44 racing sailboat

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• Description
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Specifications

This lovely sailing yacht, with a remarkable design, is today the natural link between the  First 36  and  First 53 . It combines performance, elegance and comfort thanks to the quality of its equipment, which offers unequalled sailing pleasure.

With the new FIRST 44, BENETEAU draws to the noblest expression of the term “racer/cruiser”: an elegant and comfortable yacht that provides unequaled pleasure under sail. The generous sail plan allows the First 44 to be lively and efficient in all conditions.

Naval architect : BISCONTINI YACHT DESIGN Exterior & interior design : LORENZO ARGENTO

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Exterior design

The FIRST 44 is presented in two main setups, FIRST 44 and FIRST 44 PERFORMANCE, with a different deck plan and options for keels and masts.

In the FIRST 44 version, the cockpit is very convivial with a lovely cockpit table as well as its fluidity with a level access to the large clear gangways. Four winches, a fixed centerline block for the mainsheet and a mast that is set further aft all maximize the potential of her modern sailplan, defined by a slender mainsail and generously sized foresails. Two 350-litre ballast tanks, which can be activated electrically from the helm consoles, make it possible to maintain the boat's full potential.

On the FIRST 44 PERFORMANCE, deck ergonomics were studied and developed with fully crewed regattas in mind. Equipment and systems are totally geared towards racing, among which should be mentioned the foam non-skid surfaces that replace the teak on the cockpit sole, six well-placed winches and a conventional mainsail traveller.

Interior design

The First 44 offers a streamlined interior layout that is modern and luminous, with a blend of white lacquered surfaces, moulded woods and tasteful upholsteries. 

With three cabins and two heads, the interior is designed with quality finishes and materials to create a refined atmosphere.

In the saloon, the transverse table seats up to six people and faces the sofa and navigation station; its position in relation to the mast facilitates circulation between the galley and the owner's cabin, enhancing the feeling of space.

A dual design

The FIRST 44 has been designed with 2 deck plans to satisfy the various expectations of its owners: FIRST 44 and FIRST 44 PERFORMANCE.

The First 44 combines elegance and modernity with white lacquered furniture and moulded wood, carefully positioned indirect lighting and a wide range of upholstery.

The First 44 takes full benefit of BENETEAU's expertise and the knowledge of the best experts. More requested by their owners, the Firsts are the subject of very advanced development; the engineering was therefore entrusted to the Mer Forte design office, well known in ocean racing, and which held the same role for the Figaro Bénéteau 3. 

First 44 is born

Walkthrough, a connected boat.

The mobile application, Seanapps , and its onboard unit lets you view the status of the boat's various systems (battery charge, fuel or water tank levels, maintenance scheduling) via your smartphone, as well as planning your route or reviewing your sailing status using your mobile phone.

Virtual tour

Length Overall

Beam overall

13'11''

Lightship Displacement

Air Draught Max

72’9’'

Draught Min

Draught Max

Fuel Capacity

Water Capacity

Max. engine power

CE Certification

A12 / B12 / C14

First 44 – standard draft

First 44 – shoal draft

Performance draft

Performance draft ballast weight

Interior layout

First 44 deck plan

First 44 Performance deck plan

HARKEN HARDWARE

SV Lenny takes a spot on the 2023 Transpac podium!

After 11 days at sea, the SV Lenny and her crew placed second in their class. The crew gave their feedback on the boat pre and post race.

2023 Transpac - Meet the Crew of SV Lenny

In June 2023, a few days before SV Lenny started the 2023 Transpac, we spoke to the crew about the race, the boat and their connection to the legendary BENETEAU First boats. 

Nautic boat show 2022 : Spotlight on remarkable sustainable innovations at BENETEAU

BENETEAU has decided to follow the path of innovation to reduce the environmental impact of sailing. Practical yet ground-breaking innovations that were visible on the First 44e and the Oceanis 30.1e sailing yachts world premiered at the Nautic Boat Show in Paris.

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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
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Types of Racing Sailboats

Sailboats come in many different shapes and sizes depending on a variety of factors. This means there are a variety of sailboat racing boat types on the market.

When you look specifically at racing sailboats, you will notice several different aspects that separate them from other sailboats. You might be wondering, what are the types of racing sailboats?

There are many types of racing sailboats that range from one-man dinghies all the way to 100-foot yachts. Some racing sailboats are classified as keel boats, multi-hull, and even a tower ship. These boats are built primarily for speed, so comfort is usually an afterthought depending on the brand.

For racing sailboats, each one is going to fit within a specific race category. So depending on the type of race will dictate the types of sailboats you will see.

According to sailboat data, racing boats have slightly different designs that stand out compared to bluewater sailboats. Looking at the Olympics is another example of what other racing sailboats are out there.

