Two of the most-shopped power catamarans in the low 50s: flybridge cruisers with a beam just over 25 feet, built for Bahamas family cruising or charter. Every number below comes from Leopard's and Aquila's own pages and spec sheets.
The bottom line
Leopard 53 Powercat
Proven range and a shallower draft
Leopard publishes 463 nm at cruise (1,330 nm at 7.9 knots) and a draft of about 3'3". A long production run means plenty of brokerage history.
Aquila 54 Yacht
More cabins and more choice
Three, four or five cabins with matching heads, galley-up or galley-down, optional skipper's quarters and three engine packages.
Photos side by side
Tap any photo to view full screen and swipe through.
Leopard 53 Powercat
10 photosPhotos © Leopard Catamarans, from leopardcatamarans.com.
Aquila 54 Yacht
10 photosPhotos © Aquila Power Catamarans, from aquila.smugmug.com (Aquila's official media gallery).
Specs side by side
Published by the builders. Numbers in brackets link to the source for each figure.
| Spec | Leopard 53 Powercat | Aquila 54 Yacht |
|---|---|---|
| Length overall | 53'1" / 16.19 m[2]Including platform. Hull 50'6" / 15.40 m | 54'2" / 16.5 m[4]Including swim platform, excluding anchor roller |
| Beam | 25'2" / 7.67 m[1][2] | 25'2" / 7.68 m[3][4] |
| Draft | 3'3" / 1.00 m[1][2]Leopard's 2025 spec list shows 3'2" at half load | 4'6" / 1.37 m[4]Including propeller. 3'10" / 1.16 m with sacrificial skegs |
| Displacement | 47,203 lb / 21,411 kg[1][2]Light ship. Load capacity 13,490 lb / 6,119 kg | 52,367 lb / 23,300 kg[3][4]Light. 66,138 lb / 30,000 kg fully loaded |
| Fuel | 562 US gal / 2,130 L[1][2] | 581 US gal / 2,200 L[3][4]Optional extra 190 gal / 720 L |
| Fresh water | 185 US gal / 700 L[1][2] | 1,000 L / 238 gal[3][4]As published by Aquila |
| Engines | 2 × Yanmar 370 hp diesel (8LV370)[1][2] | 2 × Volvo Penta D6 380 hp (standard)[4]Optional 2 × D6 480 hp or 2 × Yanmar 550 hp |
| Top speed | 24 knots[1][2]Model page. 2025 spec list: 25 knots light ship | Not published[4]Aquila's spec sheet doesn't list speeds |
| Cruise speed | 17 knots[1][2]Model page. 2025 spec list: 17.5 knots light ship | Not published[4] |
| Range | 463 nm at cruise[2]1,330 nm max at 7.9 knots (full load) | Not published[4] |
| Cabins / heads | 3 or 4 cabins, each with en-suite head and separate shower[1]Optional crew quarters | 3, 4 or 5 cabins with 3, 4 or 5 heads with separate showers[3][4]Sleeps up to 10. Skipper's quarters option |
| Certification | NMMA and CE certified[1] | CE Category A (Ocean), 12 people[4] |
| Designer | Simonis Voogd[1] | J&J Design[5] |
| Builder | Robertson & Caine[1] | Sino Eagle Yachts[4] |
- Length overall
- Draft
- Displacement
- Fuel
- Fresh water
- Engines
- Top speed
- Cruise speed
- Range
- Cabins / heads
- Leopard 53 Powercat3 or 4 cabins, each with en-suite head and separate shower[1]Optional crew quarters
- Certification
Builders measure differently: Leopard's 53'1" includes the platform and Aquila's 54'2" includes the swim platform, so the real difference in length is small. Speed and range are the builder's own figures and vary with load, sea state and bottom condition.
Layout and living space
- Leopard 53 Powercat: three or four cabins, each with its own head and separate shower, plus optional crew quarters. The refresh added a redesigned galley with stacking glass doors to the aft cockpit.
- Aquila 54 Yacht: three, four or five cabins with the same number of heads and separate showers, a full-beam master, galley-up or galley-down, and optional skipper's quarters.
- Which fits you: a couple with occasional guests is fine on either; a big family or charter program gets more berths from Aquila.
On deck: cockpit and flybridge
- Leopard: a choice of an "Alfresco" modular cockpit or fixed furniture, a reworked flybridge with wet bar, sink, grill and fridge, and an optional electric lifting platform for the tender.
- Aquila: a Portuguese-style flybridge you can walk around forward of the windscreen, with stairs from the aft cockpit and steps forward to the bow.
Performance and range
- Leopard: 24 knots top and 17 cruise with twin Yanmar 370s (model page). The 2025 spec list adds 463 nm at cruise and 1,330 nm at 7.9 knots at full load, and quotes 25 / 17.5 knots light ship.
- Aquila: no published speed or range. It depends on the engines (twin Volvo Penta D6 380s standard, D6 480s or Yanmar 550s), so I'd confirm a boat's numbers on a sea trial.
- Draft: about 3'3" for the Leopard vs 4'6" including propeller for the Aquila (3'10" with sacrificial skegs). That matters in the Bahamas' skinny water.
Build and engineering
- Leopard: designed by Simonis Voogd, built by Robertson & Caine. The engine room is sealed off from the living space to cut noise, and Leopard reports 141 hulls delivered.
- Aquila: designed by J&J Design, built by Sino Eagle Yachts. Infused vinyl ester with PVC core, bulbous bows with breakaway nose cones, a fuel tank per engine with Racor filters, automatic fire suppression and CE Category A (Ocean) for 12.
- Either way: two engine rooms and a bridgedeck to inspect, so budget for a thorough haul-out survey.
Ownership and resale
- Dockage and hauling: a 25'2" beam rules out many standard slips and lifts. Confirm a wide slip and a yard that can haul a catamaran before you buy.
- Two of everything: twin engines and running gear mean twice the maintenance. Check the hours and service records on both engines; they should be close to each other.
- Fuel: tankage is similar (562 vs 581 gallons). Your bill comes down to cruising speed.
- Resale: high-volume production boats with plenty of comparable sales. Year, engine hours, cabin count, charter history and maintenance move the price most.
Own one? Get a yacht valuation. Buying? Browse Leopard and Aquila listings.
Common questions
›Which is bigger, the Leopard 53 Powercat or the Aquila 54?
Very close: 53'1" (Leopard, including platform) vs 54'2" (Aquila, including swim platform), both with a 25'2" beam. The Aquila is heavier: 52,367 lb light vs 47,203 lb light ship.
›How fast is the Leopard 53 Powercat?
24 knots top and 17 cruise with twin Yanmar 370s on Leopard's model page; its 2025 spec list quotes 25 and 17.5 knots light ship.
›What engines does the Aquila 54 Yacht have?
Twin Volvo Penta D6 380 hp as standard, with twin D6 480 hp or twin Yanmar 550 hp as options.
Specifications are as published by Leopard and Aquila at the time of writing and can change between model years and options. Always confirm the specification of a particular yacht during survey and sea trial. New-boat pricing isn't shown here; ask me for current figures on any model.
