Solaris Review | 2022

By Richard Baldwin and Alan McIlroy

The Solaris desk at Berthon has enjoyed another busy year. With an ever-increasing awareness and interest in the brand there has been a steady increase in enquiries. Yachts have been successfully delivered to both clients in the Mediterranean and the US East Coast with further orders for delivery now planned throughout the spring of 2022. With the UK now out of the EU, UK sailors in the Mediterranean are now eligible to sail there VAT free. This has bought buying new into scope for many of our UK clients this year.

Berthon International not only represent Solaris Yachts here in the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands but also in Sweden and Finland through our office in Henån headed up by Magnus Kullberg and the East Coast of the US through our Newport RI office with Mark Von Drashek at the helm.

Solaris has enjoyed a fantastic year, with three new models launched, the 40’, 50’ and 60’ and an order book bursting at the seams. 2022 is set to be an extremely busy year with a record number of yachts due for delivery from April through August. The new facility in Aquileia is certainly proving its worth. As ever, the focus is on delivering strikingly good-looking and superb sail-handling yachts with the level of craftsmanship and innovative design providing the quality of finish for which Solaris is known.

Product development at Solaris is now stepping up a gear and the range is clearly defined by the ‘flush deck’ models being the 40’, 44’, 47’, 50’, 55’ and 60’, and the larger RS (raised saloon) models being the 64’RS, 68’RS, 74’RS, 80’RS and the flagship 111’. Looking ahead, we expect to see new models coming on stream over the next two years, starting with the new 74’RS which will have four guest suites plus crew quarters… Watch this space for the first of these great yachts is now on order for a UK client.

So to the new models:

Solaris 40

The stunning baby of the range but every inch a Solaris incorporating the latest design innovations from Zavier Soto Acebal, Roseo Design (interior) and the yard. The new 40’ is nothing less than revolutionary for a yacht in this size bracket; in terms of the interior and the deck layout, she will stand out in the crowd. The yacht feels larger than 40’ thanks to the clever hull shape that has a high interior volume for improved space, light and comfort. The forward sections ensure superior buoyancy and reduced pitching, but at the same time the forward chine maintains a fine entry at the waterline.

The cockpit has a maximum width deck plan aft with steering pedestals positioned fully outboard providing the helmsman with near perfect visibility. Gone are the old halyard winches mounted either side of the companionway with all the lines now leading aft to the helmsman to improve short-handed functionality.

Builder’s Comments:

Our objective was to develop a new 40’ yacht incorporating the very latest innovations, whilst preserving the design flair of Javier Soto Acebal. This is how the Solaris 40’ was born, with numerous evolutions that distinguish this new project, in both hull performance and comfort at sea. Starting with the hull, Solaris has chosen an extremely buoyant bow line, characterized by a subtle chine that ends at mid-hull. The high buoyancy forward is balanced by the broad aft sections, which facilitate the twin rudders that ensure excellent directional stability. The broad cockpit is equipped with two full-width steering pedestals: this is a unique feature to helm with an unobstructed view forward, even with the sprayhood up. Forward of the pedestals, there are convenient steps up to the side decks. The lifelines are slightly angled from that position.

The interiors, designed in collaboration with architect Roséo, are available in two versions: 3 cabins and 2 bathrooms or 2 cabins and 2 bathrooms with a separate shower. The high-quality interior design is extremely refined, with 6 hull windows providing natural light. The layout is classic, with an L-shaped galley located to the left of the companionway.

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Solaris 50

The previous Solaris 50’, built between 2015 and 2021 achieved almost cult status and produced record breaking sales, so developing a replacement was a tough challenge. But the visionary brains at Solaris have made great strides and with sixteen new 50’ hulls already sold off-plan, clearly the market agrees.

The new 50’ is slightly longer and beamier than her predecessor, has twin rudders that enable the tender garage to align fore and aft for much easier launching and retrieval of the tender. The chine has now moved forward from bow to mid-ships to facilitate a larger interior volume and increased buoyancy, while the aft flanks are broad and powerful.

Another great feature are the optional twin cockpit tables which allow much better access from deck to interior, and less obvious, they also provide better bracing against the stainless steel foot rails. We look forward to seeing how the new 50’ will perform against the previous 50’ and no doubt all eyes will be watching the challenge between competitive owners at this year’s Solaris Cup.

