Fountaine Pajot Venezia 42 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Joubert and Nivelt drew the Venezia 42 with sloping bows characteristic of their 1990s and 2000s work, though the deck sheer is less pronounced than on earlier Fountaine Pajot cats anchor. The coachroof is larger than its predecessors thanks to more vertical sides and front, and its evolution is tied to the appearance of the now-famous sun visor that shields the panoramic windows from the hottest sun. That visor is often credited to this model, though Multihulls World notes it actually appeared a year earlier on the Marquises 56.

The hulls are a sandwich construction using vacuum-bagged PVC foam cores, with hand-laid fiberglass outer skins in isophthalic polyester resin. The core is bonded with regularly spaced couplers linking the two skins into a single sturdy unit, and from the start Fountaine Pajot applied isophthalic gelcoats on hull and decks to prevent osmosis. A stout aluminum thwart supports the hulls forward, and a channel runs aft between the trampolines as a lead for the ground tackle. Many interior components are molded composites, trimmed with mahogany panels.

Rig and Handling

The fractional rig carries a big, roachy, full-batten mainsail with slab reefing, while roller furling came standard on the headsail. Standing rigging is a single upper with jumpers and partial backstays, and all sail controls lead aft — usually to the port-side coachroof — with the mainsheet traveler spanning the full cockpit width along the aft coaming. The partial backstays do make it difficult to pay out the boom anchor.

Under way the boat is forgiving: the main need not be reefed until the wind nears 20 knots, and she sails upwind well with a flat, high-cut 105-percent No. 3 headsail. Overlapping genoas are not worth the trouble; an asymmetrical chute is far more efficient once the wind frees. In a Force 9 gale a deeply reefed main alone let her forereach effectively. Deliveries averaged about 150 non-current miles a day — roughly 6 knots — and she could steam at 8 knots at moderate rpm in smooth water. Yet in a seaway there is pronounced dynamic water action between the hulls with a fair bit of slamming, and the quick motion in a chop is less lovable anchor.

Accommodations

Most Venezia 42s show four double cabins and two heads, though some fit the forwardmost sections of each hull with single berths for six private cabins. The rare owner's version converts one cabin into an office, and some owner versions turn one head into a dedicated shower. The two aft cabins feature athwartship doubles with a large hanging locker and drawer storage below; forward cabins have fore-and-aft doubles, and the forward staterooms have berths running the full hull width.

The wraparound cockpit has shallow seats and fairly straight backs that leave one longing for a more traditional arrangement, and the bulkhead-mounted helm to starboard uses a fighting-chair-style helmsman's seat — an arrangement almost unmanageable for short people anchor. Each hull has wide swim steps. Inside, sliding glass doors open to a saloon with a large oval table to port and wraparound settee; the galley-up layout to port usually holds a two-burner stove, single sink, and small front-loading 12-volt fridge with no fiddles since there is no heel. The nav station is also to port. Two deck lockers forward exist, but water-tank placement limits their storage. Heads sit amidships in each hull and are not particularly roomy.

Known Issues

The escape hatches in each head protrude beyond the hulls and are intended for use in a capsize. They often leak, and their completely inadequate plastic handles and latches have frequently been over-tightened anchor. The helm seating favors tall sailors to the point of excluding shorter ones, and the Yanmar diesels set in aft lazarettes are not very convenient to work on, though being saildrives they are easy to pull and replace.

Refits and Ownership

Engines are twin Yanmars; most boats carry 28-horsepower models, but a fairly common upgrade was the three-cylinder 37-horsepower 3GM anchor. Placing the engines in aft lazarettes freed considerable storage space. Fuel capacity runs about 90 gallons across two tanks, or 45 per engine.

The Verdict

The Venezia 42 is a modern-feeling 1990s cruising cat that punches above its charter pedigree under sail, with a well-thought sandwich hull and a bright, sociable bridgedeck. The dated deck layout, leaky escape hatches, and tall-only helm are real drawbacks, but the boat's sea-keeping and livability explain why nearly 200 found homes.

Pros