arcona yachts models

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Arcona 50 review: Luxury performance cruiser

• Toby Hodges
• December 13, 2023

A watershed design for the traditional Swedish brand, but does Arcona’s flagship have the X-factor to stand out in a crowd? Toby Hodges tests the new Arcona 50 to find out

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

Arcona – a Swedish yard with a sound reputation for producing traditional style cruiser-racers, designed by a little known Swede who had a gift of ensuring slippery hulls. If that sounds familiar, then be prepared for a redefinition, as pretty much all of that has changed with the launch of this new flagship Arcona 50.

Gone is the sweet, simple, stick-to-what-works idea. This is a big, contemporary new Arcona, one that sees the brand transition from its cruiser-racer heritage and classic interiors to a luxury performance sector. And it’s a stunner – inside and out, the Arcona 50 is a true showstopper.

It’s a bold move, but an understandable one. Long term designer Stefan Qviberg passed away in 2018, the same year when Arcona was bought by Najad and Orust Quality Yachts. Their owner then brought in former Olympic sailor Urban Lagnéus as CEO, a veteran manager who spent 18 years at Hallberg-Rassy. This new flagship is the first brand new design in that five year period and sees Arcona move much closer to the market trend.

However, that decision brings seriously stiff competition. Over the last decade or so I have often written about how many similar options there are for those looking for a quality fast cruiser in the 50ft sector. Arguably, the launchpad for this trend was the Solaris 50 in 2015, for which the Italian yard brought out a replacement last year.

The new Arcona 50 marks a change from the Swedish manufacturer. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Cantiere del Pardo has its equally sleek looking Grand Soleil 48P , then came the First 53 , which aimed to offer such performance rewards and style for less cost. Nautor Swan has since renewed its thoroughbred Swan 48 design, launched a new Swan 55 and announced a new Swan 51 for 2025. And then there’s X-Yachts, perhaps Arcona’s closest rival, with its X4.9 , for which it now has a MkII version.

All these models are, essentially, high end, aft cockpit, three-cabin performance cruisers.

Which brings us on to the elephant in the room. By moving to this market sector Arcona has pitched the Arcona 50 against these high profile fast cruiser brands, and one in particular. Some will say this Arcona 50 looks very similar to an X-Yacht – and deliberately so even, with the choice of its big name designer: X-Yachts co-founder and designer for 40 years, Niels Jeppesen.

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So for the would-be buyer, has Arcona just made that selection all the more difficult? Unless it comes down to brand loyalty, it will be a decision based on the increasingly small margins of aesthetics, performance, layout and build quality. Or perhaps, in reality, cost could be the deciding factor – the Arcona 50 starts at nearly €200,000 more than the Solaris or X.

My mind was swimming with such stats as I caught the train to La Rochelle to sail the first hull Dancing Queen . But I was to discover that one thing that hasn’t changed about Arcona – the enjoyment of sailing one. I had two good trials on the boat in largely Force 3 and 4 winds, using a mix of jib, Code 0 and gennaker on various angles and in some swell, and can confirm this is a design that backs up its looks and price tag with performance.

On the test boat the helmsman can raise the main, unfurl the jib and trim the sails without leaving the wheel. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

How the Arcona 50 looks

To stand out in this crowded marketplace then, first impressions of the Arcona 50 are critical, an aspect Arcona has seemingly nailed. And it includes many other firsts for Arcona: its first 50-footer; its first model with twin rudders, a tender garage, L-shaped cockpit benches and twin tables. It’s also the first to use cored woodwork/ furniture. And it’s the first Arcona designed by Jeppesen.

It retains the galvanised steel frame to help ensure a stiff structure, and mahogany is the standard trim, but that’s where the similarities to previous Arconas trail off. The Arcona 50 has a much higher freeboard and a wider stern for more stability. The stemhead is also noticeably fuller, in line with modern trends. “It’s a win-win situation in my opinion to have these fuller ends,” thinks Jeppesen. “It gives better sailing qualities for the way our clients use their boats these days.”

So this is a big 50-footer, but one Arcona has set up to be push-button controlled and easy to sail short-handed. As soon as we had clear water, the sails were unfurled and trimmed from the pedestals and we were straight into some rewarding sailing.

Winches and traveller are within reach or controlled from the helms, while twin cockpit tables work well and keep clear central access. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The test boat had a few optional extras to help make this process extra smooth. The first is the Mainfurl in-boom furling system, a GRP shell with a carbon mandrel, which is controlled remotely from the helm. The optional recessed traveller is another neat feature as it gives good control and trim options for the mainsail, yet it’s contained below deck to avoid it being a trip hazard. It’s led via a flatwinder winch which is again controlled from the pedestal. The ability to dump the traveller at a higher speed would be useful though, as it’s a powerful mainsail (Arcona prefer large mains with jibs to overlapping genoas), and line tails need to be kept clear of the well.