Table of contents

‍ Characteristics of Racing Sailboats

There are quite a few sailboats made today that are geared specifically towards racing. They have one purpose, which is to go as fast as possible.

Some racing sailboats are advanced far more than the average ones, which is completely up to the buyer. For example, America’s Cup race showcases “foiling boats” that run on foils under the hulls. These allow the sailboats to go faster than 50 MPH.

If you are searching for boats that have characteristics to fit within a specific race type, you will find that many boats can enter different races depending on the rules. The most popular sailboat races are:

• Offshore/Oceanic

There are key features that separate racing boats from other sailboats and allow them to enter specific races. These can be narrowed down to the hull design, the type of keel, how many masts it has, and what type of sails are used.

Size of Racing Sailboats

As mentioned, these boats range from smaller dinghies to 100-foot yachts. Depending on the type of race will determine the type of boat that is being used.

The size of certain boats might prevent them from entering races where only smaller ones are allowed. There are exceptions in some races, like a handicapped fleet race, that will adjust the rating to allow their final time to be adjusted. The reason some races are handicapped to a certain extent is so a captain and his crew can determine the outcome and not a boat that is at an advantage.

Overall Design

With racing sailboats, they are subject to racing against the wind about half of the time. The angles of the boats are still similar to cruisers but greatly differ in the size of the sails to allow the sheets to have a better shape.

As racing boats are typically trying to sheet the sails hard, they are trying to keep them within the centerline. This allows the sails to be flatter and change them as needed.

Over time, the sails will typically wear out faster than the ones being used on regular sailboats. Since they are aggressively being used to stretch in the wind, they are subject to more use than regular sailboats.

Similar Looking Sailboats

There are races that only accept sailboats called one-design. These sailboats are built to exact specifications and are nearly identical to one another.

The reason that these boats are designed is to help combat any potential advantages from one boat to the next. It does not really set itself apart from other boats, but it is a good start to get into racing.

Lack of Interior Accommodations

Racing sailboats typically lack anything special on the inside to help save weight and go faster. Since a lot of features are not available, this means it would be nearly impossible to liveaboard full time.

In most scenarios, a true racing sailboat strictly has one purpose: to go fast. This does not mean that all racing sailboats cannot have luxury or comfort, since boat racing has been in existence since boats were first invented for water.

You would need to find boats that have a great balance between using them on weekends and racing. There are plenty of options to consider for what you want to accomplish in racing and comfort.

Types of Sails Being Used

Another characteristic that separates racing boats from cruisers is the types of sails that are being used. Both are designed for performance but are measured a bit differently. Racing sails are meant for speed, as regular sails are meant for cruising.

Depending on the goal of sailing, such as racing, you could look into purchasing sails that are specific to racing. Would you rather take off an extra minute or two of your time with a long upwind leg during a race or have the same durable sail for another five years out?

This opens up the door to endless possibilities of sail-making materials to get the job done. Most cruisers use Dacron or laminates that use a high-stretch fiber. With racing boats, light laminate sails have proven to be more durable and last longer than previous racing sails.

Popular Types of Racing Sailboats

Since the goal is to be around 50 MPH and have the best handling, many options have to be considered for the type of boat to possess both. Since comfort is not a deciding factor, it is somewhat easier to narrow down a racing boat over a bluewater or cruiser boat.

The types of racing sailboats that cater to you will all depend on your budget and your main goal of use. Each series of boats has its main purpose, with some having a little bit of comfort with racing.

Yachts and Super-Sized Sailboats

Yachts that specialize in racing tend to have a solid mix between speed and comfort. With a fiberglass hull and roughly 50 feet or so in length, these boats are not easily handled by just one or two people like others or there.

With that being said, they are also the most expensive out of the group. Even with exceptionally older models, you are still easily looking at $100,000.

You can expect to see racing yacht sailboats to reach about 17 MPH. Depending on the size, they can go faster or slower.

High-Performance Cruisers

Some boats can do it all when it comes to all-around performance . If you are looking for a boat that you can race for fun but still want to take it out offshore and live on, then you need to look at high-performance cruisers that can do both.

These boats generally range between 25 to 40 feet and are similar to yachts. However, they do not have as much luxury in comparison but the price tag is not nearly as heavy.

Trailerable Sailboats

Trailerable sailboats fall into similar categories like the dinghy and small racing boats. These boats can range in length up to 27 feet but are limited in their height and weight.

These serve a purpose for just about anything to do with sailing, but the racing ones are strictly for racing. Their design is meant for speed, not the comfort of heavy-duty performance offshore.

