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Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Dusseldorf 2023: Grand Soleil 40, Solaris 40, Arcona 415, Faurby 400.

                                                                                                                                Grand Soleil 40

Four 40ft performance cruisers at Dusseldorf are not bad, in these times, where 38/40ft performance cruisers have become almost an endangered species. In regards to the market, new 40ft boats have become quite rare: most cruisers prefer bigger boats, and the ones that want cruiser-racers, opt for smaller models to reduce costs, and to be able to race them with a smaller crew, or, if they have the money for it, they choose bigger yachts.


Grand Soleil 40
Several performance sailboat cruiser brands start their line with bigger models, like Ice, Mylius, Vismara, Swan, Hyncley, or Baltic, and few brands offer 38/40ft sailboat performance cruisers, and even fewer, relatively new models.

Let's start with the new Grand Soleil 40, a very beamy boat designed by one of the IRC/ORC magicians, Matteo Polli. 

If the boat was not designed by him I would say that the boat would not perform well with all that beam, but he has proved with the GS44 that he could design a beamy boat that would not only be overall fast but as well a winner in ORC/IRC races.

Proportionally the 40 is even beamier than the 44, having an 11.90m HL and a 4.07m beam. Note that when I am talking about a very beamy boat I am referring to beamy for a performance cruiser with a good overall sail performance (and not maximized only for downwind sailing). 


All above, Grand Soleil 40
Performance cruisers have, for performance reasons, less beam than main market cruiser sailboats, and it is still the case with the GS40. 

If we compare the GS 40 beam, with the one of Oceanis 40.1, the Dufour 41, or Hanse 418, we will see that they all are beamier boats (4.18, 4.30, 4.18m). But the GS 40 is beamier than the Sun Odyssey 410 (3.99 to 4.07m) and that is amazing, being the GS44 a performance cruiser.

Well, they say that the Sun Odyssey 410 is a performance cruiser, but that is not entirely true. The GS 40 is a much faster boat. Even if beamier the bow entries are considerably finner, the GS40 B/D is much bigger (33.3% to 25.0%) and the GS keel is much more efficient bringing the CG down, due to a bigger draft (2.40 to 2.14) and a lead torpedo, and that means a lot more power (RM) coming indirectly from the ballast, due to a lower CG.

That means that the GS40 has not only more power coming from the hull form stability but also more power coming from ballast, and a smaller drag due to finner entries and less wet area, due to the GS40 smaller displacement (7500kg to 8000kg).

All this will give it a much better Power/Drag relation that we will see reflected in the different SA/D upwind, 24.2 for the GS and 19.6 for the SO. The sail area in a sailboat is directly related to sailing power (RM at sailing heel angles) and normally, if both boats have a main and a jib, the SA/D upwind is a good way to have an idea about the Power/Drag relation. 

In this case, it should be considered that the SO 410 SA/D is calculated using a 110% standard genoa while the one of the GS40 is calculated with a standard jib. If a 110% genoa was used the difference would be bigger.

I am very curious about the GS40 sail and racing performance due to what seems to me an excessive beam for optimal performance, and even more, after having looked at the hull, that seems odd to me, meaning not like any other I have ever seen, in the aft sections.

It is impossible to show what I am talking about with photos, and the best way I can describe it is that when on fast boats the lines seem to be fluid to the transom, on this one there is a kind of discontinuity on that fluidity, kind of more full at water level.

I know that the hull has been tested in multiple configurations with the aid of CFD software, to find out what was the best shape in what regards the best compromise, taking into account different points of sail, wind, and different sea conditions and I guess the strangeness I find on the hull design has to do with diminishing drag in weak wind conditions.


Above and below, Arcona 415
Having no doubts about the superior competence of Matteo Polli in high-performance sailboat design, I am very curious about the sail performance of the G40 in the weak winds and upwind, which should be one of its weaknesses while racing (due to a big beam) and to know how this hull design works regarding improving performance at low angles of heel. Of course, we will have to wait for racing results at the top level to really be sure about that, but looking at the videos and seeing the way it sails, it seems to sail very well.

