AEOLOS P30: SMOKING THE DEHLER 30 OD

If you are a follower of this blog you have noticed that, more and more, posts are about big yachts, some bigger than 50ft, and believe me, not because I have a bigger interest in them than in smaller ones, but because new and interesting sailboats are appearing mostly among big yachts to the point of becoming rare among smaller sailboats.

I believe this has to do with price and sailor's options. Interesting sailboats, many times imply better materials and superior boatbuilding and therefore tend to be more expensive.  And if the boat is more expensive it makes sense to buy a bigger boat that costs the same price, offers more interior space, is as fast, with bigger overall stability. Regarding bigger yachts, this is less true because sailors are buying the size they want, independently of how much they will cost.

The only remaining niche where we can still find small interesting sailboats is among the ones that are used mostly for racing, cruiser-racers, more pointed to racing than cruising, and true racing boats. and That's the case with Aeolos P30, that is a racing sailboat, one that is pointed more to offshore solo or duo coastal races even if it can be also used in crewed coastal regattas.

The Aeolos P30 is truly a very interesting sailboat, one that will have a great sailing performance and probably will smoke in real-time any other 30ft racer in a single or duo offshore race: it was designed to do that by a very experienced racer, a specialist in this kind of races that used to win them in a Farr 280.

The other boat designed with the same program: winning in real-time coastal offshore races on a 30ft sailboat, is the Dehler 30OD and the Dehler will not stand a chance against the Aeolos, unless very particular conditions are met, with strong winds and a very disproportional downwind sailing...and even so I have doubts that it will be faster. 

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2020/04/django-8s-dehler-30od-mojito-888-pogo-30.html

Dehler 30 OD

Contrary to the Dehler the Aeolos is a full carbon/epoxy boat and all in it is maximized to save weight. The Dehler interior, which allows for some spartan cruising, looks luxurious when compared with the one of the Aeolos, which is bare, with just some cushions to sleep and a support for a laptop. 

The interior remembers me of my first boat, a 23ft traditional 80-year-old wooden sailboat with a covered full deck and an open interior. My wife and I sailed it along the Portuguese coast, more than 40 years ago, living inside (and mostly outside), for several weeks. 

Dehler 30 OD

Like in this one the head was a chamber pot, the difference is that on this one it is a carbon one LOL. Times have changed and now, instead of emptying it overboard when there was nobody around, they propose to store the pee and shit on plastic bags to dispose of on land.

Well, not very practical, it is to stretch things in a radical way, but that is what this boat is about, and this spartan approach allows it to have a lower price than the one of the Dehler 30 OD. 

Dehler 30 OD

Of course, the Dehler includes an expensive inside engine, while Aeolos will use a small 6hp outboard engine in a removable motor plug, that can also take an E-POD drive 6hp electric motor. 

The well will be closed, when the engine is not in use, allowing for a clean hull and less drag.

Farr 280

All in this boat is spartan, cleverly designed, functional, aiming to save weight and maximize performance. The only concession to performance is the beam, which is limited to what it is possible for the boat to be trailerable. Even so, it is not a big trade-off because they use a special trailer that tilts the boat and they manage to have the required width (2.55m)  with a 2.95m beam. 

Aeolos P30

The concession to performance due to limitations on beam is small because the optimal beam for such a boat should be between 3.10 and 3.30m, assuming that it is used mostly in coastal offshore races, where generally there is a bit more beam reaching and downwind sailing than upwind sailing. 

And if it is a small concession in what regards performance, on offshore coastal races, in what regards crewed traditional regattas between buoys, the beam is probably the right one (or very close) for providing the better performance on traditional regattas, that normally have the same distance upwind and downwind. This is even more true if the wind is in between 12 and 14 kts.

Nothing to do with the big beam compromise L30 (the boat chosen by World Sailing for the World Sailing's Offshore World Championship 2020) assumes, regarding overall sailing performance, to be trailerable without a tilting system: a 2.55m beam. That beam compromises the sailing potential of a 30ft boat, slightly on traditional regattas, but much more when the boat is used solo or duo on coastal offshore races, especially if they are solo or duo crewed.

The Dehler 30 OD, with a sailing program similar to the Aeolos P30, has a 3.28m beam, the 32ft Figaro3, 3.40m. Solo racers maximized for beam reaching and downwind sailing have more beam: most racing boats from the 9.50 Class (31ft) had a beam between 3.6 and 3.7m and the Pogo 30 has a 3.5m beam.

