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Boréal 55 – tested and reviewed

The new boréal 55 is a go-anywhere yacht that will get even the most stolid sailor dreaming of far-flung horizons.

There is something about yacht cruising that seems to attract dreamers. If you don’t believe me, head to any boatyard and have a chat with a few of the owners pottering about on their yachts. If – and I stress if – you manage to cut through the perfunctory niceties of anodes, seacocks and favoured types of antifouling to get on to cruising destinations, I almost guarantee that it won’t be long before spots like Patagonia, the South Seas or even the Northwest Passage crop up. Never mind that the yacht in question has never sailed past Portland Bill, the dream is still hazily there in the owner’s mind. I guess it’s part of what keeps us interested in sailing – the promise of the far-flung horizon.

The Boréal 55 is a dangerous yacht because it makes those distant pipe dreams far too attainable. She is one of a growing fleet of rugged aluminium boats tailored for the kind of adventure cruising that could just as easily take in picking your way through ice fields or booming before the trades.

Boréal is based in the pretty French town of Tréguier in north Brittany, but was actually the brainchild of Belgian sailor Jean-François Delvoye. Initially, he was simply trying to build his own dream boat, distilling everything he had learnt from six years of bluewater cruising with his family. But the resulting Boréal 50 proved so popular that he ended up going into the boatbuilding business. The Boréal 52 was the natural development of the 50 and was launched in 2014 to great acclaim, scooping the European Yacht of the Year in the bluewater cruising category. The 55 I tested is essentially the same boat with a sugar scoop stern instead of a transom.

Rugged good looks

Like many yachts in this genre, the Boréal 55 boasts a centreboard and aluminium construction of both hull and deck. Double-chined and not as beamy aft as many contemporary designs, she is incredibly solidly built: the bottom plates are 12mm-thick aluminium and her lower chine is 8mm. She features a specially reinforced sacrificial forefoot and a watertight collision bulkhead behind this – handy for ice or sunken containers. Understandably, her displacement is a healthy 15 tonnes.

One look at the rugged exterior of the 55 leaves you in no doubt about what she has been designed for. Those brushed aluminium topsides and hard angles all speak of utilitarianism, while the solid aluminium sprayhood fairly yells practicality. Yet for all that, she’s not bad looking, with a certain power and purpose at rest. I find myself dreaming of Patagonia and have to give myself a stern ticking off when no one is looking.

Step aboard and there is an instant feel of solidity. The stanchions, for example, are welded right through to the hull giving absolutely no flex (not so handy if you bend one). This is a yacht designed to take a beating if required. The cockpit is uncluttered and the mainsheet is sited out of the way on top of the coachroof. There is a single steering pedestal – a feature that is becoming unusual on any yacht over 35ft these days – and a simply huge lazarette. I am told that this was designed for the express purpose of accommodating a 125cc motorbike. I can only say that this rather novel design brief has been accomplished. You could pretty much live in there.

I was initially surprised at how open the cockpit was for a serious bluewater cruiser; the large deck space aft clad in synthetic teak looked more suited to Med sunbathing. Yet there is a well sheltered and secure space just abaft the doghouse and once I was ushered in through the watertight door I fully began to understand how secure you could feel in a storm. Seated in a comfortable chair with a large chart table in front of you, there is an excellent all-round view and you can happily control the yacht using the autopilot. Storm-tossed night watches need never be quite such an ordeal again.

The side decks have a generous amount of non-skid and are open and clear with a plethora of good handholds. Up at the mast is another clever touch: rather than siting the anchor windlass at the bow, it is situated just forward of the mast with the anchor chain led back from the bow and stored in a locker by the mast step. When you have a serious bluewater yacht, you need large amounts of anchor chain and this keeps all that weight nice and central.

The hydraulic windlass can also be used for raising the mainsail, although the halyard goes back to the cockpit for raising in the usual way. At the bow is a very sturdy roller/bowsprit for setting a Code 0 or gennaker.

Thoughtful interior

So far so good, but I headed below with some trepidation. These French go-anywhere yachts can have the sort of stark interiors that make you want to go anywhere other than down below. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how civilised the Boréal was.

The deck saloon arrangement let in plenty of light and the standard of finish was good. The galley was sited to starboard with the centreboard case offering a good bracing point.

The saloon area to port is raised up to give you the benefit of the view, and could comfortably accommodate eight. That said, the yacht felt relatively small for a 55-footer and this can partly be explained by the fact that she is thoroughly insulated with 80mm polystyrene throughout – she even features double glazing to ensure you are cool in the tropics and warm in the high latitudes.

Again, there are a number of thoughtful little touches on show: a good example being when you turn on a light, it initially comes on in red mode, so your night vision is not impaired.

Forward of the galley is a workshop area, although on this yacht it had been turned into an office – all Boréals are semi-custom. There is also a Refleks diesel stove here, which will ensure a cosy cabin in cold climes.

I could easily picture myself toasting my toes by this while bound for Patagonia. The owner’s cabin is forward and is well appointed with its own ensuite heads and shower.

There is also space for a washing machine here.

Aft, there are two more berths with a communal heads/shower unit. There is the option to use one of these berths purely for storage or have bunk beds. Engine access is also excellent.

Patagonia bound?

Interior thoroughly inspected, it was time to go sailing. For those unfamiliar with Treguier, the marina is a tight one, situated in a narrow bottleneck of an estuary with exceptionally strong tides. To complicate matters, the breeze was fresh and gusty.

This particular 55 had bow and stern thrusters which I had initially tutted at, but I must admit they were a blessing.

Two of my biggest gripes actually concern the engine. First, the control panel for firing it up was in the pilot house, while I generally prefer to have it within reach of the helmsman. Second, the throttle was one of those weird ones where you have to lift the top of the lever up to drop it into gear – just the kind of thing to screw you over in a tight situation.

The Boréal has a 75hp Volvo and an 879lt fuel tank in the keel core, with the option of two extra 378l tanks giving her a phenomenal range. She also carries 1,470lt of fresh water. There are special water catchers built into the lazy jacks to further boost your supplies. These kinds of things are important when you are headed to Patagonia which, in my imagination at least, we were.

Out in the shallows of the river, the Boréal’s draught of 1.14m with the centreboard up became a real asset. It is raised on a hydraulic ram and there is the option of a push-button control in the cockpit, which certainly could be handy around the rock-strewn coast of Brittany. Once clear of the estuary, we put up and reefed the mainsail with the aid of the anchor winch, which sounds odd, but worked very well. The 55 is cutter rigged with a 9/10ths fractional rig and we had taken the precaution of reefing the main. The conditions were pretty wild, to be fair, with a 20-25kts breeze blowing and a hefty swell rolling in. I had spent the previous week skippering a particularly beautiful deep keel cruiser/racer which I’m ashamed to confess I had fallen in love with. I was interested to see how the shallow draught centreboarder contrasted. Not too badly was the answer. She wasn’t quite so well mannered upwind and had a propensity to gripe somewhat in the gusts, but this was natural given the conditions.

