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S olaris Yachts of Aquilea, Italy, designs and builds a unique line of state-of-the-art cruising yachts for sailors who desire the best mix of speed, stability, comfort and ease of maneuvering in all kinds of weather. With sailing vessels ranging in size from 40 to 111 feet LOA, you can sail the world’s oceans in a deck and cabin setting that embraces a rare blend of easy handling, ergonomics and simple, functional luxury.

The Solaris 44 is emblematic of the company’s focus on technology and responsiveness to the needs of crew and passengers. Measuring a modest 44 feet, roughly the size of today’s typical cruising yacht, the Solaris 44 was made for short-handed crew. Designed by Javier Soto Acebal, all the lines, or running rigging, on this vessel lead to only two winches, both within easy reach of the helm. Even in the middle of a stormy night, a single crew member should have little trouble handling the jib and main sheets.

When you prepare to choose the specific design of the Solaris 44’s deck layout, you can take advantage of the ample space abaft of the helm—her beam is 13 feet, eight inches all the way back to the transom—by opting for a large stern cabin with wide twin berths. The standard version of the rear deck layout is comprised of a roomy sail locker, large cockpit lockers and an independent storage space for the dinghy or life raft.

The quality and finish of the interior joinery are distinctive features of Solaris, renowned and appreciated among the many Solaris owners crossing the world’s oceans today. The refined selection of hardwoods, combined with the skilled, handmade care in the details, yields an airy, sophisticated, yet warm feeling to both the interior and exterior. The end result, according to Solaris, is a vessel that responds to every anticipated need of the crew.  

Every model in the Solaris range, unlike in some other mass production yachts on the market, is built in accordance with the strict rules of the Maxi Ocean Yachts (MOY), even though these rules are intended to pertain only to larger yachts. Solaris meets or beats structural MOY requirements with materials contributing to stiff, solid, stress-resistant construction. The main and structural bulkheads are built of composite with a minimum 1.5-inch thickness and are laminated to the hull, rather than glued together with silicone as is the common practice in many mass-produced boats.  

The main bulkhead and principal reinforcement design form what is essentially a “structural cage” bearing the local loads of this yacht, such as the mast, chain plates and keel. Solaris claims, “The yacht is unaffected by any deformation and torsion in all sea and wind conditions.” To achieve this, all joinery is laminated to the hull, contributing to the overall, essentially monocoque composite structure of the cabin and deck.

The chain plates, which in most yachts are fabricated of 316 stainless steel, are made of 28 vacuum-bonded layers of unidirectional and bidirectional fibers. The keel, sustained by a one-inch-thick, 316 stainless steel flange plate, is connected to the hull backing plate by 1.25-inch-thick stainless steel bolts.

Experience and sea trials have demonstrated that most yachts suffer from the effects of wind and sea, resulting in at least some hull and cabin deformation over time. In some boats, hull and cabin creaking, plus the occasional crack in hull and deck structures, gradually develop, threatening the overall integrity of the vessel’s hull and superstructure. Though usually expected and generally benign, these fissures can lead to an unacceptable degree of failure at some point in a vessel’s lifetime.

For this reason, Galante points out, the priority of Solaris designers and engineers has been developing and perfecting “the non-deformation of the yacht derived through structural continuity,” or in other words, the development of monocoque, or monolithic, structural designs.

Step aboard a Solaris 44 and stroll around the wide, spacious, flush teak deck surrounding a swept, low-profile cabin top, tinted skylights and portlights, dual helms and running rigging arranged neatly and safely out of the way. Also take note of the separate storage area in the transom for the dinghy.  