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2018/02/l30-racing-and-cruising-on-fast-lane.html

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2019/03/l30-shame-on-world-sailing.html

Out of that limitation, the Aeolos P30 is truly maximized for performance, offering much more spray protection and interior space than other fast racers like the Farr 280, Soto 30 or Fareast 28R, offering also more power, more stability and a rigging adapted to solo or duo sailing.

If we compare the Aeolos 30 design data with the one of the Dehler 30 OD we will understand clearly why the racing potential of this sailboat is extraordinary: both boats have the same hull length:  9.14m (30ft), with a similarly long bowsprit, that will give them a close LOA, one that is not specified on the Aeolos and it is 10.30m on the Dehler. 

The Dehler is considerably beamier, with 3.28m while the Aeolos has 2.95m. The Aeolos is much lighter, with 1530kg (including a 6hp outboard engine), while the Dehler, with a 10hp diesel engine, displaces 2800kg. Both have similar torpedo keels with the same draft (2.20m) but the Aeolos has a lifting keel that allows it to be moored in shallow water (0.5m) and allows it to be easily charged on a trailer without the help of a crane.

Above,Dehler, below, Aelos

The ballast is not very different, 940kg on the Dehler, 800kg on the Aeolos, but because the Aeolos is much lighter that gives it a much bigger B/D (52.3% to 33,6%). The bigger RM/D that comes from the Aeolos keel will be partially compensated by the Dehler superior hull form stability and also by 200kg of water ballast, but all that increases weight and drag, and in the end the Aeolos will have a considerably better power/drag relation.

And if we look at the sail areas we will see that even if the Aeolos is much lighter and has less drag,  they are not very different. Aeolos with 57.3m2 upwind, 144.8m2 downwind and the Dehler with 61.7m2 upwind and 133.5m2 downwind. This indicates that the Aeolos is a much more powerful sailboat, one that will have a considerably better performance in all points of sail and sail conditions, maybe, except downwind with very strong winds.

In lighter and medium winds the Aeolos will smoke the Dehler and that big difference in sail potential is somewhat reflected on the SA/D and D/L, that are both much more favorable (in what regards racing) to the Aeolos. The Aelos has a 58.9D/L, the Dehler 109.9, a huge difference and the difference in SA/D is also big: upwind the Aelos has 43.9SA/D, the Dehler 31.6 and downwind the Aeolos has 111SA/D, the Dehler 68.4.

How does the Aeolos manage this huge difference in sail potential to the Dehler? Basically with a much lighter boat with a much bigger B/D. The lighter boat is obtained with better building materials and with a much lighter interior, a truly racing interior. That means an almost naked interior. Big savings in weight comes also from the option of an outboard on a pod versus a much heavier diesel engine.

So, what are the building differences that allow the Aeolos to be much lighter? The Dehler has a GRP hull and deck, built in vacuum infusion with PVC sandwich core using polyester resins (vinylester only on hull outer layer), the Aeolos has a full carbon-infusedsa ndwich hull and deck using epoxy resins. The materials used on Aeolos allow the same strength with a much-reduced weight (and are also much more expensive).

On the Aeolos the boom, the bowsprit, the tiller and tiller extension, as well as all interior, are made of carbon. On the Dehler, the boom and the tiller and extension are made of aluminum, all the rest is GRP, except the mast and some carbon fibers on the boat structure (fiberglass and carbon). The Aeolos does not have a proper head, much less a black water tank or a 40l flexible water tank with a manual pump or a mini galley, like on the Dehler, and all that saves weight. 

But who cares for the interior comfort if the boat is used for racing?  All that is necessary for two to live in a boat for 2 or 3 days, while racing, is not much and it can be easily improvised. For cruising, it is another story and the Aeolos, in what regards that, it is truly a camping boat.

 Well, when I was young I have cruised in a boat with a similarly naked interior, with my wife, for more than a month at the time, and we were quite happy about it. It is up to you to find the right kind of girl, one that goes along with it, or else you really will need another type of boat, unless this one is used only for racing or solo cruising.

