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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The use of AI in sailing is distinctly different to the tools based on large language models such as ChatGTP and DeepSeek that became available in the last three years and garner a disproportionate number of headlines.

Other forms of AI have existed for many decades. Machine learning, and neural networks trained on transaction data, for example, have been used by major banks since the mid 1990s. They significantly improved detection of credit card fraud and anomalies in real time. But there’s been a rapid acceleration of AI’s abilities in the so-called deep-learning era post-2012.

Today AI is used across a wide swathe of applications in the boating world, encompassing safety systems, weather forecasting and routing, naval architecture, performance analysis, coaching and broadcasting. It’s also increasingly used in the domain of autonomous craft and we can expect to see it implemented to improve watchkeeping on the bridge of ships.

“AI at sea doesn’t need to be perfect – it just needs to be better than us at certain things,” says Yarden Gross, CEO and co-founder of ORCA AI, which supplies systems to shipping companies including MSC and Maran Tankers. “Let’s face a hard truth: the status quo is unsafe,” he adds. “Fatigued crews, complex navigation environments and over-reliance on human lookouts combined with ageing fleets operating with outdated technology – this is not a system worth defending.”

Demonstration of a Sea.ai warning of a floating container

Just be better

Instead, he says new technologies don’t need to achieve a fictional benchmark of flawless performance to be useful – they only need to outperform human crews in specific scenarios. “We’ve already reached the point where AI-enhanced watchkeeping is demonstrably safer and more reliable than a distracted, sleep-deprived officer of the watch, or in extreme weather and low visibility conditions,” he adds.

Gross proposes a hybrid intelligence with human and AI systems working together, each doing what they do best. “The phased approach – where ships dynamically shift between different levels of autonomy based on context – is the real revolution, and it’s happening already,” he adds.

“Ships today are gathering data, learning from every near-miss and self-improving at fleet scale. They are improving with every single voyage, feeding real-time operational data back into smarter algorithms.”

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A new vision

Staying with the theme of safety, 65% of the competitors in the last Vendée Globe used Sea.ai systems to help identify small floating obstructions that had potential to cause significant damage. This system, originally named OSCAR, is mounted at the masthead and fuses a colour camera with two thermal night vision units.

The onboard AI then constantly scans the image streams looking for any unexpected deviation on the surface of the ocean. If it spots differences in temperature or pixel patterns, it flags and classifies objects, whether these are people in the water, whales, semi-submerged containers or other boats – and alerts the skipper in real time.

Demand for this technology is such that the company has grown from a start-up to 70 staff across three sites in only a few years.

Data from competitors in the 2020/21 Vendée Globe formed a big part of the input initially used to train the system, but that required a lot of human effort, so new data acquisition is now based on more specific learning points. Some of these, like a man overboard, are set up with the specific aim of training the system, while others are tagged by users at sea.

Sea.ai detects a shipping container and displays it on a Raymarine MFD

“Each software update is getting better with new data,” Sea.ai’s Solenn Gouerou tells me. She says new instances of raw data, for instance from a man overboard or encounter with sea ice, are constantly being fed back to the firm’s site in Brittany.

The confirmed detection is then sent to a team who annotates each contact in a way that can be understood by the neural network, for instance by marking a square in the sea with a caption saying there’s a person overboard in that area. The network is therefore constantly learning, with benefits rolled out to users via updates.

Weather gAIns

Weather forecasting and routing are also areas in which AI is increasingly playing an important role. Numerical weather prediction, which forms the basis of all of today’s weather forecasting, requires a huge amount of computing power and typically uses some of the planet’s most powerful supercomputers.

Yet AI has potential to improve forecasts and also reduce the amount of computing power needed. ECMWF launched its Artificial Intelligence Forecasting System (AIFS) earlier this year, running alongside its traditional physics-based IFS model. AIFS outputs are similar in many respects, and in some cases, such as tropical cyclone tracking, can be more accurate, while using a whopping 1,000 times less energy.

The family of Sea.ai cameras

This represents such a dramatic shift in processing requirements that low resolution global AIFS weather models can be run on high-end gaming laptops. Marine weather guru Christian Dumard’s start-up Marine Weather Intelligence aims to use AI to optimise routing, both for sailors and to help decarbonise shipping, and has clients including the Vendée Globe and The Ocean Race.

He says they use a lot of AI to analyse which weather models are best in different circumstances. That will vary, for instance, depending on the distance of a race or voyage. Satellites measure wave heights very accurately, so Dumard also uses AI to find the bias in wave models. “The wave predictions are quite good for the first two or three days,” he told an audience at last year’s Yacht Racing Forum, “but then the biases build, depending on the time of year and many other factors.”

He says AI is very good at unravelling complex problems such as this, “but the human brain is not so good at handling all the elements and AI is doing much better work.” AI-assisted forecasts are also starting to be fed into long-term routing decisions in ocean races.

Given the exponential growth predicted for wind-assisted shipping, driven by a reduction of long-term costs, there’s a huge amount of research and funding going into this sphere, which in the longer term will also benefit more ordinary sailors.

A unit mounted on the masthead of an Amel 50

Piloting

Ocean currents are notoriously difficult to predict in high resolution, yet their many eddies can have significant impacts on both sea state and passage time. Paris-based start-up Amphitrite has devised a way to use AI to measure currents using high-resolution satellite photos.

In an independent study, a ship travelling at 16 knots between Tunis and Tangier was shown to save 4% of fuel costs and arrive an hour earlier when using Amphitrite’s data for routing. To keep a boat on course and ‘learn’ the sea state, autopilots have always used PID (proportional, integral, derivative) control systems that were originally developed in the 1920s.

Some pilots even adjust these parameters in real time using heuristics such as measuring how frequently large heading errors occur, or how fast the heading changes. This can, for instance, trigger an automatic shift between calm, moderate, or rough tuning profiles, but it does so using predetermined criteria and not as part of an automated learning process.

As a result, many autopilots struggle in a big quartering sea, or when a short-handed sailing raceboat is fully powered up on a reach in gusty conditions.

By contrast, when AI becomes involved, the system itself either learns patterns or may use trained models to classify different sea states or predict optimal control parameters. Madintec’s MadBrain, for example, adapts its steering response over time, learning how the particular boat responds to waves, gusts and wind shifts.

Thermal camera view of an MOB at night seen on an iPad

It’s a hugely powerful system used extensively in IMOCAs, Ultim trimarans and even foiling Mini Globe 650s. It’s also now becoming adopted more widely, including for very fast performance cruisers and in short-handed IRC offshore racing – the first four 33ft Pogo RCs, for instance, are all equipped with Madintec pilots.

Faster yachts and sailors

It’s perhaps no surprise that AI is used extensively in the America’s Cup, as it is in Formula 1. QuantumBlack (the AI arm of global consultancy firm McKinsey), for instance, created an AI virtual sailor for Emirates Team New Zealand ahead of the last Cup.

This was trained on a simulator by a top-level Olympic sailing sailor in a process that took only one or two weeks. After that, it could evaluate an astounding 50 different foil designs, across a range of wind and sea states, and on a weekly basis. What once took months of human-led testing on the water can therefore now be done in a few days – an important factor in reducing the development costs of America’s Cup boats.

Onboard display and the Sea.ai ‘brain’

QuantumBlack also built physics-based AI models replicating fluid dynamics and other complex systems, allowing rapid and efficient exploration of design options and iterations that are far more cost-effective than conventional CFD (computational fluid dynamics). AI is well embedded in the broadcasting of sailing events to the public.

SailGP and the America’s Cup, for instance, use machine learning to classify the boats, marks of the course, spectator craft, and shoreline to help create live 3D graphic overlays. “Once we know the relative position of the helicopter in space, that allows us to be able to draw the graphics in three dimensions on the video,” says Joseph Ozanne, simulator and AI team leader for Alinghi Red Bull Racing.

Helping hand

Assisted docking systems such as Raymarine’s DockSense and Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking also use AI for improving the control logic or machine learning-based object recognition that helps the system positively identify items such as pontoons and other vessels in a marina environment. Thanks to AI, it’s now easier than ever to get accessible knowledge out of data through automated analysis.

We’re even heading in a direction where, within two or three years, it’s likely to be possible to run your own very high-resolution weather models using consumer-grade software and a laptop.

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The post Forget ChatGPT: Here’s how AI is used in everything from racing yachts to weather routing appeared first on Yachting World.

It’s 0230 in the morning and we’re sailing close-hauled mid-Channel with the breeze gusting to 30 knots. In the strongest puffs our heading feathers up a little into the wind to avoid excess heel, while simultaneously maximising VMG. Equally, in the lulls we bear away a little to power the boat up and build speed.

This is exactly what you’d expect of a skilled helmsman, but I’m alone on deck, focusing on sail trim and maintaining a look out, rather than driving, while racing a Class 40 equipped with a B&G H5000 pilot system, plus additional overlays from Pixel sur Mer’s Exocet Essential system. The latter is a multifunction device that includes data logging, sophisticated sensor management and improved autopilot functionality, with both safety and performance overlays.

It’s among a number of top-level pilots that are widely recognised as offering exceptional performance. Legendary French sailor and Route du Rhum winner and record breaker, Loïck Peyron, for instance, told an audience at last year’s Yacht Racing Forum: “The new generation of pilots we have today are absolutely amazing.”

While these systems were originally developed primarily for Class 40s, IMOCA 60s and Ultime trimarans, many of the benefits they bring are equally relevant to cruising yachts, whether large high-performance catamarans or more modest monohulls. Optimising windward performance may not be a high priority for most cruisers, but a great pilot that’s properly set up will make for a more comfortable motion in challenging conditions, with less heel in gusts.

Autopilot reliability and safety

My own experience of using the Exocet Essential and B&G H5000 combination also shows it being very stable with a quartering sea, even when pushing hard with boat speeds of 20 knots, with the pilot retaining excellent control. At these speeds even a small miscalculation of the required rudder angle can create major problems, making it a challenge to develop pilots for fast boats. And of course foiling adds a whole additional dimension.

Historically, pilots were most challenged in the big waves of breezy downwind conditions, with an awkward quartering sea. This, of course, is exactly the weather in which an accidental gybe can be particularly dangerous. In last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart race, for instance, two crew members on different boats died as the result of a head injury and crush injuries in heavy weather.

While these vessels had full race teams on board and were being hand-steered at the time, a pilot that can steer reliably in these conditions can be a big boost to the safety of a cruising yacht, even if a preventer is properly set up.

A good pilot will also create a more comfortable motion in these conditions, markedly reducing the tendency to corkscrew. However, to be safe, the system must also have bulletproof reliability. More on that later.

B&G’s H5000 Pilot has years of development expertise behind it

The Exocet’s overlays take the form of an expert system – a type of AI – that sits between the user and the H5000 controller. The B&G unit sees it as a virtual pilot controller, while the expert systems change the requested pilot heading depending on inputs from sensor data, including speed, heel and wind data.

In effect, the pilot computer sees this as the same thing as a human pressing the +/- 1 buttons a few times to help the boat, for instance, to bear away in a gust when broad reaching, even before the heel angle starts to increase. The system is close to achieving the holy grail of steering in a pro-active manner, just like a skilled human helmsman. By contrast, traditional pilots are only reactive – they must wait for a parameter to change and then react to it.

The Exocet’s overlays also allow you to sail to a heel angle, for instance when downwind or blast reaching in exactly the same way as you would sailing a planing dinghy – bearing away in the gusts and coming up in the lulls. It can also steer to a target speed, heading up as much as possible, while trying to stay within the user’s requested heel angle target range, or to a wind angle target, and two overlays can be used simultaneously.

Exocet Essential is Pixel Sur Mer’s entry level data acquisition and navigation system

This may sound complex but the reality is it’s a bit like sail trim and French short-handed racers talk about ‘trimming the pilot’ in much the same way as trimming sails. For fast cruising you can pick settings that are approximately right to achieve great performance, but extra effort in this respect can pay dividends when racing.

Before choosing a system it’s worth being ruthlessly realistic about how much set up you’re actually going to do. I’ve sailed raceboats with complex and expensive electronics that require extensive set up to get decent performance, yet every setting was still on the factory default even after the completion of a Rolex Fastnet Race campaign.

The owners of these boats might therefore have been better served by a more economic plug-and-play system, such as Raymarine’s Evolution series, that uses AI originally developed by then parent company FLIR to improve performance without the need for users to tweak complex settings.

NKE Gyropilot 3 – the French firm is popular with professional racers

Choosing systems to suit

Different manufacturers take different attitudes to the amount of set up required to gain maximum performance from a pilot. Both Raymarine and Garmin, for instance, have opted for a simple approach with automated calibration used wherever possible. Yet this doesn’t necessarily imply a dumbed-down method.

Part of the rationale behind Raymarine’s recently launched RSW SmartWind sensor, for instance, was to improve performance of its Evolution range of pilots, without the need for either a time-consuming set up or a complex user interface.

Both a nine-axis sensor and a processor are built into the SmartWind masthead unit, enabling real-time cleaning of the wind data that takes account of the boat’s roll and pitch, factors that, of course, are greatly magnified aloft. The upwash from the top of the rig is also estimated for different wind angles and strengths. The result is significantly better pilot performance, especially upwind and downwind, when you’re most likely to be using wind modes.

While this is not as accurate as comprehensive calibration achieved over a long period of time by professional race navigators, it represents a huge step forward for everyone else.

“Our aim with this was to give 85-90% of the performance of very high end systems straight out the box,” Raymarine product management director Will Sayer told me.

Raymarine keeps things simple by using a new SmartWind masthead sensor to improve performance of its Evolution range of pilots, aiming to achieve 80% of the performance of high-end systems, without the complexity

B&G’s collaboration with Pixel sur Mer also includes markedly improved course keeping algorithms for the high-end H5000 pilot system.

“The H5000 pilot needs to function across a wide range of boats, from the Sun Fast 30 through IMOCAs to superyachts, as well as more modest cruisers sailing across the Atlantic,” says B&G product director Matt Eeles. After basic calibration procedures, it therefore performs well out of the box across all these boats and for all but the most demanding of users in high echelons of the racing world.

“Working with Pixel sur Mer we were able to test changes to the B&G algorithms one at a time in a controlled environment on a very wide variety of boats, for instance to see what standard settings needed to change to improve the weather helm algorithm,” Eeles adds.

“The process took years before it could be rolled out to the public, via a software update early last year.” This improved functionality is also available to existing H5000 users.

This system therefore gives users the opportunity to use it with a minimum of set up, while also having the benefit of more advanced settings that can be tweaked to improve steering response in a wide range of more testing conditions.

The Madintec pilot system was designed from scratch to make extensive use of AI to boost performance

Features include a recovery mode that quickly corrects for sudden course deviations caused by out of pattern waves. Gust response takes preventative action based on instrument data to hold a more stable course in changeable winds. Thirdly, high-wind response bears the yacht away when wind speed increases while reaching, keeping the boat flatter and driving faster. There are also failsafe algorithms and user configurable hard limits that increase safety factors.

AI simplicity wins

Madintec, another small French company, was formed in 2017 with the express intention of creating the ultimate pilot system, creating an all-new platform from scratch that makes extensive use of AI to boost performance, streamline the user interface and improve sensor calibration.

Yet at the same time, a key principle from the outset was that it had to be simple. “Simple for pro sailors and simple for amateurs,” research engineer Pia Mathias told an audience at the Yacht Racing Forum. “If we look at the Vendée Globe, sometimes skippers haven’t eaten in a few days and they haven’t slept a lot. So a tired skipper has to be able to use our pilots and a new skipper also has to be able to use them.”

The company was founded by veterans of an America’s Cup campaign who saw an opportunity to transfer technologies and methodologies from both the Cup and the aerospace sector into offshore yacht racing and then into more everyday sailing. It has been hugely successful, with the system, for example, chosen by the last two Vendée Globe winners, Charlie Dalin and Yannick Bestaven.

While Madintec originally had Class 40s, IMOCAs and Ultimes in mind, it’s now also gaining traction among short-handed IRC racers and in the cruising world. The first four 33ft Pogo RCs, for instance, are all equipped with Madintec systems. It also worked closely with MODX to develop a fully automated control system for the inflatable wing sails on this extraordinary 70ft catamaran.

Time to hand over?

So, what about the question of whether today’s AI-enhanced performance pilots make for better helmsmen than humans?

While that’s the ultimate aim, and the very best systems are making great strides in that direction, they aren’t there yet. A lot of recent R&D has also been spent on controlling the flight of foiling boats, technology less relevant to the majority of cruising sailors. So, arguably no pilot is yet as good as a skilled and focused human driver, an important point for the crewed offshore racing world – but they can be a lot better than a less skilled and tired crew member on a cruising yacht!

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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 Everything you need to know about high performance autopilots appeared first on Yachting World.

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

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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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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 Pogo RC Review: Planing performance for shorthanded sailors appeared first on Yachting World.

Anyone who has visited La Rochelle over the past 25 years will have seen the electric ferries with huge solar arrays that transport locals and visitors alike between the town centre and the giant Port des Minimes marina on the opposite shore.

These systems were created by local company Alternative Energies, which has expanded over the years and has now fitted its equipment to almost 100 mostly commercial vessels that have collectively notched up a million hours of operation. The firm is now part of the Fountaine-Pajot/Dufour group and a joint offshoot named JOOOL has developed a fully integrated, turnkey hybrid system aimed at a wide range of 35-65ft monohulls and multihulls.

It encompasses all aspects of the management, storage and production of energy on board, covering both propulsion and domestic systems, including refrigeration, cooking and, where fitted, air conditioning. It can also supply the power for electric tender motors, eliminating the need to carry different fuels.

JOOOL Hybrid energy and propulsion system overview

• What is it? Complete turn-key hybrid system for cruising yachts, encompassing propulsion, high capacity batteries and multiple charging sources, including range-extending generators
• Who’s it for? Those seeking a yacht with quiet, efficient operation and a huge battery bank powering on board appliances and creature comforts, combined with long-range autonomy

JOOOL’s turnkey hybrid power and propulsion system is aimed at 35-65ft yachts

Power generation

As with the solar-powered ferries, a key aspect is that it’s possible to generate significant amounts of power on board via large solar arrays, plus hydrogeneration when sailing. This is significant as it reduces dependency on diesel generators for powering the considerable domestic loads of today’s yachts. These multiple charge sources also represent built-in redundancy – if one element fails it’s still possible to keep the batteries topped up.

