La Tortue 147: a catamaran with a unique design

Design as the main decision

Today's market situation is as follows: many shipyards present new catamarans and yachts as the next stage in the development of their ideas. Typically, this is accompanied by slogans about "revolution" and "radical paradigm shift." Jean Sommery, a naval designer and architect, decided to take a slightly different approach.

The La Tortue 147 catamaran, unveiled at last year's La Grande-Motte show, prioritized versatility and design. Some architectural decisions, as we'll see below, were more aesthetically pleasing than technically sound, but this doesn't make the La Tortue 147 a bad catamaran. On the contrary, they make it an intriguing showcase of technology and design.

How did the idea for La Tortue 147 come about?

Jean Sommery spent three years sailing aboard a 12.5-meter yacht in the south of France. During one of the stops, the architect decided to delve into some calculations. It turned out that over the course of the three years, the yacht spent over 95% of total time at anchor. 

This realization inspired Jean to come up with a new idea. He wanted to create a luxury catamaran that would emphasize interior comfort. Although it would be more accurate to say that Sommery attempted to transfer the philosophy of living in a grand penthouse to the water. 

Yachting World magazine describes how Jean wanted to create La Tortue 147 primarily for himself, where he could “live over the water, with a coffee machine and computer, real green plants, a plancha grill, a refrigerator, and, above all, with family, friends, and two or three good bottles of wine.”

Sommeri explains: “[I want] a boat that’s easy to handle, that I could sail with my wife when I’m 70 or even 80, where we could happily host our children… that’s my dream boat.” To realize his dream, Jean founded a shipyard from scratch in Hergla, a small coastal town on the Gulf of Hammamet in Tunisia: “If you really want to control quality standards, you need your own shipyard,” he asserts.

The body and construction of La Tortue 147

The design isn't the only draw—the catamaran's construction is also unusual. Although Sommery's calculations suggest it spends most of its time at anchor, the catamaran was originally designed for long-distance voyages. This approach is sound, as Jean will likely be relaxing today, but the day after tomorrow he'll have to continue sailing, and across open seas at that. Why create a bulky vessel without any real performance?

Aluminum was chosen for the frame. Sommeri chose the metal for its strength and durability. Furthermore, influenced by Meta's Strongall technology, most sheets are 8 mm thick, while other builders make do with 6 mm.

In addition to the obvious benefit of impact resistance, this reduces the number of joints and, therefore, contact points, which should allow for smoother shapes. For even greater safety, the entire forward section of the living compartment is 10 mm thick. In total, La Tortue 147 uses 10,800 kg of aluminum, accounting for 501 TP1T of the estimated weight.

Design La Tortue 147

Finally, we've reached the design. So, let's split this section into two parts: deck and hull design, and interior design.

Features of case design

The La Tortue 147 stood out not only for its thick aluminum hull but also for its unique design features. The catamaran features inverted bows and a distinctive protrusion under the bow. This design allowed the engines to be positioned closer to the center of the hull crossbar, helping optimize weight distribution.

As modeling and sea trials showed, these "weight manipulations" reduced pitching in light winds. The stern overhangs are as long as they are narrow at the waterline; they appear weightless, barely touching the surface of the water.

What might surprise you even more is the flybridge's original purpose. Jean Sommery is a big fan of powered paragliding and really wanted to be able to take off and land from the deck of his catamaran. His family and friends weighed the pros and cons, and together they dissuaded him from the idea. 

Sommery has slightly modified the flybridge layout, but the rigging looks the way it does because they once tried to make room on top of the La Tortue 147 for a paraglider takeoff.

Comfort inside La Tortue 147

Almost all the portholes are stylized as characteristic "cells." By the way, does the name La Tortue ring a bell? Hint: a reptile... Yes, a turtle. 

Jean chose the turtle as his primary source of inspiration. Leisurely strolls and complete protection from any adversity within the shell perfectly describe the concept of the La Tortue 147. Returning to the theme, the portholes and even the steering wheel have characteristic curves with rounded edges. Yes, even the steering wheel is not round, but hexagonal.

The saloon, on the bulkhead, is a large, unified space. It's essentially an office, combined with the galley and dining area. The starboard hull houses a large master stateroom with a transverse berth and direct access to the stern and transom. The aft area features a large table for eight guests and a grill plancha. The port side is dedicated to guests with multiple staterooms.

The tortoiseshell pattern does look fresh, but reviewers note that using real wood requires too much maintenance. The shipyard will be producing this catamaran in series, so the wood will be replaced on future boats, likely with cork.

A little more about technical solutions

The atypical layout continues in the engine room: the engines are located forward. This required the installation of fairly long propeller shafts, but they are securely protected within the hulls. Maintenance of the units is convenient, as they are accessible through panels directly from the spacious foredeck.

However, the ergonomics of the helm station, located on the port side aft of the superstructure, is clearly not the design's strongest point. Reviewers found the aluminum steps too steep for quick descent, although the shipyard may well change their configuration on future hulls. 

To achieve the "armored" look, the steering wheel, as we've already mentioned, was made hexagonal. Visibility from the helmsman's seat is excellent, but active maneuvering requires climbing onto the roof of the wheelhouse. This is another detail the designers could improve.

Speaking of the roof, it's almost entirely covered with 5.5 kW solar panels. Here, under a rigid folding bimini top, there's a seating area with a sofa and table—a fully functional mini-flybridge.

In terms of resources, everything is up to par: the tanks are designed to hold 1,200 liters of fresh water (and that's with a desalination plant!) and the same amount of fuel. Energy independence is ensured by a substantial 20 kVA lithium battery pack. There's enough space onboard to load a whole arsenal of water toys, from diving gear to SUP boards.

The La Tortue 147 project has certainly broken the mold of conventional yacht design. However, the key question remains: can this conceptual success be transformed into a sustainable business model? The Cataruga team has yet to see whether critical acclaim translates into sales and series orders.

Technical specifications of La Tortue 147

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28.01.2026