Current trends in sailing yacht design 2018

But modern shipyards master these standards with flying colours. The current yacht designs meet a great variety of needs of yachtsmen. The new models on display at boot Düsseldorf from January 20^th to 28^th, 2018 show that they are suitable both for cruising and performance sailing.

Extensive space on board allows the yachts to be sailed with large crews, and yet the short-hand principle is often sufficient for operating the boat safely in cruising conditions. Halyards, stretchers and sheets are all brought together centrally in the cockpit on most yachts, so that leaving the helm is rarely necessary during manoeuvers. In addition to clearly structured workspaces, modern yachts usually also offer large areas for recreation and socializing on board - both on and below deck. In addition, a lot of natural light in the cabins makes life onboard a pleasure.

Powerful rigs with large sail areas
Development of design details of the latest-generation yachts continues very much along the lines of recent years. Straight bows and wide sterns ensure not only high-performance levels of the boats due to long water lines as well as great hydrostatical stability, but also greater space below decks for cabins and storage. What you will also see on many boats are powerful rigs with plenty of sail area. And below the waterline, the appendages also follow the rules set by the performance goals of the boats. A low centre of gravity produces a high righting momentum, which in turn ensures upright sailing. Twin rudders make maneuvering easy. These features of the current design standards range from superyachts down to handy-sized daysailers.

  

The elegance of the modern 20-meter yacht is mostly defined by a clarity of lines above the waterline. No embellishments or flourishes, flat superstructures and clearly laid-out cockpits are features that are, for example, characteristic of both the Bavaria C65, the new flagship from Giebelstadt, as well as the French CNB66 or the Italian Solaris 68. The flat decks on the bow of all three yachts have embedded windows, no stumbling blocks anymore when you move on deck. At the mast, cabin structures rise out of the deck in a smooth transition and barely noticeable up towards the cockpit. A long row of windows along the superstructures and additional skylights in the cabin roof allows plenty of light into the saloon.

The spacious cockpits offer relaxed seating on deck for guests in front of and separated from the working area. Lounge furniture turns the cockpit into a summer terrace, and lowerable tables, like on the Bavaria C65, create large sun loungers. At the rear end of the cockpit, the helmsman is positioned to windward at one of the two steering wheels and has an excellent overview of the entire deck, which offers no visual barriers. Halyards, sheets and stretchers all come together next to the helm station and can be operated without leaving it by two powerful winches on both sides.

But there is also ample space for luxury and accessories on the big boats. A tender garage concealed behind the bathing platform, which allows storage of a well-sized tender, jet ski or other playthings, is standard on large sailing yachts. It not just allows to have more fun time on the water but also provides flexibility when anchoring in remote bays.

The new yachts in the range around 50ft come along a lot like smaller sisters of the superyachts. The Bénéteau  Oceanis 51.1, Hanse 548, Sun Odyssey 490 or X4⁹ seem a bit more compact due to their shorter length and the cabin superstructures a little more voluminous in relation to the hull, but the purist lines are still clearly there. And the 50-footers also allow a lot of natural light into the interior thanks to the long row of windows.

However, there are boats like, for example, the Amel 50 with its covered cockpit area who make a clear design statement of their own. Although the protective shield against sea and weather conditions rises up high, the windows reach all the way round and allow a good 360° view of the surroundings. Unlike its competitors, Amel in this concept relies on a helmstation positioned midships – protected under the cockpit roof and with a rotating pilot chair at the helm. All the other new yachts stick to the twin helm aft. As with the big boats, work and leisure time on board are also strictly separated on board Bénéteau, Hanse, Sun Odyssey and X-Yachts of this size.

This strict separation cannot be maintained to the same degree in smaller yachts between ten and 13 meters, of course. And yet, the designers have also put dual-steering wheels far aft on the Grand Soleil GS34 Performance, Hallberg-Rassy 340, Hanse 348, Najad 395 AC and Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42 to allow for as much living space as possible in the cockpit. However, design differences between the yachts are bigger in the smaller class because less available space requires for more individualized solutions. The Swedes of Hallberg Rassy and Najad put more emphasis on traditional lines and thus on rather rounded shapes. They offer slightly tapered stern sections, while the other yards, as with the large yachts, prefer the wedge-shaped hulls with wide sterns.