Twin aft winches are used each side to trim sheets. The forward one is a two-speed powered model, again remotely controlled. With the sheets and running rigging led here, there are a lot of lines in a large, wide cockpit, but good, deep bins are designed in below the coamings to help deal with this. You still need to be organised with this though, as you never know when a quick halyard drop might be needed.

Into the groove

Sailing upwind in 10-12 knots, the Arcona 50 clocked speeds in the late 7s and early 8 knots, and tacked through 80°. In the lighter breeze of my second sail, this equated to 7 knots in 9 at 28-30° to the apparent wind.

The Arcona 50 is fast to find its groove and boasts plenty of grip, albeit for a very neutral feel on the helm (which Arcona is working to address). You really can leave the wheel and it keeps tracking along. Even when fully powered up, you can just keep a finger on the wheel, so it will certainly be easy on power consumption when under autopilot. However, without any traditional weatherhelm sensations, you need to be careful not to overload a yacht which carries a generous amount of sail.

Once the Arcona 50 heels onto its soft aft chine it stops leaning further and the power translates to acceleration at a consistent angle. The curved reverse stem and optional bowsprit look sexy at the pointy end, but studying our camera footage leads me to wonder if the balance on the test boat is a little bow down, with the wide stem pushing water and creating a bow wave.

Broad aft sections and a garage that can house a RIB up to 2.8m. Photo: Transform Media/Arcona Yachts

However, it maintained high average speeds and once you fetch off or set an offwind sail, double figures are easily achievable. Under Code 0, for example, in 14 knots true wind, we averaged 10 knots, making up to 11 in 1.5m waves.

A glance at the beamy stern sections will tell you it’s a design that should suit reaching, and with the big blue gennaker set we were treated to some gorgeous sailing in 13-17 knots during an unusually warm autumnal afternoon. The Arcona 50 then maintained over 10 knots at 70-80° to the apparent and, with a swell off our quarter, we hit 11.7 knots.

The ability of the boat to harness light- to mid-strength winds also stood out. During our second sail, as we relaxed into some mile munching, with Abba booming out of the cockpit speakers and the foot of that big blue gennaker skirting the water, we almost matched the 10 knot true wind.

When I finally relinquished the wheel and ventured below decks, it was noticeably quiet at heel. The keel is attached directly to a galvanised steel frame, which is bolted to solid GRP stringers, a longstanding backbone technique to Arcona builds.

On this Arcona 50, the bulkheads are in Divinycell foam sandwich, with honeycomb or foam also used to core some joiner work (doors/floors/lockers), a weight saving measure employed more on race boats. Arcona argues that the weight saved is put into lead in the keel, which helps translate to high stability and pointing, and a taller rig for more performance. “The aim is always to have a faster boat than our opponents, and we think we are,” Lagnéus commented.

Fine views forward for the helmsperson over uncluttered decks. Photo: Transform Media/Arcona Yachts

That said, the drawbacks a standard draught of 2.95m bring were patently evident as we headed back to port. Granted, the spring tides were particularly large that week, however the Arcona was the only yacht of the group we were testing for European Yacht of the Year trials not to be able to moor overnight in Port de Plaisance/Minimes, one of the world’s largest marinas with over 4,500 berths.

Instead it had to move into the town’s locked-in marina with the IMOCA 60s and other large craft. The 2.5m option will likely be the more popular choice, while a 2.2m shallow L-shape option is also offered.

An 80hp Yanmar saildrive is fitted as standard. The test boat had the 100hp upgrade, which is perhaps overkill for a performance cruiser such as this, but adds plenty of torque, which could be useful for motorsailing. It allowed us to record 7.5 knots at just 2,000rpm or hit 10.5 knots flat out. For those concerned with manoeuvrability, bow and stern thrusters are offered.

Arcona 50 styling

The deck design helps indicate the primary purpose for the Arcona 50. It’s very much on trend for this style of yacht, and will more suit warm weather sailing than offshore cruising.

Lagnéus stressed how important the tender garage is, for instance. When you go to the effort of design styling that they have, davits would spoil the lines, he thinks. This decision helps define the shape, the broad aft sections and twin rudders. He predicts that owners will want to use a large dinghy frequently on this size of yacht while at anchor in Med and Baltic waters, and therefore a garage makes most sense (housing a RIB up to 2.8m).

Reaching hull speed. The test boat has a painted aluminium John Mast. The stepped sprit helps create a lower aesthetic and increases the Code’s luff length. Photo: Transform Media/Arcona Yachts

Other deck features point towards warm weather coastal sailing and are in line with the competition. The coamings are shallow and the coachroof is flat for example, so there is very little cockpit protection unless you raise the sprayhood from its recessed well. There is also currently no option to close off the transom, while the gas locker and tankage is on the moderate size for a 50-footer.

