Excess 14 Review

In this review, we will tell you how the topRik team got acquainted with the latest model of a sailing catamaran from Group Beneteau - Excess 14. As always - a detailed description of the cat from transom to bowsprit, layout layouts, photos and videos, and, of course, reviews of professional yachtsmen-journalists from the leading media who were the first to see and test the Excess 14. By the way, in the end of the review you will find the answer to the question how to purchase productive, fast and comfortable Excess catamarans at an affordable price.

Excess 14 catamaran model was revealed to the world by Excess Catamarans, part of the Group Beneteau, at an international press conference in 2022. And now, those who want to buy this sailboat, which VPLP marine engineers and designers worked on, are on the waiting list for the second half of 2024.

This newest model in the latest Excess range and its resounding success among yachtsmen has finally established Excess Catamarans as a successful competitor in the double hull cruiser market. For such a young shipyard, this is a great achievement.

But we still remember that many sailors and businessmen in the yachting world met with bewilderment the decision of the Group Beneteau to create practically its own competitor when Excess Catamarans first introduced its first cat. This was because the first Excess somewhat disappointed the yachting world with their similarity to the Lagoon. But the shipyard quickly overcame the costs of growth, which was already evident with the built-from-scratch Excess 11, and especially so with the release of the brilliant Excess 14.

TopRik team is delighted to be able to offer customers a boat with the freedom and lifestyle that only a twin hull can offer. That being said, Excess 14 owners will not lack the thrill and pleasure of sailing as this catamaran has some serious speed and responsiveness.

Features of Excess 14

Excess 14 by TopRik Team

At the 2022 Cannes Yachting festival some lucky representatives of the topRik team saw, felt with their own hands and walked around the sailing catamaran Excess 14 from transom to bowsprit for the first time. That September the shipyard Excess Catamarans was showcasing two double-hull sailboats and the Excess 14 reveal was the world premiere.

From the Transom Ladder to the Cockpit

Even from the pier you can already appreciate many of the features of the new cat. A significant height of the boards is striking, which ensures high stability of the catamaran even at maximum speed and in heavy seas.

On the transom there are powerful enough davits to lift and hold the motor boat. Between the davits below there is a compartment for rescue equipment: rafts, oars, pumps, etc.

Wide transom steps, finished with anti-slip teak, also serve as a bathing platform, but, of course, stationary. You can only raise and lower here a ladder for descending into the water. Pay attention to how conveniently the lower part of the step protrudes - just a foot further from the curvature of the side. This is an additional convenience, if the boat is moored side-to - no need to climb over the side to get on the deck or climb from the yacht to the pier.

At first glance, even from the pier, you can see biminis above the control stations, which are mounted on solid supports - stainless steel pipes. The continuation of the roof of the cabin (or saloon) hanging over the cockpit creates a cozy atmosphere, protecting the cockpit guests from the sun and rain.

An interesting effect: when you look at the Excess 14 from the pier, the catamaran seems like a very small yacht. But when you get on board, just step on the cockpit deck, you forget that the cat is actually small - just over 13 meters. The merit of naval architects and designers is that they used the width of the boat so successfully and provided the crew and passengers with so much space, volume and height. You don’t feel cramped in this spacious cockpit, where more than 10 people can sit on the corner sofa at the table, large sunbed and transom sofa, and this is not counting the skipper at the helm and his assistant at the helm station on the other side.

While several experts were calculating the capacity of the cockpit, which is important for our clients who are in the charter business, the skipper of the topRik team traditionally went to evaluate the helms.

It seems that his disappointed look is connected only with the fact that he cannot find fault with anything in terms of organizing a skipper post.

Even taking photos of control posts from several angles did not help to identify the shortcomings. Adjustable seats, thoughtful arrangement of the helm panel and winches, the presence of baskets where halyards and sheets are dropped - everything is provided here for ease of control. The panel behind the helm contains all navigation equipment, a large chartplotter, as well as sensors that allow you to control the operation of all Excess 14 equipment.

On the port side, the control post differs only in a smaller number of winches. For some reason, our leader could not find a photo of this post from the exhibition, so we used the official one.

But the starboard side is presented in all angles, and one of them is remarkable in that it demonstrates not only the excellent organization of winches and halyards, but also the width of the deck on the starboard side, as well as convenient handrails on the roof. Moving here is free and safe.

And pay attention to the fact that most of the windows from the cockpit to the saloon are not tinted. This is done so that all parts and opposite hulls of the catamaran are visible from both control posts.

