Samana 59

Test location: Bandol, France
Conditions: sea state slight, wind southeast 10 to 15 knots

The late cancellation of the Cannes Yachting Festival motivated many builders to organize private events on the French Mediterranean coast, most choosing the same dates as the original Cannes event. This is what Fountaine Pajot did at the port of Bandol. In the absence of the third new model for 2021, the Power 67 - which ended up staying in Greece - the Isla 40 and the Samana 59 were presented for the first time to a restricted public audience from September 10th to 13th. And following these few days of presentation, we were able to try out these two catamarans. The timing was tight: photo and video shoots were already under way…

Flattering design
Compared to her predecessor, the Ipanema 58, launched six years earlier, the Samana 59 is undeniably more elegant. The integration of the flybridge has been particularly well accomplished and is a success. The lifting effect of the superstructure achieved by the lateral windows that hide the uprights, the glazed cockpit “ears” and the gray coachroof wings have a lot to do with it. The deck line is also completely different. The straight lines...