Builder’s Comments:

Solaris Yachts continues to evolve and reinvent itself: we are excited to introduce our new Solaris 50’. Following the success of the Solaris 48’ and 50’ over the years, we started designing new waterlines. This project led to the creation of a new Solaris 50’ with an LOA of 15,50m and beam of 4 ,78m.

The result of the innovative waterlines is the extension of the aft sections. This solution allows the use of the twin rudder blades. Also, we succeeded in designing a tender garage with longitudinal access, a unique solution on yachts of this size. This improvement simplifies the use of the dinghy that is secured in its own watertight garage.

On deck, a broad cockpit, already tested on the Solaris 40’ and Solaris 60’, guarantees freedom of movement. The wider cockpit of the new Solaris 50’ can accommodate one or two cockpit tables.

Among the exceptional advantages of this boat, it’s worth noting the full width steering wheels that improve visibility, even while using the sprayhood. Thanks to the steps forward the steering area, the water slips away from the side decks, creating a safe environment and allowing very comfortable navigation. The original steps also simplify movement on the deck.

There are more innovations below deck: besides the traditional layout with 3 cabins and 2 bathrooms, you will find a new modern and original option. You can opt for a third bathroom and longitudinal galley. Special attention has also been given to the interior details, in particular to the finishing of the saloon and the owner’s cabin: the collaboration with Poltrona FRAU, the prestigious leather manufacturers since 1912, enable you to customise the interior of your Solaris according on your needs and personal taste.

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Solaris 60

Sixty feet has long been a key size in the Solaris range, a position previously held by the Bill Tripp designed Solaris One 60’, and most recently by the Solaris 58’.

The new 60’ is the largest of the ‘flush deck’ models, a quantum leap in terms of performance and interior comfort, and the exterior styling clearly indicates ‘performance’.

As with all the latest Solaris models, the new 60’ has fuller forward sections to balance out the very broad stern. This results in a larger, airier and more livable interior with huge deck space. The cockpit is now wide enough to include twin cockpit tables, and an optional central dedicated mainsheet pod, a good idea for both heavy weather sailing and racing.

At the time of writing, eight hulls had been sold, and interest is strong.

Solaris have worked hard to create a truly “sportif” yacht that not only complies with Mini-Maxi class, but also exudes the very best in performance cruising for small crew, both above and below deck, not least with the addition of her longitudinal tender garage.

Builder’s Comments:
Solaris 60’ is inspired by the idea of creating a Mini-Maxi, a high performance sailboat, with an overall length of 18.31 m. This length allows the 60’ to take part in offshore racing and the Mini-Maxi class, including the main event in Porto Cervo that takes place every year.

The main innovation of the Solaris 60’ is the cockpit with its full width steering wheels. You can steer the yacht without the intrusion of the sprayhood. This ensures that the jib’s luff is always completely left in sight while sailing.

The width of the steering system allows you to lower the lifelines in the aft area and to lift them near the two steps that lead to the side decks . This solution is normally adopted on very big yachts, bigger than 140 ft. Moreover, thanks to the width of the wheels even during manoeuvring and navigation, the helmsman will enjoy a completely unobstructed view.

Behind the wheels several seat options are available to steer in different sea conditions, including sitting down.

Below deck you will find a typical Solaris layout which includes a galley slightly hidden by two steps forward and for the first time two aft cabins with single or double beds, with a wide porthole facing the interior of the cockpit.

The owner’s cabin, situated in the front, is extremely comfortable and comes with the option of outboard or central bed.

Special focus has also been given to the crew cabin situated in the bow and equipped with a separate bathroom.

The tender garage, with longitudinal access, has a minimum intrusion into the aft cabins.

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In other news Solaris announced the purchase of the CNB brand

Since 1974, Solaris Yachts has been setting new standards in the performance cruiser sector. Solaris Yachts’ contemporary, large and powerful hulls are matched with elegant, classic and timeless layouts. They are modern fast sailing yachts for sailing and racing sailors who like to sail their yacht themselves.

Berthon are proud to represent this spectacular brand in the UK, Sweden, Finland and the East Coast of the USA.

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