Fountaine Pajot MY40

There are no great surprises when you discover the MY 40: this new model fits perfectly into the range, without any design revolution. There are a couple of evolutions, such as the lateral windows which have become immense and the sides at the top of the coachroof, which are much more apparent. The design of the hulls, as ever, entrusted to Andrieu Yacht Design, presents very fine-entry bows at the point of attack, which are quickly topped by a marked chine. This design has many advantages: more rigidity, less drag, a quickly damped pitch, more useful volume inside and a significant reduction in spray on the deck.

Unlike many of their competitors in the powercat market, the MYs from Fountaine Pajot aren’t built on a sailing cat platform: they are the result of a 100% motorboat design. This work results in a smaller beam and a higher freeboard, which puts them closer to the monohull motorboat world. Because Fountaine Pajot's goal is not to limit themselves to seducing multihull enthusiasts who are tired of managing their sails, but rather to address a much wider audience. Note: the forthcoming Power 67 will originate from the Alegria 67.

Speed and range, the infernal equation …

Another issue to be managed is speed and the engines. On paper, all boaters are delighted with low fuel consumption and being able to go a very long way without refueling every other day... We’re defending a common-sense ecological vision here. In practice, few people would be willing to buy a motorboat - whether it has one, two or three hulls - that can’t exceed 20 knots. Of course, these users only very rarely push the throttles down all the way... but they want to have a potentially fast machine. This explains the powerful engines seen on powercats.

Range from 200 to 1,200 nautical miles

Maneuvering in the harbor is child's play thanks to the IPS system, which allows you to move sideways. This is even more effective given the spacing of the two engines. Our test boat is fitted with the highest power option - 2 x 370 hp compared to 2 x 300 hp as standard. However, the MY 40 is still relatively heavy - 20 tons half-laden. You can feel this in the boat’s behavior: quiet power, one could sum it up. The few waves encountered are cut through without spray, the turning circle is rather large... it’s the comfort of the helmsman - and the crew - that prevails! Maximum speed is close to 25 knots. But what about the fuel consumption? 160 liters (42 US gal), or a range of 200 miles. Compare that to the 1,200 miles achievable by reducing the speed to just over 6 knots…

You can helm unconcerned from the flybridge - equipped with an 88 cm (34”) adjustable bench seat - or from the interior helm station. The deck layout is well thought out, with a beautiful 3.50 m (11’6”) L-shaped cockpit bench, a large submersible platform - the rigidity at the ends needs to be reviewed -, well protected decks with stainless steel handrails and a huge sunbathing area at the front - a U-shaped lounge whose seats can become sun-loungers. Access to engines and life raft is easy. The flybridge can be easily accessed from the cockpit. Up there, an unobstructed view, of course, but also a beautiful area for relaxation.

Comfortable saloon and cabins

The bay windows allow the saloon to be opened up wide onto the cockpit. 22 cm (8½”) separate the two decks, without hindering you moving around. Inside, lots of light, a neat finish and more than 2 m (6’6”) of headroom. A long list of options allows you to further optimize comfort - appliances, air conditioning, etc. To starboard, a large L-shaped, well-equipped galley with storage space. Opposite, a dining area for eight people thanks to its two modular tables measuring 45 x 75 cm (30 x 18”). These panels can be lowered to provide an extra double bed. Our MY 40 gives pride of place to the owner: the port hull is dedicated to him with dressing table, desk and XXL bathroom. To starboard, two double cabins, each ventilated by two opening hatches. It is possible to order bunk beds for one of them. All the beds are 2 x 1.50 m (78 x 60”). They are positioned athwartships, except for the one in the starboard bow. The headroom varies from 1.95 to 1.85 m (6’1” and 6’5”).

Conclusion

Enjoyable to helm, comfortable at sea and at anchor, this MY 40 is undeniably a success. It will succeed in convincing multihull aficionados tired of sailing as well as motorboat customers more familiar with monohulls. All that remains to be done is to convince users that going along at less than 10 knots is not necessarily a punishment!

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Multihulls World figures

 

Test area: Troia, Portugal

Test conditions: flat sea, 5 to 10 knots of northerly wind

Powertrain: 2 x 370 hp Volvo IPS 500 D6 

Engine rpmSpeed in knots      Consumption both engines liters/US gal per hr

700 (idle)    4.2                      2.2 / 0.6

1,000          6.3                      7 / 1.85

1,500          8.5                      18 / 4.75

2,000          10.5                     41 / 11

2,500          13.9                     67 / 18

3,000          20                       95 / 25

3,600          24.5                     160 / 42

 

Acceleration

0-10 knots: 5 s

0-15 knots: 8 s

0-20 knots:14 s

0-24.5 knots: 20 s  

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Technical specifications:

 

Builder: Fountaine Pajot

Architect: Andrieu Yacht Design

Interior design: Andreani Design SAS

Overall length: 12.35 m / 40’ 6”

Width: 5.96 m / 19’ 7”

Draft: 1.12 m / 3’ 8”

Max air draft: 4.40 m / 14’ 5”

Light displacement: 18.10 t / 39,900 lbs

Laden displacement: 23.60 t / 52,000 lbs

Motorization: 2 x 300 hp or 2 x 370 hp

Fuel: 2 x 700 l / 2 x 185 US gal

Water: 450 l / 120 US gal

CE category: B8 - C16

 

Price ex-tax: € 531,000

 

 

Main options in € ex-tax:

 

Exclusive version: 20,500

Gold version: 35,000

Platinum version: 60,000

IPS 500 package (2 x 370 hp): 47,000

Carpet in saloon & cabins: 3,740

Hydraulic passerelle, aft: 27,000

Hard top for flybridge: 28,000

Fixed bimini for flybridge: 15,400

Hard top enclosure: 5,500

Cockpit enclosure: 5,280

  

The +

Range at reduced speed

Safe handling behavior

Comfort

 

The –

Sharp corners on some furniture

A few cupboards without fiddles

Lack of rigidity of the rear platform