Small Racing Sailboats

Smaller racing sailboats are built to be lighter and have practically nothing on board compared to cruisers or dinghies. Due to their smaller size, they often get mistaken for larger dinghies even though they typically range between 20 and 70 feet.

These smaller racing sailboats are related to cruising sailboats but are a bit smaller. They are cousins to sailing dinghy boats that are used for racing. They also have fin keels and utilize laminate sails.

Sailing Dinghies

Dinghies are a category of small boats that have a wide variety of uses. If you are new to boating, it is a great place to start learning due to its size and simplicity.

These typically only need one or two people at most and are no longer than 15 feet in length at max. Many of these boats are competitively raced and will also result in a wet ride no matter what you do. You will see these types of boats used in certain Olympic events.

Racing Cruising Sailboats

Cruisers have a wide range in size and length, as they range between 16 and 50 feet or more. They feature cabins for extended cruising and have standing headroom below deck if over 26 feet.

Popular brands on the market have introduced models that are fit for racing. These are great for fleet races or for boats that are associated with cruising. With that being said, it is a great compromise for boaters that enjoy racing but also want to cruise whenever they want.

The cutter features a single mast and mainsail, which is very similar to common sailboats like a sloop. A cutter sailboat has the mast further aft which allows the attachment of the jib and staysail.

In high winds, a smaller staysail can still be flown from the inner stay. This used to be a traditional racing design back in the day.

Cutters are great for both offshore and coastal cruising. In addition, they can still be utilized as a racing boat depending on the conditions.

Fractional Rig Sloop

Fractional rig sloop sailboats were popular in the 60s and 70s, but have steadily made a comeback in today's market. This sloop’s forestay will not cross at the highest point of the mast, meaning it attaches at a lower position.

On fairly windy days when you do not have to utilize full power, the fractional rig allows the crew to slightly bend the tops of the mast and flatten out sails. This greatly affects performance and is a great option for cruising, one-design races, and even handicap sailing.

Schooner Sailboats

These particular sailboats have multiple sails which are protected by two masts. These are known as the mainmast and foremast, with the foremast being close to the ship’s foredeck and a lot shorter than the mainmast.

Depending on the size of the schooner, additional masts can be added to allow more sails. These are great for offshore cruising and sailing but can be an effective racing boat.

Trimarans and Catamarans

Trimarans have three of their hulls side by side and “cats” only have two. In comparison, they both share very similar characteristics for racing and overall performance.

Trimarans are quicker and easier to build than catamarans, so, therefore, they are more common. They both have similar restrictions on space and can be used for day sailing.

In addition, they are not as stable as compared to other sailboats out there. There are still various ways to use them and they make for great racing boats since they can reach up to 10 MPH.

How Can These Boats Go Faster?

Each person will select a racing boat that fits their needs accordingly. If you enjoy racing, but continue to lose against boats that are the same, you might want to consider either your team, the technique behind it all, or the boat itself. Routine maintenance is going to be the best thing you can do when checking to see if your racing sailboat can go any faster.

The hull has to be in top shape and needs to be able to hold tension. The sails also need to be checked to make sure they are not overly stretched or worn out.

The masts also need to be of the right stiffness, as they are bending with tension from the rigging. This one might have to be professionally calibrated if you do not know how to do it, especially since every boat with its mast is going to measure differently based on size and shape.

Finally, the weight of the boat could be the determining factor in winning or losing. Make sure the weight is appropriate and the maximum amount for the boat is not exceeded.

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BORN TO PERFORM

Gs 44 race | orc world champion 2021, 2022, 2023, one design, dual purpose.

The Grand Soleil 44 was a great challenge for Cantiere del Pardo. Designed by Matteo Polli, a designer renowned for his high-performance hull lines, the 44-footer completes the Performance range by showing a well-balanced relationship between size and performance. During navigation maneuvers, the owner and guests can take advantage of all the necessary space, for the comfort of the interiors and for the livability of the deck.

FROM PERFORMANCE TO RACE

The Grand Soleil 44 is available in two models. The first, the Performance model, has a sail plan and deck setup that allows you to sail easily and simply. The second, the Race version, has a competitive character and identity. Both versions ooze the timeless style and elegance that are the hallmarks of the entire Grand Soleil range.

SIMPLE SAILING AND COMFORT: PERFORMANCE LAYOUT

The performance layout is designed for those looking for performance and comfort, with attention to detail that allows elegance and improved navigation.

COMPETE AT THE BEST: RACE LAYOUT

The Grand Soleil 44 has a racing soul that it doesn’t want to hide. The design goal was clear from the start: to create the right balance between design and performance even for less experienced owners.

