Aquila 45 Sport heads to Sardinia, blending speed and multihull space

Is the Aquila 45 Sport actually a credible two-in-one boat for European buyers who want dayboat speed without surrendering multihull space? That is the real question as the 46-foot-6 power cat moves toward its Sardinia Boat Show debut in Porto Rotondo from May 7 to 10, after its world premiere at the 2026 Palm Beach International Boat Show. Aquila is pitching it as the largest model in the Sport range, and the numbers make that claim hard to ignore.

The headline spec is the beam. Aquila lists the 45 Sport at 15 feet 0 inches overall, but with the fold-out terraces open it stretches to 19 feet 4 inches, turning the aft section into something far more useful than a narrow cockpit. Aquila says the boat can carry 29 passengers, yet still offers one cabin and one head, a combination that pushes it beyond pure day-run territory and into the kind of weekend use Mediterranean owners actually ask for.

Speed is the other half of the equation. The 45 Sport is powered by twin 600HP Mercury Verado V12 outboards, with Aquila claiming top speeds above 50 mph and cruising in the 38 to 40 mph range. One Aquila presentation puts the top speed at 57 mph. Carlo Orione of FC-Yacht says the catamaran hulls bring a level of stability a monohull cannot match, even when the boat is being driven at about 50 knots. Aquila also says the model uses double-stepped hull technology to improve efficiency and reduce drag, while joystick control is meant to keep docking and close-quarters handling civilised.

The deck layout is where the 45 Sport tries to justify its price and its claim to multihull practicality. The two engines are side-mounted, leaving the centre of the transom open as a clear swim platform with a boarding ladder. Buyers can choose a double sunpad or a double dinette aft, and Aquila says the cockpit can expand into a 19-foot social space with hydraulic fold-down terraces and gunwales. Forward, a second dinette sits under a carbon-fibre hardtop that can be configured for surfboards or kayaks, or fitted with solar panels. An integrated galley, safety gates, a hot-and-cold shower and multiple storage areas all point to a boat built for long, comfortable days rather than quick bursts of speed alone.

That practical angle matters in Italy, where FC-Yacht, part of the Free Charter Group, has represented Aquila in Cagliari since January 2022. The Sardinia showing gives the 45 Sport a proper Mediterranean stage, and the package looks aimed squarely at owners who want the pace of a fast dayboat, the stability of a cat, and enough usable space to make both work. The helm, with three 16-inch chartplotters, a Fusion Apollo stereo and a C-Zone display, rounds out a boat that is clearly trying to move the sport-cat conversation well beyond horsepower alone.