The Key Yachting team will exhibit Nautitech and Grand Soleil among the eighty new boats on display at the UK's South Coast & Green Tech Boat Show 2024 at Ocean Village, Southampton, from Friday, 19 April 2024, to Sunday, 21 April 2024.

This is an ideal opportunity for serious buyers who want to experience a high-quality range of boats in stunning surroundings.

The show will feature the marine industry's most exciting and innovative global power and sail brands and an extensive range of ancillary services, such as associated gear, finance, and insurance.

The Key Yachting team will be at the show facilitating viewings of Nautitech and Grand Soleil, including: 

Grand Soleil 42LC - The Grand Soleil 42 Long Cruise is the new model in the Blue Water range: Comfort, large spaces on board and autonomy in navigation distinguish this new twelve-metre hull

N44 OPEN - Multihull European Yacht of the Year in 2023. With enhanced performance and a sharp look, the Nautitech 44 Open is on top of its class

N40 OPEN Visit the new and improved 'Millesime' version of the 40 Open, sailing since 2023. This N40 is currently on brokerage and available at a special show price, ready to sail away!

For any queries, please get in touch with Bill Stringer at [email protected]

September's J Cup Ireland gets an early preview on Friday when J boat agents for Ireland, Key Yachting, will host a special gathering for J Boat and Grand Soleil sailors at the Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

Key Yachting's Wayne Palmer and Bill Stringer will host the drinks and catch up from 6 pm. All are welcome.

The second edition of the J Cup Ireland will take place from 7-8 September this year and follows a successful inaugural regatta last year.  As regular Afloat readers know, the 2023 event saw an impressive 40-boat contest on Dublin Bay.

The Key Yachting Brokerage team are delighted to have a Grand Soleil 44 coming to the market soon.

The Grand Soleil 44 represents the true Italian design and style of Cantiere del Pardo yachts; it is the perfect balance between cruising and racing performance without sacrificing comfort and elegance onboard.

‘Samatom’ is an excellent example of this fantastic Grand Soleil model. She was the first 44 to be launched in September 2020 and has been highly successful in the Irish IRC racing scene since, including placing first in her class in Sovereign's Cup 2021, winning her division in Cork Week 2022, a podium in the Round Ireland Race in Class in 2022 and a podium finish in the ISORA 2022 series.

Samatom, Grand Soleil 44, interior

‘Samatom’ is a three-cabin, two-head version and comes with everything you need to get out racing or cruising with a large sail inventory, including North Sails and recent additional Quantum Sails and a range of electronics, including B&G chart plotters and Cyclops Smart Tune load sensor.

She will be available to view in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland, soon.

The full specification will be available on the Key Yachting Brokerage page next week.

For further information, contact Irish agent Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or +353 87 2506838

The Key Yachting team will be at BOOT Düsseldorf, the largest indoor boat show, showing the latest models from 3 of our key brands; J Boats, Grand Soleil and Tofinou.

The show takes place between 21st - 29th of January 2023 at the Messe Düsseldorf in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Find out the models on show below.

J Boats

J Boats will be exhibiting the J/45, J/99 and the J/112E, 3 performance staples in the J Boats range. As Irish sailors will know, Mike and Ritchie Evans J /99 Snapshot became the Irish ICRA boat of the year in 2022. A new J112e is due in Dun Laoghaire in June 2022 for an Irish owner.

The J112E will be on show at BOOT Düsseldorf by Key Yachting

The J45 from Key Yachting will be on display at BOOT Düsseldorf 2023

The J99 will be on show at BOOT Düsseldorf by Key Yachting

Grand Soleil

Grand Soleil will proudly present the brand new, fast and high-performance 40, which only recently premiered at Cannes Yachting Festival 2022. She is a smaller sister to the Grand Soleil 44, such as Bob Rendell's Samatom from Howth, which has shown great form on Irish race courses recently.

The Grand Soleil 40 on show at BOOT Düsseldorf by Key Yachting

Tofinou

Tofinou will be taking their newest model, the 9.7. This model is a versatile day boat with a hull inspired by the latest racing boats.

