x yacht vs grand soleil

• Forum Listing
• Marketplace
• Advanced Search
• About The Boat
• Boat Review Forum
• SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

X vs. Grand Soleil, which one to buy?

• Add to quote

Going to buy a boat, boiled down to X-40 /43 or Grand Soleil 40 (B&C) /43. I like the steel frames. Sailing area French Atlantic coast. Can anyone make a suggestion which helps in decision making? Thanks.  

Grand Soleil...... All the right reasons...  

Thanks, that makes 100% for Grand Soleil. Convincing. -)  

First of all both companies have built a very wide range of models with some being much better than others. To a great extent the choice would be model specific. In a general sense, I understand that the Grand Soleils have designed a number of newer competitive racers that do well under the IMS and IRC rules, but the boats that I have been on have seemed to be of less than sterling build quality and they have not done well in the lighter air of the US Atlantic coast. They have appeared to be very dated design, cruiser racers that have very little appeal to me as either racers or cruisers. X boats are harder for me to categorize. Their production models seem to be very well engineered and constructed. Recently I was on a roughly 20 year old X-boat that had been raced hard and treated roughly and was in amazingly good shape. There is a lot about the X-boat interior styling and construction that seems a little bit over simplified to the point of being a little crude for my taste but my overall impression is that X-boats build good boats that sail quite well. If I had to chose between the two, I would be strongly inclined toward the X-boat. Jeff  

Jeff, how old were the Grand Soleil models you were on? What aspects of their design were dated? Finally, what do you think about the use of the steel understructure? I too have been looking at the x-yachts and grand soleil models for some time and am curious to hear what you or anyone else has to say about these models.  

Have friends whose Grand Soleil lost its rudder twice, whereas the X-boats seem pretty bulletproof  

The last time I looked at a Grand Soleil it was at the Annapolis boat show either last year or the year before. Jeff  

Seems starting with the smaller boats the Grand Soleils are updated, so there might be some hope that the quality increased. Did anybody here sail the Botin & Carceek designs (preferable 40/43) ? Any comments about their quality? Thanks  

• ?            
• 177K members

Top Contributors this Month

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Sailing Totem
• Sailor & Galley
• Living Aboard
• Destinations
• Gear & Electronics
• Charter Resources
• Ultimate Boating Giveaway

Sailboat Review: Grand Soleil 44 Performance

• By Mark Pillsbury
• May 13, 2022

Based on a thorough ­dockside inspection of the Grand Soleil 44 Performance, ­followed by a spirited test sail in near-ideal conditions a few days ­after the close of the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, CW ’s Boat of the Year ­judges agreed on three essential points: The GS 44 is stunning to look at, sails like the proverbial witch, and, without a doubt, earned the title of 2022 Best Performance Cruiser .

“It truly defines a racer/cruiser in my mind,” noted judge and systems expert Ed Sherman. “I think, ultimately, it’s a very well-built boat.” 

Our colleague Tim Murphy was quick to add, “I think it’s a really beautiful boat to look at, especially when we saw it on the water.”

Right on both counts, but for me, the boat truly came to life when we sheeted in the sails and beat our way up the Severn River in about 12 knots of wind. During my trick at the wheel, our speed over the ground hovered in the 8.5-knot range, with an occasional bump over 9 knots in the puffs. Visibility of the telltales was excellent. It was easy to move about the cockpit. And yes, the North Sails Dacron self-­tacking jib and black carbon-fiber ­mainsail provided plenty of horsepower, as you’d expect from a boat with a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 26.3 and a displacement-length ratio of 105, both sure indicators that the 44 leans heavily to the racier side of the performance spectrum.

Grand Soleil has been a longtime player in the racer/cruiser genre. Its performance range includes four models from 34 to 58 feet length overall. The builder, Cantiere Del Pardo in Italy, also has a line of what it calls Long Cruisers: the GS 42 LC, GS 46 LC and GS 52 LC.

The GS 44 was designed by ­Matteo Polli Yacht Design, an ­Italian firm that specializes in optimizing racing boats for the various handicapping rules. The 44, in particular, was spec’d out with ORC and IRC racing in mind, though it also offers all the amenities of a ­full-on cruising boat, with an ­interior designed by Nauta.

