ORC 52.2 refines a proven cruising catamaran with more light

ORC’s 52.2 is not a clean-sheet replacement for the ORC 50. It is a tighter, brighter and more usable version of a cruising catamaran that already had a clear identity, and that is exactly the point. After Grand Large Yachting took control of the ORC brand and Marsaudon Composites in September 2023, the yard’s first major new model since then arrived as a careful evolution rather than a reset. ORC presented the boat at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024 and said the first unit had already been ordered.

The bones stay familiar. Naval architecture remains with Barreau/Neuman, while Franck Darnet Design handled the interior refresh, and the sail plan was kept close to the ORC 50. That matters because the earlier boat, built in 26 examples, earned its reputation by sailing like a proper performance cat rather than a floating condo. ORC says the 52.2 measures 17.08 meters, or 56 feet, with an 8.20-meter beam, a draft range of 1.4 to 2.85 meters, an 88 square meter mainsail and a 59 square meter genoa. The practical takeaway is clear: this is still aimed at owners who care as much about pace as about polish.

The refinement shows up where people actually live aboard. The redesign adds extended sugarscoops, new overhead hatches, enlarged openings forward and toward the cockpit, steps at the foot of the mast and redesigned stern platforms. Cruising World also noted improved helm visibility and a more open cockpit-saloon flow, which is the kind of change that makes long days and short-handed sailing easier in real life. On a 52-foot multihull, those are not cosmetic tweaks. They are the difference between moving around a boat and living comfortably on one.

Weight control is where ORC makes its case that the 52.2 is still a performance cat first. Project manager Antoine Gicquel joked that the new version gained only an extra 200 kg, and the builder says carbon bulkheads in series helped keep displacement at 10.5 tonnes. Another technical listing puts it at 9.90 tonnes, but either way the number stays modest for a boat with this much more volume and finish. At Groix, the 52.2 reportedly averaged 8.5 knots upwind in 15 knots of breeze and touched 14.5 knots under gennaker at 120 degrees apparent. That is the real reality check here: ORC did not chase hotel-style weight and call it comfort. It added light, air and usability without giving up the lively sailing that made the 50 worth refining in the first place.