I am quite sure that if there is a demand for it, they will figure out a better carbon interior, a small galley and a true head with some privacy, as well as a water tank and a black water tank. But as it is this is already a remarkable boat with an incredible price: it costs standard (first orders) 84 000 €, and that is 30 900€ less than a standard Dehler 30 OD (prices without tax at the factory). With a proper interior and inside diesel engine there is no way this boat will cost less than the Dehler and it has to be much more expensive, due to the incomparably superior cost of the carbon/epoxy boatbuilding.

Even considering that the Dehler comes with more cruising equipment (but not better equipped for racing or sailing) it is hard to understand how they are able to sell the Aeolos for this price. I would say that this is a promotional price for the first yachts and that it will be impossible to maintain this low price.

If I was a young guy interested in sailing and racing, and I had the means, I would be very interested in this boat, that truly corresponds to the image that was given to Dehler 30OD, the one of a racer that would be almost unbeatable, size by size, in solo or two-handed offshore coastal races, and a yacht that will be a lot of fun to sail. 

Like the Dehler it is a small seaworthy boat, but while the Dehler comes already certified as Class A, the Aeolos comes certified Class B. It can be certified optionally as Class A, but for that, it needs extra equipment. The Dehler, due to its bigger displacement has an overall bigger stability but the Aeolos has better dynamic stability, better safety stability and AVS. Both offer good potential for offshore sailing and in the right season they will have no problems crossing the Atlantic, with a reasonable safety margin.

Some doubts can be raised because the Aeolos was not designed, like the Dehler, by a reputable sailboat designer, and built by a reputable shipyard.  I know of several very experienced sailors that basically designed their own boats, with some external help, some giving origin to famous brands, even if on the Aeolos the concerns can be bigger, due to the type of yacht, a very fast and light carbon racer.

Regarding hull design, I don't see any problem, the hull is very similar to the one of the Farr 280 with a modern bow, not very different from the one of the Dehler 30 OD, a bow that will provide more buoyancy and will prevent the boat from digging in the waves, helping to keep on planning. It has just a bit more length than the Farr (9.14m to 8.72), a bit beamier (2.95m to 2.87), more powerful, with a bigger draft (2.20m to 2.10) and a bigger B/D (52,3% to 40.6%).

Like the Farr the Aeolos has a deep single rudder, but mounted on an innovative smart cassette system, that  allows to pull the rudder up, when the keel is up. It will also allow for a very easy replacement in case the rudder breaks, due to contact with some submerged object.

Performance-wise, the single rudder on a relatively narrow hull will have more advantages than disadvantages. Only while beam reaching in oceanic strong conditions some slight advantage may be felt, while on all other conditions and situations the single rudder will have advantages.

The Farr 280 is built using an epoxy/e-glass sandwich, the Aeolos, epoxy/carbon sandwich. That allows the Aeolos to be lighter, but the biggest difference is due to a very different hull structure.  While on the Farr a more traditional one is used, with a big frame reinforced by some longitudinal beams (under the deck), the one on the Aeolos is more modern, with two main carbon bulkheads that hold a carbon box for the keel and three longitudinal frames, one forward, two aft.

 It looks well to me, even if on the drawings the substructure for the forward hatch is missing. But one thing is to look good, another is to be sure that all the calculations and dimensions have been done with an adequate safety margin, by somebody that knows very well this type of sailboats and solutions, someone in which reputation and past work one can trust.

If I am confident with Hans Genthe ability to improve the Farr 280 hull (a boat that he knows very well and raced extensively), to be more effective and faster on offshore coastal races, regarding boat engineering, I would like to be more reassured, especially because this boat has a hull structure different from the one of the Farr 280, and because the Aeolos is a more powerful racer, with more efforts involved, especially on the keel structure.

Farr 290 structure 

If it seems that, regarding architecture, there is no doubt that the Aeolos P30 is a Hans Genthe design, but in what concerns boat engineering, the site is vague about who has done the project. It seems it was Solico even if they are not specialized in sailboats, much less high-performance racing boats.

https://www.solico.nl/markets/composite-engineering-for-maritime

Several firms, from fluid engineering, passing by structural engineering and composite technology are referred to but none specifically related with high-performance sail racing engineer, except Pauger, but Pauger is not a yacht engineer cabinet, but a carbon Yacht shipyard and carbon mast building, and certainly a reference in both counts.