This tendency was also tempered by an interesting innovation: Jean Francois was adamant he wanted a single rudder on a skeg for the strength and protection this configuration affords. The problem here is that, with this hull shape, twin rudders offer a good deal of extra grip. The solution has been the addition of two small daggerboards either side of the main rudder. Once lowered when on the wind, they immediately steadied the yacht down. Running with the wind, they also mean you can completely retract the main centreboard and retain good control of the yacht. It’s a clever touch that saves precious power with your autohelm on a long voyage.

At 15,000kg, the Boréal is no lightweight flier and this was to her benefit in the conditions, as she sliced to windward with no slamming, making an easy 7kt plus at 40 degrees or so off the wind. I am assured that she is also pretty obliging in light airs, but will have to take their word for that. Off the wind she was impeccably mannered and on a beam reach she got easily into her groove and stayed there, hitting 8kt-plus. Suddenly the Atlantic seemed to beckon.

When Boréal set about designing the 52 and 55 it gave itself the unenviable design brief of ‘a ballasted boat with a centreboard going to windward, without bashing into the waves and with a soft helm’. Now, that is a challenge but one that the company has risen to admirably. Delvoye’s deep understanding of a bluewater cruising sailor’s requirements shines through in his design, with all sorts of little touches here and there adding up to a winning combination.

The interior is also a huge improvement on many of the previous go-anywhere aluminium boats which seemed to see the tag as an excuse to be spartan below. Not so the Boréal; the fit and finish is excellent and the feel is light but cosy.

My only real question mark applies to any yacht in this genre: I understand that a centreboard and shallow draught is mighty handy when coastal cruising – be that in Patagonia or Poole – but is a deep hull form or even long keel not better suited to the wilds of the Roaring Forties?

Performance: 4/5 Comfort: 4/5 Bluewater 5/5

THE SPEC LOA: 53ft 8in (16.4m) LWL: 45ft 3in (13.8m) Beam: 15ft 3in (4.7m) Draught (board up): 3ft 9in (1.1m) (board down): 10ft 3in (3.1m) Displacement: 15,000kg (33,070lb) Engine: Volvo D2-75 (75hp) Sail area: 130m² (1,400sqft)

PERFORMANCE AVS: 120° Sail area/displacement: 22 Displacement/LWL: 153

PRICE Base price: £565,000 As tested: £719,000 boreal-yachts.com

Insure this yacht with Craftinsure from £2,288.25.

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Boreal 52 boat test – The sailor’s off-roader

Matthew Sheahan
January 15, 2015

Is this 52-footer the Land Rover Discovery of sailing? Matthew Sheahan sails a no-nonsense, rugged French cruiser with an eye for adventure

The Boreal 52 has a purposeful, robust, utilitarian style. Photos: Jean-Marie Liot

If ‘off-road’ or ‘off-piste’ were categories in sailing, the Boréal 52 would be among the top contenders. From the brushed aluminium topsides to the no-nonsense, multi-layered protection offered by the distinctive double-stacked coachroof/doghouse, this 52-footer has unquestionably been designed to go anywhere and to head-butt the conditions when the going gets tough.

Designed by company founder and long-time sailor Jean François Delvoye, the Boréal range, which comprises six models, is built in Tréguier on the north coast of Brittany. Like her sisterships, the 52 is one of a growing number of deepwater, long-distance yachts conceived as much for exploration as for liveaboard family sailing. Indeed, Delvoye set up the company in 2005, creating the now-discontinued Boréal 50 after returning from a six-year voyage with his wife and four children.

To some, the purposeful, robust, utilitarian style is the standard to which any long-term cruising prospect has to conform. To others it is the catalyst inspiring them to make the move to a more ambitious type of sailing.

But whether you’re looking to cover long distances or live aboard, anywhere from Patagonia to Alaska this, say her creators, is a truly go-anywhere boat and she won the Bluewater Cruiser category in the 2015 European Yacht of the Year Awards .

Built for battle

Apart from those topsides, the one feature that draws your eye is the aluminium doghouse, with its tinted wraparound window. Although the structure simply does what most boats achieve with canvas on a tubular steel frame, this permanent structure says a lot about this boat.

The robust alloy doghouse says a lot about what this boat is all about

Step inside and you are presented with a large nav area with chartplotter/radar, not to mention a tremendous, almost 360° view, and it’s impossible not to start daydreaming about the ease with which you could stand your watch in even the foulest of weather.

The superstructure also provides substantial protection for crew in the cockpit, although it does mean that in order to get a good view forward, the helmsman needs to stand on the after deck. Yet this is better thought-out than you might expect.

At first glance the cockpit, comfortable and secure as it is, looks a shade shallower than you would have thought on a boat like this. But when you come to manoeuvre the boat at close quarters you see why as you step back and up onto the after deck. From here you can still reach the wheel with ease yet you get an elevated view over the coachroof without feeling as exposed as you might if you were standing on more normal cockpit seating.

With the mainsheet attachment on top of the doghouse, the cockpit is free of clutter, and the primary and secondary winches are well positioned on the coamings to be within easy reach of helmsman and crew.

What you don’t see

But it is the detail that you don’t see that offers the clearest indication of the level of thinking that has gone into this boat. One example is the provision for daggerboards inclined at 14° with a 4.5° incidence on either side of the single-blade rudder. These are used to help achieve a better balance upwind and reduce the physical loads and electrical demand on the autopilot.

Deploying both daggerboards downwind allows the centreboard keel to be lifted, which reduces drag while maintaining good directional stability.

Having a lifting centreboard and a long skeg onto which the boat can settle when she dries out limits the depth of the rudder blade. Although aft-mounted daggerboards could help even with a deep spade rudder, the low aspect ratio of this rudder offers even more benefits.

Elsewhere, discreet vents built into the aftermost lip of the doghouse force-feed fresh air below as and when required, and the solid alloy ‘bye-bye weather’ door inspires confidence in her ability to ride out the worst with ease.

One particularly clever detail is the use of the anchor windlass mounted in a flush deck locker by the mast – in order to keep the 250kg of chain more central – for raising the mainsail. Keeping the weight out of the ends of this boat is also helped by positioning the engine and batteries over the keel.

Room with a view

The overall deck saloon layout of the interior ensures that from normal seating positions it is possible to see what’s going on outside. The arrangement does, however, make for a smaller interior than you might expect of a 52ft boat.

The raised saloon provides good visibilty, excellent security and plenty of handholds

In contrast to the popular appetite for wide open spaces below decks that you see aboard many modern production cruisers, the Boréal’s layout once again says much about her ability to keep you secure when the going gets lumpy.

Throughout the entire accommodation, from the quarter cabins aft, through the longitudinal galley to starboard to the spacious double cabin forward, there is nowhere where you can’t brace yourself with ease, nowhere that you feel as though you have to take a leap of faith to reach the other side of the cabin.

And just as on deck, there are other more subtle details that demonstrate the considerable experience of the builders. One of the clearest examples is that all the interior lights switch on red first to avoid accidentally ruining the night vision of crew on watch. Only by pressing the switches twice do you get white light.

Interior lights switch on red first to help night vision

Overall, the three-cabin, two-heads layout is the one most readily adopted by owners. According to Delvoye, individual variations are more common in the area forward of the mast and to starboard where options range from additional stowage to an office, a workshop or simply a sea berth.

