In spite of all the advances in boat-building techniques over the years, hull and deck layup on boats over 25 feet has always been a labor-intensive, hands-on process. SCRIMP, resin infusion, and vacuum bagging have gone a long way toward reducing harmful styrene emissions and providing superior resin saturation, but these layup techniques still depend heavily on skilled workers. When Olivier Poncin of Groupe Poncin was conceiving the Harmony line of performance cruisers, he thought first about production and looked to the automobile industry for inspiration. As a result, the new Harmony 38, 42, and 47 are laid up in closed molds on a highly automated assembly line.

To be successful, a new boat must be attractive, comfortable, seaworthy, and affordable, no matter how high-tech the assembly line is; the new Harmony 42 looks capable of satisfying all those requirements. The design team of Mortain & Mavrikios has drawn a slippery, easily driven hull form with a bulb keel, deep butter-knife rudder, and minimal wetted surface. The joinery is of light birch veneers, and the clean lines of the accommodations are modern without being space-age. High-tech construction techniques require a huge capital investment, but Group Poncin believes high demand for boats that combine superior quality with surprisingly affordable pricing will drive robust sales for years to come. Poncin Yachts, www.poncinyachts.com