The Aeolos will not be built by Pauger (except the mast) but by Aeolos composites, a firm based in UAE (United Arab Emirates) that seems to have little experience in boat building, even if one of the managers is Hans Genthe that is familiar with the processes.

https://www.aeoloscomposites.com/location

As I said previously I like the basic structural design even if I would have liked to see it complemented, between the two bulkheads, with a small carbon grid, vacuum infused to the hull. All structure will certainly be laminated to the hull, deck and cockpit providing a very strong shell. If there is a weaker point it will be on the lateral support of the keel box and on the big efforts that the hull will be subjected on that area.

I am not saying that the boat is not well-engineered and strong, only that yacht carbon top sail-racing hull structure design is a very specific subject, that nothing substitutes engineering experience, and that I would be a lot more reassured if the ones that designed and specified that structure had a reputation built over a substantial experience on the sector. 

This boat has an incredible price and the specs are almost too good to be true. The materials are top, I am sure the running rigging will be very good, it is transportable, it can be class A, and the only points where I would require more information would be about the boat structure, not because it looks bad to me, but because the reputation and knowledge base (top racing yachts) of the ones that designed it is unknown. https://www.solico.nl/composite-news

For the same reasons, I would require more information regarding the shipyard that will build the boat, also about its financial stability and portfolio. Much of these doubts will be lessened once the first prototype is sailing and even more when several boats have been built.

https://www.aeoloscomposites.com/news

OCEANIS YACHT 54: ONE OF A KIND

The Oceanis Yacht 54 has the same hull as the First 53, a different cabin (a bit more raised one) and the proposed layouts are almost similar, with the exception of the saloon where the sitting area is slightly different with the introduction of a chart table. 

The space in the salon is now nicer, cozier, and more comfortable due to those alterations and due to many panels that were white plastic on the First and are now wood (veneer).

I had already posted about the First 53, after having visited it at last year's Dusseldorf boat show, a visit that left me disappointed. You will see why reading the post below, but one of the things that did not convince me was the interior and also the fact that it was more of a performance cruiser than a cruiser-racer, at a price that seemed not justifiable for what it offered.

https://interestingsailboats.blogspot.com/2019/01/new-first-53-kind-of-disappointment.html

A pity they didn't take the opportunity to introduce, on the Oceanis, true cabinets in the galley, over the working space, instead of the shelves that seem to have little utility, with the boat sailing and heeling.

The interior has many of the parts used on the First and it is light, modern and "clean", giving an airy sensation, with good views to the outside due to big hull windows.

The storage interior space is not as big as it could be. There are no upper cabinets in the galley, saloon, neither in the main cabin, which seems to have little storage space for clothes, even if it offers a head with a separate shower on the other side of the cabin.

The standard version offers three cabins and two heads, with an option to have another head on the third cabin, which implies a significant shortening of the galley. Also as an option, at the cost of the bow locker, a tiny cabin for the crew, including a head, can be fit there.

These options make only sense if the yacht is used for charter, or if it is used only in small cruises where bigger storage space can be dismissed. On the standard version the interior storage space, even if not as big as in most 50ft cruising boats, may prove to be enough for long-range cruising, depending much on the type of sailors. A comfortable and relatively fast cruiser not for the ones that like to travel with a lot of stuff, but very far away from a spartan comfort.

On the outside, the storage is big enough, if we consider the big bow locker, but on aft part of the yacht things are not as well sorted out, starting with a garage for a 2.40-meter dinghy! If some considered small the 2.80m dinghy that fit in the Pegasus 50 garage, what will they say of a 2.40m dinghy, for a yacht that is designed to carry more people?

The good news is that if you can live with a 2.40-meter tender (that can have an aluminum bottom) the longitudinal storage makes it very easy to store it and deploy. A dingy of this size is good for two people and can carry four providing it does not carry a lot of provisions at the same time.

The available space for storage on the back of the boat is not detailed. There is a lot of lateral space on the garage that is not used by the dinghy, with very limited use. It would be much better if that non-used lateral space was incorporated on the two small aft lateral cockpit lockers, making them much bigger and usable.

On the cockpit, there are two big lockers under the cabin seats and a big central locker for a liferaft. The overall storage space is enough, but the bow locker is so deep that you need stairs to go down and it would be nicer if there was, on the cockpit, more available space that could more easily be reached.

Above First 53, below Oceanis Yacht 54

But even with these small inconveniences, I do think this boat is a lot more interesting than the First 53, a Yacht that has a less nice interior and will have not a big difference in performance or stability. 