But when it comes to her build quality and finish, there is just one standard: immaculate throughout.

Specifications

LOA 15.86m/52ft 0in

LWL 13.82m/45ft 4in

Beam (max ) 4.68m/15ft 3in

Draught 3.06m/1.11m 10ft 1in/3ft 8in

Ballast 4,800kg/10,582lb

Displacement (lightship) 14,500kg/31,967lb

Sail area (100%foretriangle) 130m 2 /1,399ft 2

Engine Volvo D2 56kW/75hp

Water 1470lt/323gal

Fuel 1,257lt/276gal

Sail area:disp 22

Disp:LWL 153

Price (ex VAT) €685,000 (£540,000)

www.boreal-yachts.com

There cannot be many brochures that describe a boat’s accommodation as having ‘a desk in every cabin where bluewater children can do their homework’. But this is just one of many examples of what this boat is all about: live aboard, go anywhere.

Solidly built above and below decks, the Boréal 52 is the concept of a designer with many miles at sea sailing with a family. While the chined alloy hull won’t appeal to everyone, the rugged style will instil confidence in many.

As for performance, at 18 tonnes she was surprisingly nimble, even in the light airs of our test, and was a very easy boat to handle with well thought-out control line runs.

All this for a custom-built boat with a price tag that is still considerably less than some popular alternatives even when you’ve added all the listed options. Impressed.

This is an extract from a feature in Yachting World February 2015 issue

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Boat Review: Boreal 47

By Tim Murphy
Updated: October 16, 2018

Gale-force winds blew through the mid-Atlantic region on the night before we were scheduled to sail the Boréal 47 on Chesapeake Bay last October. First thing that morning, we called the builder to cancel.

“Why don’t we keep our appointment?” replied Jean-François Eeman, Boréal’s managing director. “These are the conditions she was built for.”

So Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges suited up and went for a sail that I suspect none of us will ever forget. It all crystalized for us as we sailed out from behind Greenbury Point into the full teeth and boisterous seaway of a northerly that by now had diminished into the high 20s.

“Go ahead and take your hand off the wheel,” Eeman suggested to my colleague Bill Bolin, which he very tentatively did. No autopilot was engaged; no windvane; no lines from the sheets. “It’s OK,” said Eeman. “Just let her go.” Sure enough, with mainsail reefed and the genoa partially furled, the Boréal steered itself for a minute, two minutes, five minutes, six. And even as we walked around the deck and moved our weight around the boat, I’m convinced it would have continued on like that, elegantly balanced and steering true, all the way to Norfolk if we hadn’t made other appointments for that day.

The secret to the boat’s impeccably balanced steering — just one of this boat’s several secret weapons — is a pair of shallow daggerboards mounted aft athwart the single midship rudder. By raising the windward dagger and lowering the leeward, the boat tracks as sweet as you please. For context, it’s worth mentioning that twin rudders have become a full-blown trend in this year’s fleet of cruising boats. But the Boréal’s creator, Jean-François Delvoye, distrusts twin rudders. (In a company led by two men named Jean-François, the principals answer to JFE and JFD.)

Delvoye had conceived and designed the Boréal two decades ago, during a six-year circumnavigation with his wife and four children that included long stretches of time in Patagonia. His firsthand experience taught him to distrust twin rudders because their position outboard of the keel leaves them too exposed. Yet so many of today’s full hull forms, with the beam carried well aft, often beg for some steering help once the boat is heeled. The Boréal’s daggers do exactly that, and all while keeping the rudder protected.

That brings us to another of the Boréal’s secret weapons: its keel box — or, as Delvoye calls it, the “keel embryo.” The boat’s centerboard, which drops down to 8 feet 1 inch, is a NACA foil that’s designed for lateral stability only, not ballast. The keel embryo contains the boat’s lead ballast and extends deeper than the rudder’s lowest point. What’s more, the Boréal is designed to sit on its keel embryo when the tide runs out from beneath it.

“In Brittany,” said Eeman of the region of France that’s home to the Boréal yard, “we have 10 meters [33 feet] of tide. We use the boat as a weekend house on the beach.” No poles, no crutches: The boat sits on its own bottom. “We can stand on the side and jump. The boat will not flip over. If you had a virtual finger, you could push the mast, and up to 14 degrees she’ll come back. At 14 degrees, she would slowly lay over on her first chine, which is at the same angle. So you never fall.”

Boréal builds between eight and 10 boats per year. Since 2005, the yard has launched roughly 50 boats in two sizes: 44/47 and 52/55. Classic transom versus scoop transom accounts for the difference around the slashes. We sailed hull number 37, Lunacy, owned by sailing journalist Charlie Doane. For details about Doane’s firsthand experience with the boat, including beaching and a shakedown transatlantic passage, check out “Lunacy Report” at wavetrain.net.

The Boréal’s standout design feature is its well-executed doghouse and pilothouse. This is essentially a hard dodger that provides outside shelter for two at the forward end of the cockpit. A massive watertight door opens into a pilothouse with a portside nav station inside the heated cabin and still at cockpit level. From that pilothouse, you step down the companionway into the saloon and private cabins.

The Boréal’s construction is robust aluminum built to an “expedition boat” standard, following from the experience both Delvoye and Eeman gained from sailing in high latitudes, including Antarctica. Of course, every building material comes with its particular concerns. While stronger and far more abrasion-resistant than fiberglass-reinforced plastic, aluminum lives near the least noble end of the galvanic series of metals. To counteract corrosion, Boréal sandblasts the hull below the waterline, then applies an epoxy barrier coat within eight hours, before oxidation can start. From there, the underwater corrosion-mitigation strategy continues with three sacrificial anodes: one at the rudder, one at the centerboard and a large 5-kilogram anode bolted to the hull near the engine and stainless-steel propeller shaft. Custom-made plastic and anodized bushings isolate dissimilar metals throughout the boat. A hull-potential meter at the pilothouse keeps the operator apprised of any galvanic-corrosion issues before they damage material.

In the 2018 fleet, this Boréal 47 won Cruising World’s award as overall Boat of the Year. It’s a boat that puts me in mind of something the legendary yacht designer Bill Crealock said at a design forum organized around the magazine’s 25th anniversary (see “The Futurists,” CW, October 1999): “The challenge of cruising boats,” he said, “is that they’re a fixed platform operating in a variable environment. You really need one boat for passagemaking and another one for port.” Our 1999 designers forum ended with a prediction: “The trend of future boats will see an increase in their adaptability to all the contradictory situations we sailors love to put them in.”

The Boréal’s ultimate secret weapon is its overall design and build. Robust, seakindly, balanced, beachable: It embodies Crealock’s long-ago dream for the future.

Tim Murphy is a CW editor at large and a longtime Boat of the Year judge.