But the deck and handrails along the edge of the roof from a different angle. We appreciate these safe movement features in combination with the presence of high lifelines on both sides.

These wide transparent three-piece doors, which move apart and slide in all variations, lead from the cockpit to the saloon. Yes, Beneteau Group’s daughter company could not help but use this technique of superyachts - increasing the total usable area by combining two different areas.

In the Cabin

The photo below clearly demonstrates how wide the opening gets when you make full use of this sliding structure. And by sliding it to the other side, you can serve dishes from the saloon galley to the cockpit or organize a bar counter from the galley table if you want to throw a party on the yacht.

The divided galley amidships occupies the entire width of the common deck. Everything here is perfectly organized for cooking and storing food. There is a gas stove (or electric at the request of the buyer), a microwave oven, an oven and a full set of auxiliary kitchen equipment.

Pay attention to the metal doors of the floor cabinet on the starboard side - these are refrigerators and freezers. By the way, the same freezer door located in the cockpit is perfectly visible from here. The saloon refrigeration equipment can be used for non-perishable products, and the cockpit freezer is regularly replenished with drinks, ice cream and other products that you want to always have on hand.

Once again, we note the attention of Beneteau Group and now Excess Catamarans to the "little things" that speak loudest of all about how manufacturers care about the comfort and safety of the crew and passengers. We are talking about rounding all joints and edges of furniture – can’t go wrong with this move.

In order to view the entire saloon, let's change the viewpoint to see that the room is divided into several zones. You have already seen the kitchen, now it's the turn to evaluate the dining and working area - the chart table.

You can see for yourself how roomy the Excess 14’s saloon is: 10 more people in the saloon can join the diners (or rest) in the cockpit. This is a solid application for a crowded party while staying in the marina with guests from neighboring yachts.

But while the passengers are sunbathing, eating or relaxing, the skipper from time to time needs to sit down at the helm table in the saloon. Here is installed equipment similar to what you have already seen on the helm panel in the cockpit. This is also a photo from the official brochure, adding a little more atmosphere and romance to our report.

The skipper's table is positioned so that he does not get too bored while charting or checking the course. His friends will always support him, sitting next to him and passing something tasty or refreshing.

Despite the fact that the roof of the cabin, for obvious reasons, is devoid of hatches, there is enough natural light and natural ventilation in the cabin. In addition to a huge sliding door, light and air enter here through panoramic windows, in which opening portholes are mounted.

From the saloon it is natural to go down to the cabins located in both hulls of the catamaran.

Comfortable and Spacious

This “comfortable and spacious” is not an advertising phrase, we often caught ourselves reminding each other: you are on a boat less than 14 meters long... We examined the Excess 14 catamaran with 3 cabins. In this version, one hull is traditionally given over to the owner's cabin with a large island double bed, a living area and a bathroom. This is what it looks like from the living room. As you can see, there is enough height, light and air due to portholes and skylights.

There doesn't seem to be enough storage space here, some of the topRik team's experts have already begun to chalk this up as a drawback, but they've been stopped by those who have made it to the bow of the master cabin. The critics quickly hid their notes, as they were convinced that there was more than enough storage space. As you can see, even the largest family or group of friends doesn't have to limit themselves to picking too much of what they need on a cruise.

In the left hull of the 3-cabin version, there are 2 VIP cabins with double island beds and private bathrooms each. All cabins have separate showers.

In addition to this option, the manufacturer offers a 3-cabin convertible version, when two single beds are placed in the bow of the right hull. A normal option for a family with children or if the yacht is steered or served by invited crew.

The 4-cabin option offers 8 berths in two cabins in each hull with private bathrooms.

For charter voyages, you can also use a place in the forepeak and organize a berth for 2 people in the cabin, using a sofa, a bench and lowering the table to the level of the sofa, in total - 11 berths, and there is enough space for everyone on this "small" catamaran.

On the Foredeck

Since we are talking about the forepeak, it's time to take a look at the Excess 14 foredeck. At the exhibition, the manufacturers did not advertise it as a place to rest. Probably, they were afraid that visitors would start checking the elasticity of the nets, which many call a trampoline.

We agreed that the catamaran would certainly be equipped with a sunbathing area in the bow, and when we unfolded the brochure, we realized that we were not mistaken.

Under Sail

We took notice of Pulse Line sailing equipment option, which, unlike the standard one, is a high-performance version. This option features a square top mainsail like the standard version, but when ordered with the Pulse Line mast increases by almost 2 meters, and 12 square meters are added to the sail area on the windward side, as well as an elongated composite spier, to which Code 0 is attached. Since we could not photograph ourselves under sails, we are posting an official photo that demonstrates the installation of Pulse Line.