In fact, they have about a 1000kg difference in weight but I suspect that the First 15 599kg refers to the displacement of the non-standard First, with a carbon mast. The standard keel on the two boats is identical, in cast iron, with a torpedo, 2.50 meter draft, and the same ballast.

Only the First 53  with an optional lead torpedo with 3.02m draft, optional carbon rig, and slightly more ballast will have a significantly better performance (if the boats sail with the same sail area).

The Oceanis 54 comes equipped standard with a furling mast but it can have a bigger sail area with an optional single line furling system. In what regards mainsail control, the First comes with a single point block on the cockpit ( with no traveler) and the Oceanis comes with a mainsail control on top of an arch with two blocks. Better efficiency in the First system, but without a traveler, not that much.

All the rest is similar, with the exception of some small differences in height on the deck: the First has a single step aft the Oceanis has two smaller "steps" along the deck, possibly to give the lifelines a bigger height, increasing security. 

The First has a clean and spacious transom while the Oceanis comes with seats for the steersman (besides the lateral ones), with ugly small cabinets below. 

On top, First 53, above, Oceanis 54

The rigging for the main control is obviously different, with a german sheeting system on the First and a single line system on the Oceanis.  

The First comes with 4 winches, being two of those optional on the Oceanis (same location). In what regards sail area they are not very different with 165.9m2 for the First and  157.0 m2 for the Oceanis, if the one line reefing system is chosen (instead of the furling mast), both with the 105% genoa. 

With the furling mainsail, on the Oceanis 54, the sail area is substantially reduced to 133m2.  The 105% genoa (used on the sail tests with the furling main) needs the optional genoa track and the two optional winches. The Yacht comes standard with a jib and a self-tacking rail. 

With the standard jib track, the boat does not need the optional winches, but then the sail area upwind will be only 119m2. And if a code 0 is used those two extra winches will be necessary anyway, at least if we want to keep handling simple.

Only on the First with the carbon mast and 3.00 lead keel version the difference in sail area and power will be substantial, having then 173m2. 

8m2 is the difference in sail from the First faster version to the std version, the same that separates the standard First from the Oceanis (with single line reefing). That represents 5.1% of the sail area.

Having the same hull Oceanis has the same dimensions, LOA 17.12; HL 15.98; LWL 15.40; Beam 5.0, same keel, twin rudders and ballast, same draft (2.50m) and a slightly different B/D due to the Oceanis bigger displacement. I believe that this better B/D, that has to do with the same ballast on a lighter boat, is the one of the carbon rig version. The Oceanis has a 27.1% B/D and the First 28.8% .

That gives the Oceanis a bigger overall stability and the First a slightly better safety stability and AVS. The stability on the two yachts is not proportional to the increase in the sail area and that makes the First a more demanding boat to sail. 

Only on the 3.00 draft version, slightly more ballast and carbon spars, will the stiffness (sail power) be considerably bigger on the First 53 and with the exception of that version, considering the standard First, the overall performance between the two boats (Oceanis 54 with single line reefing) will not be very different except in very light wind situations where the First bigger sail area and slightly less displacement will make the difference.

But a 3.00m draft, even in places where there is no particular problem with draft, like the Mediterranean, is already limiting in what regards ports and marinas, even more in the Baltic and it makes this version far from ideal for a cruising yacht. The Oceanis can have, as an option, a keel with 2.00m draft and more ballast but the standard keel seems much better balanced for this size of yacht.

The standard First 53 version has a not very different sail performance, has an uninspired interior and costs 70 800 euros more. In fact that difference in price is considerably bigger because the Oceanis comes already with sails and that is not the case with the First. The First comes with 4 winches and the Oceanis with two (and two optional) but the difference of the two winches is probably smaller than the sails' price.

The Oceanis Yacht 54 was tested already by some sail magazines and all said well about the sailing potential, helm control and sensation. Among the magazines that tested the boat was Yacht, the German sail magazine that made the video I post below, and on that video, it is very curious to see the way the Oceanis 54 sails compared to the Contest 55 CS.

The images in the video say more than words, two different ways of sailing and cruising. It is up to you to choose the one you prefer.