The layout below is stylish and traditional, with an owner’s stateroom forward that includes a head and shower compartment. Aft, there’s a pair of double staterooms for guests or racing mates. These share a head and shower to ­starboard, at the foot of the companionway. Opposite is an L-shaped ­galley with a couple of fridges, space for supplies, and fiddled counters for preparing meals. Forward of the galley, the U-shaped dinette seats eight, and the table can drop down to form an additional berth. Opposite is a settee that could be used as another bunk, with a nav station at its forward end.

Hull ports and hatches let in lots of daylight, making the light oak interior woodwork bright on a sunny day. A teak interior is also an option.

The 44’s hull and deck are vacuum-infused with vinylester resin. The hull is solid glass ­below the waterline; foam coring is used in the topsides and deck. Grand Soleil bonds a composite grid to the hull to carry loads from the keel, ­engine and keel-stepped mast. A peek under the cabin sole ­revealed beefy backing plates and double nuts to secure all ­stainless-steel keel bolts.

The boat we visited in ­Annapolis was powered by a 60 hp Volvo Penta diesel and saildrive (a 50 hp Volvo ­Penta is standard). The 60 hp unit pushed us along at 8.7 knots in get-home-quick mode (2,800 rpm).

But the real list of options comes into play on the GS 44’s exterior. Let’s begin with the keel. 

The boat we sailed had a foil optimized for ORC racing (7-foot-10-inch draft), but depending on how an ­owner plans to use the boat, he or she could also choose an IRC-­favored keel (9-foot-6-inch draft), the standard steel and lead torpedo keel (8-foot-6-inch draft), or a shoal-draft keel (6-foot-6-inch draft).

In addition, two carbon-­fiber bowsprits are available. The standard one is 3 feet, 2 inches long; the racing sprit on the boat we sailed was 5 feet, 3 inches. As I mentioned, this boat had a self-tacking jib, but there were also tracks on the coachroof to accommodate genoas of various sizes. (­Unfortunately, during our sail, a large off-wind gennaker was not available for reaching and running—now that would have been fun.)

The Performance version of the GS 44 th­at we sailed had a tall, 72-foot ­aluminum racing mast from Sparcraft. A ­carbon-fiber rig is also ­available.

And then there is the deck layout, which comes in standard Performance or Racing. In all configurations, a 2-inch toe rail surrounds the side decks to keep feet from slipping overboard when moving about. Lines are led aft under the coachroof from the mast, so the decks and cockpit are clutter-free. The 44 has a single rudder with twin helms and oh-so-sweet Jefa steering. Driving the boat was a delight.

With beam carried aft, the cockpit is wide. Seats that end forward of the helms allow room for the crew to work in racing mode. The trade-off is that in the open space between benches, there is no good place to brace one’s feet. Sherman noted, though, that the problem could be fixed easily by fashioning a wooden chock to fit into holes in the sole that are designed to hold the legs of the removable cockpit table. 

The Performance version of the GS 44 keeps things ­simple, with the aforementioned self-tacking jib, a double-ended German-style mainsheet, and a pair of electric winches just forward of each helm and within reach of the skipper. The Racing deck layout on the boat we sailed allows for more-­complex sheeting and sail ­controls, though it’s still cruiser-­friendly. One of the winches at each helm is moved forward to the cockpit coamings, where crew can tend to the jib sheets, and two additional winches are added to the cabin top for ­reefing lines and such. 

In either layout, there’s a cockpit-wide traveler recessed in the cockpit sole that comes in handy when it’s time to depower the main. The jib ­furler for either the self-­tacker or a genoa is belowdecks, ­forward of the chain locker, allowing for a larger headsail, though the furler drum will be hard to reach if there’s a ­problem because the locker ­opening is tight. Judges also noted that the bobstay used to support the bowsprit tends to get in the way when anchoring, though an owner will no doubt come up with a workaround there as well.

Related: 2022 Boat of the Year: Special Judges’ Awards

Those picked nits aside, I have to say, the GS 44 was one of the more fun boats that the Boat of the Year team got to sail. I could see it ­easily ­pampering a crew on an ­extended cruise, but it would be a rocket ship for ­rounding the buoys and racing from point to point.