A very good sail test in the Yacht.de by Michael Good with 3 Beaufort (8 to 10 knot true wind) seems to confirm this, having the boat, as would be expected a great performance while beam reaching with a code 0, but not so good upwind without it, meaning high stability that allows the use of bigger sails but not so impressive performance without them, because of the extra drag due to beam. Have a look at what they found out:

https://www.yacht.de/yachten/fahrtenyachten/grand-soleil-40-neuer-performance-cruiser-aus-italien-im-test/


Faurby 400
Matteo Polli considers that the best solution for racing and cruising is a single deep rudder, which on this boat, due to beam needs to be really a very deep one. Regarding racing, I guess he is right, at least in coastal racing, but I do not agree in what regards cruising. 

A single rudder offers less reliability (in case it is broken, by orcas or in a shock with some debris) and it poses a liability while med mooring. For sailing and cruising in the med I would advise the 2.4m draft version (the standard one) because the other two (2.10 and 1.85m) shallow draft versions will have the rudder at about the same depth as the keel, making it very exposed, and if touching the ground with the keel at slow speed is not a problem, the same cannot be said regarding the rudder, especially if you are sailing backward (while med mooring).

Faurby 400
Regarding the interior, I have to say it looks much better than in the photos. Very well finished with two smart and functional disguised "holding bars". It really looks beautiful, but not very functional in regards to storage,  having in the saloon, and on the sides of the bow cabin very shallow fittings, that are supposed to hold objects (clothes in the cabin, books or CDs in the saloon), but that will fail at that function with the boat heeled.

Many will say that the longitudinal galley is not the best solution to be used at sea, and they will be right, but it is the best solution to be used when the boat is at anchor or at the marina or sailing heeling that side, allowing for a bigger galley.

Faurby 396 with open cockpit, the 396 is the same as the
 400 with the difference of having a bit less freeboard.
Preferring one or another depends on how much you sail offshore non-stop, or between anchorages, stopping in the evening for enjoying life in a nice place. Compared with less beamy boats with that solution the GS has the disadvantage of not allowing, when the boat is heeled to the right side, to use the central seat, with the feet holding under the stove, a very comfortable position to eat inside the boat. Due to the beam, the distance between the seat and the bench is just too big for that.


Grand Soleil 40
Regarding running rigging the GS has the great advantage of having all options interchangeable with the racing version, and that means that you can have a very well-equipped sailboat in regards to sailing, without losing all the cruising amenities, even if that will increases a lot the price over a very basic version, one that will be similar in rigging to Solaris 40.


 Solaris 40

Below, Arcona 410 (same hull as the 415)
It comes standard with four winches and jib on a self-tacking rail, but can have as an option 6 winches and genoa travelers. The traveler for the main with a german sheeting set-up is standard. 

The seating positions on the side, while steering, is very good as well as the sail ergonomics for sailing solo or duo, and on the 6-winch version all you need is to have the two cockpit frontal winches electrified.

You cannot have it both ways and if the running rigging works very well for solo or duo sailing, the same cannot be said for crewed racing, being the two aft winches too close to the wheel for optimal work, if there is a sailor at the wheel and other operating the winch. 


Faurby 400
Regarding storage,the interior one is not bad, being a good one in the galley and in the heads, with plenty of cabinets, as well as on the aft cabins, but having no cabinets in the saloon (and ridiculous holding on the shelves), as well as in the main cabin.

Outside, the chain locker is big and can store an extra sail, or fenders. The storage at the stern, under the cockpit, is also big, but there is no other locker in the cockpit (all space under the seats was used for increasing aft cabins area), and that will create a problem while cruising, being difficult to find on the big aft storage all that small stuff that is needed while cruising and that is normally stored under the seats. Not the best place to have a liferaft either.

Grand Soleil 40
The boat comes standard with only one head but oddly the space for the head is there, in the same place, turned into a big locker. That does not make sense, except for racing (to store sails) and everybody is going to prefer the model with two heads, I guess it is a way to make the boat look less expensive than it really is.


Solaris 40, 2 and 3 cabin versions


On the water, the GS40 looks really nice, with a well-disguised freeboard, and even the big beam is not too apparent, maybe because all the beam is not brought back. You can have more information about the GS 40 here:

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2022/03/new-grand-soleil-40.html

On the Solaris 40 they have opted also for a very beamy hull and the designer, Soto Acebal, that was known for not designing very beamy boats, had to comply with what the shipyard wanted. Both shipyards know that a big interior volume is a very strong argument in what regards selling cruisers, being they performance cruisers or not, and therefore very beamy boats, that dominated more than a decade ago the design of main market cruisers, are now dominating the designs of performance cruisers too.