Practical features include the deep sail locker and dedicated liferaft locker. The rudders are on separate quadrants and independent Jefa steering connections, so if you lose one you can still steer using the other. And the vacuum infused composite watertight bulkheads both forward and aft will aid peace of mind.

Comfy settees and plenty of natural light in the main saloon. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

Light and light

In a similar vein to the exterior styling, the interior is very much on trend, especially in the light oak finish of the test boat. The bright, spacious and welcoming design features plenty of natural light thanks to the long coachroof and hull ports and tasteful down and indirect lighting.

And it’s been finished to a high standard, especially when you consider what you can’t see. The foam cored bulkheads, doors and lockers save 60kg (over typical plywood), says Lagnéus, while the plywood honeycomb structure used in the companionway steps save another 30kg.

Galley is thoughtfully laid out for ergonomic use and is well equipped. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

A second galley layout is offered, one which closes off the access from the companionway and links the galley to saloon. Other than that, layout choices are minimal – a larger wardrobe in the forward cabin and double or twin berth options for the aft cabins.

Arcona offers the space saving Gastronorm system from galley experts GN Espace, an ergonomic solution designed to use the sink, workspace and oven most efficiently and one I’m always surprised more new yachts don’t employ. It uses cooking trays that are designed to maximise the oven size and to stow neatly in or on the sink, for example.

Airy owners’ cabin. The aft section of the berth lifts on struts. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

The galley has more smart solutions in a coffee area, and a large bin section which can open out hands-free. A large locker below the sink can be used for stowage or a dishwasher. Extra refrigeration space is offered on top of the standard 120lt top opener, while there’s also an option to fit a washing machine instead of the practical wet locker in the aft heads shower compartment.

Shelving on the main bulkhead and tasteful lighting helps make for an attractive saloon. It’s comfortable too. The starboard sofa berth suits relaxation, with its thick, lower cushioning, and the saloon’s bench seat slides out to starboard so you can use it as a footrest. This berth remains separate to the navstation, which has its own swing out stool for working facing outboard.

Aft cabins can be twin, doubles, or twins with a fill-in. Photo: Ludovic Fruchaud

There were still a few modifications needed on the test boat. While the integral rail above the navstation and starboard sofa is a standard fit, some more handholds would be useful at heel or in a seaway. A handrail can be specified on the headlining and Arcona is considering adding a rail to the galley countertop. The yard will also likely change the aft heads door to open outwards as it’s currently quite tight to close the door once you enter.

The cabins are all of generous size, again with plenty of natural light and dimmable LED lighting. The owner’s ensuite cabin includes a neat forward facing coachroof window, plus there are double hatches above the berth.

While the double locker in its entrance is not wardrobe depth, it does have a removable panel to access a deeper section for hanging longer clothes, and the bed lifts easily on struts to give access to the large stowage space below.

In general, stowage is practical, especially in the raised lockers which run through the boat. The tanks are fitted below the sole, leaving largely stowage space below the saloon berths. Between the aft cabins is a narrow but valuable service locker. Aboard Dancing Queen this contained the optional 10kW generator, which Lagnéus considers the best choice for those who want to run aircon or a watermaker. The battery bank meanwhile is below the navstation and starboard saloon berth, with the upgraded three lithium batteries providing 640Ah at 24V.

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This is a sparkly new addition to the luxury performance cruiser market, and one that’s been executed very well. Its looks are backed up by high build and finish quality and performance on the water. While I doubt it’ll be raced (like the smaller Arconas often are), or will suit typical bluewater use, it offers a purity of performance push-button sailing. Where the Arcona is a handsome prospect upwind in a light breeze, it transforms into a powerful reaching machine with stacks of control. The €1m+ question is whether there’s room for yet another premium cruiser brand at this size? Time will tell. Arcona obviously feels there’s space to play here – and by pricing this above its direct competitors yet below Swan, it’s suggesting exactly where this model sits. Having sailed No1 Dancing Queen, I’d have little hesitation in recommending this model. Yet I’m equally excited about Arcona’s revival and to see how this flagship helps propel its mainstay 35-45ft models in the years to come.

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Arcona 370: A quality offshore cruiser that eats up the miles

• David Harding
• September 16, 2021

If you’re in search of a capable and competitive 37-footer for offshore sailing, you might like to have a good look at the Arcona 370, says David Harding

The Arcona 370 is a solid passagemaker and is well laid out for offshore sailing. Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

Manufacturer:.

It can be a leap of faith to become the first person in the country to buy a particular type of boat.

If, however, you have faith in the company behind the boat, the people you’re going to be dealing with and, of course, in the boat itself, is there any reason to hold back?

Back in 2003, Kathy Claydon didn’t think there was.

Kathy Claydon started sailing in dinghies before moving on to offshore yachts. She’s an Ocean Yachtmaster and has logged thousands of racing and cruising miles in the last 40 years. Credit: David Harding

The boat she had in her sights was the Arcona 370, then the newest model in a Swedish range that few people in the UK had heard of.

