Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders’ latest iteration of the popular Catalyst high-performance powercat is Render, a bespoke superyacht tender and water sports adventure platform extraordinaire.
The Melvin & Morelli designed Catalyst was originally built as a high-speed chase boat and tender for New Zealand’s America’s Cup campaign in 2013. Lloyd Stevenson Boatbuilders (LSB) acquired the moulds in 2019 and began custom-building the model in limited numbers, with no two boats quite the same.
LSB-built Catalysts have evolved considerably from the earlier boats, with different hardtop configurations, extended hull versions, and foil-assist options that deliver impressive improvements in fuel economy.
We most recently reviewed an LSB-built Catalyst GT in our October 2024 issue, but the foil-assisted Render with LSB’s standard superstructure layout is a very different vessel.
Built for play, engineered for performance
Render is already making waves – literally and figuratively –
in the turquoise waters of Fiji as the support boat for a luxury motoryacht. But she isn’t just a shuttle for guests or gear – she’s a full-fledged water sports platform, support vessel, and performance catamaran all rolled into one.
As the Render project progressed, it earned the nickname ‘The Pocket Knife’ at LSB due to its expanding functionality and versatility – what began as a water sports-focussed design evolved into a multi-purpose vessel, capable of adapting to a wide range of uses.
While this 14.3-metre carbon and epoxy composite catamaran was commissioned to support Kokomo, a 24.4m (80-foot) Sunreef power catamaran (soon to be replaced by an even larger Sunreef), calling Render a ‘tender’ hardly does her justice. A weaponised toy hauler, floating beach club, and high-speed adventure craft, she’s capable of hitting 55 knots.
From the outset, Render was imagined as a highly adaptable base for water sports, exploration, and island-hopping in the Pacific. With a pair of 600-horsepower Mercury V12 outboards, foil-assisted hulls, and a lightweight build that tips the scales at 7.3 tonnes dry (13 tonnes fully fuelled in offshore delivery mode), this catamaran is as fast as it is versatile.
Stylistically, the boat is all sharp lines and black accents, punctuated by purposeful touches: integrated floodlights in the bow, a sleek ‘Knight Rider’-style light bar up front, and ‘no snag’ flush fittings across the decks, in keeping with its sporting role. The inflatable sled it tows behind, for example, adds five metres to the vessel’s overall length, turning the 14.3-metre Render into a 19-plus-metre waterborne adventure platform.
The sled attaches to the hinged aft platform, which lowers electrically. Despite its size, it has very little impact on the boat’s performance or manoeuvrability. Even with a jet ski loaded on the sled, the boat maintains impressive cruise speeds of 40 to 45 knots.
Function follows flexibility
Render’s aft cockpit, described by LSB’s Glyn Davies as a “Lego set,” is massive and entirely modular in design. With a grid of attachment points embedded in the sole, owners can rearrange seating, tables, fuel storage, or water toys to suit any mission. A full-width, below cabin garage stores gear, while side steps lift up to access the garage compartment. Removable roof racks accommodate everything from boards to mountain bikes.
The boat also features three large rigging areas – one on the bow, one in the cockpit, and one on the sled – while an awning provides shaded lounging space in the cockpit, and a detachable barbecue mounts on the transom.
Between 35 and 45 knots, the Catalyst hull delivers impressive fuel efficiency, boosted further by Render’s bolt-on foils that lift the hulls by around 300mm, reducing fuel consumption by up to 28%. With just the front foils fitted, Render planes at 10 knots under tow – rear foils are usually fitted as well when her displacement exceeds 12 tonnes.
With an internal fuel capacity of 3200 litres, Render has serious range – 650nm at 40 knots (16.3 hours) or 800nm at 20 knots (40 hours). With delivery tanks, the range is extended further (see spec table), making long passages very realistic.
Speaking of long passages, Render made the 1070 nautical mile crossing from Auckland to Fiji on her own bottom. In favourable sea conditions, Render could have completed the voyage non-stop carrying deck-mounted delivery tanks in about 33 hours at 30 knots. Instead, the delivery crew, with a tonne of extra fuel on deck, cruised to Minerva Reef at an average speed of 28 knots, where they rendezvoused with Kokomo which carried the balance of the fuel they needed on her deck. Once safe and sheltered inside the reef, they topped up Render’s internal tanks and enjoyed a short but relaxing layover sampling Minerva’s exceptional diving and fishing.
Take the beach
Designed to be nosed onto a beach, Render features a ladder over the bow to collect or drop off guests and robust rubbing strips to protect the vessel’s inflatable tubes when coming alongside other vessels or makeshift jetties.
The entire foredeck is optimised for water sports operations, with wide side decks to allow easy transport of kiteboards and SUPs. A central drum winch deploys the anchor through the hull between the pontoons, and there’s a hydrostatically released hatch for the liferaft in the bow locker, ensuring automatic liferaft deployment should the boat capsize. Render also has lifting points, so she can be hoisted from the water for transport, although she is normally towed behind the mothership.
Live aboard
Though purpose-built for performance and yacht support, Render is no spartan utility craft. She’s designed for the skipper to comfortably live aboard.
Inside the hardtop and down below in the hulls, matte carbon finishes dominate, including for the galley, with lightweight furniture and clever touches throughout – like hidden magnetic tabs built into the laminate that hold clip-on covers and a reversible carbon table that converts into a daybed. The accommodation includes one cabin with a single berth and one double berth for guests and crew, a compact galley, and
a luxurious head.
The boat has a comprehensive electronics suite. A 27-inch Garmin MFD dominates the helm station, complemented by a smaller Mercury VesselView display and the usual gauges, switches, controls and communications equipment. Render enjoys Mercury joystick steering, which allows for sideways movement and pinpoint manoeuvring, and ShockWave seats keep the skipper comfortable in rough seas.
Starlink connectivity ensures constant communication, while LED RGB lighting coupled with C-Zone automation lets you set the mood with a touch. A large TV in the crew/guest accommodation doubles as a multifunction display for both entertainment and navigation.
There’s air conditioning throughout, and a misting system is under consideration for the cockpit – an understandable luxury given the boat’s hot-climate base. Twin fridges, generous underfloor stowage, and forward storage for drones, dive gear, and camera equipment round out a thoroughly practical and well-designed layout.
Ready for charter, ready for action
While it serves a private mothership, Render will also be available for charter in Fiji, independently or in conjunction with the mothership. Her blend of speed, luxury, and sporting prowess makes her ideal for high-end guests looking for more than just a fancy shuttle to shore. Whether it’s spearheading a diving expedition, towing water toys, supporting foilers, or even just delivering guests from the airport in style, this good-looking catamaran can do it all.
Versatility and readiness extend to maintenance and operations too: lithium batteries in a fire-resistant compartment under the floor, fuel tanks port and starboard with valves to balance the trim, and easy access to all major systems make life simple for the crew. And with a top speed around 55 knots and adrenaline-pumping handling, Render is as thrilling to helm as she is to ride aboard as a guest.
‘Tender’ redefined
Boats like Render redefine what a ‘tender’ can be. More than just a support vessel, she is
a standalone performer, luxurious dayboat, practical utility craft, and a liveaboard for her skipper, all wrapped up in one fast, futuristic package. Built for a lifetime of adventure, Render is already carving her own path across the Pacific.
