Wednesday, October 26, 2016

AZUREE 41, ON THE WATER


I like Azuree, not only one boat but its entire line. That's one of the brands that I cannot understand why they don't sell more boats. Maybe because they are Turkish? We had already talked about the 41 when it was on the design stage: 
It looked already great as a design and it seems that the real thing is as good as the design. The boat has barely touched the water and it is already boat of the year for the British magazine Sailing Today, that says about the Azuree 41:

"She has a stylish, modern Italian interior with bags of light, and crisp exterior lines by the celebrated Rob Humphreys. She has more ballast than her predecessors, but a lighter hull with carbon fibre reinforcing. In other words, the Azuree 41 is a delightful family cruiser with a real turn of pace when you want to turn it on."

The Azuree was also tested by Yachting world, by Toby Hodges, that finish the test calling it a "Turkish delight". I had a good laugh at that, Turkish delight are famous Turkish sweet cookies:-)

So what can I say more that I had not said already on the previous post? That the price, like on all Azurees, is great comparing with the quality that is offered? That the boat offers a stability and sail power that puts it on another league than main market mass production builders, that offer products at about the same price?

I hope to confirm the quality of the finish at the Dusseldorf boat show, but if it is as good as the one on the 46, then it will be certainly one of my favorite 40fters.

18 comments:

  1. Hi Paulo, if in possible, I will like to know your impressions about this boat that was exposed in Dusseldorf. Specially compared with Dehler 42, X4 and Salona 41.
    Thank you very much

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  2. Hum, I would exclude the Salona 41 from that list. I have a friend waiting for a delivery of a Salona for two years with them always changing the delivery date. If they are not bankrupt they are almost at that point. They have a new 38ft boat and have not even the money to promote the boat going to Dusseldorf. A pity since Salonas are great sailing boats.

    The Dehler 42 and the Azuree 41 are two great boats with a hull with about the same beam but with a very different transom design, having the Azuree strong chines that limit heel. To know more about what that means have a look at the post with a comparison between the Azuree 46 and the Dehler 46. Much of what is said there is relevant to the comparison between the Azuree 41 and the Dehler 42.

    If you want a cruiser racer, intending to race with a crew now and then, probably the Dehler 42 is a better boat. If you want a fast performance cruiser and don't intend to race, than the Azuree is in my opinion a better boat and with a small crew will be as fast or faster than the Dehler on most points of sail. Both boats are well built.

    The X4 has a hull more similar to the one of the Dehler and the sailing characteristics of the two boats are not very different. The diference would relate more to the quality of the interior, that is good on the Dehler but excellent on the X4, with a gorgeous cozy design and to a superior building on the X yacht mainly in what regards boat structure. The price is also one of the main differences, being much superior on the X4.

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    1. Thanks
      What are the bigger diferences in the building of them? Is similar?

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    2. They all used cored hulls and decks but while Dehler seems to have balsa core on the deck the X4 and Azuree use foam. All of them use sandwich hulls with foam core using vacuum infusion techniques but while X4 uses epoxy resins, Azuree uses vinylester while Dehler seems to use polyester and vinylester resins.

      All use Eglass, Azuree and Dehler using carbon in some reinforcements on the keel boat structure while the X4 uses a massive steel galvanized structure.

      Regarding the Dehler they used to offer different materials with different costs regarding hull options. They have basically two versions, one that they call cruising and another they call race, that is just a better built and more expensive boat. Better get an up to date information because they had changed a lot on the last years in what regards hull build options, but be careful to whom you ask the information because most dealers know nothing about boat building. On the Dusseldorf boat show the dealer from Azuree said to me that the core material use on Azuree was solid PVC LOL.

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    3. Good morning Paulo, it looks like a good boat. If you finally visited it in Dusseldorf, I would be grateful if you would comment on your impressions of the azure 41, once seen "live". Alex

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    4. Hi Alex!

      Regarding the boat structure they had it visible through a plexiglass. Unusual keel bolt disposition, almost on a circle, instead of longitudinal way, with huge bolts, way bigger than for instance on a Bavaria vision 46.

      Regarding the interior it was well finished, particularly the wood grain continuity but I did not like the interior as much as the one on the 46. I didn't like those white cabinets neither the sliding way they open. A long way from the feeling of the interior of a X4, that has also a very different price tag.

      I liked more the interior of the Elan GT5. The rest of the boat seemed OK to me, with good holding bars on the saloon and good storage space and nice details..

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  3. Good morning Paulo, I dont understand how can be the keel bolt disposition on a circle. Is not like the other boats, along the top side of the keel?. Alex

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    1. A circle is a way of speaking. Normally keel bolts run in two parallel lines for a considerable distance, depending on boats. On the Azuree 41 not only the bolts see bigger than on most 40ft boats as that line is not so long and the distribution of the bolts laterally much bigger and if i can recall correctly, not parallel.

