When it’s blowing a gale and it’s hard to even see outside for the horizontal rain or, worse, sand being whipped off the nearby beach, there’s little appeal in going afloat. But if you were to choose one yacht to board in such conditions, even if just to stay in the marina… it might well be a Boreal.

Equally, with more and more floating debris contaminating our oceans, and marine wildlife increasingly (and literally) biting back, you can understand the increasing amount of new cruising yacht buyers seeking belt and braces builds. They may never need that diff lock, get-out-of-trouble functionality, but it’s certainly reassuring to know it’s there.

For those unfamiliar with Boreal Yachts, these are not simply aluminium tanks for off-piste cruising. They prioritise performance and are packed with intelligent ideas which can only be the brainchildren of true ocean sailors, mostly from its founder Jean-François Delvoye.

And so I found myself navigating a precarious pontoon in IJmuiden, Holland, in a strong mid-September gale and scaling the high and bulletproof-looking freeboard of the new Boreal 56. We were conducting European Yacht of the Year trials, the first day and a half of which were lost to the unseasonable weather.

I envisaged a cosy interior, the stove lit, maybe a sauna or some mulled wine on offer, but the notably bright, raised saloon and roomy accommodation will likely appeal to the majority in more agreeable weather. Seated at the table, laptop and drawings at the ready, was the perfect person to explain the genesis of this 56.

Delvoye spent six years cruising with his wife and four children, including two years in Patagonia, a period which really forged his thoughts on the optimum cruising yacht. He had the skills to transfer these visions into 3D drawings, which became the first Boreal 50 (20 years ago). Boreal has since built 113 yachts from its Treguier yard, with up to 12 in construction at a time, and – remarkably in today’s climate – currently has a three-year lead time!

‘We tried an extreme bow shape and it worked’. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

Nose job

The 47.2 was a European Yacht of the Year award winner in 2021, and we tested the 52 a decade ago, so we already know and respect Boreal. They are ballasted centreboarders, bare aluminium cruisers that sail well and offer the protection of being able to stand watches from the forward part of the cockpit or within a raised doghouse. They offer a mix of robust construction with keen attention to sailing motion.

This new 56 shares many of the upgraded features the 47.2 exhibited, especially the desire for a separate crew cockpit layout on a larger model. Then came the novelty: the scow bow influence.

Surely that IMOCA/Class 40/Mini 6.50 scow phase is just a fad? You can see why production yards have been trying fatter noses, but that’s principally for the extra volume it brings? Delvoye insists the shape works on multiple levels, not just for this increased volume, but also the power and stability it brings.

“When doing the initial design, we did a lot of hull shapes using our software,” he explained, using visuals from his computer.

“We tried an extreme one [bow shape] and it worked.” They then built a 10% scale model and tank-tested it before asking Bureau Veritas to run it through their software, which also confirmed the positive results.

Clean design leads lines and winches to hand for the helmsman. You feel protected everywhere with solid grabrails to hand. Here around the pedestal. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

“We had seven orders [at the time] for a 55 open cockpit model, and all changed to the 56!” Indeed, Boreal took 10 orders by September, before any shows or publicity. The boat we tested was the second 56 to launch, and splashed the week before our trials.

It’s not simply that fat stem, nor the chined plated purposeful look which defines this model – what lies beneath a Boreal’s waterline is equally intriguing and defines its handling characteristics.

A long keel trunk or ‘embryo’, as Boreal calls it, contains the centreboard, the ballast (6,600kg), and provides a level grounding plate on which to dry out. The swinging board is NACA profiled, ballasted with 400kg of sand to ensure it will sink, and can be raised from its 3.2m draught in five seconds.

This embryo protects the prop shaft and single rudder while, unusually, there are also two lifting daggerboards aft, either side of the rudder. These boards extend 70cm out of the hull and are designed to help provide some of the grip that twin rudder yachts enjoy, while also maintaining the benefits of a protected single rudder yacht that can dry out.

Comfortable, clean helm areas. The central utility winch can be used to do all the heavy work. It can raise the centreboard in five seconds, while simple manual lines on camcleats are used to control the daggerboards. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

Theory to practice

By the third day the wind had dropped to a Force 5-6, and a 12-strong EYOTY jury was itching to try out the 56. The North Sea swell was still large, confused and inhospitable, making for testing conditions. For my first sail we punched out to sea under single reefed main and genoa in 20 knots, making 7.5 knots at 45° to the apparent wind.

Once the wind is above 20 knots or so, Boreal favours changing down to the staysail, which we then did, for no tangible loss in speed. Equally, I noted that once the breeze dropped to 17-18 knots, the log slipped to 6-6.5 knots, and the yacht felt underpowered, so its ability to change easily between these headsail gears is useful.

We had plenty aboard for the trials but the Boreal didn’t feel overcrowded. Note the position under the doghouse, completely protected for de-robing before entering. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

During my second sail, we had a spell of 25 knots under staysail, which felt right, sailing with slightly tighter pointing for a bit less speed compared to the genoa.

It was the comfort, protection and motion this Boreal offers that really stood out during sailing in inhospitable short pattern waves and driving rain. You could choose to take it on the chin on the helm, seek protection in the forward part of the cockpit or, if sensible, move into the doghouse! Close the door to this and the comparative silence does the talking.

Motion for the ocean

The soft motion is no fluke, as weight centralisation is paramount. A prime example is the chain locker being located near the mast base (where the windlass is more protected), which helps ensure 400kg of chain is as central as possible. Combining that with 1,500lt water and 1,150lt fuel low and central (in the aft of keel embryo), helps ensure a smooth motion.

Of particular interest was how the full bow shape performed in these conditions. Granted the bows seem to immerse a lot, but I spent some time below decks while sailing upwind in waves and was impressed, both by how secure it feels moving around, with plenty of handrails, and how quiet it is, even in the forward cabin (watching our video for confirmation). Delvoye believes this bow shape actually provides a softer motion through waves when at heel than a pointy bow. That said, if the yacht were more upright, say under engine, you would almost certainly pound more, he concedes.

The 56 has multiple hearts, including the longitudinal galley leading to the stove. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

The Boreal is easily controlled, but can be tricky to settle into a groove. As well as the balance of sails, you have to remind yourself of this bow shape, and what’s happening beneath the boat while helming.

For example, the centreboard is not for stability, only countering leeway, while the daggerboards can directly alter the feel of the helm. The boards have a notable effect while on the breeze, where they help keep the yacht on a rail and take a lot of pressure off the rudder, thereby lessening the power needed to drive the autopilot ram.

It’s a playful setup then, where both boards can be left down, or the windward one raised, while you can also adjust the centreboard position when off the wind. This is particularly appealing if you want to surf – having daggerboards alongside the rudder is more like surfboard design where typically three fins are used for grip and control.

Sailing close-hauled in the calmer seas inside the breakwater felt strange for a single rudder yacht with wire steering, I experienced a neutral-slash-lee-helm feel, and would have liked more time to play with the board set up to see how that affects this balance.

The doghouse reigns supreme for its ideal surround view and protected watch position. The double pilot seat has a lifting section on the inboard end, to help keep you in place on port tack. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

Unleashing the furling gennaker livened things up, especially as I was the lucky one who got to experience this in the best conditions, with 22 knots true, surfing across ugly seas at 100°T/75°A back towards the port.

Where you could expect a moderate displacement single-rudder yacht to really load up on the helm in these conditions, the Boreal proved highly competent, no doubt aided by the daggerboards’ grip. Even with the apparent wind well forward, it remained controlled as we averaged 8.5 knots, hitting 11.5 knots in the surf.

Cockpit comfort

Boreal clearly worked hard on the overall cockpit design and functionality. The layout, principally the separation of guest and sailing areas, is a major selling point, which prioritises the comfort of the helmsman as well as those in the secure cockpit.

‘Boreal clearly worked hard on design and functionality’. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

These are evolutions from the 47.2 though, as we noted when we tested that in 2021, the design stops short of offering a fully protected cockpit. I suggest that could make a valuable option here, as we’re increasingly seeing fully covered cockpits being used on larger yachts.

Otherwise, the cockpit is superb, huge and deep, with high backrests, coamings with really useful, deep outboard stowage, and a large fixed table with long grab rails. This area is all completely free of lines, including the mainsheet, which sheets to the doghouse roof and back to the aft winches.

The helm area again shows where experience has paid. The twin wheels are far enough outboard for visibility to the bow, with sheet winches to hand on each side to ease solo operation. The powered utility winch with remote foot controls proved very useful, as all lines can be led to this central position between the wheels (although that can temporarily block cockpit access). Meanwhile deep, built-in tail bins keep the whole area tidy.

The transom arch includes a crane system for lowering the tender and provides mounting options for regenerative power. The test boat had extra solar panels, a Superwind generator and a Watt&Sea hydrogenerator, providing more power than the yacht could use (the arch would also make a great place to swing a hammock from).

A cavernous lazarette is accessed from the aft quarter lockers, where an inflatable tender can be stowed. Alternatively, a RIB can be lashed onto the wide foredeck. The offset sail locker is also plenty spacious enough for offwind sails.

Huge engine room very well laid. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

It feels really sturdy moving forward along the Boreal’s side decks, with long, waist-height rails on the coachroof, support beams for the pulpit, and granny bars at the mast base. In fact, there is something to grab hold of wherever you move on the yacht.

That said, you’ll bang your head on the doghouse roof extension and on the step down from galley to the forward accommodation. While you’ll quickly get used to avoiding those, I did find the gap between the chart table and the companionway base to starboard a concern, as someone is likely to fall down here one day.

Peninsula double berth with plenty of natural light in the Boreal 56’s forward master cabin. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

In the doghouse

The doghouse is a trump feature. Remove your wet-weather gear under the hard top, hang it in the locker behind the double pilot seat to dry from the heat of the engine box, and sit your watch in comfort. Close the watertight door behind you and you’re in a world of comparative calm – particularly when it’s blowing 45+ knots in the marina.

Boreal is not a custom yard, and views its one layout only as the optimum configuration. Considering the weight centralisation also helps support this format – with tanks and batteries centralised and kept low around the keel trunk, the spaces left under the seats and berths offer really useful stowage.

The majority of its owners are couples, who are on passage for comparatively short amounts of time they spend aboard, so Boreal believes it makes sense to them to have the owner’s cabin forward, where it is away from the dock and noises and can benefit from the space the scow shape helps provide. They can then pick from the saloon or aft berths when on passage.

Starboard aft cabin with double and twin berths (with lee cloths) can also be configured with bunks or as a technical workshop. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

Compared to the old 55, the 56 offers higher saloon seating, from where you can see out properly through the coachroof windows. This long saloon table lowers and converts into a double berth. The galley opposite is also long and spacious, yet with a practical shape.

A countertop return at its forward end contains aft-facing fridge drawers, and together with the island/centre seat, it helps form a near U-shape, offering bracing at heel. It also boasts long, fiddled stainless steel worktops and lots of deep stowage, while extra drawer fridges are available aft of the saloon to port.

Central heating is provided through a Refleks stove that consumes just five litres per day. The disadvantage of these traditional Danish diesel/oil burning systems is they use a flat plate, which is not ideal at heel, admits Delvoye. Boreal also offers an Eberspächer Hydronic system, although these don’t give the same ambience and cost more. Opposite the stove is a long workbench with an optional vice, abundant stowage including long drawers for heavy tools, and space for a washing machine.

The forward master cabin utilises the full bow shape, providing a large peninsula berth. It’s a generous and naturally light cabin, with plenty of stowage, including beneath the berth, but no tall hanging locker.

Port aft cabin offers access to the engine room. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Boreal

The aft cabins meanwhile feature double and twin berths, both with leecloths and the latter with good separation between berths. This starboard twin can also be configured with bunks or as a workshop/technical cabin. The main access to the superb engine room is through a door in the port cabin, where everything is very accessible, including the watermaker raised up aft, with membranes and filters on the bulkhead.

You also get a good look of the hull construction from here. Boreal always uses the same ratio of plating thicknesses, which allows sailors to visit most waters. For the 56, the keel plates are 12mm, the bottom plates 10mm, while freeboard chines go from 8mm to 5mm. Extruded polystyrene foam lines the hull above the waterline, and cork is sprayed on all the frames – the only place condensation can form is under the hatches, where Perspex covers catch any drips.

Boreal 56 specifications

LOA: 17.12m 56ft 2in
LWL: 14.47m 47ft 6in
Beam: 4.94m 16ft 2in
Draught: 3.18m-1.20m 10ft 5in-3ft 11in
Displacement (lightship): 20,500kg 45,194lb
Ballast (lead): 6,600kg 14,550lb
Berths: 8
Engine: 75hp 56kW Yanmar shaftdrive
Water: 1,500lt 330gal
Fuel: 1,150lt 253gal
Sail area/displacement ratio: 18.9
Displacement/LWL ratio: 189
Price test boat: €1.45m ex VAT (with circa €220,000 extras)

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The post Boreal 56 review: Aluminium explorer yacht with a scow-influenced shape appeared first on Yachting World.

Today’s cruising monohulls tend to have full forward sections and rather bluff bows that markedly increase interior volumes forward. But how do these new hull shapes handle stronger winds? We had the opportunity to test the Dufour 48 in a gusty west-north-westerly of 15 to 26 knots during a blustery interlude between mid-summer heatwaves. It was a perfect chance to find out the answer to that question in testing conditions for any single-rudder monohull that offers a huge amount of accommodation for its length.

Close reaching with full sail at a 70° true wind angle we made an impressive 9.4 knots maximum speed in the gusts. The single rudder felt well loaded at this stage, but with no signs of losing grip.

After bearing away to a true wind angle of 110°, our speed hovered consistently between 8.5 and 9 knots with the boat feeling very comfortable, whether steering by hand or using the autopilot, and we were racking up the miles surprisingly quickly.

The additional beam in the Dufour 48’s forward sections boosts an already high level of form stability, which clearly helps resist excess heel, even in powerful gusts.

On the other hand, the sail plan of our test boat – a big mainsail paired with a small and very high aspect ratio self-tacking jib that depowers towards the head as soon as the sheet is cracked – would have quickly revealed the flaws of many older single rudder designs.

When I first sailed a twin rudder yacht back in the 1990s the level of control it offered, and the feel in the helm, was simply astounding.

I’ve since sailed more than 20,000 miles on dozens of different twin-rudder designs, from 20ft to more than 100ft, including transatlantic and beyond 60° north latitude, and have never been disappointed. However, much has changed in naval architecture over the past 30 years and today good single-rudder designs have far more grip than their forebears.

Felci’s modern, full design provides plenty of power and volume, while the single rudder proved capable and responsive in breeze. Photos: Jean-Marie Liot

Key factors behind this dramatic improvement in handling include moving the rudder further forward under the boat, where it’s clear of turbulence near the transom. It also helps that today’s designs tend to have proportionately more draught and a low centre of gravity bulb keel that improves stability. This also allows a deeper and more efficient rudder blade to be specified, without undue risk of the rudder grounding before the keel.

Today’s hull shapes also have massively high form stability once the chines start to dig in. Maximum heel angles are lower and even big gusts have less effect, which translates directly to reduced steering loads.

In addition, the Dufour 48’s full bow sections provide some balance for the broad transom and, when heeled, the boat tends to track in more of a straight line than older designs that paired a wide stern with a narrow bows. When well-heeled, these boats tend to dig the bows in, while the transom, along with the rudder, lifts out of the water. So the Dufour 48 is fundamentally different to wide stern, single-rudder designs of the 1980s and 1990s.

By the time we turned upwind the breeze was down to 16-19 knots, yet we consistently made 7.5 knots boat speed at a touch over 50° to the true wind. This was with the standard Dacron sails and the mainsail trimmed with a lot of twist to depower. With the higher specification laminate sails that come with the Performance pack, and the first reef in the main, we would have undoubtedly pointed a few degrees higher.

As we bore away onto a broad reach to return to La Rochelle, the breeze had dropped to 15 knots, yet we maintained 7 knots boat speed at 130° TWA. Bearing away further caused this figure to drop quickly and we had neither a Code 0 nor a spinnaker on board to check performance at deeper wind angles.

In any case, the breeze built again to 20-22 knots and we accelerated to 7.5–8.5 knots, even when sailing rather deeper at a 145° true wind angle. And when we luffed up to 125-130° TWA our speed jumped to 9 knots.

Beamy aft sections equate to significant space, particularly with the wide swim platform down. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Choices on deck

Our test boat was the low-spec easy version, with all lines, including sheets, handled at the companionway.

So it’s impossible to trimming sails from the helm, though in reality when short-handed sailing the pilot is likely to be steering almost all the time and it can be convenient to be able to carry out all key sail handling activities from the shelter of the sprayhood.

The top of the sprayhood would benefit from a window so that the mainsail can be seen easily when hoisting, reefing and trimming.

The ocean version has sail controls on the coamings just forward of the helm stations, where a pair of additional winches are located each side.

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£566,000.00

This model also adds a german mainsheet system, a larger jib sheeted via adjustable tracks on the edge of the coachroof, plus deck fittings to fly an asymmetric spinnaker and code 0.

The performance pack builds on this, adding a longer boom with bigger mainsail and a larger 108% headsail, plus up-rated deck gear including an adjustable backstay and cockpit-mounted mainsheet.

There’s an impressive amount of stowage on deck, including lockers each side of a central lazarette that has ample space for a deflated dinghy, fenders and plenty of other watersport toys. Equally, there are good rope bins ahead of the helm stations and at the companionway. There’s also a sail locker forward, with space for a couple of reaching/downwind sails, plus several additional fenders.

A particularly adaptable layout includes the choice of galley positions. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Big volume

In addition to increased form stability and better balance when heeled, the hull shape creates a lot more interior volume than earlier designs and the Dufour 48 has the feel of a particularly large 48-footer, both on deck and inside.

As well as increased space within the owner’s cabin, the extra beam forward allows the head of the generously proportioned peninsula berth to be moved forward, thereby creating more length for the remainder of the accommodation.

Two fundamentally different saloon and galley layouts are offered for the 48, and there’s an option of three, four or five cabins, along with two, three or four heads.

The test boat was the so-called long galley version, with a large and well-equipped linear galley to port, plus a very long saloon with a large dining table offset to starboard.

The Increased space is felt in the owner cabin. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Alternatively, owners can opt for a galley forward arrangement that spans the full width of the boat just aft of the main bulkhead, plus a short settee on the port side and smaller dining area to starboard.

Dufour says sales to date have been split roughly 50/50 between the two options, with experienced sailors from windier parts of the world, including the uk and france, tending to prefer the full-width forward galley, while those from italy and new england are more likely to choose the linear galley.

The concept of flexibility also extends to the two areas immediately ahead of each of the quarter cabins. Both can be fitted out as heads/shower compartments, with the larger one to port having a separate shower stall. Alternatively, the starboard area can become a small office space, with plenty of stowage, and the port one a pullman cabin with two single beds.

Aft cabins are impressively spacious, partly thanks to the high cockpit sole, though natural ventilation is poor as the only opening ports are to the cockpit well, and in the aft coachroof bulkhead. By contrast, the owner’s cabin forward has excellent natural ventilation thanks to opening hatches above the head of the bed on both sides.

A tall, manageable sailplan: large main and high-aspect self-tacker. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

This area can also be fitted out as two separate en suite cabins for the charter market.

Dufour has ensured key systems are easy to service marine engine and the electric panels particularly deserve mention for their logical layout and ease of getting to the wiring behind. These are also set up to facilitate neat retrofitting of additional equipment.

As with all models now in the Dufour and Fountaine Pajot ranges, the ODSea+ hybrid propulsion rudder system is available as an option. Owners can also specify a hardtop with solar power over the cockpit area.

This wasn’t fitted to the test boat, but assuming there’s appropriate provision to see the mainsail, the idea is appealing for a pure cruiser, adding excellent shelter and a big advantage in terms of autonomy with ample electrical power.

Dufour 48 specifications

LOA: 15.29m 50ft 2in
Hull length: 14.32m 46ft 1in
LWL: 12.23m 43ft 1in
Beam: 4.85m 15ft 1in
Draught (standard keel): 2.35m 8ft 0in
Draught (shoal keel): 1.75m 5ft 11in
Displacement: 13,900kg 30,644lb
Ballast: 3,850kg 8,487lb
Mainsail: 64m2 688ft2
Genoa: 53m2 570ft2
Fuel: 250lt
Water: 530lt
Price as tested: €522,000 including teak deck, electronics, adventure pack and office/heads option
Contact: dufour-yachts.com

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post Dufour 48 review: How does this latest big cruiser perform in strong winds? appeared first on Yachting World.

Vaan is an emerging Dutch brand creating a new generation of markedly different catamarans. Travel 20 miles from the historic city centre of Rotterdam, on through Europe’s largest commercial port, and you’ll reach the peaceful little town of Hellevoetsluis where Vaan is based. Founded in 2018 by Igor Kluin and Nienke Van Klooster, the company is located on the banks of the Haringvliet, an inland basin separated from the North Sea by a lock.

The site offers ideal enclosed waters for testing, but above all a space for long-term development – Vaan has already reserved a large part of the technical area of the marina, and a brand-new building is ready to accommodate up to three boats under construction at the same time. Moored at the pontoon, the Vaan R5 looks just as striking as it did in the computer-generated images that caught our attention.

Although the freeboard is high (2.12m/7ft 11in), it’s the smooth design with very few rough edges that makes the biggest impression. As raw aluminium is unforgiving of any flaws, we were pleasantly surprised by the fluidity of the hull’s lines, with no visible deformations.

Better still, the material used incorporates up to 70% recycled aluminium – made from things like window frames, number plates and road signs. Once crushed and sorted, they’re combined with 30% pure aluminium alloy and 0.5% additives, such as argon, to achieve the required marine quality standard 5083. In terms of CO2 emissions, the figures are significant, as its production emits only 2kg of CO2 per kilo of aluminium, seven times less than conventional material, according to Kluin.

To optimise weight, the thickness varies depending on the area: the hulls are 7mm thick, the areas around the keel are 10mm and the deck is 6mm thick. The structural frames are very tight, as can be seen in the very large sail lockers, located in the two bows, and the mast foot lockers, which are also generously sized. A big benefit this rigid construction brings is that Vaan catamarans can have single-piece glass deckhouse windows, offering almost unobstructed surround views. Here, on the 49ft R5, they’re double-glazed, while the older 42ft R4 has a single layer of glass.

Premium fast cruising. The R5 has high freeboard, but coachroof and boom are kept low, maximising sail area. Photo: Vaan Yachts

Sailing Smarter

Ecology is one of the three strategic priorities behind the creation of Vaan catamarans. Their life cycle assessment has been studied in detail, right up to their final recycling. But in addition to their highly distinctive style, the third major criterion that influences all designers’ choices is performance under sail.

For Kluin, who started sailing at the age of three, a yacht must perform well, whatever the wind conditions. This is non-negotiable. So, while Vaan means ‘wind vane’ in Dutch, it is also an expression that could be translated as ‘go where the wind blows’.

Anyone surprised that aluminium is associated with performance may be forgetting its excellent weight-to-rigidity ratio. Until the rise of composites, particularly carbon, it was used for a long time in ocean racing. Among the most famous examples are Flyer, winner of the second Whitbread Round the World Race in 1977/78, and the 12-Metre JI boats built for the America’s Cup, which were made of aluminium until 1987. During the same period, French sailors Eric Tabarly (Paul Ricard), Olivier de Kersauzon (Kriter) and Marc Pajot (Elf Aquitaine, winner of the 1982 Route du Rhum) made it the core material of their offshore racing multihulls.

The very beamy cockpit can be covered with a partial fabric bimini or full hard top. Photo: Vaan Yachts

However, before checking whether the 125m2 of upwind sail area is enough to help this 18-tonne craft sparkle under sail, we leave the port… in silence. As on the first three Vaan catamarans already built, this second R5 is powered solely by electricity. Energy storage is provided by a bank of LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries).

Admittedly, they have a slightly lower energy density (-14%) than conventional lithium-ion batteries, but on a 15m catamaran this is not much of a problem. In addition to their slightly lower cost, they offer greater longevity as they can withstand many more complete charge-discharge cycles. The figure of 5,000 cycles (instead of 1,000) before falling to 80% of their initial capacity is mentioned. They also present much less risk of fire.

Finally, a key element in Vaan Yachts’ strategy, is that they’re less polluting and can be stored for long periods. According to the manufacturer, with 60kW of batteries on board, fixed here in the central crossbeam, the Vaan R5 can motor for four to five hours, depending on conditions, at a cruising speed of between five and six knots.

For a catamaran which promises performance under sail, even in light winds, this should cover nearly 90% of engine use. On a performance catamaran, engine use is mostly limited to entering and leaving port, or when anchoring and raising the anchor. Beyond that, if all green energy sources are exhausted and the wind has died, a 15kW backup generator is installed on board.

Visibility to both bows is maintained thanks to the huge glass windows. Photo: Vaan Yachts

This is the right power for engines that will require 7.5kW each to bring the R5 up to cruising speed. The generator can be seen as a safety feature, but also as a means of extending the boat’s range, allowing it to sail under engine power for around four days. The pod engines installed during our test were prototypes and will be replaced by production models for delivery to the end customer.

For reasons of confidentiality we can’t go into detail about the installation, but from what we’ve seen it looks very promising. To improve hydrodynamics, the pods will retract into the hulls when the boat is under sail. And for better manoeuvrability in ports, the pods are also steerable – we weren’t able to test these two features during our trip as they were still in the testing phase.

Quiet Departure

The cruising speed under engine (5.6 knots) was confirmed as soon as we left the harbour. Hoisting the mainsail is done with the touch of a finger from the helm, thanks to the impressive Furlerboom. I’d never been very convinced by furling booms on multihulls of this size, but the efficiency of this surprised me. The composite casing is wide around the furling profile, leaving plenty of room for the sail.

Wide, clear side decks. Photo: Vaan Yachts

The sail, designed by Quantum, is very well cut, and the flexible luff connecting it to the mast, a critical point on this type of system, is particularly well adjusted in its lower section. To maximise the sail area and lower the centre of gravity, the gooseneck has been lowered as much as possible and the boom skims the deckhouse.

The self-tacking jib Solent unfurls just as easily, and we begin our journey north-west. In these sheltered waters the sea is calm and with 0.83m of clearance under the bridgedeck, there is little chance of any waves slapping beneath. The wind during our trial is irregular, and many obstacles (buoys, shipping traffic, banks, etc), present frequent reasons to tack.

These are all opportunities to see that the Vaan R5 is competent at this exercise. It barely slows down while tacking and offers a close-hauled angle near to the holy grail of 90°. On a reach and then downwind, without a headsail larger than the Solent, we cannot say for sure whether the R5 would meet or exceed the 10 knots given on the polar curves calculated by Dykstra, but the responsiveness of this multihull to the slightest breath of wind makes me optimistic.

Plenty of deck stowage on the R5. Photo: Vaan Yachts

Upwind and downwind, steering is a pleasure because visibility is always ideal – whether looking to the sails, the bow in front of the helmsman, or even the opposite bow (thanks to the large glass surfaces of the deckhouse). The steering system supplied by Jefa is really precise. It offers no play, to the point that the wheel may feel a little stiff in light winds, but the advantage is that it allows you to maintain control without any effort when the breeze picks up.

Vaan promotes luxury living with a minimalist, architectural style. Photo: Vaan Yachts

Bold Interior Design

As the afternoon draws to a close and the outside temperature drops significantly on the North Sea coast, we take the opportunity to explore the interior. Once the large sliding glass door is closed, the atmosphere immediately becomes warmer. The fittings, described as minimalist by Kluin, take the concept of simplicity even further than the competition in this sector.

There’s something reminiscent of Apple or Tesla minimalism about the interior. So, you’ll either love it or hate it, but no-one will be indifferent, that’s for sure. Apart from a few minor details – the absence of fiddles on the kitchen worktop and the highly symbolic folding chart table – I really liked it.

Photo: Vaan Yachts

Neat and distinguished at the same time, the main saloon and living area deserve much praise. The view to the outside is perfect, whether from the galley with its ample stowage space, or from the saloon, which is tastefully positioned facing forward. All the materials are high quality, with the occasional welcome touch of originality, such as the graphite grey felt covering the mast step. An example of detail is to be found in the bench armrest, which successfully marries shapes and materials, including metal, wood and fabric.

The hull steps are undoubtedly designed to Northern European standards and seem a little steep for my 1.73m height. However, the 2.09m headroom once in the hulls really helps contribute to the impression of space. The aft berth is integrated into the structure, providing rigidity without adding weight, as is the case on performance composite multihulls. On the port side, a huge dressing room occupies the central part of the hull, leading to an equally impressive washroom.

‘Living areas are tasteful, neat and distinguished’. Photo: Vaan Yachts

On the starboard side, the forward cabin has two bunk beds, as requested by the owner. A shared bathroom is located in the passageway on the inner side of the hull. There are 600lt tanks integrated under the floors of each hull: one for water, one for diesel for the generator. The Vaan is thermally and acoustically insulated with cork, a material which serves both the ecological and lightweight ambitions of the brand.

The interior temperature is regulated by a reversible air conditioning system that operates on the principle of a heat pump, which is very energy efficient. Its coefficient of performance (CoP) of six means that for every kW of electricity consumed, it produces 6kWh of thermal energy (heat or cold). Kluin assures us that even in the Mediterranean in summer, the interior can be cooled using only the 1,800W of solar panels installed on the deckhouse.

Vaan R5 specifications

LOA: 14.95m 49ft 3in
Beam: 7.94m 26ft 3in
Displacement: 18,000kg 39,683lb
Sail area (upwind): 125m² 1,345ft²
Sail area (downwind): 250m² 2,690ft²
Mainsail: 82m² 883ft²
Self-tacking jib: 45m² 484ft²
Gennaker: 172m² 1,851ft²
Code 0: 120m² 1,292 ft²
Engine: 2×7.5kW electric pods
Battery bank: 60kW
Generator: 15kW
Fuel tank: 600lt 132gal
Water tank: 600lt 132gal
Price: ex VAT €1,496,750 (test boat) €1,900,000

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When you consider how you got into sailing and how the next generation might do so, it prompts some searching questions. Is sailing dying as a sport and a pastime? Does our increasingly time-precious world demand a rethink, some sailing saviours, and if so, in what form?

Think back to the emergence of snowboarding. Skiing looked endangered. The glory days of Klammer and Maier’s downhill racing were being elbowed out by a young baggy-pants-wearing brigade. Then something glorious happened – carving skis were invented.

These hourglass-shaped planks seemingly changed the game overnight. What the rad folk were doing on boards, whether in powder or parks, could now be done on skis. It got cool again and hasn’t looked back since.

Perhaps sailing needs its own carving moment. Is this it? The world’s largest yacht manufacturer thinks so, with the launch of this exciting new model.

Relatively narrow beam (under 3m), low wetted surface, and weight kept to just over three tonnes means the F30 rises onto the water easily and is sporty in breeze. Photo: Uroš Kekuš Klev

The plane phenomenon

Why plough through the water if you can glide over it? Whether by power or sail, if you could free yourself of your own wake to go faster with less noise and wash, you would, wouldn’t you? That feeling of lightness and speed is addictive.

Yet how many planing yachts have you sailed? The answer is likely very few. In terms of the offerings from production yards over the last two decades, I can count them on one hand.

They need certain physics on their side, the right hull shape combined with sufficiently light construction. The Pogo 30 was a groundbreaker in that respect, and in some ways, what we’re seeing here is replicating that concept, 10 years later, with an updated and skinnier hull shape.

The Beneteau First 30 takes Sam Manuard’s brilliance and adds Seascape’s proven lightweight construction methods (keeping it to three tonnes), building on the First 36 they created two years ago.

Direct tiller steering and long, smooth streaks rather than wake, means grins of joy for Toby. Photo: Uroš Kekuš Klev

It also benefits from Beneteau’s industrial scaling and resultant pricing. And, crucially, it makes the sailing bit easy.

Just look at it: an unassuming white boat, modern without being overtly broad or racy. It’s a cruising yacht after all, with a two-cabin interior, a saloon, galley, heads, hot water, cockpit benches, a swim platform etc – so it’s easy to picture yourself spending time aboard.

However, the vast majority of cruising yachts, while pleasant to sail, rarely offer the excitement of a sportsboat. To get that, you generally need to pay big sums for exotic composite construction (and then put very little inside them).

Article continues below…

Beneteau First 36 review: Is this the best First yacht in years?

You might not appreciate it at first glance, but this could well be the best performance production yacht we’ll see…

£277,098.00

Beneteau’s new planing First 30: A step change for the French giant

The First 30 was Beneteau’s first sailing yacht when it launched in 1977 and it has since built nearly 3,000…

But, and this is an enormous ‘but’, cruising doesn’t have to feel like you’re driving your house around.

That’s where Seascape comes in. This Slovenian brand, formed by two Mini Transat sailors, Andraž Mihelin and Kristian Hajnšek in 2009, quickly proved itself with its Manuard-designed sportsboats, again built for fast, fun planing sailing rather than racing.

Beneteau saw Seascape’s growing appeal and bought the company in 2018. This F30 was developed by that Seascape team, is built in Slovenia, and Mihelin now heads up the First range.

So you can see the direction the First marque is headed. An ‘affordable’ price was a core objective, with the initial €100,000 tag below most other new cruising boats today (that’s for the bare boat with engine, rig, electrics, plumbing, galley and upholstery).

A club racer or weekender pack adds sails and electronics for €16,000. The Oceanis 30.1 starts at this price, but few other production yards still offer a yacht at this size. Crucially, Beneteau met and stuck to that €100,000 price tag.

Fullish bow for dry planing and some forward cabin space. Photo: Uroš Kekuš Klev

All talk no trousers?

Ever since this new First 30 was announced I’d been itching to sail it, yet worried it wouldn’t live up to the ‘effortless joy of planing cruising for everyone’ hype. After the first hulls rapidly sold, we finally arranged a test around the weather forecast, in July in Denmark, with Per Cederberg, the Danish dealer for Seascape/First.

And while it’s not a flawless yacht, I can now say after sailing it over two days in a range of winds, that the F30 lives up to and in some ways surpasses those ambitious promotional promises.

The sailing is not about white-knuckle pace. Just the simple joy of planing, with ‘simple’ being the operative word. It’s genuinely easy to entice the yacht onto rather than through the water.

Perhaps the most pleasurable revelation during our trials was just how readily this was achieved, even in moderate winds. Despite a truly memorable sleigh ride in 20+ knots for a long spell, averaging 13-14 knots, the F30 really showed its prowess in the more marginal planing conditions.

The F30 keeps the cockpit, controls and sails simple for the helm and crew to enjoy planing speeds. Photo: Uroš Kekuš Klev

Perhaps it hooked me because I could imagine myself sailing this with friends and family enjoying this playful speed. Crucially, to achieve this elevated state of planing, we didn’t have to drain the last drops of fuel and water out, nor did I have to go on a strict pre-sail diet or cut my toothbrush in half.

We just stepped on the boat (which hadn’t been used in a month), pottered out of the marina, hoisted sails, and the F30 did the rest.

During the two days, we saw its full potential (apart from surfing). In terms of figures, this equates to 6-6.5 knots upwind, 8-9-plus knots two-sail reaching and 8-13-plus knots spinnaker reaching. In sensation, however, it brings so much more.

Okay, so it wasn’t all ‘plane’ sailing. After all, some uphill work is inevitable if you want to enjoy going down. But we found beating on the F30 can be quite enjoyable too.

Granted, we only had some moderate chop rather than proper waves, but it’s no scow slammer. It’s a fun little yacht to tiller-steer, super light and direct. That it consistently tacks quickly through 80-85º means you can get places upwind.

Easily trimmable for upwind ease and fun, as long as you control heel angle well too. Photo: Vid Slapnicar

In the lighter breezes of 8-10 knots it’ll maintain speeds in the early 6 knots range at 45º to the true wind. Once into double figures, it’s easy to hold 6.3-6.5 knots.

But this brings us to arguably its biggest downside – the angle at which you have to live with sailing upwind. Yes, monohulls heel, especially powerfully-rigged small monohulls.

But aboard the comparatively narrow F30, this really can be steep when close-hauled, despite its relatively high ballast ratio (35%) and deep, standard keel.

Well heeled

Sturdy moulded foot supports either side of the tiller provide crucial bracing, and this soon results in a workout as your leg muscles are constantly braced, while you’re pressed up hard against the guardrails to stay secure.

Or you can stick your head out below the top guardwire, akin to driving with your head out of the sunroof. If they are tall enough crew brace against the leeward bench, if not, the optional cockpit table could prove useful.

Tha Saloon provides plenty of space. Photo: Branko Ceak

The test boat had the traveller and German sheeting set up (instead of the simple standard A-frame), but a solution for leading sheets aft for short-handing would be beneficial.

Tail bags for the companionway winches that don’t clog up the cockpit bench seating area would also keep things tidier.

Once the breeze rises into double figures, the boat is fully powered up, and you need to adjust to this. While pinching feels natural, it’s not the answer as you’ll just keep heeling and go sideways.

Depowering the sails helps reduce some heel, and the simple, effective rig assists here. The Z-spars mast bends nicely thanks to a well-purchased backstay on a clamcleat.

With Cunningham, outhaul and sheet also cranked on, you can invert the mainsail, hence we didn’t need to reef in the stronger breeze. Easing the sheets can also improve heel and pace, a worthy trade-off for a few degrees of pointing.

The genoa sheets are rigged through floating thimbles inboard to coachroof winches, but Cederberg rigged up a simple Dyneema purchase from the shroud base to make an outboard lead, which worked well in the stronger wind.

If you go afloat for the sheer enjoyment of sailing you would, of course, have cracked sheets by now, but it’s nice to know that if you do need to get from A-B, and B is upwind, you can get there efficiently and enjoyably.

Both saloon and galley provide the essentials for comfortable cruising. Photo: Branko Ceak

Lighting it up

Next comes the real fun. Early predictions said the First 30 would be able to plane in 13-14 knots true wind. As marketing predictions are typically optimistic, I was certain we’d need more puff, but as I was to discover, you can plane in those wind strengths, easily, and without even hoisting a fancy sail.

But when you do unleash some extra firepower, you get to feel the boat light up properly. The F30 is spellbinding. Picture those clips of Fast 40s and TPs, sending it downwind, whitewater spewing down the decks as a full crew stack the windward pushpit, except here there were two of us aboard, dry in T-shirts and shorts, relaxed and chatting away.

It’s by far the easiest monohull yacht planing I’ve experienced. The test boat didn’t have an autopilot fitted, so it can get busy when flying a kite (with no sock or furler).

The deep, aft-slung twin rudders keep her tracking true, but going through gybes and drops demands some concentration. In the Force 5 conditions of our first session, we never stopped planing under fractional kite, making 10.5-13.5 knots.

It was thrilling sailing at 140-150º to the true wind, accompanied by the tell-tale high-pitched hum when it really lights up (over 13 knots). In fact, it makes it easy enough to get cocky and I managed to spin the F30 out, broaching a couple of times while focusing on filming rather than helming.

Good sized double berth in the forward cabin and a large hatch provides natural light – but stowage is scant. Photo: Branko Ceak

It was our second session in lighter breeze under masthead spinnaker which proved to be one of my most enjoyable afternoons sailing. Despite the wind only averaging 10-13 knots true, we were again treated to almost non-stop planing at 8-10+ knots (the wake separates at around 8.4 knots).

Hoist, set and forget, and just sail to the luff of the kite, as we reached and gybed between wind farms and islands or shoals. Speeds matter little when you’re planing in flat water.

It’s just such a pleasant feeling, especially with such little effort. I wanted to keep going. And surely to leave you wanting more is what sailing needs right now.

What’s the catch?

Once the show’s over, you can fire up the engine, power through a rain squall as we did, drop an anchor, swim from the platform, take an inflatable out of the deep cockpit locker, attach shorepower, have a shower, cook a meal – simply enjoy the normal cruising amenities.

So, no, there are few drawbacks to that performance. A little less cockpit comfort perhaps, smaller tanks, fewer gizmos, less refrigeration space, but there are still comforts enough.

You could ask about IRC ratings but that’s missing the point. If you want a handicap racer, there are plenty of Js, Xs and JPKs out there. Beneteau knows the big market is cruising and that the key to this new category of planing cruisers is keeping them simple for average sailors to sail.

Full length rail is a useful hanging space for wet gear in the heads. Photo: Branko Ceak

How have they managed to build a planing yacht to this price? Using a fully cored and vacuum-infused hull and deck helps keep it light, a glassfibre composite keel grid for the cast iron T-keel loads adds stiffness, while a conventional hull liner with slots for standard plywood bulkheads helps make it quick and cost-effective to produce.