Arcona 415, two different 3 cabin version layouts.
  It is also offered a 2 cabin version layout.
The Solaris 40 does not provide HL so it is impossible to know what is really the length of the yacht but with a 12.36 LOA should not be far from the one of the GS40 which has a 12.90m LOA (with a longer bowsprit). I would say that the Solaris is slightly longer, as it is slightly beamier (4.10 to 4.07m), even if it looks considerably beamier than the GS because all beam is brought back.


Below, one of the possible Faurby 400 layouts
Like on the GS44, the bow entries are narrow, but the stern design is different, as well as the aft hull sections that are more "normal" and fluid. The max beam is on the transom but the aft sections (and transom) are well rounded allowing the boat to sail heeling without drastically increasing drag and taking advantage of the RM (that increases with heel) produced by the considerable ballast, especially upwind.

It is a heavier boat (9400 to 7500kg) with a slightly smaller B/D (32.5% to 33.3%) on a similar torpedo keel, with a lead torpedo, and the same draft (2.40). This substantial difference in weight makes the GS40 a faster boat and a better boat while racing, having the possibility of having optionally a very complete running rigging, that allows for perfect control of sail shape.
Above and below, GS40

The Solaris 40 offers only a simplified running rigging with 4 winches. Like the GS 40 comes standard with a traveler for the main and a self-tacking jib. Oddly both boats do not offer foldable foot support, not even those slats of wood that were used previously, and I wonder when the boat is heavily heeled upwind how would somebody be able to stay on the upper rudder, especially with waves.

Contrary to the GS 40 the Solaris 40 does not offer a good side seated steering position and you have to buy the optional foldable seats to have one, but even so, you cannot change position, like on GS, aft or forward to the rudder. The accessibility to the winches is good, for solo or duo sailing, but not for racing, where the running rigging leaves much to be desired if a crew is used.


Above and below, Solaris 40
As would be expected the GS40 has a bigger SA/D. It is impossible to know the standard one from Solaris because they don't give the sail area of the standard self-tacking, but only the sail area with the optional genoa (that implies the option of two genoa tracks).

With the optional genoa the Solaris has a 22.8 SA/D while the GS40 with a jib has 24.2 or 25.2, with the taller mast. Note that the Solaris even if having a smaller SA/D has a a very consequent one and that will make it able to get good results in club racing.

Anyway, all the information I have says that the Solaris sails very well and that upwind (without expecting miracles), the performance is surprisingly good, for a boat with that beam, but in reality, GS40 and Solaris 40 are different boats, being the GS40 a performance cruiser that can be transformed in a top cruiser-racer and the Solaris 40, a performance cruiser that cannot be turned into a top cruiser-racer.

The GS40, with the right equipment, can perform well at a high level (we need confirmation regarding that), the Solaris 40 will not shame its owner at club regattas and can even perform well, depending on the opposition.

Above and below, Arcona 415
But I am not saying that the GS40 is better, just that they are different. The Solaris 40 has overall bigger stability (due to a bigger displacement), it feels like a bigger boat and the cruising potential is better than on the GS40, starting with the outside storage, which is bigger than the one on GS40, offering also a big sail locker, a big aft cockpit locker, but contrary to the GS 40, a big locker under one of the cockpit seats, and a dedicated space for the liferaft under the other.


Below, Faurby 400
Inside it offers a better and more dedicated chart table (bigger than the one on the GS40), more galley cabinets, an L shaped galley that is almost as big as the longitudinal one on the GS40, better shelves, that are deeper and usable (in the saloon and the forward cabin) and the possibility of a layout with two cabins, offering a big storage space accessed by the interior and the cockpit, offering also a bigger head with a big shower cabin.

The Solaris interior is more discreet in regards to style than the one of the GS 40, both have very good designs and are very nice, with a very good finish. 

There are things I like more in the GS, others I like more in the Solaris, in both I would like to change some things, and the choice of one over the other will have to do mostly with what each sailor considers more important in a performance cruiser, and of course, with the price of the boats in the desired configuration. 