Then step down the companionway and behold a wide, spacious cabin with ample seating and a large table mounted on a pair of highly polished, adjustable stainless mounts. An ample galley with refrigeration and freezer provide enough room for food prep adjacent to the dining area. Long, tinted portlights line both sides of the cabin and allow enough light to cheer up the cabin while controlling the sun’s glare. Walk forward to the vee-berth and behold a large, wide bunk with a lighted bookshelf, a spacious closet and a seat for dressing while underway. Your stroll through the Solaris 44 will reveal a yacht that is neither too big nor too small, easily managed by one or two crew members, large enough for a small family, yet still allowing a cozy feeling for a small crew. n

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Solaris 50 review: fast, fun cruising

• Rupert Holmes
• January 13, 2023

A sleek 50-footer with comfort, rewarding sailing qualities and performance, plus easy handling the Solaris 50 offers fun and rewarding sailing

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

The drive to include all the features we now expect of new yachts, such as easy handling, big cockpits for al fresco dining and huge accommodation volumes, all too often risks compromising the fundamentals of creating a yacht that’s fun and rewarding to sail. When developing its latest range of 40-60 footers, however, Solaris tackled these aspects as a top priority as is on display in the middle model, the Solaris 50.

An optimised helming experience is intended as a key feature. Designer Javier Soto Acebel deliberately pushed the helm stations as far out to the sides of the hull as possible to maximise the view and make it possible to see the full length of the headsail luff – something that’s difficult on many of today’s yachts. Despite the boat’s 16 tonne displacement, the steering is direct and responsive, with twin rudders offering excellent control.

This direct focus on the owner’s experience when sailing the boat also hints at the yard’s understanding that to be successful in today’s market requires more than producing great physical products – the overall ownership experience counts as well. More on that later.

There’s one drawback that, on paper at least, might be significant for a cruising yacht: there’s no proper helm seat. When sailing upwind I often like to sit on the side deck, with my feet braced against the pedestal – it’s a position that can be comfortable for hours at a stretch.

But the wheels of this boat are so close to the edge of the hull there are no side decks here. Our test boat had small plinths extending inboard of the gunwale to provide a perch of sorts, but it’s not suited to long periods of use, especially when heeled. The yard offers an optional folding seat, but that’s still not an ideal solution.

No helm seat, but a small plinth for the helmsman to perch at for short periods. Photo: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

Solaris has clearly wagered that owners will put up with the lack of a seat, given a better experience for as long as they’re happy to stand at the helm. And the reality is that, once offshore when cruising a boat like this, the autopilot is likely to be steering.

In other words this boat offers owners the choice: enjoyable helming when it suits them, but with no imperative for a human driver to be glued to the wheel.

For my first sail we had 17 to 22 knots of true wind with a short cross sea. Close-hauled with full sail, the boat had a very responsive and positive feel to the helm. It was easy to get into a groove.

Solaris 50 a stable platform

With attentive steering the Solaris 50 was responsive enough to accurately steer over waves when close-hauled to prevent slamming in the awkward sea state and, despite the hull’s reasonably broad forward sections, we only had the occasional gentle bounce. Those wide hull sections create a huge amount of form stability that combines with the efficiency of a 2.8m draught bulb keel. The boat was able to comfortably carry full main and 97% self-tacking jib when close-hauled in these conditions.

Bearing away and unfurling the North Helix furling gennaker the solaris 50 was eager to start surfing, even with the apparent wind as far forward as 110°. In 17 knots of true breeze we averaged around nine knots of boat speed, with easy gentle surfs to 11 knots.

Sailing the Solaris for European Yacht of the Year trials. The cockpit sole aft from the winches extends to the side of the hull, giving a protected area with deep bulwarks. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The Helix gennaker is an impressively flexible sail. You can wind the halyard tight to use it as a Code 0 or ease it off to sail at deeper angles. At 135° apparent in 16 knots of true wind (158° TWA), we were still making 8.7 knots of boat speed. With its bigger sail area, a conventional A2 spinnaker would have clearly been quite a bit faster at deep angles, but would require a second sail to be carried for reaching.

When pressed really hard while reaching in more than 20 knots of true wind, at times loads started to build in the helm. However, the rudders retained grip until we gybed with full main in 22 knots and were slow to ease the mainsheet. Even then, it was a gentle spin out and easy to regain control.