Since then, Arcona has become an established and highly respected name among British sailors, helping to maintain the reputation of Swedish yachts in general for combining good performance with soundly engineered construction and an exceptionally high level of interior finish.

The fact that Arcona’s smaller models are built on an Estonian island (albeit one with a Swedish history) had no significant bearing on the way the boats were perceived in the early days – and nor should it.

Other Scandinavian yards have also taken advantage of the boatbuilding skills offered by some of the islands in the Baltic.

An efficient deck layout works for short-handed sailing or fully-crewed racing. The aftermost pair of winches has proved useful. Credit: David Harding

Arcona’s HQ was (and still is) in Gustavsberg, near Stockholm, where the Estonian-built boats are completed before being shipped or commissioned.

Kathy’s only problem at the time was that there were no 370s in the UK.

She had sailed the 400 owned by the then UK distributor, Tony Bottomley, liked it and had faith in the construction, but a trip to Sweden was needed for her to see a 370 in the flesh, to visit the yard and to meet the builders.

Arcon 370: Faster in style

Arcona buyers have often come from older cruiser/racers, such as Contessas, S&Ss, Sigmas, Hustlers, Sadlers, Starlights, Westerly Fulmars and so on – offshore passage-makers that are capable of covering the ground swiftly while looking after the crew.

Although the Contessa 32 that Kathy had co-owned since 1996 was reasonably swift for its size and age, it simply didn’t have the speed to match the newer, bigger boats that made up the bulk of the RORC and JOG fleets, and Kathy had become fed up with missing the prize-giving after a race.

A modified arrangement of blocks on the mainsheet traveller allows for easier control from the helm or elsewhere. Credit: David Harding

She did a lot of JOG and RORC racing, and the final straw was when she arrived in Plymouth at the end of the 2003 Fastnet to find the silverware cleared away and everyone gone home.

She didn’t know it at the time, but she had won the two-handed class and finished 43rd overall in an IRC fleet of 250 boats.

For someone in Kathy’s position, finding a suitable boat to move up to can present a challenge.

She looked around, and sailed some that looked promising only to find that they slammed horribly upwind. She wasn’t prepared to trade more speed for an uncomfortable ride.

Then, via JOG, she caught wind of the Arconas.

They seemed to offer the qualities she was looking for and the Arcona 370 was the right size.

The cockpit coamings are comfortably shaped and angled for the helmsman and crew to sit to windward. Credit: David Harding

So, after sailing the 400 and visiting Sweden to see a 370, she placed an order. Her boat was delivered in March 2004.

I first sailed with Kathy on Arcsine (what other name could you choose as a former maths teacher who has just bought an Arcona?) in the autumn of 2006.

In those days the boat was based in the Solent because Kathy was running RYA courses and taking clients out on RORC and JOG races, local regattas and corporate team-building days.

Since she had already completed the 2005 Fastnet and put over 12,000 miles on the log, I had expected the boat to be showing a few signs of wear around the edges.

After 17 years with her Arcona 370, Kathy Claydon has everything pretty well as she wants it. Credit: David Harding

In the event, I was pleasantly surprised to find Arcsine looking remarkably new and fresh both above decks and below.

A quick look in the cabin confirmed that the Arcona 370 was built in a way that I considered a proper hand-crafted boat should be built.

There were no interior mouldings except in the heads. The joinery was in mahogany which, though not so fashionable now, stands up to abuse better than most timbers.

There were locker units each side in the saloon which extended to the underside of the deckhead, and the bulkheads were bonded directly to the hull and deck.

Getting tough

Everything I saw on the Arcona 370 pointed to a boat that was built to last and to stay looking good.

That includes Arcona’s internal galvanised steel frame, bolted to the stringers and the main bulkhead, which stiffens the hull and takes the loads from the rig and keel .

As you would imagine, the keel is bolted through the frame.

One Arcona 370 was reported to have hit a rock in the Stockholm archipelago at 8.5 knots.

A pair of cowl vents abaft the mast help air circulation below decks. Credit: David Harding

The owner was airlifted to hospital but the boat was back in the water a couple of days later after a minor repair to the hull abaft the keel.

Lead keels, apart from being hydrodynamically superior to iron by virtue of their density, are also more forgiving when you hit something.

A frame like this should allow high rig tensions to be applied with no distortion to the hull.

Tony Bottomley had previously owned a 35ft one-design from a big European builder and said it went distinctly bendy because of the rig loads.

Maintaining adequate rig tension is fundamental when it comes to performance, and Arcona has always taken performance seriously.

Minimal-overlap headsails provide plenty of power in most conditions but inboard rigging allows genoas to be used. Credit: David Harding

All the designs have been drawn by the late Stefan Qviberg, a talented designer who worked almost exclusively for Arcona and whose objectives were to create boats that were fast, attractive and fun to sail.

