Grand Soleil · Sailing yacht
Grand Soleil 43
Cantiere del Pardo in Forlì, Italy, has built three different yachts called Grand Soleil 43, and owners and brokers tell them apart by the designer. The 43 J&J by J&J Design (13.39 m, 8.5 t, a 30 kW/40 hp diesel) is in the yard’s range from at least early 2001 to 2005, with a Yanmar on the 2002 pages and a Volvo Penta on the 2005 one. Its successor, the 43 B&C by Botin & Carkeek, was tested in the USA for the January 2009 issue of Cruising World, with a Volvo saildrive and a triple-spreader fractional rig; it also came as the 43 OT with an open transom and twin wheels, which by December 2011 was the only 43 the yard offered. In 2012 Cantiere del Pardo added ‘the new 43’ by Claudio Maletto: 13.25 m, 9.1 t, a Volvo D2-55 on a saildrive, twin wheels and a 2.40 m T-keel (2.00 m optional), still in the 2018 range before the Grand Soleil 44 took its place. The yard publishes no owner’s manuals online; documentation and spare parts come through Grand Soleil dealers and official service partners.
- Manuals & documents
- Equipment & its manuals
- Specifications
- Good to know
- Videos & how-tos
- On the marketplace
Manuals & documents
The links go to Grand Soleil’s own documents — some as archived copies of pages the maker has since taken down. We host no manuals or drawings.
- Grand Soleil after-sales: official service partners with access to the yard’s technical documentation, searchable by country, port or model Manual portal grandsoleil.net · EN · IT
- 43 Maletto technical specification, 08/2012: data, sail plan, construction, rig, deck gear, engine, electrics and plumbing (Grand Soleil’s PDF from its owners’ area, archived copy) Archived maker page web.archive.org · PDF · EN · IT
- 43 Maletto brochure, 2012, with layout and data table (Grand Soleil’s PDF, archived copy) Archived maker page web.archive.org · PDF · EN · IT
- 43 Maletto model page with specifications, December 2016 (archived; Italian) Archived maker page web.archive.org · IT
- Cantiere del Pardo Magazine 2018: the range with the 43 Performance and its key figures Brochure cdn.shopify.com · PDF · EN · IT
- Boat tests of the 43 B&C and the 43 OT (open transom), 2009–2011, as listed on the yard’s website (archived) Archived maker page web.archive.org · EN
- 43 J&J specifications, 2002: dimensions, weights, sail area, tanks, Yanmar 30 kW (archived) Archived maker page web.archive.org · EN · IT
- 43 J&J introduction: concept and layout, 2003 (archived) Archived maker page web.archive.org · EN
- 43 J&J page archived in 2005: introduction and specifications, engine listed as Volvo Penta 30 kW (archived) Archived maker page web.archive.org · EN
- GS 43 wins ‘Best Crossover’ at Sailing World’s Boat of the Year (yard news) Press release grandsoleil.net · EN · IT
- Fleet Magazine 2022/23: fifty years of Cantiere del Pardo, and Matteo Polli on the GS 44 and its 43 predecessors Brochure cdn.shopify.com · PDF · EN · IT
- First look at the 43 B&C, January 2009 issue (Cruising World) Boat test cruisingworld.com · EN
- 43 B&C boat test with construction details and data, August 2009 (Herb McCormick, Cruising World) Boat test cruisingworld.com · EN
- 43 Maletto: Best Crossover of Boat of the Year 2016, December 2015 (Sailing World) Boat test sailingworld.com · EN
- 43 Maletto boat test in Auckland, February 2017 (John Eichelsheim, Boating New Zealand) Boat test boatingnz.co.nz · EN
- Grand Soleil range with the 43 Maletto’s key figures, August 2015 (SAIL) Boat test sailmagazine.com · EN
Equipment & its manuals
Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.
