BRAVA 25, A CRUISER FOR ALL

The Brava 25 is as simple as it can be but offers a very interesting cruising interior, the seaworthiness of a Class B certification, and hopefully a very interesting price.

The design looks like a bigger and more modernized class 5.80 ( it is designed by one of the best NA cabinets (VPLP))and offers warranties in regards to safety and performance, taking into consideration this type of boat, that for the French is a very popular one.

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In 1963 Philipe Harlé designed the Muscadet, and more than 500 sailboats were built over the next 15 years, a huge number for that time.

Muscadet

Not only many are still sailing today, as the demand for restoration (even new boats) is so considerable that Bava shipyard is dedicated to offering those services, not only restoring and building Muscadet but also Corsaire, an even older design and as popular as the Muscadet, both built with plywood bonded over a structure of massive wood.

Dominating perfectly this building technique they had the (great) idea to demand one of the best French Naval Cabinets to design what would be today a new Muscadet, meaning, using the same building materials, an inexpensive seaworthy boat, with a great cruising interior and updated performances.

The Brava 25 was the result and I kind of like its retro but functional looks, especially the interior where the use of plywood gives a very warm filling.

 It is an unpretending little boat suitable for coastal cruising, hopefully at a low cost and pretending to do what Muscadet had done in its time, to allow more to cruise.

Comparing the Brava 25 dimensions with the ones of Muscadet: Brava has 7.50m HL (M- 6.48m), B-2.90m Beam (M- 2.26m), B- 1.60m Draft (M- 1.25), B- 600kg Ballast (M- 520kg), B- 1600kg Displacement (M- 1200kg), B- 37.5% B/D (M- 43.3%),  B- 26.8 SA/D (M- 17.9), B- 126.7D/L (M-157.4).

No doubt Bava 25 will be a much faster boat with a much bigger overall stability and even in regards to safety stability and AVS, probably it is not worse, because the bigger Muscadet B/D will be probably compensated by the bigger draft, and a more efficient fixed keel (with the foil in cast iron and the ballast in lead).

The modern chinned hull seems quite nice to me and I will not be surprised if this boat has a very good sail performance. Note that contrary to the modern tendency this boat, even if relatively beamy, has fine bow entries.

 It will be a success, or not, depending on the price, that has to be low. Probably a good idea was to offer also this boat as a kit, already cut and ready to assemble at home.

That would enlarge the market niche for this boat, which could be sold that way to clients outside Europe.

It seems simple enough to be mounted and assembled by most, not demanding special skills, but only time and space. That would make it less expensive and would conform with the original idea: a cruiser for all, even the ones that don't have much money.

Specifications are still a bit vague and they don't know yet how much the boat will cost. We know that it can be powered by an inboard electric motor or by an outboard, and will have a chemical WC. The interior has a height of 1.50m and that should be enough to sit comfortably in the interior.