Lagoon 40 Review

In this review we will talk about Lagoon 40 in detail: how it was made, which engineering solutions were implemented, what can you find on board and how it handles on the water – with a lot of pictures. Additional to our overview, we provide opinions on the subject coming from various authoritative sources and attach various video reviews for demonstration of the yacht’s features.

The sailing catamaran Lagoon 40 has been a highlight of the new shipyard concept since its launch in Cannes. World leader in the production of sailing yachts Beneteau Group made a bet on a 40-foot (12-meter) catamaran with an increased level of comfort - and did not lose the bet, although this is the most competitive format of catamarans, both sailing and motorized.

At the same time, the developers tried to improve the seaworthiness of the vessel under sail. Here they met with the age-old problem of parity between the comfort and performance of the vessel. After all, increased comfort lies in the presence of significant free and safe space, additional equipment (air conditioners, heaters, washing and dishwashers, watermaker, TV, etc.), decor, special furniture for the interior... The list can be continued, but it should be already clear: increased comfort increases the weight of the vessel, lowering its seaworthiness.

The VPLP design bureau, even during the development of the 39th cat, tried to improve its performance, hence the mast was shifted to the stern, changing the center of effort. But the weight of the catamaran prevents from fully appreciating the benefits of this innovation on double-hulled ships.

Therefore, when developing the Lagoon 40, the main task of technologists, naval architects and designers was reducing weight while maintaining the comfort of a sailing catamaran. Jointly developed design and creative solutions lightened the cat by almost one ton.

Technologists have proposed innovative polyester and balsa sandwiches to make the floats, with the exception of the bottoms. At the suggestion of the architects, they remained monolithic and some of the modular structures were abandoned. The mast remained moved to the stern, which increased the sail area by more than 5 m².

The designers carefully approached the choice of furniture, kitchen equipment, etc., which also made it possible to free the boat from excess weight without sacrificing comfort.

This resulted in a 40-foot double-hulled sailboat with excellent ergonomics, an unprecedented level of comfort and excellent seaworthiness under sail.

Features of Lagoon 40

Lagoon 40 Review by TopRik Team

TopRik team, when reviewing the Lagoon 40, traditionally compares the shipyard's new cat with its predecessors. And in the case of Lagoon 40, the differences from Lagoon 39 are noticeable at first sight. The freeboard is not as massive and it has built-in portholes. Its roof is inclined towards the deck, which gives the kat a very dynamic and impetuous look. Even from the outside the catamaran began to look more modern.

The mast offset to the stern has remained from the previous model, and we welcome this. This solution not only increases the sail area, but also expands the sail's angle of attack. This makes the cat more responsive to the helmsman's actions due to more lift, and sail control is much easier too.

If you compare this cat with other models of the shipyard, then this is most likely the embodiment of the Lagoon 42 at 40 feet. It remains to climb on board and check whether the yacht is really as light, swift and maneuverable as it looks.

On the Transom

TopRik team includes a certain crew member who reaches 2 meters in height. The rest of the team is touched by how he always rejoices climbing the comfortable steps of the ladders of the latest releases of Lagoon. Rejoice with him too.

Very informative photo - here you can see how the transom is equipped. Two identical sets of steps on each side, which also serve as a place for descent into the water, for which there are special ladders.

The place between the ladders, where the platform is usually located, is given to davits for attaching a dinghy with an outboard motor. There is a capacious locker in the transom, where a life raft, a pump and fire extinguishing means can be stored. There is enough space above the locker to attach folding bikes.

The entrance to the cockpit is closed with a shading sheet, which can be provided along the entire perimeter of this part of the cat.

In the Cockpit

The actual cockpit of the Lagoon 40 is a very spacious living space with an L-shaped sofa near the table. Opposite the dining area there is a place where you can also put a mattress and arrange an extra sunbed, and there is also a long seat on the transom, which can be equipped with soft mattresses and backs for comfort.

If an additional soft bench, poufs or chairs are attached to the table, up to 10 people can fit behind it without limiting each other, which we have checked and can confirm.

As you can see in the photo above, one of the main features of this cockpit is the ability to communicate between passengers and the helmsman. This feature was carried over from the Lagoon 42 along with a special skipper seat. Very convenient no matter what the boat is used for. You are always in the family circle if you sail with your loved ones, and the skipper is always with the crew and passengers if the boat is used for commercial purposes.