Boréal 47 Specifications


LENGTH OVERALL	45’3” (14.55 m)
WATERLINE LENGTH	41’1” (11.63 m)
BEAM	14’1” (4.3 m)
DRAFT	3’3”/8’1” (1.02 m/2.48)
SAIL AREA (100%)	1,067 sq. ft. (105 sq. m)
BALLAST	8,378 lb. (3,800 kg)
DISPLACEMENT	25,000 lb. (11,339 kg)
BALLAST/DISPLACEMENT	.33
DISPLACEMENT/LENGTH	193
SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT	17.7
WATER	200 gal. (760 l)
FUEL	158 gal. (600 l)
HOLDING	16 gal. (63 l)
MAST HEIGHT	60’5” (18.4 m) \|
ENGINE	Volvo Penta D2-55 CV or Nanni N4.60
DESIGNER	Jean-François Delvoye
PRICE	$650,000

Boréal SARL (Minihy-Tréguier, France) +33 2 96 92 44 37 boreal-yachts.com


Wind speed	16 to 22 knots
Sea State	2 to 3 feet
Sailing	Closehauled 7.2 knots, Reaching 8.5 knots
Motoring	Cruise (1,800 rpm) 6 knots, Fast (2,400 rpm) 7.4 knots

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BOREAL 44/47: A Bulletproof Aluminum Centerboard Cruiser for High and Low Latitudes

It says something of the nature of these boats that my initial correspondence with Jean-François Eeman (see photo up top), managing director of Boréal Yachts , regarding a visit to their yard, was interrupted for a month while he and his family took off on a cruise to Antarctica. On a Boréal, of course. Indeed, Eeman’s boat was the first Boréal 44 ever built, the ultimate product of a chance encounter on a dock in Ushuaia, Argentina, between Eeman and another Jean-François, surname Delvoye, a designer and builder with many bluewater miles under his belt who had long been nursing an idea for an ideal cruising vessel.

The basic concept here is not at all unusual. Aluminum bluewater centerboard boats, though not often found in North America, have long been a staple of the French cruising scene. Major French builders Garcia and Alubat have focused primarily on boats like this for decades, and several smaller builders have followed in their wake. Boréal, barely ten years old, is the rising star on the scene, thanks to a focus on build quality that rivals that of the early Garcias and also to some unique design features that take the concept to a new level.

I have long been interested in boats like this and have sailed passages both on an older Garcia Passoa 47 and on Jimmy Cornell’s new Garcia 45 . I am strongly prejudiced in favor of aluminum construction (for lightness, strength, and lack of cosmetic maintenance it can’t be beat; see, e.g., my current boat Lunacy ) and my experience has taught me these centerboard designs are reasonably fast (particularly off the wind in strong conditions), very seaworthy, and almost supernaturally comfortable for monohulls. This last attribute I credit to their ballast being situated in the bilges of the hull, rather than low down in a fixed keel; my theory being that on any ballasted boat it is the ballast that moves least (it serving as the fulcrum of the lever, as it were), and thus the closer you are to the ballast the more comfortable you will be.

So I was looking very forward to visiting the Boréal yard in Brittany, outside the little town of Tréguier, after I finished up my visit with Clare and Edward Allcard in Andorra the week before last.

A Boréal 47 at rest on a dock in Tréguier. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but I think these are exceptionally attractive boats. I particularly like the big flush deck forward of the mast and the way the doghouse is neatly grafted on to the cabinhouse

Two guys named Jean-François (who are actually Belgian, not French). That’s Eeman on the left and Delvoye on the right. They’ve both been there and done that when it comes to high-latitude sailing. The latter first conceived of the prototype Boréal while cruising with his family on a steel boat he built himself

The bones of the beast. The hull form, you’ll note, features hard chines, which both simplify construction and increase form stability

Pieces of the puzzle. All the metal used is high-quality 5083 and 5086 H111 alloy from Norway (none of that cheap crap from China). Pieces are laser-cut on a CNC machine offsite and are delivered to the plant ready to be welded in place. Plate thickness varies throughout the boat, from 10mm in the bottom and keel area decreasing to 4mm in the deck, coachroof, and cockpit

This massive solid piece of metal forms the bottom of the stem and is the battering ram that leads the way in any forward-motion collision. Strength and watertight integrity is further enhanced with full collision bulkheads both forward and aft

The transom on a 44. The panel in the middle folds down to serve as a small boarding and swim platform. Plate thickness in the transom is 6mm

The transom skirt on a 47, which is otherwise identical to the 44. Note the solid lengths of pipe that make up the hull-deck joint. This enhances the joint’s structural integrity and is also more aesthetically pleasing than a hard corner. Those vertical exterior frame pieces you see tacked on to either side of the transom are temporarily installed to keep the panel from distorting as it is welded in place

The vertical core of the boat. The massive I-beam is the compression post for the deck-stepped mast, with the centerboard trunk behind it. That big tall box forward of the post is the chain locker for the anchor rode, which is brought aft from the bow through a heavy pipe that forms the spine of the forward deck framing. The pipe is lined with plastic so as to isolate the steel chain running through it

The water tanks are laid out either side of the centerboard trunk and will be coated inside with food-quality paint. This ensures water potability and also saves the tank interior from coming in contact with any chlorine in the water, which can cause corrosion in aluminum welds. The fuel tanks are situated fore and aft of the centerboard trunk, over the ballast compartments, which contain large lead pigs sealed in resin. End result: everything heavy in the boat (including the house batteries, which are located either side of the aft end of the centerboard trunk) is concentrated low down in the middle of the hull. This boosts performance and stability and reduces pitching motion

All below-the-water through-hull fittings are stand-pipes that reach up above the waterline. Seacocks are fitted on top of these and can be removed and serviced with the boat in the water

The vents for all tanks are routed to the top of the forward end of the centerboard trunk

The centerboard itself is also aluminum and is hollow. It is shaped as a NACA foil to enhance windward performance

The structure is insulated with panels of polystyrene foam above the waterline. The underlying metal is coated with sprayed-on cork (see, for example, the structural knee in the foreground here) and cracks and crevices are filled with blown foam to eliminate any possibility of condensation forming behind or around the insulation panels

After touring the plant I had a chance to go for a sail on a finished boat, which you can see in profile in the drawing above. As is typical on these centerboard boats, the rig is relatively short to compensate for the ballast being secured in the bilges rather than lower down in a keel. The boat also features what might be called a double-headsail rig, as opposed to a true cutter rig. Either the full genoa is flown, or the smaller staysail (which is self-tacking, sheeted to an athwartship traveler on the foredeck), but not both simultaneously.

You’ll note too the rudder is quite shallow, which allows the boat to be beached when the centerboard is up. There is but one rudder on the boat’s centerline lined up behind the massive keel box, as opposed to twin rudders on either side, which are vulnerable to collision threats. To help enhance the boat’s directional stability there are instead a pair of offset aft daggerboards, built of epoxy composite rather than aluminum, so they can break away if struck by anything without damaging the structure of the boat.

In sailing the boat I noticed immediately that the steering was not as precise and responsive as on a typical modern boat with a high-aspect spade rudder. Consequently I had a tendency to oversteer at first, until I clued into the secret of the daggerboards. Sailing on the wind you play the leeward board and can dial in just as much lee or weather helm as you want. Or you can set the board for a perfectly neutral helm, in which case you needn’t touch the wheel at all, and the boat will happily sail itself for as long as the wind strength remains the same.

