They really did build a better Mousetrap!!!

Not only is the magnificent and luxurious VPLP-designed 110-footer of the same name the largest all-carbon cat ever launched, but now she is available for sale through Fraser Yachts at less than half replacement cost and without the 3+ year build time!

Very occasionally one comes across a stand-out yacht that’s genuinely capable of offering a unique experience of life afloat. Mousetrap, a world-girdling 34m (110ft) VPLP design, is one of these and at 12 years old is still the largest all carbon cruising catamaran ever built. And she’s now for sale via Fraser Yachts’ Fort Lauderdale office.

It is, of course, well known that catamarans make fantastic spacious, fast cruising yachts that offer large level living spaces and associated benefits that can’t be found even on larger monohulls. This knowledge extends to many of the world’s most successful professional sailors, including Knut Frostad and Mike Golding, who chose catamarans for long distance cruising with their families.

It's therefore a surprise that cats – and especially performance cruising designs – are so rarely found in the superyacht world. Yet Mousetrap continues to offer levels of comfort, space, speed and stability that still remain unusual, even among superyachts.

In particular, an overall beam of 14m (46ft) sets this vessel apart from all except mega-yachts of more than 65m in length and gives scope for unparalleled accommodation, with multiple wide open sociable spaces. At the same time, she is capable of delivering 400-mile days when on passage.

Yet this is not a flighty, no-holds-barred, all-out speed machine. Instead, Mousetrap was conceived as a safe and stable platform for owner Daniel Borel, co-founder of Swiss technology giant Logitech, to explore the world with three generations of his family in comfort, in style and at pace. She has fulfilled that role with aplomb and in so doing has given his three children and seven grandchildren experiences that would never have been possible with any other style of yacht.

Mousetrap is a VPLP designed carbon fibre performance world cruiser available immediately in ready to go condition

Despite the impressive accommodation volumes, the lifting daggerboards that help enhance performance under sail mean minimum draught is only 2.4m (7ft 10in), opening up a wide variety of harbours and anchorages that are normally off limits for superyachts.

The initial brief for naval architects VPLP was for a pure performance cruising yacht with massive stability and the use of carbon to create an extremely stiff structure, without unnecessary weight. At the same time, the vision from the outset was for the boat to be able to cover as much ground as possible under sail, so good sailing performance in all conditions was a critical design criterion. It was also imperative for the boat to be easily managed, including the use of spinnakers when cruising with family on board.

Construction was by JFA in south Brittany, a boutique yard well known for specialist lightweight cruising vessels. Since her launch Mousetrap has proven a perfect vessel in which to cruise the entire globe, including an eight-year period in the Pacific, as well as notable visits to high-latitude destinations.

‘I’m absolutely amazed by her stability, there's no need for lee cloths and no uncomfortable heeling motion like a monohull. It's really phenomenal,’ says Georges Bourgoinie of Fraser Yachts, who sailed 1,200 miles on board earlier this year, including a passage from Antigua and the Cayman Islands, and is handling the sale of Mousetrap.

Mousetrap’s 14m beam sets her apart from all vessels except megayachts

‘In 25kts of true breeze we were reaching along at 18-20kts on a day when we covered almost 400 miles,’ he adds. ‘I was sitting down, with my laptop and a cafe latte on the coffee table, talking to my wife via Starlink. Everything was stable and quiet with no creaking or groaning – the boat is very well built and engineered. There was none of the shaking and unpredictable motion a lot of people associate with cats – it was predictable and very, very subtle. I was really impressed with that.

This experience is firmly backed up by Mousetrap’s captain, Bernard Labro, a double America’s Cup winner: ‘On Mousetrap you’re always relaxed and on a platform which is secure,’ he says. ‘Ninety per cent of the time you are sailing flat – it’s a comfort that you don’t realise is possible until you try it.’

