Boats premieres 2025

The sporty First line by this French shipyard has been chalking up impressive victories in various challenges for some time now. The reputation of the yachts with excellent sailing abilities goes back to First 30 launched in 1977 – now the latest First 30 is in the “starting block”. Like her bigger sister First 36, the EYOTY winner in 2023, she is built by a high-calibre team at the Slovenian Seascape shipyard and offered in a cruising and/or racing version. As usual, the two shipyard bosses Andraz Michelin and Kristian Hajnsek enlisted Frenchman Sam Manuard as their naval engineer. He drafted a typical glider hull which has a flat but not too flat aft. This also generates a certain degree of heel in light winds and, hence, little wetted surface underwater as well as a good sailing performance as a result.

Manuard attached great importance to the rocker (= curvature in the bottom of the hull) in the stern – an aspect which is important for gliders and always a “tight-rope act”. This because if the degree of curvature is too low, that yacht will start gliding fast but does not get the bow across the waves when sailing broad reach under gennaker. If the degree is too high the time of gliding is delayed. Steering is done with a tiller, twin rudders and a T-shaped keel (1.98 m) as a standard. Slovenian laminate specialists Pure-Design came up with weight-optimised laminate plans for the hull while Italian star designer Lorenzo Argento is responsible for styling. The interior design is spartan but can be made homelier with the optional premium package. The berths for four persons are located in two cabins.

The Dutch shipyard KM Yachtbuilders known for high-quality bluewater yachts in aluminium presents the Bestevaer 54 – an ocean-going, 20 t custom model that is also perfectly suited for demanding sailing grounds. Like for all Bestevaer vessels the engineering comes care of Dykstra Naval Architects’ studio. The yacht boasts a luxurious deck saloon with a large dining table and separate navigation corner. Below deck there is a well-equipped pantry, two cabins with one head each, a lounge area as well as a technical room. Unusual for a Dyksta design is the comparatively spacious cockpit with two steering wheels. It comprises a small open area with staircase to access the swim platform and is described as semi-open transom by the shipyard. The arch supports solar panels and operates as davits for the tender. She comes with double rudders and an extra third rudder in the middle as well as a centreboard. This ensures excellent manoeuvrability even in shallow waters and makes her suitable for drying out.

For two and a half years the team around Jens Quorning meticulously worked on the new 36-foot trimaran. Originally laid out as a performance cruiser, she is now offered in a touring version with self-tacking jib as well as in a performance version with a higher rig and overlapping genoa. Carbon masts are a standard, both versions come with wave-piercer bows and this for the first also applies to the main (hull) bow. The advantage: longer waterlines, more volume, therefore more buoyancy, more comfort and more safety, especially at high speeds. Integrated in the main hull is a fixed bowsprit complete with anchor system. 

A new dimension in terms of space opens up in the deep cockpit as well as below deck. The two wheels as well as the four electric winches were positioned in such way that the yacht is suitable for single-handed sailing and guests are not disturbed by sail-related equipment nevertheless. Inside there is one cabin with double berths forward and one aft, plus a head, pantry and a generous dinette. The furniture comes in ash as standard, alternatively in elm. 

Needless to say, the Dragonfly 36 features the shipyard’s patented Swing-Wing system, which was introduced 35 years ago and has been optimised continuously since. For the new trimaran this means that the width can be reduced from 8.12 m to 2.7 m in seconds and without requiring any tools. For the first time, the system consists entirely of a high-tech composite structure said to make it lighter, more resilient and easier to handle.

Austrian Hans Spitzauer, multiple Olympian, world champion in the Finn class and owner of Championships Yachting, developed the Lago26 years ago. This is a very sporty daysailer that is available with a ballast centreboard, lifting keel or even foils. Due to its design, the Lago26 is a very demanding boat and hardly suitable for single-handed sailing. But now Spitzauer is launching the Lago26 Speedster, a version specially designed for solo sailors. It is based on the fast hull of the Lago26, but the keel, rigging, deck layout and sails have been tailored to their needs. Specifically, this means: fixed bowsprit, self-tacking jib, no backstay and all lines within reach of the helmsman. Inside, there is an aft cabin with two berths. In terms of performance, the differences compared to the classic Lago are likely to be small, thanks to a high-modulus carbon rig and high-performance sails. The whole package is rounded off by an innovative propulsion system consisting of an e-pod motor with a folding propeller and lithium batteries.

The global leader in daysailers enters unchartered territory by launching a luxurious performance cruiser: the Saffier SL 46. To be precise, they are launching not just one but two models, one for the Mediterranean, one for the Scandinavian market. The main difference is the aft. The Med version comes with a flat, open aft deck with a small, drop-down swim platform as well as helmsmen seats that transform into sun loungers. By contrast, the so-called North version features a higher aft with a dinghy garage underneath and a sunpad including two comfortable seats with backrests above. The double wheel steering was moved far into the bow in the cockpit, and each wheel has two winches by its side. This means the yacht can be sailed solo – a characteristic that Saffier attaches greatest attention to with all its models.