The board, which is of course foil-shaped, also helps the boat point higher. Our closehauled sailing angles were quite good for a boat of this type, but not terribly impressive by modern keel-boat standards. Sailing in a 15- to 20-knot breeze the boat was fully powered up at a 45-degree apparent wind angle and could pinch to about 40 degrees at the cost of about a knot of boatspeed. Our speed overall was good, running 6-8 knots depending on the wind strength. I know from experience that the highest speeds on boats like this are attained surfing off the wind in a strong breeze with the centerboard up and and an aft daggerboard (or boards) down. In such conditions I would expect to see some nice spikes into the mid-teens.

What most impressed me was how stable the boat was. We had a fairly steady and moderate wind sailing out the mouth of the Tréguier River, but as we closed the shore again we saw sudden dramatic gusts as high as 29 knots. We were flying the full mainsail and genoa (about 130 percent, I’d say) and none of these gusts engendered any panic or even very extreme heeling angles. A couple of times we had to ease the mainsheet to keep the boat from rounding up, but otherwise the boat’s motion was soft and manageable.

Sailing back up the river we rolled up the genoa and deployed the staysail and had fun playing the intermittent gusts and catspaws the five miles back to town. Even at very slow speeds the boat was easy to control. Later, after we stowed the sails, I tried backing down under power. Again, the rudder didn’t bite as crisply as a deep high-aspect rudder would, but once the boat got moving she was perfectly maneuverable.

As for the boat’s interior, a glance at the accommodations plan doesn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. This is the standard three-stateroom layout (two aft, one forward) found on most modern boats, with the galley to starboard in the middle of the boat opposite a raised saloon dinette. The interior’s most appealing feature, a nifty nav desk and seat in the doghouse just forward of the cockpit, isn’t readily apparent in the drawing.

The view from the cockpit. In the doghouse just behind that inspiringly bulletproof companionway door you’ll find the nav station. The mainsheet is double-ended and can be controlled from either side of the wheel. The winches are positioned so that the two sets of sheets for the mainsail and genoa can be led to either winch, per your preference. (The staysail is controlled with a single line.) The splayed-out web of the multi-part mainsheet on the roof of the doghouse is surprisingly effective. By hauling in on the windward side of the sheet, you can easily bring to boom to centerline, as seen here

Inside the doghouse. The concave saddle nav seat keeps you tucked in place when the boat is heeled, and the wrap-around view of the outside world allows you to comfortably keep watch here in nasty weather

In the standard deck layout the only line led aft is the vang control. Everything else is handled at the mast, which personally is the way I like it. More controls can be led aft to the cockpit if you want

The anchor windlass is in the middle of the boat, right over the midship chain locker, and can also be used to hoist the mainsail. To manage the windlass from the bow while deploying or recovering your anchor you’ll need a wireless hand-control

The back edge of the doghouse roof incorporates a narrow full-breadth wind-scoop that helps ventilate the aft cabins

The saloon settees and table are raised enough that you can see easily out the cabinhouse windows. Note the Refleks diesel heating stove to the left of the galley. This circulates hot water through radiators in the staterooms

You can order the aft cabins with a pair of split single berths like this, or with a flat double berth. As you can see here, light streams in from both sides

The spacious master stateroom forward features an island double berth on centerline. The mattress is split so you set up a lee-cloth in the middle while underway

A 55-hp Volvo or Nanni diesel (as seen here) is standard, or you can upgrade to 75-hp. Access to the engine is good, and there is room in the systems space for both a genset and watermaker

The day after my plant tour and test-sail I attended the launching of a new Boréal 47. Here you see a member of the launch crew whipping a messenger line on to one of the centerboard control lines, which run up inside the mast and are controlled with a halyard winch. Alternatively, you can order the boat with hydraulic centerboard controls

The boat was launched with the lid of the centerboard trunk removed, which afforded this unique view

Below you’ll find some numbers to ponder. Studying them myself, I’m struck by how similar they are to the Garcia Passoa I mentioned earlier .

Specifications

LOA 45’3” (without scoop transom) LWL 38’2” Beam 14’1” Draft -Board up 3’3” -Board down 8’1” Displacement (lightship) 26,638 lbs. Ballast 8,377 lbs. Sail area 1,076 sq.ft. Fuel 158 gal. Water 200 gal.

Base price -Boréal 44 €417,500 -Boréal 47 €453,000

Postscript: While driving from Andorra to Brittany I stopped and spent the night in La Rochelle. This gave me a chance to see Bernard Moitessier’s famous steel ketch Joshua (see image above), which is kept at the marine musueum there. I have always wanted to do this! This is the metal boat that began the French fascination with metal boats. (See this post here to find out how Moitessier really lost her .)

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Great article with excellent links to relevant sites. Cheers – once again you have provided in-depth and informative material.

Yes, a great article. Grand to see you raving, so enthusiastic, about a boat!

Great read. I like this boat. It reminds me of a space ship in that it is designed to protect it’s inhabitants from the extreme conditions at the poles of the earth.

and so pretty!

Thanks for the great photos. Quite a boat…built like a tank. Last year on a Carib charter i ran into both a Boreal and an Allures. For looks I liked the Allures better and had a hard time loving the chines on the Boreal, but for rugged voyaging the pilot house in the Boreal looks strong. How did the Boreal compare to the Jimmy Cornell boat, in you estimation?

Sweet yacht. I’ve been looking over Alubats for years…one day!

@Jeff Bander: That’s a great question. The boats have a good deal in common. The Garcia 45, for example, also has its chain locker in the middle of the boat. And both boats have forward and aft collision bulkheads, a very nice security feature. One thing I don’t like about the Garcia is the coachroof is not aluminum but glass. I’d rather have an all aluminum structure. The Garcia has twin rudders, thus has more precise steering, but the rudders are more vulnerable. The Garcia has its rather large nav station in the saloon, and its saloon consequently feels much more cramped than the Boreal’s. The Garcia’s cockpit is a little larger and easier to move around in and makes a better social space, but sightlines forward are not as good as on the Boreal. Some of the Garcia’s line runs also have a lot of friction in them, particularly the mainsail controls. The Garcia has a fractional rig with sweptback spreaders; the Boreal has a more conservative masthead rig with flat spreaders and forward and aft lower shrouds. I personally prefer the latter, as I think it’s stronger and you can ease out the main further when sailing off the wind, but others may prefer the more modern rig.

Cant wait to buy one, all your articles are just fabulous…!!

Hi Charlie, Best series of Boreal construction photos I’ve see— thanks. Joshua was moored in the slip next to me in Port Townsend after she was salvaged. And an old girl friend was instrumental in convincing Bernard Moitessier to come to California, the voyage that eventually led to the loss of Joshua. Small world.

The best article I have read about Boreal so far. thanks

Aluminum Upgrade: Boreal 55 OC

November 3rd, 2021

I am a big fan of aluminum yachts as you all may know and I do not miss a chance to grab a story on these fantastic boats. Be it a new boat launched by the handful of aluminium yards, a walkthrough in one of these or the chat with a naval architect . Lately I discovered the new Boreal 47.2 which in my eyes is a perfect long haul sailing yacht for serious seafaring – I was right, a few weeks later this very boat was nominated and won the prestigious title “European Yacht of the Year” in her category. Now I´ve found a wonderful Swedish couple on facebook who acquired a Boreal, but one size bigger: Their brand new BUSHPOINT, a Boreal 55 C, has recently been launched and both start a new chapter in sailing. Talking to them was as interesting as I hoped for, what a nice story to hear – with the potential to make you feel envy a bit.