| Item | Model | Manual / page | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Volvo Penta D2-551,2,3,443 Maletto, 2012–2018: “Volvo D2 55hp diesel with S-drive” in the yard’s specification of 08/2012 | Volvo Penta D2-55 Parts & service page | Engine room lined with fire-resistant insulation, electric extractor fan, alternator for high-capacity charging. The engine is reached under the companionway steps and through wide panels in both aft cabins. Volvo stopped building the D2-55 in December 2016 and replaced it with the D2-60 and D2-50, so check the type plate on a late boat. |
| Engine | Volvo Penta 55 hp5,643 B&C and 43 OT (from 2008): 55 hp Volvo diesel on a saildrive in Cruising World’s test of August 2009; its first look in January 2009 gave 40 hp. No engine model given | — | Cruising World measured 7.6–7.8 knots at 3000 rpm and 6.6–6.8 knots at 2400 rpm. Read the type plate before ordering filters, impellers or belts. |
| Engine | Yanmar or Volvo Penta, 30 kW (40 hp)7,8,9,1043 J&J: “Engine: Yanmar”, 30 kW (40 hp) on the yard’s pages of 2002; “Engine: Volvo Penta”, 30 kW (40 hp) on its page archived in 2005. No engine model given | — | The yard does not say whether the engine drives a shaft or a saildrive, so check the boat itself and the type plate before ordering parts. Its introduction says all equipment systems are sound-proofed. |
| Saildrive | Volvo Penta S-drive1,543 Maletto: “S-drive” in the 2012 specification, leg type not named; 43 B&C: saildrive in Cruising World’s 2009 test | — | Read the plate on the leg before ordering the diaphragm seal, anodes or gear oil; our D2-55 page lists which Volvo saildrive belongs to which engine version. |
| Propeller | 3-blade fixed1,543 Maletto: fixed three-blade propeller (specification 08/2012); 43 B&C: fixed three-blade propeller on the test boat (Cruising World 2009). Make not named | — | |
| Winches | Harken Radial 50.2 STA × 2, 46.2 STA × 2, 40.2 STA × 21,3,1143 Maletto, specification 08/2012: 50.2 STA for the genoa sheets, 46.2 STA for the mainsheet, 40.2 STA for the halyards | Harken Radial & Classic winches Parts & service page | German mainsheet system led under deck, traveller recessed in the cockpit floor, 2 Harken handles, 6 Spinlock clutches for halyards and reefs plus one on the toerail for the furling line. The New Zealand test boat of 2017 had Harken 60 primaries, the Sailing World test boat electric primaries. |
| Winches | Harken (sizes not given)543 B&C: Harken blocks and winches with Spinlock clutches on the test boat (Cruising World 2009) | — | |
| Furler | Seldén Furlex TD (through-deck)1,343 Maletto, specification 08/2012: manual Furlex TD recessed below deck; size not given | Seldén Furlex Parts & service page | The New Zealand test boat of 2017 had its jib in a headfoil instead, with furling as an option. Furling line 8 mm. |
| Furler | Facnor (recessed)543 B&C: recessed Facnor furler on the test boat (Cruising World 2009); type not given | — | |
| Mast & rigging | Aluminium, keel-stepped, 2 spreaders1,343 Maletto (specification 08/2012): tapered aluminium mast through the deck with two sets of swept spreaders, aluminium boom, rigid vang, wire rigging with turnbuckles, Harken mechanical backstay adjuster | — | Running rigging in the 2012 specification: Spectra main and genoa halyards 12 mm and mainsheet 10 mm; polyester jib sheets, outhaul and reefing lines 12 mm, vang 10 mm, furling line, traveller and jib-car lines and topping lift 8 mm. The New Zealand test boat had a Sparcraft rig, the smaller of two standard options, with a carbon rig optional. |
| Mast & rigging | Sparcraft, fractional, 3 spreaders5,643 B&C: tall triple-spreader fractional Sparcraft rig (Cruising World 2009) | — | |
| Steering | Twin wheels, 900 mm143 Maletto: two leather-covered stainless wheels of 900 mm, balanced rudder on a stainless stock with self-aligning roller bearings top and bottom, emergency tiller (specification 08/2012) | — | Pedestals, quadrant and sheaves are reached through a dedicated inspection locker in the cockpit. |
| Steering | Solimar, single wheel (twin on the 43 OT)5,6,1243 B&C: Solimar steering with a large recessed wheel and a balanced rudder; the open-transom version (43 OT) has twin wheels (Cruising World 2009) | — | |
