Design
The naval architecture of the new Bavaria C46 is a direct development of Maurizio Cossutti’s widely acclaimed recent designs, the C42 and C38. But many of the key features on deck are derived from successful features on earlier models
developing new models that are equally suitable for various types of use, from daysailing to long-distance cruising, with more emphasis on sailing qualities such as performance, balance and helm response than ever before. ‘Everyone loves to sail fast whether
they are racing or cruising,’ says product manager Udo Erbe, who was part of the core team that created the concept for the Bavaria C46 in Croatia. ‘And it’s also about safety, being able to reach a safe harbour before a gale starts. We no longer have a mindset of “let’s develop a family cruiser or a performance cruiser”. When we ask our customers and our dealers they all value boatspeed and they are all delighted with the Bavaria C38 and C42.’ Erbe and Diening are cruising sailors
conditions and for example sail from Cuxhaven to Helgoland in a Force 6 with the tide against.’ The new approach resulted in surprises
even for the long-serving members of the core development team. ‘When looking for the right solution, detail by detail, we were able to disprove some of the compromises that were assumed to be necessary in many places,’ Diening explains. ‘And with the C46 we have found the balance that our customers
‘You can have a lot of fun upwind as well as downwind’
expect from a sailing yacht of this size, with many well thought- out solutions.’ The 15-metre slot
in Bavaria’s monohull cruiser range is
at heart, but Marcus Schlichting, part of the Bavaria Yachts marketing team, is an experienced racer who brings a different, complementary set of sailing values to the core team. ‘Whether you are a racer or a cruising guy you want the handling of the boat to be as easy, as quick and as safe as possible,’ he says. ‘The same deck plan and cockpit layout must work equally well for a family who only sail short distances in good weather and for keen sailors who are going to take the boat out in testing 76 SEAHORSE
arguably its most important segment and the new Bavaria C46 will be built in parallel with two successful existing models, the Bavaria C45 and Cruiser 46, which are set to remain in production. In terms of naval architecture the C46 is a direct evolution of Cossutti’s most recent designs, the C42 (which won European Yacht Of The Year) and the C38. Many of its features however, on deck and down below, are developed from ideas and innovations on the Cruiser 46 and C45. ‘Wemade a long list of use cases before
we started the sailing week,’ Erbe says. ‘Then we each evaluated all aspects of the
boats, noting what is good, what is bad, how we can optimise it. And we argued a lot. The winch layout in particular required a long, intense discussion to get it right.’ They settled on a two-winch standard
layout designed for the default sailplan of a large self-tacking jib and an in-mast furling mainsail. On each side of the cockpit two winches are mounted between the helm and the crew seating area, one for the jib sheet and one for the main. However, the cockpit moulding is reinforced in several other places to allow a range of different use cases. For a larger crew who sail with an overlapping genoa, code zero and gennaker, another pair of winches can be mounted on the coamings, giving three people ample space to trim the sails without getting in each other’s way. For experienced owners who cruise shorthanded with more than the standard sailplan, the two extra winches can be mounted within arm’s reach of the helm. Below decks, the bulkheads are
positioned to allow a wide variety of modular interiors to be built, offering three, four or five cabins with different layout options for each. One of these is a palatial forecabin with separate heads and shower compartments, a technical/utility room or bunk room for professional crew, and convertible double/twin aft cabins.
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