Jeanette and Fredrik, still enchanted by their new boat, tell me that – although being Swedish – they weren´t born into the classic Scandinavian sailing family. In fact, they started their serious sailing “career” back in 2011, not too long ago, by acquiring their certificates and attending sailing courses. The obvious charter-weeks throughout the summers followed and both became addicted to a life at sea. It was in 2015 when they bought their first boat, an Allures 45 and sailed her all the way from Cherbourg to Sweden to finally start their sailing life in 2016. “We see ourselves more as travelers, than sailors. Sailing is a good way to move from one place to the other. This far we have found two people living on a boat, which is a confined space, to be the tricky part, not the sailing.”, says Fredrik and smiles. Let´s see how their story continues.

On aluminium yachts, Allures and Boreal

Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Why did you guys opt for an aluminum boat in the first place? Have you ever possessed a GRP-yacht and if so, which? When and why did you switch to alloy?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Before we really started to look at boats we were sure that it should be a Hallberg-Rassy or a Najad with a center cockpit. However, when we started to seriously look at boats, we stumbled across Allures and Boréal. At that point, aluminum was something we had not considered. Reading up we found that aluminum is very strong and good if you want to feel safe and we understood the beauty of having a shallow draft boat and the rest is, as they say, history.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Your first boat was an Allures 45 as I can see: When did you buy the boat and what have been the highlights of sailing this yacht?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “We looked at a Boréal as an option for our first boat but we thought the cockpit was too small and, frankl, we found it was a little bit hardcore for us. We liked the Allures 45 more as we thought her better suited for us. Like we loved the twin wheels and her big cockpit. Our Allures 45 has been a fantastic boat, we shall say, and she has taken care of us very much. Our boat has taken us to so many interesting places! We really like how she behaved downwind with the centerboard up…”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “You sold the Allures and your new boat – freshly launched – is BUSHPOINT, a Boreal 55 OC. Why not a bigger Allures, there is a new one available right now? What convinced you that the Boréal would be the better suiting yacht for you?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Well, after sailing around for almost five years, we had a little thought that maybe we should move up our boat size a bit. We wanted a size we still could handle safely just the two of us. And by chance in September 2019 we saw that Boréal had made the first OC version of the 55. We called them to hear a little bit more and were told that the first 55 OC was situated right there in Tréguier for one more week. We made a quick trip to Tréguier and … what can I say? We just fell in love. Boréal told us we could have one ready for delivery in May 2021. Talking about Allures: We did not consider another Allures not because we did not like it, it had more to do with us. We had moved on with our sailing plans and after four years in warm climates we were feed up and wanted to go cold. (laughs) Now, with the right boat, we will see if we get the polar bug or find a combination of cold and warm sailing. We think that Boréal cannot be compared with Allures as they cater for different customers. If you want to compage Boréal to other brands, it can be the Garcia I´d say. To be honest, we did not chose the Garcia since we are not fond of the layout. She probably a very good boat though, but: Have you ever been sitting in the doghouse of a Boréal, you just want to stay there!”

On their brand new Boreal 55 OC

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Let´s talk about BUSHPOINT in more detail: What are the main characteristics of your new boat? Has your boat some specialties built in by the yard which are custom and not available on standard Boréals?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “We do not think we have some specialties, remember our boat is only the third 55 OC ever built. However, one thing we have is the air condition-system and it is the first to be put in a boat by Boréal. The beauty with this is that it can also work the other way, as a heat pump, which gives a very nice heat and also dries out the boat, of course only when connected to shore power.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “What do you like most about BUSHPOINT? And what could have been done better by the yard?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Oh, that is a difficult question to answer to be honest. Except from the exceptional feeling you get when sailing her, it is probably the doghouse that is so unique and awesome. We also love the good view from down into the saloon, it does not feel like you are descending into the dark, if you understand what we mean. During the building process we felt that it was very good to work with the yard. Our contact-person spoke a very good English which is good for us since we do not speak French. It is a small yard and it really feels like a family, everyone has been very helpful to solve the small issues which occurs when you build a boat.”

Sailing BUSHPOINT as a couple

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “You are sailing her for some months now, tell me more about “daily” routine when sailing BUSHPOINT – what makes it an ideal cruising boat for a couple? How is work and duty divided between you guys aboard?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Oh, is there an ideal cruising boat? There is a saying that the best boat to go cruising with is the one you leave with. The Boréals are very good boats for cursing and exploring, no doubt about that. Of course, you need to like how a boat sails, but it is also very important that you like to live on the boat, since most time will be spent at anchor or in ports. This all is such an individual taste, what you like and what not to like. For us, we think the Boréal 55 OC is as close as we can get to our liking when it comes to sailing living onboard at the moment. Maybe you will find us cruising up and down in the Caribbean in a catamaran when we get older. You never know!”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Talking of our sailing routine: We have a saying on BUSHPOINT, it goes like that: “There is no “I” in “Team”, isn´t there?” So, when we sail, both of us take the same responsibility, be it the watches, cooking or cleaning. When at anchor or marinas one of us is more interested in and like the maintenance part of the sailing life style, like oil changes and things that needs to be repaired. We always study and discuss the weather, do the route planning and so forth. However there is only one captain on the ship and a good captain listens to the crew.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “This is how it should be, indeed. Nice to hear that! Tell me, what are you currently doing with the boat and what are your plans for future trips aboard BUSHPOINT?”

Jeanette & Fredrik: “Right now as we are talking, we are France readying our boat. We will be shortly casting off and our first stop will be the Island of Guernsey. We go there to fill up our Diesel as we have heard it is half the usual price there. (laughs) after that the plan is to go to the United Kingdom and up to Scotland for cruising and shakedown. For spring 2022 we plan to head over to Norway and the big goal for summer will be Spitsbergen. But, as you may know, sailing plans are written in the sand at low tide …”

Such a pleasure talking to you guys! I wish you and BUSHPOINT fair winds and all the best. I hope we can have a chat next year and I am looking forward to hearing from your adventures and seeing some incredible new pictures. All the best, Jeanette and Fredrik!

You may also be interested in reading these articles too:

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YACHT test : Boreal 47.2 - the yacht that can do it all

Jochen Rieker

· 02.11.2021

YACHT test: Boreal 47.2 - the yacht that can do it all

If you are interested in a long-distance yacht and have a lot of money as well as a lot of lead time, you should take a look at this shipyard - and definitely also at this boat. Boréal is a relatively young company; the aluminium factory in Tréguier in northern Brittany has only been in existence for around 15 years. But in terms of the quality and design of its models, it is one of the very best.

The French were nominated twice for "European Yacht of the Year", both times against really strong competition; they won the title twice. A success rate that is rare - and proof of the exceptional position of the aluminium yachts with the characteristic deckhouse.

