Testing out the new Salina 48 Evolution

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Caroline Strainig checks out the new Salina 48 Evolution, a slightly tweaked version of the Salina 48.

Charles Darwin’s famous theory of natural selection and evolution was based on the premise that a species either adapts to the demands of the environment or dies out. Mother Nature makes this possible by ensuring different traits crop up from time to time. Those traits - such as skin colour - can increase a particular animal’s chance of survival so it has a higher chance of living to breeding age and passing those traits on.

French manufacturer Fountaine Pajot is applying that theory to its boats in a slightly more business-like way, tweaking models in response to feedback and releasing a new version a couple of years down the track. The new versions have the same name but with the addition of the word “Evolution”.

The Salina 48 Evolution is the tweaked version of the 48 Roger Priest reviewed in CH in October 28. There are only a few changes, and these are largely aesthetic rather than major structural ones. However, they do improve the boat.

Mark Elkington of Australian distributor Multihull Solutions said they include a new interior design by an Italian company called Costa renowned for making the most of small spaces (they also did the Airbuses), an improved helm station, upgraded galley and roomier hulls.

Sail-plan-wise, the Evolution has a new square-topped mainsail — designed to give more sail area in lighter winds but spill air in strong
winds — and a soft-topped dodger-cum bimini with clears to give the helmsman protection from the elements.

Other tweaks include:
• Additional storage in saloon and galley.
• Huge owner’s bathroom for’ard in owner’s hull, which is to starboard. (The original was central and a lot smaller.)
• Larger portholes to afford even more natural light and even better views.
• New cherrywood interior with more timber fit-out.
• New vynilester resin-infused hull.
• Leather bedheads,
• 240L additional storage in starboard hull.
• Even higher-quality fittings and fixtures throughout.
• New galley benchtops.
• Saloon table also converts to a coffee table.
• LED lighting.
• View panel in cockpit hardtop bimini to see the sails when lazing around the cockpit.

Okay, enough of that. Let’s take a look at what you get for your $955,000 plus.

The general look

Any boat is a balancing act between a number of factors, the main ones being space, seaworthiness and speed. It is important that you get the right balance for you, and it is something Mark and his sales team are all too aware of. “It’s no good sacrificing space for speed if you plan to spend 80 percent of your cruising time at anchor,” Mark said.

“The same obviously goes the other way around. I have seen far too many people make that mistake.”

To me, the Evolution looked a cross between the Lagoon catamarans built by a French competitor and some of the more streamlined cats we have in Australia like the Lightwaves built on the Gold Coast. That should mean it should have reasonable space but still perform well under sail.

I won’t go into too much detail because we have already run a full-length story on the earlier version, but the Evolution has fairly plumb bows, huge trampolines with twin single pulpit seats for’ard in both hulls, wide side decks with shrouds well outboard (no running into things in the dark!) and a flat cabin top with good access to the boombag and boom. Access to the cabin top is via a fold-down step on the base of the mast and easy even for someone vertically challenged like me. The huge anchor locker is just for’ard of the mast, with the anchor (45lb plough standard) stored well aft, as are the water and fuel tanks, helping keep weight central, and thus reduce pitching and hobby-horsing. The only exception to this are the engines, which are just aft of the aft berths instead of under them, but the trade-off is no smell and less noise below.

A large hardtop shelters the cockpit aft, which is a great place to entertain with a good-sized table, plenty of seating and lots of stowage. One locker near the door to the saloon is ideal to be converted to a fridge.

A few steps on the side of the cockpit to starboard lead to the large helm station, which easily seats three, and is protected from the elements by a soft-top dodger-cum-bimini. Sail controls come back to a Harken electric winch and two manual Harken winches on the cabin top near the helm. As Roger noted in the previous story, unlike many cats, the traveller in the Salina 48 is atop the cockpit hard cover, so its control lines go to the helm – where you can use power if feeling lazy.

The halyards can be led back here too, but on the test boat they were still adjusted on the mast. The owners of the test boat were a novice couple and Mark Elkington suggests learning reefing at the mast before moving it aft.

Apart from depth, speed and wind and a compass, instruments are owner’s choice so I won’t go into them here.

As are many distributors, Multihull Solutions encourages buyers to tick the box just for basics at initial purchase stage and then add as they work through what they really need at their leisure. Sails are a dacron composite and a screecher and bowsprit are available as optional extras. A Facnor headsail furler and a 1200W Lofrans anchor windlass are included in the standard package price.

Engines are in each hull (40hp standard, 55 optional, choice of Yanmar or Volvo), with lots of space to access those sometimes-hard-to-get-at spots although the owner of the test boat had added a generator in the port hull, which did make that a little squeezier.

Davits aft have been disguised under a large platform that doubles as a sunbed. Within reason the latter can be customised — you can even axe the platform altogether in favour of heavy-duty davits with an electric winch. A swimming ladder and hot-and-cold shower complete the list of features here.

Inside/below

Sliding doors lead into a spacious saloon with an L-shaped settee and adjustable dining-cum-coffee table to port and U-shaped galley to starboard.

