At first glance a typical Grand Soleil. This is supported by its elegant lines, the sporty design, the flat cabin structure and the lush sail plan. And yet the new Grand Soleil 44 Performance beats the line with one rather obvious design feature: the distinctive hull shape at the stern. Unlike the sister models from the Performance line, the aft frame is no longer flat, wide and angular, but almost round. At the rear, the waterline is extremely narrow, despite the large width at deck level. The very distinctive design language is well known and can be assigned a name: Matteo Polli.
After his recent successes with ItaliYachts in the ORC regatta circuit (three world championship titles, two Italian champions, with Itali9.98 and 11.98), the surveying artist is now drawing for Cantiere del Pardo. His first project for the shipyard in Forli: the new Grand Soleil 44 Performance, which is now under construction. It should be possible to set sails on the first ship of this type as early as summer 2020.
The Race version: more winches and a regatta-oriented layout on deck
Like its bigger sister 48 Performance, a construction by Marco Lostuzzi (test in YACHT 1/2019), the new 44 will be available in two versions. The standard is the more noble Performance version, with teak deck, self-tacking jib, aluminum mast and a more travel-oriented cockpit layout with sheets, halyards and trim lines that are consistently guided aft. For regatta sailors, the ship is offered in the Race version. This sporty version comes with a briefly overlapping genu (106 percent) and optionally with a higher rig made of carbon fiber. For this purpose, the halyards and trim lines are led to additional winches on the companionway. Primary and secondary winches are available on the sides for trimming the genoa and main sheet.
The buyer also has to decide on the type and size of the keel: In addition to the standard L-keel with a 2.60 meter draft, an ORC-optimized attachment with a 2.40 meter or a short keel with a 2.00 meter draft is available. Of course, all options for both versions can be freely combined.
Standard layout below deck: three cabins, two toilet rooms
The interior design remains the same with the same variants: A conventional layout is planned with three spacious double cabins and two wet cells, both with separate shower cubicles. Variants to this layout are not initially planned.
Cantiere del Pardo has not yet issued an official list of prices and options. Nevertheless, a preliminary basic price is known: 379,600 euros (including 19 percent VAT) should cost the Grand Soleil 44 Performance in the basic version.
| Hull length | 13.40 m |
| Hull length | 13.40 m |
| width | 4.30 m |
| Drafts | 2.60 m (hours) / 2.40 m / 2.00 m |
| Weight | 9.0 t |
| Ballast / proportion | 2.7 t / 30% |
| Mainsail (hours) | 68.0 sqm |
| Self-tacking jib (std.) | 58.0 sqm |
| Gennaker | 160.0 sqm |
| machine | Volvo Pent50 PS (optional 60/75 PS) |
| constructor | Matteo Polli |
| styling | NautYacht design |