Test run of the Open 40 and factory visit
In June we had one of the most exciting weekends and one that would quickly change the timeline of our trip.
We were picked up in Nantes by our agent and visited the Nautitech factory in Rochefort.
It was amazing to see how clean and neat these boats were prepared. Very nice production line!
We drove to Arcachon for dinner that evening and had trouble sleeping as the excitement to test the boat was very high. Or was it the fire alarm that went off in the middle of the night? hmmmm
The next morning, we had sun and 2-3bfrt. Not ideal for a test run, but the Open 40 advanced smoothly. 4 to 5 knots in very light wind conditions and lots of tidal movement in the Bay of Arcachon. Not too bad considering the weight and size ;-)
The navigation stations are so comfortable, the outdoor living area is just great! And the places for the girls to hurt themselves are almost nonexistent.
The amount of storage space is huge compared to the older versions of catamaran's. Quite enough for all the 'toys' we plan to bring along.
Price negotiations later that evening happened in a stunning environment. Live music, view over the Arcachon Bay, great company and a quick recheck of our budget resulted in a good deal ;-)
We were picked up in Nantes by our agent and visited the Nautitech factory in Rochefort.
It was amazing to see how clean and neat these boats were prepared. Very nice production line!
We drove to Arcachon for dinner that evening and had trouble sleeping as the excitement to test the boat was very high. Or was it the fire alarm that went off in the middle of the night? hmmmm
The next morning, we had sun and 2-3bfrt. Not ideal for a test run, but the Open 40 advanced smoothly. 4 to 5 knots in very light wind conditions and lots of tidal movement in the Bay of Arcachon. Not too bad considering the weight and size ;-)The navigation stations are so comfortable, the outdoor living area is just great! And the places for the girls to hurt themselves are almost nonexistent.
The amount of storage space is huge compared to the older versions of catamaran's. Quite enough for all the 'toys' we plan to bring along.
I couldn't help but test the speed and bearings against a smaller day boat going in the same direction. I was amazed to see that even in these light conditions we could nicely keep a 30° heading at reasonable speed, the day boat took a while but passed us in the end. It surely is no racing boat, but that's not what we are looking for ;-)
Price negotiations later that evening happened in a stunning environment. Live music, view over the Arcachon Bay, great company and a quick recheck of our budget resulted in a good deal ;-)