Design and Construction
The 1090's borrowed 1040 hull is remembered as one of the most efficient of its generation, and the 1090 extends it rather than reinventing it. The hull length is 10.81 meters with a waterline of 8.8 meters, a beam of 3.6 meters, and a displacement of 5,050 kg balanced by 2,150 kg of ballast; drafts were offered at 1.40 or 1.80 meters. The deck saloon style superstructure carries semi-flush decks forward of the mast and gives the boat a distinctive look, though that same superstructure is noted to cause a lack of headroom forward. Side decks are comfortable and moving forward is easy, and the wheel steering system was fitted as standard. The panoramic coachroof does more than mark the silhouette: it makes the saloon much brighter than the Feeling 1040, provides above-average brightness below, and offers a clear view forward.
Rig and Handling
The 1090 is equipped with a taller mast than the 1040 — a rig height that had only been an option on the earlier boat — and the mainsheet traveler sits at the foot of the companionway. Total sail area is 71 m², split as 27 m² mainsail, 44 m² genoa, and an 89 m² spinnaker. On the water the boat is described as one of the most efficient upwind, with an above-average speed-to-course ratio, and it is also very comfortable on downwind courses. Test and editorial accounts call it easy to handle and very seaworthy, always stable at the helm, reliable in behavior, and performing well in a breeze. A single unit even took part in the Route du Rhum in 199 8, well after the production run closed.
Accommodations
The central part of the interior is astonishingly spacious, though largely at the expense of stowage. The panoramic coachroof drives the light, but the layout earns its own praise: at the foot of the companionway there is a large chart table to starboard, behind which sit the head and shower, while the aft cabin occupies the opposite side and is considered the owner's cabin with 1.95 meters of headroom. The U-shaped galley allows cooking at anchor or at sea and provides maximum storage, and the forward cabin measures 2 meters long by 1.70 meters wide. In one version the forecabin is open plan with the saloon, increasing the apparent size of the interior, and buyers could choose one or two aft cabins. The cockpit is spacious enough that four people can settle without crowding.
Known Issues
The source record shows no structural defects, water ingress paths, or systems failures for the 1090. The only documented trade-offs are accommodation-driven: the deck-saloon superstructure that gives the boat a distinctive look also produces a lack of headroom forward, and the central interior's spaciousness comes largely at the expense of stowage. These are design consequences, not faults, and no safety-relevant flooding or drainage issues appear in the material.
Refits and Ownership
Production closed in 1995 after more than 200 boats were built, and a wedge-shaped coachroof version appeared later in the run as an alternative to the panoramic standard. The 1040-derived hull's efficiency has kept the design in demand on the second-hand market. One boat's 1998 Route du Rhum appearance shows the platform was still being campaigned after build-out.
The Verdict
The Feeling 1090 is a Harlé-Mortain cruiser that borrows a proven, efficient hull from the 1040 and refines it with a panoramic coachroof, taller mast, and stern platform. It is a fast, stable, and seaworthy handler with a genuinely bright and spacious interior, at the cost of forward headroom and stowage volume.
Pros
- Efficient 1040-derived hull, one of the best of its generation
- Panoramic coachroof delivers above-average saloon brightness and forward view
- Upwind efficiency with above-average speed/course ratio; comfortable downwind
- Stable, reliable, easy to handle, very seaworthy
- Spacious cockpit and central interior; large U-shaped galley; 1.95 m aft-cabin headroom
Cons
- Deck-saloon superstructure causes lack of headroom forward
- Central spaciousness largely at the expense of stowage