AIRY, LIVEABLE, BEAUTIFUL INTERIORS

The Grand Soleil 44 is the proof that performance doesn’t need to sacrifice comfort at all, thanks to large and beautiful interior spaces, amplified by the brightness that filters through the windows of the hull and the deck. Three cabins and two bathrooms, both with separate shower cubicles, complete the relaxation area. The L-shaped kitchen and dinette with a comfortable U-shaped sofa and table are positioned centrally, offering hospitality to up to eight people. Another three-seater sofa with a chart table adds even more comfort and flexibility for guests onboard.

ANOTHER STEP INTO THE COMFORT OF A LUXURY ESCAPE

The volume of the hull has been designed to offer maximum comfort. The interior spaces of the Grand Soleil 44 have a sense of freedom and practicality often found in larger yachts, with a layout that guarantees privacy even with many guests on board.

• COMFORTABLE, SPACIOUS AND FUNCTIONAL
• BRIGHT INTERIORS
• DOUBLE VERSION LOCKERS *Included in the performance cruising layout
• OWNER CABIN
• GUEST CABIN
• LUXURY FURNISHINGS

WORLD PREMIERE SPECS

The Grand Soleil 44 is available in two versions: GS 44 Performance and GS 44 Race. Two different layouts designed to be enjoyed in cruise mode as well as during racing.

TECHNICAL INFO

Hull length.

13.40 m – 43.96 ft 

4.27 m – 14.01 ft

Displacement

10.3 t approx – 20600 lb approx 

Volvo Penta 50 hp Saildrive std. 60 hp opt. 

300 l – 79 gal 

170 l – 45 gal 

2.60 m / 8.53 ft std. 2.40 m / 7.87 ft & 2.80 m / 9.19 ft opt.

Overall length (Performance)

14.33 m – 47 ft

Overall length (race)

15 m – 49.21 ft

Gennaker area (Performance)

170 m² -1830 ft²

Gennaker area (race)

195 m² – 2100 ft²

Mainsail area (Performance)

59 m² – 635 ft²

Mainsail area (race)

66 m² -711 ft²

Self taking jib (Performance)

47 m² – 506 ft²

Self taking jib (race)

57 m² – 614 ft²

About the GS 44

Naval architecture: Matteo Polli Deck and Interior Design: Nauta Design Shipyard: Cantiere del Pardo CE Category: “A” OCEAN

DISCOVER THE GRAND SOLEIL WORLD

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I would like to receive marketing communications on products, services and events offered by CANTIERE DEL PARDO S.p.A. I understand these communications may be personalised to me based on my interests, preferences and use of products and services, including invitations to provide customer experience feedback.

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2024 Boat of the Year: HH44

• By Dave Reed
• December 18, 2023

On a cool late-October morning in Annapolis, Maryland, Sailing World ’s Boat of the Year judges stepped on board the gleaming red HH44 built by the Hudson Yacht Group in China. With them for the test sail was HH Catamarans president Seth Hynes and commissioning skipper Chris Bailet, who had tuned the rig and bent on the boat’s Dacron delivery sails. (The race sails were delayed in shipping.) It was their first time sailing the boat too, and like the judges, they were eager to see what it could do.

As the crew slipped dock lines and motored away in silence, the boat’s twin 10-kilowatt electric engines propelled the sleek catamaran through the mooring field in silence. If not for the sound of water gurgling from the transoms and the apparent wind blowing across the foredeck, the judges could barely tell they were underway.

The mainsail was then carefully hoisted inside the lazy jacks, and the halyard held firm with an innovative Karver KJ cone (a conical rope-holding device that acts like a restricter). They bore away and unfurled the non-overlapping jib, which snapped full, and the boat immediately accelerated. 

“Once we got going, it was 5, 6, 7 knots and then—boom—we’re right up to 10,” Stewart says. And with that they were laying tracks all over the Chesapeake Bay, making good pace on all points of sail, even without a reaching sail to deploy. (That too was stuck in transit.)

After two hours of straight-­lining, tacking, jibing, and enjoying the comforts of the interior in a 10- to 15-knot southerly and sharp Chesapeake chop, I extracted the judges from the boat and asked, “So?”

“Boat of the Year,” was veteran Boat of the Year judge Chuck Allen’s immediate response. “That thing is wicked.”

Greg Stewart and Mike Ingham confirmed with nods of approval and big grins. There was no need to debate any further: The HH44 had earned the first award of what will be more to come. This $2 million crossover catamaran is the performance sailor’s retirement race boat. [Editor’s note: The judges’ estimated price was based on an expected racing inventory and associated hardware, but according to HH Catamarans, the new 2024 pricing is as follows: The HH44-OC will start at $995K and is approximately $1.3m fully optioned with EcoDrive and sails). The HH44-SC will start at $1.45m and be approximately $1.6 million fully optioned with EcoDrive and sails.]

