Leopard 45 – Catamaran
Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)

Leopard Catamarans · Catamaran

Leopard 45

The Leopard 45 is a 13.72 m cruising catamaran drawn by Simonis Voogd and built by Robertson and Caine in Cape Town; it was launched in September 2016, delivered from 2017 and left the range in 2024, when the Leopard 46 took its place. It has a forward galley, a door from the saloon to a forward cockpit, a hardtop over the raised helm, electric primary winches and two 45 hp Yanmar diesels with saildrives, and came with three or four cabins; the charter fleets ran it as the Moorings 4500 and, with four cabins, as the Sunsail 454. In 2019/20 it was refreshed with a hardtop lounge reached by stairs from the aft cockpit, longer hull windows and semi-island berths. The builder publishes no owner’s manual for download and points owners to its Leopard Catamarans Owner app instead; whether the app covers the 45 could not be checked.

Manuals & documents

The links go to Leopard Catamarans’s own documents — some as archived copies of pages the maker has since taken down. We host no manuals or drawings.

Equipment & its manuals

Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.

ItemModelManual / pageNote
EngineYanmar 4JH45 × 21,2,3,4,5All Leopard 45: 45 hp (33 kW) common-rail engines with saildrivesYanmar 4JH45 / 4JH57 Parts & service pageOnly the Simonis Voogd design sheet of January 2016 (preliminary) names the 4JH45 common rail with the SD60 saildrive; later builder documents say just “2 × Yanmar 45 hp”, the Moorings lists “Yanmar 45 hp common rail”. Check the engine plate before ordering parts. The 57 hp 4JH57 is offered on the Leopard 46, not on the 45.
SaildriveYanmar SD60 × 21,5All Leopard 45; the model is named only in the Simonis Voogd sheet of January 2016Yanmar SD50 / SD60 Parts & service pageAll other builder documents and the Moorings lists just say “sail drives”. Read the plate on the leg before ordering anodes, seals or oil.
Propeller3-blade fixed, 17 × 14 in (432 × 356 mm) × 22,3,1,5Refreshed boat (2020–21 data); the Moorings 4500 lists give 3-blade fixed propellers—The January 2016 performance sheet was calculated with 17 × 16 in, so early boats may have a different pitch. The builder names no propeller make.
WinchesElectric primaries × 2 + mainsheet winch6,7,8,5,9All Leopard 45; make and size not named—All sail controls lead to winches at the helm; the two primaries are electric and worked by foot switches. The Moorings 4500 lists also give two electric primaries and one mainsheet winch, printing the primaries as a Moorings upgrade.
Stove3-burner gas hob with oven7,5,9All Leopard 45 (builder’s brochure, Moorings lists); make not named—Gas solenoid valve switched at the panel with a warning light at the cooker; cylinder and regulator in their own cockpit locker; Corian galley worktops.
FridgeVitrifrigo 212 l · 12 V7,5,9All Leopard 45 have a two-drawer, front-opening stainless fridge/freezer (2020 brochure); make and volume from the Moorings 4500 lists—
Windlass1600 W vertical · 10 mm gypsy9,5Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists (printed as standard in the Lounge list, partly in bold as a Moorings upgrade in the first list); make not named—Hand-held remote, bow roller and chain stopper. The builder’s own Leopard 45 documents do not mention the windlass.
SteeringChain and wire · bulkhead steering unit with brake5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as standard; make not named—Destroyer-type wheel and stainless emergency tiller; balanced spade rudders on stainless stocks (printed “F16ph”) in self-aligning bearings.
FurlerProFurl5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; furler model not namedProfurl furling systems Parts & service pageThe same lists give a natural-anodised mast and boom, a 3:1 bridle mainsheet and two single-line reefs led aft. The builder’s own Leopard 45 documents name no furler.
ToiletQuiet Flush electric × 45,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; 4 headsJabsco electric toilets Parts & service pageLarge-bowl electric toilets. The lists give only the range name “Quiet Flush”, which Jabsco uses, without naming the maker; compare with the label on the toilet before ordering parts. The builder does not say which toilets a privately ordered 45 has.
AutopilotRaymarine (colour autopilot display)5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; no model numbers—Part of the Raymarine instrument package: colour autopilot display, 9-inch multifunction display, colour instrument and remote buttons at the helm, depth and wind transducers.
ChartplotterRaymarine 9-inch multifunction display5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; no model numbers—Part of the same Raymarine package. A VHF at the switch panel with a second handset at the helm and a Garmin C10 forward-facing camera are listed separately.
Generator9 kW (60 Hz, 110 V) / 7 kW (50 Hz, 220 V)5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; make not named—In the first list it draws from the aft port fuel tank, with a transfer from starboard to port. Neither the builder nor the Moorings lists name the make.
Air conditioningCruisair × 25,9Moorings 4500 charter version: first Moorings 4500 list, printed as a Moorings upgrade; the Lounge list gives the same capacity without a make—32000 BTU in total; the port forepeak has its own air-conditioning unit. The builder’s own Leopard 45 documents list no air conditioning.
Watermaker117 l/h (31 US gal/h) · 110 V5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; in the first list only on 110 V boats; make not named—
Batteries3 × AGM house (630 Ah) + 2 × AGM 100 Ah starter5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; make not named—Two alternators (printed “125ah” each) come with the engines; a push button at the helm links the starter and house batteries.
ChargerInverter/charger 2000 W5,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as a Moorings upgrade; make not named—12 V to 110 V in the first list. Shore power is a hard-wired 110 V or 220 V cable with two 30 A lines; two 100 W solar panels on the hardtop are in the same lists.
Hatches & portsHatches size 10, 44, 60 · portlights size 5, 15,9Moorings 4500 charter version: Moorings 4500 lists, printed as standard; maker not named—Hatches: 4 × size 10 over the heads, 2 × size 44 in the aft cabins, 4 × size 60 in the forward cabins and forepeaks; portlights: 2 × size 5 in the windscreen, 8 × size 1 in the hull sides. Measure the frames before ordering glazing or seals.