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As with many performance cruisers of this size, the German mainsheet is taken down to a single point on the cockpit floor, rather than a traveller, and controlled via winches each side. This has potential to leave crewmembers handling the winches each side vulnerable to the sheet if it’s not controlled precisely in a gybe, or when reefing the mainsail.

On the test Solaris 50, an electric winch on each side means sheeting the sail is quick and requires little effort. When reefing, the risk can be mitigated with a short tack so reefing pennants are on the windward side and clear of the arc of the mainsheet.

Although not a planing design, the Solaris 50 offers easy speeds. Photo: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

The boat is offered in both performance and cruising versions. Our test boat was the latter, with all controls led to a pair of winches ahead of each helm station. They’re somewhat inboard so you’re not out at the edge of the boat, which helps to give a feeling of security when you’re on the lee side, with the deep bulwark and waist high guardrails also contributing to the safety factor.

You can’t easily reach the mainsheet from the helm, but I don’t see that as being a problem on a boat of this size. If you’re alone on watch on deck, then you probably have the pilot steering in any case.

Solaris 50’s clean aesthetic

A recessed track for the self tacking jib and below deck electric headsail furler, plus flush hatches, concealed lines and an integrated teak capped sprayhood stowage combine to give a very clean deck layout. Other manufacturers of course strive for a similar outcome, but few manage the execution as well as with the Solaris 50.

There’s also an option for a larger, slightly overlapping jib with conventional coachroof-mounted genoa tracks. My experience in light airs on subsequent days suggests the larger sail isn’t necessary, providing you have a Code 0 or similar to increase sail area when off the wind.

Unhindered views forward. Photo: Photos: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

Close-hauled in only 5-6 knots of true wind speed, for example, we made a fairly consistent 4 knots of boat speed, increasing to a shade over 5 when we bore away slightly. Bearing away still further and deploying the Helix gennaker we maintained a consistent 5 knots or more of boat speed at apparent wind angles of around 60° and the true wind aft of the beam.

A neat aspect is that the wheels are connected via a chain and twin gearboxes, so if a problem is encountered with the system on one side of the boat that wheel can be isolated and the other used to control both rudders. Outboard of the winch stations two very easy steps lead up to the side decks. It’s also easy to step across the cockpit seats and onto the side deck.

Deck stowage includes a longitudinal tender garage with space for a 2.5m RIB. The large sail locker forward can be fitted out as a crew cabin and there’s a large dedicated chain locker right forward that also gives access to the below deck furler.

Liferaft stowage is at the forward end of the cockpit under the sole. In addition, there’s a small under-seat cockpit locker to starboard and two lockers each side of the tender garage, with space for fenders and lines, plus access to the rudder stocks.

Wide aft beam helps create a transom tender garage for a 2.5m RIB. Photo: Photos: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

At the front of the cockpit there’s a big seating area in which our test boat has substantial folding tables each side. These break up the space giving a feeling of security and plenty of opportunity to brace your legs when the boat is well heeled. The cockpit also allows plenty of space for people circulation, even with the two tables in place.

Cruiser-racing

This is definitely a Mediterranean-oriented design, but with space and stowage to venture further afield. The boat has potential to easily eat up miles on a longer passage, although tankage is on the small side for longer periods of autonomy. On the other hand, even with the cruising deck layout, there’s scope for occasional racing.

For example, weeks after taking delivery the owner of our test boat, Paulo Oligeri (who previously had the earlier Solaris 50 and then a 58), competed in the Solaris Cup, taking 7th place in the event, which featured 70 entries from 40-80ft.

Of course, Solaris isn’t alone in organising events for owners, but it’s an important extra layer to the experience of owning a particular boat and is often a highlight in an owner’s calendar. Oligeri says his new vessel is as comfortable to live on as his previous Solaris 58 and is a lot easier to handle. In addition to the sailing qualities it confers, he also praises the wide hull shape, which means the boat resists rolling when at anchor.

