HH50 SC 2023 Review

Hudson Yacht Group is a production catamaran specialist with a large, modern yard in Xiamen, south-eastern China. It launched in 2012, partnering with well-known NZ builder Paul Hakes to initially produce a range of grand prix monohulls.

The business diversified, forming a partnership with French performance catamaran brand Gunboat to build some of its larger bluewater cruising models.

After that partnership ended, Hudson Yachts engaged the ubiquitous Morrelli and Melvin design house to launch its own fast cruising cat brand, HH Catamarans. The HH Catamarans range now has eight models from the 15.3-metre HH44 to the flagship 26.8-metre HH88.

One of the latest HH models to arrive in Australia is the HH50, a 15.8-metre multihull available in OC (single-helm fibreglass and carbonfibre ocean cruising) and SC (dual-helm carbonfibre sports cruising) configurations.

The HH50's musclebound hull features the aesthetics of reverse bows with fine entries and tall curved topsides, cleverly offset by elongated windows and positive shear.

Production of the HH50 will soon move from Xiamen to a new purpose-built facility at Cebu in the Philippines.

Our review boat is hull number six of the fully carbonfibre HH50 SC, costing around $US1.55 million ($A2.43 million) delivered.

Australian HH Catamarans dealership The Multihull Company delivered this boat to its Queensland owner earlier this year, leaving Gary, our test boat's owner and a seasoned northern Queensland cat sailor, highly impressed after upgrading from a Crowther 60.

The Multihull Company director Brent Vaughan says he has a number of orders for more HH50s.

The HH50 can come as an "Ocean Cruising" model featuring a fibreglass hull with mini-keels, or as a full carbonfibre “Sports Cruising” model with two aft helms, or a forward helm inside with tillers with bucket seats outside to enhance helm feel and race starts.

Accommodation is either three or four cabins with the port hull on the HH50 dedicated to the owner's suite.

The slickness in these large contemporary cats comes from intelligent technology such as powerful electric winches for all running rigging, load cells to manage the stresses and even a drop-down bow thruster to help the HH50 shuffle in and out of tight spots.

Hybrid engines featuring an electric drive paired with a Beta diesel engine are also an option.

Other impressive specifications include deep 5.0-metre curved daggerboards for maximum upwind capability, a carbon mast, and high-aspect rudders for maximum control.

The HH50's carbonfibre hull is pre-impregnated with epoxy over a composite foam sandwich construction that is post-cured in an oven for maximum strength and stiffness.

The high-aspect spade rudders are carbonfibre, including the shafts, and connected to the twin steering wheels via Jefa linkages and gearboxes to give a direct feel. Stocks for the emergency rudder system are built into the swim platforms that extend from each hull.

The curved carbonfibre daggerboards are cleverly built into the outer side of the hull to maximise interior space and operate via an electric winch and line back to each helm.

Rigging is based around a fixed, deck-stepped Marstrom tapered carbonfibre spar supported by Future Fibres ECthree carbon stays, and uses a Selden alloy boom. The stays have load cells on their bases that report stresses back to the helms.

Engine hatches behind each helm open to twin 45hp Beta Marine saildrives, and also provide easy access to the steering linkages and electrics.

A small 5.0kVA generator is in a vented foredeck compartment, and the HH50 is equipped with 1500 watts of solar panels on the coachroof.

The HH50 uses a CZone system to manage most of the catamaran's electrics and balance the demand between modes ranging from cruising to anchor and an almost complete shut-down while laid up at the marina.

The CZone system is designed to make fault-finding easy and includes manual overrides should it be needed. 

Renewable power is via 1500 watts of solar panels on the coachroof and there's also a 5KVa generator, to run the washer/drawer in the owner's hull and the aircon.

The aft cockpits of catamarans are a big selling point for cruising sailors, and the HH50 doesn't disappoint.

A sun bed on the starboard side has thick cushioning for comfortable seating or allows two to recline. Bimini skylights above let the rays in or block them when not needed.

Opposite is an alfresco dinette with a table for six.

A feature of the HH50 is the dual access to the helm stations. Both can be accessed via the cockpit or the side decks.

The symmetrical helm controls are easy to operate, with essential items such as digital shift and throttle controls and B&G Zeus chartplotters replicated on each.

All lines are controlled using Lewmar 65/55 electric winches with foot controls at each helm and locked on each side using banks of Spinlock jammers.

Sturdy carbon davits that extend over the transom hold an inflatable dinghy.

