Bavaria 45

The latest Raymarine ST70 readouts are fitted and a handy fuel gauge for easy monitoring of the 210-litre fuel tank. The review boat also included a quality Fusion stereo system. In terms of deck gear, again recognised brands have been utilised with substantial Rutgerson cars, Selden Spars, Lewmar winches and steering gear, and an efficient Volvo D2 53hp saildrive motor is fitted.

The cockpit is cosy for a 45 footer with a large (though poorly varnished on the review boat) table which is solid and handy for crew bracing. Deep coamings combined with the optional dodger give good weather protection in the cockpit. Replacing the seamanlike washboards, Bavaria now use saloon style doors on the companionway, which I’m not a fan off. Behind the dodger, the twin mainsheets are controlled by two Lewmar cabin top winches that also do the grunt work for all lines emanating from the twin banks of jammers.

Back in the cockpit, another pair of electric Lewmar 54s control the genoa and handily have their control buttons right by the twin helms. The helm binnacles housed Raymarine readouts allowing good instrument visibility to the steerer. But what isn’t so good is the gunwale sitting position which  is impeded by the twin backstays and bimini setup. But on the plus side, the steerer is well looked after with flip-up footrests and plenty of strong stainless-steel handholds all around.

Mechanical, hull and rig

However there’s more muscle than flab thanks to Farr’s quest for rigidity which involves a heavily laid-up hull grid, with deep tray moulds evident when the laminated floor boards are removed. Further refinements are the twin rudders running on separate Lewmar direct mechanical drives, designed to give good tracking even when the wide hull is heeled over. Also aiding rigidity is a fairly deep (2.10m) cast iron keel.

The Selden spars can have in-mast furling nowadays -- a system that generally works well, or standard slab reefing as our review boat had, with a roller furling 106 per cent genoa adding plenty of power to the Elvestrom Dacron mainsail. Jib cars are well inboard for good close-hauled performance and the two-spreader rig has the shrouds outboard, leaving clear decks. An adjustable backstay with double fixing points completes a pretty conventional rig with double mainsheets running from blocks either side of the cabin top. For total ease of sailing I believe a self-tacking jib can be fitted.

With a light northerly breeze setting in, the fully-battened mainsail was hoisted, the genoa rolled out and the big Bavaria was set on a broad reach. But a fluky 10kt wind and a 13-tonne boat are not a recipe for fun. However that’s sailing so you have to make the most of it, which involved chasing puffs of pressure as we glided past the northern beach suburbs. Gradually the breeze filled in around Avalon and the Bavaria sprang into life when the magic 13 knots of true wind registered on the Raymarine ST70 readouts. A prod of the electric button near my steering position trimmed the headie and Jamie wound in the mainsail as we hardened up, the Bavaria quickly burying her shoulder to track steadily at 45 degrees to the true wind.

Sitting out on the coamings I flipped up the footrests and settled into the beat then went for a series of tacks. All the sheets ran well and the steerer could easily control the electric primaries once the pitman had loaded them. However for single-handed sailing I’d rearrange both main and jib sheeting, something that is possible given the Bavaria 45’s six-winch cockpit layout. As you’d expect from big twin rudders, gybing was quick and purposeful, something that could gain vital seconds during club racing, and moving between the helms was also without problems.

My final impression? A competent performer with the credentials that make the Bavaria 45 a comfortable cruiser and at very sharp price, reflecting the company’s highly efficient manufacturing processes.