Carbon fiber was pioneered for use in Formula One racing cars, but has since found its way into all sorts of applications. Today you'll find it in automobiles, airplanes and all manner of consumer products. But it's just now beginning to dip its toes in the water, so to speak, in yachts.

Sunreef is preparing to launch what it claims is the world's first carbon-fiber sailing yacht in the Sunreef 80 Levante. The twin-hull design of the Sunreef 80 Levante is made of a composite sandwich construction that combines vinylester, PVC foam, fiberglass and carbon fiber. Combined with a mast and boom made of carbon fiber and rigging made of Kevlar, the lightweight construction helps keep the weight down to a relatively featherlike 45 tons — despite its 80-foot length and 340 square meters of sail area. The weight allows it to reach a comfortable cruise of 15 knots and top speeds in excess of 20 knots.

Inside the catamaran you'll find a master suite on the main deck alongside the salon with helm station, dining area and lounge. In the hulls below decks you'll find two guest cabins with en-suite heads, an additional guest berth, two crew's quarters and a full galley.

The Polish shipyard, long a pioneer in catamaran construction, has also fitted its new sailing vessel with a new rigging system that incorporates 12 load pins into the mast, rigging and winches to allow the skipper to monitor the load while underway and transmit information back to Sunreef for research and development. And above decks there's ample space to enjoy the outdoors from the wide rear cockpit and flybridge.

The Sunreef 80 Levante is set to debut at the Cannes International Boat Show in the South of France this September, where Sunreef will also showcase its new 60-foot power catamaran Lilu and reveal plans for a new 90-foot power yacht, a 210-foot power megayacht and a 165-foot super sailing catamaran.