A further advantage is that the electric propulsion is far quieter than a diesel engine, with less vibration, and can be used for an ultra-efficient extra push when motor-sailing.

A soundproofed diesel generator offers back-up for domestic power, for instance when at anchor in cloudy weather for several days, and extends motoring range. There’s also a powerful shorepower charger system for use in port.

Solar panel-covered lounge deck of a new Fountaine Pajot 41 catamaran

Integrated system

At the heart of the system is what JOOOL calls its OneBox. This compact energy management and conversion unit integrates all energy sources and outputs, including solar, wind, hydrogeneration, gensets, and shore power.

Although the JOOOL Hybrid system has only just been formally announced, the advent of the Smart Electric version of the Fountaine-Pajot Aura 51 in 2022 marked an important milestone. I also sailed a Dufour 470 from this period fitted with a pre-production system. A stand-out aspect is that massively heavy-duty and cumbersome wiring isn’t needed, nor is a complex water cooling system for the motor.

The key to this lies in the relatively high DC voltages used, which exponentially reduce the electrical current needed to drive the motor. Reliability and safety are of course key requirements for such systems. JOOOL can point to the long and successful track record Alternative Energies has in commercial passenger vessels.

JOOOL will operate as a separate business, supplying hybrid propulsion and energy systems to boatbuilders around the world. Leopard is an early client, and exhibited its new 46ft catamaran with twin 25kW POD motors, a 54kWh battery bank and32kW diesel generator at this year’s International Multihull Show in La Grande Motte.

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 JOOOL Hybrid energy and propulsion system appeared first on Yachting World.

Three years ago a Sun Fast 3300 called Red Ruby, whose American owners come from the Pacific North West, popped up in UK double-handed races. It immediately notched up a string of impressive results in a very competitive fleet.

Red Ruby went from 2nd in the 2022 and 2023 UK Double-Handed Offshore Series; to 1st in class – and very nearly 1st overall – in the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race; also winning the 2023 ORC Double-Handed World Championships in Barcelona, and the 2024 IRC Double-Handed European Championship.

For her achievements, including being first female skipper in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race, Christina (Chris) was awarded the 2023 US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. “I don’t sail for a living, but when I do sail, it’s the most alive that I feel,” she told a room full of sailing luminaries on accepting the award.

So how did two non-pro sailors achieve such good results in an unfamiliar fleet – and a sailing area on the opposite side of the Atlantic? First of all, “based on our experience, I really recommend buying a good used boat versus a new boat,” says Justin.

The couple competing in the RORC De Guingand Bowl in 2022. Photo: Paul Wyeth/pwpictures/RORC

Red Ruby was formerly Gentoo and had been previously campaigned by James Harayda and Dee Caffari.

“So much of the detail had already been figured out and it would have taken us much longer to get a new boat set up from a distance,” he adds.

“Maybe that was the lucky, serendipitous piece,” Chris adds. “James Harayda is amazing, and we got really lucky that we picked that boat, because he had it really well set up and he shared everything with us.”

“When we showed up to sail it for the first time, he went out with us for two days just in the Solent; that was a really big deal for us,” says Justin. “James had figured out so many little details. We know for sure that had we picked any other Sun Fast 3300, any other brand, or any other model, it would have taken us years to figure out.”

Of course not everyone can plan to buy a boat that’s been raced by top IMOCA 60 skippers, but in any class there will be boats that have been very well set up by sailors achieving consistent results. Acquiring one of those, with things like polars and sail crossover charts already well developed, is often a much faster way to the head of the fleet than buying a new boat that has to be set up from scratch.

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Another key aspect is that the Wolfes shared Red Ruby with American pro sailor and former Olympian Jonathan McKee, who co-skippered with Alyosha Strum-Palerm (and sometimes others, including America’s Cup and meteorologist legend Pete Isler), giving a roster of four core sailors to race two-up.

“Jonathan has done a Mini Transat campaign and is just a phenomenal sailor,” says Chris. “This partnership approach has meant that we have four brains working on everything instead of just two.

“That helps with all of the thought that goes into the optimisation and setup. The four of us also do a pre-race and a post-race discussion for every single race. That really helps us learn more quickly as each time Jonathan and Alyosha go sailing we’re learning from that. Our boat actually races quite a lot, so the total knowledge gained through sharing is really good.”

Justin and Chris celebrate crossing the Atlantic double-handed in the 2024 Cap Martinique race. Photo: Marc Marsillon/Disobey/Cap Martinique

European approach

To get a better understanding of racing in Europe, the couple first went to the 2021 Double-Handed World Championship in Italy, raced in one-design Beneteau Figaro 3s. UK-based double-handed skipper Gavin Howe then introduced them to the Solent Sun Fast 3300 fleet and double-handed racer Nigel Colley of Sea Ventures.

“We specifically picked the UK because it has the biggest double-handed distance racing fleet, and found a boat that seemed promising with lots of the same design in the fleet,” says Justin. “It worked out really well because we were immediately sailing next to other 3300s and could tell if we were sailing reasonably well or not. It was as close to the one-design racing we experienced on the Figaro 3 as possible.”

Chris points out the double-handed community is close and mutually supportive. “Being a part of the UK Double-Handed Offshore Series, with the people we’ve met and communicated with through WhatsApp, has been really helpful. Most people know how the French are doing so well, as they have a sharing community that trains together. What the UK double-handed group is doing seems to be modelling that and it’s very effective.”

Light airs for an early morning start in the Solent. Photo: John Green

Technical tweaks

The couple made few big modifications to Red Ruby, other than adding Fourth Cape’s electric E-Bar toe-in adjuster for the twin rudder system and a Cyclops load cell for the forestay. The latter was added primarily to give a reliable and repeatable reference for backstay tension in different conditions “rather than trying to figure it out each time we come to the boat.”

Aside from that, Justin says: “The biggest single thing we did was changing the mast rake, just doing what we felt was right, rather than following what everyone else was doing.”

In preparation for the 3,800-mile Cap Martinique race from the Breton port of La Trinité-sur-mer to Martinique, they added a through-hull camera 25cm in front of the keel. This is interfaced with the boat’s computer and allows quick checks to see if there’s weed or debris snagged on the keel.

They made small improvements to the electrical system as well as spending time to ensure they fully understand the charging systems. “We also keep the sails pretty fresh so they don’t have a real opportunity to wear out. We worked hard with our sailmaker on the inventory and all the sails have been replaced since we bought the boat,” Justin adds.

Justin at the helm on their exit from the Solent in the 2023 Rolex Fastnet Race. Photo: Christina Wolfe

Otherwise they endeavoured to keep the boat as simple and light as possible. “We looked at adding a water ballast system and fully intended to,” says Chris, “but after racing a few times, decided the boat didn’t need it.” They have avoided adding weight and complexity, and the boat rates better without water ballast.

“We haven’t added anything that isn’t essential: we don’t have a shore power charger, refrigerator, water heater, or cabin heater.” An exception to this philosophy was the addition of solar panels for extra redundancy for the Cap Martinique race. Reliability is key offshore. “One thing we did replace were the rope clutches for the backstays,” explains Justin. “Those were undersized and a couple of 3300s have broken masts in the Solent on crazy downwind days when the clutches either failed or caused the line to fail.

“We replaced them with textile clutches that are stronger and kinder to the line.”

Seasons were discussed and planned well in advance over several calls, with the budget for the following year agreed at this stage, “We split everything 50/50 with Jonathan that is boat related: maintenance; improvements; sails; and deliveries,” says Chris. “It has worked very well, but we have built a transparent relationship for this partnership, with a lot of communication.”

A through-hull camera gives a quick view of the keel. Photo: Oscar Torveo/ORC

Smooth handling

Botched manoeuvres, especially in challenging conditions at night, can easily negate any gains achieved through superior boat speed. How do they avoid this? “Chris and I have sailed double-handed together for 28 years,” says Justin, “it’s what we do best.”

“We had a J/111 at home that we double-handed very aggressively during and after Covid,” adds Chris. “You get to reinforce those manoeuvres when you are racing that boat around buoys against fully crewed boats.

“We also have a J/70 that we treat like a dinghy, also with all-asymmetric kites, so we just keep doing things over and over again, trying to get to Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hours figure,” says Chris, referencing journalist Malcolm Gladwell’s famous book Outliers: The Story of Success in which he posited that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to achieve mastery of any discipline.

“We’re still working on all of that!” she adds.

One of the couple’s biggest tests came in the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race, when they finished 2nd overall – an agonising 24 seconds away from winning IRC overall on corrected time. Their race got off to an inauspicious start, with their class becalmed on the start line, then a problem with their headsail feeder hampered them further. By Lampedusa the weather models showed Red Ruby had no chance of catching eventual overall winners Bullit, a Wally 93, but the Wolfes were undeterred.

Christina was US Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year. Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

“So much happened in that race! I think we did 22 sail changes,” Justin told race organisers afterwards.

“We went hours and hours and hours without any rest at all, because there was too much going on, we couldn’t stop.” The couple used to compete in triathlons, so working at a high intensity for endurance periods is familiar territory.
“In a 600-mile race how many places did you leave 24 seconds?” he reflected, “Could’ve done one better tack, one better call on the current in the Messina Strait…”

“But then you look up, and there’s volcanic eruptions happening around Stromboli!” added Chris.

“We made some great navigational calls. One thing we can do, because we have been sailing together so long, is make decisions really quickly,” she explained. “There is no board meeting to decide if we are going to tack or gybe. We both see the same information, we both come to the same conclusion because, essentially, we have developed as sailors together.”

Red Ruby came within seconds of winning the 2023 Middle Sea Race overall. Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Learnings

The project was wound up a few months ago, and Red Ruby will be off to a new home, but what advice would the Wolfes give to anyone planning a similar campaign?

“Start making the connections – the people are important,” says Chris. “We love the competition, but it’s really no fun if you don’t get an opportunity before or after the race to connect with people.

“Being distant from the boat [has been] the most difficult part for us because we can’t just pop down and do a little project, or go for a quick sail or whatever. We had to plan really carefully, and do things really efficiently, both sailing – and project-wise. [That] is the most challenging part because it requires more planning and more efficiency.

“One of the highlights is also that we kept moving the boat around. It didn’t really have a base and spent two winters in Malta, the summers in Hamble and the springs in France. That’s been really fun, but it’s a challenge to make it work and means dealing with different people in different locations if we need something done. It adds an additional layer of complexity in a sense, but comes with its reward. So it’s totally worth it.

“With the Red Ruby project drawing to a close we can easily say that the entire experience exceeded our expectations,” she adds. “The boat performed better and was more fun to sail than we hoped. The racing and competition were fantastic.

“But most surprising was the number of wonderful friends we made in Europe.”

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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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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 Lagoon 43 review: Will this voluminous new cat be the world’s most popular multihull? appeared first on Yachting World.

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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£1,710,000.00

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

It has now been many decades since wood was the most widely used material in yacht productions but timber is still a natural choice for some modern yacht designers and there are still many new wooden yachts coming to market all the time. 

Rupert Holmes has long been following the new yacht market and has rounded up some of the most interesting and exciting new wooden yacht designs. 

New wooden yachts 

WOY 26 is a thoroughly modern daysailer built using high tech timber construction. Photo: Nico Krauss

WOY26

The WOY26 is an exquisite open daysailer designed by Martin Menzner of Berckemeyer Yacht Design and this wooden yacht is a radically modern design, including a flat hull with wide, open transom, a negative stem, twin rudders and a lifting keel with a T-bulb. For ease of handling, the carbon rig has swept spreaders but no backstay and a self-tacking jib.

“With the WOY26, our idea of a modern wooden sailing yacht has come to life,” says the yard’s founder Jan Brügge, with…“sustainable design, modern lines for maximum performance and easy sail handling.”

The first example of the WOY26 was launched in October 2024 and boat number two is already in build. Price is expected to be ‘between a new Dragon and a ClubSwan 28 – or slightly under €200,000.’

LuluNikka’s spirit of tradition design shows in her pleasing hull lines and an interior that highlights her timber construction at its best. Photo: Fabio Taccola

Ceccarelli 42

Roberto and Luisa Lacorte are passionate sailors with enviable track records of yacht ownership, including Flying Nikka, the Mark Mills-designed Mini Maxi that uses similar foiling technology to the America’s Cup.

When it came to choosing a yacht to sail as a couple, or with family and friends, they turned to Giovanni Ceccarelli who created this standout 42ft spirit of tradition yacht. Slender hull lines with low freeboard and a beam of only 3.16m (10ft 4in), plus extensive external woodwork echo a style of earlier times, as do the deep bulwarks and long aft deck.

Yet this is absolutely a contemporary yacht, with a near plumb bow and stern, a powerful square-top mainsail and long bowsprit for reaching sails and asymmetric spinnakers. Below the waterline is a high-aspect deep draught torpedo bulb keel and efficient single rudder, while a displacement of only 6,400kg puts the boat firmly in the high-performance category.

Photo: Alison Langley

Stephens Waring 39

This more classic and cruising-oriented design is intended as a blend of timeless design and contemporary innovation, with a gracefully balanced hull reminiscent of those of the mid-20th century.

By contrast, the deck layout borrows heavily on today’s thinking. The forward part of the cockpit is an upholstered area for lounging and entertaining, while sail controls are led aft to the area around the central single wheel, allowing the boat to be conned from here when being sailed single-handed.

As far as possible the boat is set up for push-button sailing, with electric winches to handle sheets for jibs and reaching sails, as well as hoisting the in-boom furling mainsail. The mainsheet is controlled using an innovative hydraulic under-deck system.

SJ66

This promises to be an absolutely gorgeous spirit of tradition yacht, with crisp classic lines, a stiff and lightweight timber/epoxy construction, plus contemporary underwater profile and sail plan.

Stephen Jones and Jonty Sherwill, the two names behind the concept, need little introduction and have collaborated on numerous projects across several decades, including the Starlight 35, 38 and 46, SJ320, Rustler 42, and most notably the Prima 38 One Design that won the BMF Yacht of Year in 1998. More recently Jones has combined contemporary yacht design knowledge with traditional shapes in boats such as the Rustler 33 and Mystery 35, as well as his own 46ft spirit of tradition yacht Meteor.

Jones says the design for the SJ66, “…evokes the Metre Boat style with sleek proportions and long overhangs.”

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The CNB 62 is the outcome of a brief to create a yacht that blends important elements of two previous popular CNB models – the ease of use of the CNB Bordeaux 60, of which 46 boats were built, and the space and comfort of the larger CNB 66.

Despite the transfer of production from Bordeaux to the Solaris facility near Monfalcone, at the very top of the Adriatic Sea, all three new models retain the original DNA of CNB as performance-oriented large bluewater cruising yachts. The yard has also retained renowned naval architect Philippe Briand and interior designer Jean-Marc Piaton, indicating a desire to build on an existing strong reputation.

New CNB 62 is a natural successor to the renowned CNB Bordeaux 60

“The CNB 62 is the worthy heir to the CNB Bordeaux 60,” according to Briand. “Her seaworthy qualities will be further enhanced by a balanced, powerful hull combined with a substantial sail plan that’s well suited to ocean-going programmes.” The mainsheet is taken to a carbon arch above the cockpit, which both frees up cockpit space and, more importantly, ensures the sheet can pass safely clear of both crew and guests.

“It took a lot of effort and skill from Briand to get the arch and cockpit to work aesthetically – we all had some concerns – but I think the result is stunning,” says Stephen Abery, of Abery Yachts, who is working with CNB on the development and marketing of this model. The helm stations are further forward than those of most yachts of a similar size and therefore close to the outdoor relaxation and living areas.

Saloon, galley and cabin accommodation will be flooded with natural light

Sail controls are brought back to winches aft of the wheels, rather than the more common location just ahead of the helm stations. This has potential to make sail handling easy when on watch short-handed as there’s no need to step around the wheel. It also allows for plenty of room in the working areas when sailing with a larger complement of crew.

Moving the wheels forward also gives space for a flat sunbathing area aft, above a large longitudinal dinghy garage that has space for a 2.85m jet tender. The almost full-width door to this garage folds down to create a large bathing platform area. The interior is arranged in an owner-forward layout, with two large aft guest cabins accessed via a corridor that helps to improve privacy. Abery also says the light-flooded saloon and galley, owner’s suite and guest suites are really spacious, describing them as “a transformation and class leading.”

Distinctive new designs offer plenty of natural lighting

The first boat is currently in build and is scheduled to be unveiled at the Düsseldorf boat show in January 2025.

Article continues below…

CNB 66 yacht test: Intoxicating cruiser is a cut above the mainstream

Congratulations. You’ve finally received that hefty bonus. Or perhaps you cashed in your pension, married wisely, or are a successful…

Bordeaux 60 rendezvous

The Second CNB Bordeaux 60 rendezvous took place in Mallorca last weekend for some social one-design racing

CNB 62 Specifications:

LOA: 18.47m 60ft 6in
Beam: 5.30m 17ft 5in
Draught (std keel): 2.9m 9ft 6in
Base price: €1,540,000 ex VAT
Contact details: cnbyachts.com

The CNB 62 is scheduled to be unveiled at the Düsseldorf boat show in January 2025.

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Over the past few years Kraken has forged an enviable reputation thanks to its contemporary take on what’s needed to create no-nonsense serious bluewater cruising yachts. The Kraken 58 is designed to sit mid-way between the original Kraken 66 and the successful Kraken 50, of which 26 have now been sold.

As with the existing models, the robust hull design incorporates Kraken’s integral Zero Keel, plus a full-length skeg designed to protect the rudder from damage caused by accidental grounding or collision with floating objects. Managing director David Leggett says the Kraken 58’s hull shape, with its raked bow, is “designed to cut through the waves not slam into them, and this combined with a conservative hull form and long keel will give her a wonderfully steady motion.” For ease of handling, all winches and sail controls are managed from a deep, protected central cockpit.

Kraken builds are moving from Turkey to a large scale facility in Poland

Accommodation is centred around a raised deck saloon with a pilot station from which the yacht can be conned in inclement weather. Two interior layouts are available, with between four and eight berths and up to four cabins.

The Kraken 58’s base price includes many items that are on the options list of most yachts of this size, including generator, watermaker, air conditioning and a twin headsail rig with Solent jib and staysail. Fitting these to all boats that leave the factory makes a lot of sense in terms of streamlining production and enhancing quality control, as one-off installations are both expensive and inherently more difficult to execute in a robust and reliable manner.

