Design
The 2023 Fastnet Race was the ultimate test for the First 36 and it performed extremely well, coming 13th in the highly competitive IRC 1 class. It was the only cruising-oriented boat in the top half of the fleet
A closed stern with stowage box, helm seats and fold-down bathing platform
An additional plus is gybing in strong winds, where the boomcan be sheeted amidships in a very controlledmanner, held by both sheets, and then slowly paid out again on the new tack. In general, this is a cockpit for sailing,
which is not immediately obvious at first glance thanks to the large tables and comfortable cockpit benches. But then you notice where the instruments aremounted, clearly visible to everyone above the companionway, with repeaters on the side of the steering pods for the eyes of the person helming. Anyone who steers the boat has a very comfortable space fromwhich to do so. Unlike somemodern yachts, you are not standing all the way aft in the open stern, only protected from going overboard by a thin wire. Two solid and large stowage boxes behind the helm stations not only provide additional seating (not just on the side deck) but also a reassuring feeling of safety. Speaking of the stern, there is a large,
fold-out bathing platform here. Behind it is storage space for all the wet and sandy
stuff from swimming, snorkelling and so on. There is also plenty of storage space in the cockpit itself, even for the loose ends of the sheets behind the winches. The tables are solid to hold on to and lean against, and there is a nice little detail worth mentioning here: the retractable ambient lamps for a romantic evening in the cockpit. More importantly, for safety there is
‘For practical testing two prototypes were extensively sailed’
access to the steering quadrant directly under the cockpit floor between the helm stations. Everything is at hand there, the autopilots as well as the attachment for an emergency tiller. For reasons of space, this points aft when in use,
but it has eyelets at the end, with corresponding eye-bolts in the cockpit (also for the helmsman to clip on the harness), so you can rig a tackle as a steering aid. For practical testing, two prototypes
– the first two production boats – were set up and the sails and rig configurations were extensively trialled and tested on boat one, by specialists from Elvstrøm
Sails and Seldén Masts. The second boat, on the other hand, was allowed to sail longer trips back and forth between the different Mediterranean boat shows, 100 miles from Cannes to Genoa and then 350 miles from Genoa to Barcelona. Such deliveries are particularly demanding practical tests, as they are usually carried out with a minimal crew in a very limited time. And then the boat also has also to be presented in perfect condition at another boat show afterwards... After the boat show in Barcelona, the
Bavaria C46 passed another test. Eleven journalists from11 countries thoroughly scrutinised the boat as part of the selection process for the European Yacht of the Year award. All were impressed by the boat and their feedback confirmed that Bavaria Yachts will continue to set trends in themarket with the new Bavaria C46. ‘The Bavaria C46 is not a reinvention of
the boat, but a small quantum leap for us as a boatyard thanks to a very good and well thought-out development and some really innovative ideas,’ says Marcus Schlichting from Bavaria Yachts.
www.bavariayachts.com
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The ‘German mainsheet’ can easily be re-reeved as a double sheeting system
It’s easy to trim all sails from the helm SEAHORSE 69
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