With a stated 37 of these 44-footers on order as of late October and a waiting list of three-plus years, HH44s will someday be scattered about in cruising grounds around the world, says Hynes. But it’s only a matter of time—and it will be sooner than later—before owners gather and give the racing thing a go.  

The HH44 is the smallest of the builder’s new lineage of hybrid-powered performance catamarans (there is a 52-footer in the works), so it is positioned as an entry point into big-cat sailing. This model does not require a professional captain or crew because simplicity and owner-operator considerations are prevalent throughout the boat, which is designed by young naval architect James Hakes, son of Paul Hakes, one of the company founders. Chinese entrepreneur Hudson Wang is the other “H” of HH Catamarans.

“It had a great groove upwind. The self-tacking jib was really easy to deal with, and for the mainsail it was just a few feet of ease on the mainsheet, adjust the powered traveler up to center, trim on and go.”

“James brought the hybrid idea with him, and Hudson was willing to take a risk and look at doing something kind of game-changing in the industry with our parallel-­hybrid approach,” Hynes says. Morrelli & Melvin was intimately involved in every performance aspect of the boat, from the appendages to the final hull profile.

“It’s a diesel engine with a shaft drive, and then independent of that is an electric motor with a belt to the shaft, so they’re really independent of each other,” Hynes explains.  

HH isn’t the first or only builder to use the system from Hybrid Marine, but Hake’s approach to the boat overall is inextricably linked to maximizing solar coverage, which means a clean roof and placing the helm stations down in the cockpit. To address the known challenges of cockpit steering in such catamarans, the steering wheels pivot inboard and outboard to allow for better forward visibility and communication with anyone on the foredeck dealing with sails, anchors or dock lines.

Placing the steering stations in the cockpit eliminates the tiered wedding-cake look of most big catamarans these days. More importantly, doing so allows them to lower the sail plan. “That allows for more sail area and less stress on the standing rigging,” Stewart says. “Plus, it looks so much better.”

There are 4,432 watts worth of solar panels piled onto the coach roof, which Hynes says has plenty of juice to get by off the grid, even in low-light conditions. “At full battery capacity, you can run the boat at full throttle using the two 10-kilowatt electric motors and get 7 knots of boatspeed for approximately two hours,” he says. “In light air, you can even keep your leeward electric motor running to build yourself some apparent wind. That’s what’s great about this system: You can sail quietly when no one else can sail at all.”

The port helm station is where a lot of the boathandling happens; there are powered halyard winches and a meticulous array of labeled jammers. Tails disappear into a deep trough forward of the pedestal. The wheels are sized just right, Stewart says. “Initially, I was steering from the weather wheel and I could see fine, and when I went to the leeward wheel, I could easily see the telltales. It had a great feel to the helm—light and responsive with no slop or tightness.”

In Allen’s sailing assessment of the HH44: “It had a great groove upwind. The self-tacking jib was really easy to deal with, and for the mainsail it was just a few feet of ease on the mainsheet, adjust the powered traveler up to center, trim on and go. There is some choreography to learn with the steering wheel, though. You have to move the wheel inboard to get better access to the sail and daggerboard controls during the tack. But once you’re done, you pop the wheel right back out to the outboard position. We didn’t have a screecher to really light it up downwind, but even with the Dacron jib and main, the boat took off. I was really impressed.”

One wish for Stewart would be a sliver of a coach roof window for quick sail-trim checks, but he understood the priority of using every inch of solar-panel coverage.

Not having a sail-trim window wasn’t an issue for Ingham, however. “Most of the time, you’ll trim it to your best guess, take a step outboard and up the stairs right next to the wheel, and check yourself on the trim. It’s all push buttons anyway, so you’re not having to reload a winch or anything like that every time you make an adjustment.”

Even as the morning’s fresh breeze abated, the boat continued to perform beyond expectations, Stewart says. “As we got down to 5 knots of wind, the boat was still quick through the tacks. We didn’t have to back the jib at all, and it sailed at good angles upwind. I was impressed with how well it tacked, and how well it tracked with only one daggerboard down.”

Stewart, a naval architect himself, also appreciated the boat’s modern styling and “sexy-looking profile,” especially the uncluttered interior. “It’s a nice departure from other similar-­size catamarans,” he says. “I like the styling—it caught my eye the very first time I saw the rendering. The transom angle and the reverse bow give it nice aesthetics and the buoyancy you need. The curved boards worked well and are integrated nicely on with the boat. Overall, it’s a great-looking package, and it would be a lot of fun to do some races on.”