Pure Design also helped the yard strip weight, especially with GRP excesses. The F30 provides relatively comfortable space in two cabins, a large heads, workable galley, and long, comfortable saloon, while designer Lorenzo Argento has softened it with smooth cork flooring, a timber table and trim.

Standing headroom (1.81m) at the foot of the companionway, where the sole is the bilge, is paramount to comfort. It’s also a relatively minimalist fitout, with clever solutions to keep weight down.

Deck or hull lining is used sparingly; the rest is simply painted GRP. Some parts where lining meets bare hull may look a little ordinary, but in general, this wipe-clean finish approach works, reserving the comfort for where it counts, such as the thick ply saloon berths and smart indirect lighting.

The saloon benches are long enough to sleep on (2m), with backrests that fold outboard to add width, while the table is sturdy and large enough to seat six comfortably. Where the forward cabin provides a good-sized double berth with a large hatch above, the aft cabin feels more constricted.

The inboard side of the double mattress has very little headroom below the cockpit and therefore may better suit a single adult or kids.

‘When you unleash some extra firepower the boat lights up’ Pgoto: Vid Slapnicar

The only option for proper stowage in the cabins is in the form of small removable textile lockers, but these come at an extra cost. Also optional for the cabins are ultra-thin and lightweight magnetic doors, as used for the heads – a clever, minimal solution for some privacy.

The heads compartment features a long rail above a deep well, ideal for hanging wet weather kit and lifejackets.

The galley is simple, practical and spacious, with a two-burner hob, a sink, double bin, drawers and a fold-down board to extend the work surface. The standing desk-style chart table also extends this space and includes an ice box or optional fridge.

Companionway steps lift 90º to access engine essentials such as oil, impeller, belt etc, but with no other access panels, changing the gearbox oil and oil filter could prove frustrating.

The generous cockpit locker, where the water separation filter is housed meanwhile, is the yacht’s garage, with enough space to swallow an inflatable dinghy and a sail. Aft panels in here and the port aft cabin allow constricted access to the steering gear each side, so those fitting an autopilot will want to make sure it’s within reach.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Beneteau First 30 review: The affordable planing cruiser that’s fun and fast appeared first on Yachting World.

Tuesday 12 May 2025 in Skaerbaek, Denmark, was a special day, a defining moment in my sailing career. I’m normally deliberately objective when testing, but I admit to really falling for this quirky winged beast – in that fresh phase, infatuated sort of way.

I fully accept a rapid cruising trimaran won’t suit everyone, and I’ll list the reasons why. But, after two exceptional days spent aboard, I also feel confident in highlighting the many reasons why this is the most successful new yacht this year – with 28 ordered before this first one launched!

Dragonfly has been building trimarans near Kolding since 1967 and remains a Quorning family-run yard. Its new 36 marries modern design and engineering ingenuity, including buoyant, wave-piercing bows and all-composite folding mechanisms for the floats. Chiefly, as we were to discover, it’s a super-light cruiser with serious gas.

‘It’s a superlight cruiser with serious gas’. Photo: Richard Langdon

Within boat lengths of the small fishing village and marina of Skaerbaek, where Dragonflys are towed down the hill and launched, we hoisted (a lot of) main and code sail, bore off onto a reach and took off. Life became instantly smooth and quiet as we lifted straight onto the plane.

Helming from right aft, within the curved embrace of the cushioned pushpit, Dragonlet and I had no slow, awkward dates getting to know each other, rather an absolute and instant engaging connection.

Article continues below…

In the 12-15 knot puffy breeze, we gybed around the fjords under Code 0 as if aboard a dinghy. Our speeds averaged in the low teens, shooting up to 15-17 knots in the puffs (at 55° apparent). It offers non-stop planing on most angles, particularly when sailing anywhere slightly off the breeze in 12-plus knots. So much so that you really notice it when you’re (rarely) not, because it seems comparatively noisy as the wake catches up with the hull.

Steering is easy, direct, engaging and enjoyable. It offers a proper sportsboat feel on a 36ft cruising yacht. I couldn’t help thinking that if you put any performance monohull enthusiast onto the helm during that first sailing session, they’d sign up for one there and then. It’s that good.

The 36 sails even faster than it looks – both off the wind and beating. Photo: Richard Langdon

Afterburners ignited

With the large blue asymmetric hoisted, the Dragonfly 36 comfortably maintained a long-legged average stride in the low teens, before the log would shoot up to match the 17-20 knot gusts. That acceleration is intoxicating, but it’s also combined with arguably an even more impressive quality: stability. During bear aways, I’d expect the leeward bow to bury, but instead the forward volume in those floats performs wonders, simply converting it to yet more easy speed.

How? This is the first Dragonfly with an inverted bow on the main hull. Together with the wave-piercing bows on the outriggers, this provides formidable buoyancy forward. These asymmetric-shaped floats, which have their widest sections at the waterline, are also 70cm further forward than the main hull to increase directional stability and help you push it downwind. The result is the 36 just lets you throw it around without complaint.

Blast reaching spikes the adrenaline while tacking through the Danish fjord’s shallows is addictive. Photo: Richard Langdon

With your foot to the floor, a 30ft stream of whitewater hoses away from the transoms, as if a jet boat. Our top speed was clocked at 20.5 knots – on flat water in similar wind! Dragonfly’s CEO and mastermind, Jens Quorning, says they measure performance not by the speedo, but by the size of your grin when sailing. My dial was firmly in the red.

We carried that spinnaker down through a tight fjord, with a stunning tree-lined backdrop, gybing back and forth yards from the shoreline. Dragonflys are designed to sail short-handed and, on the 36, the two powered winches each side are within reach of the helm. So although we didn’t need four aboard, and it made the cockpit feel a little cramped in the corners at times, it helped get the most out of the boat (despite their thousands of hours of Dragonfly trials, the Quornings and long-term UK agent, Al Wood, still thrive on sailing these yachts).

Inverted bows provide telling stability. Photo: Richard Langdon

Making wind

Another joy of a performance trimaran is that it can provide similar sensations to those of a monohull sailing upwind. In the Dragonfly’s case, you get plenty of reward from a single carbon rudder blade, so with the windward hull airborne and minimal wetted surface, flat water beating is fun.

Little active trimming is necessary and you can still steer with a drink in hand. The 36 felt particularly well balanced close-hauled on starboard tack, when I could leave the wheel and it kept tracking true, but it needed a light guiding hand on port. Dragonfly believe this may be a centreplate alignment issue, which it is trying to resolve.

The mid freeboard chine from the bow deflects spray and preserves some forward cabin volume over the narrow waterline beam. Photo: Richard Langdon

During our second day we saw how the 36 performed in the lighter breeze. Again it showed pace, particularly when pointing, clocking 8.5 knots at 40° to a true wind averaging 7-13 knots. These are performance monohull figures, helped by the narrow hulls, centreboard, inboard genoa tracks and rotating carbon mast. We also matched up against Jens’ son Peter, who solo sailed an all-carbon 40 Performance, and it was interesting to see very little difference in pace. Both boats easily exceeded the true breeze under Code 0s (8.5 knots in 7 true at 45°A).

The 36 is a wind generator, a craft that will match or outpace true windspeeds, all the way from 5 knots to nearly 20. Polars show it topping out at around 24 knots – in flat water. Granted, you don’t get to see what it’s like in waves or even surf in these confined waters, but you get to feel the 36 react to every lift, while executing plenty of manoeuvres.

A tasteful if conservative finish with space used intelligently. The saloon has long benches, with the portside converting to a berth, while the forward cabin is reached through a thick bulkhead, with a sliding panel for privacy. Photo: Richard Langdon

In fact, it was as we short-tacked our way up another fjord into the setting sun on our first evening, when it all sank in for me. I had the cockpit to myself, the heated foam-decked helm seats warming my glutes – a delightfully novel way to counteract the first chill of the evening air – and I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer pleasure this yacht provides. We were to moor up at the formidable converted sanatorium near Kolding that night (see page 75), a unique spot, yet still I didn’t want to tear myself from the helm.

This was perhaps the most enjoyable sail trial I’ve done in over two decades – an incredible day.

Once the Dragonfly is at rest you begin to appreciate it’s not simply a fairground ride, but a complex marriage of design and composite engineering.

Aft cabin has wide berth but lacks stowage. Photo: Richard Langdon

Engineering evolution

Much of this revolves around the Swing Wing system, employed as we approached the jetty. Floats that fold into the hull provide the convenience of monohull berthing, using a system which has principally remained the same since Jens and his father Borge developed it in the late 1980s. Operated using the winches and without leaving the cockpit, a continuous line system pulls the floats in or out while tensioning or stowing the trampolines. The operation took us approximately one minute.

However, when you consider the complexity involved, both in the loads it places on the hull connections and how to support the mast, you realise it’s anything but simple. Despite having a beam join designed for 25 tonnes of compression, this 36 marks the first time Dragonfly has used composite here as opposed to stainless steel connections. “It was a 10-year dream to do this but we didn’t have the courage!” Quorning explains, with the result saving time, weight and cost.

As the outriggers fold forwards, they lift the main hull and increase overall length, with beam reducing from 8.12m to just 3.7m. You also have to consider the rig – using a deck-stepped rotating mast on floats that fold demands creativity. The yard has used tall carbon masts as standard since the early 1990s, which have incredibly strong and light round profiles designed to suit this Swing Wing system. The running backstay-style split supports can be tensioned with floats folded or extended.

The joys of shoal draught. Photo: Richard Langdon

The test boat was set up with two deep reefs using 3:1 thimble purchases on the mainsail leech, which crank the sail down and aft via the winch to maintain sail shape without anyone needing to leave the cockpit. Dragonfly ensures its models can be sailed solo, proving so by winning events such as the Silver Rudder Race around Denmark. All running rigging is led cleanly underdeck to the powered Andersen winches in reach of the helm.

A boom vang on a block and tackle is used on either side/tack instead of a traveller, doubling as a preventer and helping to free up cockpit space. The test boat sported Elvstrom’s new Xylo sailcloth, a performance filament carbon tape for enhanced shape, while for offwind sailing, many owners chose a Code sail as it can be left hoisted. Dragonflys can sail wing on wing with this and the main, tacking it to the windward float and using a barber that runs from midships to the bow.

The snub bowsprit houses the Code furler, is sturdy enough to use as a step for bows-to mooring and keeps the anchor chain clear of the reverse stem.

The Dragonfly 36 has a reasonable-sized workable galley. Photo: Richard Langdon

Beach parking

Another feature Dragonfly has employed for decades is the use of a lifting centreboard on the central hull to prevent leeway. The 80kg foam sandwich board flips up in the case of grounding, via a spring-loaded camcleat by the winches (yes, we ‘tested’ it). This was another feature which took years to design and refine, particularly the panel closure beneath the hull.

The rudder also kicks-up and has a similar safety fuse cleat. Shaped in hollow prepreg by carbon maestro Marstrom for an ultra-light feel, its unusual curved profile is designed to prevent cavitation at high speeds.
The sail drive is mounted right aft, between the dual helms, to allow for beaching – not ideal for weight management, but it also keeps noise and heat out of the interior and preserves maximum interior space.

Accommodation

You’ve had the sailing thrills to dream about, and have now found that isolated beach for the night. Can the 36 offer enough for ‘comfortable’ cruising too?

Yes… as long as you appreciate the compromises real speed necessitates. And that doesn’t mean stark minimalism, indeed the 36 has a warm interior lined with hand-built joinery (elm veneers as we had, or lighter ash). However there’s no getting around the fact this is compact living for a premium-priced 36-footer.

The 36’s new composite folding mechanisms. Photo: Richard Langdon

There are no layout options, as the centreboard trunk and bulkheads are immovable. Instead, owners can only play with the colours and upholstery – but do get 2m headroom and space to sleep six. The saloon has long benches, lots of natural light, ventilation and stowage.

It’s also an adaptable area, with a small standing desk and switch panel, and the port settee doubling as a kid’s den or passage berth. The table leaves fold up or down to allow six to eight to sit while providing clear access forward.

The aft cabin extends under the cockpit, providing enough seated headroom height to make it feel spacious and comfortable, though stowage is an issue. There are outboard lockers each side, but you won’t be hanging blazers and cocktail dresses in here.

Indeed, the double locker opposite the heads is the only hanging space and even that’s only half-height. The heads is compact – a small, practical wet heads area where you’d sit on the toilet to shower. Meanwhile having to climb through a ring fame to access the forward cabin obviously won’t suit all, but you do get a comfortable 2m x 1.6m berth once in.

Vinylester and divinycell with carbon reinforcement is used for these main bulkheads, while closed-cell foam cored construction ensures Dragonflys are unsinkable. Meanwhile, four stainless steel deck eyes enables the Dragonfly to be easily craned out of the water anywhere.

Dragonfly 36 specifications

LOA sailing: 11.55m / 37ft 11in
LOA folded: 13.43m / 44ft 1in
LWL: 10.90m / 35ft 9in
Beam sailing: 8.12m / 26ft 8in
Beam folded: 3.70m / 12ft 2in
Draught: 2.00m-0.67m / 6ft 7in-2ft 2in
Disp (lightship): 4,500kg / 9,921lb
Berths: 6
Engine: 30hp 21kW saildrive
Water: 220lt 48gal
Fuel: 70lt 15gal
Sail area/disp ratio: 32.8
Disp/LWL ratio: 97
Price: (ex VAT) Touring from €554,000; Performance from €582,000; test boat €809,445.

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Continued development and refinement are key drivers behind the ever-increasing popularity of cruising catamarans. The scale of the rate of change in these boats was brought home to me when I stepped on board a Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46 built in 2004.

These were very desirable and well-regarded designs in their day, yet the extent to which internal volumes and the blending of indoor and outdoor living spaces have advanced over the intervening two decades on the best of today’s models is nothing short of astounding.

Today’s designs are a lot heavier than the older model and have proportionately smaller sail areas. Yet sailing performance remains remarkably good for vessels that offer so much accommodation, and newer models therefore still have potential to cover significant distances in respectable times.

The Fountaine Pajot 41. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Solid and smooth

I was lucky to sail both of the new Fountaine Pajot models in a blustery 15-25 knots of onshore breeze, with occasional stronger gusts, in a brief interlude between heatwaves. With one reef in the mainsail, both boats felt very solid. Even upwind on the smaller boat there was no slamming of waves under the bridgedeck, though the sea state hadn’t had time to build to its full extent.

Upwind we sailed quite wide angles, often with a 55°-60° true wind angle, which produced respectable speeds. The smaller Fountaine Pajot 41 consistently made a shade over 7 knots in these conditions, while the Fountaine Pajot 44 was around half a knot faster on average. Unsurprisingly, both boats lose speed very quickly if you try to pinch closer to the wind.

These designs are both relatively heavy, but despite the strong gusts both had a reassuringly solid feel. Even upwind we could likely have carried full sail and that was certainly true once we bore away onto a reach. However, neither boat accelerates quickly in gusts and realistically shaking the reef out would have made very little difference to the average speed in these conditions.

The hydraulic steering is lightweight but inevitably doesn’t have as much feel as boats with a more direct linkage. This wasn’t a problem upwind or reaching, but made it more difficult to maintain a straight course with a building quartering sea.

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The semi-raised helm stations feel very secure on both tacks, with the main differences between the boats being that the Fountaine Pajot 41 has a double helm seat, while the Fountaine Pajot 44 has a triple seat behind the wheel. In both cases, visibility from the helm is largely good, though on starboard tack there’s a sizable blind spot behind the headsail.

This is common on multihulls with a raised helm station and is by no means unique to these two boats, but you have to move much further to see around the sail than you would on a monohull.

Sail handling is carried out in a separate area just forward, ahead of the helm station and on the same raised level. There’s space for two people to work and it’s well organised, with good rope bins. The arrangement works well both for when there are several people available to handle the boat and for a lone watch keeper with the pilot steering the boat.

Sailing at pace with dry bows. The Fountaine Pajot 41 still packs in a lot of accommodation, both on the bridgedeck and in each hull. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

On both yachts the first mainsail reef is single line, making it a simple operation to shorten sail, while reefs two and three need a Cunningham line to be passed through the luff cringle, which involves going up to the mast base. The argument is this simplifies handling overall by reducing the amount of rope that needs to be handled, as the purchase systems within single-line reefing set-ups makes the pennants for each one very long, with the effect magnified for deeper reefs.

Mainsail shape control is generally good, even though there is no vang, thanks to the wide traveller mounted on the aft end of the hard top. However, the high aspect jibs on both boats tend to twist off considerably when sheets are eased and there’s no obvious provision for outboard sheet leads. That probably doesn’t matter much in lighter airs when a Code 0 or asymmetric spinnaker is likely to be used when reaching, but it does mean that perfect sail trim can’t readily be achieved when reaching in the wind strengths I experienced during my test.

Nevertheless, the Fountaine Pajot’s boat speed topped out at 10.2 knots for the Fountaine Pajot 44 when reaching in a 27-knot puff, while maintaining averages of almost 9.5 knots with 20 knots of true wind 10° aft of the beam. Bearing away further to a true wind angle of 130° resulted in a drop of boat speed of only half a knot in these conditions, even though the apparent wind was down to less than 15 knots.

Rupert Holmes on the helm of the 41. Sail handling is carried out in a separate area forward, with room for two people to work. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Impressively, the averages when reaching for the Fountaine Pajot 41 were not much slower, with 8.9 to 9.2 knots recorded fairly consistently. And some of the speed differential can be explained by the Fountaine Pajot 44 having the upgrade from standard Dacron sails to an Ocean spec Hydranet fabric. This option is chosen by roughly 25% of owners and makes a tangible difference.

Sadly, I wasn’t able to try either boat in lighter airs. With its sub-10 tonne displacement and longer waterline, the Bahia 46 might on paper be expected to be faster in those conditions, but Code 0s that massively boost speed on a wide range of wind angles, from almost close hauled to broad reaching, weren’t routinely fitted to cruising boats a couple of decades ago and they make a huge difference to light airs speeds, even on a heavier boat.

While the Fountaine Pajot 44 is undeniably faster than the Fountaine Pajot 41, in cruising terms the difference between the two is modest, translating to maybe six or seven miles per 24 hours when on passage, although it’s worth remembering that the larger boat will tend to have a more comfortable motion at sea.

For those planning extensive and adventurous voyaging, a more important factor may be that the stability of a cruising catamaran increases exponentially, with the fourth power of the length of the boat. Despite the relatively small difference in overall length, the larger model can therefore be expected to offer as much as one-third greater resistance to capsize.

The FP 44 has a more comprehensive semi flybridge area with lots of seating and four sunbeds. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Flybridge differences

A cursory look around on deck won’t reveal many differences between the two models. Indeed, there are only two key visual clues, the most obvious being the semi-flybridge. The Fountaine Pajot 41 is the smallest ever Fountaine Pajot to have a semi-flybridge and only has a double sunbed, albeit with backrests that can be arranged to make sitting up comfortable.

By contrast, the Fountaine Pajot 44 has a much larger semi-flybridge than the Fountaine Pajot 41 with extensive seating as well as two sunbeds, making this an additional socialising area that could be useful, for instance, if sailing with teenagers and friends.

Even the Fountaine Pajot 41 is a big boat in many respects, with surprisingly large aft cabins and decent-sized forward cabins with peninsula beds. Arguably, the biggest downside in this respect is that the internal seating area is rather small, though the big aft cockpit area can be enclosed by canvas in inclement weather.

A drawback of four-cabin boats is also limited stowage space, but that’s not an issue for the three-cabin option that has considerable stowage in the owner’s suite.

Worktops are made of recycled material that is easy to repair if damaged. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Many of these points also apply to the 44, though this is by no means simply a scaled-up 41. In particular, the larger model has more space in the middle of the hulls. As a result both cabins in the starboard hull are en suite, with separate shower stalls. By contrast, the Fountaine Pajot 41 has a choice of compact en suites, or larger shared facilities with a separate entrance from the corridor in the starboard hull.

The port hull of the 41 can be fitted out in two different ways – either as a mirror image of the two-cabin arrangement in the starboard hull, or as an owner’s suite. This has the sleeping area aft, a capacious heads area forward, plus a desk/dressing table amidships and a huge amount of stowage. A further option for the Fountaine Pajot 44 is to have a flexible forward workshop/storage area that could also be fitted out as a large dressing room if required.

Guest cabin stowage is not particularly generous on either boat, but there’s a massive amount of stowage space in the master hull of both boats. Equally, on-deck stowage is excellent, particularly if the optional skipper/children’s cabins right forward are not specified.

For those wanting to spend longer periods on board, the 41 has an option for a 3kg capacity washer-dryer in the owner’s hull, whereas the 44 has space for a full-size 7kg load unit with access from the corridor in the starboard hull.

Island unit improves circulation and allows more people to prepare food etc in the galley. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

The internal saloon can be ordered with a low coffee table or a larger raised dining table that allows for indoor eating. Both boats have an opening window in the front of the coachroof that improves natural ventilation and allows direct communication with the foredeck lounging area. The saloon also has a central overhead panel allowing you to view the sail trim, but doesn’t have so much overhead glazing that solar gain is excessive on either boat.

A much larger opening between the saloon and aft cockpit allows for a new galley format that includes a central island unit instead of L-shaped worktops. This works well, and gives better circulation of people, while also allowing more hands to easily work in the galley. Both boats share this layout, though the Fountaine Pajot 44 has a little more space and significantly improved refrigeration. There’s also good stowage for dry goods in several large under-floor compartments and below the saloon seats.On the downside, there’s no dedicated indoor navigation/watch-keeping station.

Both test boats have internal saloons with a low coffee table, but a dining table can be fitted. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

The woodwork looked good on my test boats, but there are veneered capping pieces and sharp corners that may not withstand repeated knocks and bumps without damage. The interior of lockers also have a more domestic feel to them, rather than a traditional boatbuilding approach using higher-quality materials.

Worktops are made of recycled material sourced from the interiors of end-of-life fridges and freezers. They can be recycled back into new worktops and are easy to repair if damaged as the material can be worked like wood. Scratches can therefore be sanded out and the surface polished to restore an as-new appearance.

The master cabin of the FP 41. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Hybrid future

All models are available with conventional diesel engines and generators. However, the Fountaine Pajot group, which includes Dufour, is at the forefront of transitioning to hybrid technologies and has sold around 100 hybrid boats over the past two and a half years. This represents 15% of sales, a proportion that’s steadily climbing as more owners become satisfied that concepts and systems are well-proven.

The aft cabins of both boats are impressively spacious, with generously-sized angled peninsula beds. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

The Fountaine Pajot 44 I sailed was fitted with the ODSea+ Smart Electric hybrid propulsion. This encompasses propulsion, hydrogeneration, large solar arrays totalling around 2kW and huge battery banks that can also be used for domestic systems such as refrigeration and even air-conditioning.

It was developed in conjunction with fellow La Rochelle-based company Alternative Energies, which has been supplying systems to small ferries and work boats for 30 years and is now part of the Fountaine Pajot group.

Each hull has a 25kW pod drive motor, with a high voltage supply meaning that water cooling is not required – it’s a simple installation that requires little maintenance. The boat is also fitted with a soundproofed 24kW diesel generator that’s sized to allow for motoring at 8 knots in flat water, yet still puts an impressive 8kW into the battery bank. In addition, the hydrogenating facility under sail proved effective – at eight knots of boat speed we were charging at around 1.5kW on each engine.

Optional storage/workshop area aboard the FP 44 . Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Fountaine Pajot

Overall, it’s an impressive system that increases comfort, flexibility and autonomy, while reducing maintenance. In addition, a key benefit of electric propulsion is the large amount of torque that’s almost instantly available and therefore makes manoeuvring in tight corners easier.

Fountaine Pajot 41 specifications

LOA: 12.1m 39ft 8in
Beam: 6.92m 22ft 8in
Displacement: 12,700kg 28,000lb
Draught: 1.34m 4ft 5in
Mainsail: 65m2 700ft2
Genoa: 35m2 377ft2
Fresh water: 600lt 123gal
Fuel: 700lt 154gal
Prices ex VAT base: €404,000; approx as tested €545,000

Fountaine Pajot 44 specifications

LOA: 13.26m 43ft 5in
Beam: 7.44m 24ft 5in
Displacement: 15,200kg 33,510lb
Draught: 1.57m 4ft 6in
Mainsail: 75.5m2 812ft2
Headsail: 45m2 484ft2
Fresh water: 600lt 123gal
Fuel: 700lt 154gal
Prices ex VAT base: From €499,000; approx as tested €850,000

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post Double catamaran review: Fountaine Pajot 41 and Fountaine Pajot 44 tested appeared first on Yachting World.

The afternoon sunlight had that sharp clarity of spring in the Baltic; warm and golden, but with cold shadows in which the world felt suspended, undecided at winter’s retreat. Silently, we drifted in the Saare 47 out past the church spire, the lighthouse on the harbour mole, and the deserted basket-chairs on the white sand beach.

The mirror flat water began to ruffle into the softest of carpets across which to glide, as the breeze tumbled over the town before steadying itself further out. With the wind gusting from 5 to 17 knots, and shifting several compass points at a time, our wake was that of a drunkard, though my eyes were glued to the telltales.

I was in Eckernförde, where Germany teeters on the edge of Scandinavia, to sail this new Saare 47, the luxury flagship of the small-volume boatbuilder. If you’ve not heard of Saare Yachts, that’s because they only build half a dozen or so boats a year. The brand, though relatively young, grew out of a yard where 250 Finngulfs were built on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, where a centuries-old boatbuilding heritage pre-dates the Soviet era isolation.

Many other well-known yacht marques have their hulls moulded on the same island, close to the University of Tallinn’s faculty of naval architecture. In 2016, the yard was bought by Saare’s German dealers, who now work hand in hand with their Estonian colleagues, with the aim of creating a small but steady stream of beautiful boats, built well, by a long-term sustainable business to designs that evolve slowly without chasing fashions.

The Saare feels solid, planted in the water, and able to respond to the wind in a way that most performance cruisers would aspire to, let alone a bluewater boat. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Today’s Saare 47 is a serious, long-distance bluewater cruising yacht, capable of taking on the world’s oceans. Light, flukey airs might not be the conditions you’d want to test a boat’s heavy weather capability for mid-ocean storms, but they can tell you a lot about a hull.

Despite her stunning joinery, a full owner’s suite in the stern, and even a washing machine, this boat is comparatively light at 13-tonnes – a good two tonnes lighter than some of her immediate competitors. Her relatively slender and well-balanced lines, reminiscent of her smaller sisters, hide modern construction, helping create a slippery and easily driven hull.

Below the water she is relatively deep and evenly rounded with minimal wetted surface area and a shape that makes for a capable sea boat. Augmented by a ballast ratio of 40% with five tonnes of lead at the bottom of a 2.2m keel, she promises to be stiff and weatherly.

Theo enjoys the view from the ‘gin-and-tonic’ seats. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Smooth sailing

After we set the asymmetric to clear the shoreline, the Saare 47 responded eagerly in the faintest puffs, and notably kept her way on through the lulls. As the true wind reached a heady 5 knots, boat speed matched the breeze, creeping up to 6 knots upwind thanks to apparent wind. Later, in 10-12 knots true, 7 knots upwind was easily achievable with 15 knots across the deck at 32° apparent wind angle. Off the wind, we sat a consistent 7.5 knots, nudging occasionally over 8 knots, while the boat gave the impression she had plenty more to give.

This then is an easily driven hull, and a stiff boat that won’t gripe. The only wobble I managed to induce, unfairly, was with the 200m2 kite up, designed for 130° wind angle, when a 17-knot gust caught us on a beam reach. The boat rounded up just enough to make the spinnaker flog before regaining grip and calmly bearing away back under the sail.

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In control

On the helm, she is a beautifully balanced boat, and remains so when heeled, with just the right amount of balance in the rudder to provide both effortless control and rewarding feedback.

The Saare 47 we were sailing had a single-point mainsheet aft of the helm on a 2:1 purchase taken to a Harken winch; the 48V electrical system throughout this boat ensures the winches have plenty of torque and spin up quickly and, thanks to the minimal voltage drop of the system, also means longer cable runs and thinner cables can be used. A traveller aft of the helm is an option I would go for, to allow for centring the boom upwind, though with decent pointing angles anyway, you could argue this boat doesn’t need one.

In light airs, the boat was eager to get up to speed. Photo: Paul Wyeth

While a slab reefed main is standard, most Saare owners opt for in-mast furling for ease, speed and neatness, and the EPEX laminate fully battened main from Elvstrom gave a very good shape and control. This was coupled with a 105% overlapping genoa – there would be space for another 10-15% overlap outside the inner shrouds if you regularly sail in light airs, though for most purposes the Code 0 we had on board would be more than sufficient for most points of sail.

The jib is set on a below-deck manual furler, with the line taken aft to the electric halyard winch, a setup the builders find more robust and useful than an electric furler. Sheets are led aft to primary winches on plinths outboard of the wide coamings, via towable cars on long tracks. The distance of the winches outboard keeps them away from inadvertent handling, but means it’s a bit of a stretch for easing leeward sheets when heeled, or for manually winching.

A wide bowsprit offers inboard and outboard attachments for offwind sails, as well as a convenient ladder and stepping off point for bows-first boarding.

You’ll want plenty of anchor chain for proper cruising; 60m of 10mm stainless steel chain barely touched the sides of the large locker. This is also home to the secondary shore power connection point, which means you don’t have trail a cable all over your lovely decks if the pontoon power is forward of the boat. The other cable is under a hinged step in the transom. Here you reach the electric slide-out bathing platform, which is fully watertight and driven on Harken linear drives.

Deep well below the grating takes rope and stops water going down the comfortably low threshold. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The only nit-picking complaints are that the winch plinths, which double as steps for the high cockpit coamings, are too far aft to use while holding onto the sprayhood. I would want steps further forward – and on a semi-custom boat like this, that isn’t a problem as they can be added at the moulding stage.

I would also welcome some stowage for cups, bottles and binoculars on the forward side of the wheel binnacle.

The cockpit itself is deep and exceptionally well protected thanks to the large, single-piece windscreen and sprayhood. You can opt for a hard-top doghouse or targa arch, under which the halyard winches shelter, with lines led to a rope bin. The companionway threshhold has been kept low to minimise the barriers between on deck and below, with water diverted by the recess below the cockpit sole grating, which doubles as a rope bin.

On deck, the boat’s appearance is elegant. Freeboard has been kept low, and the coachroof taken slightly higher, achieving both a deep, well protected cockpit and pleasant lines, while down below the coachroof windows are at eye level when standing, giving the impression of being aboard a deck saloon.

Our boat was fitted with a 75hp saildrive and three-bladed folding Flexofold prop. A 110hp saildrive is an option, as is a shaft drive.

esponsive helm from rod-linked steering and a single wheel. A larger wheel is an option if you like sitting atop the coamings. Photo: Paul Wyeth

It’s worth noting this is fitted with two alternators: the standard 12V 115A Volvo alternator and an additional Bamar 48V alternator that can chuck out 3.6kW at max load. This saps a little bit of speed underway, but means you can run the engine in neutral and put load on it for more efficient charging as you would a generator. Even so, cruising at 2,300rpm gives 7 knots, and a top speed of 8 knots at 2,700rpm.

The Saare 47 is also a responsive boat to manoeuvre. With the propeller close to the single rudder, it turns inside one and a half boat lengths, aided at close quarters by optional retractable bow- and stern-thrusters. These brushless Sleipner motors allow for proportional thrust and the function to hold you alongside while you sort your lines out if sailing the boat single-handed.

Despite the feeling of space, there are no vast tracts of open space to fall across when heeled, and handholds abound. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Sleeping easy

It isn’t always easy reviewing a boat which can be adapted to an owner’s wishes as much as Saare yachts can. I’m not asking for your pity – I did, after all, have two sunny days on a £1m-plus yacht in the Baltic. But if something isn’t to your fancy, it can be changed to how you like it. This is no set-in-stone production boat.

To that end, the accommodation in particular has a set of standard options for layout, but then it can be refined to tastes. As a centre cockpit boat, there’s no negotiating a large owner’s cabin aft and a large forward cabin, both with ensuite heads and shower compartments. In the saloon then, you have a table and L-shaped seating, with extra stools and a folding chair around it forward to port.

Induction hob and electric oven are at the galley’s heart. Photo: Paul Wyeth

However, everything else is open to discussion, including a straight settee or double armchairs to starboard, while the galley can be down to port and aft into the walk through, or as on our boat, as a C-shaped unit to starboard. If you want a pantry wall, with additional cupboards, dishwasher, microwave etc, that can all be built in, or you could give some space over to a utility/technical room, stealing some aft heads area.

If you put the galley to port, the generous forward-facing chart table can move elsewhere and the space to starboard can become a third cabin with bunk beds, or an office space complete with desk and book shelves, either enclosed or open. Our boat also had a fold-out flatscreen TV, serving both the chart table for work and navigation, and the saloon for entertainment.

There is an embarrassment of choice when it comes to finishing details. The test boat had waterproof and unscratchable wood-effect vinyl flooring, though varnished real wood, or even carpet, is an option. Upholstery choices are unlimited, though 18 colours and fabrics are standard offerings. Joinerwork is limited to either light European oak or Khaya mahogany.

You can have a large forward facing chart table to port, as here, or the galley could go here instead. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Stowage is plentiful. In our layout at least this entails full-length overhead lockers, a drinks cabinet between the armchairs, and an array of lockers in the passageway to the aft cabin, and below all of the bunks and settees. The galley itself has a top-opening fridge, a front-opening fridge, and a top-opening freezer. Outboard is a single sink (I’d opt for a 1.5 sink for drying washed items), and a two-hob GN Espace induction oven.

The fact that this boat is nearly a metre narrower than her competitors has no noticeable impact on the feeling of space down below, thanks to some clever construction and design. The hull-linings, for example, have been kept as thin as possible so as not to waste space, which is noticeable in details like the wooden panelling hiding the chainplates.

On the test boat the laminated wooden armchairs had carbon fibre layers in the sculpted laminate. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The bow sections on this boat are by modern standards fine and narrow, so in the forward cabin the bunk takes the full width rather than being an island bed. However, the generous sail locker at the bow pushes it aft sufficiently to give you a wide headboard, while the aft end is a massive 230cm wide. Meanwhile, 204cm of headroom creates a real sense of space. The deep mattresses from Fleximar don’t come cheap, but I’ve rarely slept so comfortably. Reading lights at both ends of the bed let you decide which way round you want to sleep.

The aft cabin is the real selling point of the yacht. A fully rectangular king-sized berth lies amidships with a similarly luxurious mattress. Stowage is plentiful with multiple upright lockers, plus drawers, cubby holes, a changing seat, vanity table, and even space for a safe. A large heads with separate shower is to starboard, where the washing machine sits in its own locker.

There’s space for a sofa, ample stowage and a large heads round the corner on starboard side. A little more headroom after the aft end of the berth would have been nice. Photo: Paul Wyeth

My only criticism is that because the berth is high enough to accommodate the bathing platform and stern thruster, there isn’t full sitting headroom at the aft, head end of the berth, from where I’d want to enjoy the view in the mornings.

The science bit

The real heart of a true bluewater boat is the technical setup. Access to the Saare 47’s engine space is via double-opening doors in the aft cabin, with all filters easily accessible. That said, the cooling water strainer was at the forward end, so you couldn’t check if it is clear without removing the basket.

Electrical systems are handled in a separate locker under the companionway, forward of the engine compartment. In here are all the chargers, inverters and management systems required to handle the 12V, 24V and 48V systems running on this boat (all from Victron), thanks to that 48V Bamar alternator and the 14.5kWh lithium battery bank this serves. These enable powerful winches, thrusters and windlasses, without the need for additional battery banks or a separate generator.

Few forward berths are this large or this comfortable. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The real boon of all this electric power is the ability to to switch to induction cooking and do away with gas entirely, ending the hastle of changing bottles and regulators aboard, not to mention the safety risks associated with gas and carbon monoxide.

Cooking a meal takes just over 1kWh, so you can cook for a week without needing to charge up, and your kettle will boil in no time, with the added benefit that you can run 240V systems whenever you need.

Throughout the boat, much thought has been given to accessing services, and making it easy to service everything without deconstructing the boat.

Where choices have been made about fixtures and fittings, the better quality one has always been chosen.

The forward heads is generously sized. Photo: Paul Wyeth

The fridges for example, are seawater cooled, using seacock heat exchanger skin fittings, thus minimising the number of holes in the hull.

Finally, construction is done properly. The Finnish cast lead keel is bolted into the deep keel stub, which ensures precise keel alignment and a deep bilge sump. A metre either side of the keel and around the rudder the hull is solid laminate, and above that is Divinycell foam core.

Everything on board is vacuum-infused using Vinylester resin, saving over half a tonne compared to hand lay-up. The keel matrix is fully laminated into the hull and extends throughout the hull – Saare didn’t want a steel frame, which had the potential to corrode. All bulkheads are structural and laminated in. Non-structural joinery is honeycomb cored with solid wood veneers to keep weight down.

On the helm she is a beautifully balanced boat. Photo: Paul Wyeth

Saare 47 specifications

LOA: 14.28m / 46ft 10in
LWL: 12.55m / 41ft 2in
Beam: 4.20m / 13ft 9in
Draught: 2.20m / 7ft 3in (2.00m / 6ft 7in)
Displacement: 13,000kg / 28,660lb
Ballast (lead): 5,050kg / 11,133lb
Sail area: 110m2 / 1,184ft2
SA/disp ratio: 20.2
Bal/disp ratio: 39%
Disp/length ratio: 183.5
Engine: 75hp
Water: 503lt / 111gal (+ optional 300lt / 66gal)
Fuel: 392lt / 86gal (+ optional 300lt / 66gal)
Designer: Karl-Johan Stråhlmann
Price as tested: £1m – £1.1m inc VAT
Builder: Saare Yachts

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Saare 47 review: A proper, take you anywhere cruiser appeared first on Yachting World.

Having raced tens of thousands of miles on 33-36ft yachts optimised for IRC racing, I’ve long been frustrated by the perception that only relatively heavy designs can be competitive offshore. As a result, we’ve been sailing boats that, though capable of surfing fast in certain conditions, are nowhere near as exciting as they could be.

Historically, the trade off has been that planing boats of this size are slow in light airs and rarely sail upwind at speeds that match their rating.

However, two years ago Didier Gaudoux’s 35ft one-off Sam Manuard/Bernard Nivelt-designed Lann Ael 3 convincingly won both races, totalling 500 miles, of the IRC double-handed European championships. In doing so he proved it’s possible to design a lighter planing boat that can sail to its rating across a wide range of conditions.

Two French yards, Pogo Structures and JPK, have since developed versions of this concept into a production offering. It’s a major change of course for Breton yard Pogo, which until now has focused on Mini 650s and Class 40s, or its very fast cruising yachts that pay zero regard to any design considerations to optimise them for a rating system.

These are the first production-built competitive planing boats of a size that’s very popular with double-handed and solo sailors, yet also suitable for racing fully crewed.

I was able to test the Pogo RC in perfect marginal planing conditions, a couple of weeks before its first race. So, how does it perform, and what are the chances of it being able to sail to the Pogo ‘works’ boat’s relatively high rating of 1.064?

A radically different hull shape to the norm for offshore raceboats of this size promises exciting sailing while retaining a competitive rating. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Heeled

We set off upwind in 13-16 knots of true wind. With full mainsail and J2 headsail the helm was finger-light and very responsive, with exactly the feel you’d expect of a light displacement boat. Yet it was easy to coax over the small but steep waves in the Anse de Benodet.

Equally, it proved easy to keep the boat in the groove at a consistent 25° apparent wind angle, equating to 45° to the true wind in these conditions. Boat speed was impressively quick, varying between 6.8 to 7.4 knots, depending on the wave pattern.

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Even with 200lt of water ballast, heel angles were relatively high at 28-29°, figures that are not dissimilar to those of scow bow Class 40s. Contrary to the expectations of many, these are incredibly quick upwind, compared to older Class 40 designs, providing they’re sailed well heeled.

The water ballast is an option aimed at those intending to race short-handed. There are 200lt tanks each side, plus a further 200lt centrally aft. Extra large diameter pipe is used for the plumbing, which makes filling and transferring impressively quick. Transferring in readiness for a tack, for example, takes less than 30 seconds, making short tacking a reasonably feasible operation.