The Tofinou 9.7 on show at BOOT Düsseldorf by Key Yachting

Key Yachting are now taking appointments for the J Boats, Grand Soleil and Tofinou stands; if you would like to visit us at the show, then contact Key Yachting agent in Ireland, Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or at 00 353 87 250 6838

For more information about the show, click here

Key Yachting is excited to be heading to Cannes Yachting Festival this year with Grand Soleil with a range of models, among our three other brands.

The festival is taking place from 6th – 11th September, we will be located in Port Canto, the sailing area, for the duration of the show.

Grand Soleil 44, Samatom on way to second in Class in the 2022 Round Ireland Race Photo: Afloat

Grand Soleil yachts are an icon of ‘Made in Italy’ style. With over 40 years of history, Grand Soleil has left its mark on a fundamental chapter in the history of modern sailing.

The festival will see the world premiere of the Grand Soleil 40 and 72 Performance.

The new Grand Soleil 40 Performance has all the credentials to replicate the success of the GS 44, well know in Ireland due to the success of GS 44 Samatom, owned by Mr Bob Rendell of Howth.

It maintains the style, elegance and safety seen throughout the range. A fast and responsive boat that reflects its sporting personality in its performance on the water. The GS40 will share most of the attributes of the GS 44, with both looking very similar.

As most Irish sailors will know, a previous GS 40 model has also been very successful. Nieulargo, GS 40, was the winner of the 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race.

Grand Soleil 71

Grand Soleil 71, which will also Premiere at Cannes Yachting Festival

Performance, design, innovation: the extensive construction experience of the shipyard is combined with the development of innovative solutions that place increasing emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency. The new GS 72 will represent the pinnacle and synthesis of GS’s shipbuilding experience. The aim: to launch a spacious boat to guarantee ample accommodation and comfort on board, while maintaining high levels of performance.

The new GS 40 and 72 Performance will sit alongside the 44 Performance, 42 Long Cruise and 52 Long Cruise, all staples in the Grand Soleil range.

Cannes Yachting Festival will be a unique opportunity to see a great selection from the Grand Soleil range. Definitely not one to miss!

If you’d like more information about Grand Soleil or would like to book an appointment at Cannes Yachting Festival to see the range, then contact us at [email protected] or contact Irish Agent Mark Mansfield at [email protected].

It has been a great year so far for J/Boats and Grand Soleil in Ireland.

The SSE Round Ireland Race 2022, held by the Wicklow Sailing Club, saw great race results. J-Boats impressively took all three podium spots, including the overall winner, J/111, SL Energies Groupe Fastwave, owned by Laurant Charmy from France.

J/99 Snapshot from Howth—2nd overall and winner class Class 3 in Round Ireland race Photo: Bob Bateman

J/Boats and Grand Soleils filled six of the top seven places, with J/Boats winning Class 1, 2 and 3.

J/121, Darkwood took the win overall in IRC Class 1, closely followed by the Grand Soleil 44 Samatom, which also won best ISORA yacht.

IRC Class 3 saw the J/99 Snapshot win, as well as the best ICRA Yacht, an excellent success for the crew. Class 2 was won by the overall winner, SL Energies Groupe Fastwave.

J/111—SL Energies Group Fastwave Photo: Afloat

We also recently saw great results from Irish and UK J-Boats at Volvo Cork Week 2022.

One hundred ninety-two boats and around 2,000 sailors participated in the Royal Cork Yacht Club event.

Racing was held on five courses for 14 classes, the biggest Cork Week for several years.

Key Yachting’s J99 Jam made the trip to Ireland from Hamble for its first Cork Week.

Samatom—Grand Soleil 44—Winner ICRA nationals at Cork week—Coastal class. Samatom was also 2nd in Class on the Round Ireland race and the top ISORA boat overall. Photo: Afloat

J/112 Happy Daize Photo: Key Yachting

 J/121 Darkwood Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Although the sun was out for most of the week, the wind was light and shifty, making for complex racing conditions. Despite the challenges, J/112E Happy Daize won class 1 overall, closely followed by J/111 Journeymaker 2 in 2nd place.

