07 Nov
The multi award-winning Moody DS41 rates highly on the key features for any sailor: space, performance and safety.
For Windshift the huge advantages of Moody’s deck saloon configuration make it a stand-out among serious cruising boats.
DS stands for Deck Saloon, featuring an easy access single-level walkthrough from the cockpit through to the galley and saloon, making the DS41 different to traditional designs that keep saloons and galleys below the main deck.
The competition in the Full-Size Cruiser category of Cruising World’s highly respected 2023 Boat of the Year Award showcased the best offerings from top European brands Moody, Hallberg-Rassy and Elan. But in the it was the Moody DS41 that came away with the silverware.
Cruising World Boat-of-the-Year Judge Herb McCormick echoed the sentiments of many of us who’ve sailed the DS41 and were impressed by how easily the Bill Dixon designed hull slipped through the water.
“I loved the boat,” McCormick says. “I was blown away by how well it sailed. I had no preconceived notion that it would perform so well. It doesn’t necessarily look like a fast boat when you first see it, but it was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. And the interior…so much space for its size.”
Fellow BOTY Judge Mark Pillsbury agreed: “The most surprising aspect of the Moody 41 DS wasn’t the near-360-degree view from the saloon, the creative use of interior space, or the high bulwarks and stainless-steel life rails surrounding the entire deck. No—it was the sailing performance, which had us clipping along at close to 8 knots in about 13 knots of breeze.”
Cruising World also quickly recognised other components of the Moody DS41’s considerable appeal: versatility, adaptability and convenience which few other designs can match.
….with its nearly 14-foot beam and walkaround deck, it’s a wide, accessible platform that’s easy to negotiate. Sliding patio doors open to a spacious cockpit with a retractable sun awning that can be open or shut depending on conditions. As with a cat, those doors, when opened, allow a seamless transition from the saloon to the great outdoors, essentially creating a single-level open floor plan on the main deck. Forward, a sun pad on the foredeck (with an adjustable headrest) converts to a bench seat. It’s hard to believe that this is all happening in a 41-foot footprint.
Read the full Cruising World review of the Moody DS41 here:
No other monohull of comparable size connects the interior and exterior spaces as well as the Moody DS41. In fine and some average weather you can relax around the very nicely crafted teak cockpit table and on the comfortable seating that becomes an extension of the saloon area. With all the glazing around the deckhouse, the whole space feels open air.
Additionally, as Phil Dolan from Inspiration Marine in the UK explains, the designers have fully maximised the generous interior space on offer, courtesy of the DS41’s high topsides and broad beam.
Watch the full video here:
The Moody DS41 is available in four accommodation layouts, but the most popular is the two cabin, two head arrangement. The bow Owner’s cabin features a roomy semi-island berth, more than adequate stowage and hanging space, an abundance of natural light, generous headroom and a spacious en-suite heads and shower. In the guest cabin you have a choice: twin berths, a double, or twins that convert to a double.
Another standout feature is the ‘cellar’. Lifting the sole in the galley reveals steps down to a utility area complete with space for a washing machine and a second fridge as well as stowage and access to major electrical systems.
The Moody DS41 offers a vast amount of accommodation, as well as a configuration of inside/outside living space never before seen on a boat of this size.
The DS41 is probably best suited for a couple who want undertake extended cruising and possess the desire to venture off-grid to out of the way locations. The Moody can do that, while savouring the simple elemental joy of sailing and when you arrive relax in space, comfort and style.
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