To increase the sail area, a forward mast and an elongated bowsprit serve. Instead of the self-aligning staysail typical for most yachts of this class, the Excess 14 has a 120% overlap of the genoa to increase the sail area. We have seen in practice that the boom is located low and is accessible from the saloon roof, so to operate the mainsail there is no need to climb the mast ladder to attach a halyard or reach the reef line.

Advantages of Excess 14

As usual, let's start with the disadvantages instead. Our expert, who controlled the storage areas, nevertheless made a point that there are not enough of them for the galley in the saloon.

All the experts responsible for testing the various positions have unanimously agreed that the Excess 14 catamaran has the following advantages:

• high seaworthiness, including speed and performance, which were achieved solely due to the found reserves and optimization of weight, steering and other structures, making the cost of a catamaran quite affordable for those who want to change from a monohull to a cat;
• safety when moving around the boat, as well as on a long cruise with changing weather conditions;
• enough comfort to make autonomous sailing a real pleasure and not a survival experience in extreme conditions;
• ease of handling, in which an experienced skipper can handle the catamaran alone even in adverse weather conditions.

Reviews of Excess 14 from Professionals

Here are reviews of the Excess 14 catamaran from well-known yachtsmen, experts and journalists from the leading online maritime magazines Yachting World and Yacht World and - Rupert Holmes and Zuzana Prochazka respectively. But first let’s give a word to a group of experts from SAIL magazine who test vessels for Best Boat award.

SAIL Magazine Article

SAIL editors reviewed the new Excess 14 cat during the boat's US debut at the Miami International Boat Show. This is the first look at this 14 m double hull sailing yacht from Excess Catamarans, which is part of the Beneteau Group.

SAIL journalists, well known as experienced yachtsmen, identified several features on their first encounter with the Excess 14 to ensure that the yacht harmoniously combines cruising comfort with the pleasure of sailing.

The cooperation of the shipyard with VPLP Design resulted in the creation of completely new contours of the hulls and the exterior as a whole. Innovative asymmetric hulls reduce drag on the water mass, and the higher bridge position significantly reduces the impact force in waves. To improve sailing upwind, the keels have also been redesigned - they have become thinner and reach more depth.

SAIL editors also found significant changes in the steering system. The Excess 14's twin helms sit directly above the rudders, which have also been lowered to greater depths. The yacht is equipped with a Dyneema steering system which allows you to feel the helm to the maximum.

Experts noted that naval architects and engineers paid great attention to reducing the mass of a sailing catamaran. To achieve this, foam was used as bulkhead filler instead of plywood, and the load-bearing bulkheads were further lightened with carbon fiber.

A lighter deckhouse design was made possible by having the mast mounted on the deck rather than on the cabin. It also made it easier to access the mainsail via three steps to the boom.

Reviewers cited Thibaut de Montvalon, Excess Catamarans' director, who stated that the new Excess 14 aims to make up for the lack of sailing catamarans for those monohull owners who don't want to sacrifice the pleasure and feel of sailing for the comfort of a double hull sailboat.

Rupert Holmes Article

Yachtsman and author of Yachting World, at the start of its Excess 14 test report, goes into detail on how Beneteau Group’s developers ensure the high seaworthiness of the new range of catamarans and at the same time offer them at an affordable price.

Rupert Holmes began the review by describing sailing the Excess 14. The boat's speed rose and fell between 7.4 and 8 knots while sailing upwind with a true wind of 12-14 knots. He noted that at the same time the helm is very responsive, and the boat easily maneuvers and quickly responds to changes in the trim of the sail.

Aside from the lack of roll, this kind of sailing experience and true cruising speeds are more to be expected from a 50-foot (15.2 m) single hull cruiser. This is despite the fact that the Excess 14 is a very spacious platform 26 feet (8 m) wide, and it was not produced by a highly specialized manufacturer of single expensive powerful yacht structures, but by the world's largest shipbuilder for all kinds of of yachtsmen.

Rupert cited shipyards such as Outremer and Marsaudon Composites as examples, that produce really great catamarans. But their boats are difficult to handle, and high-tech designs and low production volumes mean high prices.

Further, the author understands why Beneteau Group and her new shipyard Excess Catamarans has the ability to provide yachtsmen with stock boats with good performance and performance at an affordable price.