A few steps along the convenient (confirmed by our giant) ladder steps - and you move from the cockpit to the helm.

At the Helm Under Sail and Engines

The helm station is moved up on the starboard side, so it is natural that an excellent view of the entire starboard float opens from here. But to see the nose of the portside float, you just have to bend down and look into the cutout of the roof through the glazed interior around the perimeter.

The height of the helmsman's chair is adjustable, a bimini can be installed above the chair.

All the main control devices or their displays, including the marine chartplotter , are displayed on the helm panel. To the right of the panel are the engine control knobs. Behind the helm, winches are installed on the roof within easy reach, which can be either electric or manual. Since we have already carried out seaworthiness tests, we can say that manual winches are quite sufficient. Lagoon 40 easily obeys the hydraulic helm under sail, and even more so - on engines.

All control of the yacht is concentrated, as they say, at your fingertips. With a wind speed of about 12 knots, we were sailing at a speed of 6 and even reached 6.8 with gusts of wind.

With two 45 hp engines we have reached 9 knots per hour. Although it should be recognized that engines of such power are optional. A pair of 30 hp engines is provided as standard. We recommend the optional ones because it is always useful to have a power reserve on long journeys.

After going out to sea under sail, you should rest and have a bite, or better, have a full meal. So let's move closer to the galley, to the saloon.

In the Saloon

Even the most broad-shouldered of us does not have to squeeze through the sliding door of the saloon. It cannot be said that the sliding doors make the saloon and cockpit a single space. But the sliding window allows you to serve food directly from the saloon galley to the cockpit table. Or allows you to turn this part of the galley into a bar counter if you want to throw a party.

If you use the fixed base of the galley and add some options, you get a very well-equipped modern kitchen with a gas stove, oven, microwave, two refrigerators and freezers, dishwasher, wine bar, hot, cold and sea water sink, etc.

A distinctive feature of the furniture are rounded corners, which indicates a high class of comfort on a catamaran. You get a lot of cabinets and compartments to store kitchen utensils. All of them are equipped with latches that will not allow lockers to open when the boat is rocking.

The fully glazed interior of Lagoon 40 has multiple “windows” for ventilation in addition to great natural light. The all-round glazing provides a fantastic 360-degree view, which is also functional for whoever sits at the skipper's table in the forward saloon.

The skipper, of course, can turn to the table and have dinner at any time. The dining table can be transformed into a coffee table and can even be used to create an extra bed.

Around the table is a large corner sofa with soft mattresses and backs, if desired, you can add additional seats that can be hidden under the table until they are used for their intended purpose.

Using these pouffe chairs, the topRik team of 8 comfortably sat around the table.

Well, after going out to sea and a hearty lunch, as you understand, it’s time to get lazy.

In the Cabins

It has already become traditional that a catamaran with a master cabin in one of the floats is selected for the test. Some members of the crew hinted that this was no coincidence, glancing in the direction of our leader, but the riot on the ship was suppressed before it even began.

The leader explained that if we are confident in the comfort of a cat for family use, then it will be ideal for a charter for sure, and it is hard to disagree with this.

So - the master cabin of the Lagoon 40 in a three-cabin version of the layout. This is a small apartment or hotel room with all amenities. In the recreation area there is a huge island bed with an approach from two sides, shelves for books or a mobile phone. All this is illuminated by natural light through the side and ceiling porthole, there is a small opening porthole for ventilation.

In the passage from the sleeping area to the bathroom there is a wardrobe, shelves, work and dressing tables, a soft sofa. A private bathroom is a spacious room of sufficient height, with washbasins by the way, a shower and a toilet.

The second float is given over to two fairly roomy, high and well-lit cabins in the bow and stern, each of which has a private bathroom.

This was the layout we tested, but the manufacturer provides others too. For two cabins in one float, you can have a shared bathroom and a separate shower for each cabin.

The charter version is 4 cabins with 4 bathrooms. In addition, you can organize additional beds in the forepeak. Children especially like it. And when there are no children on a charter, you can put the skipper and one of the crewmen here.

By the way, we didn't talk about the bow of the catamaran.

Keep Your Nose to the Wind

Here on the deck of the right hull you can clearly see the entrance to the forepeak. But there is also an entrance through the bow cabin. This small compartment on the Lagoon 40 is well ventilated not only through an open hatch, but also through a small opening porthole in the side. Therefore, it is not hot here, as it usually happens in the forepeaks of other 40-foot cats.

