Design and Construction
Fountaine Pajot's Fidji 39 carries reduced freeboard and rounded hull sections beneath a saucer-shaped coachroof, with a profile that reads as relatively short for her length. Those choices give the boat a low, compact silhouette rather than the tall, boxy presence of later cruising cats. The hull form and coachroof shape are period solutions to keeping windage and visual mass down while preserving interior volume across the beam, and the rounded sections speak to a design language concerned with motion and seakeeping rather than maximal flat-floor living space.
Rig and Handling
The rig of the Fidji 39 contributes to a fast catamaran look with a pronounced rake, and the boat is representative of an era when designers wanted fast hulls that did not need too much canvas to perform. That philosophy means the 870-square-foot sail plan on a fractional sloop rig and a 55-foot mast from the waterline were sized to drive a light 11,500-pound displacement without overpowering the crew. The 38-foot waterline and 23.33-foot beam support a hull-speed figure near 8.26 knots, and the centerboard keel with a 3.5-foot maximum draft lets the boat trade depth for shoal access while keeping a respectable capsize ratio of 4.14 and a comfort ratio of 7.0.
Accommodations
The catamaran configuration and the beamy 23.33-foot hull provide the platform's living space. The 210-gallon water capacity and 66-gallon diesel capacity, paired with twin 36-horsepower Volvo Penta MD2002 diesels, frame the boat as a long-distance cruiser sized for extended independent use rather than coastal day sailing.
The Verdict
The Fidji 39 is a light, low-profile cruising catamaran from Fountaine Pajot's Maldives-generation expansion, designed by Joubert/Nivelt around the idea that a fast hull should not require a large sail wardrobe. Her reduced freeboard, rounded sections, and saucer coachroof give her a distinct visual and physical character against later, taller multihulls, and the twin-engine diesel layout with serious tankage supports passagemaking.
Pros
- Light six-ton displacement for a 39-foot catamaran, promoting speed under modest canvas
- Reduced freeboard and rounded hull sections for a low, seakindly profile
- Twin 36 hp Volvo Penta diesels with 210-gallon water and 66-gallon fuel capacity for autonomous cruising
- Centerboard configuration with 3.5-foot max draft for shoal-water flexibility
Cons
- Period design priorities favored low windage over the larger interior volumes of later cats