First of all, the invited VPLP office, which usually deals with racing boats, analyzed the possibilities of reducing the weight of each element of the catamaran structure.

As a result, carbon reinforcement was applied to bulkheads made of sandwich panels filled with PET foam, which are subject to high loads. Low-density balsa filler has been used in those parts of the structure where loads are less high, such as the hull plating. The hull sections are reinforced with resin, water will not be able to penetrate there in case of local damage.

At the same time, the structure is monolithic in the area where the engines and keels are located, and the deck is a sandwich made of foamed polyethylene terephthalate.

Design proposals for furnishing were also based on careful weight analysis. Thanks to this, it was possible, for example, to reduce the weight of the galley by a quarter without the use of expensive foam fillers.

As a result of this optimization, the displacement of the Excess 14 is 12.8 tons, while for other boats of the same size and purpose, this figure reaches 14-15 tons. This is just one of the factors that the developers have used to significantly improve the sailing performance of the sailboat.

Renowned naval architect Vincent Lauriot Prevost worked on optimizing the hydrodynamics of the keel. As a result of the introduction of thin keels, lowered to a great depth, we get an increase in draft by 10 cm, but also 15% increased overall efficiency of the catamaran.

At the sailors' forum dedicated to Excess boats, the developers found out that yachtsmen are ready to accept a yacht with an increased draft of up to 1.48 m versus 1.2 m. The latter indicator is the standard for shallow water anchorages in the Bahamas.

The increase in draft made it possible to halve the length of the chord, and thin keels reduced the resistance of the water mass to the movement of the cat and improved steering response. The helms also dropped by 20 cm.

The asymmetry of the Excess 14’s hulls is characterized by a large external volume and curvature. This innovation reduces the impact force and wave resistance between the two hulls.

Zuzana Prochazka Article

The yachtsman and freelance journalist detailed her experience with the Excess 14 catamaran, which she tested in Biscayne Bay off Miami in late March 2023.

The reviewer recalled how in 2018 the Excess line of sailing catamarans was first presented at the Cannes Yachting Festival in France, and what bewilderment this caused among fans of Beneteau Shipyard’s catamarans. It seemed a strange decision, since the Excess cats were different from the Lagoons, but not enough to justify the creation of an entirely new line.

But after the release of the 11th model, these perplexities dissipated. And, in the words of Zuzana, chic Excess 14 confirmed that the brand has finally established its identity, as the latest yacht at the moment is the embodiment of the unique Excess' DNA.

The reviewer specifically noted that the twin helms located in the stern of each hull have direct, rather than hydraulic, control of the rudders. As an experienced yachtsman, Zuzana immediately appreciated the feeling of fast and responsive steering through these helms, which evokes the analogy of steering a monohull yacht. The shipyard’s goal here was to satisfy its customers, 85% of whom switched to their first cat from single-hull sailboats.

Video Reviews of Excess 14

There’s nothing better to making a final decision than to actually see the boat with your own eyes. The next best thing to that is checking out these videos, that we have found online.

First, we get short and sweet teaser from Multihulls World – sea footage, actually useful commentary and no time waste:

Next, Sail Tahiti provides us with wide-view interior walkthrough:

Let’s say that you actually have quite some time and want to know everything about the Excess 14. Here’s 26-minute review for you then:

And if you don’t want to listen and just want to watch, check out this no-commentary walkaround interior tour:

Conclusion

The productive and comfortable Excess 14 will surely be in demand by various members of the maritime community. And it’s not just some random prophecy: those wishing to buy the Excess 14 catamaran are already on the waiting list for the end of 2024. This is no coincidence, since the advantages of this cat allow it to be used successfully:

• for family cruises, which will be safe even for children;
• for long autonomous navigation with friends;
• lovers of speed under sail in conditions of comfort and ease of management;
• romantics, who love sea solo trips;
• for organizing charter voyages or for renting the yacht out.

Price calculator

Where to Buy Excess 14 at a Bargain Price

You don't have to ask this question anymore, because you have already found a place where you can buy Excess 14 at a bargain price.

TopRik marketplace provides all the services for the purchase of any motor or sailing yacht, which includes:

• free consultation;
• negotiations with the manufacturer or dealer;
• paperwork;
• transfer of the boat to the agreed location;
• equipping the yacht with equipment and accessories that are not included in the standard or options;
• if necessary and desired - training at our school SimpleSail to obtain an international skipper certificate.

All you need to do is contact our experts through the website or use the specified phone number above to give them a call.