JFA Yachts has launched the Long Island 87, a 26.25-metre sailing catamaran that extends the French yard’s Long Island range. Designed to bring together sailing performance, long-range autonomy and relaxed onboard living, the new model places particular emphasis on outdoor space and the connection between its interior and exterior areas.
The Long Island 87 follows two Long Island 85 models that have travelled in regions including Antarctica, Greenland, the Pacific and the Baltic Sea. The new yacht retains the range’s focus on bluewater cruising while introducing a revised arrangement of living spaces across its 11.93-metre beam.
Its proportions create room for separate areas to navigate, dine and relax, while the accommodation plan can host up to 10 guests alongside four crew. The design combines aluminium hulls with a composite deck and superstructure, a construction approach intended to balance displacement, sailing characteristics and comfort on longer passages.
A flybridge made for life outdoors
The flybridge is the defining feature of the Long Island 87. Rather than functioning only as a helm position, it is conceived as a substantial living area, with two steering stations, a sheltered bar and a spacious lounge. The arrangement gives guests several ways to use the upper deck throughout the day.
Its elevated position provides panoramic views, while the layout supports both active sailing and time at anchor. Solar panels fitted to the flybridge roof contribute to onboard electricity generation when the yacht is stationary, helping reduce reliance on generators for some power needs.
The result is a large outdoor setting that forms a central part of the yacht’s everyday use. It adds a social space above the main deck without displacing the catamaran’s focus on long-distance cruising and practical operation.
Indoor and outdoor spaces connect
Naval architecture comes from Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group. On the main deck, the cockpit, lounge and dining area are arranged to create an easy flow between interior and exterior spaces. Large openings bring natural light inside and keep the living areas visually connected to the sea.
Outside, the cockpit and sunbathing areas provide room for guests to spend time close to the water. At the stern, a platform accommodates a 5-metre tender and can be used as a leisure area when the yacht is at anchor, including for water sports.
The interior offers a total living area of 124 square metres. The owner’s cabin spans the width of the main deck and has panoramic views across 180 degrees. The cabin arrangement across the two hulls gives guests and crew separate accommodation zones.
One hull contains the owner’s bathroom, a children’s cabin with four berths and an aft guest cabin. The other includes a second guest cabin and crew facilities, including a skipper’s cabin, a crew cabin, a galley and a crew mess. The layout is designed to support a full complement of guests and crew while preserving privacy on board.
Built for extended cruising
Darnet Design is responsible for the interior design, continuing its work with JFA Yachts on the Long Island range. The design brief brings together comfortable shared areas and private cabins, with the owner’s suite occupying a prominent position on the main deck.
The yacht’s principal dimensions include a 26.25-metre overall length, an 11.93-metre beam and a 2.24-metre draught. Its lightship displacement is 58 tonnes, with 360 square metres of sail area. Two 400-horsepower engines and two 27-kilowatt generators form part of the vessel’s systems.
JFA Yachts says the new model is intended to balance sailing performance with functional living areas. The owner described it as a fit for a planned family circumnavigation, citing comfort, safety and the practical use of space as priorities.
With its broad flybridge, substantial accommodation and tender platform, the Long Island 87 gives the range a larger format for owners seeking a sailing catamaran suited to extended time aboard. Its launch brings together the yard’s established cruising direction with an emphasis on open-air living and spacious shared areas.
