| France. Fountaine Pajot reveals two new sailing catamarans |
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| Thursday, 12 October 2006 | |
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Boat builder news: Following closely behind the success of the company’s new Mahé 36, Fountaine Pajot has just revealed two new boats at the longer end of its sailing catamaran line up that the La Rochelle-based builder has been honing, ready for launch next year. First up is the Salina 48, the replacement design for the company’s much-vaunted Bahia 46. One of Fountaine Pajot’s most successful designs, the incumbent has sold an impressive 170 models in its 10-years of manufacture. With such a heritage to live up to the design was put in the hands of architects Berret & Racoupeau. Available for delivery from May 2007, its 48-foot length gives it a slender profile and a very low centre of gravity – great for looks and even better for sea-keeping characteristics. An efficient 136m2 sail plan will also virtually eliminate pitch in choppy conditions. Space and comfort are richly deserved watchwords for the entire Fountaine Pajot range and nowhere is this more noticeable than in the new Salina 48. The saloon and cockpit form an expansive single-level space that incorporates galley, dining table, inside and outside living areas and a large sun-bathing pad that doubles-up as the tender and davit cover. Headroom throughout the living and accommodation areas is over 6’4” and there is wide access to an ergonomically designed mezzanine helm position from the cockpit. The Salina 48 comes in two versions. The Quatuor has 4 cabins, 4 bathrooms, with sleeping accommodations for 12 (not including the saloon) or the Maestro version, which has a private suite in one hull, with a laundry space that makes ocean sailing possible, and of course a hull for guests. Prices start from €420,000 excluding VAT and the boat is due to make its UK debut at the 2007 Southampton Boat Show. The next model down in Fountaine Pajot’s sailing catamaran range sees a new design too. The outgoing Belize 43 will be replaced by the Joubert/Nivelt designed Orana 44. As with its larger sister, this new 44-footer will have a single-level interior and exterior space, further enhancing the roominess of the catamaran design. But its not all about the interior, this single level plan reduces the centre of gravity and provides sea-keeping characteristics usually only seen in much larger sailing boats. The result is a spacious, luxurious and sporty family cruiser that is very capable in the open sea. The deck arrangement features key design cues from the Salina 48. A mezzanine helm area accessed from the cockpit gives 360°-visibility over the deck and the built-in hard bimini, providing space for three crew and all the sailing controls. Below, in the boat’s Maestro version, there are four cabins each with a full sized en-suite with large shower cubicle. The voluminous owner’s suite also features a semi-island bed. Like all boats in the range the new Orana 44 is manufactured using Fountaine-Pajot’s RTM Eco technology. All materials for the entire hull are laid-up and tacked into position dry, then enclosed in an airtight bag. Resin is then introduced under vacuum conditions filling the plug. The system ensures a very strong, uniform finish that eliminates voids in the lay-up process and provides an extremely rigid platform for the rig. “It’s quite an achievement but the factory has produced two exciting new designs that outperform the competition in terms of size, performance, features and cost,” says Carl Livett, Director of Chichester-based M.i.Cats, the UK’s sole agent for Fountaine Pajot. “However, unlike the Mahe 36, which will feature prominently in UK marinas, the majority of UK orders for the new Salina 48 and Orana 44 will be for owners to use abroad.” |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 12 October 2006 ) |
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