We quickly left the stern wave behind after hoisting the 120m2 A2 spinnaker in 12-19 knots of true wind at a slightly hot TWA of 130-135° (and the apparent wind on the beam). Speeds were consistently in the 10-12 knot bracket, with frequent accelerations to 12.5 knots or more in the stronger puffs, all while retaining rock-steady control. Impressively, even in the biggest lulls, boat speed rarely dropped below 9 knots.

deck layout and kick up rudders set the boat apart. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Design intricacies

The sail plan was developed with Fred Duthil of Incidence Sails, who this season is racing the boat with Tanguy Bouroullec, son of Pogo’s founder Christian, including a double-handed entry in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Duthil has made many small modifications for the works boat I tested that will be incorporated into subsequent yachts where the owners choose Incidence sails. However, the owner of hull No2 has chosen North, while the following one will have a suit from Doyle.

The test boat’s Code 0 is cut and sized to be as fast as possible at true wind angles of 55-60°. Reaching with both this and the J2 set in 15-17 knots of breeze, at a 40° apparent wind angle (70° TWA), we consistently achieved boat speeds of 8.5 to 11 knots. We were therefore effectively planing at times, even with the wind so far forward.

Left: wetted surface area reduces dramatically as heel increases. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

It’s important to recognise the hull shape of this boat has little in common with Pogo’s cruising yachts, which are created without any need for rating considerations. Designing a planing boat is not simply about minimising weight, or increasing sail area – the underwater shape of the hull is also critical. Pogo’s cruisers all have a very flat underwater profile. By contrast, the RC is a fundamentally different shape, with more rocker amidships and forward, though retaining the very flat run aft.

Waterline beam is surprisingly narrow, while the full bow sections have what the French call a spatula bow, with a long-ish overhang forward of the static waterline, plus a long smooth run aft. Unusually for today’s designs, waterline length is 20% shorter than the hull length.

Wetted surface area is therefore dramatically reduced, boosting performance in winds below 10 knots, with the compromise being that the RC will need a bit more power to start planing than Pogo’s cruising models. It also tends to sail with more heel when close-hauled than the cruisers, further reducing wetted surface area.

Upwind the boat is beautifully balanced and surprisingly fast. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Doing things differently

Deck layouts and hardware are very thoroughly thought through, with systems and controls that fall easily to hand and work smoothly, without unnecessary friction.

A boat prepared to this level when it leaves the factory represents a huge advantage for owners who otherwise need to invest a tangible amount of time to refine the setup to a level at which they can be competitive.

Pogo has not been afraid to do things differently with the RC, which has eight winches on board, including those for backstays and the mainsheet. Constrictors were chosen instead of conventional clutches for three reasons. Firstly, they’re much kinder on the ropes, virtually eliminating wear caused by the clutch, they are also easily released even under full load, and save weight.

Pogo’s in-house team spent a lot of time with the deck plug in the yard at a pre-production stage, progressively optimising the deck layout and ergonomics. The outcomes of this process include increasing the width of the cockpit side decks.

Centre console houses tankage and saloon table. Forepeak has sea toilet and a large double berth. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Other neat ideas include kick-up rudders in the style of those for Class 40s and IMOCA 60s, but which are still rarely seen in IRC fleets. This system is neatly executed, with the backstay winch used to tension the downhaul line of the rudders. In addition, Code sails and nylon spinnakers are sheeted from the top of very substantial pushpits, giving greater flexibility for sheet leads. The first four boats are equipped with high-end pilots from Madintech, with B&G displays, while the fifth will have a complete set of NKE electronics.

Functionality at sea

The open plan interior is more comfortable than non-IRC raceboats of similar size, including the Beneteau Figaro 3 and Jeanneau Sun Fast 30, but the emphasis is firmly on functionality at sea and the arrangement is more basic than those of the other Sun Fast models and typical JPKs. Bright white surfaces give a fresh and airy feel, while the inside of the hull forms most of the cabin sole, giving greater headroom than might be expected.

A central console that dominates the middle of the interior houses a large 24in computer monitor. Each side of this are seats with a dual purpose, allowing you to take a quick nap without taking off foul weather gear, or sit to windward and swing the monitor round while working on navigation, weather and routing.

The monitor articulates, allowing the nav computer to be used from either side. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Immediately aft of these seats is a basic galley and further aft a pair of quarter berths. These have pipe-cot bunks above them, allowing crew members to sleep well outboard, optimising weight distribution. Just inboard there’s also easily accessed sail stowage.

What would normally be the saloon area is rather short, with the ‘settees’ less than 6ft long and more likely to be used for sail stowage, though there is a central table with folding leaves. The forepeak houses both a large double berth and sea toilet, and can be closed off with a privacy curtain.

Pogo made considerable effort to keep weight down without resorting to exotic materials. All Pogo models are built with vacuum-infused mouldings, including the hull, deck, bulkheads and myriad of small parts. All structural elements are installed and glued in place before the hull is removed from the mould, ensuring it retains its designed shape.

Here’s also a quarter berth aft on each side. Photo: Jakez Le Gall

Pogo RC specifications

Hull length: 10.25m / 33ft 8in
LWL: 8.17m / 26ft 10in
Beam: 3.54m / 11ft 7in
Draught: 2.25m / 7ft 5in
Displacement: 3,268kg / 7,205lb
Ballast (bulb weight): 612kg / 1,350lb
Upwind sail area: 70m2 / 753ft2
Downwind sail area: 160m2 / 1,722ft2
Design: Sam Manuard and Bernard Nivelt
Prices: from €222,078 ex VAT.
Typical on the water price (inc NKE electronics and pilot, but ex sails): €258,170 ex VAT
Price as tested: €285,832 ex VAT
Builder: pogostructures.com

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You have to admire the ambition. A goal to create the fastest race boat in the world (on corrected time) is no small feat, and a particularly punchy thing to claim from the outset, 18 months before splashing the first boat. To then produce a yacht that looks this go-fast good with the Marvel-like heroic name to back it up… It’s brave, it’s brash, it’s bullish. Perhaps only a brand such as Wally could hope to pull it off.

Racing yacht designs are typically fickle things, their potential success often at the mercy of trends and rules. To ensure some longevity, they not only have to prove successful on the water, to give their owners enjoyment and a chance at silverware, but they also need some versatility. Swan, for example, achieves this with its ‘Club’ world of regatta circuits – and by insisting on fitted interiors for after-sales after life.

Wally is another big brand which thinks big. To put its vision in place and try to ensure the Rocket will do what it claims, it involved some heavyweight partners. With the TP52 as the long-proven benchmark in the inshore/coastal Grand Prix scene, Wally took the most successful designers and sailors from this circuit to develop a TP beater. Essentially, it sought a Botin to beat the Botins.

Combine this with founder Luca Bassani’s long-proven forward-thinking ability and the result is a red-hot, water-ballasted 50-footer with trim tab and ultra-efficient hydraulic controls.

Wally used the might of its parent company, the Ferretti Group, to construct these new one-design Rockets in a new top-tech carbon facility. It’s now using the first boat to launch as a prototype, to be wetted most stringently and to sail in the most high-profile regattas in its first season, before the next five on order launch.

Crew weight and water ballast optimise heel trim. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

This first Rocket weighed-in at just over six tonnes light, which is nearly a tonne lighter than a TP52. However, should the stats still not deliver for some reason and it doesn’t prove to be first on handicap in regattas, there are a few other pivotal factors to this 51-footer which could ensure its prosperity.

Firstly, it’s a Wally so it looks rad. Secondly, the aim is for it to be a one-design class for fair owner-driver racing. And then there’s its potential ease of use (comparatively speaking). Bassani’s creations have always promoted ease of handling, and the same could be applied here.

On paper, it’s less expensive to run, as fewer crew are needed thanks to water ballast and hydraulically-operated systems. It’s also been designed with the potential to swap out the coffee grinders for electric winches. “Fast and easy was always Wally,” states Bassani.

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Pre launch checks

While we don’t often trial full-on race boats, we snapped up this chance. And obviously I crossed every appendage in the hope I might get the full orbital velocity experience. Indeed, during the days in Valencia preceding our spring visit, when the official photos you’re seeing were taken, the crew experienced prime conditions.

However, even Wally can’t choose the weather, and for our day, we were dealt light winds and flat seas. This did offer the chance for the various international media to each take a turn on the helm, both sailing upwind and down. It proved a delightful appetiser which, when you’re dealing with a Grand Prix yacht, is a rarity.

Valencia is the training base for the Django sailing team, who are using Wally’s prototype to develop it in racing conditions before they take the third hull.

“Wally has given us a huge opportunity to fine-tune this boat for the class,” explains Vasco Vascotto, the supremely experienced tactician helping to spearhead this class and sailing team, along with fellow TP52 specialist, the Argentine strategist Guillermo Parada.

Early trials (and initial races) for the Django sailing team have proven promising. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

During our pre-sail briefing they explained that the boat launched with a trim tab on the keel, an appendage which helps negate leeway upwind and reaching, reducing rudder use and drag. They sailed with it for a few days in December before being met with the news on 1 January that the IRC class was doubling the penalty for trim tabs, so they had to take the painful decision to remove it, changing the keel out for the first few regattas this season.

And what a season: Django’s programme includes the Admiral’s Cup and Fastnet Race – surely the most demanding initiation to prove if it is competitive racing offshore? For IRC regattas, they’ll race with 15, “because you get given that crew number so you might as well take it,” explains Parada. For one-design they plan to race with around four fewer crew, a factor which helps Wally to claim it will be a fair bit cheaper to run than a TP.

Rocket fuel

Compared to a TP, the Rocket sports a bit less beam, and chamfers are used for windage reduction (not allowed on TPs). The designers also tried to reduce wetted surface area as much as possible. “But the biggest difference is the weight and being able to compensate this,” Parada explains.

Here he’s referring to the water ballast, with 600lt available on each side, split into two tanks fore and aft. Even with full tanks, that’s still 300kg or so lighter than a TP52, all of which makes the team confident the Rocket will be very competitive, especially downwind and reaching.

Fully stacked: the Rocket will race in offshore/IRC events with 15 crew but is designed to be controlled with electric hydraulics too, so human power and crew numbers can be reduced. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

The tanks take around a minute to fill, seven seconds to transfer between tacks and 40 seconds to dump. I was soon impressed with how these can be used to play with the righting moment and how crew can actively ‘trim’
the ballast. Mastering this and heel angle will be critical.

In fact, our trial conditions were an ideal demonstration, as the wind fluctuated from just 4 knots into occasional double figures so we could witness the difference and the benefits of having no ballast in light airs, up to the full tanks to temper the heel angle upwind. It’s impressive. No crew need move, the trimmer monitors heel angle, decides to flood a tank in seconds, transfers this ballast or dumps it as you round the top mark.

Lift off

Despite a laden boat, nearly half of which was made up of clumsy media, the Rocket quickly shows some potential. While reaching with the J2 at 100° to the apparent wind (a more suitable Code 0 range), I note we’re already near matching its 9 knot polars in just 7 knots true wind speed. Pointing up, we clock 7.5 knots in a knot less at 35° to the true wind. “It’s promising,” Vascotto confirms with a twinkle in his eye.

The trimmer’s display reads three tonnes on the forestay, load shared with the structured luff. The trimmer explains how they trim the backstay before adjusting the jib Cunningham. At this point, we have enough power on to induce 16-18° heel and it’s time to add some water ballast. The Rocket stabilises in attitude and continues to accelerate. It’s a raw, unforgivingly stiff motion.

During my stint on the wheel, we maintain 8.5 knots boat speed upwind in 9.7 knots at 42° to the true wind. It’s so reactive, with instant response and super direct communication to that single blade. The mainsheet trimmer speaks to backstay trim, and I appreciate how you then really feel the latter on the helm.

At the end of the day (excuse the cliche), the Rocket is a Wally, and thus, even for a stripped-out racer, oozes style. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

While this is translated through a nice amount of pressure on the wheel, it’s also a lot to process, a sensory overload, with constant comms and trimming. I simply focus on keeping it to the best angles and numbers the mainsheet trimmer is calling, yet I’m surprised how much I need to actively steer in these light conditions.

The kite is hoisted and we’re immediately into double figures. This is a training spinnaker, an A2 normally used for bigger breezes and only manually dropped rather than using the super quick string-drop system. Nevertheless, we can match the 10-11 knots true wind at 140° true, accompanied by a cheerful humming sound as the Rocket planes, so easily, and with so little wake. This is one wonderfully slippery hull.

“I’m very, very happy,” grins Luca Bassani, after his first stint on the helm. “The amount of feel really impressed me – you can feel when the backstay is added and the difference the water ballast makes to trim.”

Flight control

The deck layout and control systems are next-level in their ergonomics and ability to adapt to short(er)-handed use. Below the cockpit side decks are mounted neat panels in ideal strategic positions for trimmers to have remote push-button hydraulic controls for various functions. Sheets can obviously be cross-led to optimise crew weight, while multiple winches and functions can be selected to be powered by the coffee grinder. This is linked to a rotary machine below deck, a similar system to TPs, which allows you to use it to pump hydraulic oil pressure.

The WallyRocket boasts more sail area/disp than a TP52 for less wetted surface. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Vascotto says they’ve tried to ensure the Rocket is as dry a boat as possible below decks. He points out how the transverse jib tracks are mounted above rather than through the deck, and that after five days of 20+ knot conditions, just three spongefuls of saltwater found its way inside.

And it is a bare carbon shell inside. I struggle to imagine what it would be like to sail a classic offshore race aboard this. Whether trying to rest in dark pipe cots within this black can, or hiking from the unforgiving deck with its sandpaper-like non-slip, it’s brutal. There are no creature comforts, and any extra weight tolerances were used up on the graphics (Parada’s answer as to why there’s none of the nice foam decking many race boats use these days: “weight – it would have added 3-4kg!”).

Touch down

As we motor back to port I try to gauge the assessments from the pros. “Downwind, it’s a rocket for sure, while today confirmed its light wind ability too,” notes Vascotto.

“It’s simple and fast,” Bassani concludes. “Even in very light airs you move, then in 15-18 knots you’re planing without even a gennaker. So if the boat is successful racing, then we will strongly push for the electric mode – as 15 aboard feels crowded.

“I’m imagining the short-handed ability when the coffee grinders are swapped out for electric power… owners will be able to daysail it with three crew,” he muses. At the same time you can sense Bassani’s frustration with the ratings authorities, and not just for the trim tab penalty.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

“The rules are penalising electric winches, which are slower than coffee grinders – it’s crazy!” he reasons, because if you reduce crew, you reduce complexity and cost. Vascotto confirms that for one-design racing they’re looking at reducing crew to 11.

When asked if the world needs another 50ft race boat, he says they “learned a lot from past classes and what we could improve. So although difficult to beat this dimension, at the same time we can make something new.” Vascotto explains how they’re trying to promote value, with comparatively cheap running costs, and by ensuring the Rocket is fast in all conditions and ratings.

“As an example, this is watertight, whereas the TP isn’t. The TP doesn’t have a reef, this does. So whether IRC, in class or coastal, the Rocket can do it.”

This summer should prove the ultimate testing ground. And let’s not forget the Italian fuel which could really ignite this rocketship: the Wally factor.

Wallyrocket 51 specifications

LOA: 15.50m / 50ft 10in
LWL: 15.00m / 49ft 3in
Beam: 4.30m / 14ft 1in
Draught: 3.50m / 11ft 6in
Disp (light): 6,250kg / 13,779lb
Water ballast: 640lt / 1,411lb (each side)
Sail area (upwind): 160m2 / 1,722ft2
Sail area (downwind): 360m2 / 3,875ft2
Design: Botin Partners/Wally/Santa Maria Magnolfi
Builder: wally.com

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones didn’t want a new boat, yet today not only has he a shiny new state of the art 100-footer, but a machine described by some as the most advanced Maxi to be launched in more than a decade. And at the new boat’s first competitive outing on the first day of racing at this year’s PalmaVela regatta Magic Carpet-e won the first two races.

To say that her build happened by accident would be an exaggeration, yet the genesis of what has turned out to be such an advanced and promising new Maxi didn’t start with a set of clear objectives and well-defined goals.

Having been built pretty much in secret by Persico Marine in Italy and pre-launched discretely last autumn, (before being taken back into the shed to be completed for a re-launch this spring), the new Carpet is in flight and the details of this new design are now being revealed.

On the face of it, while she may look like a sleeker, leaner version of others in her class, the basic data has her standing out from the off.

Here the displacement is the headline figure. At 37 tonnes she’s a staggering 10 tonnes lighter than the previous Magic Carpet, a Wally Cento Maxi that herself was never considered to be overweight.

The new Carpet also sets an impressive amount of sail on a rig that looks more IMOCA 60 than Maxi, while below the waterline she sports what must surely be the most sophisticated appendage package of any current Maxi.

The flush deck and minimalist appearance of a cockpit that has just six winches, belies the advanced technology and sophistication which lies below. Photo: Francesco Ferri

And then there’s her power plant. While she does have a comparatively small and potentially removable generator for delivery trips, this is the first fully electric racing Maxi to be launched, armed with technology that has its roots in high end motorsport and that could prove to be a catalyst for development across broad areas of sailing, both for racing and cruising.

In simple terms, she has the equivalent of three Golf GTIs below deck delivering a stream of silent power that is available at the touch of a button for the crew on deck.

The bottom line is that right from the start, and despite just a cursory look at her headline features, Magic Carpet-e is far more than just another new race boat. Which begs one simple question to start: how did Sir Lindsay Owen-Jones end up with such an advanced new boat when he didn’t want one?

Photo: Francesco Ferri

Taking the next step

Having raced and cruised Magic Carpet Cubed, as she was nicknamed, for 12 years, the rhythm of his boat ownership suggested that it might be time for an upgrade. The trouble was, that as a hands-on owner who’d always enjoyed the process of developing a new boat as much as the racing and cruising, he couldn’t really see where to go next.

“You hesitate before you start any new build of this size – it’s a long and expensive process,” he explained. “Over the years as we moved from Magic Carpet one to two and three, we’ve always had new objectives in mind. Not long after launching Magic Carpet Cubed, I was already thinking of what the next step was going to be and while we kept improving and refining, I could see what we could do slightly better, but not much better.

“And then somebody introduced me to designer Guillaume Verdier who said he could do a boat like mine 10 tonnes lighter and that it would ‘go like a rocket.’

“I thought it was worth a try and so we started talking.”

As the chief architect behind some of the world’s fastest and most radical racing designs it was a given that Verdier’s ideas would be ‘out there’.

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“When Sir Lindsay gave me the first brief he told me to draw what I wanted within 100ft,” said the French designer. “So, my first design looked at foiling and while Sir Lindsay liked the idea of taking performance onto another level, he said there were some key objectives in addition to being competitive in the Maxi class, which meant that this was too extreme for him. Instead, he wanted to be able to sail with friends, plus the boat needed to be capable and comfortable for cruising short-handed.”

Living in St Tropez, Sir Lindsay’s racing and cruising has always been primarily in Europe. And with the Maxi racing scene both growing and focussing more on this area, a yacht concentrated on Mediterranean conditions ticked many of the boxes on the competitive front. This, in turn, led to a target optimum wind speed range of 8-12 knots. And from here the first key design objective was to be the fastest Maxi in these conditions.

“When the goal is to perform well in 8-12 knots of wind, the reality is that you have to be very good in 7-8 knots,” said Verdier. “To sail in light conditions, boats need to be able to perform in much lighter winds. At critical periods when you slow down through manoeuvres like tacks and gybes it’ll be hard to accelerate, especially if you have a lot of wetted surface area. So, the performance objectives are actually more demanding if you’re focussing on good performance in 8-12 knots of breeze. This was one of the factors that drove us towards the high aspect ratio rig.”

‘This is the first fully electric racing Maxi to be launched’. Photo: Francesco Ferri

The result is a sail plan that towers 46m above the waterline and sits well back in the boat. This achieves a long foot length (J measurement) for the biggest headsail, and provides scope for a range of furling headsail systems.

Stepping the mast on deck, rather than on the keel, meant the rig could not only create a large foretriangle, but also set it over the canard and just in front of the keel to achieve better balance.

Remarkable appendages

A large, efficient sail plan and a low wetted surface area provided by slender waterlines were important, as was generating high amounts of righting moment – which led to a canting keel that swings to 45° on either side.

But this is a canting keel with a big difference.

Getting into favourite harbours and anchorages, including Magic Carpet’s home in St Tropez, was essential, which meant a lifting keel was required. But the design team knew that lifting a fin and bulb keel to reduce draught from 7.1m to 4.6m vertically in the established way would result in a heavy structure and a vertical centre of gravity that would be higher than they’d like.

Canting keel and canard can be clearly seen here. Photo: Francesco Ferri

The solution was to reduce draught by raking the keel 60° aft like a dinghy centreboard, but where the keel bulb would remain parallel to the water as it was swung aft.

The engineering is not just fascinating in a system that can reduce its draught in just two minutes, but is a thing of beauty down below. So much so that the primary keel support structure, which has been milled out of two giant billets of titanium, has been not so much enclosed, but displayed in a wet box that looks more like a museum showcase complete with lights.

“It certainly was a big deal building this system,” explained project manager Ed Bell. “We had to pre-order the titanium billet before any work started on building the boat.”

Under sail, with the keel out to one side, and in contrast to IMOCAs and many other canting keel boats, Magic Carpet generates her hydrodynamic side force using a single canard mounted on the centreline. The reason is simple, one foil is lighter than two, but that’s the only part that is simple.

Like a museum display. Canting keel support also allows the fin and bulb to retract like a centreboard. Photo: Francesco Ferri

The foil is a symmetrical section, rotates to generate lateral lift and can be raised or lowered. What’s different is that this canard also cants to allow the foil to run as close to vertical as possible when the boat is heeled.

Like all canards and lifting surfaces, get the settings right and they can be powerful devices, get the settings wrong and it’s easy to put the handbrake on too. So, to have a foil that lifts, rotates and cants while generating the side force for a 37-tonne beast of a boat is an engineering challenge; it’s not that surprising that the team are rather coy when it comes to revealing how they actually achieve and control this.

But when it comes to their innovative twin rudder system they’re more open. Verdier was initially keen to have kick-up rudders to allow the windward one to be lifted to reduce drag, especially upwind, but this was not considered practical aboard a boat that will spend plenty of time moored stern-to. Instead, Magic Carpet-e has daggerboard-style rudders mounted in rotating barrels. When they lift they come through the cockpit sole.

Aside from the reduced drag of this configuration (which I’m led to believe was originally developed 30 years ago and patented by Kullmann Design as the VarioRudder), one of the key advantages is providing a robust and watertight arrangement when compared to a conventional rudder stock and bearing system.

Twin rudders operate in rotating cassettes where the blades can be raised and lowered hydraulically. Photo: Francesco Ferri

The real innovation

Meanwhile, in parallel to the development of this super slippery Maxi another idea became a central and highly innovative feature of the boat, that took Sir Lindsay and his team far deeper into a new world of Maxis than any of them had originally expected – electric power.

The system allows the boat to be raced all day, including leaving and returning to the dock, on electric power alone. This might not sound like a huge challenge, but when you’re talking about a 100-footer designed for round-the-cans racing, where hoists and drops happen faster than on a fully crewed 40-footer and the line speeds in the pit are up to 5m/second, that’s a lot of power!

Indeed, race aboard any of the current Maxis with their diesel generators that provide electric and hydraulic power for sail control areas and you are left in no doubt as to the power that is required to get them around the course. Take a windward mark rounding. As a typical modern Maxi bears away the engine revs increase in an instant as if someone has floored the throttle at the Santa Pod drag strip.

Given this is a race boat primarily, the main saloon and entire accommodation is striking. Photo: Francesco Ferri

Magic Carpet-e is different. While there’s a whining of hydraulic controls and whirring of winches, that’s it. But creating an all-electric boat, (or hybrid as they describe it), wasn’t the original goal.

“A few years before this project started, Ed Bell, (who has been involved in previous Magic Carpets) and I were driving and I’d spoken to someone on the phone who’d just seen an amazing electric motor which was tiny,” explained Magic Carpet skipper of 30 years, Danny Gallichan.

“We were chatting in the car about how good it could be if you could use them with the hydraulics and the thought stayed in both of our minds.

“Sir Lindsay is very interested in technology and has been involved in motorsport for many years and during the early development of this boat he encouraged us to take the idea further.”

This led the team to Williams Advanced Engineering, now Fortescue, who helped analyse what was needed in terms of power, energy use, and duration while also calculating how much such a system would weigh.

“We started by looking back at how many hoists, drops, tacks and gybes we’d done during various regattas over a number of years,” said Bell. “We looked at how long we had motored the boat for, along with other power demands.

“We also worked closely with hydraulics experts Cariboni to assess how much power we needed to operate the hydraulic systems through some of the most extreme scenarios and the longest days on the water. We then delivered this information to Fortescue who calculated the power we’d need to go electric.

The navigation station sits on the centreline and incorporates a Hermes-designed seat. Photo: Francesco Ferri

“It was also crucially important the system was no heavier than a conventional diesel generator and preferably lighter. The results from Fortescue gave us the answer we needed to go ahead.”

When it came to creating the system, the team worked with electric motor specialists Helix to produce a battery that provides power for all the onboard systems from the winches, the propulsion system through to the air conditioning.

In short, Magic Carpet has three electric drives, two for the hydraulic system and one for propulsion.

“One of the key stages was opting for a direct drive in order to achieve the quietest operation,” said Helix’s chief innovation officer Andrew Cross. “Because these motors operate at relatively low rpm we needed a lot of torque – the hydraulic pump machines were each around 1,000Nm and the propulsion motor achieved almost 2,000Nm.

“The motors are driven by our ultra-lightweight, high-efficiency silicon-carbide inverters. Broadly speaking the motors are at similar power levels to those we supply to Formula E, but four to five times more torque. It’s like having three Golf GTIs on board.”

Not only are the oval apertures better structurally, they make for a lighter structure and look impressive. Photo: Francesco Ferri

On deck and underway

So, you’d think you would hear at least one of these GTIs when you left the dock. Instead, our departure from the quay in St Tropez was so quiet that we were halfway along the entrance to the harbour before I realised we had left. This is a Maxi that ghosts along.

The second surprise came when the mainsail was raised in under one minute.

But even this was tame compared to her performance under sail. On a glassy looking sea, where the 7 knots of breeze at the top of the mast had barely made its way down to the surface, we were trucking along at 10.3 knots upwind.

As conditions built to 8-12 knots of breeze we were slicing along at 12 knots upwind and up to 17 on a reach.

The owner’s cabin forward. Photo: Francesco Ferri

On the helm she felt completely neutral. Like many modern high-performance boats, to get into the groove you need to know the targets. But even then, just as you think you’re getting the hang of it, a change of canard angle sends the bow careering off in either direction. Even in modest conditions it’s clear how powerful this foil is.

Also impressive is the speed with which Magic Carpet can turn corners. With furling headsails on units that are recessed into the deck to allow a proper end plate effect on the headsails, big manoeuvres easily match those aboard boats half her size.

This is made all the more impressive when you consider that she has just six winches. Even her most up-to-date competitors in the Maxi scene with their hydraulic ram trim systems have eight.

“A pair of winches weighs around 120kg,” said Bell. “So, in collaboration with Cariboni and Rigging Projects we have developed a system where the running backstays can be operated mainly by hydraulic rams, dispensing with the need for dedicated runner winches.”

That’s a bold call aboard a boat with a deck-stepped mast that relies on its fore and aft support from the runners. But among the long list of advanced technology aboard this boat there is one area that is easier to admire, her looks below decks.

One of two guest cabins. Photo: Francesco Ferri

Cruising comforts

Cruising has always been an important part of Sir Lindsay’s season and while some Maxis claim to have been designed to allow their owner and friends to go cruising, the result is often a spartan affair.

Not so on Magic Carpet. This design was configured to be sailed short-handed, in comfort and style for the owner and guests.

“The big challenge was that we had a weight budget of just two tonnes for the entire accommodation,” said designer Axel de Beaufort. “We worked really hard to keep the weight down and used some of the natural features of the boat to accentuate the unique feel below decks.”

One example is how the wood veneer is attached directly to the inside face of the hull, emphasising the tumblehome in the topsides. Another is the use of oval cutouts in the bulkheads. These are not only structurally more efficient by reducing the stress-raising corners of square openings, but look rocket retro stylish too.

Be it tumblehome or the position of the mast, some details are more IMOCA than maxi. Photo: Francesco Ferri

The custom woven fabric used for the headliners and the cube-like lockers is another area where the team worked hard to combine looks with light weight in an interior that can be easily reconfigured for racing.

And then there’s the Hermes navigation station.

This may be a race boat most of the time but Magic Carpet-e oozes style below decks.

And that’s what makes this new Maxi stand out. The combination of innovation above and below the waterline, along with groundbreaking technology in her power system aboard a sleek looking beast of a boat is what has led several industry experts to claim that Magic Carpet-e is currently the most advanced Maxi out there.

All she has to do now is to prove it.

The high aspect ratio sail plan is optimised for Mediterranean conditions. Photo: Francesco Ferri

Final thoughts

To describe Magic Carpet-e as an impressive proof of concept does little justice to an eye-wateringly expensive 100ft Maxi. But the reality is that for all of her stunning looks, the detail and innovation that has gone into her design, construction and sail handling systems to name but a few of the key areas, the electric side of this boat could well become the aspect that has the most influence.

There are plenty of meaningful projects looking to become greener propositions, but the reality is that neither the sailing industry nor the majority of owners have deep enough pockets to invest in research on this scale.

The ability to deliver sufficient power and recharge overnight from the dock is surely a step forward that will provide lessons that will filter down.

The Magic Carpet-e project didn’t set out to be a green affair but found its way there during a quest to improve performance. It’s not often that development works like that but when it does it can be highly effective.

In the meantime, the real test will be on the race course where the Maxi scene is getting more competitive by the season. She made a very promising start with two bullets in PalmaVela until damage to her standing rigging in a pre-start incident on the second forced her to sit out the rest of the event. If she proves as quick as some suggest, there’s nothing quite as motivating as a fast, high-profile boat when it comes to inspiring a design revolution.

Magic Carpet-e specifications

LOA: 30.48m / 100ft
Beam: 7.20m / 23ft 7in
Draught: 7.10m-4.60m / 3ft 2in-15ft 1in
Keel cant: 45° from vertical
Displacement: 37 tonnes
Mast height: 46m above waterline
Design: Guillaume Verdier
Builder: Persico Marine
Launched: 2024

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The post Magic Carpet-e review: Sailing the first fully electric racing Maxi to be launched appeared first on Yachting World.

Conjure an image of a contemporary performance monohull, and it’ll likely be a Swan, Grand Soleil, X-Yacht or something similar (the original Solaris 50 from 2015 springs to my mind). These all hail from pedigree yards, which specialise in cruising or cruiser-racer yachts. And their latest iterations are polished reworkings of that well-established theme and layout, often with a liberal sprinkling of Italian cosmetics.

However, 2025 brings a hot new face, a brash-looking design that could steal the show – and did just that at its Düsseldorf premiere in January. This yacht is from a daysailer specialist that wants to bring some of its easy short-handed methodology to this luxury fast cruising arena.

We put this theory to the test sailing the new Saffier SL46 from Saffier’s home town of Ijmuiden to examine how virtually all operations are – or can be – controlled solo from the helm. Saffier has integrated many clever ideas to enable this mix of elegant comfort and ease (including a surprise favourite feature, which I’ll come to later). It’s also clear the yard wanted to bring its premium build quality to the fore.

Such a venture sparks questions about moving into a much larger and more competitive sphere when it has established a niche and cornered the worldwide market in daysailers. And why this shape, weight and (formidable) price?  Thankfully, we had the day to find out the answers! To be given the time, resources, sail inventory and even sublime sailing conditions to really appreciate and get under the vinylester skin of such a yacht is rare.

‘Sailing the Saffier is simply an index finger workout’. Photo: Sander van der Borch

You’ve been Tangoed

The Saffier SL46 is clearly a statement yacht. You only topcoat a new yacht in Awl Grip metallic orange if you want it to stand out. It’s in your face, deliberately anti-white. Even approaching it in a Dutch marina in March, I instantly envisaged it turning heads with envy and appreciation in many a luxe Med port. And the first few Saffier SL46s ordered are all ‘Med’ versions, which means an open transom cockpit with sliding helm seats that convert to sunloungers. A more conservative ‘North European’ option is offered with closed transom and dinghy garage.

I quickly came to appreciate how well the Saffier SL46 is geared up to make it manageable, principally by using systems found more on larger yachts. These facilitate short-handed performance sailing, as well as docking and setting sails in the most fuss-free manner. Yes, it has a tonne (literally) of costly equipment to help it achieve that, but the majority of these are reliable systems.

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The owner of this first example to launch chose numerous optional extras too. Bow and stern thrusters may seem overkill on a 46ft single-rudder yacht until, as we discovered, you need to dock between tight piles or finger berths with a 20-knot cross wind.

Similarly, an in-boom furler is a more typical choice on big yachts, yet the optional Mainfurl simplifies mainsail handling, and meant we repeatedly sailed out of the harbour while most crews would still be unzipping a stackpack and fighting a flapping sail.

In practice, then, sailing the Saffier SL46 is simply an index finger workout. Main halyard up, brrrr, while furler unwinds, brrrr. Mainsheet trim, brrrr. Jib furler unwind, brrrr, jib sheet trimmed-on, brrrr. And in almost as much time as it’s taken to read that, we’re on the wind. Any power consumption concerns are allayed by 600Ah of lithium battery power (another €25,000 extra), together with a grunty diesel engine for recharging when away from the dock for longer periods.

The result is that we are straight into action. In the 15 knots of puffy breeze inside the breakwater, we’re up to 8.5 knots almost instantly, then reaching off out to sea at over 9 knots, with a dual sheet ease, brrrr. I’m sailing with Saffier founder Dennis Hennevanger, who demonstrates how easy it is to sail solo: unleashing, trimming then furling and gybing the Code 0, while I observe and film. The optional powered Code furler on the end of the carbon sprit helps makes this an impressively speedy procedure.

Push-button, short-handed perfomance sailing. Photo: Sander van der Borch

This ease with which you can get out of harbour and sailing solo is something Dennis clearly champions: “I haven’t seen that in this length – it’s a totally different way of thinking… It’s really an XXXL daysailer which you can go on for three weeks!”

A captive mainsheet is another big-boat system, but one Saffier considered crucial enough to persuade Harken to design a smaller version to its existing range. Again, it’s a €20,000 option, but the result provides instant trim control of the large mainsail from either wheel and keeps the deck layout neat. However, caution is required around that single point sheet zone, especially when there is any slack in the sheet during a tack or gybe.

Some may question if only having two winches is impractical, but Saffier has offered Harken reversible winches on its range for years and believes in the tech. While an additional cost, they provide instant trim from either pedestal and safe easing of loaded sheets and make for an intuitive system.

With that, I give the remote buttons a nudge as we climb up into the puffy offshore breeze, then another little tickle of trim and we’re averaging 7-7.5 knots upwind at 25° in the Force 4 gusting 5.

There’s plenty of comfort for others in the huge cockpit. Sliding seating works really well, providing luxurious chaise-style seats. Photo: Sander van der Borch

Plane sailing

We then enjoy much of the rest of the morning under Code 0, with speeds between 9 knots and the early 10s while reaching, at an average of 80-90° to the true wind. The helm feels solid, with generous weather helm. You can feel this is a 12-tonne loaded boat – it doesn’t want to let loose and rip, it’s more steady, purposeful.

During some lovely long kite runs that afternoon with the large orange A2 gennaker, we consistently clock double figures in 18–21 knots breeze (wind may be over-reading a little). Saffier says the 46 can plane with over 18 knots true wind, and I note the hull releases once we hit over 10.8 knots of boat speed during a couple of the stronger gusts. However, it feels a little heavy to me, considering its shape and style – it’s stable and powerful but arguably lacks that sportiness I have enjoyed in many of Saffier’s daysailers.

Good form stability from the beamy hull despite the heavier shoal keel. Photo: Sander van der Borch

Hennevanger thinks the shoal keel makes a big difference. The 2.7m race cast iron option has a T-bulb that is nearly a tonne lighter, so should boost performance. Dennis, a former pro windsurfer and competitive racing sailor, and his brother Dean, who heads up design and engineering, inherently know how to make craft move fast, so it will be interesting to see if they add some spice to future builds.

The Saffier SL46’s keel is fixed to a galvanised steel grid, which absorbs the rig loads, a technique inspired by X-Yachts. Step below decks while under sail and it’s impressively quiet, with no noise or movement from furniture or bulkheads.

For those not on the helm, the prime spot is lazing in the leeward quarter, feet outstretched. The sliding helm seats, which link up to the aft quarter seats, work particularly well, providing proper chaise-style seats when aft. A crucial quality of the Saffier’s design is the amount of lounging deck space, particularly aft where max beam is carried (4.5m).

When we ship an additional crewmember aboard for spinnaker handling, he helps demonstrate the cockpit comfort too. The aft-facing section of the benches each side of the companionway is deep enough to give good protection from the wind, particularly if the optional windscreen is taken.

Saloon is designed for two to four in real comfort. When additional guests are aboard table extensions link to the sofa berth. Photo: Saffier Yachts

The generous cockpit (in size and comfort) includes a large fixed table on the aft end of which a huge MFD display makes it easy to see the plotter or sailing numbers from either pedestal.

The deck layout is conceived meticulously to keep it workable and tidy, down to Saffier’s trademark cupholders in the mouldings. The aft end of the benches contain tailing lockers, the cushions hinged for easy access, while deep quarter lockers include organisers to attach your dock lines or fenders to, keeping them ready to use rather than tangled in the bilges.

When you’re averaging 10 knots under kite, and all aboard are relaxed and comfortable, you quickly find yourself a long way offshore. This makes for an extended final beat home, a heeled-on-rails experience which proves this is a yacht that can be as rewarding to sail uphill. Average speeds remain steady at 7-7.5 knots, but the Saffier SL46 feels more in a groove now and lighter with the main eased more. It’s premium performance cruising.

Comfort and space is generous including the saloon with small desk on the sofa side and galley for multiple nights aboard. Photo: Saffier Yachts

A class above

The interior 0of the Saffier SL46 is all elegance, featuring light oak veneers, and white and cream upholstery contrasting with black detailing. It’s plush.

From the thick-ply mattresses and cushions, quality lighting with indirect and progressive control, to the robustly engineered latches and soft-closing mechanisms, it’s a top drawer fitout.

For a yacht with so much deck space, the Saffier is also comparatively roomy, with plenty of (Dutch-friendly) headroom right up to the forward berth and wide, tall doorways. The double aft cabins offer enough space and stowage for a few days aboard, while the third cabin can be swapped for a utility space.

Luxury styling. The forward cabin has a high berth but is comfortable with good stowage for longer stays aboard. Photo: Saffier Yachts

The heads compartment is light and airy with the toilet at a practical angle and there’s a separate shower compartment. The forward cabin, meanwhile, is really smart, including leather-topped sculpted out sections each side to help you gently ascend the high peninsula berth. Deep drawers below the berth, plus a tall hanging locker provide ample stowage.

An aft-facing desk/vanity area works well here, helping open out this master cabin rather than squeezing in a second toilet (an option). Instead, a washbasin area allows ablutions without needing to leave the cabin, though it has the same silly, shallow sink as the aft heads.

The saloon is spacious and comfortable, featuring a large table with extensions housed in dedicated stowage spaces aft. A small desk adjoins the aft end of the sofa berth, with MFD sunk into a raised panel. Equally, the galley is of a good size, including the stowage and usable refrigeration space.

More practical solutions include the machinery tunnel between the aft cabins. Saffier wanted to ensure parts that may need servicing are accessible, so this has a hatch above for engineer access and headroom, while the bright engine room has easily accessible filters.

The one or two double cabins aft are smart but with less stowage. Note the hatch above in this starboard side for easy access to systems. Photo: Saffier Yachts

Some improvements could perhaps be made, such as the 90° veneer joins and fiddles for the table and work surfaces, however finish quality is, in general, superb.

So what’s my surprise favourite feature? An integrated vacuum cleaner! Simply plug the extendable hose into the dedicated socket and it reaches all parts of the interior. Now that’s real luxury!

Family affair

It is no coincidence that this first Saffier SL46 is proudly orange. It flies the flag for Dutch quality. And it shows how far the yard has come, how much it has grown, in scale, quality and confidence (consider the design inside and out is all done in-house).

