TEST - BaVaria e40
42
BAVARI A E 4 0
Gesamtlänge / Length overall 12.29m / 40ft 4in
Gesamtbreite / Beam overall 4.2m / 13ft 11in
Verdrängung / Displacement 10’500kg
durchfahrtshöhe Sedan / Air Draught Sedan 3.4m / 11ft 2in
treibstoff / Fuel capacity 270 Liter / litres
Frischwasser / Water capacity 420 Liter / litres
rCd Kategorie / RCD category B
Maschine im testboot / Engine as tested Volvo Penta D3 150hp
Weitere optionen für die Motoren / Volvo Penta D2 75 PS oder Volvo Penta D4 300 PS.
Other engine options Alle auch als Hybridversion erhältlich
Volvo Penta D2 75hp or Volvo Penta D4 300hp.
All available with hybrid option
Preis ab / Price from EUR 199.000 ab Werft / ex works
VON DEM ERHöHTEN STEuERSTAND AuS
HAT MAN BESTE SiCHT!
WITH THE rAISED HELM pOSITION AfT
YOu HAvE A COMMANDING vIEW
text / Text: Neale Byart
Fotos / Pictures: Neale Byart, Bavaria Yachts
UNDERWAY
The uniqueness of this boat carries through to how it behaves on
the water. The hull has a short moulded keel. Onto this keel, another
30cm keel is fixed when the boat is delivered. My understanding
of this process is that it helps keep the profile of the boat low for
delivery, but also offers an element of sacrificial fibreglass should
the boat go aground.
Our boat was fitted with the mid size engine option, a Volvo Penta
D3 150hp and delivered a top speed of around 13.5 knots. With the
big single D4 300, Bavaria tell us the E4 will achieve 15 knots, or
you can have the single 75hp D2 for a top speed of 11.5 knots. All
engine options are available with hybrid technology that comprises
electric motor, generator, batteries and battery charging. The hull
is certainly slippery, as shown by how far the boat carried way after
power had been taken off.
Handling is not dissimilar to a traditional single shaft driven displacement
boat. You have a bit of prop walk in reverse, you have
little initial steering when you go backwards, but underway the
boat tracks straight and true and turns tightly and precisely. The
boat is quite slow to respond to small adjustments in helm input,
but you just have to learn to make the change and wait a second
or two.
CONC LUS ION
Bavaria Yachts promised something revolutionary and on many
levels they have delivered. The Bavaria E40 is not a boat for those
that are addicted to speed, but for life in the slower lane, it offers
an incredibly spacious and economical package. If you like to cast
off with a large group, I can’t think of another boat that would be
better to do it on. If you need three separate double cabins in a
40 foot hull, the Bavaria E40 will do that too. The design may seem
more than a little unorthodox, and even getting onboard at a boat
show doesn’t really do it justice. What you need to do is cast off
the lines and take this boat out, preferably with 8 or more people
on board. Do this, and I guarantee you will come away impressed.