Windy 40 Camira RS

Drop-dead gorgeous, this new craft is a pacesetter not many 40-footers will catch. Greg Copp celebrates Windy’s latest offering …

Launched just two years after the departure of its predecessor, the Camira 39, the Camira 40 is still blatantly Windy. With much the same external appearance, you could argue this is a new tune on an old fiddle, but with the new model, its persona is more than skin-deep.

Not surprisingly, it still has an impressive Hans Jorgen Johnson deep-vee hull. However, the new interior layout from Design Unlimited and its five engine choices – including two outboard options – have propelled the Camira concept well and truly into the mid-20s. What makes this boat stand out from its earlier sibling is the stunning stainless steel/GRP hardtop. It is beautifully crafted, fitted with a full-length sunroof, and you can strap your adventure toys on top. Access to the boat is via the hydraulic hi/lo bathing platform, which also enables access to the large tender garage. A press of a button on the port quarter reveals a generous space to keep a tender. It also serves as storage for three sea bobs, and with the garage empty, the whole floor hinges up for easy engine access – something tender garages are often notoriously bad at providing. The sunbed on top is suitably generous, with an adjustable backrest that converts it from a forward-facing sofa seat to an aft lounging sunbed.

Can be a sunbed or a forward-facing sofa.

Once in the cockpit, you are faced with a stunning piece of joinery in the form of a folding table. The concept is nothing new, but you simply can’t fail to be impressed by the quality of construction. When folded up for use underway, it has six stainless cup inserts in the underside, and if you want a second sunbed, it can be powered down to create an infill support. The U-shaped seating that surrounds it, in true Windy fashion, is superbly upholstered and capable of seating six at a squeeze. On the port side, a generous wet bar provides a host of features, and as such, you could be forgiven for thinking this is the galley. But that lies below. Wet bar facilities consist of a double hob, sink, 50L fridge, drawers and storage. When you need to do pre-passage checks on the engines, there is a hatch just in front of the sunbed. Steps take you down into an area forward of the engines (sterndrive models) with sufficient space to actually get to grips with what needs to be done in terms of filters and fluid levels. It also enables you to get to all of the circuitry, the batteries and the Victron system management components.

Windy joinery, as always, is superb.

Foredeck access is up a flight of steps and through a windscreen gate and aperture in the sunroof. The angle of ascent is not the normal precarious climb that makes forward fender duties a Spider-Man-like task. The large stainless roof supports provide perfect handholds to help you step out to the forepeak sunbed, as well as a windlass locker housing an anchor feeding through an aperture in the stem.

This new cabin layout provides open living space below.

Below decks is where the 40 really differs from the 39. The Camira 39 simply had two cabins with a heads in between, while the standard layout of the new 40 is open plan. There is the option of a separate forward cabin should you prefer it. The standard set-up works well, as the forward V-shaped seating area converts in the normal manner into a double bed with its powered hi/lo table. Internally, the flush contemporary interior virtually conceals the overhead storage lockers located around the seating, which you could be forgiven for missing altogether, and the fit and finish is of the highest standard.

For a 40ft sports cruiser this galley is impressive.

The area behind the steps has discreet storage lockers.

The galley on the port side is impressive. It packs plenty of storage: a large drawer fridge, a sink and an overhead combination oven, and the options of a wine cooler, ice maker and coffee machine are on the list. However, the feature that stands out is the magnetic crockery that sits in the metal shelved overhead storage units. Fitted with strong magnetic bases, all the cups, glasses and plates stay put no matter what the sea conditions. A door on the starboard side aft of the heads compartment opens to a double mid cabin. Sleeping space is quite generous, with full standing headroom in the doorway and a tall hanging locker. I understand that this can be replicated on the port side for another cabin, though no doubt at the cost of galley space. With full standing headroom, the heads is sensibly generous, and it is fitted with a separate shower compartment, a vanity unit with sink and an electric toilet.

The internal fit and finish is of the highest standard.

The forward section quickly converts to a double bed.

The mid cabin is a serious rival to a forward double bed.

A great heads for this size of boat.

The helm highlights just how seriously Windy take every aspect of design – in this case arguably the most important. The seated position provides a good view over the bow, the wheel is adjustable and the throttles sit just where you want them. There is an angled footboard at the right height for sitting, and with folding seat bolsters you can stand securely with a more elevated view. There is also a second standing position thanks to a hidden platform that powers out from under the seat. Standing on this puts your head clear of the sunroof, and with another touch on the Garmin MFD, the throttles and joystick rise up to be within arm’s reach. Whether you would want to adopt this standing position in any degree of seaway is another matter, but for berthing you have a bird’s-eye view and fingertip control. Pretty much everything you need to know is shown on the twin 19in Garmin MFDs.

The helm is built around the driving position.

Performance and power options

In keeping with many of its contemporaries, Windy are offering the Camira in outboard and sterndrive forms. The outboard-powered Camira SX is offered with twin V8 450hp Yamaha XTOs or triple V6 300hp Yamaha F300s. Whether these power options will provide any performance benefits over the diesel sterndrives offered is another question, but the purchase price should be lower, servicing will be cheaper, fuel costs higher and the tender garage will have even more space.

Traditionally Windy have favoured Volvo sterndrives, and in this case the 400hp and 440hp D6 will be the best engine options – renowned for providing huge amounts of low-down torque. There is the option of Yanmar’s 370hp 8LV370 ZT370S on twin-prop sterndrives, but these will not produce the exciting performance of twin D6s.

The recorded fuel/performance figures above relate to the first sea trial of the Camira 40 RS, powered by 440hp D6s on DPI sterndrives, driving through H8 propellers. Though these figures are good, Windy will be doing another prop test, as they believe they can improve on them. Realistically, we expect this subsequent test to result in a 45- to 46-knot top speed.