This family-run yard scaled up from building fishing boats in the early 1990s. After outgrowing its original Ijmuiden facility it bought a neighbouring one (9,000m2), where its 80 staff now builds 150-160 yachts a year. This also provides the simple answer as to why move up to such a larger size yacht – because it now can.

Sink and vanity option in the master cabin. Photo: Saffier Yachts

I visited the yard while the 46 was in mock-up stage in 2023, and again before our March sail, which gives me the conviction to say that Saffier is a leading example of how to build production yachts in 2025. Its yard is as efficient as any I’ve seen to ensure a top product.

A million euro boat

When we previewed the Saffier SL46 a year ago (June 2024), it was listed as starting at €580,000, which was already notably more than other performance yachts of this size in that issue.

The 2025 starting price of €950,000 for the Saffier SL46 is therefore a formidable increase. Hennevanger explains he wanted to offer a ready-to-sail luxury yacht that avoids excessive costly options. The standard spec includes Estec decks, Epex laminate sails, a carbon bowsprit, rod rigging, B&G instruments, electric toilet etc.

However, it’s still a (vacuum-infused) GRP boat, and the test boat has around €300,000 of extras. Those considering spending such sums on a 45-footer will need to do their comparative research, and consider if it’s worth more than, say, an Xc47 – or nearly three Pogo 44s.

Saffier SL46 specifications

LOA: 13.75m / 45ft 1in
LWL: 12.54m / 41ft 2in
Beam (Max): 4.45m / 14ft 7in
Draught: 2.20 or 2.70m / 7ft 3in or 8ft 10in
Displacement (lightship): 10,900kg / 24,030lb
Ballast: 3,200kg / 7,055lb
Sail area (100% foretriangle): 124.9m2 / 1,344ft2
Berths: 6
Engine: 57hp Yanmar saildrive
Water: 400lt / 88gal
Fuel: 220lt / 48gal
Sail area/disp ratio: 25.8
Disp/LWL ratio: 154
Price as tested: Approx €1.3m
Builder: saffieryachts.com

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Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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The post Saffier SL46 review: A true turn-key performance yacht appeared first on Yachting World.

Replacing a very successful model is a huge challenge for any boatbuilder. Is it best to take a conservative approach, opting for a similar design to the original with only incremental updates and improvements? Or should they take a much more radical line, introducing innovative features that turn long established thinking on its head?

The new Lagoon 43 has a very different hull shape to its predecessor, with much broader forward sections above the waterline. Key motivations for this were to create a charter version with four equal double cabins, all with large peninsula beds, and to move the berth in the owner’s suite to the front of the boat in three-cabin layouts, without compromising the size of the bed.

This moves it as far away as possible from noise in the cockpit, from the engines, and from busy town quays when moored stern to, as well as improving natural ventilation while sleeping. The new boat also has many smaller improvements which represents a big upgrade on the original.

But how do the changes in hull shape affect handling and performance? As with other Lagoons, I found the boat surprisingly responsive even in light winds, when it could be reliably tacked on the mainsail alone. Of course a catamaran of this size weighing a whopping 13.9 tonnes (it’s 1,800kg heavier than the Lagoon 42) will never have the direct feel of a performance yacht, yet it’s responsive to the helm and easy to point the boat where you want it.

The forward sections of each hull are much wider above the waterline, opening up options for better accommodation. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Steady sailing

Closehauled under full sail in 18-19 knots of true wind we consistently made around 7.5 knots at a true wind angle, while tacking through around 100°, although as the wind eased upwind speed fell quickly. Nevertheless, bearing away to 100° true wind angle and unfurling the Code 0 had us accelerating back to 7-7.5 knots in 12-15 knots of breeze, reducing to 6.2 knots as the true wind dropped to little more than 8 knots.

There’s noticeable acceleration as the breeze builds, yet also a reassuringly solid feel in stronger gusts. Even though this boat has huge stability Lagoon includes a fuse in the mainsheet that will release around 1m of the line if the boat is at risk of becoming overpowered. It’s a simple idea, yet could be a game changer if caught by a severe and unexpected squall.

It’s important to recognise that this is a boat for which the design brief was to maximise accommodation volumes and it’s not one intended to sail at impressive double-digit speeds downwind and reaching in strong winds. Instead, the expectation is to shorten sail early to maintain speeds of around 8 knots, with only occasional faster surfs.

The single helm station is typical Lagoon and at eye level with those sitting on the flybridge or in contact with the aft cockpit area. Photo: Ben Scheurer/EYOTY

Nevertheless in early sea trials off Les Sables d’Olonne in 30 knots and 3m waves in March last year the test team reported being able to keep full sail set.

Waterline beam is the same as for the Lagoon 42, so wetted surface area at lower boat speeds in light airs is more or less unchanged compared to the old model. Unfortunately, in the flat water conditions of my test, it was not possible to get a sense of how much the extra buoyancy above the static waterline forward will impact the boat’s motion when upwind in an uncomfortable sea state.

Sail area has been increased compared to the 42, but not by enough to offset a big increase in displacement. In lighter airs the boat proved less inspiring and in 10-12 knots of breeze the best tacking angle we could manage was 110°, with boat speed of little more than a disappointing five knots. In these conditions speed increased and the boat felt more responsive on bearing away a little and deploying the Code 0, but the sheeting angles of our test boat weren’t configured to allow this sail to be used upwind.

Reversible rear-facing cockpit seats mean you can look forward into the saloon or aft out to sea. Note bulwark gates for easy boarding/disembarking. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Boat handling

The raised helm station is typical Lagoon, with all sail controls at your fingertips, other than sheets and furling lines for reaching sails or asymmetric spinnakers. Visibility is good except when close-hauled on starboard tack and when reaching with a spinnaker or Code 0.

In common with most that are sold to private owners, our test boat was fitted with optional electric winches and an electric Harken FlatWinder system for the mainsheet traveller, making for very easy push-button sail handling. The traveller is located at the aft end of the bridge deck, keeping the mainsheet well clear of crew and guests, providing they’re not standing up on the flybridge.

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The test boat also had the benefit of a square top mainsail, which is 13% larger than the standard sail. Overall sail area has also been increased compared to the Lagoon 42, though the new boat’s greater displacement represents 15% extra weight.

Raised helm positions can be less sociable than other options given the disconnect with the aft cockpit and saloon areas. However, there’s space for three or four people around the wide helm seat, while anyone sitting on the semi-flybridge – a feature not offered on the 42 – is almost at eye level with those at the helm station.

A solid bimini that can be fitted with side screens is provided over the helm station, but there’s no option for similar shelter above the flybridge seating as the boom is too low. The helm may therefore be a more lonely place in inclement weather, or a long night watch.

The opening between saloon and cockpit is greatly enlarged. Seating here is arranged very flexibly – it can be set up to accommodate up to a dozen people for dining, or with a smaller table and ample space for lounging and sun beds. Photo: Julien Gazeau

This is compounded by the lack of a dedicated navigation station at the front of the saloon, though if on watch in inclement weather it would be possible to sit on the forward end of the saloon seating, with a pilot remote and tablet for navigation. There’s a good view forward and to each side from here, but large blind spots on each quarter.

Spending time on a Lagoon has always been about far more than just the sailing – it’s about all aspects of enjoying life on the water and the new boat has been improved in many respects. In addition to the flybridge, for instance, there’s also better forward cockpit arrangement so there are now three separate socialising areas on board.

The wide bench right aft has a reversible backrest, so you can sit looking inwards towards the aft cockpit and saloon, or aft facing out over the water. It’s the first time this has been done on any Lagoon, but it’s a really neat idea and well executed. The same is true of the new gates in the aft topsides of each hull that make stepping off onto a pontoon much easier than usual from a catamaran and can be useful for safely transferring to a tender.

The wider bows enables the master cabin berth to be moved to the front of the boat, away from cockpit and engine noise. Photo: Julien Gazeau

Multi-role living space

The changes to the hull shape allows for impressive sleeping accommodation in the hulls, with much larger forecabins, yet still space for two heads compartments with separate shower stalls in each hull, although these have folding hand basins to save space.

There’s also a refreshingly different arrangement for the owner’s accommodation in three-cabin boats, with the bed forward. This layout for owner’s versions also features on the new Lagoon 38 that was announced at boot Düsseldorf in January.

More of the master cabin berth. Photo: Julien Gazeau

“We had this idea for years,” Lagoon’s Quentin Beraut told me, “but we couldn’t do it before having the appropriate hull shape – it required a lot of work with VPLP to get a workable design with the necessary volumes.”

Another important change is that the opening between the saloon and aft cockpit is much wider than on the Lagoon 42, with a three-section sliding door and carbon reinforcement to retain strength and stiffness around the aperture. This is transformational in creating a large single inside-outside space of around 15ft by 25-30ft. This also means it’s possible to have a big dining table that seats up to a dozen people – ideal for visits from extended family – while more intimate set ups are also possible if cruising as a couple.

The feeling of space in the saloon is enhanced through moving the mast further forward than on earlier designs. The compression post is just ahead of the galley sink, where it doesn’t get in the way of the layout and is visually unobtrusive.

Saloon is bright and spacious with good views forward and to each side. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Cooking and dining

A large and well-appointed galley has extensive worktop space, a four burner gas hob, 1.5 bowl sink and very extensive refrigeration, as well as plenty of stowage, including three big under floor compartments.

The saloon table can seat as many as seven people with the cockpit door closed in inclement weather, or when using air conditioning. Roughly 50% of smaller Lagoons leave the yard with aircon fitted, although the numbers vary hugely in different markets. In the USA, BVIs and Asia the figure is close to 100%, but is much lower in Europe, even among private owners based in the Mediterranean.

Another impressive aspect is the ease with which people can circulate around the boat. We had seven on board for my first sail and it still felt very spacious, with no major choke points. It’s an important factor, as it’s possible to sleep 13 people on four-cabin versions if you specify both skipper cabins in the bows and the optional additional Pullman bed in the port aft cabin.

Lagoon 43 excels as a platform for fun in the sun. Photo: Lagoon Catamarans

On the downside, the interior has a surprising amount of plasticky trim, where more solid wood capping might be expected on a boat of this value, as well as a lot of 90° edges, rather than rounded corners. Some of these were already showing signs of wear on our test boat.

Construction throughout is of balsa core, with VPLP responsible for structural engineering, a function that was previously carried out by Lagoon in-house. Our test boat was fitted with an experimental ‘silent running’ package consisting of lithium batteries and two alternators per engine, plus 400W of solar and two vertical axis wind generators on the mast. The idea is to enable seven hours of air conditioning to be used overnight at low to medium settings, without recourse to running a generator, as well as running refrigeration and other hotel loads overnight.

There is provision for an optional generator under one of the seats in the forward cockpit. There’s also lots of on deck stowage for watersports, toys, bikes and so on, especially if the optional skipper cabins are not specified in the front of each hull.

Incidentally, the 42 remains in build, but with only one fairly well equipped specification and a four-cabin layout, which streamlines the production process. This enables Lagoon it sell it for €500,000 ex VAT, representing a saving of around €100,000 compared to the on the water price of a Lagoon 43 with a typical specification for owners on this side of the Atlantic.

Lagoon 43 specifications

LOA: 13.85m 45ft 5in
Hull length: 12.82m 42ft 1in
Beam: 7.69m 25ft 3in
Draught: 1.31m 4ft 4in
Displacement: 13,900kg 30,848lb
Upwind sail area: 105m2 1,130ft2
Air draught: 19.94m 65ft 5in
Base price: €499,000 ex VAT

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Many new launches these days aim to be lighter, faster and more open. Not so the Moody DS48. From the moment you scale the boarding ladder (via steps which fold out from the solid guardrails to surmount her deep bulwarks), and set foot on the recessed side decks, this is a boat that you are most definitely in, rather than on.

High topsides, muscular bow sections and a formidable deck house make the Moody DS48 an imposing yacht, even from the pontoon. Set all 165m2 of canvas and with 21 tonnes of boat in full motion, it becomes even more formidable.

The Solent is normally an ideal test ground for sea trials; sheltered enough to play in, yet with strong tides and a decent fetch that can kick up a steep chop. But when it came to testing the new Moody DS48, designed for long-distance passagemaking, nothing less than a Channel crossing would do. I joined the boat at Lymington in the morning, and with our crew of five decided that dinner in Alderney would make for a fitting goal – so with a booking made for 2000hrs at the Braye Beach Hotel, we had some miles to make.

For the Moody DS48 the company has continued its long association with Bill Dixon, who has a reputation for drawing seaworthy, high volume hulls with a good turn of speed. DS stands for Deck Saloon, the first of the range being the DS45 launched in 2007, and followed by the Moody 41DS. The newest 48 is an evolution of the concept.

Simon Coles, senior designer at Dixon Yacht Design says, “We set out to draw a boat that maximised the inside-outside feeling of single-level living, while handling the extra displacement from all the kit people want with them on a world-cruising boat.” He also explains how the aft shape is designed to cope with the added displacement “without dragging the transom”, and that the relatively deep forefoot should prove sea-kindly.

Large hull with generous displacement moves through the gears easily using the self-tacking jib. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Stately progress

Slipping Lymington, we were soon in the grip of a strong ebb, whipping us out past the Needles with little more than 5 knots of true wind from the south-east, but thanks to the 150hp Yanmar, we were making more than 9 knots over the ground.

Once clear of the Isle of Wight, we had near 10 knots from the south east allowing us to shape a course straight for Alderney. All being well, the tide would slosh us west, then east, before plonking us just outside Braye spot-on slack water.

The high topsides include a full length soft chine. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

With a fetch ahead of us, the optional 87m2 overlapping genoa set beautifully, giving useful extra drive compared to the self-tacking jib, while being more versatile than a Code 0. As with most boats equipped with a self-tacking jib, the mast is positioned well forward, with a large mainsail. Our test boat had in-mast furling fitted, with full vertical battens in a cruising laminate main.

As the breeze built, boat speed climbed from 6 to 8 knots, touching 9.5 knots over the ground with a knot or so of tide helping us along. After making smooth and stately progress across an unusually flat English Channel, the clouds closed in and the first rain squall picked the wind up to 20 knots, drenching us in the process. We swapped from genoa to self-tacking jib and continued on an almost entirely even keel.

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While those handling sails got a bit wet, the extendable canopy afforded some shelter at the wheel, and complete shelter for any crew cowering in the cockpit. The other benefit of the large coachroof is that it offers enough space for the optional 800W of solar panels that our test boat was fitted with. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew kept a lookout from the warmth and shelter of the deck saloon.

Deep bulwarks and solid guardrails feel really secure. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Easy handling

Sail handling proved easy on the Moody DS48, with powered Lewmar 65 winches either side, and a second manual 55 winch (powered optional). Each wheel pedestal has duplicate switches for the mainsail furler, genoa furler, and two powered winches, so that sails can be furled, unfurled and sheeted without leaving the wheel. The winches sit atop the cockpit coamings, so can be handled from in the cockpit, or from standing on the side decks, though the overhanging canopy slightly obstructs working the winch when on the side deck.

The only task we actually picked up a winch handle for during the trip was to add backstay tension to the three-spreader fractional rig to deal with a bit of forestay sag when the jib was sheeted in hard.

The breeze was far from settled, requiring frequent adjustments to the sailplan to keep us powered up, and as we hit the east-going traffic, another squall reduced visibility to less than a mile while the wind crept up to 35 knots, giving us 42 knots over the deck.

Sail handling can be done from a protected position. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Two button-pushes left us with just a scrap of mainsail and two thirds of the jib deployed. As the chop built, this lacked a little power to keep us going, but the motion was comfortable and we were still making progress of 6 knots or so. It also gave us the chance to sample how well the boat handled moderate waves – nothing huge, though enough to send spray flying over the bow. Occasional steeper waves hit the bow with a thud, but the DS48 ploughed on unperturbed.

By the time we’d dodged some shipping, the wind was on the nose and Alderney was on the horizon. Not wanting a protracted beat, the jib was furled away and we motorsailed at 8 knots boat speed: the optional larger 150hp Yanmar engine consuming 7.5-8lt of diesel an hour at 2,100rpm.

Deep and well sheltered cockpit is on the same level as the saloon. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Overnight in Alderney

Arriving in Braye still in sunshine, we hailed the water taxi, though if we’d a tender in the garage (up to 2.8m), we could have swung it out on the integral davit arm. Dinner ashore was everything we had hoped, before I retired to the master cabin in the bow.

A large island berth of over 2m long and 1.87m wide sits on the centreline, offering views out of the hull windows. Standing, there’s palatial amounts of space to move around, yet without feeling too exposed at sea, and stowage has been fitted into every available space, with three wardrobes, and numerous smaller lockers and drawers. The en-suite has a separate shower compartment, more locker space and an electric-flush toilet.

Big all-round windows allow plenty of light. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The starboard VIP twin cabin features two generous singles with its own large en-suite, hull window and ventilation hatch in the side deck. A double to port has access to the day heads and shower. This can alternatively be set up as a bunk cabin or utility space, with or without the third heads compartment, which otherwise becomes further stowage. A large double can also be created in the saloon by lowering the table and adding an infill cushion.

The following morning we awoke to a strong, gusty south-westerly that would be rubbing the tide up the wrong way for most of the crossing home. We set off with most of the genoa out and a partially reefed main in a solid Force 5, but before long we’d furled more of the genoa away and were broad reaching in 20-26 knots of wind at 7.5 to 9 knots through the water.

With the short, steep seas building to 2-3m with breaking crests, the autopilot was working hard, and once or twice let the boat round up when things got too much – time spent adjusting the settings would probably correct this.

Light spills into the saloon and same-level galley. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Having taken the steering in hand, it inevitably turned into a competition to see who could get the highest speed. Inspiration Marine’s Phil Dollin held the record of 12.3 knots for almost the whole crossing, pipped only in the closing miles by a lucky surge while I was at the helm, nudging 12.6 knots. In flatter water inside the Solent, a maximum speed of 9.3 knots, close reaching in 12 knots of breeze, is a truer reflection of the boat’s speed potential.

Rough weather test

The rough weather certainly gave us a good insight into what the boat is really like to helm and sail. The deep single rudder offered plenty of grip and in flat water would happily bear away with full sail pinned in hard. Only once, when a breaking wave caught its stern did the Moody DS48 round up, though not badly. It is, however, a more physical boat to helm in these conditions on a broad reach than a lighter boat might be. The plus side is that despite its substantial displacement, the boat is still fun to sail and the helm responsive enough to reward properly trimmed sails and to keep her in the groove upwind by feel.

The forward double cabin offers plenty of space. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

The conditions also demonstrated the true value of the deck saloon. The crew distributed themselves around the boat – the stern seats made a great place from which to helm or to view the action, though I’d have liked some armrests amidships to break up the wide stretch of flat seat. The deep cockpit felt brilliantly secure and offered seamless connection with the saloon and galley. Beside the full-height sliding door, a slide-down window meant a steady stream of food and hot drinks could be passed straight from the galley to those on deck. The only thing lacking was somewhere to hang dripping foulies and lifejackets when coming inside.

The saloon – not really ‘below decks’ – remained light, warm and supremely comfortable, while offering all-round views to make watch-keeping in shelter entirely feasible. This, combined with the boat’s steady motion and low heeling angles, made a potentially gruelling Channel crossing into an exciting but entirely manageable day sail. The Moody DS48 is a boat that takes the brunt of the weather so you don’t have to.

The starboard VIP twin cabin features two generous singles. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Practical considerations

The layout on our test Moody DS48 had a dual-purpose table to port. From the aft seat, looking forwards, VHF radio, autopilot and throttle controls are immediately to hand, with space to wield a paper chart on the table. Serious passage-makers might be tempted to opt for the dedicated navigation station positioned forwards, close to the windscreen. This gives better all-round views while offering more space for chart stowage and for instruments, though you lose a possible sea berth and two seats for guests at dinner.

In either configuration, I’d have liked an additional pair of hatches at the forward corners of the coachroof to make it easier to look up at the sails, as well as aiding ventilation.

Below the cabin sole, the upgraded 150hp Yanmar fitted easily, alongside a generator, double fuel polishers, inverter, air conditioning and diesel heating.

Moving aft, the two cockpit lockers are cavernous, needing steps to get all the way down into them. These house the steering gear and autopilot – it’s an option to have two fitted for redundancy, one to each side. There’s also a washing machine, plus more than enough space for bikes, tools, and assorted toys. In the transom seat, you can either have a handy shallow locker, or a gas grill and fridge. Rope tails from the winches stow neatly in deep rope bins in the coaming, though some stowage for cups and binoculars was missing.

Moving through the gears easily under genoa. Photo: Richard Langdon/Ocean Images

Moody DS48 specifications

LOA: 15.42m 50ft 7in
Hull length: 14.65m 48ft 1in
LWL: 13.83m 45ft 4in
Beam: 4.85m 15ft 11in
Draught: 2.15m 7ft 1in (shoal 1.80m 5ft 11in)
Displacement: 21,160kg 46,650lb
Ballast: 6,175kg 13,614lb
Sail area (main + jib): 130.90m2 1,409ft2
Engine: Yanmar 110hp (150hp option)
Fuel tank: 570lt / 125gal
Water tank: 766lt / 168gal
Sail area/displacement ratio: 17.4
Displacement/LWL ratio: 187.5
Price as tested: £1,026,841
Builder: moody-yachts.com

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There are very few times I feel the need to video the scene from a day on the water simply to brag to my friends. But standing in the master cabin of the stealthy Wallywhy 200, watching the foiling AC75s Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand streak past while warming up for America’s Cup battle, was a moment to savour – and one that had me reaching for my phone camera.

Why am I talking about the Why – it’s a motoryacht? Yes, the Wallywhy 200 is another revolutionary, achingly hip Wally. To experience that view from a master cabin – a sumptuously furnished one with near 360° surround vision – within the motoryacht’s snub-nosed plumb bow was mind-boggling. As was watching the day’s Cup matches over lunch from the covered flybridge. But after racing the experience was over: we just motored back to port. All of which helped me realise just how special its sailing yacht counterpart is.

The following day we watched the next round of match races from this first new Wallywind 110, Galma. While it may have lacked the auto stabilisation and positioning of the Wallywhy, comfort levels were similarly resplendent on deck – if not more so.

And despite the excitement of being so close to the live America’s Cup racing, it is the sailing experience afterwards which remains so much more memorable. Taking the wheel of this formidable 70-tonne pinup, when it’s heeled, loaded and scything upwind in double digits, was sublime.

This is more than simply a sail/power preference.

Both boats are the height of style in their respective fields, both are new Wally models of similar size (90ft and 110ft) which prove Wally is still a pioneer of carbon craft, and both days were exclusive experiences. But while the other support and spectator boats returned to dock after racing, we went sailing on Galma – an experience which even transcended achieving a lifetime dream of watching the America’s Cup from the water.

‘Galma prioritises the experience of being on the helm’. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Wally vision

The slogan of the cult Italian design brand is ‘20 years ahead’, which feels far fetched until you see an example: in Barcelona the 19-year-old 143ft Esense still looked contemporary as it stole the dockside limelight near the Kiwis’ base. Wally has prided itself on innovation over its three decades, notably with carbon fibre hulls with lifting keels, push-button short-handed sailing, and transoms offering a ‘terrace-on-the-sea’.

For me, it is that ability for one person to easily sail and trim such a large high-speed vessel which remains so impressive today. In the photos here, the white-haired Wally founder Luca Bassani is still doing it, at the helm by himself, a beacon of Italian cool.

As I was to discover in Barcelona, Galma prioritises that experience of being on the helm to an elevated level. But it also brings plenty more to the party (a glance at the cockpit will show you that it can literally host a party). Which brings us to why Bassani calls this the “best Wally ever delivered”. When you look back over 30 years of trendsetters such as Wallygator, WallyB, Tiketitan, Magic Carpet, the Wallynano, Esense – even the now much-imitated Wallytender – why is this the best?

Galma has the sailpower and performance to offer something truly special for those on the wheel. She has already clocked speeds in the early 20-knots with upwind sails. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

“For the design and performance mix over 30 years of learning… this is the best compromise between cruising and performance.

“This has always been my goal with Wally,” Bassani continues. “To produce boats which are fast or fun for the owner but also comfortable for going cruising.”

Wallywind 110 first impressions

Galma is the first of Wally’s new semi-custom series of 110-150ft Wallywind performance cruisers, launched under its parent Ferretti brand. The metallic blue hull is a Judel/Vrolijk design moulded from carbon fibre composite. Initially on the renders I admit to not fully appreciating the look – is it special enough, the sceptic in me wondered? But then I saw it in the flesh, sailed it and my mind changed dramatically.

The high bulwarks, bare carbon and curved teak styling are all very Wally. But the reverse sheer aft is a striking feature which helps you to feel safe within the boat, all while reducing freeboard height. This muscly but low silhouette is important, the bulwarks helping to disguise a proper raised saloon coachroof and the cockpit depth, cloaking its size when seen from the side.

The drawback is it means there’s not enough headroom to offer a master cabin aft. However the layout is arguably the optimum for crew/owner separation at this size, and once this decision was made the conception of the vast cockpit could germinate properly.

‘At a glance the cockpit will show you that it can literally host a party’. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

And this is the real game-changing aspect of the Wallywind: deck comfort. Galma offers 80m2 lounging space, including tables, sofas and sunpads with a flush level guest cockpit completely separated from the sailing systems.

Then there’s the sea terrace, another much-imitated feature that Wally pioneered, which is palatial here.

To transfer a guest while we were under sail, Galma’s Wallytender simply nosed up to the transom so that he could step off.

Bassani explains that the design of the wide, overhanging transom also helps bring speed gains. They realised this potential after lengthening the Wallycento Hamilton, which then became 0.5 knot quicker upwind, he says. So rather than building a new mould for the Wallywind 110, the mould for the previous Wally, the custom-built 101ft cruiser-racer Y3K, was extended with overhangs aft.

Shore power, mooring winches, deck wash etc are all hidden away under the wide bulwark coamings. Note the outboard facing sofas. Photos: Gilles Martin-Raget

Galma is potently rigged, with a 1.5m taller mast than Y3K. The owner wanted a high-performance package, opting for a telescopic keel and square-top mainsail (although Bassani feels the self-tacking jib is a little
under specced as it’s a furling model with soft battens).

Not just pretty

Not long after the Kiwis had gone 4-0 up in the Cup, and the support fleet had dispersed into port, Galma quickly changed from hosting to thrill mode. We were treated to ideal, flat water conditions, and from when the sails were hoisted, unfurled and trimmed to shipped again, we never seemed to drop below double figures.

“What we can call the cockpit on this boat is like a cockpit on a big motoryacht – 80m2 with no steps,” says Luca Bassani. Photos: Gilles Martin-Raget

It was a pure demonstration of big yacht performance. This powerful, beamy hull matched the 11-14 knot breeze on a fetch, comfortably in cruise mode with numerous guests aboard.

Bassani then invited me to helm first. Wow! This is a commanding machine fully powered up. Again we consistently matched the 12-13 knot wind strength sailing close hauled at 25° to the apparent. Once the sails are trimmed and balanced, it’s just two fingers on the wheel and feeling this slippery machine cutting to weather leaving no wake.

Bear away to a fetch and you really feel the power. The twin rudders give plenty of grip but at the helm you gain a reassuring degree of weatherhelm, while speeds rise into the early teens.

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The overriding impression is the ease and enjoyment of sailing such a big boat solo. For the helmsman to feel the carbon hull move through the water and be able to trim to each puff as if on a large daysailer is special. Again, it’s a Wally speciality.

The use of Magic Trim rams below deck to make trimming a push-button affair was another Wally first, which it introduced with hydraulic specialists Cariboni on the Wally 88 Tiketitan in 1998. Aboard Galma there’s a technical locker below the helm area to access these rams, as well as the two carbon quadrants.

While sitting out to weather demonstrating the windward helm position, Bassani points out that there’s 12 of us on board, yet we aren’t even using the guest cockpit. It’s at this point I notice something unusual.

Toby on the helm sailing off Barcelona

I’ve sailed many large yachts and the majority of performance-focussed ones in latter years have been very beamy with near flush decks. When they heel, they can look almost comical, as guests scramble for places to hold on and invariably end up resting against the windward side of the coachroof (if there is one) or sitting on the weather rail as if race crew. It’s hardly glamorous.

Not so here. The cockpit has high backrests and can seat plenty, but there are multiple other comfortable positions, particularly the seats which face outboard from the cockpit – I soon found myself wondering why these are not a standard feature on many larger yachts. Meanwhile the high bulwarks and wind-protected sea terrace provide more options to leeward.

There are a total of 52 cushions on deck, so to prevent the need to stow them at heel or risk losing any overboard, they are securely attached with pins into deck sockets. The majority of the cockpit can also be sun-shaded with a sprayhood and bimini. With plenty to hold onto and ample spaces to sit in comfort, it’s refreshingly at odds with many large performance yachts these days.

The impressive owner’s cabin. Photo: Toni Meneguzzo

I’ve sailed off Barcelona plenty of times but have never ticked off stretches of its coastline quite so effortlessly. Twin blade rudders help control the near 700m2 of upwind sail area, while Galma’s pointing ability is aided by its telescopic keel. As standard this would be a 4.5m fixed keel, where this can lower another 2.3m deeper.

Screens lift out of the bulwark to allow you to see the numbers clearly while on the helm. There are also repeaters on the rear side of the guest cockpit chairs, which I found handy with the sprayhood raised as that can hinder the view to the main mast base instruments.

Skipper Miguel ran the Frers designed Wally 94 before (the former Y3K), the owner’s second of three Wallys, and comments on just how different this Galma is. The tech space and engine room are so much better, he says. He admits to having been nervous of the increased loads – it’s a much, much bigger boat, but the accurate load cells and the reliability of the systems have brought peace of mind. Indeed he is now trying to convince his owner to race.

The benefit of using that full beam aft to prioritise deck space over accommodation is also felt in the vast garage below the aft deck. As is common for Wally clients, Galma’s owner uses an independently-operated Wallytender to flank the mothership, so this garage is more a of a well appointed lazarette. It houses a deflated 3.5m crew dinghy, and has space for all fenders, extra refrigeration, bimini storage and numerous toys, with a watertight bulkhead sealing it from the accommodation.

Light interior, with light oak and soft fabrics. Galma features a table for eight in its saloon, with deep sofas opposite and a well-stocked bar forward. Photo: Toni Meneguzzo

Privacy and quiet

With such a cockpit, the saloon becomes less relevant, yet plenty of that 7.6m beam is still felt in the raised saloon. Wally’s design team developed the deck and interior with the Santa Maria Magnolfi studio, bringing a feeling of style continuity.

The layout below decks is a tried and tested format for a performance superyacht of this size, with an owner’s cabin forward, and galley and crew area with its own access aft. It’s an arrangement that’s most practical for the crew, gives maximum segregation to the owners, who are kept away from noise especially when Med-mooring, and works particularly well here with the deck cockpit and layout already described.

Two or three guest cabins can be chosen. Galma has the latter, which sees a guest cabin forward of the saloon too, leaving a relatively modest en-suite master cabin. Otherwise, the semi-custom format of the Wallywind 110 offers the chance to extend that owner cabin, replacing the fourth cabin with extra en-suite space.

There is also a multipurpose area, which can be office or TV snug, or, in Galma’s case, a sumptuously stocked bar. It’s something more fitting of Barcelona’s famous Sips or Paradiso cocktail bars than a high-performance yacht, but when you commission a boat out of as much carbon as possible, I guess you get to choose a few displacement concessions.

One of three guest cabins. Photo: Toni Meneguzzo

In terms of finish, the light veneers, fabric and upholstery featured on the Wallywind 110 are modest and tasteful, neutral and natural, contrasting with more strident black carbon soles and detailing. These clear-coat soles may look slick, but were already showing numerous dents. The carbon door stops meanwhile – which operate hands-free by popping up when you press them with your toe – are genius!

The crew area works hard, with its long, narrow mess and practical U-shaped galley. Galma runs with four permanent crew, taking on an extra hand when guests are aboard. The separate crew companionway aft leads from the sailing systems straight to a chart table at its foot.

I also appreciated how the area has been well thought out for multipurpose use – the mess table can be used for ironing, while the navstation stool adjoins the mess when the extra crewmember is aboard. The large electrics panels opposite are well organised for accessing, monitoring and troubleshooting the 24V systems and fuses, and the bilges offer deep and plentiful dry goods stowage spaces.

A prime benefit of a raised saloon is the ability to house the majority of the machinery below, which then frees up accommodation space. The engine room is seated headroom only but enjoys near full beam. Here, a 425hp Cummins engine is flanked by 27kW gensets each side, both with PTOs (power take offs) to deliver power to the hotel loads or hydraulics. A 125lt hydraulic oil tank feeds the winches, keel, and Magic Trim systems. The engineer pointed out how they’ve deliberately doubled up on all the major systems for redundancy.

Galma is powerfully rigged with a Hall Spars mast, ECsix rigging and a North wardrobe that includes square-top main, storm jib, code 0 and A-sail. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Forward thinking

The second Wallywind 110 is due to launch this summer, while the Wallyrocket 51ft raceboat is already sailing. So what do the next 20 years ahead look like, I ask Bassani?

“The next thing is to apply the concept of this boat on different sizes,” by which he refers to the Wallywind’s deck layout and cockpit comfort which is comparable to a motoryacht.

I think back to when the first Wally yachts started to emerge in the glitzy Med harbours in the late 1990s. I was working on a superyacht, and had never seen anything like it. They literally redefined cool – quite literally, when you consider what was for English-speakers a dorky slang term.

To have also continually brought big new ideas to the superyacht world, while remaining at the forefront of style for three decades, is unique.

Sailing upwind on Galma in cruise mode with bimini up – still a thrill and easy to trim and enjoy with a small crew. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Galma may not be the fastest racer or most finely-built cruiser but, like many from the Wally stable, it offers a fiendishly enticing mix. Is the Wallywind 110 the best Wally ever? I’ll leave that for the man who has conceived them to call. But it certainly allows me to unashamedly keep calling Wally the coolest brand in our sport.

Wallywind 110 specifications

LOA: 33.40m / 109ft 7in
Beam: 7.60m / 24ft 11in
Draught (fixed keel): 4.50m / 14ft 9in
Displacement (light): 71,900kg / 158,511lb
Sail area: 635m2 / 6,385ft2
Design: Judel/Vrolijk, Wally, Santa Maria Magnolfi

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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We’re sailing the Contest 63CS upwind on a glorious late autumn day in the Balearics, in supreme comfort and with minimal heel, yet maintaining 6.5-7.1 knots of boat speed in only 8 knots of true breeze. The helm has a lovely light, direct feel and I’m able to fine tune sail trim instantly from a comprehensive bank of controls for the electric and hydraulic sail handling systems on the wheel pedestals.

Yet this is not a lightweight and pared-down daysailer or weekend. It’s a high-end 32-tonne cruising yacht with spacious accommodation, refined aesthetics and the ability to go anywhere in the world in style.

I sailed the Contest 63CS over two days in a fairly wide range of conditions with windspeed ranging from as little as four knots through to gusts in the upper teens.

Contest 63CS performance in these light to moderate breezes proved astounding for a boat of this size and weight, though my test boat had the benefit of substantial upgrades over the standard specification. This includes a taller three-spreader carbon mast with textile standing rigging, furling V-boom, deeper 3.5m draught, North 3Di main and headsail, plus Helix Code 0 and A2 asymmetric spinnaker.

Performance underscores the potential of the design. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

These upgrades greatly raise the cost of this yacht above the base price, and the deep draught certainly won’t suit every owner, but my notes repeatedly point to just how well this boat sails in this configuration.
We also spent a lot of time sailing with the Code 0 at a variety of wind angles and speeds.

While close reaching at 45-55° to the apparent wind we consistently sailed at the true wind speed in only 6-8 knots of breeze. When the true wind increased to 9 knots we accelerated to 9-9.5 knots, and topped 10 knots when it built to 14.

It’s not so long ago that many more traditional serious cruising designs would have barely been getting going in 8-10 knots of breeze, let alone pushing close to hull speed, so these are very impressive figures for such a comfortable yacht.

The performance of this tricked-up Contest is formidable, particularly under Code and A-sails. Photo: Sailing Energy

Power on tap

Of course, close reaching with a Code 0 in light airs has potential to generate a lot of apparent wind, which boosts speed in a virtuous circle as the faster you go the greater the apparent wind you generate. How quick is the Contest 63CS upwind under only main and jib? As the breeze built boat speed close-hauled increased to 8.1 knots in 12.5 knots true.

By this time we were well powered up – not surprising given the apparent wind speed was now approaching 20 knots – but this design is reassuringly easy to depower.

In particular, the powerful Reckmann hydraulic backstay, plus forestay load cell, fitted to the test boat makes for quick and effortless adjustment, as well as reliable and repeatable settings across different conditions.

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Alternatively, when steering by hand it’s easy to feather up a couple of degrees in gusts to depower and we had no problems close-hauled under full sail in 15 knots true. It still produced the same lovely feel on the helm with the pressure just starting to build as the heel angle increased.

The test boat was equipped with a 106% overlapping headsail, but a self-tacking sail, with a recessed track, is also offered. Similarly, there’s the option for permanent or removable inner forestays for a heavy weather jib. We had the latter, which makes for easy tacks when sailing with the larger headsail in lighter airs.

The 63CS Blue Vision is sporty for its size – you don’t want to relinquish the helm! Note: primary winch positions aren’t ideal for short-handing. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Control stations

A lot of thought, knowledge and experience has gone into the helm stations. These have generous rotating seats that adjust fore and aft, while big folding foot chocks make for a comfortable helming position sitting on the coaming when helming upwind, from where there’s an excellent view of the luff of the jib and spinnakers.

Big pedestals at both helm stations have plenty of space for MFDs and instrumentation, plus controls for the hydraulic furlers and other switch gear, as well as the retractable bow and stern thrusters. There’s also a ‘panic’ button that stops all the winches and hydraulics from operating, an important safety feature.

Rupert on the wheel with double helm seat which rotates to make use of aft deck. Photo: Ben Scheurer/EYOTY

Our best speed of the test was with the asymmetric spinnaker in 19 knots and at 120º to the true wind. We hit 10.6 knots, with the boat feeling powered up, but still with no worries about remaining in control. It’s very noticeable that, unlike the majority of cruising monohulls, the performance potential of this boat is such that you’re apparent wind sailing a lot of the time.

This boosts boat speed, but also brings the advantage that, if things unexpectedly become too exciting, bearing away will significantly reduce the apparent wind and thereby restore a sense of calm and order.

Sunken guest cockpit for up to eight. Photo: Ben Scheurer/EYOTY

Easy handling

The Contest 63CS deck layout is arranged for remarkably easy handling, with the electric winches and optional hydraulic furlers on our test boat taking almost all the effort out of sail handling. The only major exception for boats with overlapping headsails is the location of the primary winches.

These are outboard of the helm stations and within easy reach of the driver, but a second crewmember handling the sheets may need to do so from the lee side deck. This is of course not an issue for boats with the self-tacking jib option, which further simplifies sail handling, especially when short-handed.

The mainsheet is taken to a central pedestal and winch a little forward of the helm stations. Anyone working aft of this pedestal should therefore be clear of the mainsheet in manoeuvres. Other lines are taken aft to jammers and winches on the coamings abaft the helm stations.

Big coachroof windows and slim mullions maximise the amount of natural light finding its way into the saloon. Photo: Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Our test Contest 63CS had no provision for stowing rope tails, although the large aft deck area is slightly lower than the side decks, so lines can be stowed flaked there.

The guest cockpit is ahead of the wheels and a couple of steps lower than the helm area, which gives it more shelter, while also improving forward visibility from the wheels. This area seats up to eight people on two L-shaped benches with a table each side and folding leaves to join them in the middle for dining.

A further aft cockpit area behind the helm stations has three neat folding wooden seats on the rails and rotating the helm seats to face aft makes this another sociable space. It’s a format that makes very effective use of all the space above the aft cabin and the boat feels unusually spacious on deck, even by the standards of monohulls of this size, with the only downside being the three different levels of cockpit sole.

Vented locker immediately next to the companionway steps is for foul-weather gear. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Refined finery

Five easy steps lead down from the forward cockpit area into a raised full-width saloon with lovely ambience and space. Interior design is by Wetzels Brown Partners of Amsterdam, which has worked with Contest for more than 10 years. Key priorities for this model were to maximise volume, natural light and ventilation, while the stunning cut wood rounded corners that first featured on the Contest 72CS a decade ago are also included.

The yard also refined production processes for the Contest 63CS and in doing so was able reduce the space between the hull sides and furniture that’s otherwise wasted. This frees up more interior volume, helping to create the feel of a very large 63-footer that belies this design’s excellent sailing qualities.

