A Day Sailer or a Cruising Yacht?

Neither, and both

I have noticed that, during the past 10 years or so, people have changed the way they use their boats. Today, rather few will go for long cruises. People in Europe or the United States are a bit torn between all the new opportunities. We can rent a boat in the Med or the Carribean, we want to go skiing in the winter, we love to watch other people’s adventures online, we don’t have enough holiday, our kids want to be with their friends, we don’t have time for upkeep.

For a new yacht, we mostly want it to be, somehow, undemanding. A very serious cruiser capable of crossing oceans will remind us that we are not doing just that. Owning a daysailer will be much more relaxing because we don’t have to do anything. Apart from, perhaps, take her out occasionally when the afternoon heat is too stuffy and the breeze is perfect.

This is a another type of cruising yacht, somewhat unlike a cruiser or a day sailer. She is both. A Day Sailer, but one which you can easily stay overnight for a few days, or maybe even a week or two.

The design was conceived for a client in Scandinavia but has not yet been built.

Hull

Key words in the design were a long waterline, civilized handling, and a very good average speed. As a result of having a slender hull with a long water line, this yacht will have a lovely motion, without slowing much in a head sea and without slamming. Instead, she will slice easily through waves and her upwind speed will generally be between 7½ and 8 knots. Bearing away, she will pick up a little more speed, touching at 9 or 10 in an average sea breeze. Surfing or planing has not been a priority. Steering will be excellent, with good tracking, perfect control and a light helm.

Layout

The most important room in this yacht is perhaps her cockpit. Whether under the summer sky or a bimini, this is where you would want to spend your day on board. This yacht has a huge, inviting cockpit with excellent visibility and relaxed seating.

Inside, she is laid out for two people in great comfort but she is not strictly limited at that; in case you wish to bring the grandchildren or offer a berth for the night she will take care of that as well.

Most of all, perhaps, she is a very simple yacht. Stateroom forward, main cabin at the widest point, galley and w.c. / shower aft. The difference compared to old days 34-footers is that there is a lot of elbow room everywhere, including stowage space forward and aft. In the old days one could perhaps have called her a gentleman’s yacht. (Today, I honestly don’t know, not only because it sounds like an anachronistic term, but also because it misses a point: I hope maybe the simplicity of the concept would be appeal to women just as much as men)

 

All pictures (c) Heyman Yachts / Gabriel Heyman

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