PROVEN. Grand Soleil 34, riding the thoroughbred Del Pardo . PHOTOS and VIDEO
THE PERFECT GIFT!
Give or treat yourself to a subscription to the print + digital Journal of Sailing and for only 69 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.
We had previewed it in Cannes but were looking forward to trying it out. Cantieri del Pardo ‘s new entry level, the Grand Soleil 34, Skyron design, is one of the most anticipated boats of the boat show season, and expectations, from what emerged from our test, were not disappointed. The target is clear: to go and challenge in offshore trials, in the Mediterranean and Ocean, the French queens, JPK and Sun Fast above all. But not only this, also a young and fresh boat to break the classic canons of sport cruising.
We went to try it out in the Gulf of Tigullio, on a day that was not the easiest because of the shifty wind but nonetheless significant for testing the boat: from the initial Tramontana on 8-9 knots we switched to a light South of similar intensity, the test of the Grand Soleil 34 thus took place in its potentially critical conditions, those of light wind.
The new 34 is a boat that has to be “tasted” at the helm: the tiller (but will also be produced with a double wheel), must be touched carefully and corrections must be minimal so as not to penalize speeds. With a double blade and a rather pronounced backward maximum beam, it is necessary to affect the rudder little in order to avoid unnecessary and counterproductive water displacement. Once placed on its track, the 34 increases numbers rapidly, and even in turn-out the speed loss is only half a knot.
Under the conditions of our test, the new 34 does not struggle to sail half a knot below the true wind speed, with an apparent angle around 35 degrees, but at times we were even able to equalize the wind speed.
At the slack under gennaker the new 34 enters its natural size. It is not a deep-going boat at the lee but, being able to produce a good apparent, it prefers slack and has no trouble rising above 7 knots as soon as the wind reaches 9, with an angle to the wind between 100 and 110 degrees, and then being able to lean further on acceleration.
Grand Soleil 34 – Technical Specs
| Overall length | 10,70 m |
| Fishing | 2,18 m |
| Displacement | 4,900 kg |
| Maximum beam | 3,60 m |
| Bulb | 2,200 kg |
| Mainsail | 40 m^2 |
| Genoa 110% | 31 m^2 |
| Gennaker | 110 m^2 |
Mauro Giuffrè
STAY UP TO DATE ON ALL BOAT AND SHIPYARD NEWS
STAY HOME, READ SAIL, DO GOOD
If you subscribe to the Journal of Sailing, we donate 10 euros to San Raffaele Hospital in Milan to address the coronavirus emergency
SUBSCRIBE NOW HERE!
——————————————————
NAVIGATE INFORMED!
To stay up-to-date on all the news from the world of sailing, selected by our editorial staff, sign up for the Sailing Newspaper newsletter! It is semplicissimo, just enter your email below, accept the Privacy Policy and click the “Sign me up” button. You will then receive on your email, twice a week, the best sailing news! It’s free and you can unsubscribe at any time, no obligation!
Share:
Check out the latest issue
Are you already a subscriber?
Ultimi annunci
Our social
Sign up for our Newsletter
We give you a gift
Sailing, its stories, all boats, accessories. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the Sailing Newspaper editorial staff each week. Plus we give you one month of GdV digitally on PC, Tablet, Smartphone. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button. You will receive a code to activate your month of GdV for free!
You may also be interested in.
X-Yachts owners, unite: there’s a regatta just for you (even Classic!).
In 1979 a shipyard was born that was destined to carve its name in the history of yachting: it was X-Yachts, of which the legendary X-79 became the standard-bearer. An excellent first design, signed Jeppesen, the small 7.9-meter would be
Professional skipper title, green light: how, where and when to get it
Professional skipper title. The Journal of Sailing has been asking for it for years , advocating for thousands of seafaring workers who have been waiting for years for a qualification untethered from the merchant sector, and for dozens of charter
USED Classic Boat. Five of the best boats signed Nautor Swan (13-20 m)
The landscape relating to Classic Bo ats-that is, production boats over 25 years old and launched since 1967-is a vast and ever-expanding one, made up of hulls of all shapes and sizes and, perhaps, not as easily “navigable” as one
USED Classic Boat. The top five boats of Se.Ri.Gi (Solaris)(12 – 17 m)
The landscape relating to Classic Bo ats-that is, production boats over 25 years old and launched since 1967-is a vast and ever-expanding one, made up of hulls of all shapes and sizes and, perhaps, not as easily “navigable” as one
