Grand Soleil: Timeless Pleasure

Thanks to Grand Soleil’s timeless style, these boats have left their mark on a fundamental chapter in the history of modern sailing. For years, Cantiere del Pardo has been creating yachts with care and passion, each one unique, thus establishing the company as one of the top producers worldwide, because the Grand Soleil yachts are icons of Italian style.

Grand Soleil 46-Press Pack-

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall length m 14,50Hull length m 14,10Waterline length m 12,20Maximum beam m 4,31Draft (maximum) m 2,55Ballast kg 3500Displacement kg 10500Sail Area m2 130

Naval Architect Botin&Carkeek

Deck Design Attivo Creative

Interior Design Mauro Sculli

Builder Cantiere del Pardo

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

After the success of the Grand Soleil 54, Cantiere del Pardo has introduced the Grand Soleil 46, which made its debut at the International Boat Show in Genoa in 2008. The GS 46 continues the evolutionary path of the boatyard which, thanks above all to almost forty years’ experience in the construction of “fast cruiser” boats, has created an extremely refined, balanced yacht, in terms of the water lines, deck design and interior design.

The Grand Soleil 46 is the only boat of its size containing luxury details and technology from custom-made yachts. It is fast, safe, comfortable and easy to steer, even with a reduced crew. In races, its competitive nature comes to the fore, as the boat has been optimised to give the best possible performance in both IRC and ORC.

Every detail of the design is characterised by elegance, quality, innovation and safety. The magic touch of Attivo Design and Mauro Sculli has further improved the spaces and given the Grand Soleil 46 a style which epitomises discreet, modern luxury. The Grand Soleil 46 represents a perfect balance between performance and timeless design.

The internal layout is divided into three cabins, an ample dinette and two bathrooms. The precious materials of the interior have been entrusted to expert, skilled craftsmen. Particular attention has been paid to enhancing both natural and artificial light. All these details make the interior of the Grand Soleil 46 a real pleasure to live in.

Every Grand Soleil 46 is special because it is unique. Each owner can personalise his boat to make it different to the others, choosing the solutions he prefers.

Grand Soleil Marketing Team

EXTERIOR FEATURES

Large spaces and easy access to all deck areas

Sleek looking, fresh design, flush deck hatches and flush sprayhood stowage guarantee the essential look of the outline

Generous cockpit lockers offer maximum space and comfort for two gas bottles and two life-rafts. There are also two 80cm depth cockpit lockers under the seats

A large transom door provides easy access to the sea and eases mooring on floating docks: this feature makes the boat 1 metre longer when opened

Structural bulwarks as part of the hull strengthen the GS 54 family feeling

Large anchor locker for stowing

Under deck furling drum

Transom door

Space dedicated to main sail trimmer when sailing using ‘German system’ layout

Generous sundeck

Long and deep seatsFlush sprayhood

Flush deck hatches

Anchor locker

New lateral hatches

Structural bulwark

INTERIOR FEATURES

The interior is available in oak, like the Grand Soleil 54

The starboard area has a large sofa that can be transformed into a berth. The layout is classical and similar to the current Grand Soleil 45 with a 13cm longer galley

The owner cabin’s well balanced bed is 2.00m x 1.60m

The master cabin has a separate shower, with a well configured, functional box cubicle. The overall volume is generous compared with the GS 54 size

The guest cabin is equipped with an oilskin locker as standard.

2 hatches above the galley, 4 lateral openings and 2 portholes guarantee a light, airy atmosphere

2 portholes in the master cabin and 1 in each guest cabin create apleasant nocturnal environment and a soft atmosphere

Performance mast

Mainsail m2 63,90

Genoa (calculated with jib of 130%)

Maximum sail area upwind

Maximum sail area downwind

Spinnaker

m2 66,70

m2 130,60

m2 165

Jennaker m2 142

m2 228,90

Racing mast

Mainsail m2 68,10

Genoa (calculated with jib of 110%)

Maximum sail area upwind

Maximum sail area downwind

Spinnaker

m2 59,60

m2 127,70

m2 170

Jennaker m2 148

m2 238,10

SAIL PLAN DIMENSION

DESIGNER PERSPECTIVE

For the design of the new Grand Soleil 46, the brief was very clear. Cantiere del Pardo wanted to produce a boat with exceptional performance for both cruising and racing under a number of rating rules. Our experience over the years has shown that an efficient and inherently fast hull can be competitive under IMS, as well as under IRC, with a few modifications to the appendage package and sail plan of each version. The new boat is a development of some of the ideas tested on our range of IMS and IRC racers. Without a doubt, some compromises had to be made to accommodate the need for volume in a boat with all the commodities that you would expect on a well-equipped cruising boat. However, the rating rules take account of the extra volume and beam and it is therefore possible to design a good performance boat that is also competitive when racing.

DESIGNER PERSPECTIVE

The hull shapes are designed to be highly efficient in various conditions. They have a relatively small wet surface for their displacement but also have powerful stern sections which provide abundant dynamic length as the boats’ heel and the speed increase. Volume distribution is a good compromise between the need to be competitive under various rating rules and the necessity to produce a hull shape that is easily driven and inherently fast and stable.In terms of appendages, the options available will serve the purpose of adapting the basic hull concept to the different needs of each client. For cruising, there is a fin and bulb with reasonable draft and high stability. There is an IRC keel designed to excel under that rule and a different ORC keel designed for optimum speed and the best rating under that specific rule. Several rig options are also available. The basic rig is shorter and with moderate overlap. A more advanced option, suitable for both racing and fast cruising has a higher aspect ratio with non-overlapping headsails. This rig offers the benefit of being very efficient as well as very easy to manage with a reduced crew. Extensive CFD analysis was used for the design of the hulls and for the optimization of the keels, bulbs and rudders. We are very confident that the final product will be ideally suited to competition under a number of rating rules. As a cruising alternative, these boats will be very fast in all conditions, easy to manage for a reduced crew, well-balanced and extremely enjoyable under sail.

Marcelino Botin & Shaun Carkeek