Not too big and not too small, just right.

Fountaine Pajot Isla 40 is not an ordinary catamaran, its appearance and interior layout are outstanding. Its design has all the features of nowadays modernity – materials, spaces, lines, yet it has kept the seaworthiness and sailing capabilities of a classic sailboat from the past, when boats were built to endure the ocean.

Closehauled at 30-35 degrees to the wind in about 12 knots of breeze is not a cat’s favorite conditions. Yet ISLA feels surprisingly comfortable at this point of sail, getting 6.5 to 7 knots. Bear out a bit and you easily raise speed over 8. Not bad for a “luxury” cruising cat, and it shows the benefits of rigging the boat with a classic mast position (unlike some other brands), flat-top mainsail and overlapping genoa.

The boat is easy to handle. The helm station is to starboard and raised so that the helmsman can see over the cabin top and Bimini. Three winches and several line clutches are within easy reach of the wheel, making all sail-control lines readably accessible, including those for the traveler, which spans the rear of the Bimini. There’s access to the helm from the cockpit and side deck, and a set of steps leads from there up to the Bimini, where the boom is mounted low enough to provide good access to the sail pouch when the time comes to zip up things.

Like bigger models, Isla 40 benefits from dynamic inverted bows and offers great performances.

The interior is designed to optimize space and enjoy great natural light.

The cockpit is one of the best designs out there, spatious and perfectly balanced between comfort and proximity to the sea and openness to the views. It has the largest area and volume among the cockpits of all 40-foot catamarans. A comfortable L-shaped sofa in the dining area, a wraparound table, a large aft sofa and a lounger.

One step up front, the saloon is undoubtedly a loft-style living room. In this huge space, there was enough space for a relaxation area, and for a dining area, and for a galley. Tall open wide windows has everyone inside feel as a part of the environment around.

The front deck as on a classic cat is like a huge ocean terrace. The area of the net between hulls is balanced with a large cushions secton lying just in front of the saloon. Most of the crew can spread themselves with heads on the pillows on cabin windows below and have their feet freshened by the seawater sprinkles through the net just up front.

Isla 40 has 4 double cabins with comfy double beds and a separate bathroom / wc for each cabin.

Put it all together, and you have a cat that’s fun to sail and comfortable to live aboard. Sounds just right, no?

Alone in the world if that’s your desire, in harmony with nature, with sea views, like an island, Fountaine Pajot catamarans can also be a shared source of pleasure and emotions.

The Isla 40 is the access model to the Fountaine Pajot range: like a flagship, she is the brand’s standard bearer. Her name is a self-evident and she sets the benchmark for sailing catamarans of this size.