More about the Solaris 40 here:

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2021/12/solaris-40-on-water.html

The Arcona 415 has a relatively new MKII, with a hull from the 410, a very good sailboat designed some years ago by the late Srefan Qviberg. The new version offers an open transom, an integrated bowsprit, a cabin with a continuous window, and a new interior.

Regarding the interior, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed with the finish of the boat that was at Dusseldof, in regard to cabinet door adjustments, which were not perfect, even if all the rest maintained the same high-quality standards that are an Arcona trademark. It was the first time that I saw that in an Arcona, that are normally very well finished, and the fact is that the other boat in the stand, an Arcona 435 was impeccable.

Grand Soleil 40 transom
The Dutch dealer explained that the boat was finished in a hurry for the show and that there was no time to have everything perfect, a thing that I have heard over and over every time I point to some small defect in any sailboat, but here, because the other boat was perfect, and because I have never seen anything like that in an Arcona, I will give it the benefit of the doubt.

The Arconas are fast performance cruisers in a kind of classical way, beautiful boats, very well built and finished and that in the near future will be probably even better, in what regards a more modern design.  I will leave that for another post, but you can have a hint here:

Grand Soleil 40 hull
https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2022/03/surprising-arcona-50.html

Anyway, it is refreshing to see a brand of performance cruisers refusing to produce very beamy boats to have the benefit of a huge interior. The Arcona 415 is slightly longer than the two previous boats, it has a 12.20m HL for a moderate beam of 3.90m. It is not a narrow boat but the beam is much smaller than the one of the GS40 (4.07) or the one of the Solaris 40 (4.10m).

With a displacement of 7800kg, it is almost as light as the GS40 (7500) and much lighter than the Solaris (9400kg). It has a similar B/D ratio, 33.3%, that compares with 32.5% on the Solaris and 33.3% on the GS, but it should be said that its smaller draft, 2.20 (compared with 2.40m) and a less efficient L  lead bulbed keel will make that B/D less efficient.

Solaris 40 hull
The Arcona has a good stability curve, with plenty of safety stability and a 123º AVS, which unfortunately have become rare in main market boats of this size, from the big brands. Its AVS is not far from the one of the Hallberg Rassy 400.

In regards to running ringing, it has a set-up similar to the one of the GS40 and as in the GS only 4 winches are standard, but the boat is in fact designed for a 6 winch setup (unless it uses a self-tacking rail for a jib) and in fact, I have never seen one with only 4 winches. It comes standard with genoa and the main travelers.


Above and below, Arcona 415
Like the GS40, it offers very good ergonomics while sailing and a very good steering seating position and, contrary to the other two boats, it has big slats on the cockpit floor to hold your position when the boat is heeled. It has also very good hand holds around the plotter stand, and even dedicated points for harnesses' lines.

In regards to sailing potential, the Arcona 415 has a 26.4 SA/D that compares with 22.8 SA/D (Solaris) and 24.2 or 25.2 on the Grand Soleil, depending on the version and size of the mast. No doubt it would be considerably faster than the Solaris 40 in most conditions; regarding the GS40 is hard to say, due to a similar SA/D  on very different hulls.

In some conditions, like light wind and upwind the Arcona should be faster, downwind or even beam reaching with over 3 Beaufort the GS40 should be faster. Being the 415 a new model there are no racing results, but the 410 which was basically the same boat, in regards to hull and rigging and without being a top IRC or ORC racer, obtained some good results in major races in the north of Europe and UK.

I would say (from the results I saw in elapsed time) that it has about the performance of a First 40, and that is remarkable if we take into consideration the Arcona luxurious interior. 


Above and below, Faurby 400
Regarding IRC/ORC I did not find any victory in any major race, but several results in the first four places, with a 2nd place as the best result. So I guess that it would be more than adequate for getting good results at club racing and having fun at high-level racing.

The cockpit offers good storage with a big aft cockpit that is accessed by two hatches, but it does not have cockpit lockers under the seats and that is a big inconvenience. The sail locker is big and has enough space for a sail or fenders. They don't show it, but they say they have a 2 cabin layout, and I hope it is similar to the one they offered on the 410. It makes a lot more sense for extensive cruising, in what regards storage.

