Lagoon 450 vs FP Helia 44

[SillyCs]

Morning and happy Easter for those who celebrate!

Here’s a quick one question as I’m further educating myself. We have bare boated the Lagoon 450S. Liked the space, albeit it felt “chartery” (proooobably because it was) and the performance was exactly how we expected for a condo-cat. Curious if you can chime in on the performance of the FP44 as compared to the L450. Hoping for

Also can you point me to a resource that has polar diagrams of various models along with basic specs (length, width, height, draft, weight, bridge deck clearance)?... or is there one?... or do I sift through searching each model separately and build my own?

[Steve_C]

This is a slightly skewed comparison, as the Lagoon 450 is considerably larger than the Helia. The Lagoon 42 is slightly smaller than the Helia. Performance of these is not hugely different, but you have to take into consideration how each would be used. If you cruise and load them up, like many of us do, then the larger boat will suffer the least. I have not sailed a Helia, but have talked to others that said it is very sensitive to weight.

Hope that helps a little!

[SillyCs]

Thanks mucho Steve. Just what I was looking for.

Any idea of where to see specs of different models in one place?

[SillyCs]

Ok so I must apologize. I asked first and looked second. Seems I’m not the first or the 100th person to ask the similar question. Thank you all again.

[Houston450]

I have both available for charter in Kemah, TX; check out www.yachtcations.com; Chris

[Bean Counter]

Go this web site and join, you can get comparative data on a lots of cats here. Some data is a bit screwy as the site sometimes has to make assumptions about critical areas such as displacement as not all manufacturers use same definitions and this determines calculated comparatives.

Multihull Dynamics, Inc. - Home

[mjgriffin007]

Have chartered both; the Helia handles a bit lighter as expected, but noticeably smaller inside and out. A couple of things I noticed on layout: The Lagoons have a forward seating area, aft of the tramps; the Helia didn't. But the Helia had the drawer-type refrigerators; lots more room, seemed to keep colder longer, and easier to find stuff. Good luck!

[iliohale]

Pros and cons to both so it really depends on your specific requirements. I have sailed and chartered on the H44, Nautitech Open 46, and Lagoon 450S (which I own). Any of these boats will have a range of sailing characteristics which are very dependent on the condition/type of sails, how loaded they are, how well they are tuned, running rigging, and of course just how well trimmed they are. I have owned and sailed my Lagoon 450S for a year now and I am still dialing in the sails, rigging, and trim. But overall, I have been pleasantly surprised at the performance. This is our home and the boat is loaded so I had very low expectations. We are currently sailing on the San Francisco Bay and we have to short tack all the time up places like Racoon Straights or through the Gate against a flood, and seriously, have no complaints. Off the wind she is a charm but going to weather is not too bad.

So any of these boats will have comparable sailing characteristics I think if you pay attention to getting them set up right and take into consideration the design specs for factors like loading you won't go wrong. Pick the boat that meets your needs and then dial it in from a sailing perspective.

Gary
'iliohale

[Sailingveterinarian]

I have a 2013 Helia, owners version for sale

[Mook1e]

Originally Posted by iliohale

Pros and cons to both so it really depends on your specific requirements. I have sailed and chartered on the H44, Nautitech Open 46, and Lagoon 450S (which I own). Any of these boats will have a range of sailing characteristics which are very dependent on the condition/type of sails, how loaded they are, how well they are tuned, running rigging, and of course just how well trimmed they are. I have owned and sailed my Lagoon 450S for a year now and I am still dialing in the sails, rigging, and trim. But overall, I have been pleasantly surprised at the performance. This is our home and the boat is loaded so I had very low expectations. We are currently sailing on the San Francisco Bay and we have to short tack all the time up places like Racoon Straights or through the Gate against a flood, and seriously, have no complaints. Off the wind she is a charm but going to weather is not too bad.

So any of these boats will have comparable sailing characteristics I think if you pay attention to getting them set up right and take into consideration the design specs for factors like loading you won't go wrong. Pick the boat that meets your needs and then dial it in from a sailing perspective.

Gary
'iliohale

Would you say the Helia 44 feels/is significantly smaller than the Lagoon 450 inside? My wife and I like the Nautitech Fly 46, but we found the salon to feel very small (short) compared to the FP and Lagoon of similar sizes.

[iliohale]

It has been a while since I was on the Helia but we were aboard the FP 47 recently and felt that it was comparable to our 450 in terms of space and stowage.

[Mook1e]

Originally Posted by iliohale

It has been a while since I was on the Helia but we were aboard the FP 47 recently and felt that it was comparable to our 450 in terms of space and stowage.

Thanks for your response. We love the Saona 47! We're still deciding if we'll buy (finance) a used Lagoon or participate in a charter management program with a Saona 47 or (pending more experience) Bali 4.8/4.6 once they are available. For us, it really depends on which fits our lifestyle once we have an empty nest!

[HighTemp]

The Saona and the 450S are about as close as one can get across two manufacturers. The 44 is a smaller boat for sure. I have sailed the 450 and own a Saona. Storage, interior living space, etc. are fairly equal. I have found that sailing and handling is similar as well. The 450S is getting to be a bit dated, so the FP wins out on modern design aspects.

We were looking for a 450S when we bought the FP47. I have no complaints.

[Mook1e]

Originally Posted by HighTemp

The Saona and the 450S are about as close as one can get across two manufacturers. The 44 is a smaller boat for sure. I have sailed the 450 and own a Saona. Storage, interior living space, etc. are fairly equal. I have found that sailing and handling is similar as well. The 450S is getting to be a bit dated, so the FP wins out on modern design aspects.

We were looking for a 450S when we bought the FP47. I have no complaints.

Have you seen the Elba 45? We looked at the Elba at Cannes last year as well. We liked it. I especially like the FP hybrid sport helm/flybridge design.
We may have to be conservative and go for a used 44, simply for economic reasons. Once we are mobile and we can charter each, we'll decide how "all in" we want to be.

[HighTemp]

Originally Posted by Mook1e

Have you seen the Elba 45? We looked at the Elba at Cannes last year as well. We liked it. I especially like the FP hybrid sport helm/flybridge design.
We may have to be conservative and go for a used 44, simply for economic reasons. Once we are mobile and we can charter each, we'll decide how "all in" we want to be.

I have only seen sales information about the 45. I have not seen one in person. I believe the dealer in our area has one coming. He usually gets them sold before they can arrive though. Looking at it, seems very similar to the Saona in many respects, just slightly smaller. I can say that I do not care for the galley layout when compared to the Saona. Having to transition across the ladder down into the port hull to move from cooktop to sink can pose a risk in my opinion. That and having the nav station located by the door...... just my preferences....