Hot new yachts arrive in Australia

With summer not far away, the 50th Sydney International Boat Show (August 3-7) was a great opportunity to check out what's new in yachts. European brands are setting the pace in the popular cruiser/racer market, but catamarans are go and trailersailers were on show.

The new German built Dehler 34 epitomises the evolution of keel yachts today. Some 30 years ago, her namesake made a big splash on the Aussie market by successfully blending class finish with comfort and speed. The latest Dehler 34 is even faster and way bigger in volume.

Euro yachts like the Dehler are taking their cue from the world of single-handed racing and the result is highly efficient rigs and boats that are easier to sail.

The design theme is an aggressively sharp vertical bow, flatter under body, and high, wide decks flowing to a wide transom. The result is more speed but also more living space below and in the cockpit.

Twin steering wheels and walk-through access to the stern gives these yachts a attractive outdoor living space, perfect for swimming and coming and going with the inflatable tender.

Yachtie families will use this stern area for stand-up paddleboards, diving and fishing, so it's a huge bonus for the summer.

The twin steering wheels and walk-through transom is a near universal feature across today’s new yacht models. This opens up the passageway between the stern and the cockpit and it makes it easier to steer the yacht and see the trim of your jib.

PERFORMANCE TRENDS
Looking over all the new European yacht models at this year's show, it's noticeable lots more attention is being paid to performance. That's good news for sailors who want to do twilight club races, or fun regattas like Sail Port Stephens and Hamilton Island Race Week.

Using the example of the Dehler 34 again, this yacht offers plenty of race options including a competition keel, carbon-fibre rig and race sails. This is exactly what a lot of yachties are looking for. They want to day cruise, stay overnight and enjoy the social aspect and fun of local club racing. They'll never get into the serious offshore racing scene, but they will do twilight races and fun regattas.

Most of the twilight warriors won't go past jib and main racing, however, as crews gain more confidence a gennaker flying off the bow is a good way to enjoy the big regatta events.

Beneteau, the famous French yacht builder, has sensed the trend and has delivered in its latest Oceanis cruising range. The new Oceanis '1' range covers the 35.1, 38.1 and 41.1 models and later will be joined by a brand new 51.1 model.

The new Oceanis are all based on an aggressive hard-chine hull of lightish displacement, with a mast stepped further aft to increase headsail size. A German-style mainsheet system runs back to either side of the helm position for easier trimming while racing.

THE BIG YACHT TREND
Another big trend in 2017 is to bigger yachts! Affluence is part of the reason, but so too is clever technology facilitating easier handling of a big yacht. Electric winches, furling sail systems and bow thrusters all contribute to a family crew being able to safely handle a 45-56ft yacht.

At Sydney show this year, Dufour from France debuted its new Grand Large 512 and 56. Both are stunningly attractive craft with teak-laid decks and interiors that mix elegance with a modern flavour. These big yachts are easy to handle with two or three people thanks to electric winches and ‘jet’ bow and stern thrusters.

In both Dufour models, race performance can be enhanced by adding a taller rig, special race sails and a 'secret weapon.' The latter is a Code-O gennaker that really fires up the performance and will have the hardcore yachts looking over their shoulder.

Jeanneau is another French brand with plenty of big boat offerings. This year it released the all-new Jeanneau 51, a yacht with such a luxurious abode it could well be a waterfront weekender. A lot of design work has gone into the cockpit, so it's spacious and ideal for lounging or dining, complete with barbecue and fridge.

Showing the French don't have it all their own way, the German-made Hanse range offers a raft of new 2018 models including the 345, 385, 415 and 455. However, it was the baby of the fleet, the Hanse 315, that had the boating industry talking at the show.

BABY YACHTS ARE GO
Hanse’s big-little cruiser/racer packs so much into 31-foot length you wonder how it's done. Sporting two comfortable double berth cabins, she is the ideal weekend escape craft for sea-changers, or young sailors moving into their first yacht.

The Hanse 315 sports twin steering wheels and has enough turn of speed to provide a good chance for that frozen chook and bottle of wine in the next twilight race!

Another smaller yacht with big ambitions is the Jeanneau 349 Sun Odyssey. It's currently setting sales records around the world, and no wonder because the local sail away price starts at only $196,700.

This Jeanneau model sports the twin-rudder feature that is becoming more evident in new European designs and suits the wide stern design. Internally she offers a choice of two or three double-berth cabins, though most private buyers will opt for two cabs as this provides a bigger 'bathroom.'

This new 349 Sun Odyssey definitely offers more race appeal. With a set of racing sails, a gennaker and a keen crew she could be the dark horse that captured the club silverware over the summer championship.

The 349 Sun Odyssey also comes with the option of a swing-up keel that allows her to moor in shallow waters. Cleverly the swing keel sits totally outside the hull and supports the yacht when she is beached, or slipped. Being deeper than the normal keel the swing keel actually improves performance as well.

Also adding a bit more diversity to the Sydney Show this year is the Italia 13.98m hailing from Italy. This 47-footer is designed from the outset as a racer first and cruiser second. She has a big, high performance rig and extra deep keel so we can expect to see her do well in the serious end of regatta racing this summer.

The Italia was displayed at Sydney boat show by the Bavaria importers. The big news from the German Bavaria stable is the new flagship C57 and C65 luxury cruising yachts with customised interiors. These yachts are making waves in Europe. There was a Nautitech Open 40 sailing cat on display in Sydney, as that brand is now owned by Bavaria, but power was a bigger part of its new boat line up…

CATAMARAN CLIQUE
Sydney boat show had a strong selection of catamarans raring to go for Summer. These included the Lagoon 42 and new Lagoon 52 Flybridge, plus the Leopard 44 Helia Evolution. Also the much-improved Seawind 1260 is a fast cruising cat for value-minded buyers.

The Lagoon 52 Flybridge brings sailing to a new level. The elevated flybridge helm station provides a great view and has plenty of lounge space for guests and crew.

Because the boom has to be set higher, the rig is taller and so performance is assured. From all reports once prospective buyers try the flybridge under sail they're hooked and want to buy this version.

TRAILER SAILERS
Coming down the scale, and price, it was great to see two new trailersailers on the marina.

The European-made Seascape 24 is a very sporty sailer that already has a 300-strong fleet overseas. She has all the hallmarks of a serious speedster with items like twin, retractable rudders and a carbon fibre rig. With simple controls she can be used for camper-sailing as well. The trail-away package is approximately $100,000 including a set of North race sails.

Another neat trailersailer is the Cygnet 20, a very different ‘animal’ with her traditional hull and high-peaked gaff rig. However, this Aussie-built craft also sports modern fibreglass construction and incorporates water-ballast technology to reduce trailing weight. The super-light carbon-fibre gaff spar also makes her easy to rig.

With a four-berth cabin and galley and toilet, the Cygnet 20 is the perfect lake cruiser. Small, easy to sail and with loads of character, she looks an attractive package at $67,500 trail away, ready to sail.

Put all that together in one fleet on a hot summer’s day and I’m sure you’ll agree it’s a stellar season for sailing, be it aboard a flagship 50-footer, a pocket rocket with optimised rig, a cat with levels decks and nigh a drop spilt, or a trailersailer hitched behind the dual cab and heading for Myall Lakes.

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