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Brand: Outremer 55

And like all Outremer’s, the 55 is built like a rock, with solid fiberglass hulls. The Outremer 55 was honored in 2000 as the Cruising World “Best Cruising Multihull.” This boat is a real performance voyager, a true sailing machine for a serious cruiser to knock off plenty of 200 plus mile days. If you are about performance and comfort underway, the Outremer 55, represents very good value for a yacht of her size.

These Gerard Danson-designed Outremers built in the early 2000’s are respected and sought after world voyaging catamarans. Their formula for success is simple: narrow hulls, strong and simple construction, powerful sailplans, daggerboards for windward performance, and low maintenance exteriors and interiors.

Features engines with propeller shafts (vs. saildrives), skegs to protect the props and rudders and allow for beaching, anodized spars vs. painted spars, no exterior wood (except a few trim pieces in the cockpit), and substantial bridgedeck clearance.

The Outremer 55 Light is in the same vision of the 55 Standard with 60cm less on the beam.

Succeeded by the 55S which is faster and boasts a 35% larger interior.

There are no catamarans currently for sale by owner of this brand.

Please see our catamarans for sale by owner page for a full listing of other currently available models.

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Outremer 55 - Round the world express

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MULTIHULLS WORLD EXCLUSIVE  - 55 is reminiscent of a mythical model in the history of Outremer, the brand created by Gérard Danson back in 1984. Picking up on this vintage is therefore a challenge - a bit like what’s happening with the new Lagoon... 55! The aim of this new Outremer 55 is to offer the same level of performance as her illustrious predecessor, while providing the volume and level of comfort to correspond with the expectations of anyone signing on for ocean cruising in the 21st century. Multihulls World was the first to get aboard to ensure that this 55 is indeed the worthy heir to the... 55.

Test location: La Grande Motte, France Conditions: sea state slight, wind 8 to 25 knots

Looking at the first digital images unveiled in January 2019, the new Outremer 55 looked like she was going to mark a significant evolution within the very consistent range (45, 51 and 59 feet) developed by the manufacturer since 2008. In the words of Xavier Desmarest, Outremer Yachting’s CEO, there is a fierce determination not to fall into the Saab syndrome. The iconic Swedish car brand disappeared because it failed to renew itself. Why didn’t they change course? Probably for fear of losing their historical customers. When Xavier talks about this new 55, he talks about “a changing world” and the “need to have a fresh eye to adapt to the times”. The approach is all the more commendable given that the team in charge of the project has called on a high-flying trio (VPLP, Le Quément, and Darnet Design) but this is a trio that has already worked regularly for the brand, notably on the 5X. Will the dream team be able to pull off this renewal? By wanting to offer more space and more comfort, wasn’t there a risk that the catamaran would become too heavy to still guarantee the incomparable pleasu...

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Outremer 55: the perfect catamaran, an unforgettable sea trial

Outremer 55: a truly challenging sea trial.

The market is unfortunately getting us used to seeing sailing catamarans that look more and more like motor sailers. Boats that, in almost all cases, end up sailing mostly under power all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I like to be comfortable in a boat too, however, there are some limits that, when crossed, make sailing almost impossible. Outremer Catamaran is a French boatyard that, on the contrary, has been manufacturing catamarans that are instead designed for real sailing for 40 years, whether they are used for summer cruises or, as is often the case, to sail off and travel the world. They are boats that can go fast, ensure great comfort and luff up like a monohull, all while providing a very high level of safety.

You will therefore easily understand how, as soon as the chance arose, I jumped into my car and, rocketing off, drove to La Grande Motte to climb aboard an Outremer 55, the flagship of this iconic shipyard.

Outremer 55 Sea Trial

Our Outremer 55 is waiting for us in La Grande Motte, headquarters of the shipyard and a charming Camargue town near Montpellier. This is precisely where the Mistral is born, and today’s day confirms this unquestionably. We are still in port, the wind is already blowing between 20 and 25 knots and tends to strengthen later in the day.

Mark, the skipper, however, is as cool as a cucumber and, using the two engines, maneuvers smoothly between the posts and gets us out of the mooring. We sail slowly out of the breakwater and, while we’re still sheltered, set to windward and hoist the mainsail, then bear away, the boat rockets off and we turn the engine off. With just the mainsail we are already sailing at 9.5/10 knots!

These are the conditions I was looking for so, after asking the captain, I take hold of the windward wheel and set about steering.

This is certainly not the first sailing catamaran I have tested but this one is definitely different from anything I have sailed on before, the wheel is prompt, responsive and allows to “feel” the wind pressure on the sails: helming in these conditions is inebriating.

I pull away and from the transom drop down to 110 degrees of apparent wind, Outremer 55 sails fast and safe, with the legendary daggerboards lowered halfway, in a sea streaked white by the wind. The true wind is blowing at 24 knots and we are sailing peacefully at 16.8 knots!

I start to luff up; I need to see how the Outremer 55 performs against the wind and, more importantly, against the waves. The apparent wind, however, obviously increases a lot, so we trim the mainsail, roll the genoa and open the foresail.

By now we are far from the coast, the true wind is steadily above 25 knots and some gusts reach 30.

The waves have greatly increased and reached an average height of 1.5 meters.

Sailing windward, however, Outremer 55 is performing decidedly well, at 60 degrees from the apparent wind we are sailing at 11.8 knots and the waves are not a problem, of course we feel them, but the hulls’ passage over them is smooth, the catamaran does not slam and slows very little.

I luff up again and get to 35 degrees of apparent wind, in these wind and sea conditions I would not be able to make this angle with a cruising monohull, yet Outremer 55 continues to cruise at between 8 and 9 knots of speed, with no trouble at all.

What a catamaran guys, what a catamaran …

I bear away, reluctantly leave the helm and go down to the dinette, where the situation is surreal. Outside the wind and the sea are raging and it’s cold, but here we are sitting and chatting, warm and almost in silence.

We are sailing on autopilot and I am sitting comfortably at the center desk, close to the bow windows of the dinette. From here you can comfortably steer the boat, acting on the remote pilot controls, an extraordinary convenience during long sailings or, more simply, to stay sheltered at night.

If I wanted to be at the helm, however, I could still do so while staying under shelter, since the Outremer 55’s wheel is pivoting and allows it to be used in three positions: all out (maximum visibility on the sails), center (for mooring with the throttles at hand) and inside (when the weather is inclement) to stay completely sheltered.

In short, this Outremer 55 is a decidedly out-of-the-ordinary catamaran, hard not to be enchanted by this intriguing mix of performance and comfort.

