Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise: Sea trial of the new masterpiece by Matteo Polli and Nauta Design

A level of comfort rarely seen in a sailboat, perfect balance while sailing, and an astonishing ability to glide through the water even in light winds. The Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is the new benchmark for all enthusiasts of the brand owned by Cantiere del Pardo, which has managed to combine efficiency, elegance, and innovation. Credit certainly goes to the hull designed by the always superlative Matteo Polli, while Nauta Design masterfully penned the interior and exterior: the result is an extraordinarily harmonious work, capable of reconciling performance and comfort without either dimension having to prevail over the other.

The official debut of the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is scheduled for the upcoming Cannes Yachting Festival, but we had the opportunity to test it as a preview in the waters of Ravenna. And it is precisely at sea that this project reveals its most interesting nature: that of a yacht designed to truly sail, even when the destination is far from the port of departure.

With its 19.68 meters length overall and 5.80 meters maximum beam, the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise offers substantial volumes, generous storage capacity, and tanks sized to handle long stays on board. The vertical bow, reduced wetted surface, and high dynamic stability are some of the elements that define the behavior of this hull.

It is a boat that does not seek absolute performance alone, but a more complex balance: performing well, consuming the right amount, being safe and comfortable, and, above all, continuing to be enjoyable even when sailing lasts for many hours or many days.

The Sea Trial of the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise

In Ravenna, it is a splendid summer morning. The sun is high and it is warm, but unfortunately the wind does not seem willing to grant much to our test. We slowly leave the harbor and, once in open water, we unfurl the sails. The engine is switched off and the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise immediately changes character: silence replaces mechanical noise, and the yacht begins to glide over the water with a striking naturalness.

The first element we notice is stability. The boat is steady, composed, and perfectly balanced. Despite its significant size and the 15 passengers on board, its behavior is always predictable and reassuring.

Unfortunately, the wind is not enough to bring the 60 Long Cruise into the ideal conditions for which it was designed, but this very situation becomes, in its own way, very interesting. In strong winds, it is relatively easy to demonstrate the qualities of a sailboat and allow the hull to express its full potential. It is in light winds, however, that one understands how effective a properly conceived project truly is. And the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise, when the wind is light, sails incredibly well.

With a true wind speed of 5.5 knots, the boat moves at the exact same speed as the wind, which is 5.5 knots. The mainsail is flat as a blade, and the boat maintains a surprisingly constant pace. There is no need to force the sail plan: the 60 Long Cruise seems to find its own balance spontaneously and manages to maintain it with ease. And to think that on board, besides the 15 guests, we have 545 liters of fuel and 220 liters of water. These conditions are far from a light boat, yet the feeling is that of a yacht that does not suffer particularly from weight. Furthermore, at 5.5 knots, this sailboat sails remarkably well.

Boat handling is equally surprising. The Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is an important boat, but it can be handled with extreme ease even single-handed. Everything seems designed to reduce unnecessary movement and make maneuver management immediate.

We decide to try a tack. We execute it, and what strikes us is that the boat does not lose speed. The transition is smooth, and the yacht immediately resumes its course. It is one of those moments when you realize that behind an apparently easy-to-handle boat lies significant design work. The boat does not slow down even if the wind is scarce; it responds immediately to the helm and maintains stable, precise behavior. The beam is substantial and immediately felt: the width contributes clearly to the sense of safety and solidity.

On board, there are numerous handrails distributed along strategic points of the deck. They are not merely added elements to increase safety, but part of a design where comfort was developed alongside practicality. You can move naturally without sacrificing clean lines. It is evident that Nauta Design tackled a complex task: adding comfort and safety without altering the aesthetics of a large sailing yacht.

We take the opportunity to take a look below deck. The environments are welcoming, and the volume is abundant and enveloping. The galley features generous spaces and storage capacity adequate for a boat intended to spend long periods away from the dock. But it is the master cabin that immediately captures attention: large, elegant, and above all, situated in an extremely favorable position. The French bed is close to the mast, and this arrangement, besides being an unusual solution on a yacht of this size, minimizes the perception of pitch. Meanwhile, above, the 170 sq m gennaker—featured in the Performance configuration—has been unfurled, with which we even exceed the true wind speed: at a 95-degree true wind angle, we reach 5.6 knots of speed while the true wind is at 5.3 knots.

We decide to take a short lunch break at anchor. After enjoying a refreshing dip in the open sea given these temperatures, afternoon arrives and the wind increases to 10 knots. Delighted to continue testing this masterpiece in more favorable conditions, on a tight reach we easily reach 8-9 knots while the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise begins to display its qualities even better. With the gennaker, we move between 9 and 10 knots of speed at a true wind angle of 60 degrees. Bearing away, the speed drops slightly: at 127 degrees true, we are still sailing above 8 knots. As the boat accelerates, it offers no resistance, gliding lightly on the water. Its behavior is extremely balanced, and helm response remains clean and neutral at all times. What impresses most is the ease with which it maintains directional stability, confirming that the Grand Soleil 60 LC has the performance of a racer with the ease of handling of a cruiser.