This was particularly appreciated while cruising Sardinia’s rugged west coast in the summer of 2022. He says it’s “never busy, even in July and August, when there are some spots with no other boats, but it’s a windy area and the anchorages have less protection.” Despite only taking delivery a few months before I sailed the boat, he had already sailed more than 2,000 miles, yet everything still appeared new.

Spacious saloon has good natural light and ventilation. Photo: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

Solaris 50 customisation

The interior style of the test boat elicited a variety of responses at the European Yacht of the Year trials. Some jury members loved the light limed oak effect, while others were less keen. However, more than anything, this is an example of the level of customisation offered by Solaris. The company builds only 30-50 sailing yachts per year, which gives scope to incorporate owners’ individual requests.

The test boat has a three cabin/two heads arrangement, though there’s also a three cabin/three head option which has a linear galley along the starboard side of the saloon.

The main saloon is bright and airy with a pair of hull windows each side, two opening overhead hatches and a useful opening port above the cooker. There’s a supremely comfortable deeply upholstered settee to starboard, which is parallel to the boat’s centreline so will also make a good sea berth. To port is a larger U-shaped seating area around the dining table, which can seat up to eight.

Forward cabin offers enough space and stowage to be able to spend extended periods on board. Photo: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

The L-shape galley of the layout with two heads is to port at the base of the companionway. This has excellent worktop space with deep fiddles, a central sink area close to the centreline, plus two fridges or a fridge and separate freezer. There’s decent stowage for items that need to be accessed quickly, and room elsewhere to stow longer term provisions if necessary. There’s also a proper forward-facing workstation to starboard.

For many owners the best part of the accommodation is found in the forward cabin. This is impressively large, with plenty of floor space, four full height lockers and more easily accessed stowage under the peninsula bed, the foot of which lifts on gas struts. Natural light comes from two big hull windows, plus two overhead hatches that are hinged aft to give good airflow over the bed when at anchor. There’s also a large heads compartment with a separate shower stall.

Deeply upholstered settee, plus nav station, on the starboard side of the saloon. Photo: Guillaume Plisson/Solaris Yachts

The port aft cabin can be set up as a double or as a twin. There’s a lot of easily accessed stowage here, plus further useful volumes under the outboard bunk. The starboard aft cabin is arranged as a conventional double. It’s broadly a similar size, although there’s less stowage.

To maximise accommodation space, systems are distributed around the boat rather than being concentrated in one place. The optional diesel generator, for instance, is in the 50cm wide tunnel between the aft cabins. Access is okay for routine maintenance, but would be more difficult for major operations such as overhauling the cylinder head. The optional watermaker is at the other end of the boat, under the head of the berth in the owner’s cabin, which is also where the optional aircon compressor is located.

The standard engine is a 50hp Volvo Penta unit, with a 75hp model offered as an option. Fuel tanks total 370lt, which will put a limit on autonomy, especially if generator use is extensive. Construction is of Airex sandwich and vinylester, with vacuum bagging used for gluing the core. Otherwise lamination is done by hand, which results in a heavier boat than if a full vacuum process is used.

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The longer I spent on board the Solaris 50 the more it appealed to me. The accommodation works well, especially the big owner’s cabin, with its huge amount of easily accessed stowage. This has to be a big plus for anyone who hopes to spend extended periods on board. Solaris has also done a good job with the clean deck styling and the general ease of handling this boat offers. Despite its size and displacement, this is still a boat that’s fun and rewarding to sail. The idea of the outboard position for the helm locations sounds great and I appreciated being able to see most of the jib luff when steering, but for me comfort, space, ease of handling and performance are stronger reasons to buy this boat, especially for those who plan to mostly sail in warm parts of the world. That Solaris has sold 35 boats in less than a year since it was announced is testament to the appeal of this model.

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We are incredibly proud that our sailing flagship CeFeA, 111’ has been crowned Winner of the Yacht Design and Innovation Awards for the best sailing yacht design of the year 2021 – and that’s not all: the judges at last night’s Boat International World Superyacht ceremony have also selected CeFeA as the Judge’s Commendation Sailing Yacht 2021. The largest Solaris sailing yacht has definitely left its mark among the line-up of contemporary performance cruisers.

