Cantiere del Pardo, Italian builder of one of Europe’s best-known brands of racer/cruiser yachts, has appointed well-known Hong Kong company Asia Yacht Services, under the experienced hand of Sytske Kimman, to represent the celebrated line of Grand Soleil Yachts in Hong Kong.
Asia Yacht Services was founded in 2004, and later became Northrop & Johnson Asia. Most recently, Kimman has been concentrating on the ‘crewed charter’ business, hosting guests on board for multi-day multihull adventure expeditions around the spectacular coastlines of Hong Kong. Sytske Kimman, Director, Asia Yacht Services
For almost 50 years Grand Soleil sailing yachts have been recognised as being leaders in the racer/cruiser class. The design brief for a yacht of this nature is something of a ‘unicorn’ project. It is an exercise in artful compromise, but you’d never know it: Grand Soleil have proved themselves to be very good at creating racing hulls with room inside for the cruising amenities without weighing down the boat too much. A great deal of this is down to design. Since 1973 Grand Soleil’s in-house designers have included Jean-Marie Finot, Germán Frers, Bruce Farr, the Judel-Vrolik partnership, Marcelino Botin, Marco Lostuzzi and Matteo Polli: every one a name with a reputation for excellence. The F1 racing car with four seats and a roof does not exist, but saloon cars can be racing machines too.
Grand Soleil 44 - the perfect balance between cruising and racing performance
At the same time, it requires impeccable construction techniques to bring the design to reality. Cantiere del Pardo’s long experience in composite construction ensures that their yachts are very much “fit for purpose”. Interiors from a number of nautical designers are top-of-the-line in quality, functionality, and unabashed luxury.
The Grand Soleil range of boats today stretches from 34ft to 80ft in the Performance Line, with the addition of a 42, 46, and a 52-footer in the ‘LC’ (Long Cruise) line. The LC series is designed to appeal to owners interested in sailing long distances, with additional allowances made for creature comforts accordingly. Additionally, the flagship Grand Soleil 80 Performance is an all-carbon build, “dedicated to the racing world, yet with the comfort of a cruiser,” and marks the arrival of Cantiere del Pardo into a new league of excellence.
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