Class 2 racing at Cork Week Photo: Rick Tomlinson

John Maybury and his crew from RIYC on the J/109 Joker 2 had a great result, winning Class 2 overall. The J/109 Storm followed in 2nd place, with the J/109 Chimera taking 3rd.

J/111 Journeymaker 2 Photo: Key Yachting

The Coastal Class was won by the J/109 Mojito, with the Grand Soleil 44 Samatom winning the Coastal IRC ICRA Class.

J109 Mojito at Volvo Cork Week 2022 Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Seeing lots of our clients and owners at both events outstanding.

We look forward to seeing more great racing from J Boats and Grand Soleils this year.

Key Yachting is the agent for both J-Boats and Grand Soleil’s, as well as Nautitech and Tofinou.

For any For information on the Key Yachting brands in Ireland, contact Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or call 00353 872 506 8383

Key Yachting, the Irish agent for both J Boats and Grand Soleil, are delighted to note that, along with two Grand Soleil's entered, nine J Boats entered in this year's Round Ireland event commencing this Saturday.

The two Grand Soleils are both well known in Irish racing circles.

Bob Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom won its class at last year's Sovereigns Cup, and Denis and Anne Marie Murphy's Grand Soleil 40, Nieulargo from Royal Cork, was the 2021 Dun Laoghaire to Dingle Race winner.

Both should be in with a good shout if the conditions are to their liking.

Bob Rendell's Grand Soleil 44 Samatom Photo: Afloat

Of the nine J Boats entered, the one to watch may be Michael O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood from the Solent, which, along with Michael O'Donnell, will include several other Irish within her crew. Darkwood has been very successful in the RORC races this year.

Andrew Hall from the UK will race his J/125 Jackknife, which can be very competitive, particularly off the wind.

Chris Power Smith's evergreen J122 Aurelia from the Royal St George Yacht Club always shows well.

Michael and Richard Evans will compete in their J99 Snapshot, which won Sovereigns week overall last year. Two J109s, two J111s, plus a J105 make up the nine.

Mark Mansfield, Irish Agent for Key Yachting, wishes all the J Boats and Grand Soleil entries well in the race. Mark will be racing aboard Bob Rendell's Grand Soleil 44.

For further information on any Grand Soleil or J Boat, Mark can be contacted at 087 2506838 or [email protected]

Key Yachting is already looking forward to September and the exclusive world premiere of the new Grand Soleil 40 at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival.

A fast and responsive boat that reflects its sporting personality in its performance on the water, the new Grand Soleil 40 has all the credentials to replicate the great success of the GS 44 — winner of the last ORC World Championship — while maintaining the feeling of style, elegance and safety seen throughout the range.

Available in both Performance and Race versions, the design once again bears the signature of Matteo Polli.

Key Yachting’s Irish agent Mark Mansfield notes that this new design is following in footsteps of previous successful Grand Soleil 40s such as Nieulargo, winner of ICRA Boat of the Year for 2021 and the Dun Laoghaire to Dingle race.

The lines of the hull and the naval architecture of the GS 40 maintain the strong vocation for performance, without sacrificing volume to the advantage of space and comfort on board. A boat easy to use, luxurious and at the same time competitive and a thrill to sail.

In collaboration with the Nauta Design studio, the layout maximises the volume with fine finishes and timeless design. Below deck, the spaces have been optimised to ensure maximum comfort onboard for the owner and their guests.

As well as the Race and Performance design options, the GS 40 has a three-cabin, one-heads layout and an optional three-cabin, two-heads configuration.

“The design brief for the new Grand Soleil 40 was very similar to that of the GS 44, but with the request to further raise the bar, given the smaller size,” naval architect Matteo Polli says.

