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Helia 44 catamaran.
Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 is both sleek and spacious. Although Fountaine Pajot does not offer anything new in terms of the dimensions and specifications, Helia 44 boasts a number of cosmetic alterations that make the catamaran more comfortable and luxurious.
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DESIGN – INTERIOR & EXTERIOR
The deck layout of the Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 is easy to navigate, neat and family-friendly. With wide side decks lined with grab rails, the movement aboard the Helia 44 is safe and comfortable. The sugar scoops on each side have swim ladders and boast Alpi wood finishing, giving the catamaran a cozy look.
The foredeck of Helia 44 is wide and spacious with two large lockers at the bottom of the mast, one for anchorage and halyard tail storage, and another for the generator. It also hosts a wide trampoline and a seat both to starboard and portside.
The aft cockpit of Helia 44 is entirely protected from the weather by a rigid bimini. It is large and spacious, with a bench seat which along with a sofa can comfortably accommodate up to 8 people around a table. This space makes up the main dining area on the boat. There are storage lockers underneath both the bench and the sofa and a chest for storage of a couple of bottles. The cockpit receives natural lighting and ventilation via deck hatches.
The helm station, accessed via stairs from the cockpit, has a helm seat with enough room for 3 people. All the sails can be controlled from the helm station and the visibility from the station is excellent, although viewing the port aft portion can prove to be a bit of a struggle. The helm station is complete with an instrument control panel and a bin for halyards.
Another key feature of Helia 44 is a lounge deck on the coachroof which can be accessed via steps from the cockpit. The lounge deck is not only comfortable but also offers breathtaking views of the sea and the sky.
The saloon layout of Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 is different in terms of the unencumbered space it offers, thanks to the recessed mast. Another interesting feature to note is the way the cockpit seamlessly blends into the saloon, offering a smooth transition between outdoor and indoor areas.
The saloon is accessed via a narrow sliding glass door and is illuminated by the sunlight that filters in through the panoramic, all-around windows. There are two forward opening hatches which along with an aft-facing porthole and 2 roof bays ensure that the saloon has good ventilation as well as natural lighting. The bench seat, surrounding a wooden coffee table, has storage lockers underneath and can easily accommodate up to 6 people. Part of the bench also serves a seat for the navigation station.
The navigation station faces forward and has an unobstructed view of the outside. It has a wide wooden chart table and storage under a flap. Complete with a high navigation instruments console, an electric panel, and an electric outlet, the chart desk is lit with a reading light.
The U-shaped galley, positioned between the cockpit and the saloon, has easy access to not only the inside but also outside to the cockpit, which makes serving food and drinks through a sliding bay fast and efficient. It features double stainless steel sinks, 3 burner stove, an oven, and space for an optional dishwasher. There is enough storage space available for cutlery and supplies in the form of large cupboards under the sink and to the side of the entry door. One of the storage cupboards can also accommodate a fridge, which is optional and not standard. The galley is also well-lit and an opening hatch placed above the stovetop ensures ventilation.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Helia 44 is available in two different layout versions. There is a Quatuor version with four double cabins with a separate bathroom for each and a Maestro version with three cabins and two bathrooms.
In the Maestro’s version, the entirety of the starboard hull is taken over by the owner’s suite which is accessed through a wooden sliding door. The owner’s suite has a double bed with lateral access and is well-ventilated and well-lit with a panoramic bay, deck hatch, and a porthole. It offers cupboard storage, shelves, and drawers along with a wooden writing desk and bench. The owner’s suite has a separate shower and head.
The other two cabins in the port hull are similar and with double bed and drawers and cupboards for storage. Both the cabins also enjoy the rear panoramic bay and have a separate bathroom.
