Swift lines, sustainable materials and alternative drives
The shipyards and equipment manufacturers are offering a wealth of innovations on the sailing yacht market for the coming seasons. One noteworthy development is the large choice of compact regatta boats in the range from eight to ten metres.
Compact regatta yachts are on the rise
Swift lines, sustainable materials and alternative propulsion systems - the shipyards and equipment manufacturers are offering a wealth of innovations in the sailing yacht market for the coming seasons. The large number of compact regatta boats in the range from eight to ten metres is striking.
This also reflects World Sailing's decision to make offshore sailing part of the Olympic program for 2024. A long list of the world federation currently lists various yachts, which compete as boats for the discipline Offshore Mixed Doublehand off Marseille. World Sailing will not decide which yacht it will be until the end of 2023. Until then, the shipyards will want to prove themselves in the offshore regattas.
In addition to the types of boats that might be considered for the Olympics and are actually competing, other designs for the regatta course are also underway. The trend to make the yachts manageable for small crews and to position all important control elements and lines within reach of the helmsman also continues in the designs beyond those with regatta ambitions.
Olympic criteria met
Among this year's new releases, the Hanse-Group has achieved a particularly exciting result with the Dehler 30 OneDesign. The yacht would fit exactly into the Olympic criteria, can be sailed by a small crew (one-hand or two-hand) and should show good performance characteristics on all courses. The tiller and double rudder steering shows that the yacht is aimed at athletic sailors. The production process using mould construction in all segments enables the shipyard to guarantee a high degree of repeat accuracy - important for a uniform class. And the construction process minimizes weight to just 2.7 tons. However, the shipyard not only keeps an eye on the regatta sailors, but also turns to the cruisers. Among other things, it has a sufficiently dimensioned engine for this purpose. A clever detail about the drive: the shaft is completely folded in during sailing operation and thus ensures a hydrodynamically optimised underwater hull.
The French shipyard of Jean-Pierre Kelbert (JPK) is in the same league as Dehler. With the JPK 10.30, a further development of the 10.80 has been launched on the market this year that focuses strongly on athleticism. The high volume in the bow area and the wide stern show that the rough courses are the focus of the French offshore enthusiasts. This means that the yacht will score particularly well in regattas according to IRC calculations. The distinctive chines ensure high stability. The limited comfort below deck shows the direction in which the JPK 10.30 is heading, but cruising is also possible with the Frenchwoman.
The J/99, like many other new releases, is also a fast traveller, pushing its way into the newly discovered market of yachts around ten metres. With its deck and sail plan, the addition to the J-Sport range can be sailed by a large crew as well as by one or two hands. Below deck, J-Boats also offer a fully-fledged interior to ensure comfortable cruising even on longer stages. This makes the 9.9 m long yacht also suitable for offshore classics such as the Fastnet Race or the Middle Sea Race, but it is also suitable for family crews and offers the comfort of full standing height below deck.
A daysailer that offers a lot of fun
Fareast has designed its 28R as a pure daysailer. The China import is aimed at regatta crews who want to have fun in direct competition with four to five people on board. The internationally recognized standard class has more than 400 boats at the starting lines worldwide, whereas in Germany the fareast scene is still in its infancy. The World Championships, which will be sailed off Laboe in August, could provide a boost. In any case, the eight-metre boat can convince with its performance-oriented sailing characteristics, which are reflected in the silhouette with a negative bow, wide stern and chines.
In contrast to the 28R, the Saffier Se 27 Leisure offers pure elegance. The Dutch are still working hard at the shipyard in Ijmuiden to get the eight-metre yacht ready in time for boot Düsseldorf 2020. Visitors will then be able to see a beautiful yacht that is in no way inferior to its big sister, the Se 37 Lounge. Large areas in the deck area and cockpit not only give the Saffier an elegant figure, but also make it the ideal family ship with sufficient sunbathing space. The helmsman has everything under control in the cockpit and can choose between tiller or wheel steering. And the shipyard has even provided the Daysailer with an impressive lower deck area, which makes multi-day tours possible.
The Tofinou 9.7 operates within a similar environment: elegant flat deck and cockpit design, good sailing characteristics and below deck the possibility to spend a night or two on board. The French have a long list of extras for the almost ten-metre-long yacht, which can then be equipped with a lift keel and carbon fibre mast.
Flax fibre and batteries instead of fuel tanks Sustainability in boatbuilding
Sustainability in boat building is the central theme of Greenboats. Instead of glass fibres, the Bremen-based boatbuilding company uses flax fibres, which are supposed to develop similar properties to synthetic fibres in their fabric layers. Instead of epoxy resin, the Bremen company uses linseed oil-based resin, and the sandwich core consists of cork, paper honeycomb or recycled PET from disposable plastic bottles. In addition to kayaks and SUP, Greenboats is building the green Bente24 and, since this year, its own Flax27, designed by Judel/Vrolijk - an 8.2-metre-long daysailer with classic lines. The use of alternative materials certainly has its price, but according to the Bremen boat builder, it also ensures an 80 percent reduction in CO² compared to conventional GRP processing.
There is also growing potential for alternative propulsion systems. Torqeedo and Epropulsion have already established themselves in the field of outboard motors for dinghies. The greater performance of the batteries also means that trainer boats are already being equipped with electric propulsion systems, and even for yachts, electric motors are alternatives to conventional combustion engines. Torqeedo has just made the leap into the America's Cup with its powerful battery, in which the Power 48-5000 lithium battery is to take over control of the Foil-Cant system.