      On the whole it seems different but stronger and since most of the forces on the keel are lateral ones it makes kind of sense.

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  4. Hi Paulo, I just want to expose my experience as the new owner of an Azuree 41.
    After visiting it in several nautical salons and comparing them with the other alternatives that I proposed (Dehler 42, X4) I decided on the Azuree 41.
    The Dehler 42 I liked only aesthetically from the outside. I did not like the interior at all (although I did like the size of the stern beds) and I did not particularly like the solution of going through the aft bathroom to access one of the cabins. The price of Dehler was lower than Azuree 41 and I think that the quality of construction was also lower as well as its lower stability.
    That same inconvenience of aft cabin through the bathroom I saw the X-4. I do not like that solution at all, although I liked the rest of the ship. But the price was almost 100,000 euros higher and being a superior ship, I have doubts that it is so superior as to compensate that price difference.
    My experience with Azuree 41 is very good; it sails quite well. Very fast, especially with open winds. It has a very high stability. A lot of control with the double rudder blade and hold a lot of sail.
    Super-comfortable cockpit. Impressive the platform. Impressive and very useful the bow locker, more typical of a 44-45 '.
    The interior is very comfortable and habitable. The construction very good (carbon reinforcements in the countermold and cover) but without reaching Xyachts (but remember the difference in price).
    I think it's a very good boat, fast and livable with which you enjoy sailing.
    Alex

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    1. Hi Alex. Congratulations on your new boat! Yes it is a great cruising boat.

      Can you tell me if they rectified one of the very few things I did not like on the boat? I mean the stove not having over it a opening hatch, a lateral one.

      That is not the only boat without but my wife would be very pissed with that. That would not be dificult since they have an opening one over the chart table, where it is not as useful.

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    2. Hi Alex,

      can you tell me a little bit about the azuree 41?
      I would like to buy it but I'm worried about the few boats sold!
      How do you navigate in all gaits?
      thank you
      Carmine

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  5. Yes Paulo, it has been modified. Now there are 3 openable portlights on the starboard side (above kitchen, sink and bathroom) and 1 on the port side (chart table).

    Alex

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  6. What wou will choose from azuree 41 or maxi 1200?

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    1. I don't know. They are quite different boats having the Azuree a much bigger interior due to being bigger and being beamier. However I would say that I like more the quality and feel of the Maxi interior.

      The weight of both boats is not very different but the Azuree has more form stability and more ballast, for a similar keel and draft, so his stability is bigger and that's why it can have more sail area.

      Even so the smaller Maxi beam and hull lines should somewhat compensate that diference in sail area and power specially in light winds and upwind. Less sail makes it also an easier boat to sail. The Maxi 1200 will sail upwind with more heel than the Azuree.

      But I would say that the feeling while sailing is very important and I am quite sure these two boats will have a different sail feeling since they have quite different hulls, so I would try them before I choose one.

      They are two very nice cruising boats and if I liked the way both sail and if the storage space is not very different (I would have to look better) I would say that price would be an important factor. And don't forget that besides the price tag the discounts one would get on each boat can be very different.

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  7. For a budget of 200000 euro what sailing boat you choose to buy?

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    1. With 200 000 euros I would be on a very tight budget for a new boat. My boat, a Comet 41s costed me 155 000 euros with 5 years.

      With that budget you can only buy a new smaller boat. I would say that I would try to stretch that to 250 000 euros (including VAT) and I would have a More 40.

      If that's the price limit (including VAT) I would say a Azuree 33c ora Elan E4.

      I would say that for the price that they are offering it a Salona 380 would be a more interesting option than those two, but after the experience I had with a 38 that I commissioned for a friend I would be very careful buying a boat there and I even doubt I would, unless they had already the boat to be delivered.

      But remember, you asked a boat for me and I like fast sportive boats for cruising. Another sailor, or even if I was choosing a boat for a sailor with different tastes, the choice could be different.

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  8. It is not a fix budget and is whitout VAT. I like 3 boats ( elan e5, azuree 41 and maxi 1200 ). It is hard for me to chose. Please help!

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  9. I had already said what I think between the Azuree 41 and the Maxi 1200. I will add that for the same price the Azuree is a more rational choice and it makes only sense to chose the Maxi 1200 if you need only two cabins. The Maxi with 3 cabins has not enough. storage space.

    As I said before I like more the interior and the layout of the Maxi 1200, the design, the quality and finish and the galley, that on the 2 cabin version is bigger. I like also to sail tight and fast upwind and the Maxi 1200 looks quite good doing that. You would buy a Maxi 1200 over a Azuree 41 if you are in love with the Maxi and you should know when you are in love LOL. Not difficult, it is a lovely boat.

    I like the Elan E5 but i would not choose it because the galley is too small and stupidly on the two layout versions. My wife would kill me, there is not enough storage there. Off course that may not be important for you.

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