Based on the obsession of the two shipyard bosses, who themselves are constantly drawn to faraway places and who are, to a certain extent, their own most critical test target group, the ships have always offered maximum seaworthiness and rigidity. The stem is designed as an icebreaker, the ten millimetre thick aluminium plates in the underwater area allow carefree falling dry, the anchor locker placed deep in the bilge in front of the mast allows plenty of chain length and also increases the righting moment. In addition, the fore and aft peak are completely watertight, ensuring residual buoyancy even in the event of a serious accident. And then there is the all-round protected pulpit above the companionway, which also serves as an air scoop for the entire ship.

The Boréal 47.2 complements these secondary virtues typical of the brand with qualities that are much rarer to find in the expedition yacht segment. Thanks to a well-tuned rig with a slightly overlapping stay jib and genoa, she sails with astonishing agility even in moderate conditions.

The wide cockpit offers a very good view of the sails and ahead from the two external helm stations, which active crews will appreciate. And although the hull is ten centimetres higher in order to create more headroom and storage space below deck, it still has a stretched, almost sporty appearance. An impression that the Boréal confirmed in the test off La Rochelle: in its market segment, it is one of the boats that people like to spend longer on the wheel.

On and below deck, it also shines with its sophisticated ergonomics. There are handrails and handles everywhere so that you can hold on securely when the boat is in the water and on the waves. The light-coloured, well-crafted wooden interior is also designed in the same way - rather narrower than is usual on most production boats today, especially around the companionway, but more practical at sea because there is no lack of options for bracing and wedging. Aft on the starboard side, owners can choose between a double berth or a technical room.

While earlier models from the shipyard were designed more for high latitudes and cold-water areas, the Boréal 47.2 is literally a yacht for the whole world. You can read about what else characterises it, what options it offers, what it can do and what it costs in YACHT 22/2021 - order directly online using the buttons below. Or you can download the test directly via the link below.

The cockpit takes up around a third of the hull length and offers space for socialising at anchor

Boreal 47.2 (pdf)

Boréal 47.2 review: an improved proven concept

Rupert Holmes will take the helm of Boréal's newest aluminum cruiser - Boréal 47.2.

Boréal is not afraid to forge its own path and its unique aluminum cruising yachts have built a solid reputation over the past 15 years.

The latest model, the Boréal 47.2, is a low draft expedition yacht that can take you anywhere in the world, but as we have found, she is also responsive and fun to sail in fairly limited waters.

The success of the Breton shipyard is based on a wealth of experience.

Its founder, naval architect Jean-François Delvoye, created the Boréal concept based on the experience gained during a six-year circumnavigation with four children, as well as expeditions to South Georgia and Antarctica.

General manager and co-owner Jean-François Heman's extensive experience includes two trips on his own boats to Patagonia and Antarctica.

First-hand knowledge is evident in this new Boreal 47.2, which won the European Yacht of the Year 2021 competition.

The robust design includes an icebreaker stem, watertight bulkheads and 8-10mm bottom plating on a sturdy frame to allow safe access to shore.

Good driving performance is equally important.

Both the centerboard and rudder have effective hydrodynamic profiles, while heavy objects, including the anchor chain, tanks and batteries, are low and centered.

Sailing Boréal 47.2

Our test took place in a residual strong wave after the weather system, which forced Clarissa Kremer to postpone the finish at the Vendée Globe.

Full backstay was blowing, and we installed an additional asymmetrical general purpose spinnaker, in which the boat maintains light movement despite the wave.

Even when the true wind dropped to 8-9 knots, the boat's speed rarely dropped below 6 knots.

Our best speed in the test was 8.7 knots with a true wind of 145 ° and 17 knots.

After a certain roll, the boat becomes very strong and stable, while gusts of wind do not lead to noticeable additional roll, and the leeward side remained above the water even when we deliberately pressed on it.

I've always wondered how a boat behaves when overloaded with sails.

Anchored sheets during above average wind gusts, when we carried the spinnaker in 80-85 ° relative winds, gave us a good opportunity to test this aspect of handling.

The rudder gave many warnings before finally stalling at a much wider angle than those used to sailing high performance boats with deep rudders with high aspect ratio.

But, unlike many flying light boats, the Boréal 47.2 did not go in a circle, and the bank angle hardly increased.

Resetting the mainsheet and centering the rudder to restore laminar flow was enough to quickly regain control, and the boat happily took a more comfortable course.

While the owners are unlikely to plan to push their boats to their limits, it is good to know that the vessel must deal with a hurricane taken by surprise without unnecessary drama.

A pair of centerboards on either side of the rudder are used to adjust the handling characteristics of the boat.

With the centerboards up, she is more responsive and behaves more like a smaller and lighter yacht - ideal for sailing in more limited waters and for maneuvering.

With the centerboards lowered, directional stability is noticeably improved.

At full hauled under the mainsail and genoa, the Boréal 47.2 was like a traditional boat with a long keel, and you could leave the helm for a minute or so without using the pilot.

Shortly after the spinnaker was dropped to gain momentum against the current, the wind dropped again to 8-9 knots.

Sailing in this wind is relatively calm, but above 10 knots the yacht starts to come alive, and at 12-14 knots it becomes more powerful.

Unsurprisingly, a boat of this style is not as heavily driven as cruise yachts.

In this case, there is a risk of quickly losing speed, but speeds over 6 knots can be achieved stably.

For example, at 15 knots true wind we recorded a boat speed of 6.5 knots at 55 ° TWA.

Change of equipment

As soon as we returned to the breeze blowing from the mouth of the Trieux, the cloud band created gusts of up to 22 knots.

As the wind picks up, the concept behind the sailing plan is to swap out the slightly overlapping genoa for an additional staysail with a twist at around 17-20 knots, a transition that has proven to be smooth and easy.

Alternatively, a removable inner forestay with a clip-on staysail can be provided.

The powerful boom haul allows good control of the mainsail twist, despite the absence of a boom-sheet shoulder strap, and the lines of the towed headsail return to the working area of the cockpit for easy adjustment.

On the strongest gusts, a slight weakening of the mainsail helped to hold the boat, and if the wind continued to rise, the reef on the mainsail would be useful.

When the sky cleared and the wind died down, we returned to Genoa.

Then we went up the lower course of the Trieux River under the tail-haul, despite the low tide, and the electric winch removed all efforts from the mainsail in the gusts of wind.

The boat behaved impeccably, without worrying about the lack of control even in a relatively confined space, and it did not require much physical effort.

In this respect, despite the obvious long-range capabilities of the Boréal 47.2, it felt like a smaller and more maneuverable vessel.

This exercise also demonstrated that in the event of engine failure or propeller contamination, we can easily anchor safely.

However, as soon as the channel turned so that the wind was blowing from the bow and the width of the river decreased to less than 150 m, we turned to the engine.

Our test Boréal 47.2 was powered by an optional, more powerful 75hp Volvo Penta D2 engine coupled to a fixed three-blade propeller.

This provides a lot of power - even at 1,700 rpm, we sprinted to 6.25 knots.

Warm and dry

We used the doghouse during a heavy rain storm as we approached Treguier's marina.

The deep safety bucket seat on the port side has good visibility, although a full 360 ° view is difficult due to blind spots on each side.

The Doghouse offers plenty of room for opening paper maps, as well as room for a decent-sized monitor for a navigation computer.

For those of us who have to keep working while cruising, doghouse is a great office with plenty of work space and a stunning view.