The Outremer 55 in detail

Rigging, deck and sail plan.

Outremer 55 is a catamaran designed to be simultaneously fast and easy to handle. To the large 104-square-foot mainsail, the deck plan, in fact, allowa to match the most suitable headsail to the course and wind conditions under which you want or need to sail.

The bowsprit is easily accessible and allows a Code Zero or a Gennaker to be rigged on a foresail, while a 68 sq. m. genoa is on the main forestay. This configuration enables the boat to be quite fast in all ways, both when the wind is light and when it strengthens, up to an apparent of about 18 to 20 knots.

More importantly, all adjustments are deferred to the steering stations so it is really very easy and safe to handle this big, fast boat. Even lowering and stowing the mainsail, an operation that is often difficult with other boats, on the Outremer 55 is simple: from the bow, in fact, it is possible to climb up onto the Hard Top thanks to three steps and then operate on the lazy bag which is positioned at the correct height. A piece of cake in short.

Outremer 55 – Main Deck

The stern of the Outremer 55 , with its 8.30-meter beam, is a simply jaw-dropping masterpiece. The stern sections of the two hulls draw two beautiful and enormous descents to the sea, which, equipped with steps and bathing ladders, in addition to satisfying the view, make all sea-related activities easy.From here, in fact, you can get on the SUP, put on a scuba tank, or descend into the water in the easiest way possible.

Arriving in the dinette, which can moreover be completely enclosed with appropriate covers, we are greeted by an enormous space that, when the windows are fully open, eliminates the barriers between interior and exterior and creates a simply immense multifunctional area.

Outside this area, protected from the sun and the elements by the large Hard Top, a central sofa can comfortably seat about ten people. Looking forward, we are impressed by the large galley equipped with a central island that, in addition to being extraordinarily beautiful, also allows for safe cooking in rough seas by leaning into the port corridor.

To starboard we find another large L-shaped settee, which, equipped with a fold-down table with telescopic legs, allows this area to be converted at will to have a cocktail party, dinner, or to create a large watch berth.

The interior of the dinette facing forward houses the central helm station, which comprehensively and neatly gathers all of the on-board gear. From here it is possible to manage the boat, chart, communicate and, thanks to the autopilot, steer the boat.

The sleeping zone

Outremer 55 is available in three- or four-cabin versions, an option capable of satisfying even the largest crews. My favorite version is clearly the three-cabin one, which allows the owner to enjoy the entire starboard hull as well as a simply enormous bathroom. The port hull accommodates two cabins, equipped with double beds and dedicated facilities. The two aft cabins of Outremer 55 are really large, equipped with King Size beds, closets and plenty of storage volume to face long periods on board.

Outremer 55: conclusions

Outremer 55 is an out-of-the-ordinary sailing catamaran, capable to being brillianty ultra-fast, easy-to-handle and comfortabl at the same time. It’s the perfect boat for anyone wishing to enjoy pure sailing, forgetting the engine.

The only problem ? The addiction it creates, it’s really hard to get off such a boat….

CATAMARAN-OUTREMER.COM

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Outremer 55

Outremer 55 owner’s review.

Thanks to Marijke and Mark from Cat Greatcircle for their help on this extremely thorough owner’s review of the Outremer 55. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

This is very comprehensive feedback from two experienced sailors. We have pulled out some key points below, but we encourage you to read the whole article, as it has some fantastic insights into the Outremer 55 and performance catamarans in general.

Some Key Points

• This couple has migrated from a Lagoon 39 to a Lagoon 52S and onto a performance catamaran. When I asked “Would they swap the Outremer?”, they said “yes”. They are swapping her for a new Outremer 55 (!)
• The main reason? Higher daily average mileage and no flybridge (smoother ride)
• The best bit about the Outremer 55? It’s the best compromise between comfort, performance and looks available on the market.
• Save some budget for the carbon options, solar, traveller line driver and your sail locker.
• The 55 gets sailing from 3 knots of apparent wind and up. That’s eco sailing.
• 38 degrees AWA is the sweet spot for VMG going upwind.
• The flexible dual helm setup works well in all conditions.
• Cat Greatcircle plans on 230 nm days. That’s just under a 10kt average.
• The 55 has a high-quality finish. These yachts are built to last.
• Cat Greatcircle has tested the Outremer after-sales service to the max. It’s good.
• The other area that Outremer excels in is its sail training and owner/manufacturer community

Full Review

Reading time: 20mins

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your Outremer 55 catamaran? You’ve crossed the Atlantic and the Pacific so far, right? What is the plan now from NZ? Marijke has been sailing monohulls since she was 6. After we met in 1997 we started sailing together, first on chartered monohulls in several sailing areas of the world. Later Marijke bought her former Rival 34 back and we sailed around Holland in it.

Nice boat but a bit small, so in 2015 we decided to buy our first cat, a Lagoon 39 and sailed it from France to above the Arctic Circle in Norway. As we were really enjoying the liveaboard life, after a year we upgraded to a Lagoon 52S and sailed it almost full-time for 3.5 years in the Med and crossed the Atlantic to the Caribbean and back to Holland.

Just before our first Atlantic crossing, we had already signed up for the brand new Outremer 55, hull number 4.

At that time the boat only existed on paper, but it already promised to be the ultimate combination of comfort, performance and looks.

The second Greatcircle was delivered mid 2021, just before the departure of the GLYWO500 rally, a rally with around 30 boats circumnavigating the globe.

In the meantime, we’ve sailed over 18.000 nautical miles with the Outremer 55, from the South of France via the Panama Canal to New Zealand.

At the end of March 2023, we will start the second half of the rally back to the Med. The route will take us via New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Australia, Indonesia to Mauritius and then South Africa this year. Next year we will cross via Sint Helena to Brazil and then via the Carib and the Azores to Lisbon.

Why did you choose the Outremer 55? Was it the helm position, the performance or the living space for example? Which layout did you go for? (eg the desk in the front cabin?) We have been looking at all of the cats on the market regularly since 2015. The Lagoon 39 was a perfect cat to start on and get used to the particulars of a catamaran.

At that time we already thought it was huge (at least compared to our Rival 34 that is still in front of our house). The upgrade to the L52S was easier than expected and the sailing characteristics and motion comfort were already way better than on the L39. The L52S is probably the best sailing Lagoon ever built.

After 3 years on the L52S, we decided to make another step in preparation for a circumnavigation and had a thorough look at the available brands and models on the market.

We were not looking for the fastest or lightest cat on the market as we are not racers but cruisers. We know that for boats on the lower end of the weight scale, comfort has to suffer both in terms of the equipment and in terms of motion comfort.