ENGINE ROOM
Fountaine Pajot Helia 44 is powered by two 40 HP diesel engines. The engine room is located under the transom platform and is accessed via a hatch. The engine room is spacious and lit with neon lights to allow for comfortable and efficient maintenance and routine checks. It is also sound-proofed to prevent disturbance caused by the noise of the engine. The grab rails along the sides of the sugar scoops offer a little bit of protection while accessing the engine rooms so the risk of falling over when underway is reduced.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
The overall length of Helia 44 is 13.3 meters with a beam of 7.4 meters. It has a full load displacement of approximately 15,700 kg and a lightship displacement of approximately 10,800 kg. Helia 44 has a total freshwater capacity of 750 liters and a total fuel capacity of 470 liters.
PRICE RANGE
The price of Helia 44 varies from $450,000 to $480,000.
In conclusion, Helia 44 is a good deal of a catamaran for both families looking for a comfortable trip and sailing enthusiasts seeking a lightweight catamaran for quick offshore cruising. Helia 44 offers significantly redesigned features that make this catamaran more efficient and habitable, such as the portholes with lighting increased by 30% and the large, spacious cockpit. It is also easily customizable so the undesired features, if any, can be fixed conveniently and fitted according to the owner’s needs.
Helia 44 Specs
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Seawind 1600
Privilege 585
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- By Mark Pillsbury
- Updated: August 30, 2013
An old saying holds that if two boats sail nearby one another, you have a race. That proved true in spades last fall when Jean-François Fountaine spotted just a stone’s throw away a rival—with a slightly longer waterline—to his new Helia 44.
Battle on! Our leisurely test sail immediately turned serious as the builder set to work on the bank of winches that sit separate from and just forward of the flybridge helm station, trimming the jib here, tweaking the traveler there. At first, we held even with the other cat, then pulled away. In 12 knots of breeze, our upwind speed over the ground registered in the high 6s, with occasional spurts of 7 knots and better. Sitting at the wheel, with excellent visibility all around—even forward to port, often a blind spot on these big catamarans—I concluded that the Hélia was a fine addition to the Fountaine Pajot range of comfortable and seaworthy voyaging multihulls.
The Hélia 44, designed by naval architects Berret Racoupeau and the FP design office, replaces the Orana 44 in the FP lineup. Besides the Hélia’s potential for a good turn of speed, creature comforts abound. The cockpit—the prime socializing area on any cat—incorporates a dining area to port that can easily seat six to eight. To starboard, you can enjoy the shade of the bimini on a cushioned, sculpted daybed.
One feature I really liked about the deck layout is the access to the raised helm station from either the cockpit or the side deck. I also think the cushioned lounging area built into the bimini to port of the flybridge will be a popular spot with sunbathing crew.
| |Broad hulls that flare out above the waterline allow for lots of living space in the cabins below. Click here for more images. |
The interior layout is available in either a four-cabin charter configuration or an owners version with a spacious suite occupying the entire starboard hull. Cat’s-eye ports in the hulls stream lots of light into the cabins, and large windows in the cabin house keep the saloon bright and offer excellent all-around visibility. The interior woodwork is a cherry-tinted Alpi, and the sole is walnut colored. The sharp-edged contemporary styling of the furniture looks luxurious, but I did have a concern about the pointed corners I found everywhere, feeling that they’d leave a welt if you encountered them in a seaway.
Hulls are vacuum-bagged solid fiberglass and resin below the waterline, and a balsa-cored sandwich above. The deck is infused, which saves considerable weight and adds greatly to the stiffness of the structure.
Powered by a pair of 40-horse Volvo diesels with saildrives, the boat motored comfortably at 7.5 knots at cruising rpm and nearly 9 knots wide open. With four solar panels built into the bimini aft of the traveler and all LED lighting, recharging time should be minimized.
The Hélia felt solid under foot and nimble under way. And pacing ourselves against a worthy competitor, the boat put a smile on the builder’s face and, for that matter, on mine as well.
Click here for more images.
Click here to see more boats from Fountaine Pajot.
This article first appeared as “New Cats on the Prowl” in the June 2013 issue of Cruising World.
- More: 2011+ , 41 - 50 ft , catamaran , Coastal Cruising , Fountaine Pajot , multihull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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Hélia 44 Evolution
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- Last update: 1st April 2020
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