They also happened to be competitive under IRC in the right hands, though they were too stable to rate well under rating systems that penalised stability.

Qviberg certainly pulled it off with the Arcona 370.

As soon as I took the helm of Arcsine on my first sail with Kathy I felt very much at home.

The boat set off on a beam reach in 10 knots of wind at just under 7 knots, feeling lithe and eager to go yet not remotely skittish.

Around 80 Arcona 370s were built between 2003-2013. Credit: David Harding

Hardening up on to a breeze that nudged 15 knots on occasions we consistently clocked speeds in the high 6s, de-powering the mainsail as necessary to maintain a comfortable angle of heel.

Unlike many modern equivalents, the Arcona 370 has a single wheel rather than twins.

Nonetheless, with the cut-out in the cockpit sole and a transom that’s only moderately wide by today’s standards, it’s comfortably reached by the helmsmen from the coamings.

I liked the light yet positive feel and the high gearing that gives a single turn from lock to lock.

So often, one finds tortuously low gearing partly because cruising owners are prone to over-steering: the high gearing on the Arcona suggests that she’s aimed at helmsmen who know how to sail.

The Arcona 370 was the second yacht launched as part of Arcona’s new generation of boats. Credit: David Harding

Despite having been impressed in 2006, I couldn’t help wondering whether, 15 years on and having sailed dozens of newer boats in the meantime, I would still find the Arcona 370 to measure up as she had before.

I needn’t have worried, because when I headed out into Weymouth Bay on Arcsine earlier this year the boat felt exactly the same.

Kathy now sails from Weymouth, where she’s based, because she no longer operates commercially.

She races as keenly as ever and won the two-handed class in last year’s inaugural Lonely Rock race.

Since our first sail she has raced tens of thousands of miles (taking in four more Fastnets) in events that have taken her as far as Cascais.

With high-aspect ratio headsails, a barber-hauler is essential on a reach. Credit: David Harding

At the end of this particular JOG race she found herself surfing down the waves under just the storm jib at up to 18 knots, one wave causing some concern until its height provided a lee and allowed the boat to slow down before hitting the bottom of the trough.

‘The boat will take anything,’ says Kathy.

She has wondered from time to time whether she might move to something a little smaller and less muscular to sail, but has yet to find a boat that has seriously tempted her.

If she ever does, buyers are likely to be queuing up for Arcsine : second-hand 370s are hard to find, particularly ones with a record like this.

Arcsine now uses hanked headsails with reef points rather than a twin-groove headfoil. Credit: David Harding

Given that most of her sailing is shorthanded passage racing rather than around the cans, Kathy has changed from a twin-groove headfoil to hanked headsails on a conventional forestay.

‘The bolt rope was prone to coming out of the foil during changes,’ she says. ‘You can’t do a peel with hanks, so it’s less slick but more reliable.’

In any event, headsail changes are less frequent than they used to be because the genoas with bolt ropes haven’t been replaced and, like many mainsail-driven boats with small foretriangles, Arcsine is now rated for minimal-overlappers.

Otherwise, on and above the deck she’s pretty much as she was apart from the mainsheet traveller arrangement.

A practical galley by the companionway, with a good laminated fiddle, cut-out handhold and an additional tap with a foot pump. Credit: David Harding

Kathy wanted a Harken windward-sheeting traveller, but it wouldn’t fit (and Arcona have always used Lewmar), so she modified the arrangements of blocks to make it easier to control from the helm.

She did, however, specify Andersen winches from the outset and has now added electric power to the starboard coachroof winch to make hoisting the mainsail easier.

Verdict on the Arcona 370

It’s testament to the design and construction of the Arcona 370 that Kathy, who has covered so many miles with her boat, has needed to change so little.

The new Zeus3 plotter lives in a swivelling pod at the helm, though swivel-space is limited because the mainsheet is close to the pedestal.

Kathy likes having a display by the wheel that shows AIS data so she can watch other boats during races.

Having raced on Arcsine too, I can vouch for the fact that the deck layout works. In this case it’s geared more towards short-handed passage racing than to a full crew crashing around the cans.

Significantly, Kathy has had equally little reason to make any significant changes below decks.

The internal steel frame stiffens the hull and distributes the loads from the rig and keel. Credit: David Harding

She altered the hinges on the forwardmost access panel outboard of the chart table so that it opens about a vertical axis to swing the GPS display to a comfortable viewing angle.

For navigation she runs Sea Pro software on an ordinary laptop connected to a TV monitor, having never found a need for anything designed specifically for marine use (except a waterproof keyboard).

Keeping water out of the bunk cushions has to be a priority on a boat that’s slept on, so Kathy has vinyl-covered cushions in the saloon.