How it all started

Marc Giorgetti, a European entrepreneur, is a sailing passionate since his childhood. Meeting the Solaris boats, he declared: “I found a shipyard that designs and builds boats for those who sail, made up of real sailors, people attentive to seafaring, functionality, comfort in navigation rather than appearance and life in port. I had already owned boats from other prestigious European shipyards, but none of these showed me such attention to those internal and external details that guarantee comfort and safety even when the boat heels and in all sea conditions as I found at Solaris. And so, I fell in love with it”.

Since 2008 Marc Giorgetti has been committed as a shareholder in the development of the company, working hard and achieving truly exceptional results.

Since then, sales have multiplied by ten and today the Group is represented by 52 dealers worldwide with a consolidated turnover of € 56 million, 70% of which consists of exports, to which € 20 millions of CNB turnover must be added, for a total of € 76 million. Furthermore, Solaris Yachts has conquered the European leadership in the high-end fast-cruiser sailing sector.

Solaris has now become Solaris Group divided into four divisions differentiated by product and market of competence, but united by the outstanding quality:

•    Solaris Yachts: manufacturer of fast-cruisers from 40 to 80 feet; •    CNB Yacht Builders: recently acquired from the Bénéteau Group, manufacturer of ocean-going sailing boats from 60 to 90 feet; •    Performance Boats: high-end carbon hyper-technological maxi sailing yachts builder; •    Solaris Power: manufacturer of open and lobster motor yachts from 40 to 80 feet.

These different product lines materially express the will of the Solaris Group to affirm in each sector all the design, technical and construction characteristics that are its own and which give the boats exceptional qualities: seaworthiness, strength and stiffness and last but not least comfort in navigation. This is the hallmark of the Group, the main characteristic of each of the four companies and the underlying reason that has led to its success.

The famous build quality will be maintained and even further improved. The company will keep its focus on creating exclusive and highly customizable yachts for the expert owners.

Upcoming models in development

Solaris Yachts 

The range of fast-cruisers has been enriched this year with two new models:

•    40 feet, smart all-rounder with all the famous attributes •    60 feet, avant-garde mini-maxi.

Solaris 40 is a very advanced 12 meters designed by Javier Soto Acebal, with many features that characterize hull performance and navigation comfort. The hull features a short chine ending mid ship. The highly buoyant bow is compensated by the extremely wide stern. The cockpit is extremely large. The two helm stations located full width allow the helmsman to steer even while the sprayhood is open. The interiors, created with the contribution of the architect Patrick Roséo, thanks to the shapes of the hull, are the largest in the category and offer truly innovative design.

The Solaris 60 water lines represent the latest design evolution by Javier Soto Acebal applied to the size of 18 meters, which guarantee a perfectly balanced hull, high performance also in regattas, and smooth open ocean navigation, plus all the standards of the exclusive Solaris construction technique. Solaris 60 was born from the concept of giving life to a high-performance fast cruiser that challenges racing boats, with an overall length of 18.31 meters. Solaris 60 will be a strong competitor in the Mini-Maxi circuit, whose main event is every year in Porto Cervo. A fundamental innovation of Solaris 60 is in the cockpit, where the helm station are at full width, as on the 40, allowing the helmsman to steer the boat outside the encumbrance of the sprayhood and to always have in view the luff of the jib. The position of the helm station allows to lower the lifelines in the stern part and raise them at the two steps to get on the side decks, a solution usually used only in boats over 140 feet. Aft, different seats are available for maneuvering and steering in different sea conditions, even when seated.

Both boats are equipped with a self-tacking jib and can be handled by a minimum crew even of just two people. They are on display and can be visited in the sailing section of Port Canto at the SAIL170 stand and SAIL032 moorings.