Leggett also points out that many features normally only found on considerably larger yachts are included, such as a fuel transfer and polishing system with separate day tank, extra large fresh water and fuel tankage, plus a walk-in engine room and machinery space.

Kraken 58 Specifications:

LOA: 17.67m 58ft 0in
Beam: 5.2m 17ft 1in
Draught: 2.30m 7ft 6in
Displacement (lightship): 27,500kg
Base price: €1,945,000 ex VAT
Contact details: krakenyachts.com

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The post Kraken 58 First Look: A cruiser with embracing central cockpit for easy handling appeared first on Yachting World.

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.

Article continues below…

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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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 44 review: More space but maintaining performance 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.

Article continues below…

Beneteau First 44 review

There’s a glassy calm, without a ripple on the water, yet we’re slipping along on the new Beneteau First 44…

£287,000.00

Pogo 44 boat test: designed to thrill

Bearing away around the Îles de Glenans off the south Brittany coast we unfurl the gennaker of the new Pogo…

£310,308.00

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

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 RM 1380 review: an enticing alternative to the mainstream appeared first on Yachting World.

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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Couldn’t it be wonderful to believe that the experience of buying a new yacht is never problematic? But as with anything and everything – from cars to new homes – problems with new yachts are by no means unheard of.

Stories of keels falling off, bulkheads buckling, bond failure of structural components and so on have all had significant exposure on social media and YouTube. But how much truth is there to them? What are boatbuilders doing to address the problems? And how can buyers best protect themselves?

Fortunately the issues new boat buyers are most likely to encounter fall into the ubiquitous category of snagging a (albeit potentially long) list of relatively minor issues. Almost no new boat is without them, which is partly a reflection of the marine industry’s small scale production compared to sectors such as automotive. Yachts are still largely built and assembled by hand, which inevitably means there’s potential for error to creep into production processes, which makes effective quality control procedures essential.

Snagging timescale

Snagging procedures vary considerably between different yards, although in many cases it falls to the dealer, which can result in a range of different outcomes even for the same model of boat.

Outremer, for instance, has sold directly to clients for the past few years and has a well-defined process and timescale for dealing with problems. This starts with a week-long handover at the shipyard, where owners work with the after sales and quality control teams, as well as having the benefit of hands-on training sessions with the yard’s professional skippers.

Rigging and thorough testing during Oyster’s commissioning process. Photo: Christopher Ison/Oyster Yachts

“Quality and client satisfaction are paramount for us and we’re in constant discussions with our customers and owners,” marketing director Céline Macharez told me.

After the handover process has been completed owners sail away for anything between three weeks and two months. “Then they come back to the shipyard where we check everything again and fix anything they discovered,” Macharez adds. “We know that they are engaged on bluewater cruising journeys, so even when they leave the shipyard it’s not the end of the story. Anywhere they are on the globe, they have someone to talk to and to fix their problems if they have one.”

Equally, other high-end brands including Oyster and Nautor Swan have multiple service and maintenance bases with their own staff, so any support for new owners can be provided in-house.

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Why do keel failures happen and what can we do to prevent it?

Matthew Sheahan investigates the incidence of keel failure in recent years and finds some worrying reports of near-misses

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However, this type of service can be a problem for smaller or less well established businesses. British yard Discovery Yachts, for instance, was forced into administration at the end of 2019 following a well publicised court case in which the owner of a two-year-old 58ft yacht won compensation totalling some £1.6 million.

The judge in that case wrote: “The yacht appears to have been delivered hurriedly and before it was ready to be delivered. It was delivered without an adequate sea trial or commissioning.” Some repairs were carried out after the boat crossed the Atlantic, but these were unsuccessful and it was subsequently shipped back to the UK. The judge also ruled the owner “…did not have the enjoyment and pleasure which he had justifiably expected.”

Part of the commissioning, snagging and trial sailing process at Outremer. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

Lloyds certification

Sadly there are other instances in which problems go beyond the mundane and easily remedied. The best known of these is possibly the Oyster 825 Polina Star lll, whose keel fell off in 2015 due to moulding defects, resulting in the yacht sinking. That incident was a factor in the company calling in the receivers due to cashflow issues three years later.

New owner Richard Hadida quickly instituted radical changes to ensure his firm has a tight grip on quality control. Under previous ownerships Oyster had in some senses been primarily a marketing operation – albeit a very successful one – with production largely subcontracted out to third party firms. It was one of these that was ultimately at fault in the Polina Star case. Hadida acted quickly to either buy the subcontractors outright, or invest in new production facilities directly owned and controlled by Oyster. Today Oysters are delivered with Lloyds Register and DNV certification.

Contest Yachts in the Netherlands also offers an example of top-notch practice, having delivered all its boats with a Lloyd’s Register Hull Construction Certificate for more than 50 years. This requires plans and structural engineering calculations to be scrutinised and approved before construction commences, followed by inspections during the build to ensure every vessel is delivered in accordance with those plans. It’s a more expensive way to build yachts than the standard industry practices required by legislation, but can give lots of reassurance.

John Lawson had a TS42 catamaran that lost a keel. Analysis of hull sections found that resin infusion had failed. Photo: Courtesy of John Lawson

Quality control

Instructing a surveyor to check each construction stage while a boat is in build might sound like an ideal solution for anyone buying a new yacht, but in reality is not practical in most production yacht building environments. Nevertheless, a couple of yards are bucking the trend in this respect.

One of these is Neel Trimarans, a company that in the past has attracted online attention from disgruntled customers complaining of issues from faulty freshwater systems to deck leaks, as well as a handful of cases alleging much bigger problems. Last year the company changed ownership, who brought in new management with a brief to tackle quality control head on.

Chief commercial officer Brieuc Maisonneuve told me: “Since the change of ownership, there have been significant improvements in production processes and quality control procedures. Specifically, Neel has implemented a three stage quality check on the production line, plus a final quality control with sea trial before delivery to the dealer.

Hull section a analysis of John Lawson’s TS42. Photo: John Lawson

“We are also involving dealers more (Neel sells 95% of our production via our dealer network) in the commissioning of the boat before and after the arrival of the clients. These changes aim to address past issues and ensure that customers receive high-quality yachts that meet regulatory standards and exceed expectations.”

Righting wrongs

At the former Marsaudon Composites site in Lorient, France, where ORC catamarans are built, and a new production line for Outremer 45s has recently been established, a specialist NDT (non destructive testing) surveyor has been engaged to visit three times a month to monitor the progress of boats in build. These surveyors more usually work with IMOCA 60s and Class 40s.

This follows a legal case in the Tribunal de Commerce de Lorient that Marsaudon Composites lost and subsequently led to it becoming insolvent in September 2023. The case was brought by John Lawson, who bought a new TS42 (a model now renamed ORC42) in 2016, but encountered numerous problems within his first two years of ownership, including dry areas of laminate and the loss of a keel during an Atlantic crossing.

It’s important to note the latter isn’t the catastrophic failure it would be on a monohull, since it’s not a ballast keel and the hull retained watertight integrity. Nevertheless it’s not the kind of problem anyone expects to encounter with a new yacht.

Among other things, the expert appointed by the Tribunal found the keels had design and build faults that led to the breakage, the hull mouldings had areas in which the resin infusion process failed, rudders were badly built, and a strengthener in each hull was unsafe.

Quality control during build should reduce problems later on. Here a Lloyd’s inspector visits a Contest hull. Photo: Contest Yachts

Once it became clear that matters had stalled after the judgement, with his boat still in the hands of Marsaudon Composites’ receiver, Lawson posted a video on YouTube, which quickly went viral with more than 140,000 views. His status as winner of a legal case – albeit after considerable costs and a five-year wait – clearly helped his video stand out from others that lack third party professional expertise to collaborate the allegations.

The Grand Large Yachting group, which includes Outremer, Gunboat, Garcia, Allures and RM Yachts, bought certain assets of Marsaudon Composites from the receiver last autumn, including some intellectual property and tooling of ORC Catamarans, but without responsibility for various liabilities, including those relating to Lawson’s case.

This type of situation is not unique to France, where it’s designed to retain employment: England and the USA have broadly analogous procedures to shield businesses from creditors to give time to recover, or be sold as a going concern without crippling liabilities.

While other boatbuilders have insisted on similar videos being taken down under threat of legal action, Grand Large Yachting didn’t take this approach. Following the video’s posting, co-founder Xavier Desmarest instead invited Lawson to Lorient to meet with him and ORC’s new marketing and communications director Pierre-Yves Poulain.

Installing equipment on a new yacht being commissioned at Grand Large Yachting. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

If Lawson opts to buy his boat back from the receiver, they have offered to repair it at cost, with him filming the process, even though it’s neither a boat they built nor one for which they have a legal responsibility. “They have enough pride in their workforce, their processes and the quality control they’ve introduced, that they’re standing up [saying], ‘we’ve nothing to hide, film it – we’re proud of our story’.” Lawson told me.

“I think that’s brave. And it’s a 180° turnaround on the previous owner who always was flanked with lawyers.”

In the months since buying the ORC assets and brand, Grand Large has invested considerably in transferring Outremer’s expertise to the Lorient site, including quality control systems and scaling up output to a more industrial, rather than artisanal, scale. With Outremer 45 production having moved to Lorient, the workforce there has increased from 60 to 100 people and I’m told Outremer’s industrial director is currently spending four days a week on site.

Pre-handover inspections

Even if it’s not possible to appoint a surveyor to monitor the build of a boat, would engaging one to inspect the vessel before handover be helpful? When I asked Lawson whether this might have identified all the problems with his boat he was initially sceptical, saying that while it should have unearthed some defects, others were unlikely to have been spotted – though this was before NDT testing using ultrasound became as commonplace as it is today.

Even that may not be easy to implement before handover of a new yacht. It’s perhaps not a surprise that dealers are not keen on the idea of a pre-handover survey and instead reassure buyers of the comprehensiveness of their pre-delivery checks, the effectiveness of the builder’s warranty, and the processes they have in place for snagging.

Outremer runs regular practical training courses to help familiarise owners with their new yachts. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

UK-based surveyor Nick Vass, for instance, tells me he generally only becomes involved once the relationship between buyer and dealer has already started to break down.

He has dealt with problems such as bubbling antifoul as a result of improper surface preparation and priming, deck fittings lacking effective sealant, but also others with serious safety issues, including one two-year-old yacht with corrosion of saildrive and hull anode bolts caused by stray electrical currents that had potential to sink the vessel.

Surveyors are not structural engineers, so can only tell you whether a boat appears to have been built according to expectations. Notified bodies are responsible for ensuring legal standards defined by the Recreational Craft Directive are met. However, Lawson is critical of this process, which others in the industry have described as ‘leaving holes in the safety net’.”

Despite a tightening of the regulations six years ago, manufacturers of yachts with a hull length under 12m need only an independent stability and buoyancy assessment. It’s only larger craft that need a notified body to approve design and engineering calculations, but production boatbuilders can still self-certify they have built each boat to that design. And their quality control procedures are not subject to scrutiny.

Staying near to the yard or dealer for a good period to iron out any problems is prudent. Photo: Robin Christol/Outremer

There’s therefore a risk that genuine mistakes can pass through without being picked up. Lawson also points out that this system, “means that cowboy builders can exist in the same space as reputable, decent companies.”

Questions to ask

Fortunately, however, the overwhelming majority of boat buyers appear to be happy with their yachts. The level of repeat business achieved by many well established yards is testament to this and plenty of recent used yachts survey well when they change hands.

But to avoid surprises at a later stage, in the early steps of negotiating to buy any new boat it’s worth establishing who will be responsible for snagging and whether they’ll travel to the boat, or if you’ll be expected to take the boat to them.

This is particularly important for those intending to sail long distances, who may need to plan more local sailing before crossing an ocean. On the other hand, many dealers are able to offer attractive packages for berthing, at least for the first season after handover, which means it’s effectively on site for any remedial work.

Beyond that, in the absence of greater oversight in the industry, maybe the best solution is simply not to overextend finances when buying a new boat. Experienced owners of second-hand craft know it’s important to make provision for unexpected expenses and the same may be true when buying new – so don’t get talked into buying a bigger boat than you really want, however good the deal appears to be.

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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 How to ensure your yacht purchase is problem-free appeared first on Yachting World.

How many crewmembers of high tech racing yachts have wondered whether the boat could be tweaked and tamed to create a super-fast cruising machine that’s enormous fun to sail? I certainly considered the idea as a navigator in the Farr 45 fleet when there was a strong class in the Solent. Australian sailors Ian and Annika Thomson went further and refitted an early TP52, J-Bird, as an ultra-fast cruiser and occasional racer.

Mats Bergryd, a former ClubSwan 42 and ClubSwan 50 owner, is of a similar mindset, but instead he commissioned renowned Swedish father and son design team Hakan and Oskar Södergren, along with the Rosättra shipyard (better known as the yard behind the Linjett brand), to create a no holds barred all-carbon 50-footer for very fast cruising and occasional racing.

The Shogun 43 is the second model in the range, retaining the same DNA, but at a more affordable (though still very high) price point, and has enough interior space for family cruising.

One of the great things about the few cruising yachts that have top notch upwind performance is that, once you’re cracked off to true wind angles greater than around 50°, you’re already on a reach. It’s comfortable and fast, yet almost every other cruising yacht will still be struggling along in full upwind mode.

Low and lean: the Shogun 43 sports aggressive lines. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Equally, the Shogun 43 sails upwind at angles and speeds that would impress any race team on a similar size yacht. It proved quick to accelerate and very responsive. In a true wind speed of 15 knots and true wind angle of 40° our boat speed hovered consistently in the 7-7.5 knot range, with upwind VMG around 30% higher than many so-called performance cruisers of similar size.

But instead of requiring an army of talented crew to keep the boat constantly sailing at its best, all trimming and sail control can be carried out with only one or two crew on deck.

Hydraulics for the vang, backstays and deflectors, plus the electric traveller and toe-in adjuster for the twin rudders, for instance, all have fingertip control from the helm stations. This ability to fine tune the rig and sail trim so easily is a core part of this yacht’s concept.

The idea is to make fun and exciting sailing accessible beyond a relatively small group of die-hard semi-professional racing teams. This boat is therefore designed to make it as easy as possible for a single person on watch to get as much performance out of the rig as you might when racing with a full crew of 10 or more people.

Sheet leads include an outboard jib position. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

It’s very much the type of boat that makes you actively want to hand steer and trim attentively to cover long distances quickly. When helming in gusty conditions, for example, you can drop the traveller, increase twist or apply more backstay to depower the mainsail, all at the touch of a button on the helm consoles. Reverting to the previous trim when the gust passes is just as easy.

Fast passagemaking

Heading out from Port Ginesta near Barcelona after lunch, discussion initially centred on whether we could make Soller, or one of the many stunning calas, almost 100 miles away on Mallorca’s rugged north-west coast in time for dinner. The consensus was most likely.

We then unrolled the Code 0 in true wind speeds of 13-16 knots, at a true wind angle of 110°, which produced boat speeds consistently in the 9-10 knot bracket, with occasional bursts to 11. The boat was very responsive in this configuration, but also very easy to control, relaxed and finger light on the helm.

Article continues below…

Pogo 44 boat test: designed to thrill

Bearing away around the Îles de Glenans off the south Brittany coast we unfurl the gennaker of the new Pogo…

£310,308.00

First look: ClubSwan 43 – first UK-built Swan

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With the low freeboard, though, there was a tendency to bury the bows in a leftover swell and that gave a somewhat wetter ride than might be expected with only wind driven waves.

The following day delivered a little more breeze, averaging 15 to 18 knots. Sailing with the big 180m2 A2.5 kite at a true wind angle of 140°, we made 10-12.5 knots sailing just a fraction higher than the optimal downwind VMG angle. Again this was not a white knuckle ride – we were never close to the edge and felt as though we would have remained in complete control in stronger gusts.

The optional teak effect deck looks good but added 110kg of weight to the test boat. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

However, with a light displacement of 6,100kg this is a proportionately much heavier boat than a Class 40 or Fast 40+ and therefore doesn’t get on the plane as easily as those designs. This is partly a factor of the Shogun’s narrow beam – it’s only 2.9m on the waterline – that promises excellent light airs performance, but also results in limited form stability. Therefore, even with a deep 2.7m draught, a substantial bulb weight is needed, with the result ballast ratio is 42% and the boat therefore isn’t exceptionally light, despite a huge amount of effort having gone into saving weight.

Carbon for light weight

Vacuum infused carbon for all structural elements helps keep the weight of the structure to a minimum and even the keel fin is carbon. The hull is moulded in three pieces, with side decks, aft and transom effectively part of the hull, which massively increases stiffness, especially on such a narrow boat.

Oskar Södergren says the structural engineering uses much larger margins of safety than would be the case for a pure race boat, which also adds a little weight.

Even though it’s not that light by grand-prix raceboat standards, this is still a boat that’s rewarding to sail. Returning back to base on a fetch at true wind angles of 60-65° and 17 knots of breeze, our speed hovered consistently between 7.5 and 8.5 knots, with the helm again super light, but responsive and with lots of feel.

The Shogun has all controls available to a grand-prix racing team, yet most can be tweaked with the press of a button on the helm consoles. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

A recessed Antal fitting at the gunwale near the shrouds is a position for a snatch block that’s used for an outboard headsail sheet. A problem with high aspect jibs, especially self-tacking sails, is the top of the sail twists off and loses power as soon as the sheet is eased.

This can be solved by moving the sheeting position outboard, which gave us an extra 0.4 knots of speed, while the extra power in the headsail helped balance the sailplan better. As a result the boat tracked more easily and was easier to steer, with less weather helm.

Accommodation is well thought out, but narrow beam and low freeboard limit volume. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Most of today’s wide beam cruising yachts with non-overlapping jibs would benefit from a similar setup, but all too often the problem is hidden behind the mainsail and is therefore not identified. Instead the pilot is frequently blamed for failing to steer a good course.

The Shogun’s sail plan is primarily designed around a self-tacking jib, which meant the mast was brought a little further aft in the boat than usual to minimise loss of headsail area. This also helps increase options for staysails and large downwind and reaching sails.

The finish is good throughout, with enough wooden and fabric finishes to create a warm ambience. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

I sailed the prototype boat, which has a Class 40-style jib on a furler, although boat number two will have a more conventional electric furler with a luff foil. There are also coachroof jib sheet tracks and cars for a slightly overlapping headsail, but outside of going upwind in very light airs, there’s not much reason to use one on this boat and the expectation is most owners will stick with the self-tacking option.

