The
boat Show in
Istanbul is over today. I was hoping to visit
Lagoon 400 and
Lipari but they were unfortunately absent.
So instead I have visited The
Orana 44 and
Lagoon 440. Here are my obsevations:
Well, the
Orana 44 is very elegant, spacious and comfortable. I must say I am impressed. It was 3
cabin Maestro Version.
Saloon,
cockpit are also big and comfortable. Especially the
cockpit area is nicely designed and the table holds 8 people easily. Finishing is nothing special, but I would say acceptable. I am 6"5' and I could easily stand in the
galley. Especially master
cabin was very comfortable.
Before visiting Orana I always thought, above 40ft you couldn't sail a cat
single handed easily, but with Orana I changed my mind. All the lines brought to
helm station, plus
electric winches, you could sail without moving from the
helm seat. That makes the life of a
skipper very easy, I must say.
UnfortunateIy couldn't sail with the Orana, but Yeloya has given very detailed info about the sailing charateristics. To sail under 11-12 knots
wind you certainly need a
Gennaker. (or start the engines)
I have added Orana in my
buying list. But it is around 80-90K € expensive than
Lipari or L400. Is it worth it? I will fly to
France soon to see both, then I can evaluate better.
I also had a look at
Lagoon 440 at the show, but as the flybridge helm station isn't for my taste, it was a short visit. The design of L440 shows its age, and if I had to choose between the two, I would probably choose Orana. It looks nicer for my taste.