Access More Boat Tests
Already have an account? Login
Aquila 42 Coupe (2025-)
2 x 400-hp Mercury Verado
Brief Summary
The Aquila 42 Coupe Power Cat is the natural pathway between the company’s Sport and Yacht lines. Presenting a low profile, sleek exterior is only a prelude of what awaits inside. With a spacious interior, a pair of staterooms with ensuite heads taking full advantage of a wide beam carried fully forward, and the option of twin Mercury outboard or Volvo Penta inboard, sterndrive diesel power, and paired with double stepped hulls and a carbon-fiber foil, the Aquila 42 Coupe is at home for day trips, extended weekend travel, or long distance voyages.
Test Results
RPM | MPH | Knots | GPH | MPG | NMPG | SM | NM | dBa |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
600 | 2.8 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 604.2 | 525.1 | 62 |
1000 | 4.7 | 4 | 3.6 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 537 | 466.7 | 62 |
1500 | 6.4 | 5.6 | 5.3 | 1.2 | 1 | 495.1 | 430.2 | 64 |
2000 | 8.2 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 367.2 | 319.1 | 69 |
2500 | 9.5 | 8.2 | 12.5 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 310 | 269.4 | 71 |
3000 | 10.3 | 8.9 | 19.8 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 212.2 | 184.4 | 73 |
3500 | 11.5 | 9.9 | 28.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 166.5 | 144.7 | 78 |
4000 | 17.3 | 15 | 31 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 229.2 | 199.2 | 81 |
4500 | 24.4 | 21.2 | 38.9 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 257.5 | 223.8 | 83 |
5000 | 35.3 | 30.6 | 42.7 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 338.5 | 294.1 | 85 |
5500 | 40.7 | 35.4 | 51.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 323.7 | 281.3 | 86 |
6000 | 44.2 | 38.4 | 60.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 299 | 259.8 | 86 |
6200 | 46.2 | 40.1 | 65.9 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 287.7 | 250 | 88 |

Specifications
Length Overall |
42' 10" 13.06 m |
---|---|
Beam |
15' 11" 4.85 m |
Dry Weight |
18,740 lbs 8,500 kg |
Draft Up |
2' 10" 0.86 m |
Draft Down |
2' 11" 0.89 m |
Fuel Capacity |
410 gal 1,552 L |
Water Capacity |
52 gal 197 L |
Acceleration Times & Conditions
0 to 30 | 21.4 |
---|---|
Props | Merc Rev X |
Load | Persons & Gear: 600 lbs/272 kg; Fuel: 1,924 lbs/873 kg; Water: 167 lbs/76 kg |
Climate | 76°; 68% humidity; wind: 5-10 mph; wave: .5-1'; salt |
Engine Options
Tested Engine |
2 x 400-hp Mercury Verado |
---|---|
Std. Power |
2 x 400-hp Mercury Verado |
A Cat for All the Right Reasons
Captain's Report
Aquila 42 Coupe Power Cat
by Capt. Ken Kreisler
Always a trend setter in this sector of the marine industry, Aquila has led the way in the design and engineering of power catamarans to such a degree as to take the worldwide lead featuring a wide variety and range of cruising boats and yachts.
Regardless of size, each Aquila Power Cat represents the company’s innovative approach to providing a wide, stable, seaworthy and fuel efficient platform, and with its Coupe lineup, you have a textbook representation of this concept.
