Esse 750 - European Yacht of the Year, Special Yacht
by Nancy Knudsen on 7 Mar 2012
Esse 750 on a hoist SW
The Esse 750 this year won the European Yacht of the Year in the 'Special yacht' category. The Esse 750, at just 7.5 metres length overall, is designed for the sailor who wants to go fast but doesn't want to deal with recruiting crew. Or maybe your crew is one of your family members. If you want to get someone hooked on sailing, this is a great way to start.
Designed by Umberto Felci, the boat that’s built in Switzerland near Lake Zurich is already renowned as a real delight for the sailor in both precision and speed.
Here's some of what boat builder Josef Schuchter says about how he arrived at the design of the 850, followed by the 750:
'After many years experience in dealing with sailing boats, particularly of 8 to 10 metres overall length, I have felt for two years that there is a need in the market for a boat that above all is easy to handle.
'That means not only a boat that is easy to trailer but above all is simple to handle in its element - on the water; where simple handling means not only the ability to be sailed single-handed, but also the advantage of regatta sailing without the need to recruit a large crew, and nevertheless still be faster than most boats of similar size.
'(And I wanted to do) all this whenever possible without the need for trapezes or outriggers. After refining my ideas over the past two years I consulted the respected and innovative designer Umberto Felci, who together with the Proteus boatyard in Cavaion was able in a short time to turn them into reality.'
The boat is small, but completely carbon - that means the hull, bowsprit and the rig, everything is made from the magic carbon. The expensive construction material drives up the price of the Esse, but it also makes her light, strong and fast.
Her helm is perfectly balanced and she can be easily handled by a crew of one or two, with all controls built into the cockpit within reach of the helmsman. The gennaker launches and retracts into a chute built into the hull and the jib is furled from the cockpit control console. The jib is self tacking and there are no winches required or mounted.
She is a pleasure going to weather, so - if you can afford her- she is the ideal for the sailor looking for something really special in a day sailer.
Technical specifications:
LOA:
7.50m (24.6ft)
Beam:
2.05m (7.25ft)
Sail area main sails
24m2 (236 sq.ft)
Jip
14m2 (118 sq.ft)
Gennaker:
65m2 (699 sq.ft)
Draught:
1.70m (5.6ft)
Displacement including rig: 960kg (2’204 lbs)
Ballast: 588kg (1190 lbs)
The other winners for 2012 were:
Family Cruiser, Oceanis 45
Performance Cruiser, Pogo 12.50
Luxury Cruiser, Oyster 625
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