Specifications

VersionsOriginal boat (2016/17 to about 2018) with a hardtop bimini over the helm · refreshed boat (shown February 2019, builder’s 2020 brochure) with a hardtop lounge, a window beside the companionway door, longer hull windows and semi-island berths · private boats with 3 cabins and 3 heads or 4 cabins and 4 heads · charter versions Moorings 4500 (Moorings 4500 Lounge for the refreshed boat) and Sunsail 454 (4-cabin charter layout)10,7,11,12,9
Years builtLaunched in September 2016, deliveries from 2017; still in the builder’s range in February 2024, gone by October 2024 (sailing range then Leopard 42, 46 and 50); the Leopard 46 is its successor11,13,14,4
Hulls builtNot published by the builder
BuilderRobertson and Caine, Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa15
DesignerSimonis Voogd Design (naval architecture, design no. 234); exterior and interior design by Robertson and Caine11,1
Length overall13.72 m (45 ft 0 in)3
Waterline length13.07 m (42 ft 11 in); the 2017 range brochure prints 13.72 m, a misprint3,15
Beam7.35 m (24 ft 2 in); some builder pages print 7.355 m or 7.36 m11
DraftOriginal boat 1.55 m (5 ft 1 in), launch data · refreshed boat 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) at half load, 2020–21 data; the 2016 brochure and specs page print 1.48 m (4 ft 10 in)1,3,6,8
DisplacementLight: original boat 14500 kg (31967 lb), 2016–19 data · refreshed boat 14900 kg (32849 lb), 2020–21 data; Simonis Voogd design figures (January 2016, preliminary): 16.3 t at half load, 18.7 t at full load1,3
Max. payload4600 kg (10141 lb), the builder’s load-carrying capacity for the refreshed boat (2020–21 data)3
Sail areaUpwind: original boat 123.4 m² (1328 sq ft) · refreshed boat with standard rig 120.5 m² (1298 sq ft); the builder’s 2025 comparison chart prints 1400 sq ft without saying how it is measured11,3,16
MainsailOriginal boat 73 m² (786 sq ft) · refreshed boat 74 m² (797 sq ft), square-top 75.9 m² (817 sq ft)8,3
GenoaOriginal boat 50.4 m² (543 sq ft) · refreshed boat 46.5 m² (501 sq ft); Code 0 70 m² (753 sq ft)8,3
Air draft21.34 m (70 ft 0 in) above the waterline at half load (builder pages 2016–2021, Moorings 4500 Lounge list) · 21.28 m (69 ft 10 in) in the Simonis Voogd sheet and the 2017 range brochure3,9,1,15
Bridgedeck clearance0.83 m (2 ft 9 in) at half load3
Engine2 × 45 hp (33 kW), four-cylinder Yanmar diesels with saildrives (the January 2016 design sheet names the 4JH45 with the SD60)3,1
Fuel tank700 l (185 US gal) in two tanks3
Water tank780 l (206 US gal) in two tanks3
Holding tank170 l (45 US gal); Moorings 4500 Lounge list: two tanks with 150 l (40 US gal) in total3,9
Cabins3 cabins and 3 heads or 4 cabins and 4 heads, with 4 or 5 showers; the forward hull ends can take extra storage, a berth or a head8,7
Berths8 to 11 (the 2016 specs page printed 8 to 12)2
HullInfused laminate, made with the builder’s multi-stage infusion process; the Leopard 46 moved to single-shot infusion4
CE categoryCE and NMMA certified; the builder’s Leopard 45 documents give no design category2,5
Light-air sailsSpinnaker 140 m² (1507 sq ft), Code D 107 m² (1152 sq ft) (2020 data); Code 0 70 m² (753 sq ft)2,3

