Design and Construction
Bavaria’s hulls on the Vision 42 are an e-glass/Divinicell foam core sandwich above the waterline and solid glass below, all hand-laid anchor. A fiberglass grid is both bonded to the inside of the hull and secured by the keel bolts to provide rigidity and help support the rig loads anchor. The deck and cabinhouse are also cored and attached to the hull on an inward-turning flange anchor. Overall construction quality is excellent, thanks in no small part to Bavaria’s well-thought-out and highly repeatable build process anchor. Writing in the Bavaria 42 Vision review, one tester noted the joinery is still a little way short of prestigious, with a few rough edges, even as the same review described the boat as a family-friendly and easy-to-sail modern cruiser with superyacht pretensions.
Rig and Handling
The double-spreader Seldén mast is deck-stepped and comes standard with in-mast furling in the United States, paired with a Seldén headsail furler anchor. There is no mainsheet traveler; instead a double mainsheet tackle runs to blocks on either side of the cabintop, a cat-style arrangement that clears the cockpit anchor. Chainplates are set outboard and the tracks for the blade jib are recessed into the top of the house. Under sail, the boat hardened up to a 40-degree true wind angle and powered along confidently at 6 knots in 16 knots true wind, then cracked off onto a beam reach and easily topped 7 knots in the heavier stuff while still maintaining a good 5.75 knots as the true wind dropped below 12 knots anchor. Powering into a stiff breeze, testers logged 4.5 knots and 5.7 knots with the Volvo Penta D2-40 and three-blade fixed prop at 2,000 rpm. A fairly broad-chord rudder fitted well aft gives the helm authority in close quarters.
Accommodations
The Vision 42 is available with either two or three cabins and one or two heads anchor. The tested two-cabin, single-head layout yields an expansive owner’s cabin forward and an enormous storage area aft where the starboard sleeping cabin would otherwise be, while the port cabin is a spacious double that can be divided into a pair of generous single berths. Because the companionway is offset slightly to starboard, the layout gains additional volume below. The dinette table lowers to create another double berth to starboard, and the cockpit table is a folding affair that serves as a dining space and can be lowered to form a berth. Average headroom in the saloon is an astonishing 6 feet 9 inches. The L-shaped galley has a small inboard counter to help the cook stay on their feet in rough conditions, and the nav table slides down to create a short settee to port. Engine access is excellent, with openings deliberately positioned for filters and strainers, and the finish is excellent throughout.
Deck and Cockpit Equipment
Twin helms come standard and lead aft to an extremely large drop-down swimstep, a Bavaria trademark, with a built-in bathing ladder and a shower stand underneath the starboard helm seat anchor. Teak trim comes standard in the cockpit and on the helm seats and is an option for the side decks. Each helm station has oblong backrests attached to the stern pulpit, and the side decks are wide and securely bordered by solid double lifelines and a teak toerail. A pair of solid stainless steel handrails runs along either side of the long, curvaceous cabintrunk, with flush-deck hatches throughout and a small bridgedeck to keep out errant water, plus a grate-covered rope bin set in the sole aft of it. The boat is available with Bavaria’s proprietary Dock Control system, which includes both bow and stern thrusters.
The Verdict
The Vision 42 is a thoughtfully engineered modern cruiser that trades symmetric tradition for liveaboard volume and short-handed ease. Farr’s hull and the bonded grid deliver a stiff, well-mannered platform, while the deck-stepped furling rig and twin-helm layout make her approachable for a couple. The two-cabin version in particular is a cracking liveaboard cruiser with stowage to match, though the joinery detail is not quite at prestige level and the cat-style mainsheet demands coordinated cockpit work.
Pros
- Hand-laid foam-core-above / solid-below hull with bonded grid for rig and keel load anchor
- Excellent engine access and overall finish below
- Expansive two-cabin layout with convertible berths and 6ft 9in saloon headroom
- Confident sailing performance from 12 to 16 knots true, topping 7 knots on a beam reach
- Standard twin helms, drop-down swimstep, and available bow/stern Dock Control thrusters
Cons
- Joinery shows a few rough edges versus prestige builders
- No mainsheet traveler; double mainsheet tackle adds cockpit coordination
- In-mast furling standard in U.S. limits traditional main options