Big hull and coachroof windows, together with compact mullions, maximise natural light while also offering a much-improved view, whether you’re sitting or standing in the saloon. Contest has also worked hard to improve the indirect lighting throughout the interior.

Well appointed galley is in the passageway between saloon and owner’s cabin. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Natural ventilation in the saloon is primarily via two overhead hatches, though the test boat lacks an opening port in the forward-facing windows. Other neat touches that make a big difference to life on board include a ventilated locker for foul-weather gear next to the companionway.

An excellent large galley is aft to port in the passageway to the owner’s cabin. It’s impressively thought out with lots of worktop space, plenty of stowage and a GN Espace induction hob, electric oven and cooker hood, plus dishwasher, boiling water tap, coffee machine and a bar with wine fridge at the saloon end.

Two equal double cabins, one each side forward of the main bulkhead, both have big en suites. The port side bathroom has a door to a small skipper’s cabin or sail locker that also has direct access to the foredeck via steps. Cushions for the two berths here can be used for a foredeck sunbed when the cabin is not in use.

Large owner’s cabin aft with its increased light and views through larger hull portlights. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Natural light

The owner’s cabin aft is a large and very welcoming space lit by a pair of hull windows each side, representing a marked improvement on the single windows of previous Contest models. Both natural light and the feeling of space are enhanced by mirrors on the bulkhead immediately aft of the windows that reflect a lot of light back into the boat. In addition, Contest’s option for its unique central window in the bulkhead to the tender garage gives great views of scenic anchorages when the dinghy is afloat.

Stowage is neatly arranged, though on boats with a stern thruster owners might struggle for space on a long cruise as it takes up all the space under the bed. The excellent en suite, however, has plenty of stowage space as well as a separate shower stall and washer-dryer.

One of the two compact double cabins sited forward of the main bulkhead. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Prospective owners should find it reassuring that since 1972 every Contest yacht has left the yard with a Lloyd’s Register Hull Construction Certificate. This covers hull, keel, rudder and hull-to-deck connection and requires plans and structural engineering calculations to be scrutinised and approved before construction commences. Each boat is then inspected by Lloyds surveyors two or three times during the build.

Hull and decks are built of closed-cell foam sandwich with a multi-stage Vinylester infusion process, with strategic use of carbon, while bulkheads are also foam sandwich. The hull stays in the mould until after bulkheads and other stiffening is in place and is post-cured at temperatures above 60° for 24 hours.

An engineering space below the raised saloon houses batteries and tanks, which are positioned low down in the middle of the boat.

Owner’s cabin en suite with a separate shower stall. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

In addition, a locker next to the companionway houses the twin parallel engine fuel filters. These are fitted with vacuum gauges that help diagnose fuel supply issues and valves that enable the spare filter to be instantly switched into use. This is such an important safety feature, especially if a fuel filter becomes blocked in confined waters, that it really ought to be standard on any boat.

Each wheel is independently connected to the rudder, so if one element of the system fails the boat can still be controlled from the other wheel. This arrangement also enables two independent pilot systems to
be permanently installed, facilitating an easy switch between primary and secondary pilots.

A decent dinghy is essential for long-term cruising. The generously sized tender garage will take a 3.4m (11ft 2in) boat that’s hauled in longitudinally with the aid of a winch and then rotated 90°. Equally, tankage is substantial, with more than 1,500lt of fuel and over 1,000lt of fresh water.

Large volume hull with 18ft beam and plenty of power when the breeze gets up. Photo: Sailing Energy

Contest 63CS specifications

LOA (including sprit): 20.54m / 67ft 5in
Hull length: 19.29m / 63ft 4in
LWL: 17.85m / 58ft 7in
Beam: 5.50m / 18ft 0in
Draught (standard keel): 2.90m / 9ft 6in
Displacement: 31,900kg / 70,327lb
Ballast (standard keel): 12,000kg / 26,456lb
Fuel: 1,560lt / 344gal
Water: 1,150lt / 253gal
Engine: 125kW / 168hp
Sail area/displacement ratio: 23.3
Disp/LWL ratio: 156
Price as tested: approx €3.5m
Builder: contestyachts.com

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The post Contest 63CS review: Superyacht-level finish appeared first on Yachting World.

The definition of the best luxury yacht will differ according to personal opinion and from boat to boat. This year’s nominees in the luxury yacht category of the European Yacht of the Year Awards proved that perfectly.

The European Yacht of the Year awards are selected by a broad panel of expert judges from across the globe. These are people who spend their professional lives sailing and comparing yachts, so you can be certain that the yachts which stand out in this field are truly the best of the best on the market.

Best Luxury Yacht 2025

Best luxury yacht 2025 winner – Contest 63CS

This is a class act, a premium, modern-day cruising yacht which concentrates this family-run Dutch yard’s decades of experience into a contemporary, beautifully finished design.

Our test boat also provided memorable, enriching sailing performance. The test boat had many expensive optional extras, including a full selection of performance sails, a taller rig and a deeper keel, because its experienced Italian owner wants to do some offshore races. When the mainsail seemed to endlessly exit the in-boom furler, a push-button operation from the skipper, it made me appreciate how big a yacht this is to handle.

It’s right on the limit of owner operation – it’s possible, but more feasible with a standard rig and sail area. The experienced crew we had aboard gave us the reassurance to help get the most out of it. Just 8-10 knots breeze was enough to induce heel and really power her up, revealing an impressively potent machine. I was also impressed with how quickly you can get from marina to active sailing.

The test talks about performance and ease of trimming using intelligent push-button controls.

The hydraulic Code furler douses 225m2/2,422ft2 of sail in only seven seconds, for example. There is good visibility from the raised helms, however the payoff is that these are exposed if spending long periods on the wheel when cruising.

The interior is stunning and we particularly liked the optional ribbed timber finish on the bulkheads. Top features include the tall hanging locker on one side of the companionway and fuel filters easily accessed on the other, the large, long deep galley, useful sail locker-cum-crew cabin and, of course, the views from the owner’s suite aft.

As close to a superyacht as it gets at this size, the 63CS exudes serious quality. Despite its size and displacement, the Contest’s rewarding sailing stands out (particularly on the performance-enhanced test boat). It’s the definitive luxury cruiser for 2025.

Heyman 42PPH

If the Moody 48DS could have made it to the trials we’d have had an interesting duel of modern pilot saloon cruisers.

As it was, the Heyman 42PPH (‘pocket pilothouse’) shone, a design I have followed for years. Gabriel Heyman poured his vast experience and passion into it, creating a couple’s cruiser (with the largest cockpit you’ll find at this size), teeming with original ideas. Most of these concepts impressed our jury, some still need tweaking.

This two-cabin yacht is designed for two to live aboard in supreme comfort by fluently combining monohull and multihull features. In my full report in YW December 2024, I noted how it brings a lot of fresh thinking, including beach-house style inside-outside living, in what Heyman promotes as “a level of comfort offered by few, if any, boats under 55ft”.

It performs as both a shoal draught coastal yacht and a bluewater cruiser which feels dependable under sail and provides excellent protection in its vast and deep cockpit.

In the end, though, we felt a few areas of this niche design could still be improved, such as engine and mechanical access. So it was only eclipsed for the award by another North European design, which is the very definition of this category.

Best luxury yacht winner 2024 – Arcona 50

When you enter the fiercely competitive 50ft luxury performance yacht market you better get it right. And the jury felt Arcona managed that. This watershed design for the traditional Swedish brand, by X-Yachts co-founder and former designer Niels Jeppesen, is a big, contemporary new Arcona, one that sees it move away from its cruiser-racer heritage and classic interiors.

The on trend styling inside and out is backed up by a premium level of build and finish quality and sailing performance – particularly if you have the performance sails, traveller and deep (2.95m) keel options the test boat carried, although the latter does limit your berthing and anchoring options.

While I doubt it’ll be raced or will suit typical bluewater use, it offers a purity of performance push-button sailing: a handsome prospect upwind in a light breeze, it transforms into a powerful reaching machine with stacks of control.

As chairman of our jury, Jochen Rieker, puts it: “The boat certainly did not win for her somewhat borrowed looks. She wins by checking all the boxes in all other respects. Slipping along gracefully in the lightest of airs, holding her stride and her balance in more demanding conditions, offering warmth, light and this reassuring feeling of utter quality down below – there simply isn’t anything to fault.”

Contest 50CS

The Contest 50CS, for example, is an archetype luxury cruising yacht, one built to the highest standards and that could take you to most waters in impeccable comfort. This model is, uniquely, available in two versions: this more conventional 50CS with aft master cabin, or the forward owner’s suite version on the aft cockpit Contest 49CS. We ran a full test on the latter after spending two days aboard in the North Sea, where that noticeably high freeboard, which may not aid boarding nor windage, helped keep us dry on deck in a steady Force 6 gusting 7.

As the 50CS proved, this Judel/Vrolijk design keeps slipping along in the light stuff too, providing enjoyable sailing in 6 knots breeze under a code sail. The centre cockpit offers a deep protected guest area, but also links well to the spacious aft deck.

And the Wetzels-Brown-designed interiors of Contests today are stunning and hard to match. The engineering, access to usable stowage, details and finish on the 50CS is first class and to get this level of quality at this size is special.

XC 47

Both Contest and X-Yachts are early adopters of hybrid power, offering their bluewater cruisers with optional electric drives. For the XC 47 this was designed-in from the start to offer Oceanvolt’s award-winning new 25kW regenerative drive.

The XC 47 is another wonderfully engineered and thought out yacht for distance cruising, in particular for those who also enjoy hands-on helming pleasure. That should come as no surprise to any X aficionados, but what really struck me most about this yacht was the stowage, and the forethought needed to create that, together with how practical it has been made.

That may sound slightly anticlimactic but ask any long-term cruiser and stowage is always a priority. On deck, this constitutes a huge lazarette and sail locker, plus clever systems for launching a dinghy via davits and a liferaft canister, while below decks every square inch of space has been used effectively, with lockers hinged with gas struts.

It’s clear the Danish yard went to considerable time and effort, even building a full mock up of the interior that could be canted 20° each way.

If the deck saloon style looks didn’t sell this model to all – this is the first full non-Jeppesen designed X – the jury were converted once they’d taken the helm. ‘Quirky’ became ‘muscular and bold’. The ease with which it can be sailed from the cockpit was also appreciated.

While I understand many offshore cruisers like a protected centre cockpit and more sun protection, the attention to detail, stowage and practicalities, combined with the direct steering, motion and enjoyable sailing this X offers make it a standout new offering.

Jeanneau Yachts 55

Meanwhile the Jeanneau Yachts 55 stands out for different, unique reasons in this category, offering a completely new concept in comfort on deck while at anchor and a novel accommodation layout. Its focus is on outdoor living space.

What helps place this in a luxury bracket is not simply the price or the creative input of superyacht specialist design duo Philppe Briand and Andrew Winch, rather that its layout creates a palatial amount of private space for the owner’s suite. Guest cabins have their own direct access from the extensive cockpit via gullwing doors.

It certainly makes sense for solo owners or couples using it as a warm water apartment. How many people this will suit is another question, as it segregates any guests, crew or children from the galley and saloon.

I used the term monocat when I first viewed it, as the 55 really does attempt to mix the two worlds, particularly in terms of providing owner privacy and lounging space. Choose the rigid hard top and windshield and there’s a vast amount of covered area including a dinette and chart table – plus a bimini can shade all that extensive aft deck too.

The penalty comes in additional weight and wetted surface, and is felt in the handling and performance, the latter particularly in lighter breeze with the optional in-mast furling, self tacking headsail and shallow draught package we had. However, it’s set up to be easily managed from the mid cockpit with good visibility from the twin helms and easy circulation thanks to the ramped side decks. Full report in YW February 2024.

Best luxury yacht 2023

Best luxury yacht winner – Oyster 495

It is hard to imagine that the decor of a yacht can change its look and feel quite this much, yet the layout of this second 495, Eddie Jordan’s dramatic looking Tuga, is in fact identical to the first boat that I spent several days aboard last summer.

At its heart is a wonderfully (Humphreys) designed and engineered luxury bluewater cruiser conceived from the ground up, built in a new dedicated facility to a repeatable quality very few yards are capable of.

The 495 offers consistent passage making speeds in real voluminous comfort – whether enjoyed from the deep cockpit or the best-in-class aft cabin. Deck stowage and mechanical space is also superb.

Then factor in the family appeal of Oyster’s after sales and world rally programme and you start to appreciate the premium world this sub 50-footer gives access to.

The first yacht fully conceived under CEO Richard Hadida’s reign, this is also the smallest completely new Oyster 495 since 2005 – and it’s a triumph. It was our September 2022 cover star in which we featured the full review from our Oyster 495 three day test.

Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 60

The Oceanis Yacht 60 is a very different beast indeed to the 62 it replaces as flagship for the Beneteau range. The yard has learned plenty from the success of the First 53/OY 54 and wanted to create a 60 in this style and with the same deck layout (albeit larger and wider) and ease of circulation.

The construction experience of the smaller model clearly helped too, as this is a whopping five tonnes lighter than the bulky OY62 and with a deeper (2.6m) keel. The telling result is on the water. It feels sporty to helm and we averaged a knot slower than the single figure 6-8 knot windspeeds upwind and matched them reaching with Code 0 and a slight swell.

The vast cockpit works well, sheltered below the semi rigid bimini, it has plentiful lounging space with sailing systems led aft to the twin helms. The interior sees a 3+3 layout, where Beneteau wanted to get rid of the corridor effect of the OY62. The galley is forward to help open out space, while the forward suite with offset berth and headboard aft works well to give space with privacy.

This is an attractive, voluminous yacht that leaves a good overall impression whether under sail, on or below decks.

Ice 62 Targa

It all looks pretty funky below decks on the Ice 62 Targa too, especially if you’re watching the masthead fore and aft cameras (plus bow and prop cam) on central displays mounted in the saloon while you slip out of the dock! The Ice is a seriously impressive, contemporary yacht, one that in looks, performance and execution, won over many of the judges.

The first to launch is a highly customised project for a passionate sailing owner who covers long distances solo – he’d already sailed it 3,000 miles around the Med that autumn. It’s impressively stiff, sails handsomely and, thanks to a telescopic keel, points well. We matched single figure windspeeds, and clocked up to the high 9s in 12 knots wind.

Umberto Felci’s team spent 4,000 hours on the design, providing lots of space and light to the interior and a chillout zone in the semi raised saloon. This was easily the coolest looking yacht, with its aggressive reverse bow, chamfered gunwales and carbon T-top bimini, and all engineered and built to a high standard.

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The post Best Luxury Yacht 2025: The Ultimate Luxury Cruisers appeared first on Yachting World.

Finding the right mix of geographical influences can sometimes create formidable results. I’ve sailed most new Ice yachts over the last few years and all have been Italian-designed-and-built lookers. But for the Milan-based yard’s latest model, the Ice 66RS, CEO Marco Malgara wanted to shake things up a little, “to bring the shipyard’s ‘Made in Italy’ to an international level.”

So what happens when you mix flamboyant Italian style with a thoroughbred American powerhouse – when you inject that Maserati with a dose of American muscle? In this case, you create a stunner in the shape of a potent fast cruiser for the Med.

The Ice 66RS looks in vogue, whether from the dock, sailing or in her spacious and light interior. The in-demand Lucio Micheletti waved his wand over all these aspects, in particular creating a memorable interior. Caveat: no, it’s not for everyone, and yes, it’ll suit Portofino-type port hops more than offshore adventures!

Still, would there be much to gain from our quick light wind sail at the end of the day during its Cannes boat debut? As if responding to any such doubts, the breeze picked up to double figures at times, while we sailed under white sails and Code 0 finishing under a particularly moody sunset.

In short, my impressions were that the design team has nailed it – the sensation on the helm matches the premium looks and price.

Modern, alluring shape: plumb stem and fine entry, with maximum beam carried all the way aft, gives good form stability (needed with that much sail area!). Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

All-carbon

The RS line has all-carbon decks, which helps keep the 66’s displacement down to 26-tonnes, while hulls are infused glass-carbon sandwich, a hybrid blend to help offer some noise and vibration absorption. A glance up at the lofty rig will tell you this is a generously canvassed yacht, which should make the most of this type of fair weather, light wind sailing, while the stats from the performance ratios confirm this serious sail area allies with a lightweight, powerful hull.

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£3.24

In 8 knots true breeze we were soon up to 7 knots close-hauled with full main and self-tacking jib. Unleashing the Code 0 quickly increased the numbers to 9.5-10 knots in 10.5-11 knots, reaching at 75°.

I then enjoyed a short spell in 11-14.5 knots wind, where we clocked a consistent 10.5 knots under Code at 70°T. Figures aside, the majority of my notes centred on how lovely and light the steering felt. I’ve been lucky enough to sail plenty of large yachts, but not many at this size are capable of backing up the showy looks with such direct, finger-light sensations on the wheel.

Walkaround island galley is a central feature. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

This first model has a 3.35m keel and single carbon rudder, while Ice also has options for a lift keel and twin rudder installation. “The volume distribution was optimised to achieve a desirable trim response with speed and heel,” Farr’s senior naval architect Britton Ward says. As well as the Ice’s light air performance they also geared it around “easy short-handed operation.”

Easy control

The push-button layout allows you to easily control the winches, furlers and traveller from a neat keyboard of buttons on each pedestal. This pedestal needs rounding off on the corners, though, as I found it can trap fingers against the wheel. A pair of winches each side are easy to work as they’re side by side, and within reach of the helm if sat between the two. The coamings flare out from the coachroof to house the sheet tunnels, while side decks continue right aft, creating an area that overhangs the aft deck and acts as a helmsman’s outboard perch.

The starboard side of the saloon converts from sofa to daybed using cushioned benches – which can move over to provide table seating. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

Farr has taken full beam right aft to the transom, which is wide enough to incorporate a transverse garage that can house a 3.5m dinghy. Below the foredeck is an anchor locker with 100m of chain, and a sail locker which can be a crew cabin. However, owners wanting to keep hold of professional crew would be advised to give them an interior cabin and keep the sail locker for flying sails.

Huge double berth in the minimalist owners’ cabin is sited right forward, while entry to the ensuite is to starboard. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

Ice Island

Descending the companionway you’re hit with a distinct impression of space. The transverse galley forward of the saloon aids this by leaving a wide, open area in the main saloon. The slim, wraparound style forward-facing windows and large hull portlights with mirrored surrounds fill it with natural light.

And somehow there’s still space for four cabins, all of which are ensuite.

The galley island works hard by forming the social heart of the yacht, a practical walkaround workstation that connects galley and saloon. I could tell the infectiously passionate Micheletti, who was aboard for our trial, was particularly happy with this feature.

Push-button control allows single-handing from the helm. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

His use of a tactile ribbed walnut helps accentuate certain areas, such as this island, bulkheads and the headboard wrapping the master berth. The dark trim is also used on the soles and table and contrasts boldly against the natural light, lighter fabrics and trim.

And it’s not all just aesthetics, Micheletti has married the design with some practical substance too. The central deckhead for example is lowered, to allow the companionway hatch to slide into a concealed garage. This section then continues forward almost to the galley, to incorporate lighting and sturdy handrails each side for safe negotiation of the open space at heel.

As well as the near identical aft cabins there is a proper ensuite Pullman forward. In reality this is where paid crew would live if you want to keep them, and it boasts good stowage and an escape hatch.

To make space for this, the ensuite for the owner’s cabin is tucked over to starboard on entry and the berth, albeit huge and highly inviting, is right forward.

All-carbon deck helps give the Ice 66RS a relatively light displacement for its size. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

Despite the volume, the cabin layout is perhaps a little questionable for me. At this size I’d want accommodation for a crew within the main interior, yet nowhere near me were I the owner! That said at least there’s a very practical Pullman inside and I like the athwartships galley.

When looks deliver

The Ice 66RS is both a delight to look at and to steer – a sports cabriolet for getting the most enjoyment out of light wind, fair weather Med days with minimal fuss/crew, yet one with the ability to stay longer aboard with more people in comfort, or occasionally slip rapidly around a race track. Nice work Farr.

Equally Micheletti has done a top job with the styling, including some practical substance and helping differentiate it from a busy market. For those shipping a paid crew, getting that owner/crew liveability balance right will be key.

In short, this is as good a yacht to sail as its cool name and looks suggests.

Looking every bit the Italian beauty at night. Photo: Luca D’Ambrosio/The International Yachting Media

ICE 66RS specifications

LOA: 19.90m 65ft 4in
LWL: 18.80m 61ft 8in
Beam: 5.73m 18ft 10in
Draught: 3.30m 10ft 10in
Displacement (lightship): 26,000kg 57,320lb
Ballast: 6,990kg 15,410lb
Sail area (100% foretriangle): 250.7m2 2,699ft2
Engine: Yanmar 195hp
Water: 1,000lt 220gal
Fuel: 750lt 165gal
Sail area/displacement ratio: 29.0
Displacement/LWL ratio: 109
Ballast ratio: 31.2
Test boat price: €3.4m
Design: Farr & Micheletti
Builder: iceyachts.it

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Yacht design continues to advance quickly, as evidenced by the leap in performance made by the current generation of IMOCA 60s compared to just four years previously. The same is true among cruising designs and the Nautitech 48 Open also represents a big step forward, with hull shapes refined compared to those of the Nautitech 44 that was launched only three years ago. This simultaneously boosts performance while also improving handling and safety.

One of the key design aims was to improve performance at typical moderate sailing speeds of around 8 knots, which was achieved by modifying the rocker profile of the bottom of the hull, especially towards the transom. At the same time the bows are 10cm above the static loaded waterline, which helps the boat to turn more easily, both at sea and when manoeuvring in harbour. High aspect ratio rudders mounted almost right aft also help in this respect.

This boat has a very direct feel to the helm and in many ways it’s more like a monohull to steer, even if the difference that small tweaks to sail trim make is not as easy to notice. It’s also notable that very little speed is lost in tacks and in this respect the boat handles more like a good monohull than a traditional catamaran with immersed forefoots.

Relatively narrow hulls, below and above the waterline, give faster sailing and a smoother motion. Photo: Nautitech

In fact, spinning the boat as quickly as possible in a tack is the best option, even if that feels counterintuitive, especially to a yacht sailor. When executed neatly boat speed drops remarkably little.

The aft helm positions and open concept also make steering a much more sociable occupation than with a raised helm position. The downsides are that these positions lack protection and visibility is not as good, particularly past the coachroof. In one sense this is little different to a monohull with a blind spot under the jib, but can take some getting used to and even then will never have universal appeal.

Still, it should be no surprise that the Nautitech 48 Open has potential to maintain high average speeds on passage. In 12 knots of true breeze, with a 125m2 furling gennaker set, we made just over 10.5 knots with the true wind just aft of the beam, and 9 knots in slightly more breeze but deeper angles between 110° and 120°.

Performance dipped slightly to 7 knots when the true wind dropped to 10 knots. This was with the Code 0, rather than an asymmetric spinnaker, all of which points to easy 200-plus mile days when on passage.

Lombard’s reverse sheer and modest freeboard produce a powerful look. Photo: Nautitech

Design secrets

Another design aim for the Nautitech 48 Open was to improve both handling and safety by inducing the bows to lift further at higher speeds. This reduces the chances of burying a bow when sailing downwind in boisterous conditions, which in turn reduces any tendency for the bows to steer the boat into a broach.

This additional lift is mostly achieved by tweaking the rocker shape of the underside of the hull towards the transoms, with a little help from U-shaped underwater sections near the bow. Lionel Huetz of the Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group told me neither of these changes are extreme, so the modified bow shape doesn’t promote slamming in a head sea, while drag at the transom that would put a brake on acceleration is not increased at moderate speeds.

Article continues below…

“What we’ve done is a combination of starting with the bows slightly raised,” Huetz told me, “which means the hull shape doesn’t need to generate a lot of lift. Aft of that the key is to have the correct rocker shape underneath, but without adding too much rocker, because that adds drag at medium speeds and stops the boat accelerating.”

The result of these changes is that turbulence at the transoms of the Nautitech 48 Open disappears at speeds over 10 knots, when the stern wave is left behind in a manner that has similarities to a monohull planing.

There’s still plenty of space for cruisers to relax and spend long periods aboard. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Frustratingly, we didn’t have enough wind to see this under sail, but in light airs and the twin 75hp Volvo Penta diesel engines running at 3,100rpm we made an impressive 11.3 knots of boat speed. At that speed the stern wave was well behind the boat and the front metre of each hull airborne, with the bows roughly 30cm above the water. This will clearly be advantageous when sailing downwind VMG angles in a big breeze.

At the other end of the scale, performance in very light airs has long been an excellent test of a thoroughbred design. Our test boat had an 89m2 Code 0 designed for tight sheeting angles and upwind use, allowing us to sail at apparent wind angles of 30° in 3-6 knots of true breeze. Impressively for a boat with a light displacement of 13.5 tonnes, our boat speed almost equalled the true wind speed in these conditions, and the helm still retained its very precise feel.

The test Nautitech 48 Open also had a very high aspect ratio self-tacking jib, which makes for wonderfully easy handling.

The funky-shaped wheels are, in Nautitech fashion, mounted right aft for direct steering. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

A more efficient 64m2 overlapping sail is offered as an option, which might reduce the need to carry the upwind Code 0, leaving a furling gennaker, plus an 18m2 asymmetric spinnaker handled with a sock, as options that would give an efficient all-round sail inventory without having to carry too many individual sails.

Huetz also says the overlapping headsails give a perfect sail plan downwind in a big breeze when combined with two reefs in the main.

Safe speeds

During initial sea trials off the Atlantic coast of France, the first Nautitech 48 Open notched up 20 knots boat speed sailing at a 120° true wind angle and 20-25 knots of breeze in 4m waves. I’m told the boat was very easy to steer, even using the pilot, but still with the option to play the waves and have a lot of fun.

This may sound alarming to those accustomed to a more sedate pace while cruising, but a 120° true wind angle gives lots of scope to bear away and massively reduce the apparent wind speed, thereby calming everything down if necessary.

Long hull windows give lots of light and opportunity for views from the cabins. Photo: Nautitech

Equally, heel stability increases with the fourth power of the size of a boat and becomes enormous once a catamaran reaches this length, so risk of capsize is a fraction of that of a 40ft boat in similar conditions. Indeed, this effect is so marked Huetz tells me that above 50ft it’s routine not to engineer the masts of cruising catamarans to take the full rig loads that would be needed to capsize the vessel, as to do so would require an unfeasibly heavy and cumbersome spar.

The design team also analysed the likely benefits of daggerboards for this boat, instead of the relatively deep fixed keels that have been fitted to Nautitechs to date. They concluded that, when compared to efficient keels with a proper aerofoil cross-section, the benefits of daggerboards were too marginal to be worth the extra build cost, loss of interior space and added complexity when tacking and gybing.

Deeper keels than usual for a catamaran of this size also allows for more efficient higher aspect ratio rudders, which has a direct impact on the feel of the helm. Steering is by cable, with the pilot directly attached to the port quadrant, so it’s available immediately for steering in the event of cable failure.

The 48 improves on the 44’s style and layout with larger cockpit, saloon and galley surfaces. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

There’s also an option for a second pilot system on a completely separate network for redundancy – an important factor for those who intend to sail long distances.

Sail handling mostly takes place just inboard of the helm stations, which works well in most respects, although there’s not a direct line of sight between someone working centrally on the foredeck and another in the cockpit, for instance when hoisting a Code sail or spinnaker.

A second drawback is that lines turn through two 90º angles before reaching the clutches and winches working areas, which increases loads and friction. The mainsheet traveller runs across the beam aft of the cockpit and was easily controlled by a Harken electric Flatwinder system on our test boat, while the gennaker and asymmetric spinnaker sheet to each quarter.

Note the refrigeration space and navigation station forward. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

We sailed with seven on board the Nautitech 48 Open, yet circulation of people around the saloon and cockpit areas generally proved to be very easy, with plenty of space for two or more to pass each other easily. The only exception is at the very aft end of the cockpit, where there’s little space to pass and this is also an area in which you’re working lines or steering… and changing sides in tacks and gybes.

Of course this isn’t an issue on semi-flybridge catamarans, or those with a raised helm station further forward, from which almost all sail handling can be carried out, though the Nautitech’s twin aft helm stations have other advantages.

Although little more than a decade old, Nautitech was one of the pioneers of what it calls the Open concept of blended indoor/outdoor living. This is now well established and offers a big improvement compared to older models, though while there’s a wide opening between the cockpit and saloon it’s not possible to connect the tables in two different areas together.

The Nautitech 48 Open cockpit table is offset to starboard and has a folding leaf in the middle to convert it from coffee table mode to full dining. There’s also a further seating area on the foredeck, which opens up more options for socialising space, or for added privacy when berthed stern-to.

Despite the fine entry hulls, cabins are large and bright and not impinged by daggerboards. Photo: Nautitech

Views all around

The saloon has almost 360° vision that’s interrupted only on each quarter and benefits from plenty of light, space and natural ventilation. The yard has also worked hard to reduce solar gain here and therefore keep it cooler in bright sun. So there are fewer big glazed panels overhead, while optional covers are available to keep sun off the windows. There are also opening hatches in the coachroof, plus a couple in the forward windows to maximise natural ventilation.

To starboard is a big, well-appointed galley with ample worktop space and good stowage, plus an extensive choice of refrigeration and freezer options. Seating and the saloon table are to port, with room for six people and enough for eight at a pinch. However, as mentioned, the saloon and cockpit tables can’t be connected together to accommodate a larger party.

The flexible SmartRoom adds appeal. Photo: Nautitech

The Nautitech 48 Open has a great forward-facing navigation area and watch-keeping station, while the bar-style feature at the front of the saloon that was first introduced on the 44 is a neat addition adding worktop/table space and creating a further small socialising area.

This may sound like a lot to pack into one area, even on a multihull the size of the Nautitech 48 Open, but the layout is well executed and there’s still plenty of space to move around, so it doesn’t feel cluttered.

In addition, attention to detail is impressive, both in the way the interior is put together and in items like the solid capping pieces on the joinery that will absorb knocks and bumps as the boat ages without damaging more fragile veneers.

Nautitech can accommodate a degree of flexibility on the layout in each hull, for instance in the number and configuration of the heads and shower compartments. The Nautitech 48 Open we sailed is an owner’s version with a very large forward heads area in the port hull, including room for his and hers basins, a separate shower cubicle, space for a washer-dryer and decent stowage. There’s also a dressing table with a section that pulls out to create a desk that has an outside view through the hull windows.

Another decent sized cabin. Photo: Nautitech

The test Nautitech 48 Open’s starboard hull is configured with a smallish double cabin aft and Nautitech’s so-called SmartRoom. This is a flexible concept that can be fitted out as a utility, workshop and stowage area, albeit with occasional berths.

On this boat it was set up with a settee/single berth and a small desk area with a view out through the hull window, but can be quickly converted into a double bed and there’s an additional bunk bed that swings out above it. Three children, for example, could sleep in that space if you had visitors. This hull also has large separate shower and separate toilet compartments, although the boat can be configured with up to four heads, or with a larger aft cabin.

Another important element of this boat’s performance is its relatively light displacement. Structural mouldings are vacuum infused, with a Divinycell foam core, while bulkheads are glued and bonded at key locations. There are four watertight bulkheads giving the boat a good chance of remaining afloat, even in the event of extreme damage.

Our test Nautitech 48 Open was equipped with 2kW of solar panels allied to a 1,020Ah 12V battery bank, a €40,000 option that all of the eight boats sold to date have taken. Roughly half have also specified a diesel generator, but that’s only essential if air conditioning is also specified, which is rarely chosen by those who intend to sail long distances.

To date every owner has opted for the option of 2kW solar panels and upgraded lithium batteries. Photo: Nautitech

At 300lt each the fuel tanks are of a reasonable size for long-distance sailing and spending extended periods on board, especially given the boat’s performance in light airs, and the solar/ lithium options that should all but eliminate the need to use diesel power for battery charging.

Systems appear to be very neatly installed, with easy access to pumps and filters, while all interior trim panels are clipped in place to give instant access to wiring, deck fittings and so on. The wiring of the test boat looked very neatly installed and the digital switching system has a full manual backup.

The narrow hulls give the 48 a performance profile. Photo: Nautitech

Nautitech 48 Open specifications

LOA: 14.67m 48ft 1in
LWL: 14.32m 47ft 0in
Beam: 7.97m 26ft 2in
Draught: 1.55m 5ft 1in
Displacement: 13,500kg 29,768lb
Mainsail: 93m2 1,001ft2
Self-tacking jib: 42.5m2 455ft2
Genoa (optional): 64m2 688ft2
Code 0 (optional): 89m2 958ft2
Gennaker (optional): 125m2 1,345ft2
Spinnaker (optional): 175m2 1,883ft2
Engine: 2 x D2-60 Volvo saildrive
Diesel: 600lt 132gal
Fresh water: 600lt 132gal
Air draught: (ex antennas) 23m 75ft 6in
Naval architect: Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group
Interior design: Christophe Chedal-Anglay
Base price: €999,800 ex VAT; Price as tested: €1,133,521
Builder: nautitechcatamarans.com

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Stand-out designs are often the result of a succession of well-informed evolutions rather than a revolution that turns existing thinking on its head. The J/40 is born out of a long association between J/Boats in the USA and J Composites in France, a collaboration that created iconic designs including the 36ft J/109 and 40ft J/122.

This new model represents a big refinement of successful and well-proven concepts, without losing the ethos and DNA that fans of J/Boats have come to expect. At the same time, the J/40 offers a lot more stability and volume than earlier models of a similar size. This translates to faster performance, bigger aft cabin bunks, a better galley, a hugely improved saloon with 18% more volume than the J/122, better ergonomics and stowage, plus a much higher level of finish.

J Composites says the stability figures are 10% higher than those of the 43ft J/133, yet the new boat is half a tonne lighter, while waterline length and beam measurements are also more similar to the J/133 than the J/122. The result is a boat that can be expected to look after her crew even better in heavy weather, yet also offers excellent performance, even in very light airs.

Immediately noticeable is that the J is still responsive and rewarding to sail in such light breezes. With a true wind of less than 5 knots, boat speed near matches the wind speed when reaching. Unusually among modern yachts it also sailed upwind surprisingly quickly in these very light airs, again with a positive feel on the helm.

low freeboard along with relatively narrow beam combine to create timeless lines. Photo: Sailing Energy/J Boats

Once the breeze picked up to 8.5 knots we made 6.6 knots upwind, even though we were sailing with a cruising spec woven polyester furling headsail. By the time the true wind built to 12.5 knots we were well powered up with 7.4 knots of boat speed at an apparent wind angle of only 26°.

Depowering as the wind continues to build is easy thanks to the powerful hydraulic backstay, an efficient mainsheet traveller that runs across the cockpit floor and the German mainsheet system. These work together to simplify accurate mainsail trimming in a manner that simply isn’t possible in most cruising yachts.

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This was borne out on my first sail on the boat during a blustery late October day in Palma, with frequent heavy squalls interspersed with calmer periods. When the true wind built to 18 knots it was easy to depower the rig and we were still far from needing to drop a reef in, while making 7.3 knots upwind at an apparent wind angle of 24°.

The J/40 also proved to be very flexible upwind. You could choose to maximise speed or maximise height without a measurable difference in VMG, providing sails are trimmed appropriately. On the other hand, despite the extra stability there’s more heel when sailing upwind than some wider beam performance yachts, although the J/40 can be expected to have a more comfortable motion and be slowed less by awkward head seas.

The J is responsive and rewarding to sail in very light airs. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Comfortable helm

Helm positions work beautifully, whether standing up or sitting on the side deck. Big foot chocks are well placed when the boat is heeled and there’s a good view of the luff of the jib or spinnaker. The new J also proved lovely on the helm in all conditions – finger light with just enough weather helm to give positive feedback.

Overall draught is 2.2m, while the very high aspect rudder is 1.9m deep. This gives a reassuring amount of grip even when the boat is pressed on a reach. At the same time, it offers less drag than twin rudders in light airs and you have the benefit of the prop wash over the central rudder when manoeuvring in tight spaces. A downside of the deep rudder is vulnerability to grounding.

Fold down bathing platform includes integral boarding ladder. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

With a hull length of just 38ft 5in, this is a shorter boat than the older J/122E and has more beam, yet it still has a very easily driven hull shape. This was shown when reaching with only main and jib in 12 knots true, when we still made 7 knots in a really easy cruising mode. On bearing away to 140° true and deploying the 130m2 top-down furling gennaker we made 8.5 knots as the wind built to 14 knots. Boat speed increased to 9 knots when we luffed up by 35°, yet this was still easy sailing, without feeling pressed.

The shortish 77cm fixed sprit, in place of a much longer retractable version, is a clear break with J/Boats tradition. Nevertheless, even in light airs it never felt as though this is a brake on performance and, equally, the big 160m2 A2 spinnaker ought to be large enough to promote planing performance, even if more wind will be needed than for proportionately lighter boats such as the First 36, Pogo 44, or JPK39 FC.

Conventional wisdom also says that commercially successful performance yachts have to be optimised to a rating system. However, J/Boats has consistently bucked the trend in this respect. Indeed, the initial success of the J/24 almost 50 years ago was precisely because it didn’t pander to any rating system, which allowed Rod Johnstone to draw a boat with very fair lines that performed and handled far better than other small raceboats of the era.

Cockpit is spacious, even though maximum beam is not carried as far aft as on most of today’s designs. Photo: Sailing Energy/J Boats

Similarly, the J/40 wasn’t developed for any specific rating system. Instead J/Boats worked at simply producing a design with the best performance and handling possible for this style of boat – it wouldn’t take too much customisation to get to the top of many fleets.

Proven design

With the exception of the twin helm stations instead of a single large wheel, the thinking behind most of the deck layout will be familiar to anyone who has previously sailed J/Boats. Headsail winches are on the coamings, there’s a conventional pit area at the companionway, plus a mainsheet traveller with an ample 6:1 purchase mounted on the cockpit floor, while the German-style mainsheet system is led to winches near the helm stations.

Deck layout allows for easy short-handed sailing. Photo: Sailing Energy/J Boats

Our test boat was fitted with an optional carbon mast with rod rigging in place of the standard aluminium spar with Dyform wire rigging. It was also set up with a Harken Mk lV removable headsail furling drum, allowing the use of a furling headsail for cruising or full luff length racing sails. To change mode you simply undo six Allen screws, allowing the drum to be removed.

The choice of an above-deck furler was a deliberate one that makes sense for this boat. For a start, the furling lead has a more direct run, which reduces friction compared to a below deck unit. It also allows the forestay to be positioned right on the bow, thus maximising the J measurement. Headsail sheets are led via old school longitudinal jib sheet tracks with inhaulers.

For efficient upwind work in stronger breezes there’s also an option for a furling staysail with a halyard lock and 2:1 purchase at the tack that leads aft to a winch to tension the luff before being locked off on a foredeck clutch. It’s a neat system that can be set up in advance of heavy weather, but removed to making tacking easy when it’s not needed.

The interior has more wood trim than earlier J/Boats of a similar size. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

Stowage on deck includes a shallow locker under the starboard cockpit seat, plus a liferaft locker under the port seat. There’s also a large lazarette with room for a deflated dinghy, fenders, plus toys such as paddleboards. The anchor locker right forward also has space for a few fenders. Even in three-cabin form the boat therefore offers ample stowage, while two-cabin versions add a big cockpit locker that’s also accessible via the aft heads and has space for several sails, folding bikes and more.

There’s also a substantial removable cockpit table for cruising that can be left in place when sailing in a similar way to that of the J/45, but is easily removed for racing.

Gains below

One of the stand-out features of the J/45 is its Isabelle Racoupeau-designed interior, which marked a huge improvement in quality for the J/Boats brand. Racoupeau was retained for the new boat, which was developed with a similar ethos, but with cleaner lines that also help to speed up the production process.

A high standard of joinery gives a warm feel. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

The result is a high standard of joinery that gives a warm feel, plus enough white surfaces and natural light to give a bright ambience, which is enhanced at night by concealed lighting. Despite the relatively narrow beam by the standards of today’s performance yachts, there’s a lot more internal volume than the old J/122.

There are also good grab handles and deep fiddles around the forward facing chart table and at the galley, as well as a practical foul weather gear locker near the companionway that drains into the bilge.

