History of Your Classic Boats: Grand Soleil 39, the iconic “Spaghetti Swan”

Early 1980s, inverted, narrow stern mirrors, and blue-striped anvil deckhouses. They called it
“Spaghetti Swan”
precisely because at a glance it looked like the Finns. But the Grand Soleil 39 (12.5 m) was anything but, a small masterpiece by Alain Jèzèquel, a “premium” boat strong in the quality of Made in Italy, the one done right.

Grand Soleil 39 | History of your Classic Boats

More than 200 of you have sent us stories and images of your Classic Boats, enriching theonline archive dedicated to them and making so many of these great designs of the last century available to all. Keep up the good work! Now, however, after recounting dozens of them through your words and descriptions, it is time to also see the history and details of some of these great projects. So here are two “Spaghetti Swans,” two mythical Grand Soleil 39s, offspring of one of the many small masterpieces of the Cantiere del Pardo, in this case, signed by the great French magician Alain Jèzèquel.

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Grand Soleil 39 | The Origins

The Grand Soleil 39 was born in 1983 out of the fruitful collaboration between Cantiere del Pardo and Alain Jèzèquel, a partnership already well established with the earlier Grand Soleil 35 and Grand Soleil 343. The success of the project was clear from the start, so much so that production would not stop until 1990, with over 200 hulls produced. The key to it all lies in three basic components: quality, performance, and appeal. And 39 has all three.

Looking at the lines, the Grand Soleil 39 is fully a child of its time. Indeed, with the early 1980s came a special season, characterized by the two extremes, cruising and racing, and the middle ground, with the first performance cruisers timidly beginning to appear. But the real challenge is between those who chase performance, pulling regulations and materials to the max, and those who indulge in the pleasures of cruising, leaving the IOR behind.

As fast and high-performing as it is, absurdly, the Grand Soleil 39 belongs in the latter category. It was created for those who want to sail seriously, but without missing anything. But Jèzèquel was not at all the “Wizard of the Sixth Class” and, in fact, even the 39, despite the great attention to the comfort of its interior, is a boat that can run.

Grand Soleil 39 | The Project in Brief

Positive forward momentum is remarkable, less pronounced at the stern, with a narrow, inverted transom that slants toward the center of the boat in an exaggerated 3.76-meter beam to increase critical limit speed at heeled boats. Characteristics that under sail keep the boat charged, balanced, perhaps making people think that, underneath, they had not really forgotten about the race. Yet the interior is solid, rich down to the last detail and made to maximize comfort. The secret lies in the arrangement of the weights, which, although they abound, tend to the middle of the boat, helping the balances.

Your G.S. 39

Returning to our online archive dedicated to YOUR Classic Boats, if we talk about Grand Soleil 39 it is because, first and foremost, some of you did. Specifically, L. Ruocco and P. Debenedetti, who shared their beautiful “Spaghetti Swan” with all of us. You can find their contributions, as well as in the photos in this article, HERE and HERE, respectively, thus seeing both a late mid-series and a late series.

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Grand Soleil 39 | Data Sheet

Three “tidbits” about Classic Boats

• Want to learn more about the world of Classic Boats (1967-1998), the iconic boats of the period, the legendary designers, the stories and races of the “golden age” of sailing? Check out our section dedicated to Classic Boats!
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