There are some boats which make the world seem a better place simply by sailing by, writes W M Nixon, and this dark blue Grand Soleil of 2003 vintage listed on Afloat Boats for Sale has been warming the hearts of discerning sailors around Dublin Bay since she first made her appearance in 2006. For though she’d been built three ears earlier, other commitments obliged the owner to delay her commissioning.
What’s not to like? This is a modern classic with all the best trimmings of teak deck and so forth. But beyond that, there’s a completeness to her concept, and an elegance, which will have honest pride of ownership top of the list of your proprietorial benefits.
As to performance, while most photos show her revelling in fast cruising mode, she’s no slouch on the race-course either – don’t forget that it was her slightly larger sister, the Grand Soleil 43 Quokka 8, which was the Steady Eddy of the winning Irish Commodore’s Cup Team in 2014, always there with a good and reliable set of results just when they were really needed.
At 40ft LOA, this Patrick Roseo design is very manageable for cruising and day sails with a small crew of friends. But if you step up the numbers in the sailing performance stakes, this will be one rewarding boat to campaign. As for being on board and below and generally enjoying the sailing life, the Italian builders can be guaranteed to provide that extra something in the finish and style departments which make this a yacht to cherish.
And when you compare the price of €138,500 with the list price of much smaller new boats on the market today, you’ll realise that this definitely is worth a look. She’s in Dun Laoghaire on sale online from Afloat Boats for Sale here
Even on a sunless day in Dun Laoghaire, the classic good looks of the Grand Soleil 40 shine through