A full-height waterproof door insulates the doghouse from the cockpit.

This allows easy access but leaves the sill low, making the interior potentially vulnerable to large waves in the rear.

The wheelhouse roof rises above the two front cab seats, creating additional dry and protected space.

This area can also be fitted with a clear plastic cover that helps protect the boat's interior in very cold weather.

Overall, this is a brilliant location, although it does not provide cover for trimming sails and setting reefs.

Boréal 47.2 Cockpit Areas

Additional space in the rear of the boat, created by a more modern hull shape, was used to divide the cockpit into separate areas for rest and work.

The twin steering wheels also provide a seamless transition from the fold-out bathing platform to the gangway, even when four people are seated around the same cockpit table fold.

Many ropes leading directly to the center winch must go through two 90 ° bends, which inevitably increases friction and loads.

However, the layout looks well executed, with quality deck equipment of an appropriate size.

Mainsail, headsail sheets and spinnaker sheets are usually handled by their own regular size winches located at the stern of each helm station.

However, they are arranged in such a way that they can be directed towards the central winch when additional force is required. On the mast there is a haul-off winch for spinnakers.

Although most sail work, especially in bad weather, can be done from the working area of the cockpit, there are sturdy rungs on each side of the mast.

The painted, non-slip deck of our test boat provided excellent traction. There is also a high bow rail and metal railings welded to the boat structure.

A heavy, combined double bow roller and sprit are standard equipment for this style of boat. However, the location of the windlass is not determined by anything.

The anchor rope is routed aft through a hidden channel under the bow deck to the windlass and chain locker directly in front of the mast.

The main advantage of this method is that 100m of 12mm chain weighs almost a third of a ton, so this weight is moved aft from the bow.

In addition, the windlass located under the opening hatch is not affected by the elements and therefore must be more reliable than those located at the stem.

Stacking and placement

The main deck storage includes a huge sail locker in the bow and a massive infirmary aft with double openings.

It also gives access to the quadrant and other components of the steering system.

Liferaft storage is built into the starboard side of the infirmary and includes a special transom door. There is room on the bow for a decent sized fully inflated tender.

Light steps from the wheelhouse lead to the passenger compartment. It is offset to the port side, while the inner sofa is neatly positioned on top of the centerboard body, which therefore does not appear to encroach on the living area.

Once you start looking around, one of the most striking aspects is the mass of things found throughout Boréal 47.2.

Due to the fact that the batteries and the reservoir are located low in the center of the boat, there are lockers under all bunks, under and outside the seats in the saloon, under the sole of the cabin, and so on.

It is clear that this is a boat that can easily swallow a huge amount of goods, provisions and spare parts needed for long-term self-sufficiency in remote areas.

The galley is on the starboard side, with ample countertop space. They are made of Corian as standard, although our test boat used stainless steel instead.

A large refrigerator with two drawers can be supplemented, if necessary, with a freezer in the aft cabin on the starboard side.

Our test boat was equipped with two foot pumps in the galley - one for salt water and the other as a backup for the pressurized water system.

Two large 13 kg gas cylinders in a special locker, which can be accessed from the cockpit, will provide even avid users with several months of battery life.

The extra volume in the front of the hull makes the owner's stateroom more spacious than the previous generation Boréal 47.

In particular, the bed is wider and the large bathroom includes a spacious separate walk-in shower.

There is also plenty of storage space here, and the base of the bed rises to reveal a huge amount of extra storage.

Aft cabins can be equipped as either twin or double.

In addition, the smaller starboard space can be configured as a larger technical and storage area.

The aft cabins have a full-beam Dorada style air vent for superior airflow.

It is a boat built on considerable experience and attention to detail that takes a proven concept to the next level.

There are many small but clever details that may not be immediately apparent, but that do make a difference to life on board.

It thus represents a major step forward from the first generation Boréal 47.

In particular, the large owner's cabin makes life on board for a long time more civilized, and the large cabin will work both in the tropics and in high latitudes.

This is a superbly capable yacht that can easily make good daily miles across the oceans, yet enjoyable sailing in home waters.

However, what is truly unique is the combination of Boréal's three hallmarks: a robust aluminum construction, a shallow draft that can be dried and the protection provided by a kennel.

The latest Vendée Globe has no doubt demonstrated the importance of effective shelter in difficult conditions, but in the cruise yacht market, this topic is rarely seen as well as Boréal.

Length: 14.39m / 47ft 3in,

Hull length: 13.79 m / 45 ft 3 in,

LWL: 12.73 m / 41 ft 9 in,

Width: 4.39m / 14ft 5in,

Draft: 1.08-2.48 m / 3 ft 7 in - 8 ft 2 in,

Light Offset: 13.650kg / 30.093lb,

Ballast: 3,850 kg / 8,488 lb

Sail area (100% forward triangle): 93.8 m2 / 1010 ft2,

Sail area to displacement ratio: 16.7,

Water: 638 L / 140 gallons,

Fuel: 600 l / 132 gallons

Displacement / LWL ratio: 184,

Base model price excluding VAT: 541,650 euros. Builder: www.boreal-yachts.com

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Renowned French studio VPLP Design has developed a new yacht concept - a 47m / 156ft catamaran with winged sails, called Evidence.

The Swiss company SolarImpact Yacht AG has finally announced its plans for a new project. The world's first fully solar-powered ocean-going superyacht will debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, which will take place from 11-16 September 2018 in the south of France.

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The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 3, Hull and Build

In Part 1 and Part 2 I compared the rigs, deck layouts and cockpits of the two boats. If you have not yet read those articles, please do so now with particular attention to the disclosure that the series starts with.

Now let’s move on to the hull design and build.

Scope Of The Article

Since I have never even seen a Garcia Exploration 45 out of the water, a lot of what follows is based on images I found on the internet using Google Image Search . Point being that those thinking about a Garcia need to dig deeper.

The good news is that I did connect with a Garcia dealer to get some questions answered—the factory ignored my inquiries.

Also, since Garcia, unlike Boréal, provide almost no information about how their boats are built, I will be writing about how the Boréals, and aluminum boats in general, are built, and then suggest things that those interested in buying a Garcia, or any aluminum boat for that matter, should check out during a factory visit before purchase.

Hull Design

Both boats are members of the “internal ballast with centreboard” class of boats that the French builders have long executed so well, with examples like the older Garcias and Ovnis to be found in every port around the world where cruising boats gather, and in a lot of remote and hazardous places, too.

(By the way, this is a different approach than lifting ballasted-keel boats like the famous Pelagics or Seal . Both approaches have benefits and tradeoffs, but for these articles, I’m not going there.)

Love or hate them—I fall into the first group—these boats have a proven track record of safe voyaging over many decades, a track record that puts to bed any worries about their relatively low static stability due to relatively high positioning of the ballast.

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More Articles From Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 44/47:

The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1, Introduction and Rig
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 2, Deck and Cockpit
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 4, Inside Watch Stations
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to The Boréal 47—Part 5, Interior, Summary and Price

Hi John I’ve enjoyed all 3 articles, and am left wondering why anyone would choose the Garcia over the Boreal. I’d be interested in hearing from one of the experienced owners (Goss et al) just why they decided on the Garcia. One point that you