Features include twin opening ports for’ard to enable plenty of through breeze. The galley has a high-set gas oven with separate bench-top burner range, front-opening fridge and a second lift-top fridge/freezer.

I agree with Roger that the views are fantastic and the Salina 48 has one of the biggest saloons I have seen on a catamaran.

Below

The Evolution is available in two versions; the accommodation-maximising Quatuor version and the owner’s Maestro version. The port hull is the same in both, with twin berths with head and shower for’ard and aft and a single berth central (in many boats the owners turn this single berth into stowage). However in the Maestro version the starboard hull is given over to a luxurious owner’s hull with a large semi-island berth aft, office and more stowage midships and a large head for’ard.

Escape hatches in both hulls double as wonderful places to watch the fish go by in normal circumstances. Ventilation is excellent courtesy of a myriad of opening ports and ducted air-circulation system. Lighting is LED, so no need to worry about draining the batteries if you cannot sleep and want to read late at night.

Construction

French builder Fountaine-Pajot is one of the world’s most forward-thinking companies, and I wasn’t surprised to learn the Salina 48 Evolution is manufactured with modern technology, which includes an infused sandwich composite hull plus a deckhouse moulded with new RTM eco-technology.

How she sailed

On the day of our outing we had hardly any wind, so it is probably fairer to refer to Roger Priest’s outing in stronger winds back in 2008, although I will note that even in the light winds, she was responsive and I had no issues tacking. In fact, I had to be reminded by Mark Elkington that the other parties on board had things to do later in the day because I was enjoying myself so much I had forgotten time constraints and was heading down SE Queensland’s Moreton Bay as if I didn’t have a care in the world!

On Roger’s outing in 13-16 knots true he recorded 6.1 knots at 40 degrees apparent and 7.3 knots at 45 degrees. Then a broad reach at 100-110 degrees apparent produced speeds of 9-11 knots.

On our outing under motor with the optional 55hp Volvos we achieved 6.5 knots at a mere 1700 rpm and 8.4 knots at 2400 rpm.

Because the motors are just aft of each interior cabin instead of under the berths as they are in some catamarans – plus have water- and smell-tight bulkheads between them and the accommodation, this means that motoring does not create noise or smell issues, which is a plus, although in many instances you will use just one motor anyway to conserve fuel. I went and lay on a bunk aft while we were motoring and the sound was such a low hum I could easily have fallen asleep. The downside is that the engines are a little further aft weight-wise, but  Mark assured me they were still central enough not to exacerbate pitching and the 48 was extremely comfortable offshore.

Summary

Roger Priest liked the original version in 2008, and from what I saw, the Mark II has only improved on an already-winning recipe. Oh, and if you’d like something a little cheaper or different, Multihull Solutions also sells the Mahé 36 Evolution ($395,000), Lipari 41 ($525,000) and Orana 44 ($725,000). Those with spare cash to burn can go for the Sanya 57 ($1,650,000) or Galathea 65 (POA).

SPECIFICATIONS
Length 14.3m
Beam 7.7m
Draught 1.10m
Displacement unloaded 10.5T
Mainsail area 80sqm
Genoa area 56sqm
Motors two x 40 CV diesel or 2 x 50hp optional (choice of Yanmars or Volvo)
Bridgedeck clearance 0.8m lightship
Fuel 480L
Water 750L
Standard version four double cabins
Owner’s version three double cabins with workshop/single bed fwd
Quatuor version four doubles
Distributor:
Multihull Solutions Australia, 33-45 Parkyn Parade, PO Box 15, Mooloolaba, Queensland 4557,ph 1300 855 338, (07) 5452 5164 mobile 427 88 99 10 www.multihullsolutions.com.au

What about those Mark 1 queries?
Roger Priest had a few suggestions for minor tweaks in his October 2008 story, which I put to Mark Elkington.
Roger:“No standard shelter from sun, rain or spray at the helm. Others (especially Australian cats) do this better. The dealer is working on an Australian-designed add-on because the factory option is only a sun shelter.”
Mark: “No, an option and fitted to almost every order; we do customisation as well for specific clients.”
Roger: “Stern berthing cleats need re-locating. You have to stand on one to enter the boat from an alongside berth. EC Marine is shifting this cleat, pending a factory change.”
Mark:“Option for relocation, but most of our clients like this position.”
Roger: “Lack of a dedicated start battery for the starboard engine, allowing current and voltage surges through electronics.”
Mark: “Separate start batteries now standard.”
Roger: “Two of the three heads in the standard boat are manual, thus having no maceration for legal discharge in some Australian waters.”
Mark: “Again, most our orders are bluewater sailors who like a few manual heads. Electric are options and fitting to most owner versions.”
Roger: “Small standard sewage-holding tanks. With three couples on board, the standard boat will only last between 1 and 1.5 days before needing to discharge or pumpout the three 45L tanks.”
Mark: “150L now standard.”
Roger:“Lifelines are not standard across the bow (they are an option).”
Mark: “Most production cats and one-off’s have no lifelines across the bows. Yes, they are an option, but only ever requested for charter.”