Configurable as required, the Iliad 53 F can, for example, be equipped with a power supply system backed up by solar panels and a 24-volt lithium battery pack.
Built on a semi-displacement hull, the powercat is offered as standard with two 440 HP Volvo engines or two Yanmar engines. These engines enable the Powercat to reach speeds of up to 24 mph (21 knots) and, when cruising, a range of up to 3,000 nautical miles! The shipyard also offers a more powerful version with two 550 HP Cummins QSB 6.7 L engines, and it's in this configuration that we tried it out.
A cruising speed that takes you a long way
Once you're at the helm, the first thing you notice is how smooth the whole thing is. The catamaran accelerates smoothly, without excessive noise or vibration. In fact, whether at the interior helm station or on the flybridge, you'll find yourself far from the engine rooms. However, you can also stay in the cockpit without too much discomfort.
With Cummins, cruising speed is around 16 mph (17 knots) at 2,700 rpm, with a top speed of 25 mph (22 knots) reached at 3,400 rpm. While the Cummins engine doesn't provide much more speed than other, more modest engines, it does offer a fair amount of torque, which is always useful, especially when the catamaran has an unladen weight of 25.5 tonnes.
To finish with the technical side of things, it's time to go down to the engine rooms, which are very clean and well-organized. Here you'll find an Onan generator, the entire solar panel management system and a Parker watermaker - in short, everything you need for a long crossing.
