European Yachts of the Year - judged on fitness for purpose

by Des Ryan on 7 Feb 2009 Thinking of embarking on a yacht purchase? Sail-World Cruising brings you the European Yachts of the Year for 2009. They were judged by a panel of journalists from some of Europe's leading sailing magazines.

The criteria for the judging centred around six main points:

Sailing performance
Comfort
Construction Quality
Design
Outstanding technical features
Value for money

The winners were announced at the beginning of this year's Dusseldorf International Boat Show in Germany.

A new aspect for this year's judging procedure was the recategorisation of contenders. Instead of merely categorising boats by their length, this year they were categorised by their concept and purpose. This means that you are seeing here below the yachts which were judged on their ability to meet your needs, no matter whether they are for crossing oceans, day sailing, or lazy family comfort.

This year's winners were as follows:

European Yacht of the Year

• Best Family Cruiser: Bénéteau's Océanis 31
• Best Performance Cruiser: Arcona 430
• Best Luxury Cruiser: X-Yachts' XC 45
• Best Special Yacht: Saffier 26

Best Family Cruiser: Bénéteau's Océanis 31
As the range entry model, the Océanis 31 bears a strong family resemblance to its larger siblings by combining elegance with ingenuity for maximum cruising pleasure.
It was designed by Finot Conq et associes, with the interior layout and design by Nauta Design. At just 9.66 metres it seeks to fill a gap in the market for family cruising.

For more information about the Beneteau Oceanis 31, click here.

Best Performance Cruiser: Arcona 430
The Arcona 430 has an internal frame of hot galvanised steel bearing all keel ,hull and rig loads.The hull and deck are of sandwich construction of multiaxial glass fibre reinforced ISO polyester with a 20 – 30 mm core of Divinycell and hull stringers for added strength. Solid laminate used for rudder, engine bed, keel attachment, all through-hull and other fittings.
Bulkheads and berth fronts are laminated to hull and deck, providing unsurpassed strength and torsional stability.
The keel is an antimony hardened lead bulb bolted to a cast-iron fin, to obtain the lowest possible centre of gravity. Steel blade protected from rust by a layer of glass fibre bonded to a smooth surface. The keel is bolted to the hull and its frame with 12 x 20mm steel bolts.

For more information about the Arcona 430, click here

Best Luxury Cruiser: X-Yachts' XC 45
One of the main differences between the Xperformance line and the new Xcruising line is the hull design. The Xc line,
with its deeper hull sections, provides a greater interior volume for tanks, and other essential cruising equipment;
a feature which also provides smoother sailing in all weathers.


The Xc 45 is designed and developed for long-distance cruising, incorporating the most significant X-Yachts qualities: powerful main engine in a well-insulated compartment, with a 3-bladed folding propeller; large fuel and fresh water tankage, all strategically located low and central in the yacht for optimum weight distribution; an immensely strong steel hull girder frame, taking the loads from the composite lead/cast iron keel as well as from the keel stepped mast.

For more information about the XC 45, click here

Best Special Yacht: Saffier 26

The Saffier 26 ft open day sailor is the absolute new sensation. Her beautifully lined hull combined with a modern underwater ship, deck layout and rigging make her a yacht that turns heads. The Saffier 26 ft open day sailor can be sailed completely from the helmsman position. All the sheets, halyards, reefing lines and kicking-strap lead to the winch consoles that can be managed within the reach of the helmsman. The jib is self tacking and the furling system is below decks to make the shelf of the jib run nicely over deck. Especially noticeable about the Saffier 26 ft open day sailor is the possibility to equip the yacht with either a tiller or a helm. The cockpit is very spacious and a lot of attention has been paid to ergonomics. The Saffier 26 open day sailor can easily seat 8 people comfortably. The sprayhood can be set up in no time. Because the Saffier 26 ft open day sailor is a fast and sportive sailor, she can also be equipped with a spinnaker or gennaker. For those that have no limitations with depth, the Saffier 26 ft open day sailor is equipped with a deeper modern bulb keel in combination with a deep spade rudder.


For more information about the Saffier 26, click here