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You would expect, walking onto a 46.5-metre catamaran packing a 17-metre beam, for the master cabin to be a vast, sweeping space, occupying the forward third of the main deck, with hand-knotted silk carpet for days and a bathroom you could dance around. Not so ArtExplorer. The world’s largest sailing catamaran’s premier suite is modest; largesse was left at the dock. Every spare cubic centimetre has been dedicated to a vast, sweeping main saloon instead, which doubles as the world’s coolest exhibition space. 

I first learned of this superyacht-cum-gallery project a few years ago. Its owner, Frédéric Jousset, earnestly told me he wanted to redefine the cultural experience for communities all over the globe. It was quite a pitch, but one he’s followed through on with aplomb. At its recent "reveal" during the Biennale in Venice, ArtExplorer welcomed 2,000 people a day onto the boat to experience a digital exhibition. "I don’t see myself as a yacht owner, more of a museum director," Jousset tells Lucy Dunn in our feature on page 80. Over the course of its life, hundreds and thousands of people will get to experience ArtExplorer – and none will ever have to pay for a ticket. 

To achieve his goal, Jousset knew his boat had to be a multihull. More and more people are waking up to the benefits of the catamaran. At the last count in our Global Order Book, some 72 catamarans larger than 24 metres were in build around the world, up from 49 just a year before. We take a deep dive into this burgeoning sector of the market on page 96. As for ArtExplorer, she’ll be coming to a port near you soon.

Stewart Campbell
Editor-in-chief

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