The anchor device is a winch with a vertical shaft and an electric drive.

Here you can organize an excellent sunbathing area, sitting on soft sunbeds or two trampolines - a delight not only for children, but also adults.

From the bow, access to the roof is via a hinged stainless steel ladder. Sometimes this is required to work with sails or to climb the mast.

Advantages of Lagoon 40

TopRik team at the end of the testing came to the unanimous conclusion that the Lagoon 40 sailing catamaran did not betray our expectations. Moreover, this was stated even by those yachtsmen who prefer single-hull sailboats.

By a majority vote, the team decided that the Lagoon 40 really shouldn’t participate in the catamaran or mixed fleet race competition, and the cruising speed obtained during the tests on engines, as well as under sail, fully satisfies the needs for a family cruise and even for a long charter.

We have summarized our conclusions about the advantages of the cat and the disadvantages that were voiced by some of our comrades, again refer to its racing capabilities and will not be considered here.

• Affordable price with a high level of comfort and quality equipment, which are offered even with a standard package. If you use some more options, the catamaran turns into a comfortable floating mansion.
• Despite the apparent volume of the catamaran, it perfectly obeys the helm, is easy to manage, largely due to innovations that have reduced the weight of the boat.
• Demonstrated excellent seaworthiness for a comfortable cat of this size, excellent stability, safety when moving through decks and levels.
• It does not require a crew to manage, an experienced skipper will do just fine when it comes to a family cruise.
• The versatility of the configuration allows the Lagoon 40 to be used both as a family boat and for commercial purposes.

Reviews of Lagoon 40 From Professionals

Traditionally, we present reviews of professional yachtsmen and journalists from leading yachting media on the Lagoon 40 sailing catamaran.

Multihulls World Article

This team was involved in sailing the very first Lagoon 40 from Canet-en-Roussillon to the Cannes Exhibition, where it was presented. And they approached the assessment with the utmost rigor, honestly listing the shortcomings they identified, among which were insufficiently visible markings of equipment and deck markings, insufficient height of the rail at the passage to the cockpit from the transom, an optional mainsail, and the fact that the power rails next to the battery are not protected.

The yachtsmen/journalists attributed the dynamically balanced platform, the responsiveness of the helm and the pleasure of steering the boat, efficient sailing equipment, accessibility to the battery group and its high quality to the advantages.

It was noted that at the beginning of the passage, a breeze from the shore caused an ambiguous situation, when the waves hit the side, although the wind blew aft. Even then, the management of the catamaran was not an effort.

During 3.5 hours of the first watch, the catamaran covered 25 miles at a speed of 12-15 knots. When the wind increased from 15 to 20 knots in 10 hours under the mainsail and staysail, a path of 72 miles was covered. The weather provided excellent conditions for testing seaworthiness, journalists say, turning the sea into a real testing ground. By the middle of the day, the waves reached 5-6 points, and the sailors really enjoyed driving the boat.

The increased area of the grotto and its excellent work were noted. A jib with a sheet ensures perfect sail setting. Even when the wind increased with gusts up to 30 knots, the sailors still did not feel the need to reduce the sail. Although such thoughts arose, especially when the cat began to plan regularly.

As a result, the boat covered 142 miles in 19 hours with great comfort in management, which was facilitated by the shape of the hull between the floats, which reduces the force of impact on the water, as well as the excellent balance of the entire Lagoon 40 structure. The bows of the cat do not burrow and the boat easily slides off the wave.

Zuzana Prochazka Article

Legendary Zuzana Prochazka posted her review of the Lagoon 40 this time on Sail Magazine, although, as you probably know, she freelances for a dozen yacht media outlets.

Since she wrote her review in 2018, Zuzana wondered if the new cat could knock the queen off her pedestal, referring to the incredibly successful Lagoon 380 catamaran.

The author was one of the first to appreciate the efforts made by the developers to reduce the weight of the 40-footer, the changes made to achieve an ergonomic deck and living space, as well as balance in the entire structure of the boat due to weight distribution.

Zuzana Prochazka tested the Lagoon 40 in the Miami area. As she noted, the catamaran maintains its speed even with a wind angle of 50 degrees, and this makes it more than just a downwind cruiser.

