25 Jul
Fjord’s new 40-foot dayboat combines iconic styling with the ability to enjoy a fast, comfortable weekend getaway
Launched last year, the 39 XL fully shares the Fjord brand’s acclaimed design ethos of fast, versatile, open deck plan boats that also combine a luxurious high-quality fit-out, signature distinctive looks, first-class engineering and sea-going ability.
Motor Boat & Yachting recently tested Fjord’s new entrant into the crowded 35 – 40 foot day boat category and came away with this overall verdict: “in spite of Fjord’s glittering dayboating CV, the new 39 is a dayboat with an eye trained very firmly on weekending practicality.”
The most significant change from the Fjord 38 XL is a much larger and brighter forward cabin that makes the most of the 39 XL’s extra beam and features an extraordinary 1.95 metres of headroom, a generous queen berth with hanging locker to starboard and under bed storage.
As Reviewer Alex Smith notes:
“And that, of course, is the point of this boat. Not a purist dayboat in the classical Fjord style but a dayboat with uprated weekending potential for party people who enjoy the odd cruise. Whether you deem that compromise useful or not depends squarely on the kind of boating you like to do.
But if, as Fjord suspects, the modern dayboater wants at least the chance to spend the night in genuine comfort, then this seems like a very sensible way to achieve it.”
Fjords are also recognised for their superior driving dynamics. The Motor Boat & Yachting article explains how the configuration of the 39 XL’s stern drives distributes the weight to maximise performance and handling.
“…inboard engines tend to do good things for your handling by dropping a tonne or two of weight into the bottom of the hull and pushing it forward toward the centre of the boat. But Fjord has gone further here because, in stark contrast to the broader Med-style dayboating sector, there’s no option either for a hydraulic high-low swim platform or for drop-down bulwarks on either side of the cockpit. That’s a very conscious attempt by Fjord to minimise unnecessary weight aft and if you’re a keen driver, that approach doesn’t take long to make itself felt.”
See the official Fjord 39 XL video here:
