JFA Yachts 34m Mousetrap

JFA Yachts Mousetrap Catamaran is a Big, Beautiful Beast

Inspecting this 33.5-meter carbon fiber catamaran closely, one might come away with the impression that there are but a few seasons under its belt. Everything looks top of industry, contemporary, and fresh. The JFA yacht known as Mousetrap, by most acclaimed to be the largest carbon fiber catamaran ever built, looks to be but a few years old. It may be rather surprising to find she is a proven, experienced, performance cruiser with a birthday reaching back more than a decade, defying her age against all measure.

According to Mousetrap’s designer, Marc Van Peteghem, “The yacht must go fast, but also be manageable for crew,” noting that the width and the weight of the yacht provide the counterbalance for the sails. Founder of VPLP Design, Van Peteghem’s firm basks in the glow of many successful large builds. In addition to the design of Mousetrap in 2012, VPLP also designed the 42-meter aluminum supersailer catamaran Douce France, built in 1998 by Chantier Naval Alumnarine.

Mousetrap is fast, cutting through waves with inverted bow shapes on the hulls. She is powerful, with a sail plan inspired by racing trimarans, owning 475 square meters of sail upwind and 1,155 square meters downwind. Additionally, she carries a gennaker measuring 765 square meters for challenging weather conditions.

One of the best performing, proven, long range sailing catamarans in the world, Mousetrap is known to devour the miles without breaking a sweat. The yacht is said to exude an effortless, weightless elegance, while delivering comfort, safety, stability, and performance. Her secret lies not just in her thoughtful design and execution, but in the important refit work that keeps her cruising the globe in high style.

Georges Bourgoignie, sales broker at Fraser Yachts, shared his personal experience: “Mousetrap has given me the experience of offshore cruising on a large and powerful catamaran, and it is such a different feeling and experience than on similarly sized monohulls. JFA did a superb job delivering the VPLP perfected design. The strong, rigid structure has excellent wave clearance, and she has an enormous stem-to-stern unobstructed interior plan owing to her ring frame mast support. Mousetrap feels extremely sound and secure, regardless of the conditions. A remarkable yacht and superb value, available to cruise worldwide immediately without the many years of build time—while also leaving a significant balance in the account over the cost of a new project!”

The Refresh

This extraordinary sailing yacht, claiming the title as the world’s largest carbon fiber cruising catamaran, was built in 2012. Mousetrap, possibly a clever play on words regarding the owner’s business ownership focused on keyboards and computer mice, had been cruising the Pacific for nearly a decade with friends and family before ducking into the shed recently to have a little work done.

Mousetrap arrived in October of 2020 at New Zealand’s Whangarei Harbor, headed for maintenance, a full paint job, and new teak decks at Oceana Marine Refit Services, her second trip that year. Her 2021-2023 refit embraced new machinery, new sails, new teak decking, new paint, and an overall refinish of surfaces. Her Southern Spars mast, newly installed in 2016, was fully serviced in 2022. Her EC6 carbon rigging, also new in 2016, was recertified in 2023. Mousetrap Captain Bernard Labro, America’s Cup winner in both 2003 and 2007, notes, “Mousetrap is ready to go sailing across the Atlantic tomorrow if I need to.”

Mousetrap By the Numbers

Designed by French firm VPLP Design, founders Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prévost, Mousetrap’s hull was laid up by CDK Technologies of Lorient, France, and assembled and finished by JFA Yachts of Concarneau, France. Interior design was handled by Swiss firm Cittolin Polli & Associés.

Mousetrap’s hull measures 33.5 meters, 33 meters at the waterline, with a 14.05-meter beam. She carries a 2.1-meter draft and a 45.5-meter air draft, posting 120 tons displacement. Her carbon fiber mast, stepped aft of center, is placed on a large carbon arc. The design eliminates the need for posts and bulkheads throughout the salon while delivering a 180-degree view. The flybridge, also shifted aft, optimizes deck space in the main salon and bows.

Powered by two 355 Hp Cummins engines with two 50 kW gensets, both newly installed in January of 2022, Mousetrap’s top speed is 12 knots with a cruise speed of 10 knots. She has hydraulic winches and retractable daggerboards. Mousetrap accommodates eight passengers in four cabins served by six crew.

Mousetrap is outfitted with the latest PLC network, high speed Starlink internet 5G connectivity, state-of-the-art audiovisual systems, Force Feedback Steering, and innovative load sensor technology, to afford captain, crew, and guests every advantage. She was then nicely wrapped with a 2023 Bureau Veritas class compliance recertification. Mousetrap, it was noted by her captain, is at the top of her game.