I’ll give judge Gerry ­Douglas the last word: “The helm was just lovely on that boat. It was one finger on the wheel on all points of sail, which was just a delight.”

Grand Soleil 44 Performance Specifications

• More: Grand Soleil Yachts , print 2022 may , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
• More Sailboats

Baltic Behemoth: Hanse 510

The Pelagic 77 Amundsen is Delivered

New Boats on Deck

By Sail Or Paddle: Meet the 17′ Salish Voyager

Northern Exposure

The Boat Refit Edition: Next Season’s Upgrades

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

X-Yachts X43 review: fast passage making in comfort

• Theo Stocker
• August 25, 2023

X-Yachts’ latest model, the X43 promises to be a fast passage-making cruising boat that’s fun and engaging to sail but won’t scare your socks off. Theo Stocker went to find out how well the X43 toes the line

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

You know the stars have aligned when you get Force 4-5 and bright sunshine, as well as a boat, crew, photographer and RIB all in the right place at the right time. Conditions could not have been better for testing the Mark 2 version of the hugely successful X-Yachts X43. This was going to be fun.

We were lucky to have Pieter, the proud new owner of Lexi aboard, and as we motored down the river, he told me why he’d chosen this boat. ‘I previously owned a mass-produced 38ft family cruiser, which was great, but I wanted something a bit bigger and with three teenage children who really enjoy sailing, we needed more for them to get involved with on the boat. We wanted something that was really engaging to sail. I looked at Grand Soleil, Arcona and X-Yachts. I liked the X46 and my wife liked the X40, so we settled on the X43, and we’re both happy it’s the right size to have gone for.’

While Grand Soleil and Arcona are more on a par with the X-Performance range numbers wise, there are relatively few direct comparators to the X43 – perhaps a Dehler 42, or the slightly heavier and older Sweden Yacht 42. In short, this ‘Pure-X’ boat ploughs something of its own furrow between cruiser/racers and more dedicated cruisers.

It’s clear to the see the appeal of a proper sailing boat with plenty of canvas and single rudder steering for decent performance, combined with a reassuring amount of ballast and the creature comforts of deep-fill mattresses, microwave and coffee machine.

The wide cockpit makes sail handling and manoeuvres easy, but can feel a little exposed. Photo: Richard Langdon

More than just skin deep

Now, cosmetic surgery comes in all shapes and sizes. When it comes to boat models, design updates are often pretty superficial – a chin-tuck here, some filler there – new windows, extra cushion fabric options, and maybe a tweak or two to the deck layout. Far from a simple facelift, however, the new X43 has undergone a full-scale transformation of its rear end.

Everything forward of the shrouds remains unchanged from the original 2016 model, but from the shrouds aft, it’s a completely new hull. The boat is no beamier than the Mark 1, but that beam is carried all the way aft to supercharge its form stability with a stern fully 50cm wider. Drag-inducing wetted surface area has been reduced by lifting the rounded hull chines up and out of the water. This boat then has, in theory, both better light wind performance and better strong wind performance, but I’d have to take X-Yachts’ word for it on the light wind stuff.

First impressions were good. The test boat, fresh out of the wrapper, looked stylish, slick and neat. The S-shaped stem adds support for the Code-Zero tack near the base of the fixed carbon bowsprit; the tack point at the end is for asymmetric spinnakers that don’t require high luff tension.

A wider stern and higher chines give more stability when heeled and less drag in light airs. Photo: Richard Langdon

The broader stern, coupled with some extra space taken from the aft sidedecks, creates an enormously spacious cockpit, but with two table options to provide bracing. Add in the new higher soft hull chines aft, and she starts to look a lot more fleet of foot than the Mk 1.

Hidden from sight, the deep single rudder has been updated to make it both more powerful and slightly less balanced to provide better feel on the helm. Countless other small tweaks – larger hull windows, raised helm seats to keep your backside dry, a moulded recess for the self-tacking jib track (covered if not fitted) – contribute to a thorough refinement of an already highly successful model with more than 100 built since 2016.