Our test boat was equipped with a square top mainsail, though there’s a pinhead option that loses roughly 4-5m2 of sail area. The keel stepped carbon mast has fibre shrouds, while spreaders are swept aft by 24°. This means the backstay and deflectors are primarily for sail shape and trimming, rather than providing structural support to the rig, which makes manoeuvres, especially heavy weather gybes, easier and less stressful.

Maximum permissible headstay tension is five tonnes, yet when I was sailing upwind with just 2.6 tonnes of load in the stay there was very little forestay sag: a mark of a boat with a very stiff structure.

Computational flow dynamics (CFD) scenarios were run with six different rudder sizes. This was followed by on-water trials with two of these, with the team finally settling on the larger of the two options which has around 15% more area.

Plenty of light in the galley. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Narrow beam

Below decks the narrow beam and low freeboard means there’s less volume than might be expected for interior accommodation, but it has been well thought out with a view to offering everything needed for family sailing or short-term cruising.

All interior joinery is epoxy sandwich, mostly using linen fibres that help reduce the noise a little compared to only carbon.

The semi open plan interior has a minimum of full bulkheads and is open to the forepeak, though this cabin can be closed off with double doors. It’s comfortable enough that, unlike a full-on raceboat, when you drop the kite you’re less willing to put it down the forehatch, which can make it harder to hoist the next time.

Three big overhead hatches, plus coachroof and hull windows, combined with the use of light coloured veneers creates a bright and open feeling in the saloon and galley areas. There are also two separate double aft cabins, plus a well appointed heads and shower, making this a boat with enough space and privacy for civilised family sailing, or to bring a group of friends along for a week or two. The finish is good throughout, with enough wooden and fabric finishes to create a warm ambience.

Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr/EYOTY

Shogun 43 specifications

LOA: 13.1m 43ft 0in
LWL: 12.3m 40ft 4in
Beam: 3.7m 12ft 2in
Draught: 2.4m 7ft 10in or 2.7m 8ft 10in
Displacement: 6,100kg 13,450lb
Bulb weight: 2,660kg 5,870lb
Mainsail: 65m2 700ft2
Self tacking jib: 49m2 527ft2
A2.5 gennaker: 180m2 1,940ft2
Fuel: 140lt 31gal
Water: 2x130lt 2x 28.6gal
Price as tested: €1.31m
Builder: shogunyachts.com

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Electric propulsion is rapidly becoming established in the mainstream yacht market. This is increasingly driven by customer demand, often by people who own electric or plug-in hybrid cars and are more than happy with the balance between their advantages and shortcomings.

In my role testing new yachts I’ve sailed an increasing number of boats with electric and hybrid propulsion over the past six years, ranging from lightweight daysailers through smaller cruising yachts to heavy aluminium bluewater cruisers and large cruising catamarans.

I quickly discovered that electric yacht propulsion opens doors to completely different ways of thinking to the diesel engines we’re accustomed to using, especially when motor sailing.

Throttling back

Many diesel powered yachts carry enough fuel for the rate of consumption to never be a worry. However, the further you voyage the greater the chances you’ll opt to throttle back to extend range. It’s incredibly easy to underestimate the dramatic effect this has on energy use, whatever type of fuel is used.

The wave making resistance of a hull increases exponentially at speeds above 1x the square root of the effective waterline length in feet. It therefore takes three times more energy to push a boat with a 36ft (10.9m) waterline at 8 knots than at 6 knots.

Accurate monitoring of electric systems.

Additional efficiencies can be gained by throttling back further. As with air resistance when driving on a motorway, frictional resistance of the water on the hull varies with the square of boat speed. Reducing the speed of a 36-footer from 6 knots to 5 reduces total energy consumed by roughly a further 30%. At 5 knots it therefore requires less than a quarter of the energy needed to push it at hull speed of 8 knots.

This helps explain why many boats with electric propulsion appear to have relatively small battery banks. The same is also true of a Tesla – a Model S with 500kW of propulsion power may have an 80kW battery, yet the car doesn’t run out of power after less than 15 minutes – its range is over 300 miles.

As with a boat, most of the time only a small proportion of the potential power is being used. With a Tesla it’s on tap to provide supercar levels of acceleration for less than five seconds, while on a boat it’s there for manoeuvring and for punching head seas for short periods, such as leaving harbour or rounding choppy headlands in strong wind over tide conditions.

Article continues below…

Sail power

Modern reaching and downwind sails have revolutionised the sail area it’s feasible for a lightly crewed cruising yacht to carry in light airs. When using a dedicated reaching sail, such as a Code 0, many yachts can now sail at close to the true wind speed in breezes of 4-8 knots. These sails are just as relevant to older cruising yachts and heavy displacement new designs as to very light, high performance craft.

This ability to maintain speed under sail reduces the amount of time spent under power while on passage and therefore effectively increases range, whether you’re using diesel or electric propulsion. In the case of the latter, most electric propulsion systems also have a regeneration function, capable of putting significant amounts of power back into the battery bank while under sail.

Well managed solar and hydrogeneration power on the electric Windelo Adventure 50. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

The power these produce also increases exponentially as boat speed rises. In lighter airs this can make gybing wide angles to increase apparent wind when sailing downwind an important strategy. If doing so increases boat speed from 5 to 7 knots, for instance, the rate of charge doubles, which helps explain why some all-electric yachts can work as long-distance cruisers.

Depending on the boat, in less than 10 knots of true wind optimal downwind VMG is likely to be found at true wind angles of around 135°-140°. This means you’re sailing 30% further, but expecting the increase in speed to be larger than that figure.

Motor sailing with electric power is very different to doing so with a diesel engine. Unlike a diesel, electric motors can be used to give just a small extra push that helps increase apparent wind in a virtuous circle. When I tested a hybrid Ovni 430, for instance, reaching in less than 4 knots of true wind with mainsail and Code 0 just 3.3kW of push from the electric motor – less than 14% of its rated output – was enough to double boat speed from 2.2 to 4.5 knots. By contrast, 11kW is needed for the boat to maintain a 6.8 knot cruising speed under power alone.

The onboard power system of a Windelo Adventure 50. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr/EYOTY

Nevertheless, making good progress towards a downwind destination can be notoriously difficult so a big asymmetric spinnaker designed for downwind VMG angles is a huge advantage. Unlike a race sail this doesn’t need to be made of super light material – regular 0.75oz, or even a more robust 0.9oz cloth, works well.

Even then it’s not impossible to imagine a scenario in which an all electric long-distance cruising yacht without a back-up generator might reach back and forth with the Code 0 in very light airs just to generate enough electricity to keep the freezer cold.

But that may not be as much of an absurd idea as it initially sounds. When racing offshore we often use a similar strategy in a near calm, having first identified where the next new (stronger) breeze will be found. Instead of aiming solely to reduce the distance sailed, this is usually a faster way to get downwind in very light airs than pointing directly at the next waypoint and is a strategy cruisers can also employ to good effect.

Into the wind

The other situation in which motor sailing is common is to improve progress when close-hauled. In light airs a small push using electric propulsion can again be used to boost speed without a big power drain. However, the situation is very different when punching a big head sea in strong winds, when a considerable amount of power may be needed.

Clean and compact electric propulsion unit in an X-Yachts Xc 47. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

This is arguably a weakness of electric propulsion, other than in yachts with large range-extending generators. It’s a much smaller problem for designs that sail efficiently to windward and have quality sails that maintain their shape even in gusts than for those that tack through big angles and have badly stretched Dacron sails.

The extent to which getting in and out of harbour and manoeuvring in port typically depletes the battery of course varies in different places. There’s a big difference between a marina berth a few hundred metres from open water and those that are a long slog up miles of tidal estuary.

Last autumn I checked out two yachts weighing 8.8 and 15 tonnes respectively in this respect: the Bestevaer 36 in La Rochelle and an Xc 47 at Port Ginesta near Barcelona. With the former we had no need to use more than 2kW of the 11kW of available power at any time while entering port and manoeuvring, while average consumption was closer to 500W. This reflected time manoeuvring at slow speed in a confined space, handing sails and preparing fenders and lines.

Manoeuvring the Xc 47 in harbour, holding station against a 15-knot headwind while we sorted lines and fenders, used only 300-500W of propulsion power, despite the boat’s high topsides and we could have done that for 100 hours before depleting the battery bank.

Motor sailing can be an efficient use of electrical power. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/imacis.fr

Is electric propulsion always greener?

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for the most sustainable solution for a yacht’s auxiliary propulsion. The extra carbon emissions associated with manufacturing an electric car is often offset within 15,000 miles thanks to their impressive efficiency compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

However a recent well publicised ICOMIA report found privately owned sailing yachts clock up an average of only 24 engine hours annually, so the carbon footprint associated with producing the battery pack is never recovered.

The recommendation to minimise life cycle carbon emissions is therefore to use a second generation biofuel such as HVO, which is typically produced from biowaste material. These are very different to first generation biofuels, which were very hygroscopic and provided a fertile breeding ground for microorganisms that were prone to blocking fuel filters.

The equation is massively different for charter yachts and owners who spend considerable periods of time on board. An independent study commissioned by Fountaine-Pajot showed that 80% of the yard’s carbon emissions stem not from manufacturing processes, but from the use of its yachts during only the first 20 years of their life.

In this situation electric or hybrid propulsion is likely to make a very sustainable proposition.

Nevertheless, just as environmental considerations aren’t always a factor for owners of enormously powerful electric cars with 0-60mph acceleration times well under four seconds, a growing number of yacht buyers are opting for electric propulsion for reasons other than its apparent green credentials.

Benefits include quiet, odour-free running, space savings, reduced maintenance, the ability to recharge batteries – effectively refuelling while sailing using only the wind – and a huge amount of torque at low speeds that can make difficult manoeuvres in tight spaces a lot less daunting.

Key rules for sailing an electric boat

1. Don’t try to motor or motor sail too fast – trying to get close to hull speed takes an enormous amount of energy.
2. Good reaching and downwind sails help minimise the time spent under power, while maximising opportunities for regeneration while under way.
3. Don’t try to sail dead downwind in light airs – when true wind is under 10 knots a true wind angle around 135°-140° invariably gives better results.
4. Use the on-screen data to optimise boat speed and power consumption. Often only a very small push from the motor will result in a useful speed gain when motor sailing.

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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…

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 boat test – the next big thing for the world’s biggest builder?

Beneteau’s new stepped hull design works so well this 46.1 could become its most popular model ever

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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.

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The post Bavaria C46 review: More accommodation and better performance? appeared first on Yachting World.

Boatbuilders rarely have the courage to launch a model that represents a radically different way of thinking. Instead, most new yachts are simply variations on established themes with incremental improvements that represent important evolutions over time.

And when testing boats it’s easy to gloss over what it’s like to spend time relaxing on board, whether in harbour or underway in lovely weather. Yet this is a critical factor in the enjoyment owners derive from their boats.

Even with the best natural ventilation, in tropical sun or when the outside temperature rises above 30˚C, the interior of any yacht gets uncomfortably hot. So why have monohull builders and designers continued to expend so much effort on optimising saloon and dining space below decks, rather than focussing on exterior socialising and relaxation spaces?

The Jeanneau Yachts 55 completely reimagines how the main living areas on a yacht intended for use in sunny climes should be configured. All key elements of the main saloon are effectively on deck, sheltered by a big sprayhood and hard top or bimini. It reflects how yachts are actually used, at the same time improving privacy in each of the sleeping cabins and in the owner’s quarters.

In a sense it merely recognises how many people use a boat with decent sun protection: maximising time spent in the cockpit.

While this is not the yard’s first foray into this concept of accommodation arrangement it’s the first model aimed at private owners. It draws on Jeanneau’s experience with the Sun Loft 47 of 2019, which was geared resolutely for the charter market. We got to put a pre production model of the Jeanneau Yachts 55 to the test in Spain last autumn.

A pair of electric winches at each helm station allow for push-button sail handling. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Novel layout

The cockpit effectively extends a huge distance forward and has multiple different spaces for different purposes. Right aft is a full-beam flexible area with expansive sunbeds that convert to large tables, creating a space that easily rivals the aft cockpit of multihulls of a similar size. As with flybridge catamarans and motor yachts, cushions are a fast drying type made for use outdoors.

Immediately ahead of this area is the main control centre for the boat, with twin helm and winch stations. These have a pair of Harken electric winches each side, with one having a back-winding facility, and on the test boat all furling and reefing could be done electrically by one person.

The distinctive mainsheet arch is standard on all boats, whether or not the optional solid sprayhood and hard top are specified over the standard fabric components. This has the big benefit of keeping the sheet safely clear of the cockpit, however the standard arrangement doesn’t allow for fine control of sail shape.

Article continues below…

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Outboard of the wheels the side decks slope upwards towards the foredeck in a refinement of the ramp first seen on the Sun Odyssey 440 back in 2017. This arrangement works really well on the Jeanneau Yachts 55, giving easy step-free access to the foredeck. It also effectively creates a deep bulwark, with an extra high 36in rail outboard of the winches, making it a safe place for sail handling. There are also lovely deep rope bags here, though longer handrails on the coachroof sides for use when going forward would be beneficial.

The two well appointed ensuite guest cabins are immediately forward of the helm stations. These are accessed from on deck, below the shelter of the hard top, which provides more privacy at night than a conventional arrangement with quarter cabins accessed directly from the saloon. The port is the larger of the two, with more floor area and space for a compact two-seater sofa.

On the downside guests have to descend into the depths of the hull via steep steps, so there’s potential for these cabins to feel claustrophobic, access to the starboard cabin’s heads is awkward, and the galley can only be reached by climbing up into the cockpit, then back down the main companionway.

Side decks slope up to the foredeck, while deep bulwarks make it a safe space to handle sails. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

The arrangement is great for owner’s privacy, and fine if you have teenage kids, but won’t suit everyone, especially those with children under a certain age.

Ahead of the guest cabins, towards the front of the sprayhood, is a small four-person dinette/coffee table to starboard and a navstation to port.

Both are slightly raised to give a good all-round view and the dinette can be lowered to create yet another day bed. This also makes it a good space to take a nap on short-handed passages, when you might need to be available at short notice.

Equally the navstation is an ideal place from which to con the boat when on watch alone, when the dished seat will help you stay in place when heeled on port tack. It also makes a great place to work using a laptop, as long as the almost all-round view doesn’t prove too much of a distraction. If it does there’s a secluded desk/dressing table in the forward master cabin.

Outdoor living begins at the stern with sunbeds, loungers and dining tables that easily rivals many multihulls for space. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Monocat sailing

What about sailing performance? Naval architect Philippe Briand has created a boat with relatively low freeboard and powerful hull sections, plus plenty of form stability that on paper ought to hold its own against other mainstream cruising yachts of similar size.

More often than not, the yachts provided for our tests have the optional deep keel married to a taller rig with a slab reefing mainsail that typically gives 20% or more extra sail area than standard. This enables us to get a good feel for the fundamental qualities of the hull design.

However, the Jeanneau Yachts 55 we tested had the 1.9m shoal draught keel, along with the standard size furling mainsail and self tacking jib, albeit with upgraded sailcloth.

At the same time, the test boat’s displacement was some 3.5 tonnes heavier than standard, thanks to the shoal keel (800kg), plus the solid sprayhood and hard top in place of the standard fabric sprayhood and bimini, a washer-drier, air conditioning and a diesel generator.

Raised dinette and navstation are forward of the mainsheet arch, under the sprayhood. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

It was difficult to make the furling main set well in the very light airs of my first day on board and, frustratingly, there was neither a Code 0 nor an asymmetric spinnaker on board. On the plus side, my experience is arguably a more realistic reflection of the configuration in which up to 90% of these boats will be ordered.

Many new designs impress with the way they sail in light airs – an important factor for summer cruising in Europe. However, this boat had very little feel or heel until the wind got above 7 knots, when we started making reasonable progress at just over five knots on a close reach, despite the restricted sail area. In only 4-5 knots of breeze we struggled to reach even three knots of boat speed, irrespective of wind angle.

Happily my second day on board produced 10-12 knots of breeze in which we made 5.5 knots close-hauled at a true wind angle of 55º, despite the boat being repeatedly slowed by a swell right on the bow. Bearing away with the true wind just aft of the beam, and that awkward swell on the quarter, we made a consistent 6-7 knots under main and jib.

The boat tracked well in these conditions, despite imperfectly set up steering: there was play, friction and vibration in the system, though we’re told these problems will be resolved on production boats.

Nevertheless, the helm stations are nicely configured, with big comfortable seats and large MFDs each side. There’s also excellent protection from sun, rain and spray, yet you can also steer sitting well outboard on the coaming to get a better view of the headsail luff, although the MFD and instruments are difficult to read from this position.

Dual helms, access to aft cabins and forward lounging area can all be under cover of the long bimini. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Are the seating and sunbed arrangements aft viable when there’s more wind and sea? There was much discussion about this at the start of the European Yacht of the Year trials. I sailed with the sunbed on one side, and table with space to seat six to eight people on the other, an arrangement with obvious appeal at anchor or at a boat show.

With seven people on board, in a Force 3-4 breeze and uncomfortable swell, this area aft was favoured over the more sheltered and secure seating further forward, even when close-hauled. In these conditions it felt safe, though in rough weather and high angles of heel it would be a less inviting space, while the width of this area and its proximity to the transom would undoubtedly make it feel insecure.

Given the Jeanneau Yachts 55’s accent on outdoor living, along with Jeanneau’s emphasis that the main below decks accommodation is primarily for owner’s use, it’s surprising they didn’t create a more comprehensive outdoor galley, even if that would inevitably compromise other elements. Instead there’s an optional barbecue that swings out from under one of the aft seats, so you need to stand on the bathing platform to use it, plus an optional fridge drawer under a seat further forward.

Returning to port with a quartering swell the boat rolled enough to make you think why not buy a catamaran instead? There’s a multitude of answers to that question, of course. For example, for anyone who spends a lot of time in the Mediterranean at busy times of the year it’s usually much easier to find a visitor’s berth for a monohull, whether in a chic Ligurian marina or a bustling Greek town quay.

Of course multihull owners may counter that by pointing out that catamarans don’t have a monohull’s tendency to roll in an uncomfortable anchorage and you can often anchor off and dinghy ashore with a decent tender – but that’s not always feasible.

Double doors at the forward end of the saloon/galley lead through to the owner’s suite. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Designed for the owners

All the space on deck makes this feel in some ways like a much larger yacht than the overall length might suggest, so descending the companionway is a surprise as it feels small for a 55-footer. But that initial impression misunderstands the whole concept of this boat.