Overall, it’s a thoroughly workable layout that should prove ergonomic both at sea and in harbour, including generous saloon with seaberths, an excellent galley and navstation with a dedicated forward-facing seat. The large galley will certainly find favour with cruising owners. This has a 1.5 bowl sink, a large top-loading fridge, lots of worktop space and plenty of stowage.

Aft cabin berths are a good size. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

The saloon table is offset to port with L-shaped seating, plus a settee to starboard. This may not be perfect for those who want to race with a full complement of jibs, as there’s a lack of space for the sails, but the arrangement is comfortable for cruising and offers two excellent sea berths that are parallel to the centreline.

Aft cabins are significantly larger than those of the J/122 and have a hull window, two opening ports, plus large lockers for stowage. The forecabin has a space to walk around the aft end of the bed, which helps create a feeling of space and gives easier access, though you have to sleep with feet facing forward.

On three-cabin boats the heads is forward of the main bulkhead and is well appointed though, unlike most of today’s pure cruising yachts of this size, doesn’t include a separate shower stall. However, a big downside of three-cabin boats is the only heads is effectively in space carved out of the forecabin.

The forecabin berth is narrow at its forward end. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

Two-cabin boats have an additional heads aft and the option of fitting out the forward heads compartment solely as a shower. Alternatively this space can be incorporated as an ensuite within a larger forecabin.

J Composites’ structures are well-proven for stiffness and long-term durability. The J/40 is resin-infused using variable density PVC cores and both uni and multi-directional E-glass fabrics. The main bulkhead is also infused composite, while key elements of woodwork are laminated to the hull and therefore act as part of the structure, adding stiffness.

The overall goal with the boat was a relatively simple concept with fewer options than for the J/45. This markedly improves production efficiency and therefore drops the unit cost, so the J/40’s base price of €350,000 ex VAT is little more than 60% of that of its larger stablemate.

The single rudder retains good grip even when the boat is well powered up. Photo: Sailing Energy/J Boats

While a shorter options list may appear at first sight to be a drawback, it’s also practical in another sense. The full set of options, including diesel generator and air conditioning adds approximately 1,000kg to the J/45’s displacement, but the J/40 is less than three-quarters of the weight of that boat, so the heavy items would have a disproportionate impact on performance.

Standard equipment includes pop-up mooring cleats and all the deck hardware on our test boat, including the headsail furler and hydraulic backstay, but not the electric winch upgrade at the coachroof, carbon mast or full Flexiteek decks. Sails and electronics choices are optional.

Low freeboard and traditional sheer help ensure attractive lines. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Fresh water tankage is just adequate for longer duration cruising, with 360lt if the optional second tank is specified. Given the boat’s excellent light airs performance most owners should find the 150lt diesel capacity is ample.

J/40 specifications

LOA: 12.47m 40ft 11in
Hull length: 11.70m 38ft 5in
LWL: 11.26m 37ft 0in
Beam: 3.86m 12ft 8in
Draught: 2.2m 7ft 3in
Displacement: 7,665kg 16,900lb
Air draught: 19.45m 63ft 10in
Engine: Volvo 50hp
Fuel tank: 150lt 33gal
Water tank (std): 230lt 51gal
Sail area/displacement ratio: 24.7
Displacement/LWL ratio: 150
Price as tested: approx €500,000 ex VAT
Builder: J-boats.com/j-composites.eu

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Think about it relative to houses, and it makes more sense. After all, who would choose to put their kitchens and living rooms in the cellar or basement? Especially if you have a sea view! Yet to the layman, that is what happens on conventional monohulls. You walk through the nice views of the cockpit, and down a flight of stairs to the living and accommodation in the bowels of the boat, on the lower floor.

And what about entertaining? When friends visit you want to be able to host and socialise with them in the best space and comfort. Of course, cruising multihulls have long addressed this issue, by placing the living accommodation on top of the hulls where the prime viewing’s on offer.

But pilothouse monohulls have done so for longer still, albeit in a more niche way – it’s hard to blend a large coachroof structure onto a comparatively compact single hull. Most pilotsaloon cruisers are traditional and verge on being considered motorsailers.

Designed for two to live aboard in real comfort, the Heyman 42 PPH (Pocket Pilothouse) combines some of the best of these monohull and multihull features into a modern hull shape – an attractive yacht which brings a lot of fresh thinking from a lifetime’s design experience.

It offers beach house-style, inside-outside living, in what Heyman promotes as ‘a level of comfort offered by few, if any, boats under 55ft’.

Cutting upwind. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Making an impression

On first approach, you instantly know the Hey42 is something different. And that’s not simply because of its classic lines, deep cockpit or bright deckhouse, but the fact you can easily board it from the pontoon – a faux hull window conceals a step which folds out of the topsides – genius! Then there’s the hinging transom built into the counter, which drops down to increase the single-level cockpit space.

For the European Yacht of the Year welcome meeting near Kiel, 16 of us sat in comfort in the cockpit. Can you think of another sailing monohull below 60ft on which that could be achieved? The elimination of aft cabins was key to the overall layout, believes designer Gabriel Heyman who welcomed us aboard. It helped create this cockpit size and easy walkthrough layout.

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“It’s intended for bluewater, but a great aspect its shoal draught offers is exploring coasts.” Heyman concedes such designs take time, and his Hey42 took around eight years in the conception. It started at 32ft and grew and grew as it included more and more. “I like design work and I don’t count the hours,” the Swede quips.

Who’s Heyman?

Over the last few decades Heyman has drawn approximately 80 yachts, with around 20 going on to build stage. He won the 1995 Yachting World design competition for his ‘Freja’ cruising yacht, while the Fantasi 44 remains arguably his most successful, with 22 launched, and proves his skilled ability to blend in a pilothouse design.

An elegant, traditional sheerline helps keep the decks reasonably dry in swell. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Heyman is a clever naval architect who thrives on theoretical and practical ways to make yachts perform. The winning keels on America’s Cup IACC boats between 1992 and 2007 were all designed to a patent of his which involves a dragless trim tab on the aft end of the keel.

He has published plenty of his theories, some of which are incorporated into this PPH. Take the bow shape: contrary to most modern yachts which have been growing fatter noses, Heyman has been reducing volume in his bow profiles since the 1990s. He argues that designers typically take data from tank tests done in flat water, but he wants his yachts to keep moving when the bow goes up and into the next wave.

He explains how the centre of displacement then moves aft on his designs, as volume, keel and mast all shift aft. This creates a balanced mainsail and foretriangle, and, he thinks, faster boats with more efficient sailplans. “Until now, I’ve never designed a boat that’s broached,” is his boast, even on a shallow keel design like this.

What seems like a hull portlight disguises a highly useful boarding step. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

This keel, which is integral to the hull, is only 1.48m deep, but has a particularly long chord to compensate the draught. A lifting centreboard which slots into this keel stub is an option, one the test boat didn’t have, nor Heyman thinks necessary as it adds complication. There is also an appendage forward of the rudder Heyman describes as a ‘bustle’ rather than a skeg, designed to prevent ventilation, and through which a thruster can also be fitted.

All aboard

Time to test the theories, and for my first sail we had near ideal conditions with a balmy 16 knots breeze and a testing swell. The Heyman is infusion-built in Vinylester on a Divinycell core and weighs 11.4 tonnes light, so the test boat was approximately 12.5 tonnes with half tanks, then factor in the added weight of a dozen of us aboard that morning too.

Figures were modest, averaging 6.5 knots upwind in 15-20 knots true with full sail. In these conditions, we found she prefers not to point too high and that bearing off slightly increased speed by up to a knot. Indeed, we’d struggle to tack under 100°, which is perhaps to be expected for this keel shape and draught.

Engine bay is in the cockpit which helps keep smell and noise out of the interior but lacks access. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Bearing away further helps bring the Hey42 to life, especially if it’s enough to employ the reacher sail. This is permanently rigged on an outer stay and underdeck electric furler forward of the self-tacking headsail. It’s made from heavier material than a Code 0 and can be used from 50° right through to a downwind – Heyman even says he used it goosewinged downwind with no pole.

It has a high clew so can be used with a single sheeting point and helped us clock 7.5 knots reaching, nudging over 8 off the breeze with full main and a bit of swell. (In the lighter breeze and flatter seas of the previous day, my Yacht of the Year colleagues reported figures of 6 knots in 7.5 knots wind at 60° to the apparent wind.)

A really ugly seaway kicked up that afternoon, in what was, I am told by my local German friends, highly unusual conditions: a howling north-east wind combined with near 30°C temperatures in early September! These strong onshores over shallow water resulted in very little fetch or distance between the waves. Here, the V-bow proved useful, cutting through these tall, sharp waves as we punched out from Schilksee marina.

The Hey42 felt solid on the helm, as we averaged around 7 knots through the waves. There followed numerous sailplan adjustments, which fluctuated between one and two reefs and full or near full headsail. This second hull to launch is already owned (by an octogenarian on the west coast of Sweden), and with the Lundh sailmakers aboard we were certainly playing on the cautious side.

The versatile reacher sail. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

The in-mast mainsail uses vertical battens with proper roach and some square top, and Peter Lundh favoured a well-reefed main with a deep draught. Personally I think it felt a little underpowered (and in no danger of testing Heyman’s broaching claims), but couldn’t push the point too much as this is an owner’s pride and joy.

With a single rudder mounted far aft, the pressure increases are communicated directly through the helm, but when we did over-reef it became too soft in feel and slow on pace. I found with more sail up and a bit more heel she responded better to the winds gusting in the mid-20s.

I was particularly impressed with how quickly you could furl sails, including the double speed availability on the remote-controlled furlers. While this needs to be done carefully to avoid damaging the sails, it’s reassuringly fast and easy to do short-handed from the helms.

Simple systems

Sailing off the breeze and across the waves with full reacher out, we averaged 8-9 knots, touching double figures with waves in our favour, albeit still with a deeply reefed main. (Polars confirm hull speed is just over 9 knots).

A very bright pilotsaloon and raised galley with surround views. Central bench slides inboard and has a hinging backrest. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Heyman wanted a simple mainsheet system to help keep the boom low. It’s on a bridle system on the pilothouse roof, led aft to the Andersen 50 winches. Separate red and green lines act as fine-trim when close hauled, or for attaching a preventer when sailing off the wind. He also believes a cruising yacht should be devoid of lines on deck to prevent tripping hazards. So the top of the roof is built separately to the coachroof, to help allow conduits below for the sheets and running rigging.

When seated, the helmsman has a good view through the clear glass windows. Stand up and the coachroof top creates a blind spot, so Heyman added fold-down foot plates to gain that 8in or so to see over the roof. These are horizontal however, so at larger angles of heel you lack the bracing angle needed.

For such a deep, protected cockpit there were a couple of damp areas. Seawater sloshed in via the gap below the swim platform, as the rubber gasket designed to prevent this had yet to be fitted. The cockpit drains struggled to deal with this at heel as the low cockpit can mean the leeward one is below waterline level. And the helmsman can also get a wet rear when sitting up on the side deck if/when water sluices aft.

Lower snug for yet more comfort. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

It is also a beamy cockpit, so with only single winches each side and a good distance between the wheels, those wanting to short-hand will need to rely on an autopilot and be methodical with sheets. The decks however felt safe with high bulwarks and enough support.

Underway in friendly conditions, the raised ‘throne’ pushpit seats are the pick of the places to sit in comfort with a view. Back in the marina or at anchor you have a luxury of choice. With the dinghy lowered and swim platform extension employed, a full rugby team could sit around the 12m2 cockpit – an unheard of amount of space in a 42ft monohull.

The extra deep, long benches can fit four per side, while the forward facing chaise, with back resting against the pedestal, is ideal on passage. Folding directors chairs (which have dedicated stowage in the enormous lockers) can be used on the lowered swim platform, or in the cockpit below a bimini if desired.

Deck stowage is supreme – particularly in the sail lockers, liferaft locker below the cockpit, and the vast cockpit bench lockers (spacious enough to stow the dinghy on passage).

These cockpit lockers are mirrored, with space for chairs, bikes, and cruising paraphernalia, plus an optional watermaker and small genset. In between is the cockpit-accessed engine bay, which works well to help keep noise, heat and smells out of the interior and make it easy to remove the engine. But there are no side panels from the cockpit lockers and it’s a bit tight at the forward end to access the impeller, especially with the optional larger 75hp Volvo in there.

Keeping the layout to just two cabins, can result in a lot of space and comfort, particularly in the master. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Glass house

The glass doors form a watertight bulkhead, with 10mm on the windows and 8mm glass doors, and a storm board fits at the base during rough passages (but is not needed for watertight integrity). The decksaloon then gives yet more protected comfort and seating, complete with surround views. The multi-levelled interior is also easy to move between, so from the glass doors it’s just two shallow steps down to the galley, while the saloon is on the same level as the cockpit with abundant natural light and views.

The project began with a lower galley, but when you stand in the raised version you instantly see why Heyman changed his mind. What a place to prepare food – it’s compact and seaworthy yet convivial. Practical points include the forward-facing fridge, a deep cave below the sole for dried goods or bottles, and a covered drying rack outboard of the double sink.

It feels safe and robust moving around inside. The table in the decksaloon has deep fiddles when folded, as does the backrest to the inboard bench. When these are extended or raised, seating increases from four to six. The sofa doubles as a passage berth, with space for bedding behind. And below the bench are drawers for charts, though chartwork would need to be done on the saloon or lower saloon table.

The cabins are linked by a shared generous heads and shower. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

This lower snug has a coffee table, a useful hanging locker, and a bureau of drawers with multiple USB outlets. It’s somewhat a luxury of space, given all the cockpit and saloon seating, but works well as an office or “a quiet place to celebrate a wet day with a whisky or two,” as Heyman points out poetically. A trotter box below the galley sink allows room for a passage berth here, although this could be improved for such a purpose. Heyman admits he’s still perfecting such details.

Around 6ft 3in headroom continues through the two cabin entrances. The guest cabin has a berth almost wide enough to sleep both ways, with a comfortable reclining backrest outboard. And while it’s plenty spacious enough and with good natural light, it lacks a little natural ventilation.

The master cabin meanwhile boasts the size and comfort you might come to expect in a yacht 10-15ft longer. No snug V-berth here, instead it’s a full 1.6m wide double up to the forward headboard. It’s light and spacious, with abundant stowage.

The single heads and shower is shared by – and links to – both cabins. Again, it’s a logical choice for a yacht that will typically be used by couples, and helps allocate maximum space to the toilet and shower stalls.

Voluminous shape includes a deep, protected cockpit but relatively compact quarters for the helms. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

The trim is satin-finished Khaya mahogany, with teak soles and finish quality is excellent, including a lot of attention to detail. Access to some systems and the bilges below the deck saloon is very limited though. The Hey42 is built in Estonia at Ridas Yachts. “They were building a 115ft aluminium yacht when I first visited in 2019 and I was stunned by the quality,” says Heyman.

Four sold from the drawings, with the first and fourth going to the US. The ‘standard’ price of €722,000 ex VAT is a very complete one which includes sails, electric furlers and winches, in-mast furling, bow-thruster, B&G autopilot and instruments, chargers and inverter. The only extras on the test boat were the davits, a washing machine, and an extra plotter.

Heyman 42PPH specifications

LOA: 13.52m / 44ft 4in
LWL: 11.83m / 38ft 10in
Beam: (max) 4.30m / 14ft 1in
Draught: 1.48m / 4ft 10in
Draught centreboard: 1.48-3.02m / 4ft 10in – 9ft 11in
Displacement (lightship): 11,600kg / 25,573lb
Ballast: 3,650kg / 8,047lb
Berths: 4-6
Sail area (100% foretriangle): 99.5m2 / 1,071ft2
Engine: 57hp Yanmar, 75hp Volvo Penta or electric drive
Water: 500lt / 110gal
Fuel: 460lt / 101gal
Sail area/displacement ratio: 19.7
Disp/LWL ratio: 195
Price: (ex VAT) €722,000 fully equipped
Design: Gabriel Heyman
Builder: heymanyachts.com

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The frenetic activity of the Caribbean season had already slowed by the end of April in Anse du Marin, where Albius IV waited on the pontoon. The commanding new Garcia Exploration 60 is part of an Exploration range that began 12 years ago from a meeting between Jimmy Cornell and the managers of Grand Large Yachting who were looking for a new project for the French brand which they took over in 2010.

The idea of the all-aluminium ocean-going centreboarder, which had won over so many sailors in the 1980s and 1990s, had lost a bit of momentum after the departure of Garcia’s two founding brothers in 2005.

For Cornell’s part, the famous author-sailor knew this type of vessel better than most after three circumnavigations. Intending to attempt the Northwest Passage, he had a very precise idea of what he wanted for his fourth boat. This included the key incorporation of a deck saloon, for 270° visibility similar to that of a multihull.

The coachroof on the resultant Exploration 45 was kept as low as possible so as not to compromise stability, and extended by a dodger that protects the front of the cockpit. This became the real signature of the range.

‘Coach’ Philippe behind the wheel, enjoying the very comfortable helm seat – ideal for watches, contemplation, reading… or a nap! Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

The Garcia Exploration 52 which followed and now this new Garcia Exploration 60, have all been designed by Berret Racoupeau, and are immediately recognisable by their coachroof design. The insulated double glazed windows are vertical on the sides, and the forward facing ones reversed as found on commercial vessels. This cuts down glare and ensures vision from inside is not impaired by the sun’s rays.

The 60 incorporates other key features of the Exploration range that are less visible yet equally important, in particular safety aspects on which Cornell did not compromise. For example, there are watertight bulkheads fore and aft, and two skeg-protected rudders that are potentially independent in the event of damage. These have a sacrificial composite top section, which will crush without damaging the hull in the event of a collision.

And then there are the strong design choices that have been upheld, such as the anchor locker set back at the foot of the mast, which means 300kg of chain much better placed than at the bow.

The engine, the heavy systems and tanks are also positioned between the mast and the companionway, a central optimisation of weight that directly impacts the yacht’s behaviour at sea.

The Garcia Exploration 60 has all these attributes and we had the ideal opportunity and time to validate the theory of them at sea.

With the overlapping genoa , furling staysail and Code 0, it’s easy to adapt the sails to suit the wind conditions. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Caribbean departure

There were four of us on board: Laurent the owner; his son Auguste, an underwater drone engineer by trade; Philippe, known as ‘Coach’, who has accompanied Laurent in all his choices and all his sailing since the start of the project; and myself.

Laurent brought nearly 50kg of vacuum-packed meat, charcuterie and cheeses in his luggage – and all this can be accommodated without too much difficulty in the three chilled compartments on board: a fridge in the galley, and fridge and freezer in the utility space at the foot of the mast, all with double drawers.

Sailing with the furling Code 0. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Local victualling was carried out smoothly, and the final work completed. Less than 48 hours after landing in Fort de France, we were ready to set sail. A short stop at the fuel pontoon to really fill up the two tanks of 1,150lt each, and we could set a course, first to the south-east to get out of the cul-de-sac of Le Marin.

On reaching the Club Med des Boucaniers, the boats at anchor became sparser, so we took the opportunity to hoist the mainsail and unfurl the genoa. Everything is done from the cockpit, on the imposing Harken electric winches. All you have to do is make sure the reefing lines are eased and stow the long 2:1 halyard.

The genoa is just as easily unfurled from a conventional furler. A goal on this exploration yacht was to keep things simple in order to be reliable. The use of hydraulics has been confined to where its power is needed, ie the vang, the backstay and the raising and lowering of the daggerboard. In just a few seconds, you can change the draught from 3.65m to 1.50m by simply pressing a button on the starboard helm station.

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The costly carbon mast option (€191,674), may come as a surprise on a 35-tonne yacht. But it adds a significant 2.9m of height and that extra sail area without raising the centre of gravity. This is a welcome bonus, enabling you to make way in winds as light as 8 knots under sail, when the standard version with its ‘short’ aluminium mast would require 12 knots.

The size of the generous cockpit (5.10m x 2.65m) won us over during first manoeuvres. Protected by a rigid sprayhood and bimini, it’s divided into three distinct areas: twin wheels at the stern with footplates that can be raised when heeling; manoeuvring and deck access in the middle; and lounging, eating and keeping watch forward.

Once we rounded Islet Cabrit, which marks the southern tip of Martinique, we set off north-east, close-hauled on starboard tack, 60° to the wind. For three days the wind then oscillated between 12 and 20 knots, yet the boat’s speed remained remarkably constant, as long as you adapted the sail plan to the wind variations.

The cockpit is huge, well sheltered and, with a 360° view, is the real living area of the boat in a temperate climate. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Excessive heeling is the best indicator of this on a centreboarder. Full genoa and mainsail at the bottom of the range, a reef and genoa in the middle, a reef plus staysail as soon as the wind reaches 20 knots.

The Garcia Exploration 60 is like a train on rails, always maintaining between 7 and 9 knots. Before the wind abandoned us for the first time, more than 500 miles were covered in three days. That was just enough time to get used to the yacht and for the stomachs of the less hardened sailors to settle.

The Garcia 60 offers a full-width owner’s cabin in all cases. This is the stern option. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Bedding in

Ventilation may not be the strong point of the large galley, at the foot of the port companionway, in these warm latitudes, but there is plenty of storage space. The Corian worktop and double sink are beyond reproach, as is the oven with five-burner gas hob.

While the refrigerator’s cold storage capacity is well suited to everyday use, I’d prefer to see a solution where the drawers were aligned with the axis of the boat. That way, they’d be less likely to be damaged or to injure a crewmember when weighed down with drinks. Instead, when the locks are released at heel they open and close violently.

Owners cabin option forward of the mast. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

During this first slightly sporty section of the passage, Laurent abandoned his large 9m² owner’s cabin to take refuge in the saloon, as it can be hard to get comfortable when forward of the mast, despite the solid leeboards. Getting to the inviting shower compartment, which is even further forward, opposite the port side technical compartment, requires keen self-awareness.

I slipped into the skipper’s cabin below the saloon – located very low in the centre of the boat, its double berth is undoubtedly one of the most comfortable in rough seas. At 1.73m (5ft 8in) tall though, my feet could touch the radiator. Auguste took the aft port double cabin.

The sleeping accommodation in the starboard cabin, occupied by Coach, is of identical dimensions (1.5m x 2.0m), but the adjoining bathroom, accessible to all with its toilet, large washbasin and separate shower, is roomy.

At the owner’s request, the yard fitted a small heads compartment under the cockpit, which doesn’t feature on the original plans. Here, the washbasin is better described as a hand basin, while taking a shower there would not necessarily be appropriate given the lack of ventilation, however the toilet – electric – is a real comfort.

Just two steps between cockpit and saloon for more views in complete shelter. Note the solid watertight door which helps transform the interior into a protective cocoon. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

At 0400 on the fourth night the wind gave up. Six knots of wind were not enough to move the Albius IV’s 34 tons, especially with the long Atlantic swell still raging, so the Volvo 230hp engine was fired up – an advantageous replacement for the 175hp of the standard inventory, as it allows the boat to reach a cruising speed of 7.2 knots at just 2,000rpm, for a consumption of just 12lt per hour.

We were glad to have topped up tanks before setting off, as it meant we didn’t hesitate to use the engine during the transition phases and were therefore able to seize any opportunity to make headway under sail in this light-wind year. This tactic was confirmed regularly by our routing software.

Yes, the Starlink revolution had joined us aboard, and we gave in to the temptation to download GRIB files several times a day.

Dinner at sunset mid Atlantic, indicative of a smooth crossing. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Powered up

Even without numerous hours of motoring there are plenty of power sources to keep the 1,000Ah of 24V lithium batteries topped up. And that’s without the aid of a malfunctioning Watt&Sea hydrogenerator. While this is usually very efficient, technical problems meant we had to do without.

Instead, the solar panels (1,000W on the arch and 600W on the hard top), plus the generator, kept the batteries at over 60% charge level, all while regularly running the washing machine, tumble dryer and watermaker.

The well-protected interior. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

The watermaker is started from the control panel forward of the chart table but is physically located in the technical compartment under the port saloon bench seat. The aft end of this seat lifts up on its pistons and you enter a particularly well laid-out space, where the care taken by the shipyard to integrate the systems is evident.

I noted that the consumption of the chiller units reduces drastically as soon as the outside temperature drops below 30°. Indeed, as we moved northwards, the night watches migrated inside, getting full use of the panoramic view from the saloon.

While all meals, including dinner, were taken ‘on the terrace’, as night fell and the thermometer dropped, we sat down at the chart table to port or in the saloon to starboard. There’s always a well-placed screen to keep an eye on the AIS or the radar, and the view of the horizon is unobstructed under the foot of the genoa. If the temperature were to drop again, we could also close the solid double watertight companionway doors.

‘Coach’ Philippe is also an excellent cook (here with his slow cooked roast). The large galley was used intensively during the crossing. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

In more northerly or southerly latitudes there’s always the water heating system with its domestic-style radiators. These combine with foamed floors and 70mm of insulation from the waterline to the coachroof to form a cocoon of warmth and silence.

Shortly after the halfway point, the wind granted us two days under Code 0 with 12 to 15 knots of wind at 200°. The boat glided along at around 7 knots, heading 060°, straight for the Azores. At sunset, I flew the drone to capture the most beautiful session of this transatlantic trip, the reflections of the sun in the Mylar film of the sail giving it a golden sheen – a magical moment.

Engine controls, navigation information, and a good view of the sails from a very well-designed helm station, complete with tilting sole. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Two-week crossing

Arriving in Horta exactly 14 days and 20 hours after leaving Le Marin, we found the famous Azorean port quite crowded in this post-Caribbean migratory season. But there was enough space for the Garcia Exploration 60, which we were able to position precisely in the berth using the bow and stern thrusters.

The fenders were removed from the huge forward sail locker. Now all we had to do was reinflate the dinghy, a sturdy Bombard Commando C3, which we’d managed to get into the port aft locker of the transom. We’d forgotten that the spare gas bottle was behind it. Fortunately, the 13kg bottle in service made it all the way across, although it was severely strained by lemon tarts, roast chickens and even a slow-cooked (seven-hour) leg of lamb!

Despite her fairly steep angle of heel, the Garcia Exploration 60’s movements were remarkably smooth and the average speed for two-week passage was high. From 10 knots of wind, and using the engine below that, we kept up a steady pace. While staying as close as possible to the direct route, we tried to make contact with the low-pressure systems further north, but were never really able to catch them. All together, we spent a third of the time under engine.

Very accessible and organised technical room. Photo: François Trégouët / MULTImedia unless stated

Garcia Exploration 60 specifications

LOA: 19.50m / 64ft 0in
LWL: 16.77m / 55ft 0in
Beam: 5.40m / 17ft 9in
Draught: 1.50m-3.65m / 4ft 11in-12ft 0in
Displacement : 35,000kg / 77,162lb
Ballast: 9,650kg / 21,274lb
Sail area: 168m² (with carbon mast: 195m²)
Sail area/displacement ratio: 18.2
Disp/LWL: ratio 207
Berths: 8
Engine: Volvo Penta 175hp (or 230hp as an option)
Fuel: 2,300lt / 506gal
Water: 800lt / 176gal
CE Category: A for 10 persons
Price as tested: €2.9m
Design: Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design
Builder: garciayachts.com

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This new generation YYachts Y8 is the Griefswald yard’s third version of this 80ft size. The original, which helped launch the brand in 2015, was a Lorenzo Argento and David Copperfield design. Surge Projects’ Javier Jaudenes, designer of WinWin and the recent Baltic Café Racer series, then drew the replacement that launched two years ago, which he has now updated again including a new deck, structure and interior.

The deck design and ergonomics had key input from a lead designer at Apple, who is also a Y7 owner. Having a top product designer fine-tune the details was enlightening.

“The thinking is completely different from previous models – a different interpretation of the coachroof and the cockpit created by a design icon leader and a YYachts customer,” founder Michael Schmidt explains.

A wide, flat spacious deck. Photo: Nico Martinez

Minimalism

Schmidt owns this first new YYachts Y8, Calabash, which has a very different interior, deliberately minimalist in the vast saloon to help emphasise the volumes. And in common with his recent new models, it has a Scandinavian architectural feel, this time thanks to renowned Danish designer David Thulstrup.

The significant interior volume, which is 20% greater than its predecessor, helped the design team to offer a large variety of layouts, including owner’s accommodation fore or aft. Jaudenes admits this was a challenge: “to conceive an aesthetically pleasing vessel capable of accommodating four distinct layouts while maintaining essential structural elements.”

He has taken the max beam right aft to the transom, “with flared sides ensuring substantial hull stability and a generous garage space to accommodate a sizeable tender plus ample storage.”

With the bimini fitted over the guest cockpit. Photo: Nico Martinez

Calabash is the first Y-series without a lifting aft deck hatch over the garage (the helms are further aft which prevents this), however the garage can still house a Williams 4.95m jet tender. Also gone are the twin engines in favour of a single block below the saloon – this huge soleboard section is now a showpiece that lifts on rams.

Where the Y7 is designed to be able to sail by an owner-driver (perhaps with a skipper to help occasionally), the YYachts Y8 is managed by two permanent crew, so there is increased separation between them and the owner’s area.

“We need to make our boats acceptable, understandable and appreciable to motorboat owners,” says managing director Tijl Hetterschijt, who was aboard for our sail trial. He likens this mentality to that of electric car owners – “keeping it uncomplicated is key” and says it’s therefore a more similar setup to the YYachts Y7 than the YYachts Y9.

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That said, for the deck layout, YYachts wanted the feel of an 85-footer, which it certainly gives. You can now walk all around the deck and deckhouse, while the use of 30° spreaders negates the need for a backstay, a feat that seems to defy physics. (Calabash has runners for the square-top mainsail but these are not deemed necessary).

Easy speed

For our trials we had an ideal thermal afternoon breeze of 13 to 16 knots in the Bay of Palma, which allowed us to clock double figures. We nudged 10.5 knots at 40-45° to the apparent wind, but that induced a fair amount of heel and load – you get a good sense of this on the wheel through direct steering and there’s plenty of grip from the twin rudders. However, by nosing up to 30-35° we found a more comfortable heel angle with the log still averaging 9-9.5 knots under white sails.

Serious sailpower from Doyle: square-top mainsail combines with gennaker for fast reaching in light airs. Photo: Nico Martinez

As has long been commonplace for Michael Schmidt’s yachts, a self-tacking jib comes as standard to make handling easier. This is a good size as the foretriangle has been increased to offer optimal driving forces, says Jaudenes. Calabash also had extra grunt provided by the square-top main.

This sailpower combines with the powerful, wide hull shape yet comparatively lightweight displacement of her carbon composite build for lively performance.

To put that in perspective, the YYachts Y8 is the same length as the CNB 78 yet is 10 tonnes lighter. It can also be fitted with a shallow draught lifting or telescopic keel.

“The sail plan configuration strikes a balance between delivering substantial driving forces and mitigating heeling moments, delaying reefing until wind speeds of 18 knots,” Jaudenes continues.

Wide lower saloon includes an extendable dining table. Photo: Willem Keuppens / www.willemkeuppens.com

YYachts gives different options for the mainsheet: the mainsheet winch plinth we had; a bimini with single-point; a Magic Trim system within the boom; or a fixed bimini roof with the mainsheet track on top.

The huge, wide open aft deck presents quite the dance floor to try and negotiate at heel. I’ve mentioned this with past YYachts designs and it’s something owners and guests will need to be wary of. While the helmsman and trimmers have some bracing points to help negotiate tacks, there are no handholds or bracing for crew/guests… grippy shoes are needed.

The aft guardrail is also very low. And despite an excellent bimini sheltering the guest cockpit, the deck is very flat elsewhere with little comfort. Even the mooring winches are hidden inside aft quarter lockers. Such a form-over-function approach will create mixed reactions.

Open space is emphasised by freestanding chairs and sofa. Photo: Willem Keuppens / www.willemkeuppens.com

Plenty will comment on how unsuitable it is for sailing offshore, but they need to remember most owners of this type of craft are daysailing from chic Med marinas and anchorages. It should also be emphasised that these are semi-custom yachts and owners can choose where they want to install crash bars and handrails.
Scandi minimalism
Like many of Schmidt’s boats, there’s a proper wow factor on stepping below decks, thanks to an ultra-clean architectural style.

YYachts describes this first YYachts Y8 interior as “a sophisticated blend of modern and Scandinavian influences”. There is plenty of wood trim and in this case the Danish designer pushed for the uncommon choice of mahogany trim (and soles) which adds some warmth and elegance.

Four layout options, four different timber veneer choices, and a range of predesigned furniture colour choices mean each owner can tailor-make their interior.

Forward of here on Calabash is the owner’s cabin. Photo: Irina Boersma

The style takes influence from the luxury furniture industry – the free-standing furniture is particularly bold in the saloon, and stands out for its minimalism. Aboard Calabash, the semi-raised saloon simply features just these two chairs and a small sofa, deliberately done to emphasise the space (so YYacht’s novel sliding handrail system is needed at heel!). The mast base has pride of place, like a totem pole in the centre of the saloon.

The majority of the saloon sole lifts on rams to reveal the engine and genset, while the entire forward section of the saloon sole will lift like this on the second YYachts Y8 to access the watermaker and batteries.

The four-cabin version has a more traditional saloon with a third guest cabin forward and a versatile office area. There are also two reverse layouts offered, with the owner cabin aft switching with the crew/galley aft.

Forward of Calabash’s saloon, the large table has extensions at each end to make a long dining table, designed so they don’t normally encroach on access to the twin entrances of the forward cabin.

Saloon sole lifts on rams to reveal engine and genset. Photo: Irina Boersma

Another neat touch is the hidden locking system for the large crockery and glass drawers and lockers each side – push a button and these will lock electronically when you go sailing. A similar system is used for the lockers in the master cabin, while large hatches below the berth can butterfly open for stowage.

Such is the headroom height in the identical twin en-suite guest cabins aft, you can’t even reach the headlining or open the hatch in the heads. Moving through the central corridor aft leads through the passageway-style galley and into the crew’s domain, mess and crew cabin with direct access to the aft deck.

All together this is a generous area with good separation from the owner’s living areas. The mess table can be used as a bed but with no navstation, chartwork or navigation will also need to be done here.

Lively performance has helped YYachts’s popularity – particularly for easy Med day sailing. Photo: Nico Martinez

Following the Palma show and our sail trial, Schmidt was gearing his yacht up for its first race at the Superyacht Cup Palma.

“For me, this new YYachts Y8 is a very special design – after all, I founded the shipyard with the first Y8,” he comments.

I sailed that boat (Cool Breeze) with him 10 years ago, so it was interesting to see it in Palma for sale this year, still looking fresh in its peppermint green livery – and to note that the style, down to the leather door latches and sliding handrails, remains contemporary today.

I wondered back then how well these minimalist designs would be received and how big the market would be for these large, semi-custom, fast composite yachts.

But clearly the veteran boatbuilder knows his stuff. YYachts has grown to become one of the most – if not the most –successful yards in this niche sector. It has now sold 10 YYachts Y8s altogether, plus 23 Y7s, two custom yachts and the fourth Y9 is in construction!

YYachts Y8 specifications

LOA: 23.99m / 78ft 9in
LOA (including bowsprit): 25.99m / 85ft 3in
LWL: 22.40m / 73ft 6in
Beam: 6.58m / 21ft 7in
Displacement (light): 38,800kg / 85,538lb
Draught: 4.30m / 14ft 1in (or 2.80-4.30m / 9ft 2in-14ft 1in)
Sail area total upwind: 343.43m2 / 3,696ft2
Sail area total downwind: 724.69m2 / 7,800ft2
Ballast (fixed keel): 13,300kg / 29,321lb
Fuel: 1,300lt / 286gal
Water: 1,300lt / 286gal
Price: €4m or €5m ex VAT fully equipped
Design: Surge-Projects/David Thulstrup
Builder: yyachts.de

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The post YYachts Y8 Calabash review: Sailing this semi-custom, designer cruiser appeared first on Yachting World.

Sailing the CNB 78 One contrasts a little over 10 years ago when we had a memorable sail trial on the original CNB 76, a two-day return voyage from Palma. It’s since proven to be a popular model for both Med and offshore cruising, particularly in terms of manageability with a small crew. A decade later we were sailing out of Palma Bay again on the new very similar-sized and styled CNB 78 One. Was history repeating itself – and why create such a similar-looking replacement?

The layout, both above and below decks, is a real highlight of the design

‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ is perhaps the easiest answer to that, and yet once you delve into the new 78 you start to appreciate many subtle differences. CNB changed hands three years ago and its yachts are now built in Italy at Solaris’s Aquileia yard. The upheaval a move like this involves is significant, from the boatbuilding workforce to a different network of sales agents.

Retaining the same original design team, together with long-standing director Vincent Arnaud, maintained brand familiarity. Designers Philippe Briand and Jean-Marc Piaton have helped CNB forge a recognisable DNA of a sleek deck saloon range set off originally by the Bordeaux 60.

The huge cockpit can have great protection from the sprayhood extension.

The CNB 78 One – Same but different

While the look may seem extremely similar to its predecessor, the 78 has a powerful new hull shape that includes upper and lower chines. It’s a little wider than the 76, especially aft, with more volume through the boat. The main layout improvements the team wanted to make were with the guest accommodation, where the increased volume has allowed for a third double cabin.

Previously, Groupe Beneteau had devised a clever modular technique for the 76, building large sections of the interior outside the hull – an industrial engineering approach to mass producing a yacht of this size. CNB says Solaris’ return to traditional laminated-in bulkheads makes for a marked improvement, as does the joinerwork of the Italian yard.

On deck we can see better access to the side decks using a gentle ramp instead of a step. The tender garage remains, still designed for a Williams 395, but now includes an integrated roller system for easier launch and recovery. The sprayhood is also easier to use, fitted on hinges, and has the option to enclose the whole cockpit. Such examples show the benefits of substantial owner feedback.

A performance rig on the first 78 helps provide plenty of sail area, but it’s also a powerful, versatile and responsive hull shape

Two of the first few orders have been from 76 owners. When you consider this involves a seven-figure upgrade for what, to a great extent looks like the same boat, it shows how just much they value the changes CNB has made.

“The fundamentals of the 76 were so good, but it was lacking the finish,” says CNB’s UK agent Stephen Abery, who was aboard with me for the sail trial. You can see the difference now. “Solaris are craftsmen who are engaged in the process”.

Briand has maximised the volume within a particular length, a clever-sized model, as it measures just under 24m without its bowsprit (technically removable). The beam is still 6.1m but it’s been taken further forward and aft (which also helps allow for the third double cabin). Space distribution is simple but flows well.

Long Briand lines absorb a well-styled deckhouse

The layout of the 76 was already excellent, particularly the separation between crew and guests by keeping the former housed aft aside the galley. Partners Adonis and Nadia are permanent crew who live aboard CNB 78 One, the first 78 and the boat I sailed. They ran the owner’s previous yachts, including his old 76, and really value this new layout with the space they have aft, being keenly aware of the improvements. They also talked of the stiffness and quiet below decks under sail, while Nadia appreciates the increased stowage space around the galley.

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CNB 66 yacht test: Intoxicating cruiser is a cut above the mainstream

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CNB 76 boat test – more boat for your money

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Sail to the sun

When I came to write this review I recalled a glorious sail in good breeze and sunshine. It was only when I looked back at my video footage I remembered we set out in wind and rain! It was a transformative sail, one that started with little hope and ended with a favourable impression.

The interior has a more modern, airier style than CNB’s 76 model

We sailed One in loaded mode, weighing just over 50 tonnes. As soon as the true wind is six knots or more I was impressed to note the CNB matching it upwind at 40-43° to the apparent. This then increased to 9.5 in 10.5 knots true wind sailing upwind with full genoa and main in flat water. One was powered up, and proving to be a stiff yet rewarding yacht to sail. The twin rudders gave complete control and it remained finger light on the wheels.

The ‘standard’ CNB 78 One comes with an aluminium mast and stack-packed, slab-reefed mainsail. One has some costly upgrades including the dark metallic paint, North Sails wardrobe and a 2m longer performance Hall carbon rig with V-boom furling. Combine this with halyards run to mast base winches and you can see it’s configured to be sailed with the help of its permanent crew.

That said, it still proved manageable, with genoa and staysail on cockpit-controlled, push-button Reckmann furlers. Skipper Adonis says he likes to reef the main before putting a couple of rolls in the genoa, moving to second reef and more genoa furls before swapping to the staysail.

Enjoyable hands-on sailing from the aft helms

We continued close-hauled out past Figuera and into the sun before returning on a reach, maintaining our 9.5-10 knot average speeds. And it was beautiful sailing – I admit to being pleasantly surprised by how engaging the experience was. We only used white sails, so once the wind was further aft of the beam it felt a little underpowered, but upwind and fetching was a delight.

