Text and Photos by Andy Adams

You might have thought that the NHL players strike would improve your chances of getting a new Doral Alegria but apparently not. Production is sold out to next July. Sorry, but here’s what you’re missing.

The Alegria is a 45’3” (49’6” including swim platform) express cruiser with a 13’10” beam on a vee hull with 19 degrees of dead rise. The interior layout has two staterooms, two heads, salon with galley to port and above decks are helm and companion seats, port side lounge with table and in the cockpit, an entertainment centre. It’s all under a stylish hardtop and the whole thing could be yours (next July or after) for around three quarters of a million.

Within that basic envelope you get more tricks and toys than Santa has himself. There’s so much to comment on, that we hope you will forgive us for racing through the basics.

The remarkable features start at a distance. The test boat had the optional colored hull sides. It was our first clue about the effort Doral has put in. It looked like a black gel coat band down the hull sides but as we got closer, the sunlight fell differently and we realized it was midnight blue pearlescent paint. Subtle but impressive.

The Alegria’s innovative design by Christophe Lavigne and the Doral Research and Development people in Grand Mere, breaks new ground in many areas.

The Alegria does away with the transom in the conventional sense. The seatbacks are the transom and hold substantial storage for lifejackets, fenders, lines, shore power cables and the fresh water wash down. The two-part transom door has custom latch hardware and leads to a full teak cockpit floor that was most impressive. Two floor sections lift for engine room access. This all looks pretty good but it gets better.

The cockpit is one big entertainment area with seating for a dozen or more; lights, sound system and the refreshment centre with ‘fridge, ice maker and an electric grill make this special. At the helm, twin adjustable bucket seats with flip up bolsters, make looking over the windshield easier. Nicely in the driver’s field of view are the analog engine instruments but you will largely be watching the Raymarine RL 120 and RayChart with GPS and 10” colour screen to see your course, speed and far more. There are numerous lit switches including controls for the tabs, bow thruster and my favorite; the sliding electric windshield.

When we talked to designer Christophe Lavigne, it was the first thing he mentioned. Hit the switch and the centre windshield section slides forward and under a cover. Slide the cabin hatch door closed (once everyone is out!) and you can fold out a ladder with wide steps leading up through the windshield and out to the deck. The stainless steel hardtop supports act as handholds.

We suspect owners will spend a fair bit of time on front deck enjoying the two built-in teak lounge chairs and the teak seat that is nestled into the peak of the beefy stainless steel bow rail. Side decks are walk-around wide and the bow includes a wash down, chain locker and an electric windlass. The anchor is polished stainless steel with the Doral name cut into it! You won’t want to loose this one!

Going below, down four floating steps, the galley is just ahead to port. The main head is conveniently located by the companion way and the aft cabin lies below the helm but has sitting height, twin beds with spring mattresses, port holes and lighting. The central vacuum system is there too. It is nice but not special.

The salon is special. In fact the joinery work is remarkable. The test boat had a full teak and holly sole instead of carpet. The Alegria features a full fiberglass inner liner. This is great for cleaning and keeping musty odors out, adds strength and even a measure of safety.

Throughout the cabin, curved varnished wood cabinetry lines the hull sides. Everything is curved. The lounge curves up the starboard side and has a polished cherry table. The cabinetry is all mahogany and African hardwood done in 12 coats of hand-polished, high-gloss Italian varnish that is a mix of polyester and polyurethane.

Past the curving forward bulkhead lies the master with private head and shower, huge overhead hatch and the island queen berth has a remote control vibrating mattress. Relax as you watch the flat screen TV or listen to one of the stereo systems. Both heads have vacuum flush MSDs. Dual zone heat and air conditioning throughout the cabin, adds the final measure of comfort.

With all the features, it is no surprise that the Alegria is a hefty 30,000 lbs but we found the twin 6 cylinder, four-stroke Cummins 480C –E diesels moved this boat nicely. The tiny sport wheel and even tinier ZF single lever controls are great but take some getting used to. It’s drive by wire engine controls and a little movement does a lot!

From rest, the Alegria gathers speed in a rush that takes the boat to planning speeds in as little as 10 seconds. The Cummins’ are turbocharged and after cooled engines that were quiet and pleasant sounding. The engines are straight shaft installations and that helps keep the bow down while planning off. Tracking was accurate, the ride very solid and we could cruise at around 1,600 rpm doing about 20 mph, with a little tab down.

Top speed was 34.8 mph at 2,660 rpm and we could haul the wheel over hard with little drama. At 30,000 lbs, this is no nimble sport boat but it handled very well for its size. The Alegria seems to do everything well in fact. You can argue that for about $750,000 you should expect a lot but if it was our money, this Canadian-designed, Canadian-built boat would be a top pick.

Originally published in Canadian Yachting’s December 2004 issue.

Technical specifications

Boat make, Model and Year: 2005 Doral Alegria Sport Yacht

Engine (s): Twin Cummins 480 CE, 6 cylinder diesel, 480 hp, turbocharged and aftercooled, straight shaft.

Specs:
Length OA, 45’3” /13.79 m
or 49’6” / 15.09 m with extended swim platform
Beam, 13’10” / 4.22 m
Weight, approx. 30,000 lbs / 13,639 kg
Deadrise in degrees 19 degrees / 7 degrees
Fuel US Gal. 2x 200 2x 757 L
Water US Gal. 92 348 l.
Holding US gal. 74 280 l.

Speeds
RPM     speed GPS
600       6 mph
1000     10.5
1250     12.8
1500     16.1
1750     21.5
2000     25.2
2250     28.8
2500     32.5
2660 MAX      34.8 Top Speed

Test boat provided by: Doral Sales and Marketing
Price as tested quoted by: $750,000 Doral Sales and Marketing
Speed testing by: Garmin GPS

Photo Captions
Photo 1 – Side view running shot
Photo 2 – Back view running shot.
Photo 3 - The stern is styled with sweeping lines, gentle curves and abundant custom stainless steel hardware. Floating teak trimmed stainless steel steps help you down to the swim platform (the normal route to boarding). The standard swim platform is spacious; colossal when the optional TNT lift is fitted.
Photo 4 - The galley has separate ‘fridge and freezer, stainless steel sink, double burner stove, microwave, trash locker and ample storage.
Photo 5 - The helm, with small wooden sport wheel, tiny drive-by-wire ZF controls and all that wood trim, makes the Alegria feel more like a sports car than a 30,000 yacht.