Fountaine Pajot Astréa 42 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Fountaine Pajot's Astréa 42 is a 41ft 4in catamaran with a 23ft 8in beam and a lightship displacement of 23,000lb, riding on small fixed keels with rudders drawing just over 4ft. The hulls carry slightly inverted shapes akin to serious racing machines, a slight sheer, rounded bows, a rib in the topsides, and sculpted portlights that give the coachroof a seductive look. Construction is a PVC foam core sandwich with vacuum-laminated outer skins, while the deck and cabinhouse use the builder's Resin Transfer Molding technique with gelcoat sprayed on both sides for a finished appearance from any angle vacuum-laminated outer skins. The builder describes every line and curve as conceived in-house, yet the exterior design credit sits with Berret-Racoupeau.

Rig and Handling

Above the deck, the Astréa 42 carries aluminum spars on stainless wire shrouds and stays, with a fractional sloop rig delivering 1,141ft² of sail area between a 70m² mainsail and genoa. Three Lewmar winches and two banks of sheet stoppers sit forward on the cabintop in a separate workspace, keeping the helm clear. The jib tracks are mounted far inboard on the cabintop—a placement shared with many cats that can close the slot on deeper angles. A unique hook system on the mainsail halyard automatically clips into the head of the sail as it rises and releases when dropped. Under sail, test crews recorded 3.6 knots in 7.1 knots of apparent wind at 60 degrees, and held 2.8 knots in 6.3 knots of breeze hardened to 45 degrees off the wind. Under power, twin 30hp Volvo Penta diesels with saildrives pushed the boat to 7.5 knots at just under 2,900 rpm, with a frugal 6.5 knots available at 2,400 rpm. Non-hydraulic steering gives direct feedback, and the stable hull with exceptional maneuverability lets the boat spin neatly in tight quarters stable hull and exceptional maneuverability.

Accommodations

Two interior layouts define the Astréa 42: the Maestro three-cabin and the Quatuor four-cabin. In the Maestro, the entire starboard hull becomes a master suite with a walk-around island berth aft, an angled desk amidships, and a forward head boasting an enormous vanity, ample stowage, a doorless walk-in shower, and a separate toilet compartment. The port hull on the test boat held two cabins and two heads, with Fountaine Pajot offering several head configurations from two separate wet heads to a shared shower arrangement. Inside, the saloon reads as a lounge with a low coffee table and an angled nav desk sharing an L-shaped seat, lit by a bright saloon and connected to the cockpit by same-level glass doors. The U-shaped galley to port carries Vitrifrigo fridge drawers, a three-burner Eno stove, and an Italian Airlux oven at counter height, with an opening hatch over the stove and two large forward windows that pass drinks to the foredeck lounge. Outside, a port-side dinette seats six to eight, a starboard transom can carry an optional plancha grill, and the foredeck holds a U-lounge with footwell for four plus trampoline, its lockers reachable without lifting cushions. The coachroof sundeck sits accessible via steps from the helm, with a double sun pad and room for solar aft of the traveler.

Equipment and Options

The Astréa 42 was offered with a Smart Electric version aimed at reducing carbon footprint while keeping notable performance, and standard equipment partners with Garmin for navigation electronics. A Cummins 7.5 kW genset and a forward-port-hull watermaker were available, as was an optional hydraulic swim platform—though buyers could choose dinghy davits instead. New Serge Ferrari upholstery refreshed cockpit comfort, and the helm pod to starboard is elevated into the bimini with deck and cockpit step access, its wheel angled aft to view the Garmin display while standing.

The Verdict

The Astréa 42 succeeds as a ground-up mid-size cruising cat that blends ocean-going intent with a residential sense of space. The Maestro layout in particular sets a high bar for owner privacy and stowage, while the unified saloon-cockpit flow and well-separated sail-handling workspace suit both couples and small crews. Light-air speed suffers somewhat from the inboard jib tracks, but the rig's power and the direct steering make the boat forgiving and agile. For a private buyer wanting a modern, well-built French catamaran with lasting lines, the Astréa 42 is a strong candidate.

Pros

All-new Berret-Racoupeau design with inverted hulls and timeless silhouette
Maestro layout dedicates a full hull to a master suite with walk-in shower
Same-level glass-door saloon-to-cockpit connection and separate cabintop sail workspace
Direct non-hydraulic steering and twin 30hp Volvos with good machinery access

Cons