Overview
From the land of Ferrari, it’s no surprise that the new Sessa C44 pops onto plane in just 8 seconds flat and, pushed by a pair of Volvo Penta D6 diesel IPS 600s, this stylish cruiser tops out at over 35 mph. Not bad for moving 14 tons of Italian luxury.
The Sessa C44 is a lean express cruiser, accented by a slash of windows in the topsides, but one of its surprises is that we found as much as 6 feet, 9 inches of headroom inside its cabin.
Interior and Accessories
If you are a buyer appreciative of this boat’s style and performance, you will want to consider your boating usage because Sessa offers the C44 in your choice of two cockpit layouts. The extended cockpit version (for entertaining many) gives you two swoopy dinettes, protected by both the hardtop (with opening moonroof) and a sliding shade aft, while the standard layout offers a wide sun pad (no second dinette) with a spacious tender garage underneath. Both versions have a standard hydraulic swim platform that can handle up to a 900-pound tender or PWC, and the tender garage will conceal and protect a small boat up 7 feet, 6 inches in length. The skipper is cosseted in a bolstered helm seat, facing a Euro-styled dash with Raymarine Axiom GPS and Volvo Penta engine monitor. Just abaft the helm is an outdoor galley with a grill, sink and drawer-style refrigerator.
Step below into the lower salon, and you’ll find a large convertible dinette to starboard opposite a full galley with a four-burner Kenyon ceramic cooktop, microwave/convection oven, fridge, and lacquered eye-level cabinetry.
The owner’s cabin is lush, with an angled queen berth that allows you to walk on each side (to keep your dignity intact while climbing in or out), plus a leather-topped bureau, full-height hanging locker, and enough stowage shelves and drawers for long weekends. The en suite head features a stall shower with Lucite doors.
Forward, the guest cabin sports scissoring single berths that combine into a double, as well as private access to the day head with its curtained shower.
Sessa, a three-generation family builder, might be a new name for some skippers on this side of the pond, but the C44 will add it to their vocabulary.
How We Tested
- Engine: Twin Volvo Penta D6 diesel IPS 600 (440 hp)
- Drive/Prop: IPS pod/Twin 3- and 4-blade counter-rotating nibral T6
- Gear Ratio: 1.82:1 Fuel Load: 175 gal. Crew Weight: 650 lb.
High Points
- Sessa’s North American team has a warehouse filled with parts, as well as a service team for nationwide support.
- A tender garage? Yes! Opt for one of its two layouts, and Sessa C44 offers a garage on the transom, just like a dinghy garage on a large yacht. This can house a dinghy up to 7 feet, 6 inches long with an outboard.
- The choice of two different layouts allows buyers to tailor this new Sessa to their specific needs.
- A third outdoor galley is hidden in the transom, with a grill, a refrigerator and a sink.
Low Points
- The two fuel tanks, totaling 252 gallons, carry less fuel than competing-model boats, and crimp the range, allowing just over 200 miles at 26 mph.
- The helm seat is on the narrow side for two people, and the absence of a seat opposite the helm means a companion must join the skipper.
Toughest Competitor
The Galeon 450 HTC ($1,198,515) is similarly sized, with Volvo Penta V-drive diesels and either two- or three-cabin layouts. No transom garage, but it does offer foldout side decks.
Pricing and Specs
| Price: | $1,032,000 |
| LOA: | 45’5″ |
| Beam: | 13’1″ |
| Draft (max): | 3’4″ |
| Displacement (approx.): | 27,557 lb. |
| Transom Deadrise: | NA |
| Bridge Clearance: | 17’5″ |
| Fuel Capacity: | 253.6 gal. |
| Max Horsepower: | 440 |
| Available Power: | Volvo IPS to 440 hp |
Speed, Efficiency, Operation
