New Lipari 41 Evolution

[dasha]

Has anyone seen the Lipari 41 Evolution new for 2014? I've managed to find some info on it at link below.

http://www.bayacht.com/aaa/fp/F41/F41-2014specs.pdf

I imagine its something all manufacturers do to try and tweak a design within the limitations of the existing mould. I really like the improved design of the door between the cockpit and saloon. It opens up and connects the two areas better. As part of this change the galley bench is wider which is more practical than the drinks ledge there before. The fridge is now two sliding drawers which frees up the bench top above it.
They have also changed the seat area behind the helm station from what was a fairly impractical seat to a sun lounge. The rear windows in the aft cabin are also bigger and have a bigger opening to improve ventilation.

Overall, I think they are all good improvements.

[Rohan]

Two other huge changes that the presentation doesn't mention.

1. Two skylights in the main salon, a definite improvement.
   
2. Small couch and a nicer looking desk in the owner's suite. Looks like an improvement, but it might cut down on storage space.

[Dod42]

Originally Posted by Rohan

Two other huge changes that the presentation doesn't mention.

1. Two skylights in the main salon, a definite improvement.
   
2. Small couch and a nicer looking desk in the owner's suite. Looks like an improvement, but it might cut down on storage space.

Are you sure that is for the Lipari as some of those pictures are from a Helia?

[dasha]

Where did you get that info from Rohan? I'm still waiting for some info to be sent from the British dealership here. I'm hoping they are going to be showing it at the Southampton boat show here in the UK in Sept.

Galley work tops look a lot better as well.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Dod42

Are you sure that is for the Lipari as some of those pictures are from a Helia?

Ahh... you are correct. But in my defense, the title of that presentation is "Lipari 41", so obviously I assumed all the photos were of the Lipari.

[Dod42]

Initially I wondered the same but then realised all they where doing in that part of the document was showing the new colour schemes for all the 2014 models. This is important as the boss now has to buy new cushions as what she has now will not match (arrrgh)!

Surprised they have put this on their web site as it is listed as confidential. Glad they did as it answered a number of questions concerning the new layout.

[dasha]

No further info from the Dealership here. All they could tell me was what was on the FP website. They are waiting on more info to be released from FP.

There is a good photo on the link below which shows all the cockpit modifications.

Fountaine Pajot - Nouveauté 2014... Le Lipari 41 Evolution - VoilesNews

[hblask]

As part of our next step on our plan to cruising, we charted a 2014 Lipari 41Evolution this past week (with a captain for lessons). Our "big boat" sailing experience is pretty limited, so take this for what it is worth.

I found the boat to be beautifully designed. The layout is bright and spacious. One of the things we were worried about is that we would be sick of being on top of each other for a week, but I didn't feel that at all. The smart design just made me realize how much wasted space I'm paying for in my land house. The salon has room for someone to be cooking and others can still move around comfortably, and access the fridge without interfering with the cook.

The one we chartered was the three cabin two head version. The owner's side was spacious, with lots of well-chosen storage. If you need more room for clothes, you are doing it wrong. The head had an actual shower compartment. The other hull had significantly less storage, but made the most of the space that was there.

The cockpit was comfortable and had good visibility. The instruments were all behind the wheel, so you had to reach around the wheel to adjust anything if autopilot was on, or risk the wheel turning on your wrist. Also, the wheel blocked the center of the nav chart, so I found myself taking a step down if I wanted more information on the chart. I'm not sure if you can get it other instrument layouts. I guess it doesn't look much different than most I see on Yachtworld or in videos, but it seemed more annoying than necessary. A few inches here and there might've made a big difference.

The sailing was fine; we were doing between 6-8 knots downwind in 10-12 wind. Since I don't have a ton of experience, I don't know for sure how that compares, but it sounds like pretty typical numbers for a big cat. Upwind we could sail at 45 degrees to the wind, but actual course over ground was more like 60 degrees to wind.

So to summarize

The good:

Sharp lines, nice design choices, spacious feel, decent sailing, comfort all around, indoor and out. Good visibility from the helm, and easy steering in tight quarters using engines only.

The bad:

We had heads with a rocker switch to fill/empty, and it seemed like it caused problems every time, no matter how careful we were. Maybe it's something we'd figure out over time, but it seemed like way more trouble than I expected. I've used the pump kind before, and it actually seemed to work better than this one.

The ugly:

I'm not going to know the correct terms here, but the area between the cockpit and the roof in front of it has a space that was exactly the width of a the jib sheet. That meant if you dropped the gib sheet to the right of the winch, which is easy and natural to do, it would slide into that crack and get caught. It wasn't real hard to get out, but that area of the boat was mangled and chipped from all the times it got caught there. If it were my boat it would be easy enough to fix with some foam or a line jammed in there, but this seemed like a major flaw.

Overall, I loved the boat, and if I had a half million to spend, it would be high on my list. The last few years the cat makers have really figured out how to make the most of the space available, and the Lipari 41 Evolution is an excellent example of that.