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Lagoon 43 to debut at Cannes Yachting Festival
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As it celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, the French cat builder will stage the world premieres of two models at Cannes.
Lagoon, the world leader in pleasure cats with over 7,000 units built, has introduced several innovations on its upcoming 43, which is scheduled to premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival from September 10-15.
For the Lagoon 43, the Groupe Beneteau brand has again teamed up with its regular collaborators, namely VPLP Design for naval architecture, Patrick le Quement for the exterior, and Nauta Design for the interior. Featuring an overall length of 45ft 8in and a beam of 25ft 3in, the Lagoon 43 will ultimately succeed the best-selling Lagoon 42, which has sold over 1,000 units.
The mast features an overlapping jib and is stepped further forward than on the 42, at the forward end of the saloon. Other notable innovations include a big cutaway at the aft end of each bulwark, where opening a see-through gate allows guests easy access to the cockpit from the pontoon. The aft transoms are just one step down from the cockpit level.
Patrick Le Quément said: “Access on board is facilitated by a cutout in the hull sides, designed to integrate harmoniously into the lines that frame the hull windows and create a previously unknown ease of movement. This new access combines a functional feature with a more emotional touch: its proximity with the sea is its true splendour. It’s there, in the aft cockpit, that I can imagine myself daydreaming.”
The cockpit features an aft sofa with an adjustable backrest for guests can face the sea if desired, while the davit can be covered by cushions to create a daybed above the water.
A wide step on the port side of the cockpit leads up to the helm station, where steps lead up to a flybridge featuring a C-shaped lounging area, a forward sunpad on the coachroof and an aft area for solar panels. The foredeck also offers an integrated C-shaped seating area.
However, arguably the biggest innovation is the possibility to connect the outdoor and indoor dining areas to seat up to 12 guests. Both the cockpit and the saloon each have fixed sofas on the starboard side and a lengthways dining table, which can be connected when the saloon doors slide away, creating one enormous table for covered dining or just a large social area.
Nauta Design stated: “On the main deck, the sliding glass door and the dining/café area are designed in such a way as to allow you to arrange the dining table in various configurations: six seats in the interior, six seats in the exterior, or eight to 12 seats in a configuration we call ‘inside out’.
“This solution combines the sofas in the cockpit with those of the interior dining area, so you can enjoy the exterior and interior spaces combined as one large space and not have to compromise on the interior or exterior.”
The saloon includes a large, open L-shaped galley in the forward port corner, while there are steps on each side of the room to the guest cabins. The new hull forms by VPLP offer generous interior volumes that have created larger berths and greater dimensions in every cabin compared to the 42, “offering unprecedented living space for a boat in this category”, according to Lagoon.
The four-cabin version offers two en-suite guest cabins in each hull. The three-cabin version includes a full-length owner’s cabin in the starboard hull, with the bed forward, a huge storage and desk area midships, and a large bathroom aft.
VPLP Design stated: “We took on the challenge of designing hulls that bring a real contribution to the living space in the cabins, while conserving the boat’s seaworthy qualities. The emotions we wanted to evoke from Lagoon customers were multiple.
“We wanted to offer large, modular living spaces, adaptable to various situations, whether cruising or at anchor, on a reasonably sized boat that’s easy to handle. The goal was also to bring continuous contact with the marine environment, with large windows in the hull, large glass panels, safe access to the sea, and enjoyable areas for relaxation.”
The Lagoon 43 is scheduled to debut at Cannes with the Lagoon 60, which was unveiled privately in March at the Lagoon Exclusive Days in Bordeaux. Meanwhile, the Lagoon 42 will continue production with a special anniversary edition featuring a unique four-cabin layout and a comprehensive equipment list.
