The Italian yard’s latest weekender is far more than just a pretty face, as Hugo discovered during a lumpy sea trial of the Solaris Power 44 in the Bay of Cannes.
There are few things more glamorous than a stylish open boat on a hot September day in the heart of the Cote d’Azur.
And yet it’s remarkable how quickly any pretences of glamour evaporate when you’re being thrown around like an ice cube in a cocktail shaker and regularly doused with plumes of salt water.
So it was with some trepidation that we headed out into the Bay of Cannes in Solaris Power’s new 44ft open day boat/weekender to find a stiff F5 breeze and a substantial 2-3ft swell rolling ominously across the Bay.
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Any hopes of admiring the view over its immaculate teak decks while jotting down a few notes on how much fuel it burnt and cutting a 40-knot swathe across a mirror calm Mediterranean were swept away in an instant.
This was going to be a proper trial in every sense of the word – even the job of writing anything legible while keeping the notebook dry was going to be a challenge. Or so I thought…
Read Hugo’s full review of the Solaris Power 44 in the November issue of MBY, out October 7.
Solaris Power 44 specifications
LOA: 44ft 2in (13.47m)
Beam: 14ft 3in (4.35m)
Displacement (light): 11.5 tonnes
RCD category: C for 12 people
Fuel capacity: 1,200 litres
Water capacity: 330 litres
Power: 2x Volvo Penta IPS500-650
Test engines: 2x 480hp Volvo Penta IPS650
Top speed: 36.5 knots
Cruising speed: 18 knots
Range: 216nm
Fuel consumption: 80l/h
Starting price: €1.09 million (inc. VAT)
