Design and Construction
The 44’s hull is a high-volume, blocky shape in profile, with a low length-to-beam ratio of 3.19 and a displacement-to-length figure near 146 that place her firmly in the modern wide-body cruiser camp rather than the slender racer lineage. The sheer is flat, with only about 2 inches of spring and a mere 8.92-inch difference between forward and aft freeboard despite the high freeboard overall, and the bow is a plumb or reverse-raked stem above a long, fully stretched waterline. Construction is vacuum-bagged with vinylester resin over Airex foam core in both hull and deck anchor, and the tabbed forward and main bulkheads are a composite sandwich; deck-edge alloy extrusions have been replaced by a solid bulwark. The keel is a T-shape pairing a cast-iron foil with a substantial lead ballast bulb, offered in deep and shallow versions of 8 feet 5 inches and 7 feet 10 inches respectively.
Rig and Handling
A wide, recessed mainsheet traveler sits under the cockpit sole, and all running rigging is led mostly below deck to a pair of winches and clutches to port and starboard, with lines exiting the coaming to four primary winches and an optional fifth to starboard. The builder describes her as the only 13.5-meter yacht arranged for fast cruising with a reduced crew anchor, and the cockpit’s outboard twin wheels couple to a pair of rudders that the yard gave maximum efficiency at any angle of heel by moving the widest beam aft. Upwind with the self-tacking jib, the steering was silky-smooth even in gusts, and the wheels themselves were light and responsive; the twin rudders offered complete control anchor whether closehauled or screaming off a deep reach at 10 knots with a code-zero on the fixed bowsprit. The standard double-spreader Seldén rig is aluminum, though a carbon stick can be specified, and the inventory of 3Di North Sails on the test boat was impressive. A self-tacking jib track just forward of the mast leaves no other jib tracks, and the working jib stay sits surprisingly far aft, giving that self-tacker a very narrow head angle.
Accommodations
Below, the 44 is a three-cabin, two-head layout with an owner’s stateroom forward built around a large centerline double berth and an en suite head, plus enough sole space to step in from either side. The starboard quarter cabin shows split single berths while the port quarter holds a double, and the only interior option swaps the real navigation station to starboard for a shower stall adjoining that starboard cabin — a trade that also costs you the slightly larger galley with more counter space and double sinks found in the nav-station version. An L-shaped galley sits to port at the companionway foot, a shower stall is in the forward head, and there is enough volume forward for a sail stowage fo’c’sle. The beam of 4.18 meters permits a large stern cabin with wide twin beds, and the light-oak furniture seen on the boat was quite handsome. On deck, a roomy sail locker, large cockpit lockers, and an independent liferaft stowage space round out the storage plan.
Deck and Cockpit
The cockpit has broad, totally clear side decks and just enough transom space for the helmsperson to perch while driving. Real teak decks are standard and described as awesome, with a faux composite deck optional. A straight-edge walk-through transom and low, sloped coachroof keep the profile clean, and the mainsheet traveler directly forward of the wheels is very broad, recessed to remove trip hazards while preserving a wide track for control.
Power and Propulsion
Auxiliary power is a Volvo Penta diesel with sail drive, offered at 30 hp standard, 60 hp as fitted to the test boat, and 75 hp available. The 60 hp unit made better than 8 knots ticking over at 2,400 rpm, and the deep and shallow keel options let owners balance draft against their cruising grounds without changing the essential hull.
The Verdict
The Solaris 44 is a thoughtfully modern performance cruiser that trades the slender elegance of older designs for volume, twin-rudder control, and a deck plan engineered so two people can drive her hard. The self-tacking jib and below-deck rigging simplify short-handed work, while the recessed traveler and clear side decks make the cockpit a safe place to move. The single interior option is a real compromise, and the narrow jib head angle limits versatile headsail setups upwind, but as a fast Mediterranean-style cruiser she is cohesive and well-executed.
Pros
- Twin rudders and aft-max beam give complete helm control at any heel angle
- All lines led to two winches for genuine reduced-crew cruising
- Vacuum-bagged vinylester-and-foam-core construction with composite bulkheads
- Three-cabin, two-head layout with owner’s en suite forward and handsome oak joinery
- Recessed wide traveler and clear side decks improve cockpit safety
Cons
- Only interior option sacrifices nav station and larger galley for a shower stall
- Self-tacking jib track only, with very narrow head angle and far-aft working stay
- High freeboard and blocky 2-D profile are not to every eye
