Yachting Monthly — November 2017

NOVEMBER 2017 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 33

NEW BOAT TEST

OUR VERDICT

What’s she like to sail?

The 41 is a fun boat to sail, responsive and light on the

wheel. She has a relatively narrow waterline beam and

high ballast ratio and the result is a stiff and stable ride.

She is the defi nition of a modern performance cruiser.

The diameter of the wheels could be a few inches wider,

however, both to prevent your knuckles catching on the

pedestal and to allow you to sit out properly. The wide side

decks mean it’s too far to sit comfortably against the rail

and still hold the wheel as it is.

The best helming position I found was to straddle the

wheel, which allows you to steer and trim. Unfortunately,

the traveller setup on this boat was, to put it bluntly,

terrible – but I was told this was the choice of the owner

for this fi rst boat and not standard. The problem is that

it doesn’t allow for adjustment under load. It can only be

trimmed from deck level and from forward of the track,

which is useless when heeled and sailing upwind.

A traveller that utilises the full beam, with control lines

on a swivel cleat or led to cam cleats near deck level,

would be a marked improvement. This kind of setup is now

offered as an option.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

A benefi t of the Humphrey’s full aft beam and chined hull

shape is the excellent amount of space this buys in the

cockpit. The large table has leaves that extend out to serve

those sitting on the benches. The depth from the coachroof

helps provide a nice reclining angle for the forward ends of

the long benches.

Neat lockers within the coamings serve to keep the

sheet tails tidy. The removable helm seat boxes provide

additional (optional) comfort for cruising. This platform

lowers on a manual pulley and helps signifi cantly increase

the deck space at anchor. It also exposes a dedicated

liferaft locker when lowered.

Without the helm seat boxes there are just the two

shallow bench lockers for cockpit stowage. An excellent

sail locker in the forepeak, however, provides ample space

for downwind sails, warps and fenders.

Would she suit you and your crew?

This is a versatile 40-footer, a stiff, powerful yet

manageable design, blessed with high levels of quality

control. Sirena has already built over 20 Azuree 41s. She

will suit both family and performance cruisers and appeal

to an owner who likes to race occasionally. The Azuree

provides an enjoyable ride, which keeps things interesting

by making you work out how best to sail her.

In the past, potential buyers might not have wanted

to take on the risk of a relatively new Turkish brand. But

through its mass production of automotive parts, Sirena is

establishing itself as a composite expert on a global level.

An Azuree is one tier up on the quality her price might hint

at, employing pedigree design and engineering.

Sirena has continued to polish and refi ne – this 41 has the

brilliance that the Azuree name suggests.

FACTS AND FIGURES
■ Price €237,600 inc VAT
(Approx £216,635 inc VAT)
■ LOA 12.50m 41ft 0in
■ LWL 11.58m 37ft 12in
■ Beam 3.93m 12ft 11in
■ Draught 2.40m 7ft 10in
■ Displacement 8,375kg
(18,464lb)
■ Ballast 3,145kg (6,933lb)
■ Ballast ratio 37.6%
■ Sail area 93.50m^2 1,006sq ft
■ SA/D ratio 23.1

Azuree 41

Would she

suit your style

of sailing?

COASTA L

PORT-HOPPING

★★★★★

OFFSHORE

PASSAGE-MAKING

★★★★★

TRADE WIND

VOYAGING

★★★★★

CREEK

CRAWLING

★★★★★

HIGH-LATITUDE

ADVENTURE

★★★★★

■ Diesel 150litres (33 gal)

■ Water 300litres (66 gal)

■ Engine 39hp

■ Transmission Saildrive

■ RCD category A

■ Designer Humphreys

Yacht Design

■ Builder Sirena Marine

■ Contact Sirena Marine

(Turkey)

■ Te l +90 212 219 74 74

■ Website

http://www.azureeyachts.com

The offset

berth isn't

practical at

sea, but a vee

berth is an

option

ARTWORK AND GRAPHS: LIZA SAWYER