Design
Great expectations
The brand newGrand Soleil 52 Performance is designed for versatile sailing, making it ideal for fast cruising experiences or competitiveORC racing
he number of boatbuildiers that have consistently and successfully developed top-notch boats in their respectivemarkets for half a century ormore is
vanishingly small. However, one of the standout names is Grand Soleil Yachts, an Italian brand that hasmade its name through engaging legendary designers to produce fast and well-mannered, high- quality yachts that combine comfort and space with an enviable Italian flair for style and engineering. The previous Grand Soleil 52, for instance, was a supremely successful model for the yard designed back in 1987 by German Frers. Yet the same proven strategies can still be seen in the latest design of that size which comes from the board of Matteo Polli, one of the most highly regarded designers of his generation. The Italian naval architect
has a string of successes to his name, such as having a hand in two of the class winners at the 2024 ORC World Championship, one of which is a Grand Soleil 44 Performance. Indeed, that model has won its class without fail for the past four years. At the same time, Nauta Design crafted
its magic to bring the interior and exterior styling, as well as the layouts of the Grand Soleil 52 Performance to life. In doing so they successfully maximised comfort and ergonomics for cruising without sacrificing any of the hull’s impressive performance potential, or its top- class handling and sailing qualities. ‘For me the most
innovative elements of the design are
the sporty lines and the aggressive look that we brought to the boat,’ Massimo Gino, design director at Nauta Design told Seahorse. ‘These stylistic features establish the Grand Soleil 52
Performance at the pinnacle of sportiness and convey the sensation of speed that this boat promises.’ What was the most rewarding aspect
of the project to work on? ‘The simple fact that we were given the task of designing the exterior of the new version of such an iconic model was very rewarding in itself,’ Gino adds. ‘The Grand Soleil 52 Performance has already made a mark in the history of sailing, both in Italy and around the world, and we are proud to be part of that. It offers everything a sailor could desire.’ As with the othermembers of Grand
Soleil’s extremely successful Performance line up, the 52 is available in both “Performance” and “Race” versions, satisfying the needs ofmore sporty customers, as well as those who prefer fast cruising to regatta courses. In both cases the outcome is a supremely elegant yacht with harmonious shapes, yet impressive stability, performance and handling. Importantly, the high stability does not
SEAHORSE 77
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ALBERTO COCCHI
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