It’s difficult not to like the new 42-footer from Salona. It’s got sharp lines, good design, handles well and is a sprightly performer. If you are not familiar with the Salona brand by now, it’s probably because you haven’t been keeping up with the racing scene in Europe, where Salona boats have been giving their nearest competitor – X-yachts – a good run for their money.

This relatively new brand and boat line is a partnership between J&J Design (Seaway) based in Slovenia, and AD Boats, a shipbuilder based in Croatia. J&J have been responsible for a number of the designs behind Bavaria yachts, as well as some award winning work for Shipman.

But the big splash came in 2006-2007, when the Salona 37 started racking up awards – in particular, Sailing World magazine’s Boat of the Year 2007 award. Chosen from a short list of 19 nominated entries, the Salona 37 impressed due to its construction quality and excellent handling.

With such a pedigree behind it, there shouldn’t be a surprise that the continued pairing of J&J and AD Boats would continue to produce excellent quality boats. In fact, a 37 was recently sold in Hong Kong by Asia Yacht Services – the first Asia-based dealer of this up-and-coming boat brand. The 42 continues in the same tradition, with similar build standards and attention to detail. What made the 37 a great boat has been carried over into a 42-footer.