| Windlass | 1000 W electric143 Maletto: 1000 W electric windlass and welded stainless stemhead (specification 08/2012); make not named | — | Self-draining anchor locker with a gas strut on the lid, separate sail locker. |
| Toilet | Marine toilet × 2 (manual in the aft head)1,343 Maletto (specification 08/2012): marine toilet in the owner’s head forward, manual marine toilet with holding tank in the aft head; make not named. The New Zealand test boat had a manual Jabsco in the day head | — | Both shower trays drain to sumps with sensor-switched electric pumps that also run manually. |
| Stove | 2-burner gas cooker with oven1,343 Maletto: two-burner gas cooker with oven in the L-shaped galley (specification 08/2012); the New Zealand test boat had a three-burner stove. Make not named | — | Gas locker for one bottle in the forward deck locker. |
| Fridge | Top-loading, 12 V compressor143 Maletto: top-loading fridge with baskets and 12 V compressor (specification 08/2012); make not named | — | |
| Water heater | 30 l, 230 V + engine heat exchanger143 Maletto: 30 l water heater with a 230 V element on shore power and a heat exchanger on the engine’s cooling circuit (specification 08/2012) | — | |
| Water pump | Pressure pump143 Maletto: pressure pump for hot and cold water from one 360 l polyethylene tank with baffles; hot and cold shower in the cockpit (specification 08/2012) | — | Rigid PVC pipes for drinking water, reinforced rubber hose for drains and bilge pumps; flush seacocks with quick-closing ball valves. |
| Bilge pump | Automatic electric + manual143 Maletto (specification 08/2012): automatic electric pumps for the main bilge and the aft deck locker, manual bilge pump in the cockpit; makes not named | — | |
| Batteries | 12 V AGM: 2 × 90 Ah + 1 × 70 Ah143 Maletto: two 90 Ah AGM service batteries and one 70 Ah AGM engine battery, 12 V (specification 08/2012) | — | Main switchboard at the chart table with breakers and a voltmeter; wiring runs in conduits with junction boxes. |
| Charger | 40 A automatic143 Maletto: automatic battery charger of 40 A (specification 08/2012); make not named | — | |
| Shore power | 230 V with shore cable143 Maletto: 230 V circuit with shore cable; 12 V and 230 V sockets in the galley, at the chart table and in all cabins (specification 08/2012) | — | |
| Lights | LED143 Maletto: LED lighting below and LED navigation, anchor, deck, compass and instrument lights (specification 08/2012) | — | |
| Hatches & ports | Flush hatches with blinds and nets1,543 Maletto: 7 flush deck hatches with integrated blinds and mosquito nets, 2 opening ports in the coachroof sides, flush hull windows; make not named (specification 08/2012). 43 B&C: Lewmar hatches on the test boat (Cruising World 2009) | — | |
| Fuel system | 210–220 l tank, electronic gauge143 Maletto: tank of 220 l in the data table, 210 l in the engine section of the same specification; electronic level gauge with an inspection hatch at the float and an easy-to-reach fuel filter (08/2012) | — | |
| Chartplotter | — (option)1,343 Maletto: no electronics in the standard specification, only housings for optional instruments aft of each cockpit seat (08/2012); the New Zealand test boat of 2017 had a B&G Zeus2 9″ at each wheel | — | |
| Deck covering | Teak (cockpit and platform)1,543 Maletto: 8 mm vacuum-bonded teak on the cockpit floor, seats and bathing platform; side decks and coachroof in white non-slip gelcoat (specification 08/2012). 43 B&C: teak decks optional (Cruising World 2009) | — | |
| Swim platform | Opening transom platform1,5,6,1243 Maletto: opening bathing platform with integrated step, two folding helm footrests (specification 08/2012). 43 OT: open transom with twin wheels, as against the closed transom and single wheel of the standard 43 B&C | — |
Specifications
| Years built | 43 J&J: in the yard’s production line from at least February 2001 (earliest archived page) to 2005 · 43 B&C: tested for Cruising World’s January 2009 issue; listed with the 43 OT in February 2009, the 43 OT alone by December 2011 · 43 Maletto: new in 2012 (specification 08/2012), still in the 2018 range13,7,9,6,14,15,1,16 |