“We will definitely end up racing in the Caribbean and doing some fun events for owners,” Bailet says. “The cool thing about this boat is you can take a smaller crew of friends and race competitively, and it isn’t going to cost you $50,000 in paid crew and housing. You can race this boat with three or four people, no problem. Doublehandling is pretty easy too, but if you really wanted to go banging around the buoys, with this boat it would be easy.”

• More: 2024 Boat of the Year , HH Catamarans , Print January 2024 , Sailboats
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New Boat Review: A Look Inside the New Leadership 44

Morris yachts and designer dave pedrick combine talents in the coast guard academy’s new training vessel..

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy has always been a strong advocate of sail training, but for decades, the tall ship Eagle has held center stage. Of course, the Coast Guard Academy has always maintained a fleet of sailing vessels at its New London, Conn. campus, but the boats were usually hand-me-downs from the U.S. Naval Academy—boats that had been sailed hard for two decades or more.

This time, when the Naval Academy received its new fleet of Navy 44 MkIIs ($1.3 million per boat, including cost over-runs), the Coastie cadets set their sights on a new boat, too. Largely due to the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard Foundation, they got it: the new Leadership 44, built by Morris Yachts, a company best known for its high-end semi-custom yachts. As with the Navy 44 MkII ( PS , August 2008), the boat’s designer is David Pedrick, whose extensive resume ranges from America’s Cup boats to capable cruisers.

Fewer and fewer new sailboats are set up for 24/7 underway operation, so when we come across one that has the features we expect in a true offshore workhorse—offshore sleeping berths, ventilation in rough weather, a galley and head that work well underway, and a sail plan that’s efficient and easy to handle—we naturally get excited. At its heart, the Leadership 44 is a service academy boat, and its mission is to provide cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with both leadership and small-boat seamanship experience. It is more than just a platform for building teamwork and seamanship, however. Sailing skills learned at the academy often get put to use in the real world.

Now-retired USCG Capt. Kip Louttit often recalls his time spent sail training at the Coast Guard Academy. Later, as a junior officer aboard a cutter responding to a mayday call from the crew of a sailboat with engine trouble and a seasick crew, he put that training to work. Instead of plucking the crew from their unpleasant but non-life threatening seafaring experience, he and another crew member from the cutter were transferred from to the sloop. They set a reefed mainsail and jib that dampened the motion, got the engine started, charged the batteries, and then continued under sail for a couple of days to Shinnecock Inlet, where the local Coast Guard station crew took over. During the passage, they helped the owner and crew to recover from their misadventure and demonstrated how to handle an offshore passage.

Design Objectives

This sail training boat is neither an all-out-racer nor an ocean-crossing iceberg chaser. What the Coast Guard wanted was a sailboat to teach leadership skills as well as small-boat seamanship. And the reason that neither the Navy nor the Coast Guard could simply head to the Newport or Annapolis boat show and pick their boat form the fleet on display, was that nothing on the floating shelves quite met their needs. Both institutions realized that their demand for a sail-training boat required a vessel that could be driven hard and endure year after year of rough treatment ranging from wicked squalls to groundings.

Based on the Academy’s experience with its old Ludders yawls, it was clear that the demands of the mission were far more challenging than what individual owners or even charter companies placed upon mainstream production boats.

In short, the structural requirements needed to be upgraded, and functionality superseded luxury, aesthetics, and finish. For both the Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy, the right boat needed to offer the performance of a racer, the carrying capacity of a cruiser, and the durability of a workboat.

Once Pedrick had a clear picture of what the Coast Guard was looking for, he took the lessons learned from the Navy 44 project and designed a lighter-weight, fuller canoe-body sloop with a fractional rig sail plan and a carbon-fiber spar. The mission was clear, and what the superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy signed off on was a boat with, “contemporary lines, simplified rig and improved sail plan, that will meet the rigorous demands of the Coastal Sail Training Program and give the Academy excellent performance for years to come.”

Engineering

Taking weight out of a boat is easy if you’re not concerned about strength and stability. But if you are, effective engineering is the only answer to the challenge. Less ballast cuts down on weight, but you will sacrifice when in comes to the limit of positive stability or (LPS), also known as the angle of vanishing stability (AVS). Because the primary mission of the L44 lies in the coastal domain, reducing weight to increase light-air sailing ability could be justified. So the decrease in ballast and LPS was acceptable, and the result still delivered a boat that would have no trouble fulfilling the 115 stability index required for the Newport to Bermuda Race, if participation was on the agenda.

Adding a carbon mast was another weight-saver, paring away pounds where it counts the most. But when you get to the hull laminate, weight reduction with strength retention becomes more and more costly.

