BOATS OF NOTE PERFORMANCE CRUISERS

Shogun 43

Readers with long memories may recall that we tested the Swedish built Shogun 50 last year and were favourably impressed by this turbocharged racer/cruiser that married startling looks with extremely light displacement. The new Shogun 43 is a variation on the theme, featuring carbonfibre construction throughout and similarly startling styling. The yacht is designed by Oscar and Håkan Södergren who also designed the 50. Weight is an incredibly modest 6,100kg and this is married to a 114sq/m white sail area. Beam is relatively modest and it points to a boat that will perform strongly in light winds. The interior styling promises to be muscular and sporty but there is good volume giving the potential for some turbocharged cruising. shogunyachts.com

RM1380 The RM 1380 is a yacht that dares to be different, being the only mass production yacht built from epoxy/ply. The advantages of this method of construction are weight saving, less environmental impact, and a boat with extra character. The Marc Lombard designed RM1380 is its biggest yacht yet and boasts sparkling performance married to an incredibly spacious and light interior. rm-yachts.com

Beneteau First 44

The Beneteau First 44 picks up squarely where the manufacturer left off with the First 53. This is to say that the boat is most definitely a cruiser/racer which delivers decent amounts of comfort and speed. The boat is competitively priced (starting price is 335,000 Euros) and the design team of Roberto Biscontini who penned the hull lines, and Lorenzo Argento who did the deck and interior, have produced a stylish, fast yacht that remains easy to handle. Displacement is moderate and the aim has been to create a yacht that is well adapted to the light winds of the Med but also has the power to stand up to strong winds. To gain this much coveted blend, the designers have produced a boat fine on the waterlines but with plenty of flare aft reducing wetted surface area despite the fact this is a twin rudder yacht. beneteau.com

Arcona 50

Swedish manufacturer Arcona Yachts has made an art form out of turning out fast cruising yachts that are great fun to sail. The new 50 is their largest offering to date. The boat represents a departure in many ways as this is the first Arcona to be designed by Niels Jeppesen – who many will recognise as the former CEO of X-Yachts. Jeppesen is now on the board at Arcona and teamed up with Ariadna Pons to draw up a fine looking 50ft yacht. arconayachts.se