Bringing high-performance and innovative catamarans to boating lovers across the world, Aquila Power Catamarans is one step ahead in the recreational marine sector. Lex Raas, President, highlights the company’s world-class offerings.
EMBODYING THE EAGLE
North America’s marine industry continues to be one of the most dynamic in the world.
Despite going through a period of success in the last five to six years, recent geopolitical events have caused the market to soften.
As the world’s foremost recreational power catamaran manufacturer, Aquila Power Catamarans (Aquila) understands these challenges but remains optimistic, consequently evolving to facilitate numerous exciting projects.
“We believe in the tremendous strength of the marine industry in North America, and Aquila is not holding back in bringing new models and technologies to the sector,” opens Lex Raas, President.
Derived from the Latin word for “eagle”, Aquila embodies the very essence of power, grace, and majesty.
The company’s power catamarans range from 14 feet tender catamarans to the semi-custom Aquila 70 Luxury power catamaran, emphasizing Aquila’s focus on purpose-built power vessels.
Based in Hangzhou, China, the company is immensely proud of its one million square foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing shipyard that rivals many leading boat manufacturers across the world.
“Fundamental to Aquila’s philosophy is offering our owners, new and old, a path in their boating lifestyle.
“Whether you are new to boating and buying your first vessel or a seasoned boater that knows exactly what fits your lifestyle, we have a model to grow or downsize with you,” prides Raas.
The company’s boating segments include Offshore, Sport, Coupe, Yacht, and Luxury.
Making the most of this diverse range, the majority of Aquila’s client base comprises private owners, alongside other charter companies and private charter programs.
“Our most notable charter customer at this time is MarineMax Vacations, whose extensive fleet of Aquila catamarans is located in the British Virgin Islands,” Raas notes.
Meanwhile, the company also boasts a global dealer network of world-class retailers, representing Aquila across the Americas and the Caribbean with a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Peru, Chile, and Saint Lucia.
Further afield, the company is represented by the best dealers across Europe in Finland, Denmark, Poland, Germany, the UK, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Croatia, as well as elsewhere in Dubai, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, China, and Mauritius.
BOATING BRILLIANCE
Aquila emerged from Raas’ lifetime of experience on the water, building and selling boats through his own businesses before working with Groupe Beneteau and later The Moorings as CEO.
Following his departure from the latter in 2010, Raas had a vision of creating a power catamaran brand that at the leading edge of enhancing an owner’s life on the water.
Two years later, he brought two boating powerhouses together – Sino Eagle Group and MarineMax – marking the establishment of the company and laying strong foundations for growth.
“The first Aquila vessel out of the shipyard was an Aquila 37, which allowed our teams to understand the dynamics of a true purpose-built power catamaran,” Raas recalls.
The Aquila 48 was subsequently launched with great success, and since that time, the company has evolved to offer a vast range of powerful catamarans, with many new models forthcoming.
Aquila’s continued progress over the last decade has been achieved by its commitment to innovation and pushing boundaries.
Case in point, the company was the first production builder to include hydrofoils on power catamarans, which remains one of the most forward-thinking and impactful projects in the sector.
“Prioritizing the design philosophy of ‘KISS’ (Keep It Simple, Stupid), we have developed the user-friendly Aquila Hydro Glide Foil System™, which requires no pushing buttons or seat belts for the foil assist system to function.
“This was no easy feat and required lots of engineering hours and failures before we achieved success on our first model,” Raas emphasizes.
The company embraces its failures as it provides an opportunity to learn and build stronger solutions. For example, the latest generation of the foil system has become a standard offering on the recently-launched Aquila 42 and 46 Coupe models, resulting in significant performance and efficiency.
This has also allowed Aquila to run its vessels on less horsepower while maintaining the same cruise and top-end speeds as boaters with more engines and horsepower.
“This is a game-changer when it comes to efficiency and the environmental aspects of the marine industry as we produce less carbon emissions due to less engines and cover more miles with less fuel,” he informs us.
