Fast, sleek, and nimble vessels are built by HH Catamarans.

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The sailing cat niche, dominated mainly by European brands, is small but highly competitive. When Privilege and Lagoon, two pedigreed French brands, consider an eight-year-old Chinese builder as a legitimate challenger, it's worth paying attention.

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Since COO Paul Hakes-he's the H in "HH"-has matched upscale interiors with featherweight racing hulls, HH Catamarans has gained a loyal following in the US and Europe with a line of wave-jumping, fast cruisers to ocean yachts.

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HH's production headquarters in Xiamen, China, has been transformed into what Hakes calls a "mini-UN" of expat experts. Morelli & Melvin is the firm responsible for naval architecture. As local labor builds the yachts, HH can focus on using exotic materials and carbon fibers to achieve superior performance. The labor savings add up to 40,000 man-hours per cat. Hakes aspires to make HH the Ferrari of sailing cats.

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With their sleek, nimble and beautiful styling, the HH55 and HH66 are fitting for that famous Italian marque, while the HH88 is more like a Mercedes-AMG G-Wagen due to its larger interior and oceangoing hull. However, to keep an analogy with automobiles, HH's upstart nature reminds me of Lamborghini, a brand founded to compete with Enzo Ferrari's already successful brand.

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