The interior layout includes three cabins with heads. A separate head for the owner’s cabin forward was foregone being replaced by a sort of make-up table with washbasin. In sailing terms the Saffier SL46 is very much committed to sportiness: weight-optimised construction, high-performance rig despite self-tacking jib, T-shaped keel in two lengths, carbon bowsprit, wave-piercer bow for a long waterline length, flow-aligned single rudder and a deck layout that is also suitable for challenges.

This model is doubtlessly one of the most interesting new launches on the market, replacing the extremely successful predecessor of the same length, and was also engineered by the Argentinian Javier Soto Acebal. For her hull he mainly focused on optimising stability and balance: he took quite a radical approach giving the bow, in particular, plenty of volume. Soto Acebal also invested a lot of brain power in volume distribution in the longitudinal direction. He wanted to prevent both stern suck and the bow from sitting too low in the water – the aim being optimal gliding behaviour as well as sleek elegance on the waves. According to Acebal, another advantage of this approach is that the new code sails can be used for a wider range of wind angles.  

Visually striking are the elongated lines with small chines in the forecastle that disappear towards the rounded stern. The deck layout is as proven as it is familiar. The wheels are in an extreme outer position, the winches placed in front of them are within easy reach. There are two separate cockpit tables and a comfortable companionway with a hatch on either side letting in additional light. A highlight is the dinghy garage to store the dinghy with outboard engine in a longitudinal position. A new partner was enlisted for interior design: Adi Design. The combination of Italian chic and high-quality furniture creates exactly the ambience that Solaris is known and loved for. The layout features three cabins, the owner’s cabin forward can be fitted with either an island or laterally placed bed. At the bow you can chose between a large sail locker or a crew cabin.

The portfolio of this luxury shipyard from the Finnish town of Pietarsaari comprises four lines: Swan Yachts, Swan Maxi Yachts, Swan Shadow (powerboat) and ClubSwan Yachts. The CS 28 is the smallest model ever produced in the latter line and hails from the computer of Argentinian star engineer Juan Kouyoumdjian. She is an extreme one design racing model with hard chines, lifting keel and a trailerable width (2.50 m). The carbon rig does without a backstay and there is a hydraulic system rather than a kicker. The mast bend and headstay tension is achieved simultaneously thanks to the configuration of the shrouds, the mainsail is trimmed by a traveller system installed far aft. By Nautor accounts, the ClubSwan 28 is to develop into a one design class worldwide – an ambitious aim.

The XR 41 is a modern sailing yacht with a low forefoot, inverted bow and significant flaring aft of the waterline to reduce the wetted surface area in light air. The boat is available in both racing and sports versions and has a comfortable interior for fast cruising, including a spacious owner's cabin in the bow and a fully equipped galley. Parts of the interior are modular, so they can be removed for full-racing sailing. The shipyard has consciously decided against a restrictive one-design format, so owners can customise their boats to their specific needs. At the same time, X-Yachts will review any rule changes each year and provide an update package that will be offered to all owners. The first XR 41 with a hull length of 12.74 metres will be launched at the beginning of 2025 and will be on display at boot Düsseldorf.

The Italian shipyard Cantiere del Pardo is setting new standards for long-term sustainability at sea and green boatbuilding with an exclusive ten-metre daysailer – and in two ways. Not only are the specific product properties and the yacht's ecological footprint during its useful life taken into account, but there is also a recycling concept for when it is no longer in use. Specifically, this means that the hull, deck and all moulded parts of the daysailer are laminated from thermoplastic resins that can be separated from glass or carbon fibre and recycled if the boat is ever scrapped. During assembly, the components are joined in such a way that the yacht can be relatively easily disassembled into its individual parts at the end of its life (‘Design for Disassembly’ method). And, of course, instead of a conventional diesel, an electric inboard motor (6 kW) with pod drive is used, with lithium batteries charged by solar panels on the cabin roof and by hydro-generation.

As usual, the design is by Matteo Polli. He has drawn an elegant yacht with a low freeboard and flat superstructure, as well as a hull with a chines rising high aft. The elliptical stern is also typically Polly. With all the sheets, halyards and trim lines led to the winch consoles directly in front of the two steering stations, the daysailer can be easily trimmed and manoeuvred by one person, and the self-tacking jib included in the standard sail plan further increases its solo suitability.

The open interior features a small L-shaped galley, a bathroom and a folding table with bench seats. Otherwise, the interior is minimalist, straightforward but thoroughly chic – Italian style.

On the subject of sailing: an aft stay is missing from the renderings, but given the T-keel, sharp, deep rudder and powerful two-set carbon rig, the sporting demands are likely to be high.