Chainplates are neatly hidden within the moulded toerails, and stanchions are neatly fitted. Photo: Richard Langdon

This is only the second model designed by the in-house design team since the retirement of X-Yachts co-founder and lead designer, Niels Jeppesen, but it remains every inch an X-Yacht.

Shifting gears

A brisk Force 4 barreled up the Solent from the south east, and built through the day. With wind and tide together, the seas were flat, but as the tide turned, the chop would build. Full canvas was set to see how and when we would need to start shifting down the gears.

It took us a moment or two to get settled down – jib car positions, mainsheet traveller, halyard tensions, vang, outhaul and backstay all helped balance the power from a fairly generous sailplan. It was reassuring to feel through the wheel when the boat was, and wasn’t, properly in her stride, which is hard to replicate with a twin-rudder boat.

ockpit coamings offer a comfortable and secure seat for crew, with good views forwards from the wheel. Photo: Richard Langdon

In 14 knots true wind, we found that sailing at 32º-34º the speed settled around 7 knots, topping out at 7.2 knots with just over 20 knots across the deck. Pinching 5º higher saw the speed drop to 6.5 knots. That’s not bad going for a boat this comfortable. With the true wind speed creeping up to Force 5 (17-18 knots) and 30º of heel, it was finally time to put a reef in. Unsurprisingly, with a more sensible sail plan, she sat up to 20-25º, the helm eased and the speed climbed.

Where a pure performance boat might punish inattention, a good cruising boat should be a little more forgiving. Munching sandwiches and chatting over lunch on one of the beats, I wasn’t watching the telltales closely. It was easy to sail by feel and the boat didn’t stray from 28-32º to the wind, though pinching saw the speed down at 6.5 knots. While a bit of concentration found us the missing half-knot plus, the boat had happily sailed on in the right direction.

Coachroof jib tracks give a tight sheeting angle, with lines neatly ducted back to the cockpit. Photo: Richard Langdon

Prudence prevails

Our top reaching speed under plain sails was 8.2 knots, which was surpassed once the Code Zero was up on a broad reach, lifting us to a comfortable 8.5-9 knots, with the occasional foray above 10 knots in the gusts. Had we been racing, an asymmetric spinnaker might have been risked for some more double-digit speeds, but that’s not how she’d be sailed when cruising, and with both sailmaker and owner looking on, prudence prevailed.

While out there, I tried to overpress the boat, bearing away with the sails pinned in hard. The amount of grip from the single rudder was impressive, and she didn’t let go, even as the helm loaded up in complaint. Only at close to 45º of heel did the boat start to overpower the rudder, though never out of control. A slight luff and an ease on the sheets had her back at heel.

While not a planing hull, this boat will exceed hull speed under Code Zero or asymmetric. Photo: Richard Langdon

Similarly, when overpressed with the Code Zero up, I was always able to force the bow back downwind to bring the boat more upright without needing to ease the sheets. This is in part thanks to the boat’s significant form stability, and her impressive ballast ratio of 40%; the cast iron keel with lead bulb at the bottom of it makes for a very low centre of gravity.

While a racing boat crew would see this as speed potential, for a cruising boat, it buys you a safety margin in bad weather and more stable, solid cruising in good weather. The boat tested had two reefs in the North Sails Norlam Xi main and a 106% genoa. Light wind sailing wasn’t something we got the chance to try on our test, but reports of the hull concept first trialled on the flagship X56 suggest that this hull is easily driven in the light stuff too, for which the owner had specified both large asymmetric and symmetric running spinnakers.

Little details also make a big difference, and I liked having the ability to furl away the stack pack sail cover and appreciated the clips fitted either side of the gooseneck to allow the lazyjacks to be hooked back when not in use. There were mast steps to reach the top of the stack pack, which is high as the boom has been kept above head height for crew in the cockpit.

Under engine, 2,200 revs got us to 7 knots in flat water, and 6.5 at 2,000rpm, with a Yanmar 45hp motor and saildrive transmission fitted with a three-bladed folding prop, upgraded from the two-bladed folding standard. Access to the engine is excellent from the front, as well as via large removable moulded panels on both sides in the aft cabins. The compartment also houses the 24-litre calorifier.

