Solaris 44

What is an Easy Sailing Yacht ?

Basically, it’s a faster cruiser with semi-automatic systems – electric winches, furling boom, self-tacking jib and furled sails – that allow one person to manage a powerful sailing yacht in an easy way. It’s a much easier approach to sailing for beginners as they can use buttons and electric or hydraulic systems to manage the sails. It makes everything very easy.

A period of training is needed, but a beginner can quickly learn how to go out for a sail, swim in a bay and sail back. For longer journeys, you need more time and experience. Such a level can be achieved in two years with a proper programme of sailing, a proper method and the proper yacht. However, always remember to respect the sea and, “safety first”.

Q&A with Enrico Zanella On How Italy’s Solaris Yachts Brings Easy Sailing To Asia

Enrico Zanella

What’s A Faster Cruiser Sailing Yacht? 

Firstly, it has a specifically designed hull. It’s a racer, with a lightweight but very strong structure due to its construction techniques. It has a powerful sail plan, personalised luxury interiors and eye-catching colours.

Speed is a basic pleasure of sailing. You want to be the fastest one in the water, so the sail plan is significantly more powerful than other yachts in the same category or of similar length. With an Easy Sailing yacht, you can manage the power of the sails by yourself.

Speed is a combination of aerodynamics, hydrodynamics and weight, factors that depend on the shipyard’s specific research, design, engineering and construction knowledge. Even safety is related to speed. In many situations, speed is the key to arriving at port, so even the inboard power unit is bigger than usual.

Lastly, you and everyone in the marina and at sea will admire the style of your yacht – the shapes, colours, lights, reflections and your personal touches. These all define a fast cruiser easy sailing yacht.

What’s The Proper Method?

For a beginner, the speed of learning is related to the training method. If an Easy Sailing yacht is the hardware, the training method is the software. In order to teach how to safely sail an Easy Sailing yacht, the proper method must adapt to the beginner’s schedule and ambitions.

Let me explain in another way. A beginner has a budget that allows them to own a fast cruiser easy sailing yacht and wants to learn how to sail. They want to sail out to sea with family and friends, swim in beautiful bays, maybe race, and enjoy some unique quality time. With the training method I developed, named The Art of Sailing, it’s possible in a reasonably short time to train a beginner to be able to sail out to sea, enjoy themselves and sail home. With an Easy  Sailing yacht and this training method, a beginner can make their dream become true.

How Does The Price Of A Fast Cruiser Compared To A Cruiser?

Higher or much higher. A fast cruiser is not built in a mass-production or industrialised way but in a very limited scale with very specialised labour. A fast cruiser is a semi-custom yacht that can have tailored requirements and touches, with long-haul capability. The value of a fast cruiser yacht is in the design and construction techniques, highest-quality materials and personalisation.

What About The Resale Value?

A semi-custom fast cruiser maintains a higher second-hand market value, and for a longer time, than a mass-production cruiser. Maintained properly, a semi-custom fast cruiser looks like new after five years.

Easy Sailing Yachts Are Seen In Europe, The Americas And Australia, But What About Asia?

I can talk about my experience. The Asian market is growing according to the local realities. All over Asia, sailing is perceived almost exclusively as regattas.

Most people still don’t know that sailing is more than racing. Sailing is also about the time spent with family and friends, quality time, sunsets, dressing elegantly in a refined atmosphere, delicious food, drinks and good music. Sailing has naturally good Feng shui and provides invaluable, relaxing quality time.

But something has changed in Hong Kong in the last two years. This perception is changing with some experienced Owners, that choose Solaris for these reasons, who are the best opinion leaders to inspire others to learn the amazing and rewarding Art of Sailing.

What Is Next For Solaris In Asia?

Next year, the first Solaris 47 EZC Easy Sailing in Asia will arrive in Hong Kong and is privately owned. The second Solaris will arrive in Hong Kong in the second part of 2019 and will be available for sea trials and charter, and participate in regattas. I’m sure many more people will enjoy the lifestyle after they experience this contemporary way of sailing.

For more information visit solarisyachts.com