Asked why they are launching a yacht like this, shipyard manager Gigi Servidati answers: ‘I want to prove with this boat that design, performance and sustainability can coexist harmoniously, and build a yacht for generations to come.’ That's the spirit!

The shipyard from Medemblik located on the Dutch Ijsselmeer is as known for the high-end quality of their yachts as it is for their creativity. Both aspects are also reflected by the Contest 63CS, a model in the upscale luxury class, which immediately qualified for the European Yacht of The Year finals. The 19-m yacht was engineered by Judel/Vrolijk&Co. Elongated lines with an integral bowsprit as well as a glazed coachroof that ends right in front of the mast in superyacht style, thereby producing a handsome foredeck, all make for an elegant appearance. Yachts of this length are mostly sailed by a professional crew but the deck of the 63CS was laid out in such a way that the yacht can easily be sailed by an owner couple – all lines are rerouted to the cockpit and a self-tacking jib is offered as an alternative to the 107-percent genoa. Carbon or aluminium  rigs are on offer, and you can select between in-boom or in-mast reefing. Those focused on performance will most probably opt in favour of the higher carbon mast, in-boom reefing and genoa.

The giant cockpit consists of two areas: the forward leisure cockpit is designed for unexperienced fellow sailors to conveniently sit at two fold-down tables; the massive aft deck houses the dual helmstand and winches and yet plenty of space for beanbag lazing.    

Superyacht stars Wetzels Brown Partners were hired for the interior design. They promptly delivered hitherto unseen innovation and installed not only the grand owner’s cabin aft but also two VIP cabins right in front of the saloon, all of them with a bathroom incl. shower. The foredeck can optionally be fitted with a sail locker, workshop or crew cabin.

The Dutch shipyard Leonardo Yachts was founded in 2011 and, under the leadership of Steven and Rachel Boersma, has successfully positioned itself in a niche. The family-owned company specialises in the construction of exclusive daysailers and weekenders in the classic style, with the current range comprising five models between 38 and 70 feet. The latest addition to the range is the Eagle 46, which was designed in close collaboration with the classic yacht specialists Studio Hoek Design. Like her sisters, she has striking overhangs reminiscent of J-Class yachts, which have become something of a trademark for all Eagles. However, the historic-looking hull is combined with a modern underwater hull, a sporty T-keel and a flow-optimised single rudder. The deck layout is equally contemporary and has been optimised for the needs of solo sailors or a small crew. The yacht is available in two versions: the more economical version is made of GRP and vinyl ester using the vacuum infusion method and has an aluminium rig. The state-of-the-art model, which will be on display at boot, features the best materials, which are also the most expensive and fastest: the hull and rig are made of carbon, and the boat also has a 3Di sail wardrobe from North Sails.

Below deck, straight lines and surfaces dominate the minimalist yet cosy interior. The layout features a double berth in the foredeck, a mini galley and a bathroom. The two saloon seats can also be used as berths.

For decades J/Composites and J/Boats have pursued their own concept which is based on two main pillars: traditional lines and extraordinarily good sailing abilities. As was to be expected they also followed these principles with the new J/40, the successor of the J/122E built over 200 times. She is slimmer and less voluminous than other performance cruisers in this league, but looks surprisingly modern for a J. This look comes care of the plumb bow, carbon bowsprit, two steering wheels and a gently hinted soft chine. During the EYOTY sea trials in November the J/40 proved what her renderings suggested: the yacht is well balanced with a single rudder, can be steered precisely, translates gusts of wind directly into speed and remains stable and well manageable all the time. The shipyard has put the basic idea of a performance cruiser into practice almost perfectly as the J/40 can be used for comfortable family cruising or high-performance regatta sailing with just minor changes in fittings. This is primarily owed to the giant cockpit with six winches and the versatile sail wardrobe. The standard version of the J/40 features three cabins with one head, alternatively there is a version with two cabins and two heads. In general, all areas where users spend a lot of time such as berths, saloon or cockpit were generously designed while space was saved for the heads.

The ClubSwan 43 is also presented as a radical thoroughbred racer, built using weight-optimised vinylester infusion with carbon reinforcements. Mast and boom are made of high-modulus carbon, the bowsprit of prepreg carbon. Surprisingly, the yacht is not only built as a one design racer but also optimised for ORC. This means her future owners can move competitively in both worlds – an intriguing aspect without a doubt.  

The CS 43 qualified for the European Yacht of The Year finals and gave proof of her sportiness during the sea trials off Mallorca. As usual for racers, jib and mainsail are attached to the masthead but even in 10 to 12 knots of wind the mainsail trimming system already calls for undivided attention. More suitable for everyday use is the version with a conventional mainsheet system and homely-elegant interior, which can to a large extent be removed for regatta operation.