their innovative design. Following this, we asked for your opinion via a survey, and we’d like to warmly thank the many contributors, including 22 owners, for taking part!

In this spirit of close collaboration with you, the Lab aims to integrate your feedback and suggestions into the design process of our catamarans. On the subject of aft transoms, we can assure you that we are never better served than by contributors to the Lab! Indeed, your many innovative ideas have sown seeds in the Excess Catamarans product team, and are already germinating thanks to the green thumbs and hard work of our naval architects.

Find out more about the results of the survey and the idea that was selected by our teams for integration into the next Excess model!

The survey:

The first question was about your perception of the Excess catamaran aft transoms in terms of practicality, accessibility and aesthetics.

As explained in our first article, our boat’s nacelle was moved aft to position the mast optimally while maintaining the best level of habitability. The result of this compromise was the shortening of our aft transoms.

The results showed a consistency in your appreciation of the aesthetics of the aft transoms, praised by nearly 70% of participants. On the other hand, your opinions are more mixed concerning accessibility and practicality, criteria approved by only 50% of respondents.

The reduced length of our aft transoms is a conscious choice at Excess, as it has enabled us to optimize our sail area as well as the habitability of the cockpit and saloon. That’s why you’ll find such generous, airy spaces aboard our catamarans. However, it’s true that our aft transoms don’t offer an optimal space for stepping ashore or aboard when alongside, or launching the dinghy, for example.

To sum up, it became clear to us that we needed to find solutions to improve the overall functionality of the aft transoms, while preserving the overall aesthetics of the Excess, which is appreciated by Tribe members.

What did you want to see?

As for the question on the length of the aft transoms and the proposal to lengthen them, a qualified majority of 66% answered positively, underlining the need to improve the design of our transoms by lengthening them.

Your arguments have been many and varied. Some have already experimented with extended aft transoms on other catamarans, as well as monohulls too, and point out that it makes “launching and accessing the tender more comfortable”. Others mention the “safety” aspect when sailing and the easy access to the dock when in a marina.

Once the need was identified, we needed your inspiration!

So we gathered your ideas and suggestions for lengthening our stern aft transoms. Among the 5 proposals that emerged from contributors’ comments to the first article, one idea that was, to say the least, innovative in the multihull world was selected by the participants: folding aft transoms.

Indeed, 50% of votes converged on this solution, far ahead of the 4 other proposals.

Folding aft transoms offer a number of advantages. It’s a solution that has often been used on monohulls, as on the Jeanneau Yacht 60 below, and most recently, on the new HH44 Catamaran. When folded down, the aft transoms provides safe and secure access to the water, both when at sea and at anchor. Located just behind the helm seat, it also facilitates access to the dock and the water when deployed horizontally using the lines. This versatile innovation saves precious m² on aft platforms, without extending the length of the boat and therefore impacting on the cost of the marina slip.

So what’s next?

We’ve been following your responses to this questionnaire since it was published over a month ago. Our architects and design department have taken advantage of your feedback and have studied the integration of folding aft transoms extensions aboard our next Excess catamaran.

For you, dear Excess Lab contributors, here are the exclusive first models of our, or should we say your, forthcoming aft platforms.

It’s notable that, once again, an Excess solution will be inherited from the world of monohulls! For us, the Lab is the best way to involve you in the design of tomorrow’s catamaran, by giving you a say in our innovations.

Once again, we’d like to thank all participants for their valuable contributions.

Stay tuned, one of you will soon have the opportunity to witness the development of folding aft transoms behind the scenes at Excess!