Once on a beat, the X43 will just want to keep going without asking too much of the crew. Photo: Richard Langdon

Sleek and functional

On deck, the layout is clean and functional. At the helm, large composite wheels are mounted with Jefa steering on pedestals with chartplotters, autopilot, and bowthruster control. A lifting foot chock for the helm was easy to deploy single-handed. Mainsheet winches can be reached from behind the wheel but are more comfortably used when sitting astride or ahead of the wheels.

While there’s no stern seat, the helm seat on the tail end of the coaming is comfortable under way. Numbers were visible on the coachroof mounted B&G Triton 2 displays, though to see the chartplotters you have to stand up; a pedestal repeater visible when seated would be nice.

Deck hardware and controls are good. The T-sheeted mainsheet worked well with high-spec blocks eliminating friction under load, and the 50ST Harken Performa winches were more than up to the job, with the port coachroof and starboard mainsheet winches being powered. The hydraulic backstay tensioner controlled the 2-spreader keel-stepped aluminium John Mast spar.

Two opening hatches each side and a large deck hatch ensure good ventilation in the stylish saloon, finished in Nordic oak. Photo: Richard Langdon

Neat touches include the chainplates being hidden below panels in the moulded bulwarks, and the cleverly routed ducting for most lines on deck.

The cockpit’s additional width is enormous. While there are bracing chocks on the centreline, for cruising one of the two removable table options would make the cockpit feel more secure. The bathing platform is optional too, though I can’t see many owners going without it, especially as it folds level with the cockpit sole so as not to interupt the clean lines and open feel.

Stowage on deck is good. In the three-cabin version we tested there’s a sole-depth cockpit locker extending aft under the coaming for long items, plus two hull-depth lazarette lockers. Between them sits a large gas locker with space for two big bottles of gas – an unusual arrangement that works well.

If you go for the two-cabin version, the cockpit locker becomes a huge hull-depth space that can be accessed through the aft heads.

Stowage abounds in the galley, and there’s a microwave in the overhead locker. Photo: Richard Langdon

At the bow, there’s a good deep anchor locker abaft the below-deck headsail furler, with a watertight bulkhead between it and the cavernous hull-depth forepeak locker. This is also a watertight compartment, but it can be drained into the main bilges via a seacock in the forward cabin. Little details like this and the absence of rough edges in out of the way places reveals the quality of build.

Practically elegant

Practicality continues as you head below, noticing as you do that the companionway hatch doors fold back into recesses, hiding rope bins for the halyard tails.

Below, it’s a sensible, practical layout – L-shaped galley to port, heads to starboard, C-shaped saloon seating and an aft-facing chart table against the forward heads bulkhead. The galley, including the microwave in the overhead lockers, includes good amounts of stowage above, behind and below the work surfaces, a top-opening fridge and an upright pantry locker abaft the three-burner gas cooker.

The heads, to starboard, would be a generous space on the two-cabin version, but here it has been split into two; the door opens to the sink and lockers, with a door aft for the starboard cabin, and a door forwards into the toilet and shower compartment. It’s slightly odd access to the aft cabin, but otherwise makes excellent use of space. It’s a shame there’s no wet locker, but a removable wet hanging rail is an option in the shower.

Tick the option for the en suite owner’s heads if you would like more privacy in the forward cabin. Photo: Richard Langdon

Solid and silent

The chart table is small but functional and would fit a leisure folio chart. There’s a bookshelf and switch panel above it, but on this boat no instrument displays were fitted. On the two-cabin version this becomes a full-size forward facing nav station. I’d have liked a couple more handholds around the bottom of the companionway for moving around below while heeled.

In the saloon, the elegant table is surrounded by C-shaped seating and folds out to serve the straight starboard settee, supported by a fixed base housing the obligatory bottle stowage. Both settees are long enough to make decent sea-berths. Tanks are beneath the seats, with 340 litres of water to port and 200 litres of diesel to starboard, which keeps weight central, though limits saloon stowage to the inboard ends of the C-shaped seating and the overhead lockers.

This is more than compensated for with the stowage beneath the double bed in the forward cabin, the base of which hinges on gas struts to reveal four large bins below, as well as the overhead lockers and the upright locker to starboard. You’d get even more if you don’t opt for the en suite heads on the port side, though I’d be reluctant to sacrifice that in the owner’s cabin.