Sailing Today tested also the Oceanis 54 and what they said (below the video) gives a good picture of how the boat sails. Note that they, and all other magazines, tested the boat on the version with in-mast furling, which has a considerably smaller sail area than the version with single line furling (less 20m2). The tested yacht was also equipped with the nonstandard 105% genoa (more 14m2 over the standard jib).

"She performed superbly... in 15-17kn of breeze. The steering was a joy; light and responsive with tons of grip and masses of control – even with once we’d hoisted the gennaker. The speed never dropped below 7.5kn and we were well into double digits off the breeze with the gennaker. The sail controls were also eminently sensible, and it’s easy to see how you could handle this boat single-handed without any great shakes." https://www.sailingtoday.co.uk/news/tested-beneteau-oceanis-yacht-54/

More sail tests available online here:

https://www.voileetmoteur.com/essai/voiliers/essai-de-loceanis-yacht-54-la-croisiere-en-first-class/104920?doing_wp_cron=1617299009.4068479537963867187500

https://www.velaemotore.it/test-prova-beneteau-oceanis-54-navigazione-pregi-difetti-19168

https://www.cruisingworld.com/story/sailboats/beneteau-oceanis-yacht-54-best-redesign-boty-2021/

https://www.delius-klasing.de/oceanis-yacht-54-23947?number=ZD-23947

The Oceanis 54, like the Pegasus 50, offers as an option a very nice integrated cockpit cover, that can open to let the sun in. Some years ago, when there was none on offer, I said that this type of integrated well-designed sunshades was the logical way to go, in what regards cruising boats' cockpit design to replace biminis and cockpit covers...and it did not take long for them to appear. In some years they will be offered on many cruisers.

They are much nicer and integrated than the biminis that are used to offer shade and rain protection. The one on the Oceanis offers an option to be completely closed and will make for a very interesting solution for the ones that live full time on a yacht, and spend several months, in winter, on a marina, extending the living space in winter months.

Above, Oceanis 54, below, Solaris 55

Regarding building quality the Oceanis and First are about the same, with a balsa sandwich infused hull, vacuum infused structural inner liner, bonded to the hull, deck in infused glass fibre/balsa sandwich, with non-slip "diamond point" surface. In the interior, the First has many white plastic surfaces that on the Oceanis have a wood veneer. 

It's a better building than on smaller Oceanis that do not use sandwich hulls (that offer much better resistance to flexing), but Beneteau still uses balsa as core, a material that has been substituted by top closed cell foams, on more expensive brands.

Balsa, as core material, offers great mechanical properties, it is less expensive, but can rot if there is a water intrusion in the sandwich, making a repair much more complicated. Not as big a problem as it seems. Many top brands used for decades balsa as core (before almost all changed) without problems. 

Oceanis yacht 54

The Oceanis 54 is more elegant and beautiful than any other 55ft mass production main market cruiser, offering less windage, a hull with less freeboard, finer entries, it is lighter, and it offers a better sail performance. Besides, it offers an innovative cockpit cover, with the possibility of closing all that space allowing for a bigger living space in winter. 

Solaris 55, below Solaris 50

The sail performance in light winds will not be very far from the one of the Solaris 55, which is heavier (17 600kg to 16 600kg). However, the lighter Oceanis displacement is obtained at the cost of weight in ballast (4500kg to 6500kg). The extra displacement is not only compensated by more sail area (178m2 to 157m2) but also by a narrower hull, with less drag.

The beamier Oceanis 54 hull will provide more hull form stability, however, that will be more than compensated by the Solaris 55 huge difference in B/D, keel efficiency, and less drag.

In all other conditions and points of sail (except maybe downwind) the Solaris will be considerably faster due to less drag and more power that comes from a huge difference in B/D and draft. Standard the Solaris comes with a more efficient torpedo keel with a lead bulb and 3.0m draft, and even with 50cm more draft, it offers a much bigger B/D, 36.9%, that has nothing to do with the one of the Oceanis, that has a 27.1%B/D. 

On the Solaris, with the optional 2.70m keel, closer in draft to the one of the Oceanis (but still 20cm longer) the Solaris B/D increases to 40% (more ballast). That makes the difference to the Oceanis 27.1%B/D much bigger and that difference is even more meaningful due to the Oceanis less efficient keel, without a lead bulb, and due to the Solaris extra draft.

