Design and Construction
Acebal’s hull follows a contemporary approach, with maximum beam carried well aft, broad forward sections, and almost full-length chines. An extremely buoyant bow line is marked by a subtle chine that ends at mid-hull, with an extremely buoyant bow line marked by a subtle chine that ends at mid-hull. That forward buoyancy is balanced by broad transom quarters, allowing the boat to carry twin rudders for excellent directional stability.
Flare above the waterline, both forward and aft, reduces wetted surface to help in light airs. The twin rudders give plenty of grip, though at the cost of a marginal loss of speed in the very lightest conditions. High freeboard allows for a low-profile coachroof and plenty of flat deck space. Below, it creates enough volume for an interior that feels larger than the sleek exterior suggests.
The yard builds the Solaris 40 in vinylester sandwich construction, with a foam core glued in under vacuum and the remaining laminate laid by hand. The fore and aft bulkheads are fully bonded in. When the boat was driven upwind in a confused sea, the structure produced no undue squeaks or creaks.
Rig, Cockpit, and Handling
The cockpit sits at the heart of the helming experience. Acebal eliminated the side decks toward the back of the cockpit, allowing the helm stations to sit well outboard and aft. This position maximizes the helmsperson’s view of the headsail luff and oncoming waves.
Two full-width steering pedestals preserve an unobstructed view forward, even with the sprayhood raised. Slim pods built into the cantilevered pedestals carry the compass, engine controls, and a small instrument display. All sail controls, including the German mainsheet, lead to two pairs of winches ahead of the helm. An optional traveller is recessed into the cockpit sole just aft of those winches.
The mast sits relatively far forward, making the self-tacking jib a high-aspect sail. Fine adjustment of the sheet lead is limited to the holes in the clew board.
Test sailors recorded 6.5 knots close-hauled in 10 knots true, with the boat tacking through 90°. Under gennaker, it made an effortless 7–8 knots. Sailing upwind in 12–14 knots against a confused, short head sea, it still managed 6.5–7.5 knots. On a broad reach with the furling gennaker, it accelerated to 10 knots or more.
Accommodation
Solaris offers a conventional two- or three-cabin layout, developed with architect Roseo. The interior is extremely classic in character, with extensive wood veneer. Slim coachroof windows and six hull windows keep it bright.
The forward owner’s cabin is huge by the standards of most 40ft performance cruisers. Its full-size peninsula bed and generous floor space benefit from the extra beam forward, and the en-suite bathroom includes a separate shower.
The aft cabins are smaller but wide, with more limited light and ventilation. On three-cabin boats, the aft heads doesn’t have a separate shower stall.
To port, the L-shaped galley provides good worktop space, deep fiddles, a crash bar across the cooker, a 1.5-bowl sink, and both top- and front-opening fridges. A proper forward-facing chart table to starboard defines the navigation area, though the settee ahead of it falls just short of serving as a usable sea berth.
Deck Stowage and Cruising Equipment
A large lazarette aft, accessed through a hatch in the cockpit sole, exposes the steering quadrants and tie bar. It also holds the optional folding carbon-fibre passerelle. The fold-down bathing platform conceals the gas locker and boarding-ladder stowage.
Three-cabin boats have an oversized chain locker with room for all the fenders. Two-cabin versions instead gain a deep starboard cockpit locker. Opening either cockpit locker requires detaching one corner of the rope bags.
Tankage is modest for long periods of independent cruising, at 44 gallons of fuel and 77 gallons of water. The Solaris 40 is geared toward Mediterranean sailing, although it is also at home further afield.
Practical Drawbacks
The outboard wheel positions leave a wide gap between the helms, which can make changing sides awkward when the boat is well heeled. The winches are also out of reach from the wheels, so the helmsperson can’t trim while steering.
Although the recessed traveller keeps the hardware low, it allows the mainsheet to slice across part of the cockpit where crew tend to gather during manoeuvres. On the test boat, this was compounded by a low boom that swept below 6ft. Owners could specify a higher-clewed mainsail to avoid that issue.
By cruising standards, particularly in cooler waters, the cockpit feels lightly protected. The optional sprayhood mitigates this lack of protection. Short forward benches also limit seating around the optional cockpit table.
Smaller grab handles near the companionway would be useful. The folding helm seat also lacked foot chocks to brace against, though Solaris addressed the missing seat itself with a neat folding design that faces outboard.
The Verdict
The Solaris 40 combines style, performance, and spacious accommodation with a stiff, quiet structure and a helm arrangement designed around the pleasure of driving the boat. It is a fairly heavy performance cruiser, but it has real pace and a bright, voluminous interior. Its cockpit ergonomics and modest tankage, however, require compromises from long-range cruisers.
Pros
- Twin rudders and broad aft sections provide excellent directional stability
- Outboard, aft helm stations maximize visibility of the sails and sea
- Forward owner’s cabin is huge for a 40ft performance cruiser and has a separate shower
- Stiff, fully bonded structure showed no undue creaks upwind in confused seas
- Six hull windows and slim coachroof windows keep the classic interior bright
Cons
- Winches can’t be reached from the helm, and the traveller sheet crosses an occupied part of the cockpit
- Cockpit protection is light by cruising standards, and the test boat had a low boom
- Tankage is modest for extended autonomy
- Wide gap between the outboard wheels makes changing sides harder when heeled
- Three-cabin boats lack a separate shower stall in the aft heads
