Sneak peek: CY February – Fountaine Pajot Isla 40
Dec 23, 2021
In the February edition of Canadian Yachting magazine, Katherine Stone and her crew head out on a striking new cruising cat. You can read the full review in our next issue early in 2022, but here is a sneak advance taste:
Think relaxing, mythical, harmony or pleasure and you invoke thoughts of a vacation on an island. The Fountaine Pajot team knew they had a winner when they started naming their new models after islands. And so, Isla, follows that new branding being named after an island off the west coast of Ireland.
Construction
The boat exudes confidence with its sandwich construction of multiaxial glass cloth forming a sandwich around a balsa core done with an infusion process. There is also a superb safety feature with four buoyancy zones. An injected, vacuum lamination with a two-sided mold is done for the coachroof and deck. All mechanical areas have easy access, especially the engine compartments, electrical circuits and bilges. The steering rods connecting the two rudders and the autopilot are not only accessible but very robust ensuring many years of confidence in the boat’s maintenance schedule.
A new, unique innovation is that the nav station has been moved from the middle of the salon to a stand-up navigation instrument and 16” chart plotter console right inside the sliding door. The helm and navigator can converse easily and still be a part of the guest conversation. A comfortable, dry, warm watch can be kept from inside.
Sleeping Accommodation
The Isla 40 offers four versions: 3 cabin Maestro (with 2 or 3 baths) or 4 cabin Quatuor (with 2 or 4 baths), the most popular being the Maestro with 2 baths. This layout with a shared head gives more space to the two guest cabins. The pedes- tal square beds in all configurations are ample with loads of under bed and wall storage along with hanging cupboards. A nice privacy inclusion are the curtains over all openings. All cabins have a deck hatch and hull porthole. My ladies’ crew thought that the design of the cabins was intriguing with brilliant storage and were surprised by the modern touches of genius. The mattresses were so soft and comfortable that we almost fell asleep!
Specifications
Length overall: 39.14 ft – 11,93 m beam overall: 21.7 ft – 6,63 m displacement unloaded: 9.5 t draft: 4.0 ft – 1,21 m
Sail area: 635 ft2 – 59 m2 genoa area: 387.5 ft2 – 36 m2
Standard power: 2 x 20 hp – 2 x 20 cv
Option power: 2 x 30 hp – 2 x 30 cv
Architect: berret-racoupeau yacht design
Fresh water: 2 x 265 l (70 us gal) fuel: 300 l (80 us gal)
