Lagoon 40: A clever and sharp 40 footer

Lagoon have just unveiled their new 40 footer with a bold move: the 40 is replacing the 400 and the 39.  The production of the unbreakable 380 is now much reduced (well, down to about thirty a year anyway!), and it is the 40 which has now become the entry-level and introduction model to the Lagoon concept.  This, in a sector that has shown explosive growth (more than 800 units for the 380!). We helped deliver the first 40 from Canet en Roussillon to Cannes along France’s Mediterranean coast, with a good NW wind of 20-25 knots and spent two days and two nights on board.  Here are our first impressions.

Design and creation methodology

Lagoon is backed by the world leader in sailboats: the Bénéteau group.  This allows them to benefit directly from its purchasing power, the resources of efficient design teams for every aspect, the reactivity of a solid industrial tool and investment capabilities.  The Achilles heel though of working on such a scale is that the machine, once production is launched, (and overrun with orders) is not that receptive to changes during manufacture! Since the early 2000s, the phase of intense growth has been accompanied by rationalization efforts in an attempt to remain competitive, innovative, and to improve perceived quality. However, a crucial point resisted these attempts: the reduction of weight! Especially as the trends in terms of living space, equipment and interior design serve only to load up the boat.  The 400 was a remarkable turning point, but Lagoon and VPLP wanted to go further, in 2015, by implementing the concept of moving the rigging further aft.  This innovative geometry was proving itself on racing trimarans, but not yet on cruising catamarans. The 39 courageously concretized this idea and validated it in part, but an excess of weigh...