PROVEN. Grand Soleil 44, when performance matters. PHOTOS and VIDEO
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An ambitious project, a boat that avowedly wants to win in racing while not betraying cruising use. We could sum up the new Grand Soleil 44 in this way.
The goal of designer Matteo Polli, making his debut with Cantiere del Pardo, was to create a boat that was efficient in a wide range of weather conditions and also performed well in complex situations such as those defined as “choppy,” or short wave. The result is a boat with a clearly sporty aesthetic, with some stylistic “signatures” typical of Grand Soleil (the deckhouse in particular) and others characterized by the designer’s interpretation of regulations such as the stern high above the water.
The boat is designed for rated regattas, those ORC in particular, and Polli’s stylistic signature can be seen in so many elements: already at the mooring you can see how the boat when flat has a fairly small wetted surface with bow and stern, especially the knee, high on the water and volumes that will go submerged as the boat begins to heel as the wind increases, as we also witnessed during the test.
However, a boat also has important volumes, defined by its width and freeboard, this is to avoid having a philosophy oriented only to racing but that can provide the comfort you need while cruising, also thanks to the interiors designed by Nauta Design.
It will be produced in two versions, the Performance and Race, which will have no difference from a construction point of view. Instead, they will differ for sail plan, rigging layout, and different keel options. Six winches for the Race, 4 for the Performance positioned close to the wheelhouse and with the possibility of equipping it with a self-tacking jib as well. Inside, the Race has smaller storage spaces in the dinette to contain the overall displacement.
SAILING
Comfortable. This is the first feeling we felt at the helm of the Grand Soleil 44. Where comfortable in this case is the impression of easily steering a performance boat. The conditions of our test saw a wind around 12 knots real, slightly gusty. We sailed both upwind with mainsail and jib, and to windward/leeward under Code Zero.
At the helm the boat is precise in its corrections and under gusts it gradually skids until it rests on the stern knee, at which point the boat’s tilt stops or increases even more slowly, returning a great feeling of stability, and acceleration, as soon as the waterline length increases. Details that give us an idea of an overall balanced project.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Hull length: 13.40 m
Maximum beam: 4.30 m
Draft: 2.60 m (2.40 – 2.80 opt.)
Displacement: 9,000 kg
Ballast: 3,000 kg
THE FULL TEST OF THE GRAND SOLEIL 44, WITH SAILING PERFORMANCE NUMBERS, INTERIORS AND ALL THE DETAILS OF THE BOAT, IN THE DECEMBER/JANUARY PRINT ISSUE OF THE JOURNAL OF SAILING
Mauro Giuffrè
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