In the end, we chose between two boats that only existed on paper, a Lagoon 55 and the Outremer 55. In hindsight it was love at first sight when we saw the design of the Outremer.

That Lagoon stopped producing Sport-tops for their bigger models probably didn’t help either as we are sailing the boat double-handed most of the time.

We had no need for a flybridge, and it doesn’t help the sailing characteristics either. The new Outremer has half the weight of the Lagoon, and much more space and headroom in comparison to the previous generation.

We chose the three-cabin version with an owner’s hull and a normal front cabin in the guest hull.

When was she launched? 2021 right? How was the buying and building process? The build of the very first Outremer 55 was started in the second half of 2020 and we followed the production of the first 4 hulls very closely. We even rented an apartment in La Grande Motte to document the whole process and to discuss the different choices and options with the local experts.

Dealing directly with the manufacturer is quite different from what we were used to before with Lagoon in their dealer model. We loved being able to shape the boat to our wishes, but also to learn from experienced sailors with another background.

Greatcircle was launched in April and finished and optimised in the months thereafter. It’s nice to see that experiences and improvements found on the first three hulls were immediately transferred to our boat as well. Initially, we were OK with not having hull number one but to be honest we were surprised by the level that they were already able to reach building the very first copy of a completely new generation of yachts.

Outremer is also known for its sail training and owner community. Any feedback on that? eg Ladies Day. As we visited La Grande Motte a lot we met many existing and future Outremer owners. In addition to the pure performance-oriented sailors that already knew Outremer, more and more sailors like us started to explore the 55.

Many of them already saw our YouTube videos on the Lagoons and/or the videos from the design and build phase of the new Greatcircle. They reached out to us via Instagram and Messenger to discuss the pros and cons of the boat in general and of the different choices to make in the configuration process.

It’s a lot of fun to be involved in discussions like that and it has helped us as well to re-evaluate our own choices based on the experience of others.

Outremer Week is a very successful concept, twice a year now, where customers can learn a lot about all kinds of topics from manoeuvring in port to medical training to engine maintenance. It’s a perfect way to get to know a lot of other Outremer owners as well.

Even though Marijke, as a female captain, might not be in the core target group of Ladies Day, she was very impressed by the way experienced female sailors like Nikki Henderson transferred their knowledge.

It seems very important, especially on longer offshore cruising expeditions that the tasks on board can be shared by multiple people on board.

What’s the best thing about Greatcircle? To us, it’s the best compromise between comfort, performance and looks available on the market.

We have all the equipment we had on the Lagoon, we still have plenty of space, headroom and storage space and we’re crossing oceans 20-30% faster than we were used to. And as a bonus, the boat looks stunning.

If there was one thing that you would change, what would that be? Or wouldn’t you change anything? We have already sold our current Greatcircle for the end of 2024. We have reached an agreement on a new Outremer 55 some time ago. The specs would be nearly the same as we were pretty pleased with the choices we’ve made on the current one.

One item we would like to optimise is that we want to expand the situations in which it is possible to sail the boat single-handed. For instance regarding reefing and furling the downwind gennaker when the sail is on port. We’re discussing this with Outremer, it’s still too early to tell but there might be a surprise outcome of this discussion.

Does she carry weight well, or do you have to be careful to not overload her with gear? The Outremer 55 has plenty of payload. We have everything on board you could wish for and there is still 2,5 tonnes of payload remaining even when fully loaded with water and fuel! More performance-oriented owners of a 55 have an even lighter boat (about a ton lighter) but during the GLYWO500 we’ve seen that the differences in average speed are marginal.

What are the “Must Have” Options when buying new in your opinion? eg Carbon cross-beam, carbon mast, watermaker (Dessalator), the convertible table in the saloon, generator (10,000i Fischer?), solar, carbon options, a/c, Esthec decking, extra invertor, extra freezer, water filter, scirocco fans, special galley worktop, Raymarine remote, induction plate, washing machine, folding props, ZF throttles, electric winches, windlass controller at helm For offshore cruising a water maker (preferably a backup water maker too) and a second autopilot are a must have. The other options depend on the personal preferences of the owner. I would recommend not having gas on board. In most cases, the 2000+ watts of solar are enough to cover the energy demand. In periods of bad weather, you still need a backup power source. We chose the genset over charging with engines and/or a hydrogenerator.

Can you give us an idea of what is in your sail locker? Which sails are your favourite? Gennaker, Spinnaker, Code 0, A2 Spinnaker etc We chose the DFI mainsail and self-tacking jib (solent) from Incidence as they are lighter (and Marijke likes black sails :-)). We didn’t choose the staysail/trinquette option and so far we never had a situation where we needed it.

As the 55 doesn’t need to be reefed very early the solent functions perfectly fine in all conditions we would like to sail in. We never had to furl the solent, a couple of turns so far.

Sailing around the world along the traditional routes there’s a lot of trade wind / downwind sailing. You need to have some flexibility and redundancy in the front sails.

We use the (flat and not too big) Code 0 both (close) reaching and downwind depending on the circumstances. Both this Code 0 and the downwind gennaker are perfect in changing conditions where it might be necessary to furl the sail now and then.

The A2 asymmetrical spinnaker is the perfect sail in lighter breezes, we use it to sail starting from three knots apparent wind. After 18.000 miles our engines still have only 350 hours …..

The S3 heavy duty symmetrical spi is made of polyester and we use it to sail almost dead downwind in breezes from 15 knots true. Most of the time we hoist in on the lower halyard and use it without the mainsail. You can leave it up during a squall, we had up to 40 knots of true wind without a problem.

What are the “Nice-to-Have Options”? As discussed the 55 is not very sensitive for a bit more weight. So I would say there is a long list of nice-to-have options that I would recommend. I love the carbon cross, as it makes the boat look fantastic. We choose induction cooking, a combi oven, a dishwasher, a full washer/dryer, aircon, a line driver for the main traveller and all electrical winches. As indicated we also have a genset.

Which options did you “pass” on? For the mast, we chose the non-rotating carbon mast. Reduces complexity and maintenance compared to a rotating one and the performance difference is again marginal.

How are the electrics, plumbing etc? Can you give us an idea of how you set your power system up, the amount of solar (over 2kW right?), hydrogeneration, lithium battery set up (200Ah/battery?) etc? How long can you stay autonomous on power? How often do you use the genset? We have three lithium batteries totalling 16,5 kWh. In normal circumstances, the 2048 watts of solar are enough to charge the batteries during daylight and to cover the total energy demand.