The deck layout is arranged for efficient fast cruising, including a very open foredeck where three asymmetric spinnakers and code sails, including one of 800 square metres, are stowed on a carbon fibre cradle that sits on the trampoline. This makes the spinnakers easy to deploy and recover, with the result they are used liberally according to Bourgoinie: ‘The boat's always sailing, and not motoring, unless there's absolutely no wind.’

Everything can be handled with only four crew on deck, two forward and two on the flybridge. This has four large Harken winches amidships just aft of the mast, so all lines can be handled at this level, while there are also sheet winches outboard for headsails and spinnakers. The fully battened square top mainsail has a slab reefing and a Park Avenue boom into which the sail flakes itself neatly, while both headstays are on hydraulic furlers. The Southern Spars mast, which has EC6 carbon standing rigging, dates from 2016 and is well-proven as a robust and very reliable setup.

Her downwind setup is so easy to handle that spinnakers are flown routinely on passage with only four crew needed to deploy and recover them

Mousetrap also benefits from an extensive, no expense spared 2022-23 refit carried out in France, which brought her back to the condition of a new yacht. Thanks to her very knowledgeable crew and a significant capital investment, the refit covered every system including new machinery, new sails, servicing of mast and rigging, new teak decks, paint and overall refinishing. She is therefore presented in a ready to go condition, with no work outstanding and even her crew paid until the end of 2024. That creates a totally different proposition for prospective owners to the several years needed to design, build and debug a new fully custom project of similar size.

Another important criteria at the design stage was for the entire main deck to be on a single level, creating superb living areas without any steps, while the wide beam makes for enormous volumes. This is further enhanced by the carbon arch that supports the mast base, which means there are no visually intrusive central posts or bulkheads, resulting in airy uninterrupted interior spaces that have unsurpassed 180 degree ocean views.

One of her best features is the flybridge with separate spaces for guests and crew operations

The main saloon is divided in four sections while retaining a flexible open plan design for relaxation, dining, and working. In addition to an office area, there’s a large central bar, generous lounging zone with a wraparound sofa, plus a formal dining space. The interior saloon seamlessly extends to the foredeck via a watertight, class approved door. The foredeck has a six-person jacuzzi, further lounging areas and a concealed ladder for easy water access, creating an ideal space to unwind.

A massive aft deck also spans the entire beam and provides ample sun bathing areas aft, along with a generous sheltered dining and lounging space that seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor living. From here you can see all the way forward, through the front windows of the saloon and to the foredeck. Outdoor areas that cannot be air conditioned are equipped with a misting system to keep guests cool. The interior also benefits from optimised natural and forced air ventilation.

The owner’s suite is aft in the main hull, with two VIP cabins forward of that, plus a fourth in the starboard hull. Midships and aft in the starboard hull is comfortable crew accommodation for six, and the galley.

Mousetrap has a wide range of watersports toys and two top-notch tenders. These include a 5m carbon crew RIB, while main tender is a custom 6.3m Xtender, with a capacity for 12 people and a Z-drive unit capable of powering the boat at 45kts. It’s also equipped with four shock mitigation seats, plus a boarding ladder and wakeboarding pole.

All lines are controlled from the flybridge

Overall, she is a one-of-a-kind vessel, with a unique blend of the comfort and liveability of a catamaran, combined with the poise and power of a thoroughbred sailing yacht, plus unsurpassed levels of stability and safety. The vision and determination of her owner means she offers a lifestyle others cannot experience.

The recent refit means Mousetrap is ready to go anywhere in the world, with no work outstanding, while Bureau Veritas class compliance was recertified in 2023. Although she has only been used privately to date, Mousetrap could enter the charter market, where Bourgoinie says she has every chance of considerable success.

Mousetrap is available immediately at a price that’s less than half that of an equivalent new build yacht and without the three or four year wait a custom project typically entails.

At the time of writing she was in Bodø, Norway, heading south via the UK and Ireland in preparation for spending the autumn in the Mediterranean.

Click here for more information on Mousetrap at Fraser Yachts »