SAFFIER SE 33

First let me tell you that Saphire Yachst (a Switzerland builder) has nothing to do with Saffire yachts (a Dutch builder). Both words means the same but their boats are quite different even if both fast.Saffire builds daysailers and till now beautiful classical daysailers, at least classical above the waterline because the hulls are moderns and the keels are just performance torpedo keels. The building is high quality and with top modern materials and Technics so, the boats are light...and fast. 

This one is just a bit different since without losing the classical looks, all in what regards hull design and rig was performance orientated, including a long LWL.

The boat was selected for the European boat of the year contest and tested by several boat magazines and the results have been surprisingly good: On one of the tests they reached 17.8k!!!! You have only to look at the way the boat sails on the videos and to the big grin on the ones that are testing it to understand that is a great boat, very fast and very fun to sail.

The Saffier 33 is very light (2800kg), narrow (2.72m), with a big B/D ratio ( 39%) and a moderated draft ( 1.40m) and a big SA for the weight, specially downwind (SA upwind 45m2, SA downwind 97m2). The result is a beautiful boat, very well built with great interiors for a daysailer or weekend cruising and a blast to sail even solo since this boat has the running rigging adapted to it.

This boat runs for the European boat of the year on the same category as the AD44 and is its most serious rival. The AD 44 will have to prove that it sails as well as this beauty to have a winning chance.

This type of boats, beautiful and that give a huge sailing pleasure, designed for short period cruising or daysailing are in the rise in Europe, I mean on the market. It seems that there are many people that finding out that during their active life have not much time for cruising (just weekends and some weeks on the holidays) have understood that this type of boats, lighter, faster and more rewarding to sail are more adapted to their needs than a cruiser that they will not use as such for lack of time. It is a good thing because their boats will not only be more fun to sail as they are normally more beautiful since they allow to the designers more freedom to express their ideas.

The movie from Yacht de test (you have to click on the link):
http://tv.yacht.de/frontend_dev.php/video/Innovativer-Daysailer%253A-Saffier-SE-33/85233c9bf009b570d31fc53298c391c8

The movie from Zeilen test:

and just look how well it surfs waves :-)