The first boat of the new “Grand Soleil Custom” brand recently launched by the Italian Cantiere del Pardo shipyard will be a 80-foot sloop through which the Forlì-based shipyard will start to build boats between 60 and 80 feet.
The decision made by Del Pardo is perfectly in line with the current market trend and aligns itself with the strategic choices of many other European boat manufacturers that are increasingly focusing on production polarization processes and the construction of increasingly larger boats even though traditional sizes are still preserved.
The boat, designed by the in-house Del Pardo Design Department in collaboration with Giovanni Ceccarelli, will be entirely made of carbon and will feature the typical lines of a racer/cruiser. Although waterlines are imposed by the shipyard, building materials, equipment and interior layouts will be open to a multitude of customization possibilities.
Hull number one will be 100% carbon with racing equipment and deck arrangement. Interiors are divided in two main areas in order to separate the crew zone from the sleeping quarters specifically reserved for the master and his guest. More specifically, guests are accommodated in two double cabins situated in the bow section, where also the master cabin is hosted. Located on the stern, crew cabins are separated by a large dinette and equipped with direct access to both the engine room and the galley.
The owner of the first model has asked for a walk-in closet and a fourth cabin where to host a cook or a hostess. Customization of this first sample seems to follow a precise direction: building materials, such as carbon, and marine equipment are all suitable for offshore races while interiors are well-arranged for long cruises.
As mentioned above, the concept of this new boat results from a new brand that has implicated new choices for the Italian shipyard, the most important of which was the opening of a new production site in Fano, where a dedicated team of technicians will take care of maxi yacht production.
According to the shipyard, the GS 80 will be launched in June 2018 and, before the official delivery to her owner, she will presented in world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival.
Meanwhile, the construction phase of the new Grand Soleil 34, a modern version of a successful boat by Cantiere del Pardo, is almost complete. The boat will be presented in world premiere next September at the International Cannes Yachting Festival.
