X-Yachts 332

It might not help our balance of payments, but it's put the wind up the sport of sailing. Having so many yachts from Europe available Down Under means the choice has never been better. There are now craft from France, Germany, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark plying our waters and chasing the Aussie dollar.

The cosmopolitan fleet runs the gamut of brands. There are companies with an output of less than a hundred boats a year, then there are the major factories which measure turnover in tens of thousands of boats.

One of the boutique builders, X-Yachts from Denmark, is the latest brand to arrive. X-Yachts has been going since the late '70s, makes 300-400 yachts a year and has built its reputation on fast 3/4 tonners and one-design racing.

These days X-Yachts is less indulgent and more worldly in its ways, focusing on the burgeoning world of consumable cruiser/racers. Strong and fast, these are ideal yachts for serious club sailors who harbour a secret desire to venture beyond their backyard one day.

To illustrate the point, take a snapshot of a perfect autumn day in May this year. While I was racing in a fleet-footed 33ft X-Yacht with Middle Harbour Yacht Club somewhere over the horizon was the brand's importer, Ralph Hogg, participating in the inaugural Coffs Harbour-to-Fiji race on a 41-footer.

In both events, these yachts proved formidable opponents within their respective fleets. Aboard the X-332, which is the smallest model imported here, we took third place behind former Sydney-Hobart winner Terra Firma, a Murray-designed 41-footer, and the 50-footer, Foxtel Titon Ford, skippered by Peter Sorenson.

Further, the X-332 won the European IMS Championship last year and rates favourably under both IMS and CHS. As for the 41, it also has top track form. At the time of writing, it was leading its division enroute to Fiji when a 45-knotter made them run for cover in Noumea.

But while racing is a big part of X-Yachts' personality, they are much more than just fast boats. Strength and space are attributes I noted in the X-332, not to mention the sleek lines and warm mahogany interior calling from below.

ALL DECKED OUT
Made to demanding European standards that call for structural integrity from the keel up, the X-332's hull and deck are fashioned from hand-laid fibreglass around a Divinycell foam core. Solid laminate is used around the skin and deck fittings, keel and rudder.

Having learned the ways of high-tech materials through its forays into racing boats, X-Yachts adds hand-laid biaxial E-glass around foam for its rudder blade and tapered aluminium on the stock. Internally, the X-332 is built stiffer again. Galvanised steel is glassed in as the hull frame, which shares the load of the keel and the keel-stepped mast. The marine-grade Khaya mahogany plywood bulkheads are also glassed in, while the sturdy mast is fitted with discontinuous rod rigging and a 1:16 adjustable backstay.

Just as impressive is the deck gear. Rarely do you need to leave the cockpit when racing. The Spectra halyards lead to banks of clutches on the coachhouse and you can adjust the boom outhaul and reefing line here too.

Needless to say the deck remains clean and, with a good grade on non-skid, easy to get around. The (optional) roller furling headsail also makes life easier, and with a below-deck drum you can still fly a decent genoa. Note also that the tracks are mounted well inboard for favourable sheeting angles.

Deck hardware is a combination of Lewmar, Harken and Frederiksen, while the sail wardrobe comes from locals Fraser or North. The testboat had Fourth-Dimension fully moulded Fraser sails and a spinnaker kit - just the ticket for serious club racing.

The test X-332 also had something called a Prestige package. This includes a Facnor furling kit for the headsail, teak in the cockpit, Autohelm bi-data, niceties such as handrails in the saloon, and two-speed primary and secondary winches which were yet to be added.

COCKPIT COMFORTS
Despite its European heritage, the X-332 has a wonderfully commodious cockpit. You can easily pack a crew of six aboard, with plenty of comfortable places to park yourself around the moulded cockpit and to at least amidships where the cabin top is rounded.

There is a prodigious amount of storage in the cockpit, with dedicated holds for a gas-bottle and a huge lazarette for the inflatable dinghy and outboard motor in case you plan on cruising to a quiet anchorage somewhere.