In the aft cabins, this boat had the option of pipe-cot sea berths above and outboard of the generous double berths, in place of longitudinal shelves. Whether they’re regularly used as sea berths or not, they’d make extremely useful stowage in which to dump kit bags or children. Horizontal grained Nordic oak joinery and bulkheads, coupled with a moulded headlining throughout gives the boat a crisp, clean feel, with removable panels for maintenance access.

Part of the reason the boat sails so well is its stiffness. The hull is vacuum-infused, post-cured epoxy laminate over a foam core, while the deck is hand laid-up polyester resin over a foam core. As with boats of this calibre, bulkheads are bonded in, and there’s also a steel frame taking the keel loads with additional reinforcement from carbon box sections. Under way in chop, there wasn’t a single squeak or rattle – this is a beautifully built boat with the performance to back it up.

Enjoyed reading this?

A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price .

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals .

YM is packed with information to help you get the most from your time on the water.

• Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our experts
• Impartial in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment
• Cruising guides to help you reach those dream destinations

Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram.

This boat is undeniably fun to sail; engaging on the helm, responsive to being sailed well and reassuring in a blow. If you are after a racing machine, there are other performance cruisers that are faster, including from the X-Yachts Performance range. Similarly, the X-Yachts Cruising range offers a more sedate boat that would be better suited to blue-water cruising. But the Pure X range has found a niche in the market for fast cruisers. There were a couple of tiny niggles: the slightly odd access to the aft cabin through the heads might grow on me, but I wasn’t sure, and I’d have liked a wet locker somewhere on board; I thought it could do with a couple more handholds around the galley and the bottom of the companionway. But that’s nit-picking. This is a boat pretty devoid of hidden gremlins. Craftsmanship is top-notch throughout in both finish and construction, making a very stiff boat with a fresh, modern look. The design developments over the Mark 1 appear to have made a materially better boat with more power, more feel on the helm, and more stability.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Grand Soleil 46LC boat test – a cruiser with class

• Toby Hodges
• December 4, 2015

The first true cruiser from this Italian yard aims for comfortable sailing, easy handling and a light interior. Does she fit the bill? asks Toby Hodges

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

Winner of the Luxury Cruiser category of the European Yacht of the Year Awards 2015. Read more here

Cantieri del Pardo, based in Forli in Italy, has built nearly 4,000 Grand Soleil yachts in its 42-year history. Every model shares a common trait: all have been performance-based cruiser-racer designs – until now. The Grand Soleil 46LC is the company’s first cruising yacht, and it will make you sit up and take notice.

A cruising yacht means different things to different sailors. LC stands for ‘Long Cruise’ and there are many clues that this Italian brand is targeting warm weather/Mediterranean-type cruising. For a start the deck is replete with relaxation areas: a double sunbed nestles in the foredeck, there are aft-facing lounger seats in the cockpit and a large swimming platform aft that lowers hydraulically.

But these features are matched by practicality in a cockpit that provides protection for its crew by means of high bench coamings and a rollbar-style arch that keeps the boom and mainsheet clear of the cockpit and also helps support a full cockpit bimini.

Now you may be forgiven for thinking that this is similar to many other performance cruisers launched in recent years, particularly by Italian yards. These are typically fast cruisers: lightweight, flat-decked, trendy yachts that can be raced occasionally. But few are proper cruising yachts with hull shapes that will softly part the seas and provide good tankage, a comfortable cockpit and adequate stowage for long-term sailing.

Grand Soleil’s new yacht marks the start of a range that will address that gap between the mass production cruiser offerings of French and German yards and high-end – and typically more traditional – cruisers from northern Europe.

Seven years ago, faced with a decline in sales of racing yachts, X-Yachts took the bold decision to produce a new cruising line. It helped keep the company trading during the downturn, but the Xc line is still very much a Scandinavian-style cruiser, traditional in both looks and interior finish.

Italian through and through

The 46LC is Italian through and through, a design collaboration between Marco Lostuzzi and Nauta Yachts. She has bold looks, straight, angular lines, with big tinted hull portlights contrasting with stark topsides. And she has space and comfort to enjoy warm conditions to the full, is nimble enough for light-wind sailing and has a light, open and spacious interior.