Good to know

  • Two versions help to date a boat. The original (2016/17 to about 2018) has a hardtop bimini over the helm, a bench seat to starboard aft of the helm, solid fibreglass beside the companionway door and a sit-down vanity forward in the owner’s cabin. The refreshed boat (shown in February 2019) has a hardtop lounge reached by floating stairs from the aft cockpit, a window beside the companionway door, longer hull windows, semi-island berths and a rearranged owner’s cabin. The builder quotes 14500 kg light displacement for the launch boat and 14900 kg for the refreshed one; the Moorings 4500 Lounge list of 2020 still prints 14500 kg.10,3,9
  • An ex-charter boat differs from a privately ordered one. The Moorings 4500 lists print as Moorings upgrades the Raymarine instrument package, VHF, a 9 kW generator, two Cruisair air-conditioning units (32000 BTU), 630 Ah of AGM house batteries with two AGM starter batteries, a 2000 W inverter/charger, two 100 W solar panels, Quiet Flush electric toilets, a 117 l/h watermaker and the ProFurl furler. The builder’s own Leopard 45 documents list none of these as standard, so a private boat may have other makes or none; check what is aboard before buying spares.5,9
  • Read the engine and saildrive plates before ordering parts: the builder’s documents mostly say “2 × Yanmar 45 hp, common rail, with sail drives”, and only the January 2016 Simonis Voogd sheet names the 4JH45 with the SD60. The 700 l of fuel are carried in two tanks; in the first Moorings 4500 list the generator draws from the aft port tank, with a transfer line from starboard.1,3,5
  • At a survey, test the bilge system the Moorings 4500 list describes: two electric pumps in the keel sumps with float switches and a panel alarm, two electric pumps in the engine rooms with a panel alert, two manual pumps and two high-water float switches with alarm. Also check the seal of what the builder calls the weather-tight saloon door to the forward cockpit.5
  • Do not mix up the charter names: the Leopard 45 in charter trim is the Moorings 4500 (Moorings 4500 Lounge for the refreshed boat) or, in its four-cabin layout, the Sunsail 454. The Moorings fleet of 2013–15 also had monohulls called Moorings 45.3, 45.4, 453 and 454; they are different boats, so check hull type and year in an advert.11,12,9
  • The builder’s owner page points to the Leopard Catamarans Owner app (iOS and Android, built on Boatclick), which it says gives access to owner’s manuals and the equipment makers’ documents for your boat model. It does not say which models are covered, so ask Leopard whether the 45 is included. The Moorings lists include an owner’s operating manual with the boat, so ask the seller for that copy.17,18,5

On the marketplace

Looking for a part for the Leopard 45? Post a wanted ad in the app — it is free, it sits on the live map, and boaters nearby who have the part aboard can answer.

Got spares you no longer need? List them in a minute. No commission, ever.

Get the app

Sources

  1. web.archive.org/web/20190919021625/https://www.leopardcatamarans.com/sites/default/files/…
  2. web.archive.org/web/20201201234034/https://www.leopardcatamarans.com/catamarans/leopard-4…
  3. web.archive.org/web/20210621162000/https://www.robertsonandcaine.com/leopard45.html
  4. leopardcatamarans.com/news-and-events/blog/leopard-45-vs-leopard-46-a-complete-catamaran-…
  5. assets.moorings.com/uploads/2023/06/Moorings_4500_en.pdf
  6. web.archive.org/web/20160928214414/http://www.leopardcatamarans.com:80/sites/default/file…
  7. robertsonandcaine.com/brochures/2020-leopard-45-brochure.pdf
  8. web.archive.org/web/20161026121505/http://robertsonandcaine.com/pages/leopard45.html
  9. assets.moorings.com/uploads/2023/06/moorings_4500_l_en-exhibita.pdf
  10. leopardcatamarans.com/news-and-events/blog/launching-the-refreshed-leopard-45
  11. web.archive.org/web/20161012163137/http://www.leopardcatamarans.com:80/news-and-events/pr…
  12. web.archive.org/web/20170106223418/http://www.leopardcatamarans.com:80/news-and-events/pr…
  13. web.archive.org/web/20240225215149/https://www.leopardcatamarans.com/catamarans?hsa_acc=2…
  14. web.archive.org/web/20241003174942/https://www.leopardcatamarans.com/news-and-events/blog…
  15. web.archive.org/web/20170624154729/http://www.leopardcatamarans.com/sites/default/files/L…
  16. leopardcatamarans.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/2025-Leopard-45-46-Comparison-Chart-NEW.…
  17. leopardcatamarans.com/owners
  18. apps.apple.com/us/app/leopard-catamarans/id6473780794

Leopard Catamarans is a trademark of its owner; boatparts.app is not affiliated with it. Part numbers are quoted for identification only. Spotted an error? Write to mail@boatparts.app.