A 44 has been nominated for the European Yacht of the Year 2015

After the International Boat Show in Genoa, 12 journalists of the most prestigious European boating magazines went to Santa Margherita Ligure to perform a sea trial of the boat.

A44 – outside like a Ferrari, inside a loft design

OBJECTIVES: the A44 offers owners maximum sailing pleasure whilst relieving them of the everyday inconveniences of boat ownership. It is a sporty, sleekly-designed yacht with a superb construction and what in automotive terms would be referred to as a premium spec. Penned to reflect the latest yachting trends, the A44 is extremely light and high performance with very powerful waterlines that guarantee exhilarating planing yet generous amounts of onboard living space. Only the very best materials and onboard equipment on the market have been used also. This is a yacht designed to deliver serious results in competition whilst remaining so easy to handle that it can be sailed by just two people.

PROJECT: Advanced Yachts commissioned the design of the A44 from exceptionally highly-regarded sailing names: Roberto Biscontini(**), naval Architect and coordinator of the Luna Rossa Design Team, who created the waterlines and developed the technological aspects of the project; SP Technology/Gurit, a leading producer and supplier of integrated boat construction solutions, which took care of the structural calculations; and, lastly, Advanced''s long-standing partner, Nauta Design, which penned the interior design and coordinated the overall project. The formidable team created a sporty cruiser inspired by ocean-going opens. A modern yacht with elegant, sophisticated proportions.

(**) Biscontini Yacht Design

The undisputed guru of high performance sailing thanks to long and extensive America''s Cup experience, Roberto Biscontini was born in Pesaro in 1957. He began sailing and competing on dinghies and IOR boats as a very young boy. After some experience with self-taught work, he studied yacht design and naval architecture at Southampton, England, graduating in 1981.

He then went on to work for several of the leading American designers, including Scott Kaufman in New York and Gary Mull in San Francisco, before eventually starting to design for the America''s Cup. His first AC boat, Il Moro di Venezia, was followed by Pact 95, Young America, BMW Oracle Racing, Luna Rossa, Team New Zealand and, this time out, the new Luna Rossa. Furthermore, in 2010, Biscontini worked with Team New Zealand on the VO70 Camper, a particularly instructive experience which provided many interesting insights for the design of the A44.)

PERFORMANCE: the whole yacht is focused on delivering superb performance and fun under sail. Its light hull with variable wetted surface and generous sail plan guarantee excellent performance even in light breezes while the power of the sections and big asymmetric sails riggable on the bowsprit really do get the adrenaline going with endless, exhilarating planing. The A44 was designed in line with current regatta rules to ensure it can compete at international level and excel even in the leading offshore races where absolute performance counts more than any other factor. However, nothing was permitted to influence or condition its ultimate goal: the delivery of maximum sailing satisfaction.

WATERLINES: derived from research carried out in the design of the VO70 and TP52, two classes that epitomise the pinnacle of achievement in the racing world, the A44''s hull boasts all of the latest high performance solutions. It is the product of intensive CFD research, carried out using procedures honed in the course of a long America''s Cup career. The latter compared a plethora of different hulls to calibrate dimensions and volume distributions, including everything the boat would have in sailing trim.

CONSTRUCTION: only top quality yet never excessively costly high-tech materials have been used in the construction of the A44. The hull and deck are made from fibreglass sandwich with reinforcements in unidirectional carbon in an epoxy resin matrix. Lamination is by means of the infusion method with post-cure thermal treatment. Specific care was lavished on keeping weights down to ensure the displacement remained around the 7,000 kg market – an essential factor in guarantee that the A44 really would “fly”.

INTERIOR: the A44''s weekend sailer vocation is particularly clear from its interior layout. The volumes have been uncompromisingly optimised for short-range use with a host of solutions focused on making this a very versatile yacht indeed. The central area, in particular, was designed to be supremely liveable in both day and night configurations. By day, the whole space is open all the way to the bow, providing guests with a large dinette with central table and face-to-face sofas designed to seat generous numbers in a bright, area ambience with ample sections of the hull left free of furnishings. Nearer to the companionway is the galley which is compact yet boasts the usual array of appliances and a good amount of stowage space. Also here is a chart area with all of the navigation electronics, and onboard system monitors and controls. At night, when greater privacy is required, the dinette''s arrangement can be changed. It can be closed off from the rest of the boat via a sliding panel to become an integral part of the forward cabin thereby providing the owner with a generous, comfortable cabin space. Foremost the regularly-shapedalcove berth benefits from two large “sea view” side windows. Further aft are the second guest cabin, separated by a bulkhead and door, and the large bathroom with a separate shower box which also provides access to a wet weather gear closet and a very generous stern locker. The sleek, simple design emphasises the bright, clean horizontal look created by the pale surfaces and a whole plethora of lights. Meticulous attention was, of course lavished on the selection of only the finest luxe materials. Owners have a wide range of colours and veneers to choose from also.