X6 FROM XYACHTS, A GREAT BIG BLUEWATER CRUISER (test sail)

Contrary to the X4 the X6 seems just about right to me as the almost perfect bluewater yacht for the sailors that like to cruise fast in a sporty but comfortable way, assuming they have the money for it ....and that is a lot of money but no more than boats with a similar quality.

The X4 seemed to me not really having many advantages regarding the Xp line, not having a substancial diference in space or comfort but that does not apply to the X6.

Big interior looking modern with lots of light and outside views, comfortable and practical with two long holding bars (that are absent in so many big boats), a huge galley with support for standing no matter the boat heeling, a huge tankage, with all the weight centered on the middle of the boat and a big garage.

The X6 features a very strong keel and shrouds steel support structure that contributes to makes it a very strong boat and allows it to have a relatively light weight.

The more conservative will say that the steering station is not protected and that is true but you cannot have it the two ways: maximum pleasure steering and a full protected wheel station. Clearly they opted here for sail pleasure.

 Anyway when the weather is not nice the boat would be sailed on autopilot and regarding that there are cover options that will cover all the cockpit living area, from where the boat would be steered on those occasions.

The more sportive versions will be handicapped by draft regarding small ports and small marinas but the shallow draft with 2.6m will be small enough to grant access to almost everywhere and I am sure the performance will only just be handicapped upwind, where a 3.4m will make a difference. But I bet that even with the shallower keel the performance will be good upwind.

http://www.x-yachts.com/range/x/x6-3/

COMANCHE HAS THE NORTH ATLANTIC RECORD

Comanche was built to break records and slowly it has been beating them, first the 24 hour record for a monohull (618.01 nm, averaging 25.75) then, some months ago, the record of the North Atlantic from West to East with an average speed of 21.44k. They have beaten the old 2003 record hold by Mari Cha IV (that was a big sailboat but not a race boat) for more than 24 hours. The new record stands in 5 days, 14 hours, 21 minutes 25 seconds, not particularly impressing if we compare it with the absolute sail record that has already 7 years and belong to the Trimaran Banque Populaire (Pascal Bidegorry), with an average speed of 32.94K, in 3d 15h 25m 48s. Sure big maxi racing trimarans are faster but a diference of more than 2 days seems too much to me and I am quite sure that one of the new ones can make better.

2017 EUROPEAN YACHT OF THE YEAR, THE NOMINATED BOATS

The 25 boats nominated for the 2017 European yacht of the year, are divided in 5 categories: Family Cruiser, Performance Cruiser, Luxury Cruiser, Multihull and Special Yacht.

Family Cruiser: Django 12.70, Ikone 7.50, Jeanneau 51, RM 970, Sunbeam 22.1.

Performance Cruiser: Dehler 34, Grand Soleil 58, J 112, EOfcet 32, Pogo 36.

Luxury Cruiser: Bestevaer 45ST Pure, Garcia 52 Exploration, Italia Yachts 12.98, Oceanis Yacht 62, X-Yachts X4.

Multihull: Lagoon 42, Fountaine Pajot Lucia 40, Nautitech 46, Outremer 4, XTricat 30.

Special Yacht: Bihan 650, Easytofly, Scow FR18, Seascape 24, Spirit 47CR.

The boats were nominated by the staff from 11 major yachting magazines across Europe and they have already tested the boats  at Cannes in mid-September and at the La Rochelle, some days ago. The first movie is from Cannes were apparently the wind was too light and the one below from La Rochelle were the conditions seem better.

Lot's of very interesting boats this year and among then this one, a Marc Lombard design that I hope it will sail as well as it looks:

And probably it will, because the hull design is an evolution of the MC34 Patton and that one is a blast to sail. The winners will be announced in January at the Dusseldorf boat show.

