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Today with the Lagoon 440, once again Lagoon can be found at the leading edge.
Why design a boat of 44 feet?
The search for comfort is a priority: whether one is vacationing on board, or chartering a boat for just one week a year, or whether one is lucky enough to live aboard all year round, the factory research on critical issues such as seating ergonomics, space, spread of storage compartments, ease of maneuverability, is the guarantee of successful cruising. At 44’, a reasonable cost, and offering immense space, the Lagoon 440 targets two distinct customer bases: ocean cruisers with an emphasis on performance and ultra comfort within a controlled budget, and the charter market with or without skipper.
What evolutions, and why?
A simple glance at the boat is enough to notice its main distinguishing characteristic: a rigid bimini, with an integral helm station. The percentage of catamarans now equipped with biminis has practically reached 100%, and so it is logical for Lagoon to propose a built-in and much more esthetically pleasing solution. A simple rigid bimini would have satisfied many customer expectations, however we preferred to place the helm station at its ideal central location, with an extra-wide bench seat where guests can join the helmsman and participate in the joys of sailing.
For safety, Lagoon studied in great detail the access to the helm station, and led one of the mainsheet ends into the cockpit, for easy quick release in the case of emergency. The helm station is surrounded by all the sail control lines, reefing included, so that one person can easily handle all the maneuvers.
Simplified access to the water via the port side stern section, as already seen on the Lagoon 410, has been further refined, and linked to an aft passageway that allows one to cross from one side to the other without passing through the cockpit.
On the Lagoon Power 43, the forward cockpit has received unanimous acclaim and instant acceptance. We have chosen to include one on the Lagoon 440, all the while conserving the spacious storage areas at the mast base. At anchor or while sailing in good weather, this forward cockpit is generally the favorite place for those who want to dream, watch the waves, or simply stay cool. In rougher conditions, the scuppers are oversized, and the cockpit drains itself in several seconds. The top of the windlass locker cleverly serves as a cockpit table, and the anchor chain runs unencumbered to the crossbeam. In the main cockpit, Lagoon offers as standard equipment a large utility locker.
Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot Prιvost have once again drawn from experience gained in their decade-long domination of the 60’ multihull racing class. Speed and limited pitching were the development criteria. Passage through the waves has been considerably improved with a higher “gull wing” nacelle form. The rounded hull lines allow roomier access to the passageways from the salon via sturdy companionway steps.
But the talent of Van Peteghem / Lauriot Prιvost goes far beyond that of plain naval architecture, as demonstrated by the smoother roof lines, the forms of which have been retouched for a more seductive esthetic approach, while not straying from the original concept.
Inside, the galley is similar to that of the Lagoon 380, with a large serving shelf extended towards the cockpit, a countertop surface worthy of one found in a house, and storage everywhere, including a big cookware locker. While the layout remains classic, the salon presents a space and shape studied carefully to associate practicality with ergonomics: the seats are more comfortable, access and movement is easy, and the factory has striven to anticipate installation all of the options that such a vessel could require.
Lagoon has added wide fixed portholes on the sides of the hulls, invisible from the outside, but providing an extraordinary view from the inside of each cabin.
The guest cabins on the port side (identical to those on starboard in the charter version) each come with their own washroom, where once more all details have been carefully studied for maximum comfort.
Centered between the salon and the cockpit is a machine room, for the generator with sound-shield, plus the battery charger and the inverter, while the engine compartments, are accessible from the stern, thus keeping the engines perfectly isolated from the aft cabins.
So while all of these innovations make the Lagoon 440 an original design, it still remains attached to traditional Lagoon values : a seaworthy vessel, safe, fast, comfortable, luxurious, where woodwork is predominant. Resolutely facing the future: absolutely LAGOON.
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