In order to shed some hull-and-deck weight, Morris used SP-High Modulus to engineer the laminates. The 30-year-old composite engineering company has an aircraft-savvy approach to boat building. Their SmartPac B³ system uses the designer’s files and finite element analysis to come up with a layer plan for putting the right amount of reinforcement in every given area of the boat. Then SP uses computer-controlled nesting software and fabric cutters, much the way a sailmaker cuts panels. Cloth, mat, stitched fabric, and foam are cut like parts of a tailored suit.

The process can be leveraged to favor light weight, low cost, or high strength, but not all at the same time. An advantage to the system is material standardization and less waste and clutter. The challenge lies in picking the right safety margin. Sailing loads are predictable, but wave impacts on decks or hitting a sharp edge of a large piece of flotsam may put loads where they weren’t anticipated, so how to value toughness and point load resistance to penetration also counts. The Leadership 44 mission statement doesn’t reflect as much open-ocean sea time as the Navy 44, so a slightly lower scan’tling could be justified.

Dr. Paul Miller, a naval architecture professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and consultant on the design of the Leadership 44, performed original research on the development of the laminate schedule for the Navy 44 MkII. He’s quick to point out that the Navy boat is built to a higher scan’tling and utilized more laminate in the hull and deck.

Both boats were resin-infused, a process that improves the slot filling in the core, increases the fiber-to-resin weight ratio and decreases void content. The scan’tlings of each boat fit the mission of the vessel.

The original McCurdy and Rhodes Navy 44 sloops, also built to robust scan’tlings, were pressed hard for 20 years. The boat’s success proved that enhanced structural strength is essential to achieving the durability required in a sail-training craft.

The rig and deck layout of the Leadership 44s signify a performance sailboat with a sea-going pedigree. Though not principally designed as a long distance passagemaker, the new boat bristles with offshore attributes. The low-profile cabinhouse, modest sized windows, and absence of ports in the hull emphasize impact-resistance and a readiness to handle breaking waves. The functional rub strake, a hard-won battle during the design of the Navy 44 MkII, made its way to the Leadership 44s.

The rig and rigging of the Coast Guard boat reflects the modern trend of a large mainsail and smaller jib, but by keeping shrouds inboard and avoiding excess spreader length, the ability to use a larger, over-lapping genoa remains an option. The Navy 44 MkII stuck with piston-hanking headsails and the belt-and-suspenders redundancy of a removable forestay and running backstays on an alloy spar. In this case, the designers went with the tried-and-true arrangement that would also give cadets experience with setting, reefing, and dousing non-furling sails. Whether the convenience of roller furling outweighs the experience of time on the foredeck that comes with conventional sails remains to be seen.

The Leadership 44’s rig is simpler than that of the Navy 44. A welded single-point chainplate cluster through-bolts to a no-nonsense double bracket. This transfers rig loads to a sizable knee that’s bonded into the hull and deck. The fitting is directly above the upper berths in the main saloon, so whomever draws the top bunk will soon learn whether the engineering is a success by the presence or lack of a persistent drip-drip.

The Navy 44 MkII took a different approach, creating a monocoque form incorporating the hull, deck, and chainplates. Time will tell which approach staves off the top bunk water-torture test, a recurring problem on the original Navy 44s, which featured a notoriously leaky stainless-steel angle bracket to carry the loads into the hull.

It’s nice to see a hull and deck that are designed with on-deck work as the priority. The Leadership is pleasantly free of bulging cabin sides, excess freeboard, obstacles to vault, and slick areas of untextured gelcoat. Ergonomically designed for safety and freedom of movement, particular underway, the layout offers a good model for the way a cruising boat should look.

The Tiflex Treadmaster nonskid (rated best in PS’s nonskid test, July 2012) is the epitome of un-slipperiness. Coachroof handrails are no-nonsense stainless steel, through-bolted in a fashion that is sure to keep them in place. The 30-inch double lifelines, securely attached stanchions, and effective geometry of the bow and stern pulpits are consistent with the leads for jacklines and clipping points in the cockpit—all demonstrating an ongoing concern for crew safety.

There’s no question that the design team was comprised of experienced sailors seeking to optimize running rigging and hardware location. Winches and rope clutches team up where they make sense. Gone are the six lines running to a single winch, a choke-point we often see on many over-clutched production boats. The self-tailing winches are situated where the person grinding has plenty of room to work and is not constrained to 280-degree arc. The helmsperson is isolated by the traveler, within easy reach, and a bridgedeck over the semi-open transom doubles as a carport for liferaft storage.

Though far from getting a nod of approval for sumptuous accommodations, this Pedrick/Morris interior is an elegant vision of Spartan utility. The open interior is well-ventilated with four large dorades, and it succeeds because of what it lacks as well as what has been installed. Best of all, the accommodations work at varying angles of heel and make being underway a pleasure rather than an ordeal. In some ways it’s a retro look at the utility of going to sea.