Unlike almost any other yacht, the idea is the main below deck spaces accessed via the companionway will be predominately the preserve of the owners. This highlights how much of a change of mindset is needed to accurately evaluate this boat.

To starboard is a very long and very well appointed galley, and a saloon/dining area with space for six people to port. There’s lots of room to move around here – proportions are those of a smart apartment – though the wide open expanse may present a challenge at sea in rough conditions.

Well appointed linear galley is to starboard. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Double doors in the main bulkhead open onto a properly spacious full width owner’s cabin with a wonderfully open feel and the peninsula bed offset to port. To some extent the feeling of space comes at the expense of stowage volumes, but there’s an option to replace the vanity desk here with a big wardrobe, while retaining the small sofa to starboard.

There’s also an excellent almost full width head and shower right forward, but it’s surprising there’s no provision for an easily accessed day head in addition to the three ensuites.

Stowage on deck includes a huge sail locker forward that’s large enough to be fitted out as an optional skipper cabin. There’s also a big lazarette aft, measuring 2.1 x 1.5 x 0.35m, where you might otherwise expect to find a tender garage. This has access from on top, as well as from the bathing platform, making an excellent wet storage area for fenders, watersports toys and so on. There’s also a dedicated liferaft locker.

Optional telescopic davits have a capacity of more than 100kg, sufficient for an aluminium RIB of up to around 3.5m with a tiller-steered outboard. This is arguably a better option than a tender garage, which invariably severely limits the size of dinghy that can be carried without significantly reducing the volume available aft for accommodation.

Port side is the larger of the two guest cabins and has room for a small sofa. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

An optional retractable gangway to port means access to the water, or to a quay when berthed stern to, is available even when the tender is stowed on the davits and the central transom walkway is therefore not available.
The pilot rams and steering gear are accessed through a hatch at the side of the lazarette that’s just wide enough to crawl through, before rotating yourself 90º to the right. This would make it very difficult to access at sea and some will find it difficult even in port.

The standard twin 380lt fresh water tanks are a decent size for a boat with only three double cabins and there’s a high capacity 36lt per minute water pump for near domestic levels of water pressure. However, the 230lt fuel tank is definitely on the small side for the 110hp engine. Engine, generator and other systems are installed in a tunnel between the guest cabins, accessed from cockpit hatches, and therefore nicely separated from the main interior accommodation.

Hull construction is vacuum infused polyester, with solid laminate in the keel area, while the matrix in the bilge that helps spread keel loads is glued in place. The standard of finish generally looks very neat and the interior joinery is well executed. However, integration of the optional hardtop elements with the mainsheet arch and optional solid windscreen are not as slick.

This means there’s a lack of clean lines and continuity in styling terms. From a distance it looks good, but close up there are too many changes of surface level to look really clean, tidy and stylish.

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The best racing I’ve ever done, whether inshore or offshore, has been in one-design fleets. However, in the offshore realm it’s been two decades since the last successful one-design class was launched. But maybe that’s about to change with the Sun Fast 30OD.

Conventional wisdom holds that smaller offshore racing yachts need to be relatively heavy to be competitive under IRC. Many solo and double-handed sailors are therefore deprived of the joy of racing faster planing yachts, even if today’s successful 30-36 footers are capable of surfing at speeds in the high teens.

Happily the Sun Fast 30OD breaks the mould in this respect – it’s 800kg (22%) lighter than the popular Sun Fast 3300, yet has almost the same sail area upwind and only 5% less downwind. A strict one-design rule is intended to allow close competition, while keeping upfront and long-term costs in check. It’s also the world’s first recyclable composite production boat – impressive given the weight goals.

A key design target was also to maximise performance in light airs. “Most of the polar chart shows minimising frictional resistance is the priority,” Antoine Le Provost of designers VPLP tells me, “so we needed to keep the wetted surface area down.”

The semi scow bow hull shape has a near full length chine and marked flare above the waterline. The underwater sections also have a lot of fore and aft rocker, lifting the transom out of the water at low speeds. These two factors markedly reduce drag resistance in light airs.

Placing so much emphasis on light airs performance might seem odd for an offshore yacht, especially given the last two Rolex Fastnet Races underlined the need to successfully handle heavy weather. But on average in July in UK waters the wind is actually 10 knots or less for 50% of the time.

The Sun Fast 30 is the world’s first recyclable composite production yacht, made from Elium resin that can be used to make another boat at its end of life. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/EYOTY

My first sail on the newly launched Sun Fast 30OD was in only 2-4 knots of true wind, yet we were able to run rings round all the other boats off La Rochelle. Reaching with the Code 0 at a true wind angle of 100° we consistently maintained 90% of true wind speed, while upwind in 4.5 knots of breeze we made 2.9 knots of boat speed at a surprisingly tight true wind angle (for the conditions) of 42°. Even in these very light airs the helm was precise, with good feel and key controls easily to hand.

Digging in

As the breeze builds the chine digs in at around 15° of heel, with form stability growing rapidly as heel increases further. The semi scow bow with a lot of buoyancy forward also gives a very balanced waterline shape when heeled, so weatherhelm doesn’t build as the heel increases. At the same time, very straight chines mean the immersed area when heeled has fairly straight waterlines, minimising drag at higher speeds and giving a flatter run aft to promote easy surfing and planing when sailing off the wind.

My second day on board provided 8-15 knots of breeze. Upwind with the J3 we consistently made an impressive 6.5 knots at true wind angles of 40-42°. This increased to 7-9 knots reaching with a Code 0 at 100-110° TWA, and we maintained the same speed with an asymmetric at a true wind angle of 125-135°.

The semi scow bow hull has a slight chamfer forward, a distinct full length chine and low static wetted surface area – so it suits light airs performance, but is capable of planing in stronger winds. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/EYOTY

The Sun Fast 30OD was quick to accelerate and responsive to weight distribution with a great direct feel on the helm. Steering is predictably light, but with ample feedback as the helm loads up. The boat proved almost impossible to broach, even on a very tight reach and when it happened it was a very gentle affair.

Sadly we didn’t have enough wind to experience full planing. Although lighter than most other designs in this market, the Sun Fast 30 is still proportionately a lot heavier than Mini 650s and Class 40s, so needs more than 15 knots of breeze or helpful wave action to fully break away from its stern wave.

As the breeze builds the chine digs in. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/EYOTY

The one design spec includes a Sparcraft all carbon rig positioned well back in the boat and sets a generous sized square-top mainsail. Jeanneau and composite specialists Multiplast say the running backstays are primarily for improving sail trim, especially achieving headstay tension, rather than being structural. This makes for easier and less stressful gybes, without worrying about dropping the rig in strong winds.

Proportionately more of the boat’s length is given over to the cockpit than usual, so it doesn’t feel cramped, even when sailing fully crewed with four or five people. A downside though is that no attempt has been made to provide any shelter on deck.

Central foot chock plus adjustable stainless steel frames provide a firm footing when heeled. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/EYOTY

In general deck layouts on boats in this market are broadly the same. The Sun Fast 30OD follows a similar approach in terms of sheeting, including 3D jib sheet leads and the mainsheet traveller at the back of the cockpit, with mainsheet, backstay and traveller easily reached from the helm.

However, there’s only one coachroof winch at the companionway and just a single bank of clutches – a well proven concept in the Mini 650 fleet that simplifies the set up, while reducing weight and costs.

Attention to detail includes a Spinlock Diablo joint that automatically lifts the tiller extension vertically when released, ensuring it can’t get trapped in a corner of the cockpit when steering with the pilot. There are also rope bags and stowage for water bottles on deck.

The interior is basic but functional, with maximum headroom of 1.75m. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud/EYOTY

To keep running costs under control membrane sails are banned by the class rules and the inventory of seven sails can only be replaced on a three-yearly cycle, at a typical total cost in the €15-€25,000 range.

Class rules also specify the electronics. These include B&G’s H5000 autopilot, the very popular Raymarine Type 1 ram in a watertight compartment accessible from deck (and from inside), plus a combined VHF/AIS.

The large cockpit, fairly narrow beam and low freeboard limit space below decks and the fit out is basic. But it’s well planned with bunks each side, pipecots for sail stacking, a big navigation station against the main bulkhead, plus a tiny galley with sink and space for a Jetboil. There’s even a heads area forward of the main bulkhead, with full marine toilet with holding tank and a fabric door for privacy.

Fore and aft watertight bulkheads provide an extra safety factor offshore, although the front bulkhead doesn’t qualify as a full crash box.

Building a one-design boat is a specialist process thanks to the high degree of consistency that’s needed. Jeanneau is well placed in this respect – the Sun Fast 30 is built at the Groupe Beneteau site just outside Nantes that has a long history of producing cutting-edge raceboats.

It’s also built using Arkema’s Elium thermoplastic resin that’s made from 20% recycled content and can itself be recycled at the end of the boat’s life. Importantly, small repairs can be carried out using conventional resins.

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We’re beating out of the approach channel to La Rochelle in 8-10 knots of true wind, with some tacks as short as 90 seconds. The yacht is tacking cleanly and accelerating willingly afterwards, underlining how manoeuvrable it can be in skilled hands. Yet this isn’t a lightweight monohull – it’s a 52ft semi flybridge multihull weighing more than 13 tonnes, the Neel 52.

The first generation of Neel trimarans, including the Neel 51 launched in 2017, set a new standard in combining handling that echoes that of a monohull with accommodation of a scale that can only be found on a multihull. The concept of the Neel 52 remains the same, using the hulls of a fast racing trimaran with narrow waterline beam, as a platform for expansive four- to six-cabin accommodation.

On paper there’s no significant difference in the key dimensions of each boat, but that conceals a number of important changes. An example for this market is a much improved owners’ cabin which now occupies part of the bridgedeck and can also include the entire starboard ama.

There’s also a big difference in how the new boat handles. Offshore racing multihulls are designed to optimise straight line speed, but that’s rarely the key priority for cruising yachts. As a result the shape of the main hulls and amas of this new Lombard design are very different to those of the Joubert-Nivel-designed Neel 51 it replaces (42 built).

In particular the forward sections have a very shallow forefoot compared to the old model, where maximum waterline length was a key priority. The change improves manoeuvrability and is an important factor behind the ease with which our boat tacked in the conditions we experienced for our test. The Neel 52 is also lighter, with improved balance thanks to a mast (and engine room) further aft and a larger jib.

Most sail handling operations, except using spinnakers and furling the headsails, can be carried out single-handedly from the helm station. Photo: Rupert Holmes

On the helm

Close-hauled in more open water, with the true breeze still predominately between 8-10 knots, we consistently made just over seven knots of boat speed at a true wind angle of 60°-65°. In these conditions there’s very little heel – just enough for the windward ama to skim above the water and markedly reduce wetted surface area.

Steering is via Dyneema cables, which gives a more direct response than many alternatives, though the boat’s heavier on the helm than a well set up monohull, with a less precise feel. Nevertheless it’s still good by the standards of many cruising catamarans.

The standard Neel 52 sail plan includes a square top mainsail, slightly overlapping headsail of around 120% and staysail. Our test boat also had a very flexible 150m2 furling gennaker that can be used for reaching in 10 knots of true wind or less and broad-reaching in winds well above 20 knots. Neel also offers a larger asymmetric spinnaker as an option, as well as a marginally taller carbon rig with higher-spec Hydranet sails.

All lines, except spinnaker sheets and furling lines, are led to three electric winches at the helm station. Separate luff and leech pennants for all three mainsail reefs help tame the sail quickly. There is, however, lots of rope in this area and insufficient rope bins to handle it.

The flexible gennaker on our test boat can be used for reaching in up to 10 knots of wind and at 140° TWA in well over 20 knots

Downwind and reaching sails sheet to the back of the amas, while genoa and staysail furling lines are led to the aft end of the starboard ama. This arrangement for the furling lines greatly reduces friction compared to the convoluted route they would have to take to lead to the helm station, but means furling these sails isn’t an easy single-person operation.

With the true wind building to 10-11 knots and puffs to 13 we consistently made speeds of around 9 knots, with occasional bursts just into double figures when reaching at 110°-120° TWA, with the gennaker and staysail set. This was easy sailing at speeds that will quickly gobble up the miles when on passage.

Visibility from the Neel 52 helm station is excellent on port tack, but there’s a big blind spot on starboard – you need to descend four steps to see under the jib or gennaker. A semi flybridge above the hard top, with space for up to eight people, includes generous sunbeds. This is right next to the helm/winch station, so communication between the two is easy and, unlike many multihulls, it doesn’t feel as though the helmsman is isolated from everyone else on board.

You have to be sure guests are sitting before tacks and gybes, when hoisting and dousing the mainsail, and when reefing on port tack. There’s a bimini for sunshade over the helm area, with a clear overhead panel for sail trim, but no provision for sun protection over the flybridge area, though the hardtop over the main aft cockpit gives plenty of shade.

A key selling point for Neel is offering a very refreshing change to the familiar layouts of cruising multihulls of similar length, and the Neel 52’s arrangement feels generally bright, welcoming and innovative.

The saloon adjoins the cockpit, however you need to stoop to see out of forward windows. Master cabin is to starboard but you need to draw blinds for privacy

Neel 52 – bridgedeck cabin

The older Neel 51 benefitted from Neel’s trademark bridgedeck level cabin, which gives a fantastic view out almost all round the boat when you wake up. This comes at the expense of some privacy, though, which is largely solved by closing the window blinds in the bulkhead that separates the cabin from the saloon. But this space was small compared to typical catamarans owners’ cabins.

Owners with guests will still need to close the blinds on the main bridgedeck cabin on the Neel 52, but this now links to the whole of the starboard ama. This is a private area with a desk/dressing table and a generous amount of stowage in hanging and shelved lockers. Ventilation is provided by several overhead hatches and there’s a long hull window above the desk which provides plenty of natural light.

The mid part of the owner’s ama has a heads with a separate shower stall, while further forward is an additional space that was left fairly open in our test boat, with the exception of a washer/dryer. This area has obvious potential for much more stowage, or even a workbench.

Large and well appointed galley.

The aft cockpit under the hardtop is relatively small, but this doesn’t feel important since this space fully opens up onto an expansive saloon, with the interior and exterior tables together forming a dining table that can be extended almost seamlessly to just over 3m in length.

Ahead of the saloon area is a large navstation with a double seat and a good view forward, to port and aft. However, the bridgedeck owner’s cabin creates a large blind spot on the starboard quarter and there is no hatch above to view the mainsail.

All layout options have a large and well equipped galley forward on the starboard side of the saloon. There’s acres of worktop space, a four-burner gas hob plus oven, large refrigeration and freezer capacity, plus a slimline dishwasher. Stowage is in 17 lockers both under the counter and at eye level. The saloon has two opening panels in the front windscreen for natural ventilation, plus a small opening hatch over the cooker.

In four-cabin boats steps lead down to a double cabin in the port ama, with a large double berth aft, above which is a long hull window that gives a great view out. Stowage here is primarily in a small hanging locker, plus empty space under the berth that can be used for easy access to kit bags. Forward of this are heads and shower compartments mirroring those of the starboard ama, and further forward a space similar to that with the washing machine on the starboard side.

Bridgedeck level owner’s cabin.

Alternatively the port ama can be fitted out as two doubles that share a central head/shower compartment. This option is also available in the starboard ama for six-cabin charter specification boats. These also gain additional saloon and dining space on the bridgedeck as there’s no owner’s cabin at that level.

Seven steps at the front of the saloon descend into a further double cabin in the centre of the main hull, under the solid bridge deck. There’s plenty of space, but natural light and ventilation are restricted, with the former coming solely from the two escape hatches. There’s stowage plus a heads compartment (without shower) shared with a forward cabin at the front of the main hull.

On the test Neel 52 this is fitted out as a Pullman-style cabin with bunkbeds. Crew cabins, each with a single berth and head/shower, can also be specified at the aft end of each ama.

Owner’s hull space in starboard ama

On the downside, some elements of the interior have hard edges in places that may not wear as well as rounded corners. And traditionalists won’t be impressed by the inside of lockers which have a similar feel to mass market home furniture.

Neel’s trademark full height technical area with engine and systems is restricted to the back of this model. Nevertheless, it remains a well laid out and useful space that will make maintenance and repair easier than on many yachts. Unlike cruising catamarans, Neels have only a single engine in the main hull, so a bow thruster is fitted as standard. A stern thruster is offered as an option that can make Mediterranean-style mooring a lot easier.

Deck stowage includes large lockers that can accommodate sails, fenders and watersports toys, while the tender rests on purpose made chocks at the aft end of the main hull. It’s lifted using a line from the end of the boom – a simple arrangement that avoids the weight, complication and cost of davits. Access to the water is from the extended bathing platforms on the aft end of each ama and the transom of the main hull.

Our test Neel 52 was set up with just under 2kW of solar panels on the coachroof. Neel says this is almost enough for complete autonomy while cruising when combined with the boat’s lithium iron phosphate battery bank, though as standard 625Ah of 12V AGM batteries are fitted.

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The concept of rugged aluminium centreboard boats is well proven, but can a boat displacing 14 tonnes when loaded sail well in the light airs that predominate during summer in cruising areas such as the Med, northern Europe and even the Arctic? And can hybrid propulsion work in that context? The chance to jump on the first Ovni 430 to leave the yard during September’s heatwave provided clear answers to both questions.

First impressions of the Ovni 430 are of very practical and seamanlike arrangements, with acres of flat deck space, deep bulwarks, plus solid metal handholds, mostly near waist height. There are also plenty of mooring cleats, a capacious deep chain locker and our test boat was also fitted with substantial granny bars at the mast.

The standard of finish on deck is high, with welds ground perfectly smooth, neat paintwork and the general feel of a well specified, comfortable yacht. It’s a marked contrast to Ovni’s trademark raw aluminium topsides that resist knocks and dings so well.

We set out from Les Sables d’Olonne in a dying southerly breeze, under mainsail and an all-purpose gennaker in just six knots of true wind. Not so long ago most yachts of this size and weight would most likely have needed at least 10 knots of wind to get moving. But not in this case – we consistently made just over four knots, representing an impressive 70% of true wind speed.

Purposeful new centreboard design for most cruising waters. Photo: Christophe Favreau

The Ovni 430 is Ovni’s first model with an additional chine in the bottom of the hull, which reduces wetted surface area. The twin angled rudders are mounted well outboard on this chine and the steering has been re-engineered to give a more direct response.

