Leopard's new flagship, the 52, goes hybrid electric

Leopard Catamarans' new 52 flagship now offers a factory hybrid electric drivetrain, developed with French systems specialist JOOOL; it made its Australian and New Zealand market debut at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May, and now arrives at Manly Harbour in Brisbane on Saturday, 19 September 2026, for the official local delivery and first public showcase of an Australian-bound hull.

The 52 replaces the Leopard 50 as the largest sailing cat in the range and has picked up wins at both the 2026 Yacht Style Awards and the 2026 Multihull of the Year awards this year. The JOOOL system was first introduced on the smaller Leopard 46, and the same architecture is now optionally available on the 52. Boats built with it run alongside the standard twin 57 or 80hp Yanmar diesels on the order sheet.

Inside the system

The package pairs two 25kW electric drives with two 27kWh lithium battery banks, giving 54kWh of onboard storage, each with integrated fire suppression. A 24kW genset supports the battery system when required, and independent sea trials report it starts automatically once charge drops to around 40 per cent. The system also regenerates power hydro-dynamically once boat speed is high enough under sail. Everything is monitored from touchscreens at both the helm and the nav station.

A roof platform carries up to 1,600W of flush-mounted solar, connected to the onboard battery bank to help offset generator use rather than replace it outright.

The rig hasn't been forgotten

None of the electrical work has come at the expense of sailing performance. Naval architects Simonis Voogd gave the 52 a taller mast, longer boom and overlapping genoa, adding 17 per cent more upwind sail area over the 50. "The new Leopard 52 belongs to a new generation of catamarans that achieve better stability and comfort while offering a larger rig and more sail power," said Alexander Simonis of Simonis Voogd Design. "Owners can expect less motoring and more pure sailing pleasure." An optional square-top mainsail and Code 0 in Ulman's Aramid fabric are available for owners who want to push further.

On the water here

The 52 is built in layouts from a three-cabin liveaboard configuration through to a six-cabin charter setup.

The The Moorings (Leopard's sister charter company) has already adopted the five-cabin layout into its global fleet under the name Moorings 5200. They are actively deploying these models to premium holiday hubs across the Caribbean (BVI, St. Lucia, Grenada), the Mediterranean (Athens), and Tahiti.

The physical hull landing in Manly Harbour this month is the first dedicated unit for this side of the world. Any future New Zealand-bound hulls will either be delivered later in the 2026/2027 production schedule or sailed across the Tasman by their respective private owners after handover.