There is a particular type of boat owner who isn’t searching for a floating villa. They want space and comfort, yes—but they also want a catamaran that talks back through the wheel, that rewards trim, that accelerates with intent, and that makes a short coastal hop feel like a proper day on the water. That is precisely the territory Excess was created to own. Launched in 2018 under Groupe Beneteau, Excess set out to capture a younger, more performance-minded crowd: sailors who like their cruising multihull to be fast, tactile, and a little mischievous.
In the beginning, Excess carried some familiar DNA. Early models leaned on existing Lagoon hull molds—an understandable shortcut when you are trying to establish a new brand quickly inside a giant production group. But it also sparked debate among purists, who wanted originality rather than a reworked interpretation of a proven platform. Excess heard the criticism and moved decisively. The turning point arrived with the Excess 11 in 2020, a ground-up design that signaled the brand’s real intentions. The evolution continued with the Excess 14 in 2024—widely viewed as the second “pure” Excess model—where the entire concept sharpens into focus: a proper cruising cat with racing instincts, without the austere compromises of a stripped-out racer.
At the heart of that shift is VPLP Design, a studio whose reputation is built on speed, ocean racing, and multihulls that behave beautifully when the conditions turn serious. With the Excess 14, VPLP’s influence isn’t a marketing flourish—it’s a blueprint. The boat is engineered to feel alive, to track well, and to deliver feedback you can actually sense, which is rare in cruising cats that are often designed first and foremost as entertainment platforms.
Start with the fundamentals: hull form and balance. The Excess 14 uses modern naval architecture with asymmetric hulls intended to reduce drag while still preserving usable interior volume. That combination matters because performance isn’t simply about sail area; it’s also about how efficiently a hull moves through the water and how cleanly it releases. Pair that with a forward-set rig, a square-top mainsail, and a generous overlapping genoa, and the Excess 14 becomes a catamaran designed to make power early—especially in the kind of moderate breezes that define so many “perfect” cruising days.
Then there is the way the boat carries its weight. A lower center of gravity, deeper fixed keels around 1.4 metres, and carbon reinforcements in a foam-sandwich structure all point toward the same goal: stiffness without unnecessary mass. Less weight means quicker response, a more energetic ride, and a cat that doesn’t need a gale to come alive. In the real world, this translates into an easy 8–10 knots in moderate wind, with the ability to push into double digits when the trim is right and the conditions cooperate. Add the Pulse Line upgrade—taller mast, additional sail area, and a composite bowsprit built to fly a Code 0—and the boat’s personality shifts from “sporty cruiser” to something that can flirt with 15 knots and beyond when you’re reaching in clean breeze.
But what makes the Excess 14 feel different isn’t only what’s on paper—it’s what happens at the helm. Where many cruisers elevate the steering position into a detached, flybridge-like perch, Excess puts you down where sailing feels immediate. Twin aft helms, positioned for direct sightlines and honest feedback, are a defining signature. The low boom and the layout encourage a more engaged style of sailing, the kind where trimming is intuitive and steering feels connected rather than filtered. Add modern helm systems and Garmin-equipped stations, and you get a combination that is both precise and confidence-inspiring, particularly for owner-operators who actually enjoy being the one in charge.
Cruising practicality, importantly, has not been sacrificed on the altar of speed. Wide decks, flush hatches, and thoughtful circulation around the boat make it feel secure underway, while an extended bimini supports the realities of tropical sun. And in a world where owners increasingly expect their yacht to behave like a connected asset, SEANAPPS technology adds remote monitoring that fits the lifestyle of modern, multi-home ownership—useful whether you keep the boat in Phuket, rotate between marinas, or charter selectively between personal trips.
Dimensionally, the Excess 14 sits in a sweet spot: nearly 14 metres in length with a beam of around 7.87 metres, offering true bluewater capability without feeling oversized for family cruising or owner-managed operation. With twin engines commonly in the 45–57hp range, fuel capacity can support an 800–1,000 nautical mile motoring range at conservative speeds, while generous water storage around 760 litres supports autonomy for longer passages. Bridgedeck clearance is engineered for real sea states, helping to reduce the punishing slamming that can make some cruising cats feel unsettled when the chop stacks up. In stronger gusts—25 to 30 knots—the Excess 14’s lower windage and optimized structure aim to keep the ride composed, allowing the boat to remain enjoyable rather than merely survivable.
For Thailand, the appeal is obvious. In the Andaman Sea, where island-hopping is the definition of luxury freedom, the Excess 14’s blend of pace and comfort suits both week-long itineraries and elegant long weekends. In the Gulf, it’s easy to imagine the boat as a social regatta weapon—smart, fast, and handsome—while still being completely at home on a relaxed cruise out of Hua Hin, Pattaya, or Samui, depending on your base and your mood.
Inevitably, comparisons come quickly—especially with Lagoon, the very brand Excess was designed to sit beside (and slightly rebel against). Lagoon catamarans are celebrated for volume, high freeboards, expansive saloons, and the effortless hospitality of a platform built for charter life. They are outstanding when the priority is maximum living space and a “party-ready” experience on the water. Excess, by contrast, is for the owner who wants the boat to feel like a yacht rather than an apartment. Lower profiles reduce windage. The helm positions deliver a more monohull-like sensation. Performance hulls and sailing geometry are tuned to reward active sailing, often translating into a noticeable advantage upwind—commonly described as a couple of knots in the right conditions—along with that harder-to-measure but deeply addictive sensation of control.
In the wider market, the Excess 14 occupies a compelling middle ground. It is more agile and performance-focused than many mainstream cruising cats, yet more accessible than pure performance brands that can demand higher budgets and more spartan compromises. It is, in many ways, Beneteau’s performance ace in the multihull world: a catamaran that makes sailing fun again, without pretending comfort doesn’t matter.
That, ultimately, is the point. The Excess 14 is a statement about modern luxury—where luxury isn’t only leather, volume, and ambient lighting, but the freedom to move quickly, to handle beautifully, and to feel the sea through the boat. For a new generation of owners, especially in markets like Thailand where yachting is becoming both more visible and more aspirational, that kind of luxury feels not only relevant, but inevitable.
For more information on the Excess 14, or to discover the full Excess Yacht line, contact info@thailuxuryliving.com