Despite the very light conditions, and the boat’s substantial weight, the helm felt positive at all times. Even with boat speeds as low as two knots, it was responsive and predictable, without oversteer and with a directness of feel that belies the hefty displacement. This is all the more impressive given the necessity for the rudders to be relatively short, with a low aspect ratio, to enable the boat to dry out on its flat bottom.
By the time we swapped to the Code 0 the wind had died to less than four knots, with boat speed under sail struggling to get much above half that.

But adding a small boost from the electric motor – our test boat is the first-ever Ovni with hybrid propulsion – made a huge difference.

The Ovni 430 on test proved adept at silent motorsailing in light breeze. Photo: Christophe Favreau

A silent nudge

Just 3.3kW of propulsion power more than doubled boat speed to 4.4 knots, markedly improving range before needing power from the range-extending 11kW Fischer Panda diesel generator. Unlike motorsailing with a diesel propulsion engine, the only audible sound is a very low level from the gearbox – a noise that’s normally drowned out by the racket of even the best soundproofed internal combustion engines.

With this combination of sail and motor, we could have continued for more than six hours before depleting the 28.8kW lithium-ion phosphate battery bank and resorting to the generator, despite there being only four knots of true wind.

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The genset is far quieter than any diesel propulsion engine thanks to a soundproof box and very soft mounts. The hybrid arrangement also allows for a smaller propulsion battery to be specified than for electric-only boats. Yet the expectation is it will rarely be used – the test boat has 900W of solar, while the electric motor’s regeneration mode produces 300W when sailing at 4.5 knots, a figure that increases exponentially with speed. There will be many occasions, therefore, in which the batteries can be fully replenished while on passage.

Expansive foredeck is emphasised by full bow sections. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Step change in style

This boat is a development of the Ovni 400, launched only three years ago, which itself was a big move for the yard. Its step change of style, with near-vertical topsides, a rounded reverse bow and proportionately longer waterline represented major changes compared to earlier generations. The Ovni 430 uses the same hull with a few modifications, including wider sections in the forward two-thirds of the boat that increase both form stability and volume in the owners cabin.

Despite its bulk and weight the 430 proved responsive. Photo: Christophe Favreau

As well as the additional chine in the lower part of the hull, builder Alubat changed to what it calls ‘semi thick’ construction for the Ovni 430. This uses 10mm aluminium for the bottom plate, 8mm for the rest of the hull and 6mm for deck and coachroof. By contrast, earlier models, including the Ovni 400, used 8mm alloy plate throughout. The Ovni 430 therefore has a lower centre of gravity and greater stability, yet the important bottom plating is thicker and more resistant to damage.

As standard the Ovni 430 has a conventional pin-head mainsail, with an 8m2 larger square-top sail as an option. Running backstays are needed for this configuration, though spreaders are well swept back, giving the rig support when gybing in lighter airs. In stronger breezes, with the first reef tucked in, the sail clears the runners, so both can be kept in tension. There’s a choice of a permanently rigged roller reefing staysail, as on our test boat, or a sail set flying on a furler that can be removed when not needed.

Both the deck saloon and the classic saloon option of the test boat (pictured) include a raised navstation. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Two easy steps behind each helm station lead to the side decks. Cap shrouds are taken to the outside of the hull, via substantial aluminium chainplates welded to the structure, while lower shrouds terminate next to the coachroof sides, leaving a clear passage along the side decks. However, trips to the foredeck in anything other than comfortable conditions should be rare.

Most controls, apart from jib, staysail and spinnaker sheets, are handled at the companionway, under the protection of the optional solid aluminium doghouse fitted to the test boat. This offers great protection from the elements, yet doesn’t interfere greatly with visibility from the twin helm stations.

Alubat offers a number of options for mainsail reefing, with the boat I sailed having a single line system for the first two reefs, plus separate leech and luff pennants for the third. Decent roller bearing cars for the luff track further ease the effort associated with handling the mainsail.

The raised nav station. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Three electric winches also help minimise physical effort. These include both primaries, which are ergonomically mounted inboard on pedestals aft of the seating around the cockpit table. The starboard companionway winch is also electric and is used for both the main halyard and the 700kg ballasted centreboard.

There are plenty of pockets for rope tails in the coamings, and under the inboard winch pedestals. Unlike earlier Ovni models the mainsheet is no longer taken to the stern arch, but still uses the same concept of identical systems port and starboard that are led to the coachroof instead. This works well, giving control of sail shape while also stabilising the boom. A smaller arch aft supports the dinghy davits, plus some of the solar panels and is more neatly integrated with the pushpits than on the 400.

Manageable volume

With one exception, changes to the interior of the new model are mostly minor compared to the 400. These include more volume in the forward owners cabin, plus a greater amount of stowage throughout. The wider forward hull sections allowed the front of the coachroof to be widened by 235mm, creating a greater feeling of space in the saloon without compromising side deck width.

Wider forward sections increase space in the owner’s cabin. Photo: Christophe Favreau

At the same time, freeboard is reduced by 9cm, lowering the boat’s centre of gravity and making it easier to step off onto a pontoon. A step down into the forward and aft cabins from the saloon means this was achieved without reducing headroom. The boom is also slightly lower and headsails are tacked a little lower, increasing sail area without adding air draught.

The big change for the interior of the Ovni 430 is a new deck saloon option. This variant has the same exterior dimensions and structure as the classic saloon on our test boat, but has a raised dining area that allows a view through the coachroof windows. By contrast, in the classic model when seated you can only see out through a single hull window each side in the saloon. Both versions also have a neat raised navstation that allows a view out of the coachroof windows.

The large linear galley to starboard, which benefits from good stowage and worktop space, is also common to both. Our test boat was equipped with a GN Espace marinised induction hob, electric gimballed oven, as well as space saving and ergonomic sinks and Gastronorm storage units and utensils from the same company.

A useful technical area aft of the heads includes a single bunk with an aluminium base under the mattress, allowing this area to double as a workbench. It also gives access to all the electrical components and the generator.

A large technical area includes plenty of space for genset and electronics. Photo: Christophe Favreau

Returning to port using 4.2kW of electric propulsion at an average speed of 4.5 knots gave plenty of time to pack the boat away, without depleting the battery bank more than necessary. At this point the OceanVolt display showed 82% charge remaining, with around 4.5 hours range left at that speed.

Above modest speeds wavemaking resistance increases exponentially, so boat speed of a shade over six knots required 22kW of power, equating to little more than an hour of range under electric power alone. Running the generator would double this and a larger genset could be installed to extend range at higher speeds to a level where diesel tankage is the key constraint.

The first boat’s Canadian owners, who bought an Ovni to fulfil a long-standing ambition of sailing across the Atlantic, are very happy with the system and installation. They have yet to need to run the generator in anger, though point out the Oceanvolt throttle control lacks the feel of a conventional unit, even though electric car manufacturers have solved this issue.

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The post Ovni 430 review: new interpretation of a successful concept appeared first on Yachting World.

The massive choice of sailing jackets – and wildly varying price points – can be bewildering even for the most experienced sailors. This can make figuring out the best sailing jacket for your specific needs a daunting task. Of course, this is an easy problem to solve if you simply throw money at it.

However, for most people it would mean spending far more than is necessary and at the high end, some of the pricing is eye-watering. In any case, if the only sailing jacket you have is truly top-notch, you’re likely to wear it out in conditions that lower-spec garments could not handle as well. Although, it may not be as comfortable in ordinary weather as cheaper alternatives.

At a glance – Editors choices

Best summer sailing jacket – Zhik INS200 Jacket – Buy now
Best offshore sailing jacket under £300 – Decathlon Tribord 900 – Buy now
Best sailing smock – Gill Verso Lite Jacket – Buy now

Best coastal sailing jackets

Gill OS3 Coastal Jacket

Specifications: Weight – 2,000g | Sizes – S-XXL | Choice of colours – 3 | Materials – Nylon, Polyester, XPEL

Reasons to buy: Fully taped seams | Hi-vis hood with 2-way adjustment system | Non-absorbent and quick-drying lining
Reasons to avoid: In wintery conditions, you’ll want to add a base layer or two

Gill’s latest lightweight OS3 fabrics use a fundamentally more sustainable material than the long-running industry standard durable water-repellant (DWR) coatings. These have been used for decades to improve waterproofing. Did you know it’s what makes the water bead off a new jacket?

However, DWR finishes are typically based on fluoropolymers that have toxic by-products which persist in the environment. Instead, Gill’s OS3 range uses a plant-based finish that performs the same function as the DWR coating. Result!

The OS3 jacket is made of a two-layer fabric with a non-absorbent, quick-drying lining. It has a high-visibility hood, adjustable cuffs with PU inner seals, and an internal storm guard. It’s available for men and women.

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.

Gill Verso Lite Jacket

Best sailing smock

Specifications: Weight – 420g | Sizes – S-XXXXL | Choice of colours – 2 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyester

Reasons to buy: Excellent light weight option | Excellent protection from water ingress | Packs down very small
Reasons to avoid: Not suitable for very windy or cold conditions

There’s much to be said for the advantages of a smock style top, without a full front zip, as they usually offer better protection than a jacket of similar specification. The Gill Verso Lite Jacket is a slimline and impressively lightweight garment – the medium size version I tested weighs only 420 grammes.

The jacket is made of Gill’s Explore fabric, a two-layer system without a separate lining that balances outright performance against weight and breathability. All seams are fully taped.

Cuffs are lined with PU, which makes an effective seal using the Velcro tabs, but without the extra bulk and complication of an inner cuff.

While this isn’t the only jacket I’d take for a long offshore passage in serious weather, it’s ideal for use in more moderate conditions and packs so small it’s feasible to carry in addition to full ocean gear.

Buy now from Amazon

Musto Sardinia Jacket 2.0

Specifications: Weight – 652g | Sizes – S-XL | Choice of colours – 7 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyester

Reasons to buy: Mesh lined for enhanced comfort | Zipped side and chest pockets | Detachable and adjustable hood with a stiffened peak
Reasons to avoid: Not designed for winter sailing so you would need to buy another sailing jacket

Economical and very lightweight is the best way to describe the Musto Sardinia Jacket 2.0. If you’re out at sea for daysailing in the summer, this is an essential.

It uses the same two-layer BR1 fabric Musto uses for its full-specification BR1 inshore jacket. It has a detachable hood, plus four pockets, including an inner chest pocket that gives valuables some protection from the wet weather.

On the downside, there are no hand-warmer pockets, the collar is not fleece-lined and there’s no inner cuff seal.

Nevertheless, its lightweight, packs super-small, is comfortable and doesn’t restrict movement. You won’t need anything better for many decent summer days and it can be worn ashore as well.

Buy it now

Musto BR2 Coastal Jacket

Specifications: Weight – Undisclosed | Sizes – S-XXL | Choice of colours – 2 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyester

Reasons to buy: Double storm flap | Fluorescent hood | Fleece-lined handwarmer pockets
Reasons to avoid: At the pricier end of the coastal jacket spectrum.

This is an ideal mid-range jacket from one of the big-name manufacturers. The two-layer fabric has a significantly higher level of water resistance than inshore products.

The articulated cut ensures freedom of movement and there’s a double storm flap, fluorescent hood and high fleece-lined collar.

There are also fleece hand warmer pockets, plus two cargo pockets, an internal zipped pocket and a sunglasses pocket. The reflective detailing shows up clearly at night and there are double waterproof cuffs.

Buy men’s Musto BR2 Coastal Jacket from Musto
Buy women’s Musto BR2 Coastal Jacket from Musto

Zhik INS200 Jacket

Best summer sailing jacket

Specifications: Weight – 510g | Sizes – S-XXL | Choice of colours – 2 | Materials – Vecta, Polyurethane

Reasons to buy: Three-layer fabric with taped seams | Fully waterproof and features adjustable cuffs
Reasons to avoid: It is relatively expensive for a coastal jacket.

If you’re in the market for a lightweight performance sailing jacket, then the Zhik INS200 jacket might well be the right thing for you.

Lightweight technical fabrics are expensive and typically Zhik’s kit is therefore not the cheapest on the market. Nevertheless, the state of the art fabrics it uses and the high level of attention to detail rarely fails to impress.

The streamlined and minimalist look of the INS-200 jacket conceals many neat features. For instance the hood has a soft Spandex gusset that sits comfortably on the forehead and performs several functions.

This improves protection against water ingress, while sealing the hood against wind, making it feel much warmer. It also automatically turns the hood as you turn your head.

For offshore use, when extreme conditions may be encountered, you can use this as a comfortable option when under way in good weather and when going ashore, while reserving a cumbersome full-ocean spec jacket for use only in bad weather.

Buy it now from Amazon

Best offshore sailing jackets

Decathlon Tribord Sailing Jacket Offshore 900

Best offshore sailing jacket under £300

Specifications: Weight – Undisclosed | Sizes – XS-XXXL | Choice of colours – 3 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyurethane, Polyester, Elastane, Rubber

Reasons to buy: Competitively priced | Developed alongside ocean racing skippers Jean-Baptiste Daramy, Achille Nebout, Romain Le Gall and Léo Bothore | Reinforced bottom for improved durability.
Reasons to avoid: The women’s version doesn’t include a face guard

This French company develops and retails its own brand products, but doesn’t change its ranges unnecessarily merely to suit the whims of fashion. The result is long-lasting gear at very competitive prices.

This is the firm’s top-specification offshore jacket, made from a three-layer fabric with four times the waterproofing rating of typical inshore products.

It also has a high collar, adjustable hood with rigid visor, double sleeve seals and two hand warmer pockets. In addition, there are two cargo pockets and a further secure and drier pocket under the storm flap.

Buy it now from Decathlon

Helly Hansen Aegir Race Jacket

Specifications: Weight – 1,050g | Sizes – XS-XXL | Choice of colours – 2 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyester

Reasons to buy: Machine washable | Available in a wide range of sizes from S to XXL | Fully taped seams.
Reasons to avoid: The large sizing prioritises width over height.

The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.

The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.

A big element of the comfort factor is down to the choice of three-layer fabric that doesn’t need a lining.

The new four-layer fabric is supple and doesn’t noticeably restrict movement. Yet it offers a very high level of both waterproofing and breathability. It’s made of 50 per cent recycled content and uses a PFC free durable water repellent treatment.

Buy it now from Amazon

Gill OS1 Ocean Smock

Specifications: Weight – Undisclosed | Sizes – XS-XXL | Choice of colours – 2 | Materials – Nylon, Polyester

Reasons to buy: Ocean height collar with a concealed, wrap-around face guard | Shackle tool and PLB attachment point | Deep cargo pockets with secure closure and hand warmer pockets behind.
Reasons to avoid: The premium features mean a premium price.

Did you know that smocks work much better than jackets for really serious work? Granted, they are not as easy to put on or take off, but the neck seal and lack of a front zip means they are intrinsically far more waterproof.

An additional advantage is that, unlike a big and heavy jacket, they don’t restrict movement which is a plus if you need to wear it while doing repair work on your yacht. The Gill’s OS1 also has all the elements you would expect in a serious ocean specification jacket.

Details such as the high-lined collar, first-class hood, hand warmer pockets and reinforced bottom section make it stand out from others on this list. It also benefits from neoprene cuff and waist seals to keep the water out in testing conditions.

Buy it now on Amazon

Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket

Specifications: Weight – 1200g | Sizes – S-XXL | Choice of colours – 4 | Materials – Polyamide, Polyester

Reasons to buy: High fleece lined collar with storm flap | Competitively priced offshore option | Great reinforcement
Reasons to avoid: Quite bulky so limits manoeuvrability

The Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket is part of the Norwegian company’s mid-level ‘Performance’ range and is competitively priced. Yet it shares ergonomics and features with the brand’s top specification Ægir collection that sells for two or three times the price.

The high fleece lined collar includes an effective storm flap with fleece fabric under the chin that maximises comfort and minimises chafe.

There’s also a two-way main zip, with Velcro fastened storm flap, plus plenty of reinforcement in high wear areas around the elbows and lower back.

Despite the obvious bulk of the Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket, articulated arms and shoulders facilitate ease of movement.

The high visibility hood proved effective and for night sailing there are six strips of retro-reflective tape. This is a feature that’s all too often lacking in other kit that’s described as being suitable for offshore use.

Detailing includes a big and obvious hanging loop. This may sound like a small point, but can make a big difference when coming off watch in the early hours of the morning on a boat that’s bouncing around in a big sea.
On a late autumn day in the English Channel, with gusts the wrong side of 30 knots, this jacket was very cosy to wear. And the extent to which it eliminates wind chill is impressive at the price.

Buy it now from Helly Hansen

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated sailing page for more marine products.

What makes a good sailing jacket?

My Gill OS1 sailing jacket, for instance, is great for cold and properly wet night watches, but the extra-high collar can feel claustrophobic in lesser conditions. For many people, it’s therefore a better option to start with an inshore or coastal sailing jacket and then add a high-spec offshore sailing jacket when it’s needed.

There are two key exceptions to this. Firstly, those who race offshore, where the weight and bulk of kit needs to be kept to a minimum. Equally, delivery crew will often be at sea in conditions that keep all but a handful of cruising yachts in port.

How to choose the best sailing jacket

How can you identify the best sailing jackets? Well, it’s not as simple as you might think. All have some features in common, including articulated arms for ease of movement, reinforcement in the lower back panel, handwarmer pockets, a quick-dry fabric-lined collar and effective cuff seals.

All the important brands have nailed the attention to detail at the design stage to ensure all the elements to work well while out at sea.

One important aspect that’s not often fully understood is the differences in fabric types. Less expensive garments usually employ a two-layer outer material, which requires a separate inner lining. This can make the sailing jacket more awkward to put on and take off and adds to the bulk in your kit bag.

Three-layer fabrics don’t need an inner lining and from a comfort perspective are therefore preferable to two-layer options. They also tend to dry a lot faster. This puts to bed the old idea that a heavy sailing jacket automatically offers better protection.

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Head to Amazon’s dedicated sailing page for more marine products.

The post Best sailing jackets: From inshore to ocean-ready waterproofs appeared first on Yachting World.

The second generation Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is a top notch product made for the ultimate in comfort and protection, without compromise. It’s also noticeably lighter than the Norwegian firm’s Skagen Offshore Jacket.

The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.

The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.

A big element of the comfort factor is down to the choice of three-layer fabric that doesn’t need a lining.