In the forward and aft cabins she has left the original upholstery, protecting the vulnerable areas at the aft end of the forecabin cushions and the forward end of the aft cabin cushions by wrapping them in industrial-strength cling film.

The Arcona 370 has a single wheel rather than twins. Credit: David Harding

‘That’s where people kneel and lean over in wet waterproofs,’ says Kathy, ‘so those areas need protecting but it’s nicer to sleep on cushions that aren’t covered in vinyl.’

David Harding has been testing boats for decades and is also a sailing photographer

In terms of layout, the Arcona 370 sticks to the tried-and-tested arrangement for offshore sailing , with the galley and chart table to port and starboard respectively by the companionway.

Abaft the heads is a useful door that opens into the aft locker.

It’s the details that really make the difference: the quality of the joinery and the abundance of laminated curves; the simple lift-and-pull solution to stop drawers flying open; the bottom-hinged lockers so the contents don’t spill out when you open them; the thick sole boards with sealed end-grain; the battened, vinyl-covered headlining that can be removed to allow access to the fastenings for the deck hardware; the stainless steel fuel and water tanks that wouldn’t call for a chainsaw if you had to remove them – and so on.

Even the things that aren’t obvious at a boat show make a lot of difference in the long run.

For Kathy and Arcsine , it has been a pretty long run – and a happy and successful run too.

Expert opinion on the Arcona 370

Nick Vass B,Sc B,Ed HND FRINA MCMS DipMarSur YS, Marine Surveyor.

www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk

Fastening chainplates to the keel and bulkhead by means of a metal frame makes a lot of sense as steel fabrication, welding and hot-dip galvanising is cheap and easy. So, why aren’t all yachts made this way?

There are reasons.

Keel-stepped masts make the structure stiffer, too, so connecting up chainplates is such an obvious thing to do to make the boat very stiff indeed.

Steel frames are not a new idea and were found on Finot-designed yachts such as the Fastnet 34 from the 70s.

The chart table on the Arcona 370 is to starboard. Credit: David Harding

Steel frames were used extensively on timber yachts, such as the Holman-designed Stella, and later, strip-planked hulls.

There are drawbacks, however, as even galvanised steel frames can rust.

I discovered this on an Arcona where the shower drain broke allowing waste water to fester in the bilge.

The main bulkhead began to decay and the frame rusted from inside as water got into the holes that are cut to allow the zinc to flow.

You can’t galvanise closed box sections.

The frame had to be removed, stripped and re-galvanised. Something has to give when making a yacht stiff and I have found cracks on Arcona hulls around the keel as the flexible fibreglass hull distorted around the rigid frame.

Rod rigging is useful under both tension and compression but if you overtighten the shrouds, shock loads are transferred to the mast or hull causing stress.

Robin Milledge, Dip. Yacht & Small Craft Surveying, MCA Coding Surveyor.

www.rozelmarine.co.uk

Around 80 Arcona 370s were built between 2005 and 2013. I have surveyed a couple of early 370s, as well as larger and later models in the Arcona range and found them to be well built and fitted out with good quality fittings and equipment.

Hulls and decks are laid up using a resin infusion system to ensure accurate consolidation of the resin, with a closed cell foam core tapering to a solid laminate in the lower areas of the underwater body around the keel, through hull fittings and rudder tube.

The usual checks need to be carried out for any delamination, or high moisture content, although I have not found this to be an issue.

Few performance cruisers can match the interior finish and attention to detail of the Arcona 370. Lee-cloths and vinyl cushion covers mark Arcsine out as a true passage-maker. Credit: David Harding

The hull-to-deck joint is over laminated and all bulkheads, structural floors and items of fixed furniture are hand laminated to the hull skin.

Robin Milledge, surveyor at Rozel Marine

The hull incorporates a galvanised steel box section along the centreline, with transverse girders tying the hull structure, bulkheads, chain plate anchor points and keel fastenings together and evenly distributing keel and rig loads.

Access to inspect the steel structure and the keel fastenings is difficult unless the saloon table and fixed sole boards are removed.

Don’t be put off by any loose or cracked flow coat resin or filler between the hull skin and edges of the steel girder, this is purely a cosmetic issue.

Where cathodic protection relies solely on the sail-drive collar anode, the external flanges of the through hull fittings need close inspection for signs of de-zincification.

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA)

www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

The Arcona 370 pushed the boundaries of normal production boats and don’t often surface on the UK second hand market.

As a result, I’ve not previously surveyed one, but like all good surveyors I have researched the design and structure of the yacht to highlight what to look out for.

These yachts were reinforced, with the use of a galvanised steel frame that takes the loading of the mast, keel and chain plates.

The frame also ties into the front of the engine beds as well.

The Arcona 370 was extremely popular and are hard to find on the second hand market. Credit: David Harding

It’s obviously quite important to spend some time looking at the framing; inspect its condition for signs of any corrosion.

