VIDEO Sly 43, the sports car with Nauta’s signature interior

We went to La Spezia to test the new Sly 43: between light winds and interiors that surprise (for the first time there is the hand of the Nauta studio) here is how it went.

If on deck, the sporty characteristics that have always cotraddistinguished Sly boats are undeniable, the real surprise awaits inside. While I wait for the wind to pick up a bit in the Gulf of La Spezia, I take the opportunity just to analyze the layout of the square. For the first time, the Italian shipyard collaborated with the Nauta studio, which opted for a linear galley to starboard, which allowed the charting area to be moved to the left and, most importantly, a large seven-person dinette complete with chaise longue. A solution that increases the feeling of space. The careful work on space by Nauta Design is then evident in the forward master cabin, where they were able to carve out a bed with head towards the bow, a rare solution on sport boats of this size.

Great attention on deck

On deck one moves easily, with all rigging positioned correctly. It is not a boat that you carry exactly on your own; the helmsman can safely maneuver while adjusting the mainsheet and mainsheet, perhaps by sitting (the space is there) immediately forward of the rudder wheels. At first glance it may appear that there is little storage space. Wrong intuition, because if the lockers under the seats are not very deep (on pain of excessive height loss in the cabins) and aft that there is enough room to stow everything and (I have tested it myself) you can even squeeze in quite comfortably if you need to work on the rudder or autopilot.

In navigation
We motor out of the gulf to look for wind at a speed of about seven knots at 2400 engine revolutions. The powerplant chosen by Sly for his thirteen-footer is a 40-horsepower Lombardini, mounted rather centrally. This not only optimizes the center of gravity but also moves the propeller away from the rudder blade, thus limiting turbulence. Coming out of the Portovenere channel, we find just over six knots of real wind. Upwind acceleration is good and we manage to maintain a constant speed around six knots, but what is striking is the ability to tighten the angle a lot. I can get the Sly 38 up to 27° in the wind before it loses power, especially in such a light breeze. When the wind strengthens slightly (we are still the real 10 knots anyway) we pull up an A Zero, with which we manage to reach eight knots of speed while holding a 120-degree angle. Of course, in order to keep the boat loaded, when even this breeze comes back down, I am forced to heel a little. However, the Sly 43 follows me well and is smooth in maneuvering, with a smooth wave transition. The hull, as we had already seen on the 38 (also by Marco Lostuzzi) has a rounded foredeck, while the hull then tends to flatten toward the stern.