Design and Construction
The hull and deck are built in a VTR sandwich using epoxy resin with a PVC core, and carbon reinforcements are placed at the high-load points. The deck itself is a sandwich with a balsa core, while the bulb is laid up on a female mold using infusion. The keel is steel with a lead bulb containing 4% antimony, and the rudder is a composite with PVC core and steel shafts. Biscontini approached the project with a raceboat mentality, running 25 CFD models to optimise drag and lift figures before the tooling was cut. That computational discipline shows in the numbers: a displacement-to-LWL ratio near 97 and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio around 31 place her off the scale for a typical production yacht.
Rig and Handling
The mast is carbon, fractional 9/10 with two orders of swept-back spreaders at 20°, and the standing rigging is discontinuous stainless steel rod. A tested example carried a "domesticated" owner-requested configuration with no square-top mainsail and no traveller, yet still delivered the essential character. Test sailors found her an absolute pleasure to sail, with speed and simple handling making any helmsman selfish and happy, though she can intimidate a little at first, especially at high speed. She astonishes for high speeds, excellent accelerations, surprising agility and stability. In 10 knots of true wind she reached up to 7.5 knots very fast, and with the Code 0 she touched 9.1 knots; close-hauled in those conditions she made 6.6 knots, and on a beam reach 7.7. Under a gust the maximum logged was 11.1 knots. During a sea trial in 18–20 knots, she held 7.8 knots at 30° apparent with one reef and tracked beautifully, stable, direct and responsive. Designer Biscontini claims she can do 14 knots in 20 knots on flat water. The engine, a 40 HP unit with S-drive, traveled at 7.2 knots cruising at 2400 rpm and reached 8.7 knots at 3000.
Accommodations
Below, the boat rejects the usual compartmentalisation. Interior spaces include a huge open-plan living area, and the appearance is elegant and welcoming but always with something typically racing. The astern cabin is large with a traditional layout, while the owner's cabin is a real suite, deliberately not divided from the living zone. The bathroom is huge, functional, and finished to a high standard. One review described a "beach loft" style interior — minimalist, pale, full of light and sofas — that seems unusually spacious because the sightline runs through to the bow. A sliding panel was being designed to close off the saloon and forward berth into a spacious owner's cabin at night. Notably, the 14-metre hull does not translate into maximum volume: waterlines and deckhouse geometry work against available interior volume despite the length.
The Verdict
The Advanced 44 is a rare thing: a production monohull engineered with raceboat tools yet styled for couples who want to enjoy sailing without a full crew. She rewards the skilled helm with speed and poise, but demands respect at the top of her range. The open aft section and beamy cockpit are exhilarating and slightly unnerving in motion. Her interior is a confident swing away from the enclosed saloon norm.
Pros
- Carbon 9/10 rig and epoxy-carbon sandwich construction at 7 tonnes lightship
- Documented 11.1-knot gust speed and 9.1-knot Code 0 reaching
- Open, elegant Nauta interior with owner's suite and large head
- Stable, responsive tracking praised in sea trial
Cons
- Can intimidate at high speed and needs a crew to extract her best
- Waterlines and deckhouse limit interior volume despite 14 m hull
- Open aft and beamy cockpit demand care in lively conditions
