FEELING 13.90

I thought they were dying, trying to sold their old cruising designs (more than 12 years old) after the big commercial screw up that was the "new" boats, kind of a mixture between a motorboat, a monohull sailboat and a cat (Feeling 48, 52 and 55). 

 They had tried a relaunch of the Feeling 39 (16 year's old design) and the Feeling 44 (12 year's old), both boats have been interesting boats in their day but today outdated. That was really pathetic and sad coming from one of the oldest brands still in production (started in 1912) and also responsible for the Privilege cats.

I am really glad they went the right way with what looks to be a very nice design by Marc Lombard (I hope it is not too late). Like on the older cruising boats they propose a centerboarder (and if it would be like on the past models, a version with fixed keel and deep draft). A pity they have not opted for a swing keel with all the keel on the ballast, that seems more interesting for that boat.

On the advertising they talk about a voyage boat, an alternative to aluminium boats, but in what regards beeching nobody in his right mind will beach a heavy GRP boat since light damage on the gelcoat is a strong possibility and that's why I think a swing keel would be a better alternative, offering a shallow draft boat, faster, more powerful and with more stability (than the aluminium ones).

The Feeling had always a superior quality than mass market production boats and they talk about top of the market quality regarding this one. We will see if that is true ;-) To follow up with interest.

RAPIDO 60 TRIMARAN

It is on the water and it is a wonderful sailboat. If I was rich I would probably want one. To the huge costs of marinas and shipyards we will have to add about 1 400 000USD and the price is not even too bad if we consider that is a carbon boat. I suspect that a truly equipped boat would cost substantially more.

It should also be considered that this 60ft trimaran has the interior space of a 44ft monohull but at least the finnish seems to be rather good and many would not need a sailing boat with more than two cabins (both with an head).

The storage space seems not bad even if on the low side, but anyway, this is a boat for the type of sailor that likes to travel light.

The Rapido 60 is a Morrelli& Melvin design and displaces only 8600kg. It has a reasonable load ability for the type of boat (2000kg), about the same as a 40/42ft light monohull). The speed polar makes me dream. What a cruiser for some lucky guys ;-).

DEHLER 34, A GREAT SMALL BOAT?

Well, I hope it will be, since the design and the technical characteristics point that way and the last boats built by Dehler have been proved very good, with nice interiors. But, off course, we only would really now after some test sails and after having seen the boat, but all the indications are excellent.

The hull is beamy (3.60m) with all beam pulled aft, it has fine entries, a big draft standard (2.10m) a modern bulbed keel, and a high B/D ratio (35%). All this put together will give a big stability and a very powerful sailboat with an excellent reserve stability. The stability curve, that show how all these parameters integrate, is an excellent one, with a big positive stability, a small inverted one and a big AVS (near 140º).

The new 34 has a big interior volume and that allows not only a nice living area but lots of storage space. The Dehler is not particularly light, weighting about the same as an Oceanis 35 but it is built with better resins  has a full cored hull (balsa core) and an interior structure reinforced with carbon. That points to a considerably stronger boat.

And it will  be considerably faster since to the 54.2m2 of sail area that the Oceanis offer, the Dehler offers from 65 to 71m2, depending on the options. In medium to strong winds the Dehler will positively smoke the Oceanis, specially on a beam reach or upwind, due to its much bigger stability.

There are two options regarding steering, a two wheel setup or a tiller. A tiller will allow the boat to be more easily solo sailed, giving access to the four winches without letting go the tiller but will be more intrusive regarding "passengers" on the cockpit. The two wheel version will offer a more comfortable cockpit, to the ones that are not sailing the boat, but will only provide access from the wheel to the two back winches, being the other two out of reach of the whelsman.

Just two points that I would have prefered to be different: the balsa core and the deep single ruder. Regarding the balsa core, Dehler had used it for decades but it has recently changed it for synthetic materials (foams) that offer less problems in case of water intrusion on the core. It is hard to understand why on this one they went back to balsa core.

Regarding the rudder, today single rudders on beamy boats, to be efficient, have to be very deep and it is the case on the Dehler where the rudder is almost as deep as the kell (on the standard version). That brings problems regarding rudder protection, especially on med mooring when the boat goes backwards to a quay.

 If having one chose the one with the bigger draft (2.25m), it will not only be lighter and offer a better upwind performance, but most of all will offer a much better protection to the rudder. If you will hit the ground you will want to hit it with the kell, not the rudder that is way more fragile. Bottom point, a twin rudder would be a much better choice in what regards cruising.

The price seems to be great (about 110 000 euros without VAT) and the boat will be on the water in August even if I believe that will be a waiting list for this one ;-)

SALONA 380: GOOD NEWS

The new 380 is on the water and they sold already 8 boats (on the drawings). The Salona is one of the more interesting boats on the market regarding price/quality but even so they were in trouble. A new Salona on the water, due to the circumstances, are not only good news for Salona but to all that like nice and fast cruising boats.

I know they were in trouble because I helped some friends to make an excellent deal on the "old" 38 and they had some difficulty delivering the  boat. Salona, even with troubles, had done well, honoring the compromises and offering a lot of extras for the late delivery. They took a lot of time to put this new one on the water but now that they managed it and I believe the troubles will go away since the boat is offered at 150 000 euros on the cruising version and it seems just to be a bettered 38, being the 38 already a great sailboat.

The Italians from Solovelanet had already tested it and were impressed. Much more sail tests will follow and if you are interested in knowing better the boat you can charter it on Croatia, on the charter company that is owned by Salona, but you will have to be quick because I bet a lot of sailors will want to have a go at this boat on this summer :-)

More about the  Salona 380:
http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.it/2015/07/new-salona-380.html