John Harries is a figure in America. With his wife, this 71-year-old man has sailed for 30 years on all the seas of the world. Now ashore, he runs a blog www.morganscloud.com which is a reference among lovers of great English-speaking cruises. In this blog, he started to imagine what would be, for him, the ideal sailboat to go on a trip. He shared his ideas and found that many people were interested in the subject. In front of this enthusiasm, he pushed the project forward for 10 years. Sensing that it would take a young entrepreneur to realize it, he entrusted the reins to a French engineer Maxime Gérardin, while keeping a right of review on his idea.
A collaborative project
Relying on a donation campaign, 200 donors have provided 16,000 euros, Maxime Gerardin was able to call on the architect Vincent Lebailly to draw the first sketches. Thus was born the Advenrture 40.
A specification based on simplicity
This 12.45 m sailboat will be built in series. It is a 40 feet monohull intended for a couple who wants to sail far, quickly, safely and especially able to maintain their boat as easily as possible.
Thus the boat is simple, with a large cockpit well protected by a rigid dog house that hides the watch stations. The winches are central to be operated from the center of the cockpit, while standing upright and well protected.
Performance rather than living space
The design of the boat is deliberately narrow, with a beam of 3.92 m, to offer a smooth passage to the sea. The centering of the weights was worked out with a chain well at the mast foot, the water tanks under the saloon benches and a 200 liter diesel tank under the galley. The engine, of small size since it is a 35 horsepower, is also advanced under the watch posts.
A cutter rig to limit the height of the mast
Still to limit the pitching, the height of the mast is deliberately reasonable. In order not to penalize the performances, the sailboat is rigged as a cutter to keep a nice sail area.
Now that the plans are drawn up, Maxime Gérardin is looking for a shipyard to produce his series. The objective is to produce an Adventure 40 at 250,000 euros HT, a boat with its sails, but little equipment. Still at the project stage, the Adventure 40 is also looking for its first customers.