The main is sheeted to a raised central cockpit winch, while a powerful vang helps control the boom angle.

Deck sockets behind this winch allow for granny bars to be fitted to help bracing and remove the temptation of holding onto the sheet. There was tragic accident on a smaller CNB recently involving a single-point mainsheet, but this type of central winch setup is still very much a go-to solution for most professionally crewed maxi-sized yachts from all brands. CNB offers an arch option for its new 62 (see page 58), and also offers the 78 with in-mast furling and a fixed bimini (chosen by the second owner). Thirteen owners of the 76 chose in-mast furling, the key difference being that reefing can be a one-person job.

Toby with skipper Adonis

Sit or stand

Those on the helm have a nice choice between sitting on helm seats outboard or standing, with the aid of an adjustable footplate. The twin pedestals on One have full sail and engine controls on both sides, while it’s easy to walk behind these to access the side decks. The two large powered winches each side work well for the headsail sheets, while the genoa sheet leads going forward from the primaries are particularly neat.

A winter package also fully encloses the aft helm area

The enormous guest cockpit area is completely separate from the sailing systems, which makes sense. This can be fully enclosed with an extended sprayhood and there is plenty of space for owners and guests to eat all meals up here al fresco. It’s also only a very shallow descent to a proper deck saloon area that includes twin tables (which also lower to form coffee tables or a daybed).

Telling improvements

This saloon is all guest area now, the 76’s chart table was sacrificed in favour of a drinks and seating area to starboard, confining the skipper’s passage planning space to an aft-facing section of the crew mess. However, it’s a well-styled, airy interior, with lots of neat details and storage solutions around the saloon, and a better organised layout throughout.

The enormous owner’s suite brings superyacht status

The fundamental refinement lies with the third cabin now being a double instead of a Pullman. Machinery access and insulation has also improved – headroom is still confined but the beam-wide space can be accessed both from the saloon or from below the aft steps.

The owner’s cabin retains a proper luxury suite feel with yet more wardrobe space. It’s a real stateroom, away from engine noise or the dock when stationary/stern-to. Abery reports that over 90% of the 76s are Med-based so this layout makes sense. The standard layout sites the headboard aft on an offset berth, but most choose a central berth with headboard forward.

‘The CNB 78 is a versatile cruising package’

The improved quality is telling, particularly Solaris’ skilled curvature of veneers. The test boat is finished in walnut, while teak, natural or brushed oak are offered.

The CNB 78 One is a versatile cruising package that’s enjoyable and manageable to sail well. It’s born out of experience and feedback – CNB has built more yachts at this size than most yards, and there were (reportedly) very few niggles on this first boat.

The layout, both above and below decks, is a real highlight of the design, for the owner, guests and crew, by giving them maximum space and segregation. Combine that with the helming experience, the measured, consistent performance and ease of use by a small crew and it’s easy to think this could be even more popular than the successful model it’s replacing.

The 76’s chart table was sacrificed in favour of a drinks and seating area to starboard

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What makes the perfect saloon for a cruising yacht? Ask anyone of a certain age and they’re likely to start with safety aspects – snug, with at least a couple of good sea berths, plenty of handholds and no big, wide open spaces that might be dangerous when thrashing to windward. But as we’ll see, Dufour has thrown away the rule book allowing Ardizio Design to create an interior with a refreshingly different style to most.

I sailed a prototype boat from La Rochelle a few months ahead of the Dufour 44’s official launch at Cannes in September. The Umberto Felci-designed hull has beam carried well forward at both deck and chine level, though there’s lots of flare above the waterline, especially forward, giving a relatively narrow waterline beam and low wetted surface area, which boosts performance in light airs.

We experienced the benefits of this immediately after leaving La Rochelle’s Port les Minimes marina, sailing close hauled in only 8 knots of true wind. Even in these light airs we maintained a fairly consistent five knots of boat speed. As we got further offshore in the west-northwesterly airflow, the wind increased to 10 knots and boat speed to six knots, rising to 6.5 knots as the breeze built to 12 knots. Throughout our sail the boat tacked through 95° or less.

Power meets volume: the 44 has very full bows and flare above the waterline, which creates a lot of space without huge drag. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Rigged for easy speed

Dufour worked a lot on sail shape with Elvstrom to get the right balance between depth and power for the optional sustainable and high tech Ekko sails which the test boat is equipped with. They set well and clearly helped the boat’s performance and feel.

Felci studied options for both single and twin rudders, determining that the former is sufficient, even with full sail in more than 25 knots of breeze. This gives more feel on the helm than twin rudders while also making the boat easier to handle in harbour, thanks to the prop wash over the rudder. It’s also a simpler solution that frees up more interior and stowage space.

The hull shape is such that stability also builds very quickly when the boat starts to heel and the leeward chine digs in. As true wind speed increased to 14.5 knots ahead of a line of cloud, boat speed nudged up to 6.7-6.8 knots, with a little more heel but not a lot by the standards of older designs. This was still very comfortable sailing and a long way from needing to reef, even though the apparent wind was now above 18 knots.

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Throughout my test the boat had a direct and responsive feel to the helm that belies the 10.2 tonne displacement. Even when attempting to bear away without easing the sheets and the boat well powered up, the rudder still had plenty of bite and answered the helm immediately – a world away from wide-stern single rudder designs of two or three decades ago.

Bearing away to a true wind angle of 65-70º when the true wind dropped back down to 9 knots we still made a comfortable 7 knots of boat speed, although with no asymmetric spinnaker we weren’t able to check realistic speed potential on broad reaching angles or downwind.

‘Stability builds very quickly when the boat starts to heel’. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

On deck

Helm stations are well outboard, which gives a good view of the luff of the sail, though you can’t sit astride the wheel when helming upwind. The cockpit sole is quite high, which means the side deck next to the wheels is quite low, but it’s still a comfortable seat when helming. There’s also a seat behind the helm that allows you to sit comfortably when driving for long periods. In all cases there’s a good view of the headsail luff.

There are no foot chocks for the driver on the basis that owners have so many different preferences it’s impossible to satisfy everyone. Instead this is a dealer-level customisation to allow each owner to choose their favoured solution.

The passage to the side decks is forward of the helm stations, which makes the mainsheet winch on the Ocean version a bit of a stretch from the wheel. On the other hand, it provides plenty of space for a crewmember to work the sheets.

The 108% headsail of the test boat is set on a Facnor FD flat deck furler that helps maximise luff length, although a smaller non-overlapping jib can be specified.

The test boat includes many of the comfort options including six winches and the trademark Dufour exterior galley/grill accessed from the swim platform. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The mainsail is set up as standard with two single line reefs, the positions of which were defined after careful analysis by both Elvstrom and Felci. It’s not currently possible to order a third reef from the factory, but there is a spare sheave in the boom and space at the mast plate to install one. Commendably large rope bins are provided at the companionway and behind the winch stations.

The stern platform has access to the cockpit on both sides of the transom, facilitating easy circulation of people. Liferaft stowage is in the middle, with Dufour’s trademark outdoor galley with a barbecue and small sink above. Add to that a fridge in the cockpit table and it’s easy to understand why many Dufour owners predominately cook outside in favourable weather.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Many of today’s yachts are used in a different manner to those of the past. Three or four decades ago a Nicholson 32 or Contessa 32 might have been considered an average size serious cruising yacht. Yet a passage plan might assume an average speed of 4 or 5 knots and weather forecasts were nowhere near as good as those of today, which meant a far greater chance of a passage across, for example, the English Channel or North Sea, turning into a beat at the end. Throw in a tidal gate or two and a lot of 75- to 90-mile passages back then became 18- to 24-hour ordeals.

Times have changed

By contrast, today’s boats are on average a lot larger and proportionately much faster, with the result the same distance is normally covered in no more than 12-14 hours and often a lot less, unless it’s a straight beat to windward. But even that is less likely, thanks to the massive improvements in weather forecasting over the past few decades that mean long upwind slogs when cruising are now encountered much less frequently.

Another difference is that today’s boats don’t heel as much – a wide, high form stability cruising hull shape will rarely see much more than 20°, even when pressed, and 15-18° is more typical. That makes it easier to move around the interior when bashing upwind.

Spacious saloon with hexagonal table and compact galley will work best in harbour. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Saloon and galley layouts by Ardizio Design feel distinctly different to many boats, yet will make sense for a lot of owners.

The space is dominated by a large C-shape seating area with a hexagonal table to port. A neat innovation is the three movable fabric stools that provide extra seating on the inboard side of the table. These can be used flexibly, are lightweight, don’t fall over and have an effective non-slip base. They also stack against the starboard settee, extending that space into a larger lounging area.

On the downside there’s no dedicated navstation, other than a folding shelf for a laptop, and the forward galley option initially looks small, with a lack of fixed worktop space, though there is more at a slightly lower level than the main countertops.

The prime benefit those full bows bring is found in the voluminous master cabin. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Handholds and grabrails below decks are important for safety at sea, yet provision is often poor on many new yachts – and in any case owners often have different ideas as to what will work best for them. Dufour has planned for interior handrails to be added as a customised option at the dealer level and has designed a choice of mounting points into the underside of the coachroof for this purpose.

Stowage is well configured and in general a marked improvement to older designs, with plenty of thought given to ease of use of space. For instance, there are drawers under both port and starboard settees. These cost boatbuilders extra money to install, but can make a huge difference to life on board.

Other neat touches include a wine rack under the saloon floor and Dufour’s effective dustpan below the cabin sole. There are lights combined with USB outlets next to each bed and the spacious forward owner’s cabin has a good area of bookshelves and space for phones, keys, wallets and so on next to the head of the bed.

Nonetheless, the interior is better in harbour or at anchor than at sea and the galley on the version I tested won’t be easy to use when well heeled. There is an option for a conventional linear galley on the starboard side.

A lot of yacht to enjoy at anchor – note the large hull windows. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

As with other models in the range it’s available in Easy, Ocean and Performance variants. The bulk of sales of the pared-down Easy version are likely to go to charter companies, while the Ocean model I sailed will be the choice of most private owners.

Dufour worked with charter companies in Croatia to optimise quick and easy access for maintenance and repair of systems throughout the boat – also a big benefit for private owners. Easily accessible items are more likely to be inspected on a regular basis, markedly reducing potential for breakdowns.

Dufour 44 specifications

LOA: 13.91m 45ft 8in
LWL: 12.23m 40ft 2in
Beam: 4.45m 14ft 7in
Draught (standard keel): 2.2m 7ft 2in
Draught (shoal draught keel): 1.75m 5ft 9in
Light disp: 10,200kg 22,500lb
Ballast: 2,850kg 6,284lb
Fuel: 250lt 55gal
Water: 250lt 55gal (extra 180lt 48gal optional)
Engine: 50hp (60hp optional)
Sail area (100% foretriangle): 96.8m2 1,042ft2
Disp/LWL ratio: 155
Sail area/disp ratio: 20.9
Price as tested: approx €400,000 ex VAT
Contact: dufour-yachts.com

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The post Dufour 44 review: More space but maintaining performance appeared first on Yachting World.

Granted, the sight of Grand Soleil’s president Gigi Servidati sailing the beautiful Grand Soleil 65LC off Portofino arm in arm with his partner, tanned and clad in white linen, screams Italian cool. It’s picture poster stuff, sailing’s equivalent of an Italian supercar pinup from a lifestyle photoshoot.

But that’s not what draws my eye. However well Grand Soleil has perfected such a chic theme, we’ve seen this type of imagery before. Rather, there’s a certain angle of photography showing the yacht’s lines that hooks me – the aft quarter shot – everything else becomes peripheral. Show me those flared sections.

Sexy lines sell. And the Grand Soleil 65LC boasts the blend of qualities that befit a pure performance cruiser: contemporary powerful lines mixed with a look that stands out yet should age well. It has a little of the Advanced Yachts 66 to it – another Italian model that perfected the wraparound raised coachroof look (also by Nauta Design) and has stood the 10-year test of time handsomely. But then it adds the modern kick-ass beam, together with a very subtle chine leading to those distinctly flared aft sections… Oof!

‘The aft quarter hooks me. Show me those flared sections…’ Photo: Alberto Cocchi

When the GS 72 launched two years ago, these lines stood out. That Matteo Polli has managed to replicate it on a more ‘manageable’ size without losing any of the wow factor shows a young designer at the top of his game. The GS 65 is, naturally, an evolution, using the same powerful, sporty design.

Polli explains how the hull form “maintains the pronounced V in the bow and low wetted surface of the Grand Soleil 72 for less resistance, greater dynamic stability when heeling and better performance in light airs”. It’s a design he optimised for a broad wind range, “from lightship in racing conditions up to full load in cruising mode.”

The Grand Soleil 65 is one of the most stunning new production yachts available. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

And the overall beam of the Grand Soleil 65LC is only 20cm less, at a formidable 5.95m (viewed stern-to from the dock, the transom stops you in your tracks). It contains much of the same features as the GS 72, including the same genset and watermaker, but with that brings its own challenges, Polli explains. As the lightships and loaded displacement is a larger range on the GS 72, the attention to weight and wetted surface area becomes stricter on the smaller yacht.

Again it’s offered as a Long Cruise (LC) or Performance (P) model, with the variations found in the coachroof – or lack thereof – and internal layouts. Whichever version you choose, it’s quite a minimalist deck and cockpit. Helms aft leave a roomy cockpit, with very long, wide benches – you can seat 10 around the long central table – so the higher coachroof coamings and backrests of the LC make a lot more sense for cruising, offering at least some comfort and protection. It can also house a large sprayhood.

The lines and layout of the LC do it for me personally, however the orders so far are split evenly between the Long Cruise and Performance models – across both the 72 and 65 designs.

A modern powerful shape, the 65LC carries its wide beam right aft. The coachroof oozes style, with coamings extended to encompass the long cockpit. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

Turning it on

You can perhaps sense my eagerness to sail this boat. Following a long, hot and humid, windless Mallorcan morning, just as I was beginning to fear we might not get a chance to experience this 65 LC properly, the sudden arrival of a moderate breeze from the west-northwest was highly welcomed. The uncalibrated wind instruments were not working, but the white caps forming further out in Palma Bay suggested the breeze was in the teens, and at the upper end of that in gusts.
With full sail set and a lively amount of heel on, it felt special to lean onto those powerful aft sections and surge to weather. We clocked a steady 9.5 knots upwind, and could nudge into double figures by footing off a little.

You may notice that the mast is comparatively far aft. This increases the jib’s sail area and also brings the boom further aft –  “more sail without raising the centre of effort,” Polli told me. This also increases the headsail options, including a removable inner stay, and a shorter bowsprit for the same gennaker area. The 65 LC comes with a self-tacking jib as standard, although the test boat had a more conventional slightly overlapping jib.

It was an increasingly rare pleasure to again sail a performance yacht of this size with a single rudder. This high-aspect blade is mounted comparatively far forward, acting as a foil with plenty of grip. That said, and for a yacht with such a balanced sail plan, I found that upwind leg a little heavy on the helm. The 65 LC carries a significant amount of sail for her relatively light displacement so playing with the sail and weight trim more should help (we had 10 aboard, a mixed ability crew and in cruising mode).

Form and function: the clean decks see lines led underdeck. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

A shimmering halo surrounded the bright afternoon sun, which, together with the breeze ruffling the sparkling seas, made for distinctly pleasant conditions. The wind freshened up more as we approached the lighthouse at the bay’s western point of Cala Figuero. It was now 15 to 18 over waves with clear white caps, the GS 65 still clocking 9 to 9.5 upwind with full sail. We could push up to 10 knots in the gusts if we dropped off a few degrees, but even when close-hauled I noted we were not pointing particularly close, tacking through almost 100°.

This is perhaps explained by the wider angle of the headsail sheets, which is reportedly 12° rather than the 8° of the Performance version. The coachroof on the LC version finishes before the mast, with the jib tracks pushed out to the side decks, where the roof on the Performance model extends past the mast and carries the tracks on top and further inboard.

significant beam buys space for large aft cabins and a tender garage below a very open transom. Note how the teak deck wraps up the coamings to soften the visual line of the coachroof. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

As with the GS 72, the project was spearheaded by veteran racer and boatbuilder Franco Corazza, who stressed how good the coachroof line is for a raised saloon boat – seated at either helm under sail, you can still clearly see the bow. That said it’s very much a Med-style performance cruiser deck, where streamlined looks come above cruising practicalities and comfort. This is particularly noticeable at heel.

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Reaching machine

We were gifted a lovely, long, early evening leg back from the lighthouse. The wind was blowing off the island over clear, flat water so it was easy to see each bullet of breeze approaching our aft quarter. With a deep reaching A0 set and pulling from a furler midway along the bowsprit, we averaged 9-10 knots in the lighter breezes, up to 11 in the gusts.

Heat it up a little and you can feel the power. The Grand Soleil 65LC has a potent amount of sail area and relies on the form stability of her powerful hull shape for righting moment. So while it can harness light breezes and puffs, loads should be respected (and the temptation to carry too much sail avoided!).

Signature Nauta styling. The saloon table can seat eight. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

It was certainly enjoyable sailing, but perhaps not the fully exhilarating ride her shape promises. I also found the winch setup a little unusual, particularly for the mainsheet. It’s led neatly each side through the deck to clutches right by the helms and winches further aft. Although these are within reach for those wanting to sail short-handed – or when the trimmer is in contact with the helmsman – the winches are right in the quarters. Here you’re also conscious of the significant beam and flat deck space to cross, and a lot of open transom behind.

The mainsheet is a reverse T system, led to a single point as on the test boat, onto a winch on a central plinth, or to a captive winch. You can also opt for a recessed and powered traveller. Mastbase halyard winches help keep the cockpit clean, plus there are tailing lockers. But with a completely open transom I’d worry about lines trailing overboard, and the pushpit rail is only 2ft high so I’d want a third guardwire higher up.

The styling on deck is slick, especially the way the teak deck rises up on the coachroof coamings to help lower the visual line. The tender garage is low but provides enough room for a dinghy up to 3.1m, and there’s deck access from above for stowing fenders. The sail locker is also generous, with a heads and pipe cot within, yet still plenty of space for spare warps, sheets and sails.

The galley is at the same eye-level as the saloon. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

Semi-custom step-up

The GS 65 and 72 are available as this ‘LC’ model, though they’re different beasts to the smaller LCs in Grand Soleil’s range (more suited to their ‘Long Cruise’ name). “Over 60ft the concept and the owners change,” Corazza explains. He oversees these more semi-custom builds, in a separate facility to Cantiere del Pardo’s main production site.

A composite sandwich build, with composite main bulkheads and interior furniture all foam-cored, produces a light displacement of 26.5 tonnes on the GS 65. The hull is built by vacuum-infusing Vinylester resin into biaxial glassfibre (in one shot), with unidirectional carbon used for reinforcement. The infusion is all done in-house.

It’s an impressive, semi-custom approach. “It’s why we bought Adria Sail,” says Corazza, referencing the quality and experience of the Fano shipyard which has built custom yachts for a variety of Italian brands. Next up is a Grand Soleil 80 which will really see the brand kick ahead with this new semi-custom range.

Inviting master cabin has good headroom right up to the forward end of the nice low berth and plenty of stowage. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

The LC version of the 65 provides a generous amount of natural light to the semi-raised saloon and the natural teak veneer finish looks smart (also available in Alpi and natural oak). It’s offered with three or four cabins and a midships galley, while the Performance version sites the galley aft.

As well as the 270° views it brings, a prime benefit of the LC’s raised saloon format is that the generator and tank space is all contained below the saloon sole. This also helps to maximize the space of the two aft cabins as no technical/engine room is needed between them.

Here we see the volume gains the flared sections and all that beam brings. Indeed, these aft cabins can be chosen with doubles or twins and have wider berths than the master cabin (they are noisier though, particularly under engine).

The aft cabins can be doubles or twins with lots of natural light and a good feeling of space. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

The port side has separate day-head access, but this is via the shower – somewhat unconventional considering those in the optional fourth cabin will likely need to use this heads too. Although there is space for a crew berth in the large sail locker, the fourth cabin option makes a wiser choice for those wanting to keep a crew for any length of time. This Pullman features good sea-going berths opposite the mast base, tall locker space and is aside the galley, though it’s also right next to the owner’s cabin so lacks segregation.

The standard layout sees a dinette area rather than this fourth cabin. As well as providing a mess area, this could also benefit those wanting extra office space (he writes, while working on his kitchen table…), as the navstation is an aft-facing affair that adjoins the saloon sofa berth. Opposite, the U-shaped galley has a relatively compact but practical format with good work surface and refrigeration space, even if it lacks the finesse of customised crockery or glass stowage.

Optional Pullman cabin. Photo: Alberto Cocchi

The test boat costs €2.8m without sails, but with a high level of equipment included. Which is a lot of money. It’s a very appealing and well-done package, with a high-end stylish interior that maintains the Italian chic theme, but it’s not quite premium finish quality. Some joinerwork didn’t line up, floorboards creaked underfoot etc (Grand Soleil says it is changing the sandwich floorboards because owners don’t like the flexing). I’m sure such areas will keep improving as the brand pushes more into this semi-custom sector.

Grand Soleil 65LC specifications

LOA: 21.60m / 70ft 10in
LWL: 18.50m / 60ft 8in
Hull length: 20.10m / 65ft 11in
Beam: 5.95m / 19ft 5in
Draught: 3.50m / 11ft 6in
Displacement: 27,500kg / 57,320lb
Ballast: 7,200kg / 15,837lb
Water: 840lt / 185gal
Fuel: 825lt / 181gal
Sail area: 278m2 / 2,992ft2
Sail area/displacement ratio: 29.2
Disp/LWL ratio: 117
Design: Matteo Polli & Nauta Design
Builder: grandsoleil.net

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The post Grand Soleil 65LC review: One of the most stunning new designs appeared first on Yachting World.

Three towering masts pierce the skyline off Trieste, where the impounded Sailing Yacht A lies forlorn at anchor like a crippled leviathan. The Russian-owned Philippe Starck design makes a fittingly stark reminder of how going so big has its drawbacks – never could the now shackled hulk, an empty floating metropolis, be more evidently impractical and I can’t help but think it makes for a neat contrast when viewed from the Pegasus 50 as we sail out of the pretty Slovenian town of Izola nearby.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not calling a €1m Pegasus 50 simple, but it is designed particularly well to manage easily short-handed, and is notably different to most other monohulls, particularly in layout. It’s also a design typically chosen so far by ‘downscalers’, as Pegasus co-founder Miha Breskvar describes them – those who’ve previously had larger yachts and become put off by their complexity or need for crew.

If you find the Pegasus 50 design faintly reminiscent, it’s from the hand of Marko Paš, who (with J&J) was responsible for developing the Shipman carbon cruiser designs around 20 years ago. You might notice influences in the Pegasus’s superstructures, cockpit and galley layout.

The Pegasus 50 is a powerful-looking yacht. The large coachroof runs into the arch and hardtop dodger protecting the deep cockpit. The general layout is also quite different, making you question assumed needs. For instance, in my house the kitchen and living room are larger than my bedroom, and rightly so I feel, yet that’s rarely the case on today’s yachts which typically have suites for master cabins.

Here, the Pegasus gives the bigger proportion of space to the cockpit, saloon and galley, and boasts a superb amount of stowage space – prime considerations for bluewater cruising.

The easy connection between this highly protected cockpit and the galley/saloon is a real trump card of the Pegasus 50. Photo: Samo Vidic

The Pegasus 50 has an individual look, and despite the practicality of the hard dodger it won’t appeal to all. Equally, the pinhead mainsail and raked stem seem a little old-fashioned now, but ocean cruisers may prefer the practical gains here over current style fads.

I was taken with the design from when it first came to light in 2020 and have waited some time to sail it in testing conditions. In the end the two days and nights we had aboard in March were benign, with calm seas and light winds. I was about to add ‘unfortunately’ there, but what if such a yacht, with its easily managed sail plan, pilot station and capacious stowage, a design that ticks so many boxes for long-term cruising, could also deliver engaging sailing in such conditions. What if…

Armed for light wind

On both mornings, we left Izola’s marina once the first ripples began to disturb the glassy Adriatic. I found docking and manoeuvring simple, intuitive, and reassuring, while setting and handling sails is easily done from the cockpit. You quickly reach an engaging sailing mode. The enjoyment levels obviously rise with the breeze, but even in the lighter single-figure winds the Pegasus has the sail power and slipperiness to make the experience rewarding.

Power reaching. Mainsheet is out of harm’s way on the roof and lines are led aft – this means lots of line tails to manage, but there are useful deep bins below the benches and helm seats. Photo: Samo Vidic

We averaged 6 knots in 8-8.5 with the genoa, tacking through 80-85°. But we predominantly sailed with the Code 0 in these conditions for the best speeds and enjoyment, as it helped us to almost match the single-figure winds fetching. The Pegasus 50 really comes alive once the breeze is into double figures, where we averaged 8.5-9 knots in 12-13 knots.

Not that you want or have to watch the numbers. Helming is a pleasure, with only a finger needed on the wheel. The twin rudders give plenty of control and the feeling is direct, thanks to minimal steering linkage (a marked difference over most centre cockpit designs). This Jefa system connects quadrants with a rod, so if you lose steering on one side you can use the other. It’s also light work for an autopilot.

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We enjoyed beautiful, early spring sailing, largely to ourselves. Once the breeze nudges into the teens, you get a nice sprinkling of weather helm. I really enjoy helming right from the aft quarters – granted it may be different with a large following sea, and I would rather not sit next to a loaded snatch block and aft winch.

That said, it’s easy enough to lead the sheets to the winches in front of the wheels. There are blind spots from here, but you learn to move around to check sightlines (plus the navstation has a view out over the foredeck). Adding the cushions to the helm seats also helps by providing some elevation. These cockpit cushions are a good fit and comfortable.

The sail plan provides plenty of choice to get the most out of the boat, and to reduce sail most effectively and efficiently. As standard, the Pegasus 50 comes with main, staysail, genoa, and even a gennaker, while most choose a Code sail too. The self-tacking staysail is particularly useful when the wind is up, and can fill the slot between the main and reaching sail.

The Pegasus is well set up for short-handing. Indeed, the owner of the third hull sailed it solo in the Ostar – which he won – before he then sailed around Africa, the wrong way, alone! We tested hull number six, which was 14 months old and had already sailed 10,000 miles.

Tall sailplan! Wide boom brackets help for the lazybags and the gooseneck is kept low despite the coachroof height. Photo: Samo Vidic

Secret weapon?

A reason for feeling like it was sailing on rails comes from what’s beneath the Pegasus 50’s hull. Paš favours a tandem keel with twin centreline fins connected by a bulb, which he calculates gives better directional stability, and less wetted surface for a low centre of gravity. He found it helps reduce leeway and brings better performance for its weight, while allowing the twin rudders to be kept relatively small.

A fixed 600W hydrogenerator is sited slightly offset from this keel. Once sailing at over 7 knots you can hear it vibrating, but there is the comfort that it’s putting a healthy 7A+ at 24V into your battery bank. Pegasus also offers an electric hybrid option, with twin Oceanvolt 15kW drives (a €150,000 upgrade for the drives, genset, batteries, extra solar etc).

This brings us to pricing, a subject that deserves spotlighting. Unusually the standard price is for a phenomenally well-equipped boat, which includes the carbon mast, Hydranet sails, electric winches, solar, watermaker, induction cooking, washing machine, B&G instruments, a gimballed settee, and an electric telescopic table! That’s everything on the test boat except the Code 0. Rarely have I come across a yacht that offers so much included in the price – around €200,000 of typical ‘options’.

“If you are using the boat as much as our clients do, you want to have all this stuff included,” Breskvar reasons, adding how it makes more sense to install it all from the outset, including the associated electric and plumbing runs. Keep scanning the specs list and you’ll note the dinghy and its Torqeedo outboard, bed linen, cutlery and crockery, tools, a vacuum cleaner etc are all included. It also helps you appreciate how all the stowage spaces have been optimised so this kit doesn’t fly around at sea.

The chart table provides a deck-level position you only normally see on pilot saloon boats, with almost surround vision. Photo: Samo Vidic

Comfort on passage

The Pegasus 50 is designed for passagemaking in comfort and safety. The ease with which you can get around the boat is notable. The protected cockpit is superb, with a big fixed table and seats with proper high backrests. It links via a sliding door to the interior, which includes a pilot station and that gimballing settee to reduce fatigue.

The arch is in full composite, made in one piece. The fabric central bimini section rolls away, cabriolet style, and the windscreen includes sliding glass sections for ventilation. Pegasus also has a solid bimini version, which incorporates extra solar panels (716W as standard on the coachroof) and a Starlink marine antenna – a consideration most large/super yachts still don’t have designed in. The cockpit can also be fully enclosed to keep cushions dry.

Remembering there is no accommodation space aft or below the cockpit helps you appreciate the abundant stowage that the deep technical cockpit lockers bring These are intelligibly laid out with electrics to starboard, including AC and DC distribution, genverter etc, and plumbing such as watermaker, pumps and compressors to port.

The philosophy here is that easy access promotes proper maintenance. It also keeps the engine and all noisy items well insulated away from the interior.

Light and airy interior. Photo: Samo Vidic

These lockers have long rails for hanging warps and fenders and they also include large panels into the engine bay which, combined with the cockpit hatch (the table hinges out of the way aft), provides almost unhindered access to the engine and genset.

Pegasus has conceived neat solutions aft, using the composite gangplank as an aft bench to enclose the top of the transom. The aft winches double up well as mooring winches for getting tension on stern lines. And, when lowered via a simple purchase system, the large swim platform also helps you appreciate the long, low single-level cockpit. The garage can fit a 2.5m inflatable dinghy and is separated from the technical lockers by a watertight bulkhead.

Windows are all in tempered glass, including the offset companionway door which features a safety lock for when heeling and helps keep the cockpit connected with the interior. Here, the layout is refreshingly different, with the accommodation all forward of the saloon’s main bulkhead in two or three cabins.

I like the U-shape galley configuration and its stainless steel finish which makes so much sense on a yacht. It’s only one step down, at eye level to those seated in the cockpit. There’s plenty of natural light, plus ventilation through the large sliding door. Should you run out of worksurface, you can hinge the pilot seat forward to reveal more, above an extra fridge or freezer.

Practical stainless steel finish to the galley. Photo: Samo Vidic

I also appreciate the practicality of the stowage, including the bespoke cutlery drawers and the crockery and glassware cabinets. Opposite, the saloon is light and bright.

While a gimballing settee may seem gimmicky, the concept grew on me. As it’s all in carbon it only weighs 40kg and uses an electric actuator on a ram so there is little extra complexity. At the push of a button it cants 10° either way, which could make a difference to those who get seasick or are spending days on one tack. The table lowers to fill in, the outboard backrest then folds over to fill this section and create a massive bed. The result is a great den – indeed our photographer, Samo, confirmed that his kids happily played cards there while they sailed in 30 knots.

The gloss panel at the forward end of the saloon is like a car’s dashboard, with a smart Simarine switchboard hidden beneath. The surrounding leather stitching is a bold style feature –the upholstery and veneers are all customisable to a certain extent.

Accommodation is comparatively compact but practical in the owner’s cabin. Photo: Samo Vidic

A different view

The pilot station works brilliantly. A 27in screen in the navstation shows B&G data, doubles as a computer display, and has a swivel mount for use as a TV that you can view from the saloon. The seat gives a prime protected place to sit a night watch with views over the foredeck, but can also be used for chart or office work. And with an angled cushion as a backrest, you can sit side-on to rest or converse with those in the saloon or galley. There is a hatch above for ventilation and viewing sails, and a deep pilotbook shelf outboard.

Although just two shallow steps down, it feels comparatively low and slightly cramped going forward. The accommodation starts with an ideal pilotberth to port. The headboard for this and the master cabin to starboard are in line with the mast base, in the heart of the yacht and area of least pitching. Stowage here is excellent, but headroom is only around 6ft 1in.

Pullman bunks can be chosen here instead, or the space given over to a two-cabin version, with a full beam central master cabin including a large shower compartment. In the three cabin/berth test boat, this master cabin can be configured as a twin or double, as the beds are on tracks so can be joined. However, it is of modest size and stowage is limited – long-term cruisers would need to use other areas for clothes too. The en-suite with its wet heads shower area also feels relatively compact in this format.

Excellent access to the well insulated engine bay through the cockpit sole and well laid-out technical lockers. Photo: Samo Vidic

While the passageway forward is seaworthy and boasts large lockers, it’s low and the doorways are narrow. To port is a shower, with washing machine and rail, which makes a useful space for wet hanging, but there’s no hatch so it’s dark and relies on a vent. The heads further forward is much brighter. Headroom then drops again in the forward cabin, where it’s more purposeful than luxe, with a V-berth and some stowage, but few frills.

The 50 has an impressive composite build, including Vinylester hull and PVC core, and with deck, inner structure and structural stiffeners all in carbon fibre.

The outer skin is in glass, which the yard considers less vulnerable and easier to repair. Weight is kept central and low including the tanks.

The hulls are laminated across the border in Italy, before being fitted out in Pegasus’s yard, one hour inland from Izola in the mountains. Building boats here is normal in Slovenia, says Breskvar, citing Elan and Seaway as examples. Thus far owners have come from all over the world with hull number 10 currently on its way to the US. A 66ft Pegasus is in engineering phase, again designed for short-handed use.

“We have no dealers, no brand presence, no history, and we’re Slovenian so we can’t compete if we just bring the same thing as everyone else”, thinks Breskvar, who, with Paš, is one of three partners who established Pegasus five years ago. “After 30 years of sailing this is the boat we built for ourselves – for comfortable, enjoyable cruising.”

A bold metallic, glossy red finish – Pegasus paints each hull to the customer’s own colour choices. Photo: Samo Vidic

Pegasus 50 specifications

LOA: 14.94m 49ft 0in
LWL: 14.30m 46ft 11in
Beam: 4.82m 15ft 10in
Draught: 2.35m 7ft 9in
Displacement (lightship): 11,700kg 25,794lb
Ballast: 3,900kg 8,598lb
Sail area: (100% foretriangle) 124.8m2 1,343ft2
Berths: 6-8
Engine: Volvo Penta 75hp saildrive (or Oceanvolt ServoProp 15 Dual Propulsion system)
Water: 740lt 163gal
Fuel: 480lt 106gal
Sail area/disp ratio: 24.6
Disp/LWL ratio: 111
Price: (ex VAT) €1,085,000
Design: Marko Paš – Marine Designs
Builder: pegasus-yachts.com

The post Pegasus 50 review: the best 50ft yacht you haven’t heard of? appeared first on Yachting World.

I’ve admired the innovative range of fast yet comfortable cruisers from RM Yachts for many years – their combination of spacious, attractive and brightly lit interiors, planing performance and well planned deck layouts is particularly appealing. And their plywood epoxy hull construction offers a stiff alternative to the norm. But despite having sailed some 250 different yachts in my time, I haven’t had an opportunity to sail an RM until recently. When I did, it was the RM 1380, the yard’s new flagship and its fourth generation 45-footer.

This long anticipated model from the Marc Lombard Yacht Design Group is typical of the brand in many respects. It’s also one of the few yachts of this size offered with a complete range of keel options, including the efficient high aspect 1.95m draught twin keels fitted to our test boat, making this one of the largest ever twin keel production yachts.

Displacement is light by the standards of most cruising yachts of this size, at a shade under 10 tonnes, and is broadly comparable with performance cruisers such as the X46 and Beneteau First 44, rather than the ultra lightweight Pogo 44. Yet this is not a staid design, even if it does adhere to a tried and tested formula.

To promote easy surfing, and even full planing in the right conditions, the underside of the hull profile has relatively little fore and aft rocker. Reduced static waterline beam also improves light airs performance compared to earlier wide-bodied designs. I was eager to try it on the water.

A powerful shape but with minimal fore and aft rocker intended for early planing. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Power it up

My first day on board the RM 1380 was in lighter airs, when reaching with an asymmetric spinnaker in 5-8 knots of true wind we consistently made around 95% of the windspeed. However, in 7 knots of true wind we struggled to make more than around 4 knots upwind. and there was not enough breeze to drop into a clear and easy groove.

It’s rare that I test a boat these days, especially a performance one, with Dacron sails. A well cut suit made of a high tech fabric would undoubtedly have set better, produced a better feel and given a few degrees closer pointing at similar wind speeds.

waterline beam is porportionately narrower than earlier designs. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Bearing away and hoisting a big asymmetric spinnaker as the wind built to 10 knots true, our speed rose to a maximum of 7.8 knots at a true wind angle of 105°, with the apparent therefore a long way forward of the beam. Now fully powered up, the boat felt rock solid, with a light, positive and direct feel to the helm.

Dropping the kite and hardening up on a close-hauled course again the RM felt much more alive in 10 knots of breeze than it had in the lighter airs earlier. It was now easy to get in the groove and we made just over 6 knots at true wind angles of 45-48º.

We had marginally more wind for my second day, when clocking 6.5-7 knots to windward, with the helm so well balanced it could be left for short periods to attend sail trim without even engaging the pilot. As well as the generous 1.95m draught, the keels are splayed at an angle of 15°. This combination makes for good windward performance in these conditions and a yacht that’s a totally different proposition to bilge keel yachts of old.

Halyard and primary winches at the companionway. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

RM 1380’s clever sail plan

In some respects the RM 1380 sail plan has more in common with Class 40s than conventional cruising yachts. Granted, the pin-head mainsail and slightly overlapping jib are conventional, as are Code sails for reaching and big asymmetric spinnakers for downwind work. However there’s also a multipurpose staysail that offers more benefits than its modest size might suggest. In strong winds it can be used as a heavy weather jib, with a much more efficient shape than a heavily reefed roller furling headsail.

The staysail is also designed to be used in conjunction with a Code sail or asymmetric kite when power reaching. This increases sail area forward of the centre of effort, reducing weather helm and therefore making the boat easier to steer, whether a human or autopilot is driving. This can markedly improve the motion at sea, while a speed boost of up to half a knot is a useful added bonus.

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A conventional fin keel, or hydraulic lifting keel, both with twin rudders, are also offered. The latter might be a tempting option thanks to its combination of shoal draught giving access to many smaller harbours and anchorages, along with a very deep draught that maximises efficiency when it’s impossible to avoid an upwind passage. However it’s an extra €42,000 and the casing and lifting mechanism impinge a little on space in the galley and saloon.

The deck layout also eschews common thinking for cruising yachts of this size, particularly the arrangement at the companionway where halyards, reefing lines and other key lines are handled. The primary winches are also here, mounted inboard on pedestals at an efficient height, yet under the protection of the sprayhood.

Bowsprit with integrated bow roller. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

With a couple of exceptions it works very well, whether sailing short-handed or fully crewed, while leaving those who want to relax further aft in the cockpit mostly clear of the action. The exceptions are that the mainsheet is handled aft, as are the cleats for the headsail furling lines, which means a degree of planning is required for a lone watch keeper to reef the headsail.

The RM 1380 mainsheet traveller runs across the cockpit just ahead of the helm stations, and is controlled by winches on the coaming each side, with the traveller lines taken to clutches next to the wheels. Our test boat lacked rope bags to prevent the mainsheet and traveller lines tangling.

Side decks are wide and benefit from deep moulded toerails, plus a very effective painted non-slip surface that uses micro balloons to create the texture. As with other RMs the foredeck is large and flat, though hatches are not flush and furling lines are led along the deck, so it’s not as aesthetically clean as some.

Mainsheet traveller is mounted on the cockpit sole. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

An integrated bowsprit includes anchor stowage and roller, while the windlass is just aft of the forestay, neatly concealed under a locker lid.

On deck stowage includes a deep foredeck sail locker, a liferaft locker positioned centrally aft between the helm stations, plus a large lazarette with access each side of the cockpit. This has capacity to take many fenders and potentially an inflatable dinghy, if it’s not stowed on the optional aft stainless steel arch that’s fitted to our test boat.

Bright and refreshing

Below decks the RM 1380 is typically RM, though thoughtfully updated. The sculpted coachroof is higher than it appears, so only three easy steps are needed to descend the wide companionway to a wonderfully bright, full width saloon with a great feeling of space.

RM’s trademark big front coachroof windows provide lots of natural light, although unlike the smaller boats in the range these are slightly too high for me to see out of. On the other hand you can easily see out of the hull windows when sitting on the saloon settees or on the berths in any of the cabins.