Other positive differences for the Solaris are the bigger size of the garage, that is able to take a 2.9m dinghy (2.4m on the Oceanis), the Solaris interior that is nicer, better finished, with more storage and the overall building quality, that is better, using the Solaris vinylester resins, sandwich bulkheads and structure are not only bonded but also laminated to the hull and deck. 

Besides, the Solaris 55, because it is bigger, can offer three cabins with three good heads, without diminishing the galley size while on the Oceanis for having three cabins and three heads the galley becomes too small for a 55ft boat. 

The Solaris saloon is also bigger and nicer with a better chart table. Hard to beat the Solaris 55 that is really an amazing boat and a very good design.

The Oceanis has however some advantages for cruising, namely the integrated cockpit cover and a bigger tankage, 700l of water/400l diesel to 520l / 380l. That tankage advantage is not so important because most owners on this type of boat have a watermaker and the difference in diesel is not much. 

Another Oceanis advantage is the option of a joystick fully integrated control motion of the yacht, through a rotating saildrive and a forward bow thruster that makes putting the boat on a marina berth very easy. That comes with a high price, that joystick system is extra and will cost the price of a good car.

But even opting for that extra the Solaris will be considerably more expensive because the difference in price between the standard yachts are big: The Oceanis 54 costs 436 500 € euros and the Solaris 690 000 €, both without tax and in the factory.

But as usual, the prices are a bit misleading because the Oceanis 54 is not really a 54ft boat but a 52.4ft yacht while the Solaris 55 is a 54.8ft boat. 

Maybe it would make more sense to compare the Oceanis 54 with the Solaris 50 because while the Solaris 54 is 72 cm longer than the Oceanis the Solaris 50 is only 58 cm shorter. The Solaris 50 is lighter (14200kg to 16600kg) has a bigger B/D (34.5/ to 27.1%) on a more efficient keel (with a lead torpedo), more draft (2.8 to 2.5m), less beam (4.55 to 5.00m) and more sail area (160 to 157m2).

The Solaris 50 would be faster in all points of sail and winds and all that was said regarding the advantages of the 55 towards the Oceanis 50 remain true, with the exception of the three cabins with three heads and the size of the tender that fits in the garage. The tender size will not be very different than the one on the Oceanis 55 even if the transversal position makes it easier to accommodate a bigger deflated one.

The biggest disadvantage of the Solaris 50 is the absence of space for a generator...unless it is fitted in the tender garage. For most that buy this size of yachts, a generator is indispensable because they want to use air conditioning when out of a marina. A watermaker can work while sailing with the power of a hydro generator, but not an AC.

Solaris 55

The absence of space for the generator behind the engine is a trade-off to make the aft cabins bigger, to compensate for the difference of beam between the Oceanis 54 and the Solaris 50 (45cm). The difference in tankage is also a positive factor on the Oceanis. 

The tankage of the Solaris 50 is not very different than the one on the 55 but here without a generator and therefore a watermaker, that difference is more important. The Solaris 50 has 500l water tankage and 350l diesel (Oceanis - 700l- 400l).

Solaris 50

The absence of space for a generator makes this boat more suited to more sportive or ecologic sailors that will use solar panels and a hydro-generator (dispensing AC) or to those that will not use the garage for an inflated tender and will have the generator there. A pity because this boat is so elegant that a dinghy over the deck is an insult to beauty.

The Solaris 50 costs 480 000 euros, in fact less than the First 54, and it costs only 43 500 € more than the Oceanis 54 a difference that will grow if we consider that the Oceanis comes already with sails, and that is not the case with the Solaris (all prices regards standard yachts without VAT and transport).

I used Solaris for comparison purposes but I could have used X-Yachts, Grand Soleil, Italia Yachts, Ice Yachts, all of them are better built and more expensive yachts. It is not so much about comparing what is not comparable (quality and price) but about the type of yacht, and the type of yacht is what is comparable. And that is what makes the Oceanis Yacht 54 interesting.

The Oceanis 54 is more elegant, faster than the other big brand main market yachts, offers an innovative and well-designed cockpit cover,  and is considerably less expensive than what would cost a similar-sized performance yacht from smaller, better quality production brands.   

If you don't have the money or don't want to spend the extra cost for a top-quality brand yacht and need a true three-cabin cruiser, but don't dispense sail speed and elegance, this can be one of a kind. In fact two of a kind, if we consider the More 55...but I had not a positive impression last time I contacted them...and the last news on their site are from 2019.