|---|---|
| Versions | Three designs: 43 J&J · 43 B&C (Botin & Carkeek) with closed transom and one wheel, and 43 OT with open transom and twin wheels · 43 Maletto (“the new 43”), also with a race sail plan. The yard’s owners’ club form of 2012 lists “GS 43 – J&J”, “GS 43 – Botin” and “GS 43ot – Botin”17,6,12,1 |
| Designer | 43 J&J: J&J Design, interior Cantiere del Pardo · 43 B&C: Botin & Carkeek, interior Patrick Roséo (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: Claudio Maletto (naval architecture), Attivo Creative with the Grand Soleil design team (exterior), Harry Miesbauer Yacht Design with the design team (interior)7,17,5,1 |
| Builder | Cantiere del Pardo, Forlì (Italy)7,1 |
| Length overall | 43 J&J: 13.39 m (43′11″) · 43 B&C: 13.25 m (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 13.25 m7,5,1 |
| Hull length | 43 J&J: 12.98 m (42′7″) · 43 Maletto: 12.90 m7,1 |
| Waterline length | 43 J&J: 10.95 m (35′11″) · 43 B&C: 11.40 m (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 11.70 m7,5,1 |
| Beam | 43 J&J: 4.02 m (13′2″) · 43 B&C: 3.95 m (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 4.00 m7,5,1 |
| Draft | 43 J&J: 2.10 or 2.35 m, shoal keel 1.75 m · 43 B&C: 2.30 m with bulb as standard, 2.50 m fin without bulb, about 2.0 m (6′6″) shoal version with bulb (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 2.40 m, 2.00 m optional7,5,1 |
| Keel | 43 B&C: tapered keel with bulb on a metal frame bolted to an internal stainless-steel grid (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: T-keel with cast-iron fin and lead-antimony bulb on a steel plate recessed into the hull, epoxy-coated5,1 |
| Displacement | 43 J&J: 8500 kg · 43 B&C: 8900 kg (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 9100 kg standard7,5,1 |
| Ballast | 43 J&J: 3000 kg · 43 B&C: 2850 kg (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 3100 kg7,5,1 |
| Sail area | 43 J&J: 84 or 101 m² · 43 B&C: 110 m² (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 96 m², race version 105 m²; 104.2 m² upwind and 174.3 m² downwind in the sail-plan table7,5,1 |
| Rig dimensions (I, J, P, E) | 43 Maletto: I 16.73 m · J 5.00 m · P 16.60 m · E 5.70 m1 |
| Mainsail | 43 Maletto: 56.3 m²1 |
| Genoa | 43 Maletto: 47.9 m² (106 % jib)1 |
| Gennaker / Code 0 | 43 Maletto: spinnaker 118.0 m²1 |
| Air draft | 43 B&C: 19.35 m (Cruising World, ‘mast height’)5 |
| Engine | 43 J&J: 30 kW (40 hp), Yanmar (2002 pages) or Volvo Penta (page archived in 2005) · 43 B&C: Volvo 55 hp (Cruising World 2009; 40 hp in its January 2009 first look) · 43 Maletto: Volvo D2-55 with saildrive7,9,5,6,1 |
| Fuel tank | 43 J&J: 200 l (53 US gal) · 43 B&C: 230 l (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 220 l (210 l in the engine section of the specification)7,5,1 |
| Water tank | 43 J&J: 450 l (119 US gal) · 43 B&C: 400 l (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 360 l7,5,1 |
| Cabins | 3 cabins in all three: owner’s cabin forward with its own head, two double cabins aft. 43 J&J: linear galley to port · 43 B&C: second head, L-shaped galley to starboard or straight galley to port, mahogany joinery with oak optional (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: 2 heads, L-shaped galley, forward-facing chart table10,5,6,18 |
| Berths | 43 J&J and 43 Maletto: 6 to 87,1 |
| Hull | 43 B&C: vinylester/E-glass with foam core, hand-laid and vacuum-bagged (Cruising World) · 43 Maletto: glass sandwich with Airex PVC foam core, solid laminate around keel, rudder and through-hulls, glass/carbon grid bonded into the hull, deck bonded with methacrylate adhesive5,1 |
| CE category | 43 Maletto: A (certified by IMCI)1 |
| Awards | 43 Maletto: Best Crossover, Sailing World Boat of the Year 2016; nominated for SAIL Best Boats 201511,19,20,21 |
| Successor | Grand Soleil 44 by Matteo Polli, who names the 43 B&C and the 43 Maletto as his starting points (Fleet Magazine 2022/23)22 |
Good to know