U-shaped galley is well planned and has plenty of work surface. Saloon is bright and airy. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

The saloon of our test boat is mostly decorated in white, but with enough natural wood on the saloon and chart tables, the sides of the hull around the windows, and the sole boards to give it a feeling of warmth. U-shaped seating wraps around the table to port, while a 1.83m-long corner settee to starboard can double as a sea berth if fitted with a lee cloth. Aft of that is a navigation station that’s raised to improve the view and has a good size forward-facing chart table with its own seat.

There’s not a great deal of provision for natural ventilation in the saloon, aside from small overhead hatches each side of the mast, plus one above the outboard galley worktop. The two forehatches in the owner’s cabin may help in this respect, but a drawback of the big glazed panels at the front of the coachroof is the potential for solar heat gain on hot, sunny days if the canvas covers are not in place.

Bright, generous and well planned galley. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

The large, almost wraparound galley is to port at the foot of the companionway and is easy to use at sea, even in challenging conditions. It has generous worktop space with decent raised fiddles, 1.5 sinks, plus a lot of refrigeration volume in two wide Isotherm drawers, plus a top-loading fridge. There’s further storage in four drawers, a big locker under the sinks, and eye-level lockers behind sliding doors outboard of the worktop.

The owner’s cabin forward is of a good size, though surprisingly the bed is only 1.4m wide, even though there appears to be space to extend its width. A couple of hull windows and a pair of opening hatches above the aft end of the bed provide natural light and ventilation.

Owner’s cabin has a 1.4m-wide double berth, and stowage is not particularly generous. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Stowage here is not overly generous, with hanging lockers fitted with fabric shelves, both port and starboard, plus a couple of drawers under the aft end of the berth. There are also four short shelves, plus additional space in open bins for storing small items like phones, keys, books and wallets. En-suite facilities include a large shower stall to port and a separate heads compartment to starboard.

The mirror image quarter cabins are a good size and well lit, though natural ventilation is only via two small opening ports, one in the front of the cockpit well and the other aft by the helm station. Stowage is in a double width hanging locker, plus long, slim shelves and three large bins. There’s plenty of standing area at the forward end of the berth, though the 1.85m headroom is lower than elsewhere. On our test boat the starboard cabin had an optional mini washer-drier installed in place of the hanging locker.

Starboard corner sofa and raised navstation. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Some owners may not be impressed by the mass market furniture style of the materials used to line lockers, even though this is simply a surface finish for quality plywood. Our test boat also had bare plywood edges on otherwise nicely finished cabin sole boards. Both relatively minor points, it would not be difficult to solve the latter.

Plywood and epoxy hull construction, along with a more conventional glassfibre foam sandwich deck, was a brave move when the yard was founded in the late 1980s. Yet it creates a lightweight and very stiff structure that suits today’s hull shapes perfectly. Encasing the timber in glass cloth and epoxy resin gives good impact protection, so longevity is on a par with other materials.

In addition, no hull moulds are needed, which results in less plastic waste. This also means every boat is painted, which opens up a wide range of hull colour options that helps RMs stand out in any marina or anchorage.
Whichever of the three keel options is chosen – fin, lifting or twin – loads are distributed via a galvanised framework.

Well powered up, sailing under asymmetric spinnaker. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

The 270lt fresh water capacity is not overly generous for boats without a watermaker, however a further 130lt is available as an option. Owners planning to sail longer distances may also want to specify the option that doubles the standard 150lt diesel tankage.

RM 1380 specifications

LOA: 14.40m 47ft 3in
Hull length: 13.30m 43ft 7in Beam 4.50m 14ft 9in
Draught (twin keels): 1.95m 6ft 5in,
Draught (lifting keel): 1.45m 4ft 9in to 3.35m 11ft 0in
Displacement (twin keels): 9,800kg 21,600lb
Displacement (lifting keel): 9,700kg 21,400lb Mainsail 55m2 592ft2
Jib: 55m2 592ft2
Staysail: 33m2 355ft2
Code 0: 110m2 1,184ft2
Asymmetric spinnaker: 150m2 1,614ft2
Fresh water: 270lt 59.4gal (400lt 88 gal option)
Diesel: 150lt 33 gal (300lt 66gal option)
Engine: 60hp diesel (75hp option)
Price as tested: €434,267 ex VAT
Builder: rm-yachts.com

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With renowned designer Gerard Dykstra approaching 80 years old, he was looking for a boat for himself that would fit a somewhat different use to his previous yachts. Yet at the same time he still wanted to include many of the features from those vessels over the years.

Given Dykstra’s background, with successful projects including the rebuild of the J Class Endeavour for Elizabeth Meyer and the innovative Dynarig of the 88m superyacht Maltese Falcon, it was clear at the outset that the Bestevaer 36 was destined to be a different class to other yachts of this length.

The designer’s own brief was different to that of any of the previous models in the well known Bestevaer line. Firstly the boat had to be small enough for easy coastal cruising, especially given the Netherlands’ myriad of small harbours and marinas that are out of reach for larger vessels. Secondly, it had to be able to dry out at low water when exploring areas such as the Frisian Islands.

Dykstra also wanted to retain core features that have become key Bestevaer trademarks. These most obviously include the rugged aluminium construction and enclosed pilothouse, but also encompass many smaller, yet important, details learned from hundreds of thousands of miles sailed in challenging conditions.

Our test boat is jointly owned by Dykstra and KM Yachtbuilders, the long-standing builder of the Bestevaer range. In addition to use by the designer and his family, it also serves as a test bed for new technologies, particularly in the sphere of sustainability, that can subsequently be rolled out across other models in the range.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof/K&M Yachtbuilders

Don’t judge a book…

Displacement is 8.8 tonnes, making this a heavy 36-footer, yet it’s a relatively narrow boat by today’s standards, especially on the waterline, which means it goes upwind surprisingly well. As a result it has a more all round performance profile than might be expected, while also promising a level of comfort in heavy weather that’s rarely associated with boats of this size.

My first sail on the Bestevaer 36 was in light airs that never exceeded 7.5 knots of true wind speed. Yet close-hauled we made 3.5 knots at a true wind angle just wide of 60°, although that figure dropped to 2.5 knots when the breeze eased to 6 knots. In such light airs the electric propulsion system fitted to the test boat can be used to provide a gentle silent push that significantly increases speed while consuming remarkably little power.

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We also had a Code 55 gennaker set on roller furling gear. Unlike Code 0s dimensioned for racing yachts, this can be left hoisted without fear of it unfurling of its own accord in normal conditions, making for very easy sail handling, though at only 50m2 its area is rather modest. Nevertheless in light airs we made 4 to 4.5 knots of boat speed with this, with the true wind just aft of the beam.

The following day served up 8-11 knots with occasional stronger puffs, in which the boat made 5 knots to windward, tacking through marginally less than 100°. Unlike many heavy displacement shallow draught vessels the helm feels direct, with positive feedback, making it a joy to sail.

‘The helm feels direct, with positive feedback’. Photo: Bertel Kolthof/K&M Yachtbuilders

With the Code 55 set, fully powered up in 11 knots of breeze just forward of the beam, and the apparent therefore well forward, we made an easy and consistent 6-7 knots, with the boat feeling rock solid, even in gusts.

Performance is undoubtedly enhanced by the deep 2,000kg hydraulically lifting centreboard that gives a 2.4m draught when lowered. It has an efficient aerofoil section and is filled with lead to maximise righting moment.

There’s an easily replaced fuse to protect the system in the event of grounding, as well as a manual backup system. It can also be locked down when offshore to retain maximum righting moment even in the extreme situation of the boat being inverted by a rogue wave. It’s undoubtedly an expensive setup, but as with many other aspects of this boat it represents money well spent.

Capacious lazarette. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Shoal attraction

With the centreboard raised the boat floats in only 0.7m of water and the lifting rudder has enough immersed area when raised to allow some manoeuvrability in very shallow water. The hull dries out with the skeg and rudder clear of the bottom when on solid ground, though the aluminium part of the rudder is engineered to be weight bearing when dried out on an uneven bottom.

It’s an ideal arrangement for many parts of coastal European waters, including the north of Holland, and the myriad of little used small creeks and estuaries on the UK’s south and east coasts where you can get away from the crowds even at the height of summer.

transom gate lowers to provide boarding steps. Rudder provides manoeuvrability even when raised. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Equally it’s ideal for potentially more exposed locations such as the Isles of Scilly and the North Brittany coast, where the ability to dry out safely over low water adds a completely different dimension to a cruising itinerary. Nevertheless, this is a boat capable of crossing oceans and is engineered for strength and reliability in every respect.

We sailed with a conventional 105% roller furling jib, but there’s also an option for a 95% jib with a self tacking Hoyt boom, which can make for an ideal setup for sailing in confined waters: when the sheet is eased on a reach the leech doesn’t twist off at the top, so the sail retains an efficient shape. Our test boat also had a staysail set on a flying furling system.

Both pinhead and square top options are offered for the mainsail, with our test boat having the 13% larger sail area of the latter. A very deep third reef obviates the need for a trysail and both boom and gooseneck are specced for permanently rigged mid-boom gybe preventers that offer safe and easy operation.

Starboard locker also houses the range extending generator. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Unusually for a yacht of this size, big-boat style Antal jammers are used instead of clutches. This allows them to be neatly recessed each side of the cockpit. A side benefit is that they’re also kinder to the rope cover, yet in a practical sense there’s very little extra complication in use.

Running backstays are needed when flying the staysail and for boats with square top mainsails once the breeze reaches Force 4. However, the leech of the square top main clears the runners with the first reef tucked in, so in stronger conditions they can be left permanently taut.

The Elvstrom Ekko sails of our test boat are made from recycled polyester. Photo: Bertel Kolthof/K&M Yachtbuilders

Practicalities abound

The non-slip pattern is sandblasted into the deck and therefore lasts forever, without ever needing to be repainted – a very sustainable option and one that minimises long-term maintenance.

On deck stowage includes a very large cockpit locker to starboard, in which the optional range extending diesel generator is located, integrated provision for a liferaft and a small foredeck locker. The double quarter berth area to port can also be accessed from above, for additional stowage or for improved ventilation in port.

Neat touches include big rope storage caves in the cockpit coamings, the fender board that doubles as a seat across the aft end of the cockpit, and a well designed washboard system. It’s perhaps no surprise, given the history of the Bestevaer line, that anchoring and mooring arrangements are excellent, including a substantial double anchor roller.

Looking into the accommodation from the pilothouse. Photo: Guy Fleury/K&M Yachtbuilders

The pilothouse is the star attraction in terms of accommodation and a feature that makes this boat stand out in the sub-45ft size range. A raised seat each side, both with an almost all round view makes this a prime spot whether in port or for watchkeeping in inclement weather at sea. The coachroof extends aft over the foward 40cm of the cockpit, giving some protection to the front of the side benches, but stops short of providing enough cover to allow for sail trimming in the dry.

Ahead of the pilothouse, down a few easy steps, is a surprisingly spacious open plan interior, with a big almost rectangular double berth forward of the main bulkhead, and a wide standing area behind it, curtained off from the rest of the saloon. This loft style interior layout without separate cabins certainly gives a greater feeling of space and light than dividing a boat with this internal volume up into separate and distinct sections. The interior is therefore an appealing space, despite the boat’s modest dimensions and the unavoidable bulk of the centreboard case.

There are lots of stowage spaces, both for smaller items and for larger objects, including good stowage around the forward sleeping area. This is arranged in full length cabinets each side, plus a pair of large drawers under the aft end of the 170cm wide bed.

Open plan accommodation is arranged around an almost 6ft long central table that houses the centreboard case and hydraulics. Photo: Guy Fleury/K&M Yachtbuilders

Unlike the larger Bestevaers, which can be fitted out with semi-custom layouts, the arrangement of the 36 is more rigid, but three interior styles give owners a degree of flexibility without the extra cost of a semi-custom yacht.

Our test boat’s classic interior style has substantial joinery with an oiled oak finish offset by plenty of white surfaces. A pair of circular hull ports each side help contribute to natural light, while three overhead opening hatches also help provide good ventilation. There are also substantial deep fiddles and well placed vertical grab posts throughout.

Unlike many yachts, there’s an opening port above the two burner gimballed induction hob and electric oven. The galley also has a fridge drawer under the head of the quarter berth, a good sized work surface, plus a surprising amount of usable stowage volume, with even space in the bilge put to good use in this respect.

Two raised seats in the pilothouse give an all round view enabling watch keeping from a fully secure, dry and warm position. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

The aft end of the saloon has space for a classic style diesel or solid fuel heater. There’s also a big dry storage locker under the starboard pilothouse seat, with ample space for foul weather gear. At the foot of the companionway on the starboard side is a combined heads and shower compartment. This is compact by today’s standards, but is well finished and is a practical use of the space.

Perhaps the biggest downside is the lack of a second full-size double berth, although there’s a small double quarter berth aft of the galley. The pilothouse seat above it flips up to increase clearance overhead and facilitate access when the berth is in use.

No need for gas – there’s a gimballed induction hob and electric oven in the compact galley. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

Best ever for sustainability

Historically Bestevaers have predominately been sold to owners in Nordic countries who plan to cruise in high latitudes, so insulation of the hull and deck is important. In place of the polyurethane employed for earlier boats, the 36 has a 4mm layer of cork spray, applied directly to the metalwork, plus almost 50mm of mineral wool.

Insulation extends over the frames to eliminate cold bridges on which condensation would otherwise readily form and is protected from bilge water.

Hull construction is as robust as the rugged looks suggest, including 15mm bottom plates around the keel, a mix of 8mm and 6mm plating for the rest of the hull, plus 5mm for the majority of the deck, with the exception of the pilothouse, which is 6mm. There’s a watertight bulkhead right forward and a full bulkhead at the front of the cockpit that wraps around the quarter berth.

Main double berth features plenty of stowage and is separated from the saloon by curtains. Photo: Guy Fleury/K&M Yachtbuilders

The boat is currently built of 63% recycled aluminium, a figure that would be higher if the thicker plating at the bottom of the hull was also available as recycled material. The choice of aluminium spars was deliberate given the lower level of energy needed to fabricate them compared to carbon spars. It’s also a fully circular material and can eventually be recycled.

Attention to detail extends even to pockets recessed into the hull for the anodes, giving an almost flush profile. As well as improving hydrodynamic efficiency this also gives the anodes some protection from damage when the boat is dried out over low water.

The test boat is fitted with an Oceanvolt ServoProp 15 electric propulsion system, with a 29kW battery bank that gives seven hours of autonomy at a boat speed of around 4.5-5 knots in calm conditions. There’s a lower priced option with a 14kW battery bank, and the genset can be replaced by a larger 43kW battery bank.

The combined efficiency of the propulsion system and the optional 5kVA Fischer Panda diesel generator is such that the 430lt fuel tank is sufficient for around 72 hours of motoring at 4.5-5 knots, giving a range of 270-300 miles in flat water, allowing for 20% reserve. And that’s without factoring in regeneration while sailing, or solar input.

Small double quarter berth is situated aft of the galley. Photo: Guy Fleury/K&M Yachtbuilders

Freshwater tankage of only 150lt may at first sight appear rather small but the way the test boat was set up with hydrogeneration, ample solar panels and the 5kW generator, and given the fuel tank size, a watermaker could easily produce masses of freshwater without the need to refuel for months.

The builders estimate a 50% carbon saving compared to a conventionally built and equipped vessel, based on 60 days use annually and a 50-year lifespan. And they reckon there’s potential to make a further very substantial saving, but that will depend on external factors such as recycled aluminium becoming available in thicker sheets.

Bestevaer 36 specifications

LOA: 11.9m / 39ft 0in
Hull length: 10.95m / 36ft 0in
LWL: 10.66m / 35ft 0in
Beam: 3.80m / 12ft 6in
Draught: 0.7-2.4m / 2ft 4-7ft 11in
Displacement (light): 7,800kg / 17,200lb
Ballast: 2,000kg / 4,410lb
Pinhead mainsail: 37m2 / 398ft2
Square top mainsail: 42m2 / 452ft2
95% jib for Hoyt boom: 23m2 / 247ft2
105% genoa: 28m2 / 301ft2
Staysail: 13m2 / 140ft2
Code 55: 50m2 / 538ft2
Diesel tank: 130lt / 28.6gal
Freshwater tankage: 150lt / 33gal
Price as tested: €770,000 ex VAT
Builder: bestevaer.com

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It was proper cold. An honest cold that cuts straight through us soft southerners, unused as we are to minus double digit temperatures. The docks were covered with gnarled ice, while the Ellös marina lay still and frozen. It only served to make the Hallberg-Rassy 69 look all the more commanding and inviting as its welcoming interior lights shone through the copious hull windows into the low Swedish light of December.

The warmth of the centrally-heated, timber-lined interior is something special, a quality matched only perhaps by the regal feeling of sailing this, the greatest (in size) Hallberg-Rassy of all time.

I discovered this first hand once we’d parted the thin ice layer, navigated out past the snow capped islands guarding the yard and were into a bitingly fresh offshore breeze, whereupon this Frers-designed flagship had the searoom to hit its reaching stride.

Despite the significant extra wind chill, the temperature somehow began to feel less overbearing, and the sailing experience became all-absorbing as we averaged double figure speeds. With ease. The new model was going like a locomotive, wonderfully assured, powerfully clocking off mile after mile, and offering a transcendant helming experience.

The Hallberg-Rassy 69 has that power, that magnetic magnificence. It’s as grand as a production yacht can get, the largest and by far the most expensive Hallberg-Rassy in the company’s 80-year history. The yard has built 9,700 yachts in this time, and has produced landmark and particularly large models before – think the Hallberg-Rassy 49 in 1972 and the Hallberg-Rassy 62 in 1998 – always designed to be easily managed. But this, the 25th Rassy German Frers has drawn since 1988, is something else.

There is an elegance and grace to the yacht’s motion. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Both on deck and below it’s still very much a Hallberg-Rassy in every way. It speaks precision quality, but not in a showy or glitzy way, rather in this brand’s renowned, refined fashion.

From the mechanical installation to the joinerwork, it’s how this traditional Scandinavian yard does things – to a production level of perfection – in this case crafted over a 16-month build.

To achieve this it has incorporated a lavish amount of intelligent technologies and practicalities, many of which we can learn from. So it is these I’ll focus on, rather than trying to walk you through such a large vessel.

Rarely has a new launch garnered so much international attention. But before the added hype of its boat show debut, there were two burning questions I sought answers to as I travelled to Sweden’s west coast: ‘Why now’? and ‘Who’s it for’?

The latter I continued to ponder throughout the trials. The former is easier to answer. Technology has made it possible to build at this size in series and yet still make it a practical yacht to manage short-handed. It is this, allied to how formidable the majority of equipment is, which really stands out.

Hallberg-Rassy 69 – a push-button 70-footer

Magnus Rassy, the yard’s helmsman for the last two decades, explains that they have always built as big as they could within the Hallberg-Rassy concept. And that is governed by ease of use which, for him in particular, means in-mast furling.

Cockpit offers comfort and protection for eight. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

“When Seldén started hydraulic in-mast furling in the early 1990s, we made the Hallberg-Rassy 53,” he explains, adding that it was the same when the tech allowed for the Hallberg-Rassy 64. So once Seldén decided they could go larger, Magnus matched them. Today, the Hallberg-Rassy 69 sports the biggest in-mast system available.

But why 69ft? Magnus puts it down to the righting moment. “You start with that as it affects the price the most,” he divulges, adding that from the keel bolts to the chain plates, the rudder shaft to deck gear, the righting moment affects all these decisions and the consequent pricing. Which is phenomenal: the Hallberg-Rassy 69 starts at over €5m, albeit for a fully equipped yacht including hydraulic furling, sail controls, thruster and genset.

Magnus always commissions the first hull for himself and uses it for at least a season to test and refine, even at this size. And he’s equipped this Hallberg-Rassy 69 with a flotilla of optional extras, particularly those designed to ease short-handed push-button sailing.

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Most notable is the carbon in-mast furling rig. “The majority of big Hallberg-Rassy owners choose carbon – it’s less than 10% of the price for a big improvement in performance,” Rassy reckons (though 10% of €5m is still one heck of an outlay!).

“It makes a good boat even better,” sales director Jonas Zelleroth adds. “There’s more stiffness for the in-mast furling, and less pitching.” That in-mast sails can be ‘shaped’ yet can still be furled away downwind, is, for Magnus, a crucial benefit over in-boom systems, the furling procedures of which are sensitive to boom angles.

There is no need to venture out of the cockpit to sail the Hallberg-Rassy 69 – handy when there is ice on deck to which no sailing boot will grip. Instead, pedestal mounted buttons were activated to hydraulically command the unfurling of canvas while still within sight of the yard’s private marina.

Decks are PU (polyurethane) moulded teak effect. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

As the fully battened, roached FatFurl mainsail revealed itself, Elvstrom’s veteran sailmaker Soren Hansen commented on how amazing it is that so much sail can fit within a mast tube.

Magnus opted for a powerful hydraulic vang over a traveller to avoid needing a traveller track, a large mainsheet car and the loads that involves. Other upgrades included our weapon of choice, the Code 0 on a hydraulic Reckmann furler (another €80,000 option).

Photo: Anton Bylund

Mile munching

Over the two days we experienced similar conditions of single figure windspeeds inshore around the archipelago and a rewarding Force 4 gusting 5 once free of land influences. Aboard a yacht endowed with this length and sailpower, apparent windspeeds rise quickly.

This is one easily driven machine. Reaching with the Code sail, we could match single figure winds, the Hallberg-Rassy 69 reacting to every two knot gust. In 12 knots true wind you average 10, and once up to 14, you’re into the high 10s.

Such speeds encourage hands-on helming and jostling for turns at the wheel. We clocked 12 in 15, while 13.3 knots was my record over the two days, in what we ‘guestimate’ was around 16-18 knots wind (despite the five strong array of clear Raymarine Alpha displays over the companionway, the wind transducer had frozen solid!).

companionway steps are wide and solid. A large navstation has instruments hidden behind a panel. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

In essence you can bank on maintaining 9.5-11.5 knots in such conditions. And when you can average double figures, you can clock numerous 250-mile days. Indeed Zelleroth remarked on how big this difference is over typical 60-footers – even their Hallberg-Rassy 64 is over 10 tonnes lighter. To put the Hallberg-Rassy 69’s size into perspective, it carries the weight of an average 55ft production yacht in its keel ballast alone.

The result is that it maintains a consistent, modest and manageable angle of heel and has the length and weight to devour miles, particularly when reaching. There is an elegance and grace to the yacht’s motion. There’s no rush, nothing twitchy, but when it has the breeze to reach its double digit hull speed, it can and will stay there and maintain that speed all day and night.

And if things get a bit spicy, reducing sail is a push-button away. “It’s still about the joy of sailing,” says Magnus – “it’s just the heavy work that has gone.”

For those tempted to remark on the aesthetic impact of a hard top, try sailing in similar temperatures. It allows you to shelter, maintain energy levels on watch and, crucially, speak to each other at normal volume in the cockpit. Meanwhile, the opening windscreen offers good ventilation for warmer climes and the roof can house solar panels.

Views of the horizon through the hull windows from a seated position. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Below decks is also a wonderfully quiet world under sail. That said, when a cockpit winch is activated, you know about it in the master cabin. The hydraulically powered primaries are the largest winches Lewmar builds in serial production.

Magnus’s Hallberg-Rassy 69 is fitted with load sensors on the halyards, backstay and vang to give some peace of mind. Hallberg-Rassy also always adds a spare outhaul in the boom, plus a preventer hooked on the boom ready to attach a line forward and back to cockpit each side.

The slightly overlapping jib maximises sail area to the shrouds, but is cut with a high clew for visibility when sailing in the archipelago. Other options include a removable or fixed staysail or self-tacking jib. With mid-teen winds you can beat at 8.5 knots pinching at 40° or 9-9.5 knots when freed up a little at 50° to the true wind. This dropped to 8 in 10 fetching and 5-6 in 7-9 tacking through 85-90°.

While it’s easy to maintain high average speeds, it’s trickier to keep in a groove, particularly in the lighter breezes. And when tacking, it’s certainly nimble enough to beat upwind through tight channels, but hard to seamlessly settle it back on track.

Galley has a seaworthy layout, but is fairly compact. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The furled Code sail disturbing the telltales didn’t help but there was also some slight play in the long rod steering connection, which, I’m sure will be corrected. If I’m being overly critical here, it is in relation to Hallberg-Rassy’s own high standards – in particular the delightful light wind sensitivity of the 57 and 50.

Push button options continue to provide short-handed manoeuvrability as you return to port, particularly if you choose the extra stern thruster and, in the case of the test boat, a Dockmate remote joystick control system. By controlling both bow and stern thrusters and the main engine throttle this could technically let you moor the boat solo. It’s certainly clever but an expensive level of complexity which seems a little illogical to me.

Belt and braces approach

This is a stable cruiser with high righting moment, including over four tonnes of tankage and an enormous engine block low and central. The 300hp Volvo Penta is a prime example of how equipment is deliberately over-specced on the Hallberg-Rassy 69. It’s around 100hp more than a ‘standard’ fit on a comparative bluewater yacht, plus it’s 6-cylinder.

The result is that we could motor at over 8 knots using just 1,500rpm with the overdrive function of the Gori propeller activated. So not only do you have the extra grunt and torque of the main engine when required, but the low revs make it quieter and, given the 2,300lt of diesel tanks, extends motoring range to over 1,500 miles.

The armchair option: the familiar HR armchairs were first used in 1985 on the HR49, another exceedingly large yacht for its era. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The same ‘go big’ mentality applies for the generator. Where an 11kW is more typical for this size, Hallberg-Rassy fits a 17.5kW Cummins Onan as standard. Magnus’s theory here is low noise, low rpm, and a longer service life as it uses constant rather than variable speed revs.

It allows you to easily run the high capacity watermaker (a whopping 454lt/hour), while the genset also forms part of the larger picture of what is a formidable power system, particularly on the test boat with its optional big lithium battery package. This comprises 12 low voltage (24V) Li-ion batteries from Mastervolt, giving 72kWh.

This eye-watering €140,000 extra is worth every cent according to Magnus, as battery technology is one of the biggest advances we’ve seen in yachting. He points out how shorepower is comparatively slow, as is the time it takes to charge lead acid batteries. Whereas when you run the genset and get an instant 460A, that’s a massive surge of power going straight into a huge, efficient battery bank.

Magnus describes this and the ability to top up in half an hour a game-changer. “You run everything off the inverter, charge super quick and then go sailing silently.”

The aft master cabin with its near 20ft of beam. As well as the ensuite there is the option for a walk-in closet here. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Owners will still want to plug in on returning to dock, however, and here is another example of how Hallberg-Rassy has made such a large yacht manageable. The shorepower hosing on its 57ft plus yachts was already at a length and weight at the limit of what a couple could easily manage. So the Hallberg-Rassy 69’s hosing is on powered drums, which literally reel in at the push of a button (note, that’s plural as there are twin cables, one for each of the Euro and US frequencies, 50Hz and 60Hz).

These are housed in the enormous, near full-beam garage, along with a 3.4m inflated RIB that launches manually on a track and sled system. And within this garage you’ll also notice examples of Rassy’s approach to redundancy.

If you lose steering, you can activate an autopilot, as there’s one on each quadrant. Then there’s a manual tiller with block and tackle rigged up in here, opposite which is a full sized spare fixed prop.

Forward VIP cabin has an island (or vee) style berth with small vanity desk area, a double opening hatch above and good stowage. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Further forward, the sail locker also contributes to the 15m3 of deck storage. Otherwise, the foredeck is remarkably flush, pierced only by mushroom vents which provide constant watertight natural ventilation to the interior.

And this interior is very much the archetypal Hallberg-Rassy. It has a four cabin, four heads layout as standard, but with the ends sacrificed to sail and dinghy stowage it doesn’t feel that much more spacious than the HR57.

For owners/couples who don’t want to be rattling around inside that’s a positive. The interior on the Hallberg-Rassy 69 is welcoming, cosy even. Areas you feel the extra space in are the magnificent engine room, the four heads, and the superb stowage.

The garage can house a 3.4m inflated RIB. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

A cosy 70-footer?

The layout options include separate aft berths, a traditional vee rather than the central forward double berth and a fifth cabin. The proportions point heavily towards it being owner-operated, as any crew would have to be on friendly terms and use one of the midships cabins. Magnus says they’re considering a separate entrance to the forward cabin, but that would leave very little guest space.

Despite the ample light and headroom, the galley and saloon also show how it’s a yacht set up for small numbers – notably the two armchairs, and a table around which six would start to feel a bit squashed. The galley has an admirably seaworthy layout, but is again comparatively compact, with small sinks and bin in particular.

Refrigeration space is segregated into six different units, which is good for keeping items cold, if a little frustrating.

The majority of the optional big li-ion battery package is below the forward berth. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The instant hot water tap proved its worth, as did the heating system. The Kubuto diesel heater feeds a water-based heating system, which allows precise thermostat control in each cabin. It runs through the calorifier, so if you’re at anchor it can warm the water without running the genset. The fresh water pump, meanwhile, is housed beneath the passageway sole, to prevent the water heating up, however the priming mechanism proved surprisingly loud.

The main companionway steps are a masterpiece. They are wide and solid, use stainless steel reinforcement within for a floating effect and are illuminated with hidden indirect lighting. In a feat of skilled workmanship, there’s no way of telling how they’re installed.

Structural bulkheads use a vacuum infused Divinycell core, and help open out the saloon and galley area. Despite being on one ‘lower’ level, the natural light in here is a wonder. It’s easy to tell from the outside just how large these hull windows are (1.8m wide) and they bring a seated horizon view from the saloon.

Most of my favourite features live behind doors in the passageway from the navstation to the aft cabin, notably the walk-in engine room, the electronic systems, stowage spaces kids could play hide-and-seek in (for weeks), and a practical day head with wet hanging locker.

Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

This first Hallberg-Rassy 69 model includes the indulgent options of a walk-in wardrobe in the master cabin and a laundry closet with both domestic sized washer and separate dryer. It seems opulent, especially as there’s space for a washer-dryer in the aft shower and plenty more hanging space, but some will love such villa-style amenities. A fifth Pullman-style cabin could be chosen as an alternative here, but I doubt owners would want to pack in guests next to their suite.

This aft cabin is well proportioned and comfortable. I particularly like the desk space for calm privacy, the deep, lit and ventilated hanging lockers and accessible space below the berth (including twin 75lt calorifiers!). There’s also ample seclusion from the three guest cabins, which are all located forward. These offer good sea berths in the midships compact double and Pullman opposite, while all sport large hull windows and tall hanging lockers.

These lockers are all ventilated with hidden hinges and end stops. In fact, the shipwrights’ skills and attention to detail are evident everywhere you look. All timber panels are labelled to ensure that when a cutout is made, the grain always matches.

Long lines, powerful aft sections, a broad transom and a flush foredeck, all topped by a proper sweet sheerline from the hand of Argentine maestro German Frers. Photo: Anton Bylund

A tour of Hallberg-Rassy’s yard really helps you understand this mentality and philosophy to boatbuilding. The scale of skill that goes into building this yacht is on another level, yet it also shows so much single-minded dedication to the Hallberg-Rassy methodology.

‘This is the way’

From their old school features such as the headlining with mahogany strips, varnished soleboards, circular locker latches, satin finished joinerwork, and blue upholstery, to their insistence on white hulls with blue stripes only… It reminds me of the mantra used by the bounty hunter The Mandalorian and his fellow helmeted clan in the self-titled current Star Wars series, who preach: ‘this is the way’.

And credit to Hallberg-Rassy, it has worked. Top quality lasts, for longer and arguably more successfully than for any other production yard. It has a near 200-strong staff, willing to clock the hours, and it always, always delivers on time (even during Covid).

The problem is, people tend to get a bit fussier at this size and price level, and crave more customisation. And this needs to be considered alongside the exotic price tag. This is still a hand-laid GRP hull, a heavy, diesel powered yacht devoid of sustainable materials. Yet it’s over 15% more than an Oyster 675 – or, for the same price as the Hallberg-Rassy 69, you could buy TWO fully equipped carbon composite Y7 fast cruisers!

That Hallberg-Rassy can build such a yacht on spec tells you something about the confidence and comfortable position this business is in.

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The post Exclusive 2 day sail on the largest Hallberg-Rassy ever built: Hallberg-Rassy 69 review appeared first on Yachting World.

It’s often thought that yachts with wide forward sections inevitably slam uncomfortably in head seas. But that’s not always the case as, when the boat heels, the hull’s immersed section changes shape and no longer presents the flat underside to the waves. Conversely, traditional hull designs with a V shape forward might slice through waves neatly when upright, but can slam badly when heeled as they present an almost flat surface that bashes down on the water after plunging off wave crests.

I tested a prototype Bavaria C46, used as a test bed for almost every conceivable extra (which made it over 70% more expensive than the base price model). For my first sail we had a cross-shore breeze of 8-15 knots, combined with an awkward short onshore swell generated by an approaching vigorous low pressure system.

On starboard tack we were therefore heading more or less into the waves, which led to an occasional soft bounce, but the motion wasn’t uncomfortable and there was no heavy slamming of the type that saps boat speed.

Bavaria’s now trademark V-bow helps create full forward sections that both increase space in the owner’s cabin forward and increase form stability. Maximum beam is carried almost right aft, where there are well defined chines. It’s a combination that creates very high form stability and excellent sail carrying ability.

The single rudder gives a very direct, light and balanced feel on the helm. Wheel pedestals are well configured, with space for big MFDs plus separate instrument displays alongside, and are angled so that you can easily see displays when sitting outboard, where there’s a great view of the jib luff.

Sailing upwind under full furling main and 106% jib in 8-10 knots of breeze at a true wind angle of 45° we averaged a shade over 6 knots boat speed.

Broad forward sections, wide transom and chines for a spacious powerful shape. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Bavaria C46 handling

While many of today’s yachts sail surprisingly well in very light airs, I found we needed 10 knots of true wind speed for the Bavaria C46 to really come alive, at which point the boat’s motion also became more stable. The only exception was tight reaching angles with the Code 0 set, when we averaged just under 7 knots with the true wind just aft of the beam in 8-10 knots of breeze.

The test boat has a furling main and jib, both made by Elvstrom from 95% recycled polyester with 5% Dyneema that increases strength and stretch resistance. Bavaria says for this boat pricing is on a par with a classic polyester laminate, but it’s stronger and has reduced elongation under load thanks to the Dyneema content.

Vertical battens to support the leech helped the main to set well and add a useful amount of area compared to a hollow leech battenless sail. This undoubtedly contributed to the good handling characteristics though there’s also an option for a smaller self-tacking jib.

Article continues below…

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£566,000.00

Boats equipped with a fully battened mainsail have around 5% extra sail area, therefore ought to perform slightly better in light airs, even upwind.

The coachroof-mounted double mainsheet system is controlled by winches just ahead of the helm stations and works well at controlling twist. They can also be used as a partial preventer to steady the boom in light airs. It’s an efficient set-up that allows accurate sail trim, doesn’t get in the way of those who would prefer to sit back and relax, and is much safer than cockpit-mounted mainsheets.

Inboard edges of the helm pedestals have stainless steel grabrails. Photo: Nicola Brollo/Fivestudio.it

The Elvstrom permanent hoist Code 0 can be left up when furled without worry, thanks to its 50% mid girth (reduced from the 75% standard figure for a racing sail), a heavier cloth than standard, and a higher clew. The latter also makes it more suited to deeper reaching angles than a more race-oriented sail shape.

On the downside, if the code sail is hoisted and set up in advance, there’s some turbulence over the jib when sailing upwind. For most owners the advantages greatly outweigh the drawbacks, but the additional turbulence does make it a little more difficult to settle the boat into a groove when sailing upwind in lighter conditions.

Sheeted in: there’s a choice of 106% genoa or self-tacking jib. Photo: Nicola Brollo/Fivestudio.it

Bearing away, unfurling the Code 0 and rolling the jib away in wind speeds of 12-15 knots we made 7.5-8.5 knots at a true wind angle of 120°, roughly keeping pace with a more performance oriented yacht of similar size. Hardening up to bring the true wind on the beam, and the apparent therefore well forward, boosted boat speed to an average just shy of 9 knots.

The Code 0 proved to be a very flexible sail for a wide range of wind angles and the convenience of being able to leave it set will be very appealing to many cruising crews. It offers the benefit of having the sail available for use without the need for foredeck antics at sea.

Life on deck

All lines on the Bavaria C46 are led to control stations just ahead of the wheel pedestals. It’s easy to reach the winches from the helm, while there’s also space for one person outboard and another in the cockpit ahead of the pedestals. Thanks to the coachroof-mounted mainsheet there’s also no danger of the sheet sweeping across this part of the cockpit and endangering those involved in manoeuvres. There are also good rope bins aft of the winches.

Saloon area is opposite the galley, arranged around a table that lowers to form a daybed. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

The optional coaming winches on the test boat are not really needed, although if an overlapping jib is fitted, the sheet can be led back here. However, they are primarily available as an option for those who expect to sail with larger crews.

Bavaria has eschewed incorporating a tender garage in the Bavaria C46 on the basis they are inevitably a big compromise on a boat of this size, resulting in an undersized tender and smaller aft cabins. Instead it offers telescopic davits, while on-deck stowage includes two very useful shallow lockers under the cockpit benches, plus a big lazarette with access between the helm stations.

Galley is well appointed but might prove difficult to use when heeled heavily on port tack. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

There’s also a large sail locker forward, although this falls short of being sufficiently spacious for an optional skipper’s cabin. The interior arrangement of our test boat also includes a useful walk-in storeroom near the foot of the companionway.

There are two cockpit table options, either a large central one or twin tables with folding leaves that almost meet in the middle, but frustratingly leave a small gap. The test boat also has a cockpit fridge, plus a barbecue aft under the helm seats that’s designed for use from the large, electrically-operated bathing platform. Retractable davits solve the issue of stowing the tender on shorter passages in settled condition, while it can be hauled onto the foredeck for ocean crossings or heavy weather.

raised navstation puts you at eye level with anyone working in the galley. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Smart volume

On descending the companionway the generous accommodation volume of the Bavaria C46 is immediately apparent in the wide open spaces of the saloon and impressively large owner’s cabin forward. The raised navigation station to port is a positive feature and puts you at eye level with those who are standing in the galley.

This is immediately forward of the navstation and has a huge amount of countertop space and stowage, plus options for plenty of refrigeration, including a large two-drawer unit and separate top-loading fridge. The test boat was also fitted with an optional compact dishwasher and cooker hood, in addition to a standard opening portlight above the three burner gas cooker and oven.

On the downside, it wouldn’t be easy to use the galley at all, even for making a cup of tea, when well heeled on port tack in a big breeze.

Owner’s cabin with king-size double berth. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Our test boat has a three-cabin, two-head layout, plus a big walk-in store room, making it ideal for private owners. In this version all berths are a full European king size, with 160cm width across their entire length. Two different four-cabin layouts are also offered, including a classic four-cabin/four-heads charter arrangement, with two doubles forward. The second option is a four-cabin/two-head owner’s version that retains the appealing master cabin forward, but adds a small Pullman cabin with bunk beds ahead of the starboard quarter cabin.

The Bavaria C46 owner’s cabin is a lovely open space, with separate toilet and shower compartment. On the downside, there’s not a huge amount of stowage here. The aft cabins are of equal size, though on the test boat the port one is set up as a permanent double, while starboard is configured as two singles that convert easily to a double. Both these cabins share the well-appointed heads near the companionway.

The storeroom will appeal to many private owners and has potential to provide plenty of well-organised and easily accessed stowage, as well as space for a washer/drier.

Aft cabins can be double or twin configuration. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

The standard of joinery is generally good, though our the prototype Bavaria C46 we sailed had some systems in the bilge, including the engine start battery, which are located on plywood bases whose edges were not sealed with epoxy. We’re told this arrangement will be revised for production boats.

There’s also some exposed sealant visible on deck, for instance, at the join of the coachroof and the mouldings that form conduits for the lines led aft. It’s neatly done, but even UV stabilised materials of this type can eventually turn yellow and therefore mar cosmetic appearances.

On the plus side, there’s neat and easy access under the cockpit floor to reach the quadrant and steering system. The 244lt diesel tank may limit autonomy for those who want to venture further afield, but there are options for up to a generous 800lt of fresh water.

Construction is of conventional hand laid polyester and E-glass, with PVC foam core above the waterline, reinforced in way of the chainplates and fore and aft bulkheads. The inner matrix is also hand laid in E-glass and polyester, with the keel area laminated to the hull.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

The post Bavaria C46 review: More accommodation and better performance? appeared first on Yachting World.