Major Features
- Double stepped hull design
- Carbon fiber Aquila Hydro Glide semi-foiling system
- Galvanic isolator protection system
- Mastervolt 200A/3500W inverter/battery charger
- C-Zone DC digital switching system
- 2 x 400-hp Black Mercury Verado V10 outboards with JPO
- Port and starboard cockpit boarding doors; safety gates aft
- Electrically operated forward door between bow and salon
- Custom stainless steel retractable swim ladder with teak steps at aft deck swim platform
- Manual hi/low table w/fold out sections convert to sleeping area w/fill in cushion
- Electric windlass (12v-1000W) w/hard wired hand-held control in anchor locker
- Two way, three panel sliding glass door aft
- Flip down/up fiberglass engine well covers
Notable Options
- Synthetic teak decking
- 2 x Volvo Penta D6-440hp DPI sterndrive diesel engines
- Electrically operated sunroof
- Electric aft bbq w/refrigerator freezer combo
- Retractable canvas sunshade system
- Drop down television in salon
- 9-kW Fischer Panda diesel generator
- Lithium ion battery bank
Vessel Inspection
Cat designed hulls are known for utilizing the beam from bow to stern and aboard the Aquila 42 Coupe, this favorable use of space, both inside and out, is quite apparent.
Bow
With the 15’11” beam carried fully forward, the bow space aboard the Aquila 42 Coupe is maxed out to the fullest for creating an exceptional seating area.
Interior
With its focus trained on cat design, and utilizing all available space to its full potential, the Aquila teams outfitted the 42 Coupe with the kind of spacious interior usually found on much larger vessels.
Cockpit & Aft Section
As we’ve seen, the cat design affords lots of room to spread out, sit, and entertain, and that same theme continues here in the cockpit and aft section.
Living Accommodations
While both the bow and salon spaces take full advantage of the Aquila 42 Coupe’s 15’11” beam, so do the forward staterooms. The guest quarters are to port and owners to starboard, with each having ensuite heads and stand-up showers.
A Word About Performance
Just as with her big sister 46 Coupe, the carbon-fiber foil is standard on the 42 Coupe, and offers advanced performance and handling while underway. With her double-stepped hulls perfectly matched with a pair of 400-hp V10 Mercury outboards, or optional twin Volvo Penta D6-440hp DPI sterndrive diesel engines, exciting seaworthiness, handling and fuel efficiency also comes standard.
Our test day saw air temps at 76°, relative humidity of 68%, with wind at 5-10 mph. The Aquila 42 Coupe we were on had an approximate weight of 21,430 pounds with 66% of the 410 gallons of fuel on board and three passengers.
Our top speed came in at 46.2 mph at 6200 rpm and we found the best cruise speed at 5000 rpm and 35.3 mph. At that rate, we calculated an approximate range of 339.0 sm with a 10% fuel reserve. Our out-of-the-hole shots saw our Aquila 42 Coupe reach 10 mph in 3.3 seconds, 20 mph in 11.8 seconds, and 30 mph in 21.4 seconds. More impressive was her handling, first offshore where we encountered some rougher water and noticed how the foil, supplying the necessary lift, eased our coming off a wave with no pounding or drag, before the boat met another head on. With our running inshore, and once we had the boat trimmed properly, we noticed how, and especially during hard-over maneuvers including a series of turns to port and starboard, how she kept her rpm and speed without any noticeable change. And, sitting back and enjoying the ride, she tracked straight and true. While each day out can and will present different sea and wind conditions, the Aquila 42 Coupe proved to be a reliable performer.
Summary
The Aquila 42 Coupe successfully spans the gap between am outboard powered cruising sport cat and, given her impressive beam that is carried fully forward, a much larger yacht. This added space allows the design and engineering teams to focus on outfitting her with creature comforts and amenities to make her quite comfortable and able to spend her days on the water with nearby trips, long, extended weekends away, and quite capable of making longer voyages such as Great Looping and island hopping for example.
Her design includes double stepped hulls and a foil, enabling The Aquila 42 Coupe to require use less horsepower to get the job done. The result is better fuel economy and superior handling under a wide variety of conditions. And with long lists of both standard and premium optional equipment, your 42 Coupe will be a personal statement of ownership.
With a company leading the way in worldwide catamaran production, and proven, sea-worthy designs, should a boat like the Aquila 42 Coupe be lighting up your radar screen, and whether you will be new to cat ownership, or have had your hands on the wheel of a smaller vessel and are ready to move up in size, set up a visit and sea trial. You will not be disappointed.
Remember, life is better on a boat!