The new four-layer fabric is supple and doesn’t noticeably restrict movement. Yet it offers a very high level of both waterproofing and breathability. It’s made of 50 per cent recycled content and uses a PFC free durable water repellent treatment.

The lack of a separate lining helps makes this jacket easy to don and doff – it slips on and off very easily, even when wearing many layers underneath.

It also dries more quickly after use than the lower-specification two-layer fabrics with separate linings used for lower-priced foul weather gear.

Elements particularly worthy of praise include the extra-high fleece lined collar with an effective storm flap that’s shaped to cover your nose. This increases warmth by stopping draughts, as well as markedly reducing the chances of getting water down your neck when a wave breaks over the boat.

In addition, the adjustable high visibility hood has an effective peak to divert water clear of your face and neck, even in extreme conditions.

There are also chest level hand warmer pockets lined with thin fleece – enough to give some warmth, but not so thick they will absorb lots of water and take ages to dry.
There’s also a pair of smaller cargo pockets and an internal pocket.

This is a versatile garment for those who cover many miles at sea. It’s therefore the kit you will want for sailing very long distances offshore in inclement weather, whether racing, cruising or on delivery.

Buy it now from Amazon

Want to see what else is available? Take a look at our full guide to the best offshore jackets

The post Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket review appeared first on Yachting World.

There’s much to be said for the advantages of a smock style top, without a full front zip, as they usually offer better protection than a jacket of similar specification. The Gill Verso Lite Jacket is a slimline and impressively lightweight garment – the medium size version I tested weighs only 420 grammes.

It also packs small, so takes very little space in your kitbag. In fact, a really neat feature is the central zipped chest pouch that’s sized so that the entire garment can be stuffed inside and zipped up into a package that fits in the palm of your hand.

It’s also comfortable to wear and much easier than many smocks to get on and off.

Despite the slimline styling there are pockets for your hands. These fall short of full fleece-lined handwarmers, but will keep them dry and out of the wind.

The hood has two-way adjustment but, like the Zhik INS-200, lacks its own storage pouch. Instead a shock cord retaining loop keeps it out of the way when not in use.

The jacket is made of Gill’s Explore fabric, a two-layer system without a separate lining that balances outright performance against weight and breathability. All seams are fully taped.
Cuffs are lined with PU, which makes an effective seal using the Velcro tabs, but without the extra bulk and complication of an inner cuff.

Elastic drawstrings for the hood and waist can be operated single-handed and will help keep water where it should be.

In the past the default was to select foul weather gear for the worst conditions that might be encountered on a particular trip. However, that often leads to wearing expensive and bulky kit that restricts movement in every day, conditions.

While this isn’t the only jacket I’d take for a long offshore passage in serious weather, it’s ideal for use in more moderate conditions and packs so small it’s feasible to carry in addition to full ocean gear.

Buy it now from Amazon

Want to see what else is available? Take a look at our full guide to the best offshore jackets

The post Gill Verso Lite Jacket review appeared first on Yachting World.

The Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket is part of the Norwegian company’s mid-level ‘Performance’ range and is competitively priced. Yet it shares ergonomics and features with the brand’s top specification Ægir collection that sells for two or three times the price.

The high fleece lined collar includes an effective storm flap with fleece fabric under the chin that maximises comfort and minimises chafe.

There’s also a two-way main zip, with Velcro fastened storm flap, plus plenty of reinforcement in high wear areas around the elbows and lower back.

Despite the obvious bulk of the Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket, articulated arms and shoulders facilitate ease of movement.

The high visibility hood proved effective and for night sailing there are six strips of retro-reflective tape. This is a feature that’s all too often lacking in other kit that’s described as being suitable for offshore use.

In addition to two useful cargo pockets, there are chest level hand-warmer pockets with fleece linings, while double cuffs help ensure sleeves stay dry.

Detailing includes a big and obvious hanging loop. This may sound like a small point, but can make a big difference when coming off watch in the early hours of the morning on a boat that’s bouncing around in a big sea.
On a late autumn day in the English Channel, with gusts the wrong side of 30 knots, this jacket was very cosy to wear. And the extent to which it eliminates wind chill is impressive at the price.

The fabrics average around 50 per cent recycled content, including some from marine rubbish such as discarded commercial fishing gear that would otherwise litter the oceans.

Another important factor is the durable waterproof coating that’s made without the use of Perfluorocarbons (PFCs). These have long been used to waterproof fabrics but environmental and health concerns mean manufacturers are developing other solutions.

Helly Hansen’s Skagen Offshore Jacket is available in both men’s and women’s sizing.

It’s an excellent option for anyone who needs a full specification, full length offshore jacket, without paying the steep premium for one made of lighter and more streamlined three layer fabrics.

Buy it now from Helly Hansen

Want to see what else is available? Take a look at our full guide to the best offshore jackets

The post Helly Hansen Skagen Offshore Jacket review appeared first on Yachting World.

If you’re in the market for a lightweight performance sailing jacket, then the Zhik INS200 jacket might well be the right thing for you.

Fortunately the days in which fabric weight was a good proxy for the effectiveness of foul weather gear are long gone.

Massive advances in materials technology mean today a very lightweight jacket that’s comfortable and easy to move in can still be packed full of high-end features.

However, lightweight technical fabrics are expensive and typically Zhik’s kit is therefore not the cheapest on the market. Nevertheless, the state of the art fabrics it uses and the high level of attention to detail rarely fails to impress.

The streamlined and minimalist look of the INS-200 jacket conceals many neat features. For instance the hood has a soft Spandex gusset that sits comfortably on the forehead and performs several functions.

This improves protection against water ingress, while sealing the hood against wind, making it feel much warmer. It also automatically turns the hood as you turn your head.

The hood also has easy two-way adjustment for a perfect fit. However, there’s no pouch in the collar to pack it away when not in use.

Initially this felt odd to me, but by the end of a long late October day on the water off Barcelona it no longer felt like a problem and is in keeping with the pared down nature of this kit.

The three layer fabric doesn’t need a bulky lining that makes it difficult to slide the jacket on and off, while manufacturer’s lab tests show waterproof durability is of a higher level than the industry average.
Although this is primarily a piece of technical clothing it’s also intended to be suitable for use onshore, reducing the amount of kit that you need to travel with when sailing.

For offshore use, when extreme conditions may be encountered, you can use this as a comfortable option when under way in good weather and when going ashore, while reserving a cumbersome full-ocean spec jacket for use only in bad weather.

Zhik’s INS-200 jacket is a fairly slim fit so if you’re on the cusp of two sizes and not an athletic build it’s probably worth ordering the larger option.

Buy The Men’s Jacket from Amazon
Buy Women’s Jacket from Amazon

Want to see what else is available? Take a look at our full guide to the best offshore jackets

The post Zhik INS200 Jacket review: high-tech, lightweight performer appeared first on Yachting World.

Imagine a future where you could buy a standard production yacht which is built not from virgin fibres, toxic resin, and fitted with teak or plastic decks, nor propelled by a noisy engine fuelled by noxious heavy oil, but instead one crafted from natural products, which runs silently, emission-free and with very little carbon footprint. And where, at the end of the yacht’s life, you could trade it back in with the builders so they could separate the fibres from the resin and recycle it into a new boat.

That future is here and now in 2023. Thanks to years of research and development from some of the largest yards, your yacht of tomorrow is already available today – you maybe just didn’t realise it.

Whether crossing the Atlantic, or enjoying a sunny afternoon in local waters, the sense that sailing is an activity that takes us closer to nature is a strong one. Yet the vessels that provide this experience are the product of a sizeable polluting industry. Fortunately that situation is now changing quickly and two of the world’s largest boatbuilders are already making big steps towards producing more sustainable yachts.

At the same time, some of these changes will make yachts cleaner and quieter, with the potential for longer periods of autonomy when cruising long distances. A step-change was already in evidence at last year’s International Multihull Show, where a number of new catamarans sported solar arrays with outputs of several kilowatts – enough to feed almost all the hotel loads of these power-hungry vessels (enough to run a modest house in fact), with the exception of air conditioning and hot water.

However, this is just a first – and easily achieved – step in a rapidly evolving transformation. During that edition of the show Fountaine-Pajot announced its Odysséa24 strategic plan, which the firm has deployed for all its brands to become carbon neutral by 2030.

The first stage was informed by an independent study that shows the overwhelming majority – 80% – of the yard’s carbon emissions stem not from manufacturing processes, but from the use of its yachts during the first 20 years of their life.

Sun Fast 30s and Mini 650s in production at Groupe Beneteau’s Cheviré facility.

Just a few months later Groupe Beneteau announced its own plan to move to building its entire range from new more sustainable materials by 2030. This includes resins that can be recycled into a new yacht, achieving the holy grail of a circular economy. Electric propulsion – with range extending generators where appropriate – will also increasingly be offered as an option.

These are grand plans and the marine industry has a long history of grandiose ideas that are quickly sidelined or evolve only painstakingly slowly.

However, despite their huge sizes (annual turnover of €1.5 billion for Groupe Beneteau and €230 million for Fountaine-Pajot) these are still family-owned companies with a passion for change that comes right from the top and planning horizons that are far longer than those of some publicly listed or private equity-owned firms.

From talk to action

At the International Multihull Show, Claire Fountaine, president of the Fountaine Pajot and Dufour group, told us it was time for action: “In order for future generations to sail while preserving the planet, we have the ambition of becoming the leader of the ecological transition in our industry. This is the aim of our Odysséa24 plan.”

Scroll forward 12 months and we’re already seeing the fruits of this mission leaving the La Rochelle yard – more on that later. Equally, Groupe Beneteau already has yachts in series production using a modified version of Arkema’s Elium thermoplastic resin that can be recovered at the end of a yacht’s life and used to build another vessel.

Its Cheviré factory, opposite one of Airbus’s Nantes facilities and a stone’s throw from the river Loire, has an illustrious history. It was originally Jeanneau’s Advanced Technologies division, where the top three finishers in the 1990 Route du Rhum, including Florence Arthaud’s Pierre 1er and Philippe Poupon’s Fleury Michon, were built. More recently, the new Figaro 3 fleet was produced here.

Beneteau Oceanis 30

Today, Beneteau describes it as a laboratory for developing sustainable boatbuilding solutions. But in reality it’s more than that – a production boatbuilding plant capable of churning out 50-plus boats a year, while simultaneously running several side projects.

When I visited in May, three Mini 650s built using 6% flax fibre were in production. They’d also just popped the first Elium-built Sun Fast 30 out of the mould and were preparing to infuse the second. This boat is the outcome of a design competition organised by RORC, the UNCL in France and Storm Trysail Club in the USA. It was won by a collaboration between naval architects VPLP and advanced composites specialist Multiplast. So how did Jeanneau end up building the boat?

“We already had a partnership with Multiplast, who built the foils for the Figaro 3,” says Groupe Beneteau sailboat product director Damien Jacob. “They usually only do one-off projects, but we had an existing relationship that fitted this boat perfectly.”

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However, the original concept for the boat envisaged using conventional resins, so VPLP had to revisit the structural engineering to integrate Elium into the design. A key advantage of this material for boatbuilding is that it has very similar mechanical properties to conventional polyester resins. Nevertheless, it was important to validate the figures – a process that’s central to Beneteau’s vision for the changes it plans to implement across the board over the next few years. Instead of the risk of a sudden wholesale change, the yard is taking many small steps and learning from each one.

The building of one of the two Beneteau First 44 prototypes – a boat that also has twin electric motors, plus a diesel range extender generator – last year marked the first stage of the Elium project. The idea was it would enable a better understanding of the material, right down to the details of how to drill it efficiently, glue it and so on, to enable it to be integrated seamlessly into a production line.

The exquisite Flax 27 daysailer from Greenboats showcases what can be done with sustainable materials

Recyclable production yacht

Beneteau has a long-standing group of production experts with huge experience working with different materials, laminating techniques and problem solving. “These are really talented people who built the First 44e, and are already able to teach others how to use Elium,” says Groupe Beneteau research and innovation director Erwan Faoucher, who is also president of APER, the national boat dismantling scheme in France.

Unlike conventional resins, whether epoxy or polyester, Elium is a three-part resin system in which all the elements must be combined in precise quantities. Developed by Arkema, a multinational manufacturer of specialty materials headquartered near Paris, it’s the world’s first liquid thermoplastic resin that will cure at room temperature.

These properties make it feasible for use in boatbuilding, yet, as it’s a thermoplastic, at the end of a boat’s life it can be melted and recovered for use in a new boat, with the alcohol content providing much of the fuel needed to power the process. That’s hugely different to conventional polyester and epoxy resins, which are a thermoset type in which cross-bonding of the polymers makes it impossible to melt and recover for reuse.

Groupe Beneteau has an exclusive five year license on a formulation developed in a three-year collaboration with Arkema to optimise a version of the resin for production boatbuilding.

The three elements are automatically mixed by machine, ready for infusion, making it relatively simple to integrate into the production line. Equally, cure times are comparable to conventional polyester resins, so production schedules don’t need major adaptation.

A Flax 27 in build

These factors, along with its similar mechanical properties, make its use a relatively easy transition from polyester. However there is a 15% cost penalty on the price of a new boat, one that is expected to reduce to 10% as volumes increase (we understand Groupe Beneteau want to make these materials standard rather than a costly option). Also, the optimum method of how to separate the resin from the fibre at end of life, be it through using heat or solvents, is still being researched.

In addition to being a circular economy material – one that can be recovered when a boat is scrapped and then used to build another yacht – the Elium used by Beneteau already includes 18% recycled methacrylate – a core ingredient – and therefore has a carbon footprint around 15% lower than conventional polyester resins. Looking ahead, once fully recycled Elium can be used, carbon emissions are expected to be two or three times lower than polyester, a figure Faoucher says “will be very hard for any other material to beat.” It’s worth noting that epoxies tend to have a carbon footprint two or three times larger than that of conventional polyester resin.

Nevertheless, Beneteau is not betting its future solely on Elium. The small fibreglass parts such as locker lids, bathing platforms and so on for its nine brands are made in a single facility that produces a colossal 30,000 items a year. These now all include some flax fibres and are currently made using polyester resin with around 15% bio resin content.

This figure represents the amount of alcohol in conventional polyester resin and was therefore a fairly easy substitution as a first step. The next stage is to replace other components to reach 34% bio content. Faoucher says the maximum figure technically achievable is 40% as the styrene that makes up a large proportion of polyester resin can’t be replaced with bio sourced materials.

Flax fibres used by Greenboat

He also points out that determining the optimal amount of flax fibre to use is not as simple as it might appear, hence the 6% flax content in the Mini 650s. The problem, he says, is that natural fibres absorb more resin than artificial ones, which results in a heavier boat that may consume more CO2 for propulsion and so on over its lifespan.

Recyclable Dufour

Following Fountaine Pajot’s extensive development of electric and hydrogen power, the Dufour side of the group is turning to materials development. The project, dubbed ‘Licorne’ (unicorn) is due to be unveiled later this year. The plan is to use recycled materials to build a Dufour 41 prototype, fast-track sail it for around three years, before disassembling it to build another yacht and so prove its circular concept.

Deputy CEO Romain Motteau is enthused by the project, and says the unique element is the Arkema resin they want to use is already formed of recycled material. His vision is to build a fleet of boats which are rented from Dufour and, at the end of their lifetime, come back to be recycled into new boats, rather than the current model of building hundreds of yachts a year and selling them to new owners: ‘that is the future’.

Ongoing R&D

Groupe Beneteau and FP/Dufour are not the only outfits seeking to create sustainable boat production and there are many smaller scale operators who have quietly been churning out low carbon or recyclable yachts in timber epoxy or aluminium for many years – but these solutions can’t yet be scaled up to industrial proportions.

Nevertheless one notable young company is focussed on developing new boatbuilding methods that can be scaled – Germany’s Greenboats. Founders Friedrich Deimann and Paul Schirmer gained much attention with the exquisite Flax 27 daysailer, which is a fantastic showcase of what can be achieved with natural fibres and bio-sourced resins.

Greenboats’ MB9 is a 30ft offshore racer made of flax fibres and bio resins

This was not initially intended as a series production vessel, but from the outset the founders’ vision extended much further. The company has put significant energy into developing sustainable boatbuilding materials, including consulting for more established yards, and has firmly been at the forefront of this revolution.

Examples include work with 11th Hour Racing to produce parts such as hatches for its IMOCA 60 Malama that have the same strength, structural characteristics and weight as the previous carbon hatches that were more or less a standard IMOCA item.

It has taken more than a decade, plus a lot of research and experimentation, for Greenboats to reach this level of expertise.

“Most production with flax fibres today is quite crude and they don’t play to the magic of the composite,” Deimann explains.

With detailed structural engineering, even for small parts, plus optimal fibre orientation and location, it’s possible to achieve the same weight, and in some cases less, than using conventional materials. Their latest project, for instance, a 30ft short-handed racer/cruiser built for Matthias Bröker, a naval architect at Judel/Vrolijk who worked on the Dehler 30, will be lighter than the Dehler.

What happens at the end of life for the boats they build? “There are two possible approaches,” says Deimann. “You can use low-impact, low carbon biological based materials like flax and bio resins, or recyclable resin systems.” Greenboats has tried both and at the moment believes the former is currently the best option, especially as the infrastructure that would be needed for recycling is a long way off.

Instead they have successfully trialled making granules from a laminate made using natural materials. These were then used to help power the furnace of a steel making plant in a way that’s not possible with conventional materials.

FP’s Aura 51 uses the Smart Electric concept to vastly reduce fossil fuel energy consumption and increase autonomy

The power struggle

Given Fountaine Pajot’s realisation that the overwhelming bulk of carbon emissions occur not in manufacture, but when the boat is in use (especially under engine power), the materials used for building boats are by no means the only changes the industry needs to make.

Electric propulsion has been established as the default for new daysailer designs for most of the last decade and is now rapidly making inroads in the market for larger craft. Many of these will initially also be fitted with ultra-efficient diesel range extender generators, though the hope among many is that green hydrogen will become available sufficiently widely to replace the generator with a hydrogen fuel cell in the not too distant future.

Fountaine Pajot has already launched a prototype version of its Samana 59 that’s entirely powered by non-fossil fuels, including a 6kW solar array and a powerful 70kW REXH2 hydrogen powered fuel cell. This boat was developed in conjunction with EODev, an industrial extension of the Energy Observer project – a 90ft racing catamaran that enjoyed an illustrious career before being converted to run on hydrogen power and has since completed 50,000 hours of use.

