Wama and Odisea team up to build aluminium performance cruising cats

Wama Yachts and Odisea catamarans announced a joint venture January 7 to design and manufacture a new line of high-performance aluminium sailing catamarans. The move stitches together Wama’s production capacity with Odisea’s naval architecture and certified aluminium construction processes, aiming to deliver lightweight, long-range cruisers that emphasize speed and efficiency.

Production will take place at Wama’s Tunisian shipyard, where the companies will blend Wama’s aluminium and GRP vacuum-infusion expertise with Odisea’s aluminium certification and engineering standards. The partners signaled a strong technical ambition, centering the program on foil-assisted hull innovation and performance-driven engineering. That focus points to hull forms that reduce drag and improve lift under sail, translating to better passage-making speeds and fuel efficiency for passages under power.

The announcement named Odisea’s existing platforms - the Odisea 48, Odisea 55 and Odisea 64 - as examples of the architecture the joint venture plans to evolve. Wama will contribute manufacturing throughput and its dealer channels to get the boats into hands and onto broker lists more quickly, while Odisea supplies the naval design and certified aluminium build methodology. For dealers and brokers, that combination could shorten delivery lead times and expand inventory options for clients hunting aluminium multihulls.

For owners and prospective bluewater cruisers, the partnership matters because it may accelerate the market availability of durable, lightweight aluminium cats that are optimised for long-range voyaging. Aluminium construction is often prized for its strength-to-weight ratio, repairability and longevity when properly treated; pairing that with foil-assisted hulls promises a practical performance lift without sacrificing seaworthiness. Sailors planning extended passages should watch how these design choices affect load-carrying, tankage and under-sail motion in real-world trials.

The JV also signals a broader industry trend toward collaboration in aluminium multihull construction. Shared production resources and cross-company engineering can reduce development costs and speed refinement of innovative hull and foil packages. For yards and suppliers, the tie-up may drive demand for aluminium welding, certified fittings and performance appendage work.

Our two cents? If you’re shopping for a bluewater cat, start asking builders about certified aluminium practice, foil lift characteristics and dealer support networks. Go see the production line in Tunisia if you can, compare sea trials on similar-length models, and factor dealer service and parts logistics into your buy decision. This partnership could mean faster access to serious, aluminium-built cruising cats - but verification at sea remains the final arbiter.