The moment we hoist the Code 0 is perhaps when the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise tells its story best. In light wind, this additional sail allows for a rapid increase in sail area, transforming even an apparently insignificant breeze into useful drive. The sail opens ahead of the boat, and the 60 LC begins to accelerate with a very natural progression, without losing the composed attitude we had already appreciated with the mainsail.

The Code 0 highlights, above all, the hull’s ability to maintain speed in unfavorable conditions. There is no need to wait for the wind to build: the boat reacts even to a few knots, gains speed, and continues to flow with great fluidity. It is a sail that aligns well with the design philosophy, as it allows one to take advantage of even less generous days like this one without resorting to the engine. Helm feel remains light and precise at all times, and even as the pace picks up, the Grand Soleil 60 LC maintains extremely balanced behavior. The surface area of the Code 0 is consistent with the yacht’s performance setup.

Even under power, the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is convincing. Although this is by definition a sailboat, it is interesting to verify propulsion behavior when needed. The installed engine is a Volvo Penta D4 producing 175 horsepower with a shaft drive. At 2000 rpm, what can be considered a cruising speed, we reach 8.6 knots with a fuel consumption of 9.3 liters/hour. The engine remains quiet and does not disturb the general comfort of navigation. Pushing the engine to 2900 rpm, we reach a top speed of 9.7 knots, with a consumption of approximately 35 liters/hour. These figures are consistent with the yacht’s philosophy: engine propulsion should not turn the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise into something it is not, but it must still guarantee range, reliability, and adequate speed when the wind is lacking or when a specific schedule must be met.

How the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is Made

The design of the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise starts from a very clear principle: a boat intended for long voyages must be as easy to live on as it is to handle. One of the most successful elements is the flush deck, which makes movement between different deck areas natural. It is a particularly effective solution both while underway and when at anchor.

The cockpit has been studied down to the smallest detail. The cushions can extend onto the coachroof, transforming this area into a protected relaxation zone, while the tables can be lowered to create two large sunbathing surfaces. Everything contributes to a remarkable perception of space.

Maneuver management has also been designed with simplicity in mind. Winches and controls are all reachable from the helm position, allowing the boat to be controlled without having to constantly cross the cockpit, and the in-boom furling mainsail is full batten.

The fold-down stern platform is one of the elements that best expresses the cruising vocation of the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise. Once opened with hydraulic controls, it creates a true water-level beach club, making access to the sea extremely simple and natural. It is a solution that increases comfort at anchor and turns the stern area into a livable space for swimming, coming back on board, or easily handling gear. But the real surprise comes when observing what is hidden behind the platform. The opening reveals a generously sized tender garage, designed to house a large tender. This is an important feature for a yacht intended for long cruises, as it allows for an adequate tender on board without compromising exterior spaces.

The solution is also particularly successful from a design standpoint: when the garage is closed, the stern area maintains clean, tidy lines; at anchor, however, the platform and garage become part of a functional system designed to make life on board easier. Once lowered, the platform adds about one meter to the yacht’s length at anchor, further increasing the surface area available toward the sea.

Interiors: Light, Space, and a New Idea of Comfort

Stepping below deck, the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise shifts gears again. The semi-raised saloon, together with large hull windows, brings a significant amount of natural light inside. The feeling is that of being in a much larger environment than the classic layout of an ocean cruiser would suggest.

The standard configuration features three cabins. The open-plan galley runs along both hull sides and offers sufficient space even for a full-height refrigerator. It is a solution designed for true cruising use, where food storage and capacity become key elements of autonomy. For those requiring greater guest capacity, an optional layout with a fourth cabin is available, obtained by sacrificing part of the galley space.

As mentioned, the master cabin represents one of the project’s most defining features. The French bed, a relatively rare solution on a yacht of this size, is positioned forward and features an en-suite bathroom. Located aft are two guest cabins with en-suite bathrooms, capable of accommodating up to four people in total. At the extreme bow, a crew cabin for two is provided in both configurations—an essential component for a boat of this size to satisfy owners who prefer to go to sea with a crew.

Conclusions

The Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise is a boat in which the cruising function is not interpreted simply as an increase in space, but rather as a search for overall quality of life on board. The yacht impresses above all with the consistency of its design and has proven capable of performing well even when sea conditions were far from ideal, maintaining speed, balance, and remarkable ease of handling. When the wind picked up, its behavior became even more interesting and fun: the Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise accelerated naturally, maintaining a balanced attitude and always-precise helm response.

Ultimately, the design by Matteo Polli and Nauta Design succeeds in a complex exercise: creating a large cruising yacht capable of delivering sailing performance, autonomy, and safety, without giving up a level of comfort worthy of a vessel intended for long stays on board. It is a boat built for the open sea, but it is not designed to be spartan. On the contrary, its character coexists with bright spaces, generous volumes, extensive storage capacity, and solutions designed to make life on board simple. The Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise does not seek spectacular effects for their own sake. Its strength lies in balance: it sails well, it is stable, it is easy to handle, and it offers a particularly high level of comfort. This very harmony between performance and habitability is Cantiere del Pardo’s most successful accomplishment.

Engine Test Data

Technical Specifications: Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise

Sources and Resources Used in the Article

Grand Soleil 60 Long Cruise – FAQ