From 2022 the production of the CNB 66 and CNB 76 will be progressively transferred to the Solaris Yachts production site in Aquileia, where a plant completely dedicated to CNB is under construction. The synergy between the two production philosophies, Solaris Yachts fast-cruiser aimed at owners oriented to performance cruising and CNB aimed at owners not only looking for maximum comfort, but also lovers of long-range ocean navigation, will from now on go to advantage of the development of new models, respecting the identities of the two brands. 

The CNB 8X will be unveiled in a few weeks, leading the way for a new era of CNB yachts. Thanks to the union with Solaris Yachts, the future of CNB yachts fits into a more dynamic and reactive structure, more suitable to support this exclusive market. A calibrated tool for the production of small series with a high level of quality and customization for each boat. 

Performance Boats 

Solaris builds custom maxi yachts at the cutting edge of technology. Since 2012 the yard has launched several units around 100’ for the Wally brand and has built three maxi sailing yachts for Solaris Yachts, the latest of 111′, CeFeA, for Marc Giorgetti. Currently under construction is a hyper-technological 100-footer whose hull, deck and bulkheads are contained in the incredible weight of only 11,550 kilograms. With a ballast of a total weight of 21,400 Kg, composed by the lifting keel of 5,100 Kg and by the bulb of 16,300 Kg the furnished boat arrives to a final displacement of 50,000 Kg.

Performance Boats uses pre-preg carbon technology, even in high modulus, which combines the best weight control with the stiffness and quality of the product. Also the smallest detail is made in full carbon.

The division is equipped with one of the largest and most technologically advanced post-cure ovens in Europe measuring 40 x 11 x 5 meters, which can reach temperatures up to 90° C heated by diathermic oil, in which it is possible to carry out work on hulls up to 40 meters.

Performance Boats has a very advanced interior fitting department, capable of producing ultra-light furniture with aeronautical technology on a mold with pre-impregnated Kevlar or aluminum honeycomb materials.

A team of highly skilled and experienced international technicians from Great Britain, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal and Spain work alongside the Italian team of Performance Boats.

• Solaris Power

It made its debut in 2018 with the modern re-edition of the lobster boat, a traditional New England lobster fishing boat, combining the charm and elegance of a historic boat with the Group’s technology. This philosophy has led to a new milestone in performance, behavior at sea, technology and stylistic research. The result is yachts with a unique personality that stand out for their elegance, originality and performance at the top of the category, which are also very popular among the sail lovers. The open range has been developed on the hulls of the lobster versions, which re-proposes the same marine qualities in a more Mediterranean key, conceived for owners who love to sail.

The range of the power open and lobster boats is enriched by the new 44 Open, which actually before being presented to the public here in Cannes, where you can visit it at the stand QSP 151 – mooring QSP 026, has achieved considerable sales success with 10 units delivered. The 44 Open model offers the largest outdoor living area in the category.

Also on its way is the new Solaris Power 40 Open which will be presented at the next “boot” in Düsseldorf 2022 and the flagship 60 Open, which will touch the water in 2023, is at its final stage of design.

At the Solaris Power stand you can see the 48 Open, winner of the European Powerboat of the Year 2020 award, the comfortable lobster version of the same hull and the Lobster 57 model at anchor in Cannes’ bay.

The outlook for the year 2022 is to grow in all segments, thanks to the new models of each company, and the fact that the production of the nautical year Sept 21 – Aug 22 is already almost sold out. The expansion of the sales and service network, which today counts 52 points between Europe, USA, Russia, Asia, and Australia is in continuous development.

• Performance Boats
• Solaris boats
• Solaris Yachts

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CeFeA: On board the 34m Solaris 111 sailing yacht

A sailor since childhood, CeFeA’s owner knew exactly what he wanted from his new boat – and who could help him realise it. BOAT reveals the collaborative process that yielded a 34 metre with performance and family comfort.

It’s hard to imagine an owner more in control of his creation than Marc Giorgetti was with the design and build of 33.77-metre CeFeA . Behind that confident shaping of a boat is, unsurprisingly, a wealth of sailing knowledge.

