A week between islands

Excess has documented a week-long French Polynesian cruising voyage involving 25 members of King Harbor Yacht Club. Four catamarans travelled between Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine and Taha'a during September 2026.

The fleet comprised one Excess 14 and three Excess 11s, according to the builder's own account. Luxury Yacht Guide focuses here on the 13.97-metre Excess 14 because the 11s fall below its 12-metre minimum.

The report is an owner-experience story rather than a new-model launch or a claim about production sales. It gives a practical view of how a cruising catamaran can be used over several days and across differing anchorages.

The 14 in the wider flotilla

Excess describes the catamarans as a base for exploring islands and lagoons, with crews moving between sailing, swimming and shore visits. The layout allowed participants to share watchkeeping and helming as well as time at anchor.

An official Excess 14 model image accompanies this article as a verified reference. It is not labelled as a photograph of the particular yacht that sailed the Polynesian itinerary.

The larger catamaran's role in a mixed fleet offers a useful context for owners weighing accommodation and space. The builder does not claim that the model's passage results establish an advantage over another design.

Offshore passages and reef navigation

Two overnight crossings of approximately 85 nautical miles featured in the week. The account describes the change from sheltered lagoons to open-water sailing under the stars.

Reef passages called for observation and coordinated manoeuvring among the crews. The organisers had prepared for the voyage, with ten participants completing US Sailing offshore safety training and additional equipment carried aboard.

Those details matter when turning a travel story into a practical yachting lesson. A tropical cruising route still requires navigational preparation, especially around narrow lagoon entrances and reefs.

Life aboard after the sailing

The four boats gathered in the Ha'apiti lagoon on Moorea for their final evening together. The builder says participants explored the islands and shared meals after a week of sailing.

This is a report on the September journey published by Excess, not an invitation to an upcoming charter departure. Owners can use the original account to understand the fleet composition and preparation without confusing the sub-12-metre boats with LYG inventory.