Grand Banks is introducing its iconic Downeast-styled Eastbay 44 to the European market on Jan. 21 at Boot Dusseldorf, one of the largest boat shows in the world. The Eastbay 44 has been shown in the U.S. for the past year, amid rave reviews.
With its low profile, long sheer, and typical Downeast tumblehome, the new 44 – the first Grand Banks built since Mark Richards, the founder of Palm Beach Yachts, was hired to run both companies – is a thoroughly contemporary version of a traditional Grand Banks. It has all the teak, world-class fit-and-finish and classic lines of earlier Grand Banks, but in a lighter, faster and more fuel-efficient version.
Powered by two 435-hp Volvo diesels paired to IPS600 pod drives, the Eastbay 44 cruises in the high 20-knot range and tops out at 32 knots. The hull, a modified deep-V, is laid up with 100 percent vinylester resins and a cross-linked Corecell foam core. It has a fine entry to part the waves, an advanced planing surface aft, and wide, reversed chines for comfort and stability.
“The Eastbay 44 fully delivers the best of both worlds,” says Richards. “You’ll experience all the comfort and style you appreciate in a Downeast yacht, but with the legs and cruising speeds to take your adventures farther and faster.”
The standard Eastbay 44 comes with two cabins, two heads, and a utility room below. The large master stateroom and its en suite head are forward, with a single guest stateroom to port. A third cabin can be added if the owner wants more sleeping space.
The salon has three windows forward and large side windows that can be raised and lowered at the touch of a button; they let in a lot of natural light while providing excellent visibility for the captain and everyone else on board. Two overhead skylight hatches let in more light, as well as fresh air when opened. A large, U-shaped settee is to port, and the galley, with Quartz countertops, is to starboard. In the Grand Banks’ tradition, the sole is teak and holly. The large, teak swim platform provides access to a wide transom door leading to the cockpit, with an L-shaped settee and an aft-facing seat forward.
Specs.: LOA: 48’1”; Beam: 14’7”; Draft: 3’5”; Disp.: 29,700 lbs.; Fuel: 581 gals.; Water: 194 gals.: Power: 2×435-hp Volvo Penta IPS600 diesels with pod drives.