The reviewer noted the increased sail area of 80 m² upwind with the automatic jib for ease of use. It was noted that a square-topped mainsail is an option.

Zuzana Prochazka described the Lagoon 40 as a modern example of what a small catamaran can be.

Sam Jefferson Article

In his characteristic style Sam Jefferson makes a side by side comparison in a Caribbean marina: a monohull crammed full of charter passengers, who are almost all nauseated by the pitching and who don’t care about a magnificent sunset, and a catamaran whose passengers feel at ease on deck and in cabins and do not experience discomfort due to the ship’s stability.

The author of the review did this to confirm the quote from William Morris that true beauty is expedient. He noted that the shipyard has done much more than other manufacturers for the popularity of catamarans, and therefore still remains among the market leaders.

Sam noted the similarities and differences with the Lagoon 42, as well as the shipyard's achievements in improving the balance of the structure, which reduced pitching, improved sail handling, especially the mainsail.

Thanks to the efforts of invited naval architects, the helmsman has a better feel for the helm and its effect on the sailing rig, since changes have been made to both the shape of the rudder and the steering mechanism.

Further, the author dwelled on the external outlines of the cruising cat, noting that he was never embarrassed by the beauty of these yachts. He led to the fact that all these changes in the hulls and superstructure are subject to an important goal - improving performance.

Sam always knows how to highlight what others do not notice. The teak finish was noted by everyone, but the author added that it eliminates the glare from the white plastic surface, which cannot be avoided on any catamaran, and makes the deck more “friendly”.

He noted that the front deck is partially represented by trampolines, and this is no coincidence, since the all-plastic deck between the hulls is an additional problem with strong pitching.

Sam Jefferson continued the theme of his review by noting that the true beauty of cruising catamarans, which lies in the feeling of space and comfort in their cabins, can only be appreciated by reboarding a monohull yacht up to 18 meters (60 feet) in length.

Of course, he fully describes the premises of the cat, the behavior of the sailing rig and the features of the helm station, but we have highlighted only those points that other authors have not noted.

With his usual sense of humor, the author concluded: Lagoon 40 is "significantly more spacious, comfortable and better equipped than many of the apartments I have stayed in."

Video Reviews of Lagoon 40

Here are some great cinematic demonstrations of what Lagoon 40 is capable of.

Let’s start with the shipyard’s video - Lagoon are doing a good job of showcasing their own product with a lot of details:

Quick overview of the most important features by TMG Yachts:

Lagoon 40’s deck and interior tour at Cannes Yachting Festival:

More in-depth look into the yacht’s features in another episode of “Cruising Off Duty”:

Incredible footage of testing the Lagoon 40 at the sea:

Conclusion

This magnificent double-hulled sailing vessel is not only a luxury floating home, but also demonstrates enough seaworthiness for its weight, is safe for passengers, including children, and is easy to steer even with one helmsman. Due to these properties, it is recommended for those who:

• engage in the commercial use of yachts: leasing, organizing charters, etc.;
• prefer comfortable solitude in the middle of the ocean;
• love long sea voyages in the company of friends;
• prefers safe and comfortable swimming for the family;
• like to sail a lot without lacking in comfort, even if with moderate speed.

This vessel was created in order to meet the needs of these categories of yachtsmen by VPLP design company, founded by Marc Van Peteghem and Vincent Lauriot-Prevost. Judging by the commercial success of the cat since its launch, the naval architects have definitely succeeded.

Price calculator

Where to Buy Lagoon 40 at a Bargain Price

When you decide to buy Lagoon 40, our experts will deliver this sailing catamaran to you not only in the configuration you need, but also at a bargain price. We take care of all the worries associated with the purchase of Lagoon 40:

• • we advise on all issues that may arise with the buyer;
• • we are negotiating with the manufacturer of the boat that is for sale;
• • we provide the optional packages in strict accordance with the requirements of the buyer;
• • we draw up all the necessary documents;
• • we move the yacht to the agreed location at the specified time;
• • we supply all related accessories and equipment that are not included in the standard and optional equipment: bed and table textiles, dishes, non-slip mats, fenders, watermaker, dinghy, etc.

And if the buyer does not feel like a confident skipper, before going to sea on a new catamaran, he/she can take a course in the renowned yachting school SimpleSail in order to get a IYT Yacht Training Course certificate "International Bareboat Skipper".