DJANGO 12.70

This was one of the boats that I was waiting with more curiosity: a kind of a Pogo 12,50 with a better cruising interior, a hard dodger and a bit more adapted to long range cruising, at least in a more comfortable way.

Django, started to be a mini racer shipyard  (it still offers them), like Pogo, little by little, has become more involved into making fast cruising boats and both brands make today more performance cruising boats than race boats.

They used the know how of making racing boats to make light strong cruising boats, much on the hull lines of the solo racers they also build. We talked here already about the smaller brother, the Django 9.70, a yacht made along the same lines but, by his size, less adapted for long range cruising and the little 7.70, that even if less adapted, is however making a cruising circumnavigation with a French solo sailor

http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/11/django-980.html
http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2014/03/transat-vers-le-bresil-home-sweet-home.html

The Django 12.70 shares many of the Pogo 12.50 characteristics. Lets compare dimensions and you will see what I mean. First the Django ones (m, m2 and kg): Hull Length (12.48 - 12.18), beam (4.35 - 4.50), Draft (2.20 or 2.90/1.20 - 2.20 or 3.00-1.20), Ballast (2225 - 1900), Light Displacement (6500 - 5500), B/D (0.35 - 0.35) Sail Area (114 - 106).

The Django is a bit longer, a bit narrower, a bit heavier and with a bit more sail area. Very similar boats being probably the Django a bit better upwind but with very similar all around performance. The Django, contrary to the Pogo has a back stay (that contributes for a better upwind performance), interior proper doors and a more comfortable cruising interior.

The first boat was commanded by someone that knows something about boats, the boss of incidence sails, one of the big French top sailmakers, but or he has not a great taste in what regards interiors or that is a problem with Marée Hault. the shipyard. The cushions on the saloon are plain ugly and bad finished. It would not be difficult to make much better than that. The rest seems alright, namely a big galley.

On the cockpit the boat features one of the more functional rig arrangements for solo sailing I have ever saw on a cruising sailboat and the shelter offered by the rigid dodger seems quite good, even if it seems a bit low for big guys, but that would be easy to sort it out for a bigger owner. The Djangos are designed by Rolland & Delion. Pierre Rolland is a sailor that had raced successfully mini racers on transats, designing his own boats, before starting a carrier as a NA, Delion is one of the more talented NA of the new generation.

Another great bluewater passage makers that joins the JPK 45 (that seems to have a better finished interior) as one of my preferred fast voyage boats, I mean between the ones that have not a huge price. A basic one costs 300 000 euros and the boat on the photos 360 000 euros. Only the swing keel option costs 30 000 euros, a costly but valuable addition. Voile magazine tested it and they had only said good things about it. A sailor's boat no doubt, one that will shine on a transat or on a circumnavigation by the trade winds.