On the occasion of the Cannes Yachting Festival, Cantiere del Pardo formally announced that «the first Grand Soleil 72 Performance will touch the water in autumn 2022”. An unprecedented project 
with which the Forlì-based boatyard will further enter the market segment of cruising yachts over 60 feet. It does so while giving “breath” and “evolution through two ranges“, because Grand Soleil 72 will exist in “Performance” and “Long Cruise” versions. “Above 60 feet, we’ll have a single hull for two different layouts,” explains Veronica Bottasini, marketing and communications manager at Grand Soleil Yachts. But, to be fair, Cantiere del Pardo is not unusual in surprising the yachting market with boats designed in this way: the GS 80 Custom is a striking proof of that. More specifically, it’s a brilliant example of how Cantiere del Pardo has been putting maxi yachts of almost 26 metres in the water for some time now, combining the coveted combination of family cruises and races with friends. Now, with the Grand Soleil 72, Cantiere del Pardo goes beyond perfection and responds even more strongly, covering the over 60 foot range of cruising yachts with a series that can be customized in two layout modes, precisely to listen to those owners who are demanding on different types of sailing.
Made in Italy
As for the Made in Italy that makes Italy great in the yachting world, this Grand Soleil 72-footer is designed by an all-Italian team: the designer is Matteo Polli, who also conceived the Grand Soleil 44. This is a sign that Grand Soleil Yachts wants to give “continuity and a family feeling to the range. Marco Lostuzzi was in charge of the structures, while the project manager is Franco Corazza, “who will follow the owners step by step during the construction process.
Maximum eco-sustainable vocation
How does Cantiere dal Pardo interpret the “green wave” that seeks answers to the impact of the nautical industry on the environment? By choosing for the GS 72 construction materials with the “highest degree of recyclability“, teak from a controlled supply chain, “lamination with linen and ecological resins, water-based paints”.
Last but not least, the introduction of solar panels on board. It will be “a boat with the highest degree of eco-sustainability,” explain Cantiere del Pardo’s marketing department.
Grand Soleil 72 Performance
Performance is guaranteed by the particular design of the hull, where “the flared cross sections will make it possible to achieve great form stability and a much increased dynamic length“. As for the sail area (310 square metres), this has been designed with an extremely wide bow triangle. Moreover, a large J makes it easier to manoeuvre with the mainsail and increase performance “in medium wind and short sea“. The performance that the GS 72 is aiming for is certainly expressed by the waterlines characterized by a “reduced wetted surface”.
The renderings of the GS 72 that have come into the possession of our editorial staff depict a sailing yacht whose deck is ultra-spacious, especially in the helm station. The GS 72 has a maximum beam of 6.20 meters. And, if you look at the cockpit, it features “ergonomics and comfort” typical of luxury sports yachts. “The highly advanced and highly efficient rudder blade will allow for easy manoeuvring and precise steering. The keel will be an inverted T keel with a weldox blade and lead torpedo, but it will be possible to install either a lifting keel or a telescopic keel”. The draft will be a “standard” size of 3.70 meters.
At first glance, the Grand Soleil 72 certainly stands out for its design in the general layout of the exterior, the deck and the interior. Here, “sweet, clean and elegant” forms find harmony in a yacht with “very generous volumes”, summed up in a design entrusted to the prestigious Milan-based Nauta Design studio, whose creativity will give “a boat with a distinctly Italian aesthetic“. One more detail: “ergonomics, stowage, functions and the quality of all the accessories are set to superyacht standards”.
Grand Soleil 72 – Hull no.1
The first Grand Soleil 72 to be launched, on which the yard is already working, will be conceived with the “Performance” layout, which means it will be highly “performance-oriented” and feature a “low, streamlined deckhouse that accentuates the elegance of the lines“. In the Long Cruise version, instead, the deckhouse is raised compared to the Performance layout and boasts a generous window that runs along the profile at 270 degrees.. This offers a lot of natural light below deck in the dinette and a higher deck level in the central part of the boat. Both the ‘Performance’ and ‘Long Cruise’ versions share a forward master cabin, although the positioning of the galley and guest and cabin crew cabins is different.