The HH50's interior is a pleasant blend of traditional dark walnut finish mixed with a contemporary open-plan layout that provides plenty of entertainment space when combined with the aft cockpit.

A U-shaped galley is aft on starboard with the navigation station diagonally opposite and forward on port. The galley has a generous workspace with fiddles to stop items placed on it sliding off if the large wake of a passing motor yacht upsets the calm, and plenty of under-bench storage.

The extensive equipment list includes four Vitrifrigo drawer fridge/freezers, a Miele electric three-burner electric hob, and a deep sink. A Spectra 400C watermaker helps with extending offshore cruising ability.

Large skylights flood the space with natural light while vertical bulkheads to each side use gently sloping forward-facing windows to maximise shade without compromising the great views.

A forward-facing window hatch opens to provide natural airflow. A dinette is opposite the aft galley, with another lounge bench forward.

Our review boat is the owner's version, featuring the owner's suite to port and two guest cabins in the starboard hull, with below decks accommodations accessed via stairs on each side of the saloon.

Again, the clean design philosophy has dictated a fuss-free finish throughout with wipe-down surfaces.

The owner's layout has a crawl-in queen bed aft with a bathroom forward and a lounge/study in between, with bench seating beside worktops.

The ensuite bathroom includes a large shower cubicle with a huge shower head that will keep the watermaker busy.

Other good points throughout this suite include large aft windows – perhaps even too large, given it's near the swim platform on each hull – and portlights with skylights providing natural airflow that helps with tropical cruising.

The starboard hull uses a grand entry comprising a central two-way cascading stairwell that faces a bulkhead containing twin heads with a single shower.

The forward cabin's three-quarter single bed benefits from the large hull volume to avoid stuffiness, while the aft cabin matches the owner's suite with a queen bed.

An escape hatch, essential in all large sailing cats and a CE certification requirement, is fitted to each hull should the HH50 ever invert.

After a day of sailing the HH50, I can clearly see the attraction.

The challenge I've found on boats like the HH50 is blending raw power with a sailable package that won't scare the living daylights out of owners and their families.

A drop-down bow thruster and the digital shift and throttle controls linked to the Beta saildrives made our departure from Sanctuary Cove drama-free.

Beyond the Coomera River estuary, the wind picked up, although it was hardly noticeable behind the wide perspex window of the bimini that also nicely shaded the B&G instruments.

Our best cruising speed from the turbocharged Beta engines and three-blade folding props was 8.0 knots at 2200rpm. HH Catamarans claims the 40hp engines have a range of around 540 nautical miles at 7.0 knots.

Heading out to sea into a 1.8-metre southerly swell, we prepared to hoist the mainsail. The hoist was easy as all halyards led back from the mast directly over the saloon to minimise friction, then to both helms.

This boat is optimised for two-handed use so the halyard is a one-person job using the electric Lewmar 65 and guided by lazy jacks.

Motor sailing seaward once clear of the breaking shoal water at the seaway, the HH50 was turned into a 15-knot southerly to unfurl the genoa into a beam reach; again a smooth operation. 

The carbonfibre steering wheel needs only a light touch, and feedback from the spade rudders is instantaneous.

Lumpy windward conditions don't suit catamarans, even tricked-up ones, so the HH50 did well to keep some momentum between each large set hitting the tall nacelle.

The B&G instruments showed 8.5 knots SOG hard on the wind at 34 degrees apparent wind, in a fading 12.2 knot breeze – impressive given the conditions with the self-tacking jib.

This setup also made tacking easy, with only an easing of the mainsheet required to turn across the wind.

Each helm has all controls so there is no need to swap sides on a tack, but crossing sides could be made easier with an inboard step or a clear way across the transom to the other cockpit.

The only other job is those large daggerboards that need to be raised or lowered for each tack, via a button on each binnacle.

The fading breeze put an end to the windward leg of the test, so the helm was put down and the mainsheet eased before the gennaker was hoisted and unfurled. Its clew came all the way back to the stern.

In 9.9 knots of true wind, the HH50 logged an impressive 8.0 knots of boat speed at 131 degrees, very close to its polar chart figures.

The HH50 is not a sailing catamaran for novices. However, for the experienced performance cruising sailor who wants to cover big miles, the HH50's level of engineering and balance are superb.

But numbers aren't the only thing about this high-end multihull. The HH50 is also embued with an elegant design and a sophisticated fit and finish that enhances its extended cruising abilities.

For those who can handle it, those attributes make the HH50 the ideal bluewater cruising platform.

Priced from: $US1,400,000

Price as tested: $US1,500,000

Supplied by: The Multihull Company