Torqeedo and WhisperPower developed an ultra-efficient range extender generator to maximise the power from a given amount of diesel

In France enthusiasm for hydrogen power is growing rapidly, including a massive 34 hectare hydrogen farm in development at St Nazaire at the mouth of the Loire, rapidly growing numbers of hydrogen fuelling stations for public transport (the two largest towns in the Vendée – La Roche sur Yon and Les Sables d’Olonne – for instance both have them) and double the number for private cars as the UK.

Nevertheless, Fountaine-Pajot remains cautious about the realities of how quickly this technology can be rolled out in the marine industry. It’s not about the intrinsic reliability of the system, as Phil Sharp, another hydrogen advocate who’s also based in La Rochelle, is seeking to demonstrate in the next Vendée Globe race. The problem for long-distance cruising yachts is one of availability within a sensible time frame: “European funding is needed to make it happen,” according to communications director Hélène de Fontainieu.

Instead, Fountaine Pajot’s immediate focus is on what it calls Smart Electric – electric propulsion backed up by a diesel generator, plus efficient regeneration from the electric motors while sailing, large solar arrays and wind power. An intelligent onboard energy management system is also a key element and ensures optimal use of power and charging.

“Many boats have two or three internal combustion motors,” deputy CEO and Smart Electric/hydrogen project manager Matthieu Fountaine told me. “In a well engineered system if they are replaced with electric propulsion motors, plus a diesel generator, we can reduce the fuel needed for propulsion by 15-20%.”

Fountaine Pajot’s Samana 59 is powered entirely by non-fossil fuels

Smart Electric is available for all FP brands, including Dufour monohulls. Several examples are already afloat and a further 50 are scheduled for build next year.

Early buyers have come from across the globe and are often people who see themselves as pioneers. Yet this concept has potential to become mainstream very quickly – last year hybrid and fully electric cars accounted for almost 50% of the UK market, so many boat buyers have already experienced electric propulsion.

Pioneering work by yards such as Arcona, Salona and Outremer, as well as cruisers such as YouTubers Dan Deckert and Kika Mevs (@SailingUma), who took their electric powered 50-year-old Pearson 36 to Svalbard and Iceland last summer, has also helped to showcase what’s possible and refine the new products that are needed.

The charter market is also important to Fountaine Pajot, so how well has the concept been received in the more hard-headed business world? Two large operators – Tradewinds and Dream Yacht Charter – have already embraced the Smart Electric concept, with the latter ordering 40 boats for delivery over the next two years.

Electric motor range

Using electric propulsion opens a door to a completely different way of thinking to the diesel engines we’re accustomed to using. However, a challenge for many boatbuilders is they have to convey very different messages for different types of boat. Many diesel powered yachts carry so much fuel that consumption is never a worry. However, the further you voyage the greater the chances that you’ll opt to throttle back to extend range.

It’s incredibly easy to underestimate the dramatic benefit this has on energy use. Wave making resistance increases exponentially above 1x the square root of the effective waterline length (in feet). Therefore it takes three times more energy to push a boat with a 36ft (10.9m) waterline at 8 knots than at 6 knots.

Further efficiencies can be gained by throttling back further. Most of the time only a small proportion of the potential power is being used, but more is on tap for manoeuvring and for punching head seas for short periods, such as leaving harbour or rounding choppy headlands.

Motorsailing with electric power is also very different to doing so with a diesel engine and is an absolute revelation. Unlike a diesel, electric motors can give just a small extra push – if this simultaneously helps increase apparent wind, the speed boost might be obtained using only 10% of the motor’s output, giving a silent motor sailing range hugely greater than a quick scan of system specifications might suggest.

Drop in the ocean?

Yet this is all a far cry from what visitors to the massive space devoted to motoryachts at this year’s Düsseldorf boat show will have seen. Among the many craft on display, a large number of fast, yet heavy, boats powered by colossal engines – including multiple units of recently developed 10-cylinder 350hp and 450hp outboard motors – showed not even the slightest nod towards addressing the impending climate crisis or over use of plastics.

Groupe Beneteau – larger than the next half dozen yards combined – clearly believes this old approach isn’t viable in the long term. It has firmly staked its future in a sustainable direction, to the point of selling its three-decade-old €300 million mobile home business to help fund the transition towards sustainable boatbuilding. Many others are surely set to follow them and Fountaine Pajot, along with the many smaller yards that did much of the early pioneering work in moving towards more sustainable practices.

Deimann cautions there is still a long way to go and is concerned the industry as a whole is still generally operating on an old linear economy model, not a circular one. That’s a change that requires a whole new way of thinking, but a change that – as of now – is at least under way.

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Long-distance offshore racing nurtures extraordinary levels of self reliance and mutual support. The inaugural Globe 40 race, an ambitious and testing circumnavigation for double-handed Class 40 teams via the three ‘Great Capes’, with diversions into the tropics to Mauritius and Tahiti, took this to an extreme, with some US entries sailing 44,000 miles.

At the finish in Lorient the sense of camaraderie, solidarity and respect was inspiring. “We were talking to all the other skippers all the time, a lot of it sharing knowledge about fixing the boats,” says Mélodie Schaffer, owner of Canadian entry Whiskey Jack. “We all had problems along the way and all helped one another.”

“We understand each team needs different support and we all try to do that for each other,” adds Craig Horsfield, co-skipper of another North American entry, Brian Harris and Micah Davis’s Amhas, a 2013 Akilaria RC3 model, which finished 2nd overall. Race organisers provided advice while the fleet was at sea and practical help at each of the seven stopovers. Skippers came from a mix of backgrounds: most owners were hugely experienced amateurs looking for the experience of a lifetime, though one had only started racing offshore four years previously, while around 40% of the co-skippers joining them were professional sailors.

The skippers were in frequent contact with each other. “It was a really unique experience,” says Schaffer, “because they’re the people who can appreciate what you are going through most closely.”

An obvious takeaway for anyone with ambitious cruising plans is that your networks matter. When things go wrong having somewhere to turn for expert advice – or even just to bounce ideas around – can be invaluable. But don’t stress about having a network in place before leaving – one of the beauties of cruising is you quickly meet others on a similar journey. For some this happens in Brittany while waiting for a weather window to cross Biscay; while the pre-Atlantic crossing community in the Canary Islands is famously close.

Pre-start camaraderie between Frans Budel (Sec Hayai) and Masa Suzuki (Mila). Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

The Globe 40’s demanding course (after starting in Tangier the fleet dove south via Cape Verde, around the Cape of Good Hope, south of Australia to Auckland, stopping over in Papeete before rounding Cape Horn to return up the Atlantic) meant no one had an easy ride. American competitor, skipper Joe Harris (no relation to Brian) saw winds of 62 knots on Gryphon Solo 2, a 2011 Akilaria RC2, while all others encountered more than 50 knots and significant wave heights of at least 6m.

Even at the end, the lead boat had to slow on the approach to the finish, to avoid 50 knot winds and confused 10m seas in Biscay.

The distances involved and conditions encountered would take a toll on any boat, but a nine-month race takes matters to a whole different level. Race organiser Manfred Ramspacher points out the dynamic between co-skippers is crucial to deal effectively with daily challenges and frustrations – even when tired, cold and fed up.

Race organisers’ safety checks. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

All in the preparation

One team had the luxury of starting their preparation more than two years before the start – Frans Budel and Ysbrand Endt on Sec Hayai. They took overall victory, despite being the oldest boat by a long margin in a class renowned for rapid development.

Sec Hayai, an Akilaria RC1 model launched in 2007, has been in Budel’s family for 12 years. It was also the only boat to have already won a round the world race – the 2008 Portimão Global Ocean Race in the hands of Boris Herrmann and Felix Oehme (Budel’s father Nico also competed in the second Global Ocean Race until dismasted).

A pivotal early decision was to bring Dutch professional sailor Ysbrand Endt, a Mini Transat veteran and Pip Hare’s co-skipper on Medallia for the 2019 Transat Jacques Vabre, on board.

“Having the oldest boat meant durability and resilience had to be 100%,” Endt told me. “That allowed us to sail at the limit all the time – we showed you can win this race without a fast design of boat.”

Endt’s first big race with Budel was an edition of the Normandy Channel Race with an upwind leg in full gale conditions. He felt the hull was deforming, with the forestay load lifting the bows. They confirmed this visually by lifting the boat with a crane and cranking the backstay on hard.

Joe Harris and Roger Junet on Gryphon Solo 2 experienced winds of 62 knots during the race. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

This led to non-destructive testing (NDT) of the hull structure, which confirmed a problem with longitudinal stiffening. The existing 25mm-wide stiffeners forward of the keel were therefore replaced with an 80mm grid, massively increasing strength, while adding only 15-20kg of weight.

The mast and boom were tested at the same time. Afterwards Sec Hayai gained 3° of pointing ability, mostly thanks to better headstay tension. However, the biggest benefit was absolute confidence that the boat and rig were bulletproof. Sec Hayai was now probably the strongest in the fleet, even though some Class 40s were two generations newer.

A measure of how hard the duo pushed is that downwind in breezy conditions Endt reckons a broach “happened at least every hour and sometimes every few minutes.” They only felt the need to hold back on a couple of occasions. The first was on leg 3, upwind in 48 knots south of Australia, with very steep, pointy waves. “We dropped the main and continued with the J2 jib, 55° off the true wind.” Yet they won the leg.

Sadly this must have been a bittersweet victory for Frans: jubilation that the family boat had finally won a tough leg in a round the world race, but sadly his father died shortly before Sec Hayai’s arrival in Auckland.

Budel and Endt also had to sail conservatively on the final leg, when the sails were becoming weaker. They therefore kept the second reef in for a long time in moderating winds, but with the knowledge they already had enough points for overall victory.

Whiskey Jack skippers Mélodie Schaffer and Tom Pierce crossed the Globe 40 finish line at Lorient in fifth place overall. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

Doubling up

A boat’s systems must also be bulletproof to achieve reliable long-term performance. At this level multiple levels of redundancy are a given, so if one item fails you can switch to a backup fairly seamlessly. However, this adds to routine maintenance and there are plenty of boats – cruisers and racers alike – with backup pilots that have languished unused and untested for years.

All teams I spoke with had completely independent pilot systems with separate rams, pilot computers, electronic compasses and data buses. Gryphon Solo also carried two additional hydraulic rams, as these proved prone to leaky seals. On the other hand Amhas, which has electric drives for the pilot, simply swapped the primary ram with the secondary at the halfway point.

Duplicate masthead wind sensors are also standard equipment. If the primary (vertical) sensor fails, you can use the horizontal, even though upwash off the rig means data is less precise. Sec Hayai also carried two further spares to rig on the pushpit, or replace a masthead unit in conditions safe enough to climb the rig at sea. It was a prudent move as the wind instruments packed up on the second leg due to the cable chafing.

“It had recently been replaced, but we didn’t check the work of the installer,” says Endt.

A bigger incident occurred between Tahiti and Cape Horn, when the cover stripped off the tackline of Sec Hayai’s 150m2 A5 in 30 knots of breeze, leading to “quite a big broach.” They couldn’t get the snuffer down, even using a winch, so released the halyard and pulled it in by the sheets. Other damage included a mainsail rip at the second spreader requiring a repair glued both sides, while the leech and foot of the Code 0 and several spinnakers needed reinforcement halfway through. These are common problem areas and it’s worth keeping a close eye on them, though extra reinforcement can affect sail shape and isn’t routinely added to new sails.

The Globe 40 route

Endt says they pushed Sec Hayai hard in different conditions at the start of the project, “to identify the edges of control and the edges of the boat’s strength.” Previously Nico and Frans had tended to sail in a more conservative fashion, with a policy of dousing the spinnaker for every gybe. This served them well over many tens of thousands of ocean racing miles, but Endt identified it as an area in which big gains were possible.

He also progressively increased upwind speed from 7.2 to 8 knots. “We did 15-20,000 miles of training and racing before the Globe 40,” Endt told me, “including the Transat Jacques Vabre, two Normandy Channel Races and the Fastnet Race.” This helped maximise the performance that could be extracted from the boat and turn Budel into a near-professional level sailor in Endt’s estimation.

The boat originally tended to bury the bows, so sails were cut to help lift the forefoot. Mast rake was also changed from dead upright to 6° aft following discussions with the sailmaker, mast manufacturer and designer Marc Lombard. The sail inventory needed to be as flexible as possible, with generous overlaps between different sails. “This means fewer sail changes,” says Endt, “which helps conserve energy for trimming.” It also means losing a sail has less impact.

The boat is set up to be handled from the cockpit in heavy weather. After the finish there was much discussion about the importance of comfort in enabling maximum performance, with many teams envying Sec Hayai’s set up. “At the outset, we knew this was important,” says Endt. “You can’t replenish energy if you’re struggling to keep warm when resting.” This meant heating, comfortable seats, decent beds and good food, plus dry kit available for each watch change.

molten bits of spinnaker sheet cover on a winch drum.

Keeping the water out

Craig Horsfield and British sailor Ollie Bond also proved to be a formidable team, winning two of the three stages they sailed together on Amhas. This duo’s first victory was the 7,150-mile leg from Cape Verde to Mauritius, despite breaking a half bulkhead in the forward crash box while ploughing upwind. The root cause was a cracked pulpit fitting, but the first sign of an issue wasn’t until water leaked into the main accommodation when the crash box was two-thirds full.

Horsfield says emptying the compartment was not an easy job. The boat was pitching so much he was repeatedly launched towards the deckhead as the bow plunged down, with water simultaneously out of his bucket. Fortunately, they were only 500 miles from the finish, with moderating conditions and a 300-mile lead, so could ease back and take pressure off the structure.

Nevertheless, they contacted the boat’s designer to check the problem wasn’t likely to lead to a more major failure. They also marked each side of the damage with marker pen to make any further movement or delamination obvious.

Sec Hayai also encountered a leak, but on a far more serious level: a broken seal around a rudder shaft as a result of contact with a submerged object. This was repaired using “a large amount of vulcanising tape” around the shaft and fitting, which held for 12 days.

Structural floor grid on Sec Hayai installed before the race. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

They were not the only boat to hit a submerged object. Koji Nakagawa’s team on Milai, a 2011 Pogo 40 S2, was consistently fastest on the water for much of the race, winning the first, fourth and fifth legs, but then hit a floating object off the Argentine coast causing significant structural damage. It’s a measure of their skill and preparation that co-skippers Masa Suzuki and Estelle Greck were able to laminate a temporary repair and reach port without assistance. Once repairs were complete they were too late to rejoin the fleet, but had already bagged enough points to retain an overall podium position.

Flexible approach

Mélodie Schaffer’s approach to the race was from a different perspective to those of the long-term Class 40 owners. Her first ever offshore race was just four years before the start, as a crewmember in the 2018 RORC Caribbean 600. It was an event that, unexpectedly, changed the direction of Schaffer’s life, after she realised “how important sailing is to me.”

After the 600 she did three Clipper Round the World Race legs, including a Southern Ocean stint as main helm, encountering 50-80 knot gusts. “That taught me big boat safety,” she says. “It was really instilled into us.”

Schaffer and Pierce on Whiskey Jack. Photo: Tom Pierce

She bought Whiskey Jack, a 2013 Akilaria RC3 design, only 10 months before the start. Early prep included a couple of weeks training in Europe before the Transat Jacques Vabre. This was followed by a period at Brian Harris’ Maine Yacht Center, where all three North American entries were based.

She trained in Antigua for two months in early 2022 with a sailing friend who planned to do the whole race, but had to drop out, leaving Schaffer without a team-mate at the 11th hour. She therefore sailed the first five legs with different co-skippers, before teaming up with Hawaii-based attorney Tom Pierce for the final three.

“I appreciated the knowledge they each brought to the boat – every person you sail with gives you a new opportunity to learn from them,” she explains.

“We often didn’t have time to sail the boat much – if at all – before the leg start. We did, however, have time together working on the boat so you begin to understand what your partner is like, how they problem solve, their areas of expertise and how they handle challenges.

Amhas starting in Papeete. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

“Even if we could not get out ahead of the race to practise, we spoke through [manoeuvres] and practiced at the dock. In some ways I think that’s even better – we went through all of the actions with the lines and could repeat things to optimise.

“Then once on the water, before [manoeuvres] we also talked through the plan. I would take a safe approach, especially in the first few days, so if we had a spinnaker gybe we first furled the sail or socked it down. In previous races with my training partner we’d sail through the gybe, but with changing co-skippers so often and the length of the race, it wasn’t worth the risk for the sake of a few extra minutes.”

With Schaffer’s preparation hampered by lack of time and budget, she mostly used the sails that came with the boat, although they were regularly inspected and reinforced. Even so, many of the problems Schaffer experienced could be put down to bad luck.

On the first leg an internal bow pulpit bolt sheared, making it impractical to use spinnakers, and five sails were damaged on the long second leg. Then, having led the fleet on leg three, a spinnaker wrap forced a 36-hour diversion into calmer seas before it could be safely sorted. The mainsail also ripped from luff to leech, requiring two days of sewing, with one person each side to push the needle back and forth, and the sprit broke en route to Cape Horn from Tahiti.

Whiskey Jack was consistently fast. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot/Globe40

These breakages cost Schaffer many days, but didn’t stop her consistently notching up the fleet’s biggest daily runs. In leg 7, from Recife to Grenada, she set the overall 24 hour race record, covering an astounding 346.7 miles at an average of 14.48 knots. This was with two reefs in the main, and both the A5 and J2 set.

She went on to win the leg, finishing almost four hours ahead of Sec Hayai. Even in the final few days before the finish, she notched up a 318-mile 24-hour run, setting the fleet record for that leg. Whiskey Jack’s maximum boat speed was 28 knots in a 45 minute squall with gusts of 40 knots. Schaffer hand-steered through this, using instincts gained from her background as a dinghy racer in her youth. “I love sailing and I love sailing well,” she says. “The feeling when the boat is humming is still magic.”

Despite the problems she encountered, Schaffer finished every leg, which brought “a lot of satisfaction – I love the feeling of successful accomplishments. I had many setbacks but I never thought of giving up,” she says. “The strength that counts the most when you’re cold and tired and something breaks is your inner strength.”

What of the future? “I’m keeping the boat,” she answers. “This year I want to do the Rolex Fastnet Race and the TJV. Then I want to do the Globe 40 again. This time a lot of energy went into managing problems, but we had 176 days of ocean racing and you learn from every single one.

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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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