One of the outstanding features of the Arcona is the cockpit table. On really performance cruisers or cruiser racers you don't want a cockpit table difficulting the sail manoeuvers in the sailboat. Some offer demountable tables, but they are voluminous and difficult to store, so it is not surprising that you did not find any mention of a cockpit table for the GS40, or any photo of one even if I am sure that if you want one, they will mount it.

On the Solaris 40, which is a slower boat and not designed as a cruiser-racer, or to be sailed as one, you have as an option a narrow cockpit table, which is shown in some photos from the shipyard. On the Arcona 415 the shipyard does not show any photos, but they should, because its solution is the best of two worlds: the table is hidden under the cockpit floor and it can be taken out and mounted easily in a few minutes.

The interior is beautiful, cozy, and with lots of storage and cabinets. The difference in the interior volume for the two beamier boats is not found in the saloon, where the Arcona has a very nice chart table, or in the galley, but in the size of the cabins. The 415 can have two heads, one in the forward cabin, but the size of the front cabin head is really small if compared with the big one on the Solaris.

The two-cabin layout does not only make sense in regards to cruising storage but also in what regards interior space because (assuming it is similar to the one on the 410), it allows the main head to have a separate shower space without cannibalizing the chart table, as well as it will allow for the single aft cabin to be much bigger.

Arcona has another solution to provide a dedicated space for a shower in the head, but that implies a smaller chart table, without a dedicated seat, a bit like in the GS40, but a bit smaller. However, that provides a cabin shower, allowing maintenance of the two aft cabins.

Only you know if the pleasure of sailing upwind, closer to the wind and having a better performance in lighter winds justifies the loss of space toward the GS40. You may very well find it irrelevant...or not. It is also a question of aesthetics and the way one likes to sail because a beamy boat offers more different sensations, than a narrower boat, not better or worse, with a better performance depending on wind intensity, and points of sail. Just a different compromise.

And talking about compromises and narrow boats, at Dusseldorf we could see a really narrow fast 40fter, a Faurby 400. The 400 is a MKII of the 396, which was originally designed by Niels Peter Faurby, 25 years ago, being updated in 2013 and again in 2020, changing the name to 400.

The biggest innovation that happened already a decade ago was achieved through collaboration with a Danish Olympic regatta racer, Jesper Banks, a very modern and strong torpedo keel that can now be used optionally on the 400. The design may be old, but the boat is still fast and in 2010 a 396 won the Palby Fyn Cup and in 2021 won the two-handed division on the Aegean 600. In between, several podiums in different races, even if not major ones.

The real innovation from the 400 towards the 396 is a hull with a bit more freeboard, giving it an interior standing weight of 2.00 meters. I don't know if I did not prefer the 396. I don't remember having to bend on the 396 and I am 1.87m. 1.90m seemed to me perfectly adequate for this type of boat, and a bigger freeboard does not improve the beauty or classical lines, and beauty in this boat is essential.

But it is still a beautiful sailboat, and one that is so classic that will never look old and will make proud any owner that likes sailing. The 400 has an 11.98m HL, and a 3.40m beam, which compares with 3.90 on the Arcona, 4.07 and 4.10, on the GS40, and Solaris 40. 

GS44 structure, below, a bigger Solaris
The Faurby is really a narrow boat and one of the few with 40ft (or more) that we can find in the cruising sailboat market. Due to a higher B/D of  38.5% on an L torpedo keel with a 1.95m draft, the Faurby probably can compensate for the smaller draft regarding all the above boats, and also compensates for the less efficient keel regarding  Solaris and GS. The Faurby 400 offers, in a very low drag hull, a considerable RM, with a significant part coming from the keel (that is why it needs to heel more).

The Faurby400 21.0 SA/D compares with 26.4 SA/D (Arcona) with 22.8 SA/D (Solaris) and 24.2 or 25.2 on the Grand Soleil, depending on the version and size of the mast, but the comparison is misleading because developing less drag, the Faurby will need less sail area to go at the same speed, and that is true in all points of sail, but particularly relevant upwind, and with lighter winds.