Other details include a folding swim ladder, handrails around the cabin tops, nice solid pushpits, high lifelines and plenty of useful mounting space for wind gauges and compass.

Tiller steering is standard, but the handy freshwater deck shower and removable cockpit table are options worth considering.

While the companionway is oversized and a snap to move through when underway, the interior on this 33-footer is bigger again.

The X-332 is built to entertain a couple in absolute comfort, can carry a family of four easily, but will also sleep six aboard.

To its credit, X-Yachts hasn't crammed too much inside but has focused instead on creating big, open, useable spaces. Down the mahogany steps, the first sizeable room is the head tucked back under the cockpit on the starboard side.

The head is comfortable with lots of leg room around the loo, a handy wash basin and storage cabinet for personals, and smart fittings including a hand-held hot shower that runs off the Yanmar saildrive.

On the flip-side is the main cabin with a big double berth running back under the cockpit. It's ideal for owners, offering shoulder room to dress and plenty of fresh air and room.

Storage space includes holds under the berth and a hanging locker and shelves. The atmosphere in the cabin is pleasant, too, created by a blue-patterned fabric, moulded-white headliner, polished mahogany floor and oval cabin door.

CHEF TO BE
Danish craftsmanship is obvious in the portside galley, with neat drawers and cupboards built around a gimballed two-burner stove/oven and ample dedicated pantry space for spices and rice.

Instead of going overboard with bench space, a stylish wood-laminated arm juts out a sensible distance into the saloon. It holds twin stainless sinks big enough to store plates and twin cutting boards. The fridge - which is the icebox fitted with an optional compressor - is alongside.

Opposite is a small but useful navigation station with room to stretch half a chart on a table, a halogen mapping light, a padded stool and an overhead facia with the boat's fuse and control panel. There is room remaining for flush-mounting the marine radio and GPS mainframe.

Amidships, the X-332 is even more inviting. In fact, the boat urges you to sit down on one of its lounges. This is, of course, the widest part of the boat. Coupled with full headroom, it is here more than anywhere else that you get the impression that you're in a much bigger yacht.

Settees flank the fold-down dinette off the mast base, which doesn't get in the way when you are moving fore and aft. For sleeping in a seaway, the backrests of the settees can be turned into pullman berths.

Finally, there is a vee berth in the bow with twin hanging lockers and handy storage space.

Light penetration is also good below, thanks to the hatches and portholes. Overhead, halogen lights warm the lacquered mahogany to create the perfect mood for dinners aboard.

ROUND THE CANS
But sunny autumn days aren't best spent below. With just a few minutes till the start gun, we were poised to perform an opening reach along Middle Harbour, with just 8-10kt of mild sea breeze to carry us around the track.

For the next two hours, we worked the little puffs of pressure and rode everything including a car-ferry's wake. Along the way, the X-332 proved responsive, with good pointing ability.

We were doing a comfortable 5.5kt upwind, and with the headsail poled out, we maintained about 4kt before the wind.

Over the 10.40nm course, flying a No. 2 genoa, we average 4.77kt and came home ahead of many of the great club racers such as Adams 10s, Northshore 38s, and an 11m one design, a Farr 1220, Farr MRX, plus Jays 24 and 44.

I had the helm for a very brief while and can only say it felt balanced in the light airs. While the X-332 is easily driven, it also responds to some fine tuning. For this, Stuart Loft and canny crewman Paul Lyon, deserve the credit.

The X-332 may be just 33ft long, but it seems much bigger. Coupled with the nimbleness and ease of handling that's always made the 30-footers popular, the boat seems destined to take a few berths from other yachts in Sydney.

In the eyes of the importers, North South Yachting, the X-Yacht range was introduced to complement its already popular Bavaria yachts. Compared with them, the X factor translates to better performance and a higher standard of interior decorating.

Of course, as part of the Viking world, Denmark has always had links to the sea. It's just that it's taken more than 1000 years for one of its, shall we say, more friendly boats to sail to the Antipodes. It's been worth the wait.