A foursome of berths is given priority in the main saloon. This is a place where an off-watch crew can get some sleep. Amidships, the motion is lessened and good ventilation optimized. There’s even a foursome of pipe berths in the forepeak that will be just fine for off-the-wind sailing or while at anchor. The head and galley are also optimally located and work well while underway.

The treat, however, is that the capable crew at Morris Yachts just couldn’t help but trim things out with just enough wood to deliver a hint of the their abiding forté. The result is a no-nonsense interior with a spacious chart table, very user friendly L-shaped galley with a deep double (small/large) sink and a heavy-duty centerline restraining bar that keeps the cook from landing in the nav-station when the boat is on a rough starboard-tack beat.

These accommodations work well in port and even better when underway.

Photo by Onne Van Der Wal courtesy of USCG

The ubiquitous Yanmar naturally aspirated 4JH4 was the engine of choice for both the Coast Guard and Navy sail trainers, and interestingly, both with traditional drivetrains rather than sail-drives. A lot of institutional mechanical know-how went into the decision, and reliability and repairability certainly played a roll. The same block can be turbo-charged for more horsepower, but the idea was nixed over concerns about added complexity, fuel consumption, range, and the irrationality of pushing a displacement vessel past hull speed.

The mission also drove tankage selection, and with a coastal itinerary being the mainstay of vessel usage, the chance to pull in and top-off lessened the need to lug lots of liquid. A 50-gallon holding tank was deemed necessary and a 130-gallon potable water supply was there just in case a Bermuda run might come into play. The scan’t 50 gallons of diesel are consistent with the idea that cadets will have no shortage of opportunities to motor from port-to-port during their training on other vessels.

One of the biggest departures from the Navy 44 is the L44’s carbon-fiber spar and fractional rig, as much a commitment to new technology as to simplifying sail handling. The mainsail has no full battens, only partials. As many racers have found, full battens on a boat with a permanent backstay can be a nuisance and rob performance in light air. The lower two battens are parallel to the boom so reefs 1, 2, and 3 can be easily tucked in, and the bunt of sail beneath the reef-point can be gathered and tied in a simple process.

The relatively small working jib is functional in a 10- to 30-knot wind range and allows the cadets to forego the foredeck two-step of sail changing as a thunderstorm rolls through at 0300. This fractional rig does require the crew to be ready to reef the large mainsail, but with good hardware and proper crew technique, it is simple to accomplish once the crew has learned the all-important lesson of not waiting too long to tuck in a reef.

The new boat comes with a conventional spinnaker, and with a crew of agile youth on board and light wind in play, there’s good reason to run spinnaker gymnastics training. We are sure that the civilian cruising version would also offer an asymmetric option with some form of removable sprit just in case your crew isn’t comprised of a half-dozen 18- to 21-year-olds.

Underway, the Leadership 44 delivers, pointing high and footing fast. One of the value-added fringe benefits of the fractional rig is that the boat will sail to weather when reefed with just the mainsail up. Another big plus is that the small jib and large mainsail combo fits a wide range of wind speeds without the need for a sail change.

The main saloon in a sailboat doesn’t need powerboat sofas to sell. And if you are planning a lot of overnight passages, it makes sense to have at least a couple berths amidships where dorade vents keep the boat ventilated and the pitching motion found in a seaway is reduced. The same goes for a galley that has sinks that drain on either tack and a stove that has room to swing through a 40-degree arc, even when the boat is already heeled 15 degrees to leeward.

In short, we like the Leadership 44 because it’s a boat to be sailed and savored during a passage rather than one that has to be endured.

Morris has plans to build two civilian versions, a racer and a performance cruiser. Draft and interior options vary, but the same quality of build and attention to detail found in the L44 will apply. The cost of these semi-custom boats is in keeping with other boats in the Morris line, and for those looking for more pure sailboat than fashion statement, it is a very valid alternative.

• Leadership 44 is Strong, Stiff, and Lightweight

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Very nice, but this is the taxpayers money and personally, I see no justification for a $1.2M expense over a high quality semi customized production boat of $400-500K. Catalina 440, for example, could meet the specs really well and for sure, the builder could add/customize anything necessary. Training USCG mariners isn’t racing, it is seamanship and sailboat handling in different real world conditions. Nitzan Sneh s/v GDY-Kids Contest 43 Boston, MA

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The world of competitive sailing has been profoundly transformed by the introduction of the AC75 class of racing yachts. These remarkable vessels, characterised by their advanced technology and innovative design, represent the pinnacle of modern sailing. Their evolution from a conceptual idea to a cutting-edge racing yacht illustrates a fascinating journey of technological progress, bold design choices, and relentless pursuit of performance.