As a child holidaying on Lake Maggiore, Giorgetti was often on the family’s Riva, but as an adult, his first personal boats were two blue water sailing yachts by French builder Amel, the second a 16 metre. Stepping up in size to something a bit more Med-friendly, he turned to a 22-metre Doug Peterson design and arranged for it to be built at Italian yard Solaris in Aquileia, at the very top of the Adriatic Sea.

During the process of customising the yacht’s interior, to circumvent the back and forth of plans, Giorgetti asked the yard for the CAD files; he would fill in the details with architects at his own construction firm, working within the yard’s well-developed engineering plan.

“It worked out perfectly,” says Giorgetti. “While we were building the boat, the principal at the yard told me that he would like to adopt some of the ideas. He also asked me if I would like to invest and become a partner in the yard. I liked what they were doing and I like the work style and spirit at the yard. I am an entrepreneur, so I invested in exchange for one-third of the company.”

After sailing the Peterson design for several years, he had more ideas to incorporate. His next boat would, of course, be from Solaris, but as the American naval architect Peterson had passed away, the yard suggested a design by Argentinian naval architect Javier Soto Acebal, who had penned several production boats for the yard. He designed a sporty 22 metre, which became Giorgetti’s second Solaris. The third, also 22 metres, had a different look to the deckhouse with neoclassical brightwork ringing the structure rather than the elegant raised deck saloon style.

In 2016, Giorgetti and his family decided they were ready for a larger boat, one customised more to their lifestyle. Soto Acebal had the inside track on the design commission, but before Giorgetti would commit, he flew to Soto Acebal’s office in Buenos Aires to make sure the naval architect understood his requirements. They spent two days talking about his current boat, hull shapes, keels, use of foils and rudder configurations. On a whim, Soto Acebal suggested they go sail his own boat, a 9.4-metre daysailer named Pilar.

“It wasn’t until we spent some time sailing on my own boat that I realised how skilled a helmsman he really is,” says Soto Acebal. “He has that certain sensitivity needed to exploit a yacht’s full potential. I didn’t know him very well, but the first time aboard he literally caught the tiller and gave it back to me when we moored, not before.” That time spent sailing revealed to Soto Acebal just how far he could push the performance envelope for his client.

Giorgetti chose Soto Acebal to develop his new boat – which may be offered as a semi-custom series – along Solaris’s raised saloon lines for its 64, 68 and 80 footers. And for this new design, the yard and the architect would pull out all the stops on weight reduction and performance.

The brief was aggressive, pushing hard on the performance criteria while never losing sight of the all-around attributes needed to make this an enjoyable cruiser. “We explored highly prismatic hull shapes to achieve high speeds, but we needed to keep the hull balanced for any possible scenario,” says Soto Acebal. “A lot of computer simulation was done to simulate real-life conditions. The mast and keel have been moved as far aft as possible, keeping in mind the balance between the forces of the sailplan and the foils below the waterline. The hull gives high stability with a low centre of gravity, and thanks to the high-tech construction, weight has been reduced as much as possible in the aft sections.”

“I like to sail in the Mediterranean where the wind is often light in the summer,” says Giorgetti. “Even though I don’t race, a performance boat means not having to turn on the engine to go somewhere. With my new boat, I can start sailing in a light breeze, and in just eight knots of wind I can go 10 knots.”

He can also do that without a lot of crew, thanks to an easy sailplan. To make manoeuvring easy, they avoided a square top main and a long bowsprit. To offset the resulting sail area reduction, they chose a generous high-modulus mast with an upwind sail area of 618 square metres. The jib is self-tacking, adjustable by the use of a Magic Trim, while the mainsail can be hydraulically set with the use of another Magic Trim located in the bilge. CeFeA can tack and jibe with only two crew at the helm. A furling staysail completes the upwind kit, while a code zero, also with furler and tack adjuster, gives the boat more power for reaching. Completing the sailplan is an A2 gennaker with snuffer for a downwind sail area of 1,220 square metres.