“The overall length of 40 feet, one of the most common on the market, presents a great challenge in finding a compromise between internal volumes and sporting characteristics.

“Thanks to the experience gained on the 44 and a well-established team of designers, it was possible to find the perfect combination of performance and comfort.”

Find out more about the new Grand Soleil 40 from Key Yachting HERE. And contact Mark Mansfield at [email protected] or at 00353 872506838.

Demand for brokerage boats in UK and Ireland is exceeding supply and now is the perfect time to sell your boat with Key Yachting.

There has never been a better time to sell your boat, with yards expected delivery slots creeping well into 2023 for new boats, demand for pre-loved boats has never been greater.

UK Sales director – Hannah Le Prevost “Currently we have clients waiting for new listings to come on to the market and some brokerage models don’t even make it to the open market before they are sold, as demand is so high.”

The Brokerage Market in both UK & Ireland has been very buoyant recently with sales of second-hand J 109, J99, J122, J70 and J 80 all recently completed. Key Yachting Ireland currently has three Brokerage boats under offer and is looking for further performance-orientated and cruising boats to list.

Irish Broker – Mark Mansfield “We have more buyers than sellers, so now is a great time to list with above-market prices being achieved. If you are not planning to use your boat in 2022, why not talk to the Key Yachting team, in UK or Ireland – as It really is a seller’s market!

Juggerknot J 99 —recently sold to a Client in the United States

Why use Key Yachting to sell your boat?

Key Yachting UK & Ireland has an unrivalled knowledge of J Boats, Grand Soleil, Tofinou, and Nautitech, which not only benefits the seller but the new owner as well. Key Yachting’s Headquarters based in the UK is located in Hamble the home of the UK yachting industry. Its modern office holds a prime position in MDL Hamble Point Marina. Brokerage boats are within view of the office, offering both ease of access for potential clients and first-class care during their time with us.

Wakey Wakey - J109 recently sold to Kinsale and now called Artful Dodger

Key Yachting’s Ireland office is operated on a mobile basis, with Broker “Mark Mansfield” travelling to boat locations for valuations and viewings. Key Yachting uses two online marketing forums – Yacht World, the world’s leading brokerage marketing service, where your boat will have maximum exposure to the global boat purchasing market. Additionally, your yacht will be displayed on Key Yachting’s own website alongside the new models and be promoted out via social media.

Key Yachting has built a database of prospective owners, which is unequalled by any other company and produces regular brokerage e-shots with a reach of over 4,000 recipients, in the UK, Ireland, Europe, and Worldwide. Key yachting has years of practical experience in new and used boat sales, the team will be able to analyse the market and advise on market positioning, providing documented details of similar boats sold, and currently on the market, so you know your boat is strategically positioned to sell. Prior to listing your boat, key yachting will usually visit the vessel to complete a thorough checklist of her condition and inventory, allowing us to suggest ideas to improve appearance and saleability keeping costs in mind, as you can only make one first impression.

Photos, video clips and comprehensive video are produced at the earliest opportunity of the sales process, to show the boat at her very best and allow us to share the details with prospective buyers.

Following a successful sale, the Key Yachting team can offer ongoing support to the buyer in the form of spare parts, upgrades, berthing etc.

Key Yachting’s primary business is the sale of new and brokerage boats but Key Yachting also offer marine services including marina berthing, storage ashore, and professional boat maintenance, spares, commissioning, and upgrades.

For more information email Irish Key Yachting Agent, Mark Mansfield: [email protected]

Does size matter? The latest sailing innovation from Grand Soleil: the Grand Soleil Long Cruise 72 argues it does!

This is where long-distance sailing meets quality, spaciousness, design and pure performance.

The new Grand Soleil 72 follows the same path as the other Grand Soleil models offering a Long Cruise version as well. The Long Cruise version will be distinguished by its deckhouse characterized by a large 270° view window.

If you want to find out more about this beautiful yacht click here or contact Irish Grand Soleil Agent, Mark Mansfield at [email protected] , or at 087 250 6838