POGO 36, SOME MORE INFORMATION

First Thomas then Tunes called my attention to the video above that was posted just some days ago. It is from a Danish sail magazine (BådNyt) and even if they call it a test, it is just a boat presentation but for the first time we can see the Pogo 36 interior. Tunes asked for some comments and here they are:

The interior seems  better than the one from the Pogo 10.50. More light coming from those almost frontal "windows" and the lateral storage space is also bigger, being now the full size of the saloon, but in what regards space and light effect it is a long way for what the first drawings. Look at the picture on the right.

Even if better it leaved me a bit disappointed, not only because the interior feeling is not the one given by the photos, but also because the frontal windows are not so frontal and their practicability in what regards looking forward is not that good. Look at the movie, min 5.55, when the skipper looks outside to see if there is no obstacles ahead and see the position he has to reach for doing that and you will understand what I mean.

Don't take me wrong, I am sure the Pogo 36 is a great boat, better than the 10.50 with whom it shares many similarities but I think that in what regards the cabin and the new design, it could have been better, not only in what regards practicability but also outside looks.

Regarding outside looks they made it worst because they did not followed the designer drawings in what regards paint scheme and made all deck and cabin the same color and that is a basic design mistake that make the boat look fatter than it really is. Just  look at the original paint scheme with differentiated colors on the deck and cabin and what happens when you use white everywhere.

The boat is being tested by Voile magazine on its annual big testing section (with the readers) to chose the magazine boat of the year, so soon we will have more information.

X4 FROM XYACHTS, ON THE WATER AND TESTED

The X4 promised to be one of the most exciting boats of 2016 and I have no doubt it is a great cruiser, with an emphasis on sailing and safety due to the structural strongness and big stability, but after seeing photos of the boat interior, it looked a bit deceiving to me.

I am not sure if the interior is that different from the one of the XP line, in comfort and interior space. Besides that, if on the outside the look is modern, inside the lateral "windows" look and feel dated.

The interior is modern but it looks just "normal" and a bit small, nothing special and it should be special on a boat of that price. Don't take me wrong, I like the boat but I wonder if the price diference is justified regarding a boat like the Maxi 1200.

As expected the boat sails well, the cockpit layout is great and on the test, Toby Hodges, the sail tester from Yachting world, puts all the emphasis on the sail performance and feel, but also don't look much excited regarding the interior.

Certainly I will visit the boat at the Dusseldorf boat show and will reserve a final opinion regarding that interior but it seems to me that Grand Soleil is making a better job with its LC line (cruising line), with boats that sail well and are clearly differentiated (in interior space and interior feeling) from the ones from its performance line.

More about the X4: http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/11/x4-41ft-from-new-series-of-x-yachts.html#comment-form

INDEX....FINALLY IT IS COMPLETE!!!

The INDEX was a good idea that I never had time or patient to finish and till some days ago refereed to only a small part of the blog. Now it is complete and you can just go there, find what you are interested in and you will have a direct link to the subject. 

You can access the Index on the lateral right bar under PAGES: you can select HOME (the blog) or INDEX.

Also a good new: for the first time the blog went over a 1000 hits a day and for several days. The record is now 1292 hits on a day. Thanks for your interest :-)

Paulo

SWAN 50 - TEST SAIL

A year ago when I posted the first designs of this boat I could not be more enthusiastic about. It seemed to me that Swan had recovered the leadership in design that was its trademark some decades ago. Now that the boat is on the water it does look as good as in the drawings I am not not the only one being enthusiastic about it: Just look at the eyes of Toby Hodges (the boat tester from Yachting world) when he is talking about the boat, or sailing it. http://interestingsailboats.blogspot.pt/2015/10/swan-is-back-swan-50-club.html

This Swan is cruiser racer, more pointed to racing than cruising but even so the interior is almost as well designed as the hull, a very modern and zen one that will suit cruising in style for a small crew.

Two movies, one from the yachting world test sail other from Swan with interesting designs about the boat building (carbon). What a boat!!! One that will but the a smile on the face of anybody sailing it for the first time...and that is not what sailing is about? Pleasure?
                                                                                                      7.5k speed with 5k trw? WOW!!!