SVN solovelanet

98 SVN Solovelanet Global rect the operator's and drone's footage, was capable of reaching around 9.3 knots, and yet had serious trouble in keeping up with the Dufour 390, which was sailing at a very low heeling angle and with no apparent effort. In our test, we could also appreciate her responsive - ness in manoeuvres.A little rodkicker use, or even a short movement of the mainsail traveller, is enough to exert an effect on the sail. And bear in mind that we have not touched the backstay, which can be adjusted by means of a hoist. Although it wasn't like being on a racing boat, it certainly was a lot more fun than sailing a typical cruiser boat. The boat is very fast under power too, and this pro - ves once again that the hull is well designed. Her cruise speed is around eight knots, and her maxi- mum speed is almost nine. Single blade Dufour and the Felci firm have decided avoid yiel- ding to the temptation of the double-blade rudder. As Umberto Felci explained to us not so long ago in a very interesting interview, he prefers hulls that are not particularly wide in the water, but gain volume out of the water. This allows for a faster and more mano - euvrable line, all the more so since on a narrow hull the double blade would only show the typical flaws of this rudder type, without being of any use. In this photo we can see some of the highlights of this boat. The low boom is great for those who want a fully battened and non-furling mainsail. The transverse window on the coachroof floods the inner spaces with light, and all the lines run under the cowling to come out at the side of the companionway T he model we tested, courtesy of the owner and of Eurosail Yacht at Marina Punta Faro, was a peculiar boat. In addition to equipping her with sails and gear suitable for enhancing her sailing capabilities, the owner has also made effective choices regarding the fixtures and fittings. Inside Fra Martina the forward wa - ter tank has been removed, thus considerably reducing the supply, and replaced with a Zen 50 watermaker made by Schenker, a company located in Salerno that has developed a very compact and adaptable model. This choice al - lows the owner of Fra Martina to have all the water he needs and even more, without having to carry its weight forward and without the bulky tank. In our opinion, in the near future such a choice is going to become a norm for boats of this size, considering that a waterma - ker makes the boat independent and frees the owner from the need to enter a harbour to refill water tanks. Fra Martina

• Cover