Test / Grand 850 Golden Line: equipment to match

Le Grand boasts some very fine facilities © Nicolas Massines

The second part of our test of the Grand 850 Golden Line, devoted to equipment and layout. The boat is safe, with a contemporary look and new features to move upmarket.

The choice is yours. You can configure your GRAND 850 Golden Line to suit your personal taste. Choose from 2 colors for the floats, 5 for the gelcoats, 9 for the upholstery and 3 different deck coverings, also known as Sea Deck.

While the list of options is necessarily extensive to meet the needs of a discerning clientele, the GRAND comes standard with a fine configuration revised in 2024. For example, the 3D-textured upholstery is more embossed than traditional upholstery.

There's also the 3.2 m2 T-Top, whose black anodized metal structure and tinted roof combine shade with high speeds.

Standard features include sturdy Hypalon floats, a deep-V hull with a transom extension, a towing eye in the bow and a self-draining cockpit, as well as a bow step with mooring cleats, CL-21 console with 12-inch screen, 300-liter fuel tank and Silvertex backrests and cushions.

The bathing platforms around the Honda engines are useful for aft boarding. The port side is preferred, with a swim ladder on the starboard side.

The bimini rests on a mast just above the engine basin. It provides shade for the aft living area.

It features an attractive 3-seater U-shaped seat, 168 cm wide and 110 cm deep, perfectly secured by sturdy handrails. There's plenty of storage space underneath.

Whether in the middle or under the sides of the seat, GRAND has spared no effort to ensure maximum storage capacity, as well as rapid access to engine components for maintenance and safety operations.

The wetbar is flush with the console seats, blending in perfectly with the overall lines of the boat. It's discreet and efficient, and doesn't get in the way of movement.

An efficient console

Bolster seats, again surrounded by handrails, footrests, pleasantly textured three-spoke steering wheel and throttle controls, visible triple audio system... Enough to awaken the desire for speed in even the most subdued sailors.

The console windscreen is a nice size, covering a 1.80 m tall person. The gangways are slightly narrow, with a width of just 35 cm and a depth of 46 cm. At the front, we find another seat which, when raised, reveals a lovely interior space well lit by natural light thanks to its 2 portholes

A pervasive sense of security

A little further forward is a vast sundeck measuring 171 cm by 146 cm, with an 85 cm-deep trunk held in place by powerful verrins.

At the point, there's a nice, wide, non-slip step for mooring maneuvers or swimming dives. The anchor locker is easily accessible, and the bow cleats well positioned.

A through-anchor completes this equipment, whose quality is immediately obvious. The feel of the floats, upholstery and controls confirms the shipyard's attention to the quality of life on board.

The highlight of this detailed tour is undoubtedly the omnipresent sense of security that the Grand conveys to passengers through the correct positioning of the handrails on the seats. Not to mention those positioned on the floats, from the console to the forepeak.

More articles on the theme