SVN solovelanet

97 SVN Solovelanet Global This good idea of the Felci firm allowed the French shipyard to go through the 2008 economic crisis with limited damage. In the aft galley you work standing on the large plat - form, which is accessed by an opening door on the right side of the helmsman's seat. Deck gear and sail plan The model we tested belongs to an experienced owner, who has chosen the best equipment for his boat (more about this in the box Fra Martina). On Fra Martina - this is the name of the boat - we do not find the self-tacking jib supplied as standard by the shipyard. The owner has chosen to purchase the Grand Prix package, designed to maximize the sai - ling performance of this model.Instead of the self- tacking jib we find the tracks of the genoa traveller. The reefing lines and halyards are led to the coa- chroof winches, while the aft winches are used to control the mainsheet (German style system) and the jib sheet. Because of the position of the cam cleats, working between the sheets is not so comfortable, but this is just a minor flaw in a boat not made for racing. Just aft of the companionway and the sprayhood garage, we find a nice track of the main traveller that is great for trimming the mainsail. We really appreciated the position of the boom that is reminiscent of many years ago, when the first goal of boats was to sail well, and then to be comforta - ble.The boom of new Dufour models is low. For this reason, in idle run we will need to use the topping lift or else the boom will be too low, whereas when veering, taller people need to mind its movement, but when we have to reef or to fold the lowered sail, we will be able to keep our feet firmly planted on the deck, without needing to climb the mast steps.The limited height of the boom also has the advantage of lowering the centre of effort, and consequently the centre of gravity. Thanks to the combination of these two benefits, the boat is softer, more balan - ced boat and more manoeuvrable. The sea test The profession of the Solovelanet team is to test bo- ats around Europe, and in my career as a journalist I have tested many, but only few of them have really amazed me. The Dufour 390 is one of those few. The boat is equipped with a Grand Prix package inclu - sive of sandwich sails, that are more performing than the standard set, and is indeed very fast for a cruiser. With 11-12 knots of true wind we exceeded 9 knots upwind. The supporting boat, which I boarded to di - In these photos, two shots of the very spacious cockpit of the Dufour 390, with nice cushions

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