Why hasn’t Grand Soleil produced a cruising yacht before? General manager Fabio Planamente says the company has been planning a cruising range for some years, but that this LC line only evolved once the company was back under Italian ownership. Now is the right time, he believes, to cater to different customers, including new clients from powerboat markets and those wanting to step up in quality from the larger production brands.

Grand Soleil’s most productive year was 2007 on the eve of the recession, when 187 boats were built. Today, after a brief spell under the umbrella of Bavaria, it enjoys a long-term commitment from current owners the Trevi Group and the focus of the company is on quality not quantity. “We want to produce around 50 boats per year in very good quality,” says Planamente.

The code of sailing

It was fitting that we tested this Med-style 46LC in archetypal Mediterranean cruising conditions: 6-14 knots over flat water. We sailed out of Lavagna, staying offshore to find the best breeze, and nosed into the colourful picture-postcard cove of Portofino for lunch.

In these light conditions it’s all about the Code 0, however. This close-reaching furling sail, set from the end of the 46LC’s chunky bowsprit, is the first option I would tick on the specs list. It can completely transform light-airs sailing, inducing heel, speed and pleasure in breeze as light as six knots true. In these conditions I wanted to remain at the helm for most of the long day.

The 46LC is only one tonne heavier than the Grand Soleil 47, but she has a much fuller, deeper shape that carries more beam aft. “A main difference compared to the performance range is that we step the masts on deck,” Planamente explains, “to stop any possibility of leaks when cruising.” Another difference is that an L-shaped keel is preferred to a T-keel. It still benefits from the same stiff structure as the performance models, including a carbon-reinforced internal grid and vacuum-infused hull and deck.

Nauta has kept the deck design as clean as possible. The arch keeps the boom and mainsheet out of the cockpit and a self-tacking jib comes as standard. And the boat can be handled using just two winches within reach of the twin wheels (although four winches are fitted to make handling offwind sails easier).

A German mainsheet is led back to the cockpit and a bank of clutches each side helps free up the working winches.

Bins are built into the aft end of the cockpit benches to help keep the cockpit clear of rope tails. These are a little too small to cope with the amount used under sail, I felt.

The code sail enabled us to hit peak speeds of around 8.5 knots, while pointing at around 50° to the apparent wind, and our average boat speed was typically just one knot less than single-figure wind speeds. It has a deeper cut than a Code 0, meaning we could sail on a beam reach and deeper while maintaining similar speeds.

Set up for cruising

Good performance might be expected from a Grand Soleil. But the ease with which you can set, douse and trim this sail is indicative of how well this yacht has been set up for cruising. The endless furling line is led back to the cockpit, as are all the sheets and halyards, which gives the helmsman complete control.

It meant we could sail to within a few lengths of the vertical cliffs for the photos, before either gybing or furling away the code sail in seconds.

This really is a boat that can be sailed easily and comfortably short-handed, ideal for cruising, especially with families or less experienced crew aboard. The pedestals are well designed, helping to ensure the wheels are within safe reach of each other. Crucially, the winches can also be reached easily from the wheels. What’s more, the helmsman has a comfortable position at each quarter for sitting out, with uninterrupted views forward.

The combination of a small self-tacking jib and a large furling sail is ideal for Med conditions. The neutral helm did make me wonder if the mast might be a little far forward and the arch obviously pushes the boom up high. Planamente says he has discussed the option of lengthening the boom with designer Lostuzzi to provide more sail area and pressure on the rudder.

As we gybed back to Lavagna under a dying evening breeze, I couldn’t help but appreciate how comfortable she is for all aboard. The 46LC seems to be the right size and the right style pitched at the right market level at the right time. In fact, there are few monohull designs I can think of today that I would prefer to cruise long term around the Mediterranean.

Space for travelling

Some clever design tricks are used in the accommodation layout to maximise space. The saloon sole is slightly raised, which helps create a shallow descent from the cockpit. The companionway is offset to accommodate a larger galley including an inboard sink area.

And the galley is one small step lower than the saloon, which also helps create the perception of a larger yacht.

