Thursday, April 16, 2015

BOREAL 52: 2015 EUROPEAN BLUEWATER CRUISER

I have to say I was not surprised with its victory oven the much acclaimed Garcia 45.: The Boreal looks so much nicer and well balanced that I bet it sails better. They promote it as an exploration boat but I don't see it that way: I see it as a boat that will suit those that want to voyage long or live permanently aboard the boat in any latitude.
 A very practical and strong one, not properly fast but not slow either, with a cutter rig, for increased safety and lots of storage. Given the quality of the boat and size the 685 000 euros it costs don't seem exaggerated to me.  Yacht.de had tested the boat and made a nice video that you can see here:
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy322/Paulo_Carvalho/725308_zpsudl15tyb.jpg

Yachting World has also tested it and Matthew Sheahan concludes this way:
"There cannot be many brochures that describe a boat’s accommodation as having ‘a desk in every cabin where bluewater children can do their homework’. But this is just one of many examples of what this boat is all about: live aboard, go anywhere.

Solidly built above and below decks, the BorĂ©al 52 is the concept of a designer with many miles at sea sailing with a family. While the chined alloy hull won’t appeal to everyone, the rugged style will instil confidence in many.

As for performance, at 18 tonnes she was surprisingly nimble, even in the light airs of our test, and was a very easy boat to handle with well thought-out control line runs.

The Boreal 52 brings home what a real deepwater cruiser needs to be like. A go-anywhere boat, with a lifting keel, that is full of clever and innovative details, especially the doghouse-navstation that is based on the experience of many hard-fought miles. All this for a custom-built boat with a price tag that is still considerably less than some popular alternatives even when you’ve added all the listed options. Impressed."
Read more at http://www.yachtingworld.com/yachts-and-gear/boreal-52-boat-test-62368#mY0iD6qWfqthj7KM.99

What can I say more? I like it and it seems to me close to perfect for living aboard permanently. Maybe I would have liked it a bit prettier but I am a hard man to satisfy. Anyway it looks a lot better then the Garcia 45 and better then the Boreal 44 (being longer helps it a lot).

1 comment:

  1. It needs a better interface at the rear for access to the water - Needs a sugar scoop transom like the 47 then it would be better. Also not being able to get round the keel box at the far end of the dining table would drive me nuts. I hate u shape seating arrangements for dining with only single point access.

    Yours faithfully - Grumpy git.

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