The Aquila Hydro Glide Foil System™ is now available on the company’s 36 Sport, 42 and 46 Coupe, and 42, 46, and 50 Yacht models.
CUTTING-EDGE AND DIVERSE MODELS
Aquila continues to develop new models at a rapid pace. For instance, the company successfully launched the 50 Yacht in October 2024 at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, which resulted in immediate acclaim and success.
The introduction of this product marked a new era in the design of power catamarans, featuring an explorer-look aesthetic, high freeboard, a single-level, full-beam owner’s suite, an enhanced flybridge, and options for both diesel and hybrid power.
Hot on the heels of the 50 Yacht, Aquila launched its game-changing 42 and 46 Coupes in February this year at the Miami International Boat Show.
The Coupe product segment was developed from the renowned success of the Aquila 36 Sport with the cruiser package.
“Our clients were telling us they wanted an enclosed salon outboard catamaran that offered the features of a yacht but the versatility and speed of an outboard-powered boat. We also went a step further with our Coupe models, which now come with our fixed foil system made out of carbon fiber as standard,” outlines Raas.
At the Cannes Yachting Festival in September this year, the company will be introducing its 46 Yacht, shortly followed by the new 36 Molokai at Fort Lauderdale.
“We have been quite busy, and this is only the beginning. We have a completely new project well underway which will be introduced very soon and will open Aquila catamarans to a completely new market segment.
“The introduction of both the 46 Yacht and the 36 Molokai will also continue bringing new innovations to the power catamaran segment within the marine industry,” Raas expands.
The company’s impressive product portfolio wouldn’t be achievable without its manufacturing plant in Hangzhou.
“About 60 percent of what goes into building our boats originates from the US and European Union (EU), so we are constantly having supplies sent to our shipyard.”
Following their construction and assembly, the boats are then shipped from regional freight ports close to Hangzhou to all corners of the world.
“We are fortunate that the US, EU, and China all have exceptional supply chain capabilities. Having such a robust network in these regions provides Aquila with a tremendous ability to supply our shipyard and distribute our products to dealers,” Raas highlights.
“We believe that when Aquila succeeds, we all succeed together – as a family. Our vision is clear, and as many of us are life-long boaters, we all work in a dynamic and fast-moving atmosphere with a passion for boating”
Lex Raas, President, Aquila Power Catamarans
THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS
Comprising a dependable workforce of approximately 1,000 employees, Aquila possesses a dedicated international team, with many staff members based at its manufacturing plant as well as across Europe, Asia, and the US.
Aquila’s team has expanded significantly since it was founded in 2012 through hard work and determination.
The design, marketing, and service and warranty headquarters are located in Clearwater, Florida, accompanying Aquila’s global headquarters and manufacturing shipyard in Hangzhou.
“Our team members are provided with an abundance of support. We are all a family with the singular goal of making Aquila the number one catamaran manufacturer in the world,” Raas smiles.
Furthermore, the company has a flat internal structure and creates a strong team environment, which helps promote fresh ideas and facilitates forward-thinking, rapid, and constant progress toward building a world-class brand.
This is also reflected by Raas’ leadership style, as he endeavors to hire passionate individuals and remain humble in his role, promoting success as a team.
“We believe that when Aquila succeeds, we all succeed together – as a family. Our vision is clear, and as many of us are life-long boaters, we all work in a dynamic and fast-moving atmosphere with a passion for boating,” he enthuses.
The company’s key priority for this year is to continue to grow and develop its brand, with the goal of increasing production by approximately 20 percent over the next 12 months as well as introducing several new models and projects currently in the pipeline.
This will significantly expand Aquila’s product offerings in a new market segment, helping it overcome industry hurdles.
“The current geopolitical climate is proving to be a challenge in achieving our goals; it is in times of hardship that true success can be measured.
“We are entrenched in meeting our targets and will pivot as necessary to continue to drive Aquila’s success,” Raas concludes.
