New Fountaine Pajot Cumberland 47 LC

Jean-Francois Fountaine presents an overview of Fountaine Pajot’s new Cumberland 47 LC along with some insight about the company.

“Our boats are so much more versatile than just a trawler,” he says, referring to the company’s rebranded motoryacht line and specifically the new Cumberland 47. “So we’re changing the brand from Trawler to Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts. It’s a small thing. Ahh, voilà.”

“Now we’re really looking at the powerboat market for growth. Our new power catamarans are real yachts. Tomorrow you will see.”

Fountaine has been called a pioneer, an innovator, an advocate, and a feisty competitor. He sailed in the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics and began building IOR racing sailboats shortly thereafter.

In whatever language he speaks, he does so in a soft, professorial, and deliberate tone, all the while a mischievous smile percolates just below the surface. The company that he founded with Yves Pajot in 1976 is one of the leading catamaran builders in the world today.

“You know, we only build catamarans and there is a lot to it,“ he says. Indeed there is a lot to building and designing good, seaworthy catamarans.

The company’s new Cumberland 47 LC is not simply a regurgitated sailing cat sans mast. It is a purposely designed motoryacht from the board of Joubert-Nivelt, the French design powerhouse led by Michel Joubert and Bernard Nivelt.

The firm is a leading force in the competitive sailboat racing market, as well as a player in the larger cruising powerboat market.

The 47’s hulls and their interconnecting web form a tunnel that’s rounded in the after sections. This encourages the nozzling of water between the sponsons but allows it to evacuate through the stern with ease.

The motors are a pair of 300-metric-horsepower Volvo Penta D4 diesels. These are an optional $23,640 upgrade over the 225-metric-horsepower version of the same model.

The 300-metric-horsepower Volvo Penta D4 diesels are purpose-built for the marine environment. The compact footprint features a common-rail system, with double-overhead camshafts, 4 valves per cylinder, and turbocharger. The double-overhead camshaft design means fewer moving parts, and that’s always a good thing. Fountaine Pajot also offers the Volvo IPS system (an $85,800 option).

The the lower helm is well set up for cruising with space for electronics, cruising guides, and paper charts. The arrangement would be improved, however, by having more than just the center wiper, which is slightly offset from the helm position. Granted, the curves of the windshield would make this a difficult installation. Except for two cabinets abaft the helm—slightly obstructing the view astern—the lines of sight are clear.

One notable discovery during this portion of the sea trial is how quiet the 47 is throughout the speed curve. If you’re okay with cruising at 9.5 knots, the decibel readings do not go beyond 60. The meter strains to climb to 77 when the throttles are pegged to a top speed of 24 knots.

Obviously, by placing the engines in the after portion of each hull, you’re going to realize a noise reduction. The builder also designed “hush” boxes that serve as a lid over each engine, yet they still allow for service checks without being removed.

Lateral stability is a benefit to catamaran design and the 47 LC has it in spades.

Besides competing around the buoys, Jean-Francois Fountaine has shelves lined with silver from various ocean races. His sailing catamarans also have numerous circumnavigations under their keels. And his powerboats give a nod to this bluewater heritage.

The side decks of Fountaine’s boats are wide with a deep bulwark and teak caprail and a grippy nonskid. The anchoring system is beefy and easy to deploy. The details continue throughout the accommodations.

Take the galley as an example. Fiddles border horizontal surfaces, there are double sinks to make both prepping meals and clean-up so much easier, and the stove is propane. In addition, brackets secure pots on the back burners to allow cooking while under way, and a handrail lines the counter for an added element of safety. The galley takes up the bulk of the port side, and is huge with plenty of fridge and freezer capacity and stowage to allow several weeks between provisioning for the average cruising family. If you take the throttles back to a little less than 7 knots, the 47 nearly has Transatlantic range.

Thanks to the 21′ 6″ beam, the saloon and galley area feel like a 60′ monohull’s. The test boat is the “Owner” version with the master accommodations taking up the port-side hull and two en suite guest staterooms lining the starboard hull.

The optional crew cabin is forward of the master head on the port side. This is the ideal kid’s cabin, especially for toddlers who may need to be kept closer to their parents. A 4-stateroom version is available where the port hull mirrors the starboard hull.

The powerboat designs benefit from Fountaine Pajot’s expertise in keeping weight in check on its sailing yachts. The builder incorporates resin-infusion for the hull, deck, and superstructure. This process ensures a solid bond between the fiberglass and the closed-cell foam core.

The consistency in resin distribution eliminates possible voids, and also ensures that the builder can achieve the intended part weight with much more precision.

All bulkheads and structural components are installed while the hull is still in the mold to ensure a more rigid structure, and the Kevlar composite fuel tanks are also integrated into the hull structure.

Both halves of the two-part hull mold are sprayed with isophthalic gelcoat in a strictly controlled process. Throughout the layup process, core samples are taken and resin batch tests are completed to ensure quality-control standards are met.

Many Foutaine Pajot models enter the charter market in tropical destinations, and the glasswork of these boats still holds up and often looks as good as the day it left the factory.

“We really believe there is growth for us in powerboats,” says Jean Fountaine.

Denison is currently offering a Fountaine Pajot 47 Cumberland in stock at their Fort Lauderdale facility. Special dealer demo opportunity available.

Please contact Mark Bussey for more information at 954.599.5192, MB@denisonyachtsales.com

Source: Power & Motoryacht