In terms of construction, CeFeA is built of laminated pre-preg carbon fibre, Sprint technology by Gurit and Corecell M foam, vacuum-bagged and oven cured at 90 degrees C. All in, the boat weighs 75 tonnes, which puts it in Wally territory. In fact, the Solaris yard at Forlì was the birthplace of several Wallys, including two of the latest high-tech sailers, Barong D and Nahita , before Wally’s acquisition by the Ferretti Group .

“We have 20 per cent more volume than the Wally 110 and it still looks slim,” enthuses Giorgetti. It also has one more cabin thanks to centimetres of extra beam and a metre of additional length. Although 10 tonnes heavier in displacement than the 33.5-metre Wally 110 Barong D , its displacement is 11 tonnes less than Southern Wind’s 33.65-metre 110 Thalima . The 34.14-metre Baltic 112 Liara measures in at a similar 88 tonnes displacement. But apart from sailing prowess, an important part of CeFeA’s equation is the layout of the family spaces (the name is a mash-up of his children’s names, Celia, Felix and Alex).

Particularly notable is the aft-facing master suite, which features a partial glass aft bulkhead that opens not to a small owner’s cockpit but to a sprawling terrace. The latter, and the partial glass aft bulkhead, were introduced by Carlo Torre, of Monaco Yacht Temptation. Although MYT has of late been involved in the project management and design of large motor yacht projects, Torre also has connections to the Wally camp – he had a six-year stint in the 1990s as Wally’s first in-house design director. Torre has a personal passion (see previous page) for proving that superyacht comfort can be had in a 30-metre sailboat.

“The owner was very clear from the beginning that he wasn’t looking for a typical sailing yacht where performance meant sacrificing comfort,” says Torre. “Rather, he was striving for a yacht conceived around his personal preferences. He desired generous spaces normally only found on a motor yacht.”

On entering the saloon, the first impression is of light and walnut joinery – a departure from the more common teak and white oak (or white paint). Light comes from wraparound glass in the coachroof. “I always wanted to do an interior in walnut,” Torre says. The finish is matt and smooth, a complement to the softness of leather panels, gently curved shapes and the absence of decorative mouldings. He calls the look warm and precious yet unpretentious. “Maximum comfort [comes] by keeping generously flowing and uncluttered interior spaces, far removed from the compressed feel of typical sailing yachts. Following this philosophy, we managed to create a 40-square-metre master cabin with two full-size bathrooms, a desk area and direct access to the private [terrace].” Along with the master, there are two convertible twin/double cabins aft of the saloon and one twin forward.

On deck, clearly defined cockpits aft and forward are separated by the twin helms. The massive cockpit forward becomes the focal point of social activities and while under way, the helms, winches and manoeuvring areas are separated by enough real estate to keep guests safe. Giorgetti often likes to take the helm and the position of the wheels allows him to maintain connection with those in this cockpit in front of him. But the best piece of planning on deck is the aft cockpit, or call it a terrace or a beach club, which enables the owner to enjoy complete privacy and undisturbed access to his cabin.

The origins of this space are again born of experience. No matter how discreet captain and crew try to be, if they are operating the boat, they are looking forward and that means they are looking at or past everyone in the cockpit or on deck, notes Giorgetti. Seeking privacy and perhaps shelter from too much wind, he sought an open-air space aft of the helms, a situation that fitted beautifully with his desire for the largest possible master suite. By flipping the crew aft/owner forward layout on the majority of sailing boats this size, he and Torre were able to arrange a space with his-and-hers heads and a full-beam master opening onto a sweeping ocean view. Wide steps cascade from deck level down to the cushioned terrace, which at anchor provides easy tender and water access as well as a spot for the owner and family to grab a little alone time while enjoying the elements.

“I thrive on the feeling of being propelled by nothing but the wind and passing motor yachts with ease, especially in adverse conditions. We spent 18 months on the planning… the resulting yacht is simply stunning and incredibly fun to sail,” says Giorgetti.

This feature is taken from the April 2021 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue

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