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.
https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2020/03/class-mini-580-inexpensive-boat-to.html
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 |
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.
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).
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.
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.
I was wondering why you don't write about American made boats. I know there isn't a whole lot of activity with the few remaining manufacturers but there have been two recent releases the Tartan 395 and 365 and also a 455 in development.
ReplyDeleteDon't take me wrong but this blog is about interesting sailboats. From time to time I post about some boats that I do not find particularly interesting, but are bestsellers on the market, to say what I don't like in them.
DeleteThe new Tartan 395 and 365 are not interesting in a sense that they could have been designed 25 years ago, in fact when I looked at them I thought they where just MKII, on old hulls, and had to check to see that in fact they were new boats.
Nothing wrong with the boats, except being conservative. There are also European boats like that, conservative, that could have been designed decades ago, and I don't post about them too. Not deserving negative comments, except by their outdated design, not popular or selling in great numbers to justify a post (for that reason).
If their price would put them in competition with European boats from big brands, the ones that are cheaper and sell in bigger numbers, they would deserve, in several points a positive evaluation, but they cost USD 389000 (365) and USD 549000 (395) and that put them in competition with modern designed, well built cruisers, like X-Yachts, Solaris, Grand-Soleil, Hallberg Rassy or Saare and, except for someone that values outdated designs above all, I don't think they are a match, as cruising sailboats.
Of course, this is just my opinion, and you can disagree, but it is my blog ;-)
As an American, I could not agree more with your thoughts! The least interesting sailboats in the world seem to come from America right now.
DeleteBoat looks so nice;)
ReplyDelete