Big Pimpin’
Umberto Felci’s new Grand Soleil 58 design does a nice job delivering performance plus contemporary styling typical of a much larger yacht. The collaboration between Felci Yacht Design and Cantiere del Pardo has a long history. It is now 15 years since Umberto Felci designed the GS70, the Italian yard’s custom flagship produced for a German customer. In 2002, in collaboration with Rolf Vrolijk, we also designed both the GS45 Cruiser and the successful GS44 Performance Cruiser, which kickstarted a string of similar designs that for many years dominated IMS racing, winning several European titles. After the GS45, in 2003 we designed the GS50, working with French designer Patrick Roseò.
Pictured left, clearly working very well together, Umberto Felci, Nauta Design and the Cantiere del Pardo shipyard have come up with a stylish new 58-footer that does a pretty passable impression of a much larger contemporary yacht… those famous words Wally-Style even spring to mind. Nobody is calling €860,000 cheap, but take a look at the cost of some similar sized rivals…
So after so many years we were pleased to return to work with Cantiere del Pardo, this time with another great studio, Nauta Design. Our task involved the naval architecture of the new Grand Soleil 58 Performance, a fast-cruiser designed and built to the highest production standards.
We tried to create an efficient hull that was able to accomplish the difficult task of sailing fast but that was also easy, safe, comfortable to handle and, last but not least, with generous internal volume.
When we approach a project for a so-called fast-cruiser yacht we have to first look at the compromises that will always be necessary in a multi-purpose boat of this type. This is a matter of sensitivity, balance and a good feel for the client’s objectives more than just a matter of numbers and science.
Read on.