Ben Sutcliffe- Davies has been in the marine industry for over 40 years as a long- time boat builder, has been surveying craft for over 20 years

Likewise carefully examine the fastenings and check for any indicators of grounding or overloading.

Be aware that this won’t be so obvious with this type of frame structure.

Her lead keel is a great shock absorber but will give only very subtle clues of past groundings.

The hull is built using a Divinycell foam core. This is quite a posh type of polyvinyl foam.

While I fully understand the benefits of strength to weight ratio, I’ve never been the greatest fan of any core under the waterline, although many boat builders use several types of foam or the dreaded balsa.

If the boat has suffered any overloading of her structure then the foam is more likely to come apart where the  sandwich of the foam is introduced.

Overall, Arcona is known for its pedigree and quality build finish and their boats give years of good service.

Alternatives to the Arcona 370

Finngulf 37.

Hull lines are unextreme, with a slight rake to the term and a transom of modest width by today’s standards. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Slim, swish and sporty in the traditional Scandinavian style, this Finnish design by Karl-Johan Stråhlmann has much in common with the Arcona 370 in many respects.

Launched in 2004, she was the last of the second-generation of Finngulfs, coming after the 28, 41, 33 and 46.

All were designed by Stråhlmann, who was then Finland’s only full-time independent yacht designer.

Performance and handling are hard to fault.

She’s a remarkably quick boat, thanks to slippery lines, a light but stiff foam-cored hull, plenty of ballast in the lead keel and a powerful rig with an inboard shroud base that gives the option of overlapping genoas for extra power in light airs .

Positioning the wheel as far astern as possible means the cockpit is roomy. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Since Finland’s coastal waters are almost as rock-strewn as Sweden’s – if not more so – keel attachment and stiffness in the bottom of the hull is also taken seriously, but Finngulf preferred to use a laminated grid rather than a steel frame.

The grid is tied into substantial stringers, while directional fibres direct the loads from the chainplates down to the stringers and frames.

Performance-wise, the Finngulf is capable of showing a clean pair of heels to most boats her size or a good deal larger.

She will readily clock 7 knots upwind and nigh on 10 knots downwind in flat water.

She’s stiff, responsive and great fun to sail, though you might want to fit the biggest wheel the cockpit will accommodate because the standard one is barely big enough for comfortable helming from the coamings.

Below decks the Finngulf is beautifully finished, with teak being the standard timber.

As on the Arcona 370, internal mouldings are minimal and access to the essential systems is good.

Out-of-sight areas are given almost as much attention as those on show, to the extent that even the top of the plywood headliner panels are varnished to prevent water absorption. Ventilation is taken seriously too.

The layout is traditional, with the galley and heads by the companionway, and there’s a choice of one or two double cabins in the stern.

Like the Salona and Arcona, the X-37 is built with an internal steel stiffening frame. Credit: David Harding

One of the best-known Scandinavian builders of cruiser/racers with a high-grade interior finish, X-Yachts launched the 37 back in 2004.

She was part of an all-new range, following the 43, 46, 50 and 40, and proved highly successful on the race course.

She was also numerically successful – nearly 150 boats were ordered and left the yard in Haderslev until production ended in 2010.

Distinctive features include the fine bow sections, which contribute to an easy motion upwind in a seaway but inevitably limit space forward of the mast below decks.

Compared with boats such as the Arcona 370 and Finngulf 37, the X is built in a more modular manner with a greater number of interior mouldings and perhaps not quite the same attention to the detailing and interior finish, especially where it’s less obvious.

Nonetheless, she’s several cuts above most of the performance cruisers from the big European builders.

On the water, as her racing record testifies, she’s a hard boat to match and, in common with sports cruisers of this nature, she’s highly responsive.

If you can’t handle a quick boat with just over one turn of the wheel from lock to lock, look elsewhere.

Accommodation-wise she comes with a choice of two-cabin or three-cabin layouts.

Because of her slim hull, the twin double aft cabin layout is a little tight for space and stowage but that’s something you have to live with if you want the extra berths in a 37-footer as fast as this one.

Grand Soleil 37

Owners of the Grand Soleil 37 were given the choice of one or two double aft cabins. Credit: David Harding

This is not the Grand Soleil 37 designed by J&J and introduced in 1996, but a very different model from the Spanish-based design team of Botin and Carkeek that was launched in 2005.

Built in Italy by Cantiere del Pardo, she’s an altogether racier proposition than her predecessor and, indeed, than the Arcona, X or Finngulf.

In fact racer/cruiser might be a more appropriate description than cruiser/racer although, in the Grand Soleil tradition, she has an interior (in stained mahogany) that places her in a league above most other boats of similar size that are capable of getting anywhere near her on the race course.

Despite the emphasis on performance, acknowledgement that some owners might want cruising concessions beyond pleasing woodwork comes in the form of an optional shallower fin giving a draught of 1.9m (6ft 2in) rather than the 2.4m (7ft 11) of the deep fin.

