Barcelona-13
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Barcelona-13

Alexander Morozov on how the International Maritime Salon of Barcelona took place.
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Some people may think the number 13 is unhappy or vice versa happy and others don't care, but it was definitely not the best year for the 52nd Salon Nautico in Barcelona.

I have been visiting this exhibition for many years and I see how things are changing, not only here, but in Europe in general. In principle, the format of the exhibition has come to the right shape for the southern country. It is not winter in Germany, where only jogging between the pavilions, and even then with a high probability of catching a runny nose or angina - even hot sausages with beer may not help.

Now the show in Barcelona is held from 23 to 29 September. Excellent time, tourists are away, the weather and the sea is warm, a real velvet season. Everyone is waiting for Barcelona World Race, which starts on December 31 this year. One of the participants of the future regatta was constantly defiling before the visitors.

There are many boats on the water, you can not only look at the berth, but also with a specific interest to try it on the go.

As in other areas, stratification continues. In this case and in boats. On the one hand, the mainstream goes to all the tricks to please the client at a price. On the other hand, the sector of large and expensive yachts feels good. Manufacturers of quality yachts of adequate size either die one after the other, or have to go towards the mainstream and bend over the price, and there are their own, or go into «great glamour» and sell long models, but already under the sign of «exclusive». There were no new items, the standard set of Beneto-Giano Salon-Dufort Bavaria and further on the list.

Somehow, Nauticat-42 looked like a guest from the past, and the absurdity of its design cut the eyes even uninitiated, although it remains «a sacred cow of a» certain mass of orthodox.

The lone «duck» was the new Belliure. What the designers and builders of this yacht wanted to say is still a mystery to me.

I was interested in the size of 33-43 feet in the context of the imminent launch of my Soler-35, so naturally I noticed what happened. Although, of course, the boats I'm attracted to don't show up at public exhibitions.

Principally came to the unloved Hansa-331, to make sure once again that my disgust with this brand is correct, not mistaken ... The number of managers in white shirts with badges significantly exceeded the number of boats, and they were all busy doing very important things in the intercourse, that well, there was simply no one to show the boat - all on record ... On the outside and in terms of features like nothing, but inside and quality is something.

Salona-33 is also a good boat, in fact, but the interior designers decided to add some creativity with a parallel budget reduction.

Styling under an old tree with veins may be stylish in the interior of a French villa, but certainly does not fit with this yacht, and made cheap, so it turned out - no creativity, no buyers.

I won't write much about my personal favorite of the mainstream, the Dufour Grand Large 335, because exactly such a boat of the Russian owner arrived in our village, and soon I will make a report, maybe even with video.

There were discoveries for me. I had not come aboard «Bavaria»for a long time, as everything was already clear, and they passed me by. However, I had to pass the time before lunch, so I visited a new one. Bavaria 40S and... pleasantly surprised. Comfortable and thoughtful cruising yacht at more than a good price, but most importantly, the boat has become really quality: both in design and interior. It is nice to see the progress, well done Germans - changed the designer, updated the design, changed the materials, improved the technology and got a good product. I recommend a visit on occasion.

My second «discovery» was in electronics. On the Soler-35 I have already prepared an order for a set of Raymarine with the new autopilot Evolution and went to the stand «to feel» the buttons again and talk to a dealer I know. «I feel» and understand that this is not what I need. I leave aside in embarrassment and I start to analyze, few alternatives of Nexus, Furuno and B&G pop up in my head. The first one is very good, but it is already 5 years behind, the second one is not «sailing»... Well all the manufacturers are nearby and after an hour of talking and clarifying details about Zeus Touch and Triton, I understand that B&G is mine.

And in combination with Wi-Fi connection to a tablet and sailing software Deckman on your computer, in general, the maximum that you can have today. So the show helped me not make an expensive mistake.

Interesting design of the outboard engine installation under the hood, the system is not new, but it is not used often, this is the scheme I plan to use on a catamaran. This is a possible next project, but it will be discussed later.

And in conclusion, these boats are made of ready-made sets, of wooden laths with lining of... ...polyethylene.

Let's hope that in the future we will see more novelties at the exhibition, not just boats for homemade workers made of polyethylene.

Source: Alexander Morozov's blog.
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