Bluegame BGM75 first look: Hybrid powercat could be a real game changer

Italian adventure yacht builder Bluegame is developing a radical new hybrid-engined powercat called the Bluegame BGM75 that it says will combine the space and efficiency of a multihull with the style and seakeeping of a monohull.

The BGM75 features exterior styling from Zuccon International

Due to be launched at the 2023 Cannes boat show, the all-new Bluegame BGM75 measures 74ft 4in long but sports a relatively narrow beam (for a powercat) of 26ft 7in. It claims this will allow it to offer the same volume and performance as a semi-displacement 90ft monohull while using smaller, more efficient engines.

The slimmer proportions should also deliver a more sea-kindly motion than a typical wide beam motor catamaran, which can have a rather jerky motion in beam seas, as well as a less boxy profile and lower berthing costs.

The BGM75’s ultra-efficient hull has been developed by London-based French naval architect Philippe Briand, who says it will use around 50% less fuel than a comparable volume monohull.

Powered by relatively modest twin Volvo Penta 600hp IPS800s, the semi-displacement hulls should deliver a top speed of around 21 knots with a sustained fast cruise of 18 knots.

Bluegame is also claiming it will be one of the first boats fitted with Volvo’s new hybrid diesel electric powertrain, allowing it to cover short distances on battery power alone.

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Photo: Maurizio Baldi

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Volvo is known to be working on off-the-shelf hybrid packages for its smaller D4 and D6 engines but this is the first we’ve heard of it developing hybrid versions of its larger D8-based IPS engines.

A vacuum-infused carbon fibre reinforced hull and deck helps keep the dry weight down to around 48 tonnes, further improving efficiency and restricting the draught to 4ft 7in.

In another significant nod to sustainability, Bluegame is planning to use recyclable basalt-fibre composites rather than the usual glass fibre matting, although it’s not clear whether this and the hybrid engine will be available from launch or introduced at a later date.

The exterior styling of the Bluegame BGM75 comes from Bernardo Zuccon and features Bluegame’s trademark reverse-angle windscreen. Key to the design is a huge aft beach club with fold-down quarter cheeks, a tender garage capable of carrying a 4m RIB, and a big hydraulic platform.

Folding aft terraces expand the new powercat’s vast beach club

Further outside real estate includes wide side decks, a big foredeck terrace and a hard-top-covered flybridge that tapers towards a central walkaround helm station. That hard top also incorporates solar panels, delivering up to 5kW of power to help run onboard electrics.

Vertical side windows and those distinctive reverse-angled windscreens make the most of the views from the open-plan main deck but unusually, the renderings don’t appear to show a lower helm station, suggesting it may be an option rather than a standard feature.

Nor has Bluegame revealed the exact layout below decks but like the new Prestige M48, it appears to have a deeper than usual deck linking both hulls so the cabins can spread across the full width of the boat rather than being confined to the hulls.

The renderings show a spectacular full-beam forward owner’s cabin, albeit with the ensuite occupying one side behind sliding glass doors, as well as one of several guest cabins with a bed mounted on a raised plinth in the half deck between the hulls.

The first Bluegame BGM75 powercat is being made at brand parent Sanlorenzo’s Ameglia facility near La Spezia.

“There seems to be a trend for builders of planing monohull craft to start producing powercats,” comments MBY editor Hugo Andreae. “Prestige threw its hat in the multi-hull ring earlier this year, now Bluegame has joined the ranks too. How long before we see one of the big three Brits having a crack at it?”

Bluegame BGM75 specifications

LOA: 74ft 4in / 22.7m
Beam: 26ft 7in / 8.15m
Draft: 4ft 7in / 1.45m
Displacement (dry): 48 tonnes / 105,822lbs
Engines: Twin Volvo IPS700 or IPS800
Top speed: 21 knots
Cruising speed: 15-18 knots
Fuel capacity: 5,000L / 1,320 US Gal
Water capacity: 1,000L / 264 US Gal
Design: Philippe Briand / Luca Santella / Bernardo Zuccon
Starting price: €5,600,000 (ex. VAT)