With a big family we soon understood that the characteristics of a sailing catamaran would best fit our needs. We chose a size range that would give us enough space, but also allow us to easily keep an eye on the children: 42 – 48 feet. We did not want a flybridge, as that would always separate the helmsman from the rest of the crew. We liked the concept of a forward cockpit, and almost more important, a forward door to give us quick access to kids jumping around on the trampoline. That narrowed the search down to Leopard, and quite quickly the new Leopard 45 for its beautiful design and use of indoor and outdoor space.