The Bavaria C42 was a storming success and a turning point for the brand. Launched early last year (and reviewed in our April 2020 edition), it convincingly won the European Yacht Of The Year Award and then beat some strong contenders from the big French builders to win a major award on their home turf, Voile Magazine’s Boat Of The Year.
The judges of both awards were surprised to discover that this competitively priced, production-built family cruiser could be so fast, responsive and rewarding to sail, while also offering a huge amount of internal volume. Voile Magazine’s verdict speaks volumes about that boat, comparing the feel of the helm and general sailing sensations with those of a far more expensive Italian or Scandinavian performance cruiser.
With all that to live up to the bar was set very high indeed for the next model in the range, the Bavaria C38, launched last month at Venice Boat Show. Read on.