KEY POINTS:
The new Bavaria 40 Cruiser appears to have found instant favour with New Zealand yacht buyers. The first of the new yachts was launched in Auckland in mid-June and two more are due to arrive here in October.
According to International Marine Brokers (IMB), the Bavaria Yachts agents in New Zealand, a large part of Bavaria's success is the German build quality and the durability of the systems incorporated into the yachts. Bavaria also has a philosophy of "give the buyer a bigger yacht, with more gear, at a very competitive price".
In the case of the Bavaria 40, this translates into a large volume cruising yacht with easy handling characteristics. This, according to IMB, means a yacht capable of providing owners with comfortable, dry passages, excellent performance and less maintenance in the long term.
The new Bavaria 40, from the design board of J&J Design, has all the usual Bavaria features: including solid mahogany bulkheads and joinery, Selden in-mast furling rig, Furlex genoa and a Volvo Penta 40hp engine.
The new yacht also has some additional innovations and equipment. The cockpit is longer than on previous models and comes standard with teak on the floor and thwarts. There are more and larger hatches and windows including hull portlights. There is increased storage in the galley and saloon. The electrical transom boarding platform, which is also a feature of the Bavaria 31, 34 and 38 has now been included on the 40.
The Bavaria 40 comes complete with a fully integrated Raymarine electronics package, which includes wind gear, tri data, C80 display unit (with GPS and chart plotter function) and a ST6002+ Smart Pilot.
IMG says although the Bavaria 40's interior has a definite "wow" factor, it is also durable and robust. There is comfortable seating for eight adults in the saloon and three double cabins with two heads and showers and a shower on the transom. Mike Rose