On anchor, it’s almost always enough. Upfront we didn’t realize though that during the longer crossings the sails quite often cover the solar panels.

In hindsight, we’re pretty happy that we stuck to our decision to install a genset to generate extra power when we need it. We installed 2 mass-combis so the genset can charge the batteries very efficiently, so far it has run for 130 hours only.

Is she easy to maintain? Servicing engines, standing rigging etc. You have had a few challenges to deal with on your circumnavigation so far, right? The regular maintenance so far after 1.5 years has been very limited. Of course, stuff breaks now and then, and in those cases it’s fantastic to be part of the Glywo500 rally where every couple of months a whole maintenance team is flown in to bring the boats back into perfect shape.

We did have a couple of incidents during our trip. The worst one was in Aruba when we were hit while asleep on anchor by a 70-ton tourist boat doing around 8 knots. Luckily nobody was injured, but the whole carbon cross was damaged beyond repair.

Without an extraordinary effort from Outremer, this would have meant the end of our rally. An Outremer team and the necessary parts were flown in, and within a month we were up and running again trying to catch up with the fleet before they left the Galapagos.

During this chase, we had a second incident while passing through the Panama canal. While rafted to two other boats and steering on the port side, the starboard gearbox cable broke with the gearbox in the forward position.

Pulling the throttle backward only made the boat go faster forward and the raft hit the wall before we even knew what the problem was. Easy to fix, very lucky that we could give it another go the next day, enough wind from Panama to the Galapagos and we managed to arrive there the day before the departure date of the fleet….

The third incident happened in Fiji where we just hit a reef with the port rudder tip and the rudder system broke. The rally brings you to poorly charted waters and due to the distances in some legs it’s not always possible to sail out in perfect (light) conditions only.

Sometimes if you wait longer to start the leg, you will arrive in the dark. We could have avoided this incident if we had motored along the advised route instead of following the boats in front of us sailing. We managed to stop the water ingress and were able to continue cruising, hopping from the east to the west side of Fiji where the boat could be lifted and repaired.

Is she easy to sail short-handed? To shorten sail? Is the running rigging complex? Do all the lines lead back to the helms, for example? What is the “German Sheeting” setup? You reef from the port side, right? In all situations, we can sail the boat double-handed (most of the time it’s only the 2 of us on board).

In many situations, the boat can be sailed single-handed. In general, I don’t think we would use the spinnakers single-handed. In our current setup you need two people to reef the main and to furl the gennaker or Code 0 when the sail is on port (the furling line of the front furler is on starboard).

The way we have set up the reefing system with reef lines on the back of the sail only 1 person has to go to the mast to apply or remove the loops for the luff of the main.

You can control the main sheet on both helm stations and also use the line driver to control the main traveller on both sides (and from the cockpit).

In general, the boat is on autopilot while navigating from either the saloon or the cockpit. If the sails need some adjusting you walk towards the port helm station. Only when the bigger front sails are on starboard you will use the helm station on starboard.

Is it easy to lower and raise the daggerboards and furl the head sails? You had some problems with the gennaker I think? You have a line driver for the traveller I see. Controlling the dagger boards is very easy, as is controlling the main. Indeed we did have some problems furling and unfurling the downwind gennaker.

The sail is pretty round and you need to pay attention not to entangle the sail in itself. In the meantime, we know how to prevent this from happening but still looking for ways to make this more foolproof (other furler?).

The line driver is a perfect option. Electronic buttons will be installed on both helm stations so you can easily control the traveller from the helm station while reefing or gybing.

What’s she like in heavy weather / a blow / big seas? How is the ride in general? (pitch/roll) We didn’t have real heavy weather yet. Most of the time the wind has been below 40 knots and the waves haven’t been over 4 meters yet. In these circumstances, the boat feels pretty relaxed and comfortable. Compared to our previous cat the thinner hulls slice through the water and the Outremer can maintain a higher constant speed.

There’s a lot less noise in general and a lot less slamming of waves against the hull.

How are the helm positions? Good in weather? How is the visibility when docking? Those swing helms look great, which position do you use the most? I like the feet steering option 😉 The two helm stations are really good when manoeuvring. You can see all 4 corners of the cat from either one of them and just choose the most suitable helm station when docking.

During cruising we often put 1 of the steering wheels (partly) inside the cockpit, especially in bad weather when we close up the cockpit tent. The boat will normally be on autopilot but if something happens or if there’s a glitch of the AP you can reach the steering wheel very quickly.

The benches at the helm station are very comfortable and ideal for catching the breeze, watching the waves and looking out for sea life.

How does she sail in light winds? You can sail the boat starting from 3 knots of apparent wind.

How does she sail close-hauled? How high does she point to true in a good sea state? Close-hauled she sails as high as a decent monohull but at a much higher speed. If the sea is flat sometimes you’re able to reach an even higher VMG by using the Code 0 instead of the solent and sailing a bit lower.

So far it seems that with both sails you reach optimal VMG at around 38 degrees apparent.

Typically, what’s your average speed on passage? What’s the top speed you have logged surfing? Talking about your top surfing speed is nice during anchor shots but is not so relevant for us. Our all-time high was set on the L52S doing 27,2 knots surfing of 3 consecutive waves. On the Outremer, we’ve surfed over 26 knots.

It’s the higher average speed during crossings that makes the real difference. Out the L52S we used to calculate 190 miles per day (downwind or reaching as upwind it will be a lot less).

On the Outremer 55 we calculate with 230 miles per day on average and it doesn’t make a big difference whether this is upwind or downwind. We crossed over 2000 miles from Cabo Verde to Barbados in 9 days and needed 13 days for the 3200 nm for the Pacific crossing from the Galapagos to Nuku Hiva.

What’s she like under power? Speed, manoeuvrability? 60 HP Volvo engines, right? We don’t use the engines a lot but in general, the 60HP Volvo engines are fine to manoeuvre the boat. As we don’t have a bow thruster it does make sense to anticipate what you’re planning to do as the bows tend to react to crosswinds.

If we use the engines while cruising we only use 1 engine, often at very low RPM using 1 to 2 liters per hour at 6 knots.

Is she easy to dock? How’s the windage coming in, any tips? As mentioned above you have to anticipate the bows reacting on crosswinds

What is she like at anchor? What anchor/chain setup did you go for? 70m chain, 50m rope right? We chose the Force 7 lighter chain with a nice and shiny 35 kg Ultra anchor. Indeed 70 meters of chain plus 50 meters of rope. We haven’t used the rope yet.

