After the successful GS 44, Grand Soleil goes on to amaze. The latest jewel announced by the Cantiere del Pardo brand, which will have its world premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2022, is the new GS 40, an extraordinarily fast and responsive yacht with a distinct sporty personality and an elegant, refined style, in line with the other fascinating models Grand Soleil has accustomed us to.
Once again designed by the superlative pencil of naval architect Matteo Polli in collaboration with the Nauta Design studio, Grand Soleil’s new sailing yacht is a 40-footer with a hull that at first glance convinces by promising excellent performance without sacrificing volume: comfort and space on board are in fact generous and make this boat both luxurious, competitive and easy to handle.
The GS 40, available in the Performance or Race version, boasts a layout that maximizes the volumes of every area, high quality finishes and spaces below deck that have been optimized for top roominess in both the living and dining areas. In short, the new GS 40 has everything it takes to replicate the success of the GS 44, winner of the last ORC world championship, also designed by Mr. Polli, while maintaining the family feeling of the Grand Soleil range between style, elegance, ergonomics and safety. The deck plan of the Performance version is particularly interesting, with four winches as standard, two in the deckhouse and two next to the helms. The self-tacking jib, which is also fitted as standard, has a hanging rail, while the German mainsail sheet point is fixed in the cockpit. Lastly, it is worth noting the position of the mast which, just like on the GS 44, is set back to maximize the “J” and therefore the base of the headsails. In the Race version, the mast is in carbon fibre and the sail plan has larger proportions than the standard version.
“The hull lines of the GS 40 are an evolution of the concept studied for the GS 44, with maximum attention paid to the balance of volumes,” explains architect Polli. “The design brief for the new Grand Soleil 40 is very similar to that of the GS 44, but with the bar set even higher given the smaller size. The 40-foot overall length, one of the most common on the market, presents an even greater challenge in finding the ideal compromise between interior volume and sporty features.
Thanks also to the experience gained on the 44 and to the design team that is now well established, it has been possible to find the perfect combination of performance and comfort. The hull lines are an evolution of the concepts studied for the GS 44, giving maximum attention to the balance of volumes as heel increases. The bow lines remain very slender to maintain good performance in light winds and ensure a smooth passage over the wave.
As on the GS 44, a lot of emphasis has been placed on the decidedly backward positioning of the mast, enabling Nauta Design to develop an innovative layout that benefits both performance and comfort. The choice was also made to maintain a very forward single rudder blade centerboard, which I think is ideal for both cruising and racing”.
