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Review by Richard Hazelton
This month we ventured up to Bellingham, Washington, "Where the wind always blows," to test sail the Grand Soleil 43, designed by J&J Design and built by Cantiere del pardo in Italy. With building breezes in sunny prelude to summer we motored out of the marina, pushed easily by the Yanmar 56 hp diesel/Saildrive system, which was extremely quiet. The stock engine on the boat is 40 hp but this boat had the performance package which, along with the larger engine, included larger Harken winches and a taller Sparcraft mast. We raised the main and rolled out the jib and moved off nicely in the 10-15 knot wind. The boat was quite responsive to the oversized wheel and the Solimar cable steering system. With only 1.5 turns lock to lock, she handled like a smaller boat. We pointed well upwind with decent speed, then reached quickly and comfortably. Her approximate PHRF rating should be about 85 which should make her an enjoyable and competitive club racer. Racers will enjoy the infinite Harken jib lead system which is fully adjustable from the cockpit. This should also prove popular for cruisers and shorthanded sailors. On the cruising side there's the bow roller, anchor locker and hidden windlass up forward. This boat had a standard hoist, loose-footed main but rollerfurling main is available. Like most boats of this size nowadays, the Grand Soleil 43 offers numerous rigging, decking and interior options depending on your needs and pocketbook. This particular boat had a nice combination of teak decking on the sidedecks, throughout the cockpit but not on the cabin top. I like it not only for the esthetic appeal but for footing and function as well. The teak is vacuum bagged onto the deck, not screwed. The boat has a low profile so visiblity is unimpeeded. It also helped that the ubiquitous dodger of northwest sailors was not installed - yet. Instruments are above the companionway with additional nav pod location available in front of the wheel. The cockpit, while not overly roomy is comfortable and practical. The spacious lazarettes have gaskets and an adjustable latch to keep hatches sealed tight against the elements. Going down below you're greeted by the American Cherry stained mahogany, treated with polyurethane, then buffed. The floor looks like teak and holly but is actually a laminate. Real wood can be substituted for no additional cost. At first I thought, "of course you'd want real wood," but then remembered we went with the laminate instead of wood in our home for a variety of reasons. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. The joinery throught the interior is nicely done, not just butted but tailed together. The linear galley stretches down the port side. Laminated countertops are standard, but our test boat had upgraded to the Corianne® countertops. Salon seating features a stand-alone bench seat in the middle of the cabin across from a "C-shaped divan", surrounding a large table. There is stowage under the seats with the bench seat housing the waterpump system. Continuing forward we go past the hanging locker and the forward head. A nice feature in the forward head is a shower door much like you'd have at home. The master cabin has a king size double berth with large stowage underneath and side carry-all shelves. While checking out this area we noticed that there were three of us standing at the "foot" of the bed, so there's plenty of room for getting dressed or other bedroom activities. Each side had two reading lights which I thought were a bit low and would be blocked when laying down, but there are also two lights overhead. The portside and starboard aft cabins each have double berths, hanging locker, shelves and seat. Ventilation and light are provided by two opening portlights. There is access to the engine compartment from both aft cabins. Combine that with access gained by raising the companionway stairs and you've got almost total access to the engine and systems. The engine hoses are all clear for ease of inspection. One indicator of construction quality are the doors to the cabins and heads. All the doors are framed with steel. They shut solidly and securely, not like the "rattley" doors you find on many boats. All wiring systems are run to the nav station through conduits and are color coded with numbered end terminals. Construction:* The hull is hand laid unidirectional fiberglass using 10 layers of fiberglass alernated with 11 coats of resin. The hull is strengthened by 8 longitudinal stringers and crossed by 12 transverse ribs and bulkhead. Hull and deck are bonded with an adhesive, fastened with 560 stainless steel rivets, then covered with two layers of mat and gelcoat. When we first got on board, Geoff called the Grand Soleil a "simple boat". As we sailed and inspected her it was easy to see what he meant. Basic functions of the boat were straightforward: systems above and below decks were functional, easy to use, and accessible, using well known manufacturers like Sparcraft mast and boom, Harken winches, Harken main and genoa cars and tracks, Lewmar hatches, Goiot portholes, Spinlock jammers, Solimar steering system and Yanmar engine. I liked a lot of the little things on the boat such as the woodwork joinery, the tightly fitting lazerette hatches and the solid feeling non-rattlely doors. Little things like those show the experience of the builder. The Grand Soleil 43 is not a race boat with a suggestion of an interior, nor is it an overly opulent teak palace. It is a simple and straight forward sailboat that should provide exciting club racing with the comfort and amenities for very pleasant cruising. (*Information provided by builder) Thanks to Geoff Chamness and Bob Plumb of Performance Yachts in Bellingham for providing the Grand Soleil 43. For more information on Grand Soleil 43 visit their website at: www.grandsoleil.net or www.yachtworld.com/performanceyachts ... on to page two specifications and layouts |
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