“Fun to drive,” small and fun sailing: 5 trendy weekenders

Once rare to see in Italy, they are now gradually catching on.We are talking about weekenders, sailboats that are very fashionable in northern Europe and America. What are they?

Small, evolved in lines and always with a very defined aesthetic style and distinctive features, these are the daysailer-weekenders, boats for day trips or very short cruises. Making a comparison with motoring they can be the coupes of cars, boats to be experienced all outdoors, which sail well even in a few knots of wind while not having extreme performance. Let’s also not forget the ease of handling even with a small crew, a feature we find not only in cruisers but also in weekenders. Let’s look at 5 trendy models currently on the market.

Saffier Yachts / Saffier 27 – 8,20 m

All you have to do is climb aboard, turn on the engine (forget about the noise, because the Saffier Se 27 is equipped, as standard, with Torqeedo electric motorization, ed.), let go of the moorings. You unfurl the jib in seconds directly from the cockpit, the mainsail is maneuvered by Harken electric winches, and there you are sailing right after leaving the moorings. This is how we can sum up the Saffier 27 from Saffier Yachts(ALSO DISCOVER SAFFIER’S CRUISER).

The sailing performance is not bad at all, you can tell right away by comparing the ratio between sail area (39 sq. m. with white sails, 66 sq. m. with gennaker, 51 sq. m. with Code Zero) and displacement (1.9 tons with 900 kilos concentrated in the lead keel in the normal draft version – 1.60 m: there is also a reduced draft version, of 1.15 m). Also very interesting is the performance when motorboating, in terms of range: if you are cruising at five knots, you can go as long as 4-5 hours. The Torqeedo electric motor, a 4.0 kW pod, is powered by a 48V lithium battery. The construction of the boat is done in a vacuum, in iso fiberglass with 15 mm of hard foam “core”: on deck, non-slip structure is laminated into the deck and cockpit floor.

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Price starting from 94,500 euros.

www.settemariyachts.com

Grand Soleil / GS Blue – 9.99 m

A refined boat with which to enjoy the pleasures of sailing for a day trip, or weekend getaway. Grand Soleil, with its Blue, makes its debut in the luxury day-cruiser segment and does so in its own way.

First of all in terms of style: there is a clear reference to the “big boats” of the Forli Shipyard. Sharp and very forward tughino, long cockpit, low freeboard and important beam. To see it sail deceives the eye: it does not look like a boat, a hull an inch under ten meters in length, but rather a twelve-meter or something more. Even at the dock, observing it exactly from the bow, it really looks like a “maxi,” but in a small way. Its forms, not surprisingly, were conceived by Nauta Design, which definitely knows about maxis (the nautical architecture is the work of Matteo Polli) . New in lines but new also in substance, in construction. GS Blue is in fact made entirely of sandwich and vacuum. Moreover, thanks to the collaboration with NL Comp, it uses thermoplastic resins instead of traditional thermosets. What is the difference?

The former, at the end of the boat’s life, allow for the integral recycling of the composite, which, subjected to a thermal/chemical process, makes it possible to separate the resin from the fiberglass so they can be recycled. With this in mind, the entire boat is designed and built: systems, equipment and wiring are already installed with a view to disassembly and recycling. OUR EVIDENCE

Price from 229,000

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www.grandsoleil.net

Tofinou /Tofinou 7.9 – 7.94 m

The Tofinou, a line of daysailers from French shipyard Latitude, are among those boats that stand out from afar thanks to their sleek lines. They have a well-defined style just as the new Tofinou 7.9, a new small daysailer from the house, will be. The new Tofinou 7.9 embodies this style to perfection, with an almost flush deck silhouette, a bow flex that winks, along with the shapes of the stern, at classic lines, with a narrow hull.

www.yachtsynergy.it

JBoats / J/7 – 7.04 m

It is called the J/7 and is a less pushed version-a weekender-of the famous one-design racing J/70. Compared to its racing cousin, it has a shorter cockpit to make room for a slightly longer and more habitable cabin, perfect for those seeking shelter, storage space or a place to rest for post-lunch nap. The stern, though always open, is more protected, as are the side seats, recessed within the cockpit.

www.jboats.com

Maxi Dolphin / MD 38 – 11.60 m

Narrow width, low freeboard, straight bow and minimal deckhouse, the MD 38, a design by Botin&Partners if we were to make a comparison with motoring would be a coupe that does not go unnoticed.

Designed for coastal sailing, for use on lakes, but not only that, it is also a boat with a clear sporty feel, which will aim first and foremost to entertain its owner in sparkling sailing. .

www.maxidolphin.it