What’s she like when it’s raining hard? I like the way the clears fix down outside the helms When it’s raining we just close up the clears, and tilt one moveable helm inside. Both from the cockpit and the saloon you have perfect 360 degrees of vision so you only need to go out to adjust the sails and/or reefing.

Is she comfortable up top and down below? Cabins/saloon/galley/heads. Can you give us an idea of the configuration you went for? The island in the galley looks great. Electric heads? Wood option down below right? We chose a three “burner” induction plate and a combi microwave/oven. Works fine, I think the limitations are more on our side than related to the equipment. We have a freezer and a double refrigerator. We also installed a dishwasher and an extra water filter.

The space in the owner’s hull is more than enough, the beds are also nice and wide. We can’t walk around the bed like we could on our previous cat of course. The bathroom can compete with the one we had on the Lagoon and the spacy shower with rain shower and over 2m headroom is just perfect.

When we were visiting the interior designer Franck Darnet we found a different kind of wood and applied it to both the cabin and the hulls to create a warmer atmosphere. This might be a standard price list option in the meantime.

We also chose the option to implement the same Esthec flooring in both the saloon and the cockpit to emphasize that it is one big living space. The disadvantage of the Esthec in areas open to direct sunlight is that it gets REALLY hot.

Is there plenty of storage? The sail lockers look good. We still have a lot of unused storage space in the cockpit, cabin and hulls, so no complaints there. The bow compartments are huge, we use one for most of the front sails only so it’s easy to swap them. We use the other bow compartment for the lines, the toys and the spares.

On the foredeck, there are two storage lockers as well. In one of them, we installed the genset. The other one contains our bikes, the mooring lines and some shades.

How is the finish of the interior? Does she creak under sail? Both the extensive lamination of the deck and bulkheads and the quality of the finishing of the interior lead to a big difference in sound levels compared to our previous cat.

What is your favourite spot on the boat? Our favourite spot is in the saloon with the cabin table lowered and turned into a lounge area

Is she good for hosting guests? We have the three cabin version as we’re not looking to host too many people at the same time. The guests in the port hull share a separate toilet with a sink and a shower with a sink. The bed in the aft cabin is the same as the one in the owner’s hull, the one in the front cabin is a bit less wide.

What kind of modifications have you done and why? We didn’t do any major modifications that were not on the standard option list

Any plans for further customisation? No

What kind of dinghy/outboard do you carry? We’ve got a carbon AST Coast 340 tender , the one with the jockey seat. It carries a 20HP Honda outboard

If you were to swap her for another boat, what would that be? Or maybe you wouldn’t swap her? As mentioned before, we have already sold her (from the end of 2024) and ordered a new Outremer 55!

How is the after-sales service from Outremer? It’s amazing. Instead of using too many words, I would suggest looking at the extraordinary after-sales efforts Outremer made when we were really in trouble like in Aruba in February/March last year. There’s a YouTube video on both the crash and the repairs on our channel.

What I also like a lot is that in case of problems discovered on other boats, they automatically review whether these changes should be applied to other boats including the ones already delivered. As an example, we will get new carbon davits on our boat in New Caledonia to upgrade the maximum dynamic load they can endure.

Are you happy with the safety aspects? Escape hatches, position of life rafts, clip-on points and so on In general we are happy with the safety aspects. We do feel more exposed at the helm station compared to our L52S and there is not a lot to hold onto when standing there in rough weather. We’re looking at options to improve this.

Anything else you would add to help people thinking of buying an Outremer 55? Different people have different questions and concerns. Everybody is welcome to post questions they might have to our social media accounts on Youtube, Instagram and Facebook.

How would you rate the Value for Money of an Outremer 55, bearing in mind future resale potential, quality, price and so on ? Our depreciation on the current boat will be 0 (and we could have made a profit if we would have sold it later.)

Would you recommend the Grand Large Yachting World Odyssey 500 (GLYWO500)? For sure! It’s fun to travel around the world with a lot of other boats. You can help each other in case of trouble and enjoy life together on the good days. The glywo organisation takes away a significant part of the bureaucracy and the technical stops are just perfect.

What is your favourite anchorage so far? Marijke’s favourite anchorage is the Bay of Virgins in the Marquesas. I really loved the anchorages in Maupiti and in the Lau Group in Fiji as well.

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Outremer 55 first look: Efficient catamaran promises more sailing and less motoring

• October 14, 2020

Feedback from some 310 previous Outremer owners has gone into refining the design of the new Outremer 55

Plugging the gap between Outremer’s longstanding 5X and 51 models, the Outremer 55 will exhibit the brand’s typical balance of performance and comfort.

When the design was unveiled at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in January, we heard how VPLP ’s efficient hull shape will allow the boat to match wind speed up to around 12 knots.

“It means much less use of the engines,” explains commercial director Matthieu Rougevin-Baville. Outremer considers performance to be a key plank of its environmental policy. “If you can sail at 5 knots, you can sail 95% of the time,” he reasons.

Article continues below…

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One Outremer owner has sailed round the world with his family yet filled the tanks only three times, we are told.

There are daggerboards for 15-degree better windward performance, and a swing helm pedestal that allows you to sit up on the side deck in fine weather, or shelter under the hard top when it turns inclement.

Tillers are still an option, but Outremer has worked hard to give the wheel better feedback. It is set up for short-handed bluewater sailing.

Outremer is part of the same Grand Large group which owns Gunboat, and there have been some technical improvements, notably on the lamination.

For instance, the coachroof is now stiffer, despite being lighter and having more openings. Powered winches are electric rather than hydraulic, saving kilos.

The yard also considers ventilation paramount for an eco-friendly cruiser, rather than fitting air conditioning, which needs more fuel and results in additional weight.

With 2.3kW of solar panels on the coachroof, Outremer claims the 55 is electrically self-sufficient – and that is despite having equipment such as watermakers and dishwashers.

The rear of the saloon completely opens to unite the cockpit and the interior, and there is the option of three or four good-sized double cabins.

Specification

LOA: 16.69m (54ft 9in) Beam: 8.28m (27ft 2in) Displacement (light): 13,500kg (29,762lb) Price: €1,215,000 (ex. VAT)

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Catamaran Outremer 55

The Outremer 55 catamaran is easy to operate, whether with a small crew or alone. Spacious and bright cabins, excellent ventilation, luxurious saloon - all this sets new standards.

Outremer Catamarans are the most popular choice for family travel around the world and long-distance cruisers. The build quality is unrivaled and, as a result, the aftermarket price is very high. The shipyard is going to change the interior, and is also ready to supply any equipment. It is also worth mentioning that GL Yachting holding, which includes Outremer, provides support anywhere in the world.