Bigger Arcona
If is chosen as an option the beautifully made torpedo keel (+ 4100 euros) with a 2.00m draft the difference in ballast (and boat weight) will be minimal (20kg - 38.3%B/D) but the RM coming for the keel will be more because that keel has now 90.7% of its weight on the lead torpedo. Not only the sailing power will be bigger, as well as the safety stability and AVS.

There is another optional version with a 2.50m draft (+ 2800 euros), and that would be the one I would choose to sail in the med. With a 35,8%B/D, it offers probably the same RM as the shallow draft torpedo keel version, but has a significant gain in weight (- 260kg), reducing the displacement to 6240kg and increasing the SA/D to 21.6. But that does not tell all the history in what regards sail power because now, with more power, the Faurby can use bigger sails or reefs later.

Faurby

Overall the Faurby is a fast boat, probably slower than the GS40 or the Arcona 415, but probably as fast or faster than the Solaris, depending on wind and points of sail, and with probably a better rating (than the Solaris).

If the experience of sailing a Solaris is already very different from the one of sailing an Arcona, it is radically different from the one of sailing a Faurby. Certainly, if we consider only the cruising advantages, it does not make any sense to buy a Faurby over a Solaris 40.


Above and below, Faurby torpedo keel

Even in regards to sailing speed while cruising, it does not make sense, being the Solaris in several sailing conditions faster than the Faurby, sailing with a lot less heel, and that makes the boat more comfortable for using the interior while sailing.

So, why would someone want to buy a Faurby 400? Out of love, love for the sailing sensations only a narrow boat can offer, love for having a beautiful classic yacht, love for having a boat that is finished like a work of art, with impeccable craftsmanship, love to have a boat that will forever be beautiful because its design is timeless and will never look dated, only classic and classics will always be classics. 

And regarding looks, it is the only boat I know that looks better with a sprayhood than without one, and besides all that it offers the possibility of doing club racing with good results, and lots of fun.

In what concerns interior amenities for cruising, the salon is comfortable the galley is very well designed and the number of cabinets and drawers is amazing, as well as the detail in using all available space, but the overall space of the forward cabin, saloon, and head is the one of a 36ft beamy cruiser and the aft cabin is even smaller, maybe too small for two adults, if both are big.

But space is not all and the overall feeling, due to the very high quality of the woodwork, is a good one: it feels nice and cozy. Outside the storage space is not much, it has storage space under the seats behind the wheel, and relatively large storage space on the other side of the single aft cabin.

They have been making this boat (396 and 400) for many years, they have made several different layouts, and in what regards that it is almost a custom boat, with several possibilities. The main problem, in regard to extensive cruising, is the difficulty of having a big water tankage.

GS 40

They offer standard only 140L. I am sure they can install another smaller deposit and increase that tankage a bit but the space on such a narrow boat will always be a problem, and if you occupy the space with another water tank then you will have problems with space for storing food, water, beer or mineral water.

In regards to boat building, they all offer high quality, with many characteristics in common: they all have stepped keel masts (optional on the Faurby 400), they all use high-quality resins (vinylester) and the Arcona and Faurby use steel frames, as part of the boat structure and to hold the keel and shrouds.

Solaris 40
The Faurby and  Arcona use a sandwich composite with multiaxial glass fiber reinforced vinylester, having both a divinycell core. Arcona, uses vacuum infusion, on Faurby it is hand laid. 

On both boats, bulkheads are laminated to the hull and deck. On the Arcona the main bulkhead is made of composite cored fiberglass.

Arcona 415
Solaris uses also a sandwich, with airex foam core, vinylester resins, vacuum infusion, and main and fore bulkheads (in sandwich composite) glassed to the hull and deck. The structure is glassed to the hull.

Grand Soleil uses similar building techniques and materials even if a different type of structure, a more integral one, bigger but not necessarily stronger, more similar to the ones used by big brands, but in this case not only bonded but also glassed to the hull.

Faurby 400
Better-built boats are not inexpensive and the prices can vary a lot with extras, but in standard configuration, at the shipyard, the Grand Soleil 40 costs about 320 000 €, the Solaris 40 costs 350 000 euros, the Arcona 415 342 505 € and the Faurby 400 cost 337 438 euros, including some equipment that is not standard on the others, like sails, some electronic, 6 winches.
 