Continues below…

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As with the Arcona 370, the loads from the keel and keel-stepped rig are taken by an internal steel frame, this time bonded rather than bolted to the hull.

Layout-wise, there’s a choice of one or two double aft cabins.

Either way, the single heads remains to port by the companionway.

Forward of the heads and opposite the seating and table in the saloon is a linear galley, which some might consider makes the Grand Soleil less suitable for passage-making than the traditional galley-aft arrangement because it means fewer sea-berths amidships.

The master cabin is forward.

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Arcona Yachts launch new model - Arcona 345

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Performance cruiser

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With her beautiful lines, modern hull shape, open transom, more accessible stowage and increased interior light, she continues in the tradition of the Arcona 410 as a quality performance cruiser with superb attention to detail.

The impressive pace, comfort, great lines and ability to sail with ease even in difficult weather conditions will continue in the Arcona 415. Experience the feel and responsiveness of the boat to the helm. With the sheets and control lines all to hand in the cockpit, she is easy to sail shorthanded.

The Arcona 415 has twin wheels, first introduced to the Arcona fleet on the Arcona 410, which make it possible to sit well to windward with a clear view of the sails whilst the spacious cockpit has room for the whole crew when in harbour.

The Arcona 415 is equipped with a Yanmar 3JH40C x SD60-5-223S as standard and can be upgraded to a diesel 4JH45C x SD60-5-223S.

The Arcona 415 can also be upgraded to an Oceanvolt Servoprop 15kW electric propulsion system, with variable pitch propeller technology and comes with a 23.2kWh* battery pack. A 15kW electric motor is the equivalent of a 50hp diesel engine on our 40-43ft yachts.

She combines exceptional sailing performance whether cruising or racing, with plenty of space and comfort for family and crew.

Contact [email protected]   for further information on this new Arcona model.

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Arcona 415 Magazine Tests

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Pearl Yachts delivers first 25m model with private owner's terrace

The first unit in Pearl Yachts ' 25.3-metre series, christened Pearly Spencer , has been delivered following her debut at this year's Cannes Yachting Festival . According to BOATPro , she is now anchored in Port de Portals Nous in Palma, Mallorca.

The Pearl 82 model sits between the shipyard's Pearl 95 and Pearl 72 offerings and features a raised pilothouse design with two aft deck configurations and a semi-walkaround deck with a forward master suite and private forepeak terrace. 

The company claims this model is the only yacht in its class to offer this type of configuration, and Pearl Yachts managing director, Iain Smallridge, called the 82 "the most compact superyacht on the market".

The Pearl 82 builds on the collaboration between the shipyard and Bill Dixon whose studio, Dixon Yacht Design , created the exterior profile and naval architecture. Naturally, the model shares a sporty profile with the rest of the Pearl range with an exterior defined by four bands of dark glass.

Owners are offered the choice between two aft deck arrangements: the "Riviera" configuration with aft-facing sunpads behind the table and a sofa set up, and the "Veranda" layout with pivoting seating that can be used for dining or for observing activities at sea. Fold-down bulwarks at this level expand the aft cockpit, while a tender garage offers storage for a Williams 345 tender – or similar – and a Jet Ski.

All the outdoor areas can be protected by a foredeck Bimini, electric shades and the hard top on the flybridge, which can be set to full shade, adjustable louvres and full sun at the touch of a button. The owner's foredeck lounge is also connected to the flybridge deck and benefits from a full-sized dining table, a bar, a sunpad and a spa pool.

Kelly Hoppen, another long-time Pearl Yachts collaborator, is responsible for the interior which accommodates up to 10 guests with a forward master suite that has access to a private bow terrace through a glass door. The remaining guest accommodation is found on the lower deck, configured as two twins and two doubles.

"We've used beautiful materials, and the joinery and the detailing are absolutely intricate, but the feel of when you are on board is quite open plan, with these wonderfully enlarged windows, which make you feel that you are really out at sea, rather than being enclosed inside of a yacht," said Hoppen.

Other interior highlights include a main saloon with floor-to-ceiling windows which, together with cut-out bulwarks, allow an abundance of natural light to fill the space. Forward is dining for all 10 guests with galley access to port.

Engine room access, galley access and foredeck access are all positioned on the port side of the yacht, ensuring privacy for guests and crew.

"The design revealed in Düsseldorf set the stage for what will be a truly spectacular world premiere at Cannes next September," Smallridge said at the yacht's launch in July 2024 . "This yacht is a testament to our feature-focused philosophy and innovative spirit, and to our dedication to pushing the limits of yacht design and flawless quality."

The Pearl 82 offers owners a choice of three propulsion packages with twin MAN V12 engines ranging from 1,650hp to 2,000hp, with the most powerful engines delivering a top speed of 33 knots.

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