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* More detailed information can be obtained by ordering the catalog

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Weather guru Chris Tibbs talks about the skills and information needed to successfully cross the Atlantic eastbound.

Recent exhibitions pleased not only with a large number of boats and world premieres. A lot of new equipment was also presented at the stands. We are talking about two novelties of the season - the Triton Edge processor and the EnergyMatic propeller.

Fountaine Pajot was certainly the first shipyard to look at power catamarans with a long-term perspective and how they were right - the market is thriving today. Demand is growing, especially among the owners of "eaters" of fuel, who want to change to a more economical yacht. As an alternative to monohull powerboats, the powerful catamarans guarantee exceptional stability and reduced fuel consumption by the 40%.

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Outremer 55 - Tour du monde Express

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EXCLUSIVITÉ MULTICOQUES MAG - 55 sonne comme un modèle mythique dans l’histoire d’Outremer, la marque créée par Gérard Danson en 1984. Reprendre ce millésime est donc un pari – un peu le même défi que celui du Lagoon… 55 ! L’objectif de ce nouvel Outremer 55 est d’offrir le même niveau de performance que celui de son illustre prédécesseur tout en offrant un volume et un niveau de confort en ligne avec les attentes des candidats à la grande croisière du XXIe siècle. En exclusivité, Multicoques Mag a posé le premier son sac à bord pour s’assurer que ce 55 était bien le digne héritier du… 55.

Lieu de l’essai : La Grande Motte/Marseille, France Conditions : mer peu agitée, vent de 8 à 25 nœuds

Sur les premières images numériques dévoilées en janvier 2019, le nouvel Outremer 55 semblait marquer une évolution sensible au sein de la gamme très homogène (45, 51 et 59 pieds) développée par le constructeur depuis 2008. Dans les mots de Xavier Desmarest, le PDG d’Outremer Yachting, il y a la farouche détermination de ne pas tomber dans le syndrome Saab. L’iconique marque automobile suédoise a disparu, faute de ne pas avoir su se renouveler. Pourquoi ne pas avoir changé de cap ? Sans doute par crainte de perdre ses clients historiques. Quand Xavier évoque ce nouveau 55, il est question de « monde qui change », de la « nécessité d’avoir un œil neuf pour s’adapter à l’air du temps ». La démarche est d’autant plus méritoire que l’équipe en charge du projet fait appel certes à un trio de haut vol (VPLP-Le Quément -Darnet Design), mais qui a déjà régulièrement œuvré pour la marque, notamment sur le 5X. La dream team allait-elle savoir se renouveler ? A vouloir offrir plus d’espace et plus de confort, le catamaran ne risquait-il pas d’être trop lourd pour toujours garantir l’...

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Confort ultime sans compromettre la performance

Plus de 35 ans d’expérience dans la conception de catamarans de croisière hauturière, des millions de milles parcourus sur toutes les mers, nous permettent aujourd’hui de présenter un catamaran de grand voyage exceptionnel.

Avec les meilleurs architectes et designers, nous avons pu profiter des derniers développements, tant en ingénierie qu’en maitrise des matériaux composites, pour obtenir le compromis idéal entre qualité de vie, performance et confort de navigation.

L’Outremer 55 est facile à manœuvrer, en équipage réduit ou en solitaire, il offre des espaces de vie, une ergonomie, une lumière et une ventilation définissant de nouveaux standards.

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Des innovations qui changent la vie en grand voyage

Des barres basculantes pour combiner plaisir de barre, visibilité et protection parfaite quelles que soient les conditions. Que vous souhaitiez profiter de la vue sur le plan d’eau et vos voiles, confortablement installé sur la banquette double, ou protégé des éléments dans le cockpit, vous gardez un contrôle parfait du bateau. Une banquette confortable sur chaque bord, des appuis-debout en position centrale, voire assis à l’abri dans le cockpit, chacun trouvera une position de barre favorite !

Fluidité de circulation et vision ininterrompue

Avec son carré grand ouvert sur le cockpit, son plancher flush et ses baies vitrées disparaissant complètement derrière la cloison de roof, l’Outremer 55 a été conçu pour assurer une ergonomie parfaite et faciliter les déplacements à bord.

La vision à 360° depuis le carré et le cockpit permet une visibilité exceptionnelle sur le plan d’eau et l’environnement, et contribue grandement au confort à bord. A bord de l’Outremer 55, de la table à cartes, bien entendu, mais aussi en faisant la cuisine ou pendant les repas, la vision vers l’avant n’est jamais interrompue. Un facteur crucial pour une croisière sereine !

Un ilôt central transformable en table haute

Rien de plus sympathique que de profiter d’un moment convivial pendant la préparation des repas ou pour l’apéro. L’ilôt offre de plus un coin repas idéalement orienté avec sa tablette relevable.

Retours d’expérience

« Cat Greatcircle » Marijke et Mark

Anciennement propriétaires d’un Lagoon 52, ce couple néerlandais est plus qu’heureux de poursuivre l’aventure sur un Outremer 55, qui leur sera livré en 2021. A la recherche du confort et du plaisir de navigation avant tout, ils ont été comblés par le 55′.

Vous avez des questions ?

L'outremer 55 peut-il avoir des barres franches , l'outremer 55 est-il proposé en version électrique , pourquoi avoir remodelé le siège de barre .

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Au-delà de vous construire un bateau, Outremer donne vie à vos rêves en étant à vos côtés à chaque étape de votre projet.

Pour toujours mieux vous accompagner nous avons créé Outremer Services. Cette structure, intégrée au sein de Grand Large Services, est en mesure de répondre à tous vos besoins, depuis le début de votre projet jusqu’à la revente de votre catamaran.

Séminaires sur le thème de la grande croisière, formations à terre et en mer, location, conciergerie, refit, réseau de partenaires agréés autour du monde, système de e-maintenance OCM™, brokerage, nous proposons un accompagnement complet et personnalisé selon vos souhaits.

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In Transit: Notes from the Underground

Jun 06 2018.

Spend some time in one of Moscow’s finest museums.

Subterranean commuting might not be anyone’s idea of a good time, but even in a city packing the war-games treasures and priceless bejeweled eggs of the Kremlin Armoury and the colossal Soviet pavilions of the VDNKh , the Metro holds up as one of Moscow’s finest museums. Just avoid rush hour.

The Metro is stunning and provides an unrivaled insight into the city’s psyche, past and present, but it also happens to be the best way to get around. Moscow has Uber, and the Russian version called Yandex Taxi , but also some nasty traffic. Metro trains come around every 90 seconds or so, at a more than 99 percent on-time rate. It’s also reasonably priced, with a single ride at 55 cents (and cheaper in bulk). From history to tickets to rules — official and not — here’s what you need to know to get started.

