Before the Genesi took shape, Comar built the Phoenix, a Britton Chance Jr. design that the company’s management did not appreciate. Vallicelli had reworked that boat’s superstructures and interiors.
Design and Construction
Free from the distorting constraints of IOR measurement rules, the Genesi 43 has a streamlined, vaguely classical hull. The result is a cruising boat designed to perform without bowing to a racing rule. Its restrained 13.2-foot beam flows gently toward the ends rather than bulging amidships, and the 10.90-meter waterline sits within an overall hull length of 13.10 meters.
Comar built the Genesi 43 as a solid-fiberglass monohull, using extensive countermolds and vacuum infusion to keep weight down while preserving solid construction. A lead bulb keel gives the boat an 8.53-foot draft.
The deckhouse and splash guard are harmonized with the hull through a variable transition that visually reduces the freeboard, an approach plainly inspired by 12-meter practice. Just aft of the mast, a huge window cuts into the deckhouse and overlooks the dinette. It is the design’s single most distinctive visual feature.
Rig and Handling
The Genesi 43 carries a fractional sloop rig with quartered spreaders, no flying sails, and a self-tacking jib that simplifies short-handed sailing. The deck is pared back, clean, and uncluttered, with rigging reduced to almost nothing.
Displacement is 9.1 tonnes, including 3.3 tonnes of ballast. Its 36-percent ballast ratio and 1.94 capsize screening number place the boat firmly in the able-cruiser class rather than among featherweight racers. The sloop carries 85.47 square meters of sail.
Accommodations
Below, the Genesi 43 has a genuine three-cabin, six-berth layout. Two separate aft cabins share a bathroom recessed beneath the companionway ladder. The forward cabin is set back, just ahead of the mast, while a second head occupies the far bow ahead of a sail locker.
In the saloon, a large horseshoe sofa dominates the port-side dinette. Opposite, a broadside galley runs along the starboard side. This mirrored arrangement separates the working area from the lounging space.
The engine is buried amidships between the bilge and the lower structure of the port sofa. That placement favors cabin quiet and symmetry at the expense of service access.
Refits and Ownership
Each hull incorporated so many high-end custom features that the production boat is almost a one-off. Buyers comparing boats in the fleet should therefore expect meaningful differences in fitted equipment and finish.
The vacuum-infused solid structure and lead ballast are conservative long-term choices. The amidships engine installation is the one ownership quirk that shapes any future mechanical work.
The Verdict
The Genesi 43 is a design-led 1990s cruiser that punches above its production status. It combines a Vallicelli hull freed from IOR logic with custom-boat detailing and a genuinely original deckhouse treatment. This is a thoughtful owner’s boat rather than a charter box, and its self-tacking fractional rig suits a small crew.
Pros
- Fractional, self-tacking rig with quartered spreaders simplifies sail handling
- Distinctive deckhouse window and harmonized freeboard recall 12-meter styling
- Solid, infusion-built hull with a lead bulb keel and strong ballast ratio
Cons
- Engine buried amidships beneath the dinette sofa complicates service access
- Production-as-custom approach means substantial variation among individual hulls
