Drawn by Simonis Voogd and built by Robertson & Caine in South Africa, every Leopard cat gets put through its paces in the Southern Ocean before sailing on its own bottom from Cape Town to its new home, so you can be certain it is ready for bluewater sailing.

A charter favourite, the Leopard 45 has mirror-image dining inside and in the cockpit. Sliding windows and a foldaway door connect the two, and a long skylight runs nearly the whole length of the saloon.

Styling is in neutral tones, and there is the choice of three or four good-sized double cabins, plus a very cosy crew berth in the forepeak. This new version of the Leopard 45 has an extra window in the hull amidships, and upgraded cabinetry.

A well-designed bulkhead helm station keeps the skipper in touch with what’s going on in the cockpit and on that generous new flybridge, which runs to seating, sunpads and a low table. All the control lines are within easy reach, and ropes tidy nicely in a bin at your feet.

Genoa sheeting angles should be reasonable, while the option of a square-top main also helps upwind performance.

Specification

LOA: 13.72m (45ft 0in)
Beam: 7.36m (24ft 2in)
Draught: 1.50m (4ft 11in)
Displacement: 14,900kg (32,849lb)
Price: €488,000 (ex. VAT)