One could argue that comparing the Lagoon 620 to the Sunreef 50 is like comparing David vs. Goliath, in the sense that the L620 was for a long time the flagship of the Lagoon shipyard and the Sunreef 50 is the smallest in the range of flybridge catamarans produced by the Polish shipyard Sunreef Yachts.

Sunreef Yachts are in fact the birthplace of the flybridge catamarans in series-production made catamarans and much of the success the Lagoon shipyard has reaped over the last 15 years is owed to the introduction by its Polish colleagues. However, there is where the similarities end in comparing the two yards and where the similarities start when comparing the two models at hand. It’s well known that the appeal and success of the Sunreef catamarans are because they offer semi-custom options, something not common among the other shipyards, except the flagships range. One of these being the Lagoon 620. When the L620 was first introduced in the market in 2009 it was introduced a series production yacht and little “customization” was offered to the market. However, that quickly changed and the introduction of the SENSE styling came to play a huge role in maintaining its strong dominance on the market for close to 12 years in production. In among the circa hundred L620 produced until its end in 2019/20, there are several uniquely styled and specified L620 owned privately and offered in the charter. 

The launch of the 620 put into concrete form the Vendée-Aquitaine based builder’s desire to keep up with the competition (which had for some time had an eye on the development of big, 60 – 70-foot multihulls) and to accompany a clientele with a lot of purchasing power in its escape projects. Lagoon didn’t enter the 80 to 150-foot multi yacht competition but wanted to interpose an alternative offer to the advances of Sunreef or Catana in this segment. As always, the basic price was well-studied; the lover of customizing would be happy with the various versions and options. The Lagoon’s force of attraction is not limited to rational arguments; it offers a reinterpreted approach to the volumes and ergonomics of a catamaran.

In 2019, Sunreef Yachts totally renewed their range of sailing catamarans with four models of 50, 60, 70 and 80 feet. With the “smallest” among those, the yard, based at Gdańsk in Poland is making a remarkable foray onto the playground of the traditional market leaders. Sunreef has immense expertise in every trade. It incorporates a high-level design team – the yard draws and designs all its models, as well as most of its equipment. From polyester or carbon composites to metalwork, rigging, carbon masts, décor, and upholstery, Sunreef knows how to do it all, and can meet the most demanding requests for customization. However, building a Sunreef of only 50 feet with the company’s demanding criteria (superlative space, cozy comfort, custom interior design) is not so easy. The manufacturer’s worldwide customer base is used to the highest of standards, whether on the water or ashore. A 50-foot unit would never mean “comfort at a discount” in the vocabulary of Gdańsk.