A new boat for a new start
Manu has been teaching sailing every summer as a volunteer instructor since he was 20 years old. He tells us: "I changed my job to become a professional sailor and full time instructor with the launch in 2019 of my sailing school in Marseilleâeuros¦ And so that's the reason I bought a boat!" . Fortunately, his aunts and uncles also liked to sail, so they decided to buy the boat in joint ownership.
Search criteria
Manu then began his research by determining all his needs. The boat will be used as a support for the sailing school from September to June and must be able to cruise during the summer. It must therefore be a habitable boat with a certain level of comfort. But be careful, it should not be too big either to facilitate its maintenance, 35 to 36 feet maximum! For the sailing school side, Manu knows that he will regularly encounter light winds throughout the year. The boat must therefore be efficient in light winds. He also favors the tiller which will allow his trainees to feel the boat better.
In terms of budget, Manu and his family set their upper limit at 70,000 euros all inclusive. This limits the purchase price to 50,000 euros, possibly 60,000 euros if there is not much work to be done.
Once this list is completed, he determines the different models that correspond to his expectations by browsing the internet.
Three models of used sailboats were found:
His research having the advantage of being very targeted, he can set up his alerts on the various sites selling used sailboats. At the slightest notification, he is ready to react quickly.
The first visits
His very first visit will be on an Ãlan 333. Manu doesn't have much to say about it, it's a good boat, well builtâeuros¦ But the interior has been redone in a very unattractive way and he doesn't have a crush.
It will later visit an X-332, but it is very thin. Although it has some advantages, the compromise is too great for comfort. There is not enough room inside and the cockpit is too small to accommodate 4 trainees and the instructor.
The Big Sun's Choice 34.1
Only the Grand Soleil 34.1 remains. Launched in 1999 by Cantiere del Pardo to succeed its original Grand Soleil 34, the Grand Soleil 34.1 is the result of the collaboration of Italian naval architect Alessandro Vismara and designer Patrick Roseo.
Designed for the IRM regatta rules, the boat is well covered and proportionally not extremely ballasted. She has a light displacement of 4700 kg for 1400 kg of ballast. The sail area upwind is 65 m2.
The interior is particularly comfortable and carefully designed. There is a cabin at the front and one at the rear of the boat. The toilets are located on the starboard side. In the middle, there is a large saloon with equipment. On both sides of the companionway, a chart table and a kitchen with oven and fridge are facing each otherâ?¦ The great luxury!
About fifty Grand Soleil 34.1 were built in Italy and it's there that Manu went to make three visits. He finally found a very good example but after some misunderstanding with the seller, the boat slipped through his hands. It is in Holland that he finally found his rare pearl, a Grand Soleil 34.1 which did not find a buyer because it was "too sporty". Indeed, it has no anchor, chain, windlass, lazy-bag or headsail furler, but the boat is perfectly maintained and is offered at an excellent price.
Manu did not miss this opportunity! For 54 000 euros, Manu and his family became the new owners.
After buying a boat, there are inevitably many expenses. In particular, Manu had to add a whole anchor kit, change the batteries, redo the teak outside, add a life raft, buy safety and DIY equipmentâ?¦ Total cost of the work: 11,000 euros. It was also necessary to count 6 300 euros for the transport of "Numero Uno" to Marseille. The budget is a bit over budget but there are no regrets.
A satisfied buyer!
Manu proudly declares to us: "It is very très très beautiful!". Moreover, Manu particularly appreciates his ease of progress in light airs. With 5 knots of wind, he manages to reach 4 knots or so. His Grand Soleil 34.1 is perfect for learning, the trim is very fine and the feeling at the helm is very good. There is no furling system but it is not bad, the trainees learn to change the sail quickly. Numéro Uno was sold with 18 sails� There is enough to do! Even if it was not his first objective, he enjoys being competitive in these races.
Sailing is often a matter of compromise. The Grand Soleil being very light thanks to the absence of a bulb on its keel, it behaves well in light airs, but can also have a tendency to heel quickly when conditions get a bit rough. It is therefore necessary to quickly think of reducing the sail area.
Manu sees one drawback in his boat. It's his symmetrical spinnaker pole that doesn't come off the bell of the mast when gybing. The double-arm, double-sheet system requires a relatively experienced crew to use it effectively in racing. That said, the system is particularly useful when sailing solo.
In short, the purchase of this sailboat is an immense satisfaction for its new owners!
Future projects for this Grand Soleil 34.1
Today Manu offers different training courses in Marseille. His 21-day training formula is very popular. It allows the trainees to spread out all these courses during the year and then take an exam at the end. If they pass, they can rent Numero Uno to go sailing independently. The sailing school also carries out social actions for the war wounded and proposes to make teenagers discover sailing to make a podcast with the help of the department and the city of Marseille. This summer, it's off to Corsica with the family!
