{"id":56443,"date":"2024-11-05T11:06:34","date_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:06:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=56443"},"modified":"2024-11-05T11:06:35","modified_gmt":"2024-11-05T16:06:35","slug":"sailboat-review-solaris-44","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/sailboats\/sailboat-review-solaris-44\/","title":{"rendered":"Sailboat Review: Solaris 44"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Solaris <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The Solaris 44 is well-suited to the concept of performance cruising, and it gave our Boat of the Year judges a thrilling sail. Upwind, cruising along with the self-tacking jib, the steering was silky-smooth even in the gusts, and the twin rudders provided noteworthy control.<\/span>\n Walter Cooper<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

In the expansive world of performance cruising boats from top European production boatyards, perhaps not surprisingly, the Italians play the game differently. In the cruiser-racer segment, when it comes to a consistent blend of refined style and \u00adserious sailing chops, the following brands leap immediately to mind: Grand Soleil, Italia and Solaris. Speed and grace\u2014and racing, to various \u00addegrees\u2014are clearly \u00adimportant \u00adattributes to Italian sailors. (And a shout-out to X-Yachts of Denmark, whose\u00ad lineup in looks and feel is a comparable match.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, I have to admit, before serving as a judge in the 2024 Boat of the Year contest<\/a>, Solaris was a company that wasn\u2019t on my personal radar. That changed soon after I sailed the Solaris 44 on an \u00adideal Chesapeake Bay afternoon in a sweet 10- to 12-knot southerly. After a memorable stint driving the sleek 44-footer upwind and down, I jotted this in my notebook: \u201cBeautiful helm. A\u00a0Ferrari.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Solaris 44 is one among 11 models that the builder offers from 40 to 111 feet. This is a boat with an all-business profile that looks quick even parked in a slip. With its plumb bow and straight-edge walk-through transom, the long waterline is completely stretched out. A flat sheerline and low, sloped coachroof\u2014paired with a couple of rectangular hull windows and a fixed, extended bowsprit, which accommodates a code-zero headsail that bolsters the off-wind sail area\u2014add to the contemporary styling. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The cockpit, with a pair of outboard helm stations coupled to a set of twin rudders, is spacious and accommodating. A full crew of racing sailors won\u2019t worry about tripping over one another when tacking or flying a kite. The running rigging is stashed mostly below the deck, and leads to a pair of winches and clutches to port and starboard. Even the wide traveler is recessed under the cockpit sole to keep lines and clutter to a minimum. The real teak decks are awesome, though a faux composite deck is optional.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Solaris <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n Underway, the boat was quiet and bright down below, and had a minimalist but comfortable light-oak interior.<\/span>\n Courtesy Solaris Yachts<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

Back to that sweet sailing, which is the 44\u2019s clear raison d\u2019\u00eatre. All of those sailhandling elements came together nicely on our test ride. Off the wind on a deep reach with the big headsail, the boat tracked along well at 8 knots, and the speedo leapt accordingly to a solid 10 knots as we headed up a few degrees and brought the breeze abeam. We then swapped the code zero for the self-tacking jib and made an easy and respectable 7.6 knots closehauled. The wheels were as light and responsive as can be, and those two rudders offered complete control. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The inventory of 3Di North Sails was impressive. And our test boat was loaded with options: bow thruster, air conditioner, generator, and full B&G instrumentation. The standard double-spreader Seld\u00e9n rig is aluminum, but owners can specify a carbon stick. The 60 hp Volvo Penta diesel (30 hp is standard, and 75 hp is available) with sail drive performed well, making better than 8 knots when ticking over at 2,400 rpm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vacuum-bagged construction is a straightforward laminate that employs vinylester resin matched with Airex foam core in the hull and deck. Likewise, the tabbed forward and main bulkheads are a composite sandwich. The T-shaped keel (available in deep and shallow versions of 8 feet, 5 inches and 7 feet, 10 inches, respectively) pair a cast-iron steel foil with a substantial lead ballast bulb. Obviously, this is not a boat destined to gunkhole through the Bahamas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Solaris <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The three-cabin, two-head layout works well for an owner with occasional guests. Our Boat of the Year judges noted an abundance of storage.<\/span>\n Courtesy Solaris Yachts<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n

The floor plan belowdecks, with three staterooms and two heads, is clearly laid out to accommodate an offshore racing crew or, in cruising mode, an owner and several guests. On a distance race with a crew of 10 who are on five-person watches, there\u2019s plenty of room for the off-watch team to crash. Cushions in the double-berth staterooms aft are split to provide a lee cloth, and two settees in the main stateroom will serve as comfortable berths. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s an L-shaped galley to port at the foot of the companionway and a real navigation station (a must, in my eyes) to starboard. The owner\u2019s stateroom, with a centerline double berth and en suite head, is forward. The light-oak furniture we saw was quite handsome. There\u2019s nothing revolutionary in this layout, but it\u2019s all addressed to high standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having the opportunity to trial the Solaris 44 provided one happy surprise after another. I have a soft spot for dual-purpose yachts that will serve the racing and cruising modes more than adequately. The Italians have an adjective that I believe works well here: bellissima<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Herb McCormick is a <\/em>CW editor-at-large and was a 2024\u00a0Boat of the Year judge<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solaris 44 Specifications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
LOA<\/td>44’2″<\/td><\/tr>
Beam<\/td>13’5″<\/td><\/tr>
Draft<\/td>7’10″\/8’5″<\/td><\/tr>
Sail Area<\/td>1,270 sq. ft.<\/td><\/tr>
Displacement<\/td>28,263 lb.<\/td><\/tr>
D\/L<\/td>148<\/td><\/tr>
SA\/D<\/td>21.0<\/td><\/tr>
Water<\/td>100 gal.<\/td><\/tr>
Fuel<\/td>58 gal.<\/td><\/tr>
Engine<\/td>30 hp diesel<\/td><\/tr>
DESIGN<\/td>Javier Soto Acebal<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Take the Next Step<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Price: $700,000
Contact: solarisyachts.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a world of cruiser-racers, where performance and style are completely intertwined, the Solaris 44 is right at home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":56447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Herb McCormick","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"","hydra_display_updated":false,"arc_story_id":"","arc_website_url":"","arc_subtype":"","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":true,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":"","ad_settings_ads_on_this_page":true,"ad_settings_automatic_ad_injection_into_the_content":true,"ad_targeting":"","alternate_title_newsletter":"","alternate_content_newsletter":"","sponsored_image":false,"sponsored_url":"","social_share":true},"categories":[167],"tags":[282,2064,2062,227,195,2070],"class_list":["post-56443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sailboats","tag-boat-of-the-year","tag-boty-2024","tag-print-october-2024","tag-sailboat-reviews","tag-sailboats","tag-solaris-yachts"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}