In the end, the difference in price between these boats should not be big and in some, like the GS40, can vary much between a basic cruising version, and a true cruiser-racer. But not a big difference (7 or 8%) on a fully equipped boat with taxes, which can reach close to 40 000 euros, and that is a lot of money, enough to buy a car. So if interested in one of these make sure you make the price comparisons with all equipment you need on the boat, plus transport and taxes.

Anyway these are 4 wonderful boats and, providing it is the right choice for your lifestyle and sailing taste, you will be very well served with any of these. It is a pity that the recent increase in prices has made these boats even less affordable for the majority. In Europe, with taxes, we are talking about boats that will cost between 450 000 and 550 000 euros, fully equipped and delivered.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for, as always, a great write up. I would love the Faurby, but practical considerations would imply more beam. Hopefully I will have the cash to make such a decision in the coming years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Paulo,

    Another great post!

    I was checking your comment about the upwind behavior of GS40 in the Yacht.de test and when I translate to english (I don't understand German) I get: "The Grand Soleil 40 really gets going in between eight and ten knots of wind (wind force three). The log shows 6.4 knots close-hauled with a true wind angle of 40 degrees. A rollable Code Zero ensures a considerable increase in performance from a wind incidence of 70 degrees. At half wind the boat quickly reaches wind speed."

    So, obviously, the GS40 is faster with a Code Zero at 70 degrees than going up-wind really close; however, from my point of view, your comment of "but not so good upwind without it" can be misunderstanding, because the specific data reported (3 Beaufort, 6.4 knots, 40 degrees) looks really really good to me.

    What is the speed you expect with force 3 and 40 degrees?

    I have not seen de GS40, however I saw GS44 in Cannes two years ago, and I realize that the hull is beamed however the boat has no chains, and it looks as the aft-deck is “a balcony”, so with small angles of heeling (low wind) the wet beam is not as big if you look only the beam distance, so its performance in up-wind is not so penalized. What do you think about this?

    Really thanks for your post and comments.

    Woody

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Woody,

      I am pleased you have liked the post. Maybe I was not clear, I will try to explain better what I meant.

      With a code 0 the GS44 can go upwind only at a much bigger angle, and if beating, the extra speed does not compensate the much better angle, if you have enough wind to go at full power with a jib, or even a bigger genoa (in this case you need less wind to go at full power, with a small difference in wind angle).

      The GS 44 cannot use a 135 or 140% genoa due to the shrouds position and is limited to a 105% small genoa or a code 0.

      What I wanted to mean is that the GS 44 because it is beamy (big hull form stability) and has a considerable ballast can use the code 0 with more wind than less beamy boats, like for instance the Italia 12.98, and therefore can benefit more from its use in the conditions a Jib or a 105% genoa cannot bring the boat to full power.

      Beating against the wind, with enough wind, a 105% genoa will give a better performance (VMG), even if sailing with less speed, and it is about the speed sailing close hauled with a 105% genoa on the GS 44 that I am talking about when I say "but not so good upwind without it (in the conditions where it is not the better sail for the performance)" .

      And no, I don't find 6.4K at 40º of true wind with 3 Beaufort a very good upwind performance in flat water, for a fast cruiser-racer, with a hull designed for racing.

      Here (just at video beginning) you can see my boat doing well over 7kt close-hauled at 27/28º apparent (about 40 true wind). If I recall correctly, the apparent wind should be about 13/14kt and the real wind about 10kt. I have no doubt that beam reaching and downwind the GS 44 is much faster, but beating upwind I doubt, and mine is a 41ft boat.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx0gFeJDwT0

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    2. Really thanks for your complete answer. I really apreciate it.

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  3. gorgeous boats. Are these meant only for racing/regatta? how comfortable are these? question come from the fact that I dont see the table in the cookpit. How good are these for cruising the Med with family/kids?

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    1. No, these are not racing boats, meaning they have all that is needed for cruising, but they can do well while racing, some better than others.

      Some can be equipped to do serious racing (with lots of expensive extras) but standard they are what we can call performance cruisers, designed for the ones that like sailing as much as cruising, and want to have fun sailing fast while cruising.

      I cruise in a 41 performance cruiser and I regularly out sail and left behind 50 and 60ft modern sailboats, or left behind sailboats that are motoring while I am sailing. If you see the fun of doing that, this is not the type of sailboat that will suit you.

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