A convertible table is preferred to a fixed navstation in the saloon; this drops to fill in a full berth. And by doing away with cockpit bench lockers, Grand Soleil has created significant extra headroom and light in the aft cabins. It is hard to over-emphasise the formidable amount of natural light that Nauta consistently manages to coax into its interiors.

A combination of a relatively deep hull and a slightly raised saloon provides generous bilge space – enough to centralise all the water and fuel tanks under the saloon sole for optimum weight distribution.

The standard tank volume is 900lt (owners can specify the ratio of fuel to water), but an upgrade of a further 300lt is available. Factor in an optional watermaker and it becomes clear that the 46 is capable of living up to its Long Cruise signature. I was also impressed to find a proper wet-hanging locker in the heads.

To help maximise internal volume, the 46LC’s freeboard is high – if you combine this with the coachroof, she is nearly 15cm higher than the 47. Despite the spacious feel this creates below, however, the doorways are all surprisingly narrow.

The joiner work is smartly finished in natural oak (teak is optional), using solid wood around rounded corners and surrounds. And there are some tidy details, including the cotton sidelining, LED courtesy lights and dual Oceanair blinds fitted to all hatches.

Saloon Tanks mounted centrally below the sole are not only ideal for weight distribution, but it also means the sole is raised. This reduces the angle of the companionway and the areas below and behind the seats are available for stowage. Three different table options are offered, including one that drops to form a double berth. The chart table lowers to form a sofa berth. This solution works fine for short-term use, and makes for a great view through the hull port, but it has no backrest and lacks segregation/privacy from the saloon.

Galley The offset companionway helps to create space for a practically laid-out galley. The inboard island incorporating the sink provides useful support for working at heel and the generous work surfaces have high fiddles. There is plenty of stowage in the galley area in the form of soft-closing drawers, deep, raised lockers (which continue through the saloon), bottle stowage in the bilges and a bin area below the sinks.

Forward cabin All three cabins have hull portlights and provide superb space and light for a boat of the Grand Soleil’s size. The master cabin has good stowage in a large hanging wardrobe, plenty of raised lockers and deep drawers below the island berth. The compact ensuite works well and has a separate shower.

Aft cabins In contrast to the majority of aft guest cabins, the aft cabins on the 46LC give an immediate impression of space and light. With no cockpit bench lockers impeding there is enough headroom to sleep head-aft. The starboard cabin has direct heads access and a clever twin berth that can convert to a double.

At last, an Italian design that doesn’t claim to be all things

to all people! This is not a cruiser-racer, racer-cruiser, performance bluewater cruiser-cum-daysailer extraordinaire. The 46LC is simply a cruising yacht ideally suited to long-term sailing in sunny climes.

So if the mass production cruising boat options are not quite cutting it, or if you want something a bit sexier, a little more luxurious, a bit classier, a bit quicker … here she is.

The 46LC is a consistently good all-round yacht, which neither dazzles nor disappoints on the helm. She is what you might call a production yacht upgrade: one with more style and panache, and with greater quality and refinement.

She might be a little stark and angular for some; the contrast of the black hull portlights against the bright white topsides perhaps emphasises her slab sides a little. But this shape helps create impressive internal volume and once you’ve cruised with these large portlights and seen the blue water rushing by from down below it is hard to go back.

In my opinion, she is an ideal size and format for Mediterranean cruising, a voluminous modern monohull that might just convince any fence-sitters that they needn’t switch to a multihull after all.

Specifications

LOA 14.72m /48ft 4in

LOD 14.00m/45ft 11in

LWL 12.72m/41ft 9in

Beam (max) 4.41m/14ft 6in

Draught 2.30m/7ft 7in

Displacement (lightship) 12,000kg/26,455lb

Ballast 4,200kg/9,259lb

Sail area (100% foretriangle) 99m 2 /1,067ft 2

Engine 75hp shaft drive

Water 600lt/132gal

Fuel 300lt/66gal

Sail area:disp 19.2

Disp:LWL 162

Price ex VAT €369,000 (£270,424)

Price as tested €499,102 (£369,875)

Designed by Marco Lostuzzi and Nauta Yachts

http://www.grandsoleil.net