Nautitech - The first Open 40 in Australia

by Jason Chipp on 6 Jul 2015 Branded since 1994 and with the very pleasant CEO Bruno Voisard practically at the helm ever since, Nautitech has long been regarded as the vessel of choice for those wanting a production built catamaran with an emphasis on performance. The new Nautitech ‘Open’ 40 name relates to the Voisard-Lombard vision of a sailing/living space unlike any other; a disproportionate amount of living space, if you will, given the size of the vessel.

Available in either a three cabin owners version or four cabin layout with twin heads, the Open 40 will appeal to those looking to make the transition from mono to multihull and importantly to those, like me, that recognise that a fast catamaran is a safe catamaran.

The saloon has a forward facing galley, twin drawer fridge, and table to seat six people, with integrated navigation station. Two large coach roof hatches provide ventilation at anchor. Moving aft, there are no steps up or down, just a level cockpit that opens up the saloon into a huge al fresco living area, protected from the elements, but with fabulous visibility forward and aft.

A cockpit table comfortably seats eight, and a long bench seat on the port side raises like a deck chair at one end to give a comfortable reading recliner. Ingeniously, the catamaran has drop down side panels to the cockpit, so that if the rain is driving in a cross breeze, water does not enter the cockpit, but runs off the gently angled side decks and into the scuppers. Imagine then, being able to drop the aft cockpit curtain, turn the air conditioning on, to cool not only the saloon, but the cockpit area as well. Only the French could achieve this with such style.

As to be expected, the Nautitech Open 40 construction is first class; different density foam cores are used, in combination with specific laminates depending on the application and loading in different parts of the structure. Throughout the infusion process, skilled workers monitor the vacuum pressure, temperature, and resin flow, which ensures very tight weight tolerances, and very thorough wetting out, along with precise resin to mat ratios.

Not only are all bulkheads glassed into the hulls, but all interior framing and furniture are formed in the boat, not built in modules that are then lifted in and glued in place as with some builders, but built in and glassed in. You end up with a very stiff, very strong boat that is also a very quiet boat. A further feature of resin infused foam is that the vessel is designed to be unsinkable.

The Nautitech Open 40 is definitely fast and fun to sail, able to outsail a broach in a following sea, or to make a safe haven ahead of deteriorating conditions.

As the Open 40 is constructed by laying up the hull in four sections, Nautitech are able to produce much finer hull shapes than other manufacturers who typically laminate within a single hull mold. There is an outward ‘step’ in the topsides of the Nautitech 40, a ‘hard chine’, which means you benefit from a fineness of hull ratio below the waterline, translating directly into speed.

However, the volume above waterline is greatly increased because of the stepped hull. Bruno Voisard and Marc Lombard focused extensively on weight, and by using a foam composite lay up as opposed to a balsa core they are saving half a tonne of weight in the Open 40. Continue this weight saving emphasis throughout the entire build, and the Open 40 boasts a difference of 2.5 tonnes over their immediate completion. Combine this with the hull and foil shapes, and the Nautitech Open 40 is definitely fast and fun to sail, able to outsail a broach in a following sea, or to make a safe haven ahead of deteriorating conditions. Initially apprehensive when comparing a typical coach roof helm position versus the Nautitech Open 40 outboard helm position, I was pleasantly surprised and now definitely a huge fan.

With twin helms on the hulls and cable steering, the responsiveness of the helm is instantaneous. Forget the cumbersome nature of hydraulic steering, with the Open 40 you feel in complete control and helming from a position where you have great visibility to all four corners of the vessel, something that cannot be achieved with a coach roof helm where forward visibility is further minimized as soon as you unfurl the headsail.

Couple this with a clear line of sight to all sails from a simple sideways glance, wind on your face to back up the instrumentation, the ability to look up the side of each hull when maneuvering under motor, and the fact that your cockpit area is maximised – makes the twin helm offering very attractive indeed.

Now, about the performance. Brilliant. In just over 11kts apparent we achieved eight kts comfortably sailing with the wind on our beam. Pointing higher, the self-tacking jib worked beautifully even when the wind dropped and not once did we look to kick an engine over.

On board for our sea trial was a lovely couple from Sydney who were so impressed they placed an order for a new Nautitech 542, the company’s flagship. In short, the vessel performed like a catamaran with the responsiveness of a monohull. Smiles all round, particularly when the gennaker was unfurled and the all to familiar ‘race-you-home’ cry went out.

The Nautitech Open 40 with its superb cockpit/saloon layout, quality build and excellent performance fills a definite gap in the market for those desiring something more.

And now that the second largest boat manufacturer in the world, Bavaria Yachts, have recently purchased Nautitech injecting funding and security to take them well into the future, the brand Nautitech looks to be in a very strong position indeed.