- Find out which 43 you have before ordering anything. The 43 J&J is 13.39 m long with a 30 kW engine; the 43 B&C and 43 OT by Botin & Carkeek (from 2008) have a triple-spreader Sparcraft rig and a Volvo saildrive, the 43 OT with an open transom and twin wheels; the 43 Maletto (from 2012) has a two-spreader rig, a Furlex TD below deck and twin 900 mm wheels. They share the name, not the rig, keel, steering or engine. Have model, hull number, year of build and HIN ready: the yard’s owners’ register asked for exactly these.7,5,6,1,17
- Grand Soleil has no download area for owner’s manuals. Its official service partners work with the yard’s technical documentation, so ask the nearest partner or dealer (the after-sales page searches by country, port or model) for manuals, wiring diagrams or parts for your hull. The 43 Maletto’s specification of 08/2012 and its 2012 brochure remain readable as archived copies.23,1,18
- On a 43 J&J, check the engine itself: the yard listed a Yanmar of 30 kW (40 hp) in 2002 and a Volvo Penta of the same power on its page archived in 2005, both times without a model. The type plate tells you which filters, impellers and belts fit.7,9
- Tell your surveyor which version it is before the keel-bolt and structure check. The 43 B&C carries keel and rig loads on an internal stainless-steel grid with a U-shaped stringer for the chainplates, and the keel’s metal frame bolts straight to it (Cruising World 2009). The 43 Maletto’s specification of 08/2012 describes a glass/carbon grid laminated to the hull, with methacrylate adhesive around the keel and a steel keel plate recessed into the hull; Sailing World wrote in 2015 that a composite grid had replaced the stainless steel of earlier boats.5,1,11
- On the 43 Maletto, pedestals, quadrant and steering sheaves sit behind a dedicated inspection locker in the cockpit, the rudder stock turns in self-aligning roller bearings top and bottom, and an emergency tiller is part of the standard equipment: that locker is where cables, sheaves and quadrant are inspected.1
Videos & how-tos
Links to YouTube, nothing embedded. The maker’s own channel comes first; the rest are channels we found clear and correct for this model.
- 43 Maletto under construction at Cantiere del Pardo, August 2012 (Italian) Video SVN solovelanet · IT · 3 min
- 43 Maletto walkaround, deck and interior, Annapolis Sailboat Show 2015 Video BoatTube · EN · 6 min
- Full tour of a 2009 Grand Soleil 43 B&C (Italian) Video Abayachting - Vendita Barche in Esclusiva · IT · 38 min
- Full tour of a Grand Soleil 43 J&J (Italian) Video Abayachting - Vendita Barche in Esclusiva · IT · 25 min
On the marketplace
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Sources
- web.archive.org/web/20150201024711/http://www.grandsoleil.net/public/members/GS43/Technic…
- web.archive.org/web/20161227155031/http://www.grandsoleil.net/gs43.php
- boatingnz.co.nz/boat-reviews/grand-soleil-43/
- boatingindustry.ca/products/volvo-penta-expands-compact-engine-range-ahead-of-rcd-ii-emis…
- cruisingworld.com/sailboats/grand-soleil-43-grand-union/
- cruisingworld.com/sailboats/grand-soleil-43-mini-review/
- web.archive.org/web/20021016120920/http://grandsoleil.net/gs43tec.htm
- web.archive.org/web/20021205161852/http://grandsoleil.net/gs43car.htm
- web.archive.org/web/20051027175101/http://www.grandsoleil.net/public_eng/b43.asp
- web.archive.org/web/20030212121728/http://www.grandsoleil.net/gs43e.htm
- sailingworld.com/sailboats/best-crossover/
- web.archive.org/web/20120213103638/http://www.grandsoleil.net/seatrials.php?model=43
- web.archive.org/web/20010202141400/http://grandsoleil.net/yachts.htm
- web.archive.org/web/20090207134729/http://grandsoleil.net/gs43.php
- web.archive.org/web/20111214013711/http://www.grandsoleil.net/gs43ot.php
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0940/2882/4842/files/MAGAZINE-2018.pdf
- web.archive.org/web/20120106012533/http://www.grandsoleil.net/club.php
- web.archive.org/web/20150201021955/http://www.grandsoleil.net/public/members/GS43/Brochur…
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0940/2882/4842/files/MAGAZINE-2016.pdf
- grandsoleil.net/blogs/news/gs-43-best-boat-2015
- grandsoleil.net/blogs/news/gs-43-best-boat-2015-sail-mag
- cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0940/2882/4842/files/CDP-Fleet_Magazine-2022_23.pdf
- grandsoleil.net/pages/after-sales
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