A Brief Introduction Buying Tickets Know Before You Go (Down) Rules An Easy Tour

A Brief Introduction

Moscow’s Metro was a long time coming. Plans for rapid transit to relieve the city’s beleaguered tram system date back to the Imperial era, but a couple of wars and a revolution held up its development. Stalin revived it as part of his grand plan to modernize the Soviet Union in the 1920s and 30s. The first lines and tunnels were constructed with help from engineers from the London Underground, although Stalin’s secret police decided that they had learned too much about Moscow’s layout and had them arrested on espionage charges and deported.

The beauty of its stations (if not its trains) is well-documented, and certainly no accident. In its illustrious first phases and particularly after the Second World War, the greatest architects of Soviet era were recruited to create gleaming temples celebrating the Revolution, the USSR, and the war triumph. No two stations are exactly alike, and each of the classic showpieces has a theme. There are world-famous shrines to Futurist architecture, a celebration of electricity, tributes to individuals and regions of the former Soviet Union. Each marble slab, mosaic tile, or light fixture was placed with intent, all in service to a station’s aesthetic; each element, f rom the smallest brass ear of corn to a large blood-spattered sword on a World War II mural, is an essential part of the whole.

The Metro is a monument to the Soviet propaganda project it was intended to be when it opened in 1935 with the slogan “Building a Palace for the People”. It brought the grand interiors of Imperial Russia to ordinary Muscovites, celebrated the Soviet Union’s past achievements while promising its citizens a bright Soviet future, and of course, it was a show-piece for the world to witness the might and sophistication of life in the Soviet Union.

It may be a museum, but it’s no relic. U p to nine million people use it daily, more than the London Underground and New York Subway combined. (Along with, at one time, about 20 stray dogs that learned to commute on the Metro.)

In its 80+ year history, the Metro has expanded in phases and fits and starts, in step with the fortunes of Moscow and Russia. Now, partly in preparation for the World Cup 2018, it’s also modernizing. New trains allow passengers to walk the entire length of the train without having to change carriages. The system is becoming more visitor-friendly. (There are helpful stickers on the floor marking out the best selfie spots .) But there’s a price to modernity: it’s phasing out one of its beloved institutions, the escalator attendants. Often they are middle-aged or elderly women—“ escalator grandmas ” in news accounts—who have held the post for decades, sitting in their tiny kiosks, scolding commuters for bad escalator etiquette or even bad posture, or telling jokes . They are slated to be replaced, when at all, by members of the escalator maintenance staff.

For all its achievements, the Metro lags behind Moscow’s above-ground growth, as Russia’s capital sprawls ever outwards, generating some of the world’s worst traffic jams . But since 2011, the Metro has been in the middle of an ambitious and long-overdue enlargement; 60 new stations are opening by 2020. If all goes to plan, the 2011-2020 period will have brought 125 miles of new tracks and over 100 new stations — a 40 percent increase — the fastest and largest expansion phase in any period in the Metro’s history.

Facts: 14 lines Opening hours: 5 a.m-1 a.m. Rush hour(s): 8-10 a.m, 4-8 p.m. Single ride: 55₽ (about 85 cents) Wi-Fi network-wide

Buying Tickets

• Ticket machines have a button to switch to English.
• You can buy specific numbers of rides: 1, 2, 5, 11, 20, or 60. Hold up fingers to show how many rides you want to buy.
• There is also a 90-minute ticket , which gets you 1 trip on the metro plus an unlimited number of transfers on other transport (bus, tram, etc) within 90 minutes.
• Or, you can buy day tickets with unlimited rides: one day (218₽/ US$4), three days (415₽/US$7) or seven days (830₽/US$15). Check the rates here to stay up-to-date.
• If you’re going to be using the Metro regularly over a few days, it’s worth getting a Troika card , a contactless, refillable card you can use on all public transport. Using the Metro is cheaper with one of these: a single ride is 36₽, not 55₽. Buy them and refill them in the Metro stations, and they’re valid for 5 years, so you can keep it for next time. Or, if you have a lot of cash left on it when you leave, you can get it refunded at the Metro Service Centers at Ulitsa 1905 Goda, 25 or at Staraya Basmannaya 20, Building 1.
• You can also buy silicone bracelets and keychains with built-in transport chips that you can use as a Troika card. (A Moscow Metro Fitbit!) So far, you can only get these at the Pushkinskaya metro station Live Helpdesk and souvenir shops in the Mayakovskaya and Trubnaya metro stations. The fare is the same as for the Troika card.
• You can also use Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Rules, spoken and unspoken

No smoking, no drinking, no filming, no littering. Photography is allowed, although it used to be banned.

Stand to the right on the escalator. Break this rule and you risk the wrath of the legendary escalator attendants. (No shenanigans on the escalators in general.)

Get out of the way. Find an empty corner to hide in when you get off a train and need to stare at your phone. Watch out getting out of the train in general; when your train doors open, people tend to appear from nowhere or from behind ornate marble columns, walking full-speed.

Always offer your seat to elderly ladies (what are you, a monster?).

An Easy Tour

This is no Metro Marathon ( 199 stations in 20 hours ). It’s an easy tour, taking in most—though not all—of the notable stations, the bulk of it going clockwise along the Circle line, with a couple of short detours. These stations are within minutes of one another, and the whole tour should take about 1-2 hours.

Start at Mayakovskaya Metro station , at the corner of Tverskaya and Garden Ring,  Triumfalnaya Square, Moskva, Russia, 125047.

1. Mayakovskaya.  Named for Russian Futurist Movement poet Vladimir Mayakovsky and an attempt to bring to life the future he imagined in his poems. (The Futurist Movement, natch, was all about a rejecting the past and celebrating all things speed, industry, modern machines, youth, modernity.) The result: an Art Deco masterpiece that won the National Grand Prix for architecture at the New York World’s Fair in 1939. It’s all smooth, rounded shine and light, and gentle arches supported by columns of dark pink marble and stainless aircraft steel. Each of its 34 ceiling niches has a mosaic. During World War II, the station was used as an air-raid shelter and, at one point, a bunker for Stalin. He gave a subdued but rousing speech here in Nov. 6, 1941 as the Nazis bombed the city above.

Take the 3/Green line one station to:

2. Belorusskaya. Opened in 1952, named after the connected Belarussky Rail Terminal, which runs trains between Moscow and Belarus. This is a light marble affair with a white, cake-like ceiling, lined with Belorussian patterns and 12 Florentine ceiling mosaics depicting life in Belarussia when it was built.

Transfer onto the 1/Brown line. Then, one stop (clockwise) t o:

3. Novoslobodskaya.  This station was designed around the stained-glass panels, which were made in Latvia, because Alexey Dushkin, the Soviet starchitect who dreamed it up (and also designed Mayakovskaya station) couldn’t find the glass and craft locally. The stained glass is the same used for Riga’s Cathedral, and the panels feature plants, flowers, members of the Soviet intelligentsia (musician, artist, architect) and geometric shapes.

Go two stops east on the 1/Circle line to:

4. Komsomolskaya. Named after the Komsomol, or the Young Communist League, this might just be peak Stalin Metro style. Underneath the hub for three regional railways, it was intended to be a grand gateway to Moscow and is today its busiest station. It has chandeliers; a yellow ceiling with Baroque embellishments; and in the main hall, a colossal red star overlaid on golden, shimmering tiles. Designer Alexey Shchusev designed it as an homage to the speech Stalin gave at Red Square on Nov. 7, 1941, in which he invoked Russia’s illustrious military leaders as a pep talk to Soviet soldiers through the first catastrophic year of the war.   The station’s eight large mosaics are of the leaders referenced in the speech, such as Alexander Nevsky, a 13th-century prince and military commander who bested German and Swedish invading armies.

One more stop clockwise to Kurskaya station,  and change onto the 3/Blue  line, and go one stop to:

5. Baumanskaya.   Opened in 1944. Named for the Bolshevik Revolutionary Nikolai Bauman , whose monument and namesake district are aboveground here. Though he seemed like a nasty piece of work (he apparently once publicly mocked a woman he had impregnated, who later hung herself), he became a Revolutionary martyr when he was killed in 1905 in a skirmish with a monarchist, who hit him on the head with part of a steel pipe. The station is in Art Deco style with atmospherically dim lighting, and a series of bronze sculptures of soldiers and homefront heroes during the War. At one end, there is a large mosaic portrait of Lenin.

Stay on that train direction one more east to:

6. Elektrozavodskaya. As you may have guessed from the name, this station is the Metro’s tribute to all thing electrical, built in 1944 and named after a nearby lightbulb factory. It has marble bas-relief sculptures of important figures in electrical engineering, and others illustrating the Soviet Union’s war-time struggles at home. The ceiling’s recurring rows of circular lamps give the station’s main tunnel a comforting glow, and a pleasing visual effect.

Double back two stops to Kurskaya station , and change back to the 1/Circle line. Sit tight for six stations to:

7. Kiyevskaya. This was the last station on the Circle line to be built, in 1954, completed under Nikita Khrushchev’ s guidance, as a tribute to his homeland, Ukraine. Its three large station halls feature images celebrating Ukraine’s contributions to the Soviet Union and Russo-Ukrainian unity, depicting musicians, textile-working, soldiers, farmers. (One hall has frescoes, one mosaics, and the third murals.) Shortly after it was completed, Khrushchev condemned the architectural excesses and unnecessary luxury of the Stalin era, which ushered in an epoch of more austere Metro stations. According to the legend at least, he timed the policy in part to ensure no Metro station built after could outshine Kiyevskaya.

Change to the 3/Blue line and go one stop west.

8. Park Pobedy. This is the deepest station on the Metro, with one of the world’s longest escalators, at 413 feet. If you stand still, the escalator ride to the surface takes about three minutes .) Opened in 2003 at Victory Park, the station celebrates two of Russia’s great military victories. Each end has a mural by Georgian artist Zurab Tsereteli, who also designed the “ Good Defeats Evil ” statue at the UN headquarters in New York. One mural depicts the Russian generals’ victory over the French in 1812 and the other, the German surrender of 1945. The latter is particularly striking; equal parts dramatic, triumphant, and gruesome. To the side, Red Army soldiers trample Nazi flags, and if you look closely there’s some blood spatter among the detail. Still, the biggest impressions here are the marble shine of the chessboard floor pattern and the pleasingly geometric effect if you view from one end to the other.

Keep going one more stop west to:

9. Slavyansky Bulvar.  One of the Metro’s youngest stations, it opened in 2008. With far higher ceilings than many other stations—which tend to have covered central tunnels on the platforms—it has an “open-air” feel (or as close to it as you can get, one hundred feet under). It’s an homage to French architect Hector Guimard, he of the Art Nouveau entrances for the Paris M é tro, and that’s precisely what this looks like: A Moscow homage to the Paris M é tro, with an additional forest theme. A Cyrillic twist on Guimard’s Metro-style lettering over the benches, furnished with t rees and branch motifs, including creeping vines as towering lamp-posts.

Stay on the 3/Blue line and double back four stations to:

10. Arbatskaya. Its first iteration, Arbatskaya-Smolenskaya station, was damaged by German bombs in 1941. It was rebuilt in 1953, and designed to double as a bomb shelter in the event of nuclear war, although unusually for stations built in the post-war phase, this one doesn’t have a war theme. It may also be one of the system’s most elegant: Baroque, but toned down a little, with red marble floors and white ceilings with gilded bronze c handeliers.

Jump back on the 3/Blue line  in the same direction and take it one more stop:

11. Ploshchad Revolyutsii (Revolution Square). Opened in 1938, and serving Red Square and the Kremlin . Its renowned central hall has marble columns flanked by 76 bronze statues of Soviet heroes: soldiers, students, farmers, athletes, writers, parents. Some of these statues’ appendages have a yellow sheen from decades of Moscow’s commuters rubbing them for good luck. Among the most popular for a superstitious walk-by rub: the snout of a frontier guard’s dog, a soldier’s gun (where the touch of millions of human hands have tapered the gun barrel into a fine, pointy blade), a baby’s foot, and a woman’s knee. (A brass rooster also sports the telltale gold sheen, though I am told that rubbing the rooster is thought to bring bad luck. )

Now take the escalator up, and get some fresh air.

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Apartment 114 sqm on the 55th floor in the Mercury Tower

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The apartment in the Mercury Tower is fully equipped with furniture and appliances. Layout: spacious living room combined with kitchen, bedroom with its own bathroom and dressing room, guest bathroom. Enhanced access control system, high quality service for residents. Completely ready to move in and live. Do you want to live on a high floor in a Moscow skyscraper? Send us a request!

• Property ID: HZ598
• Price: $4,200/Monthly
• Property Size: 1227 Sq Ft
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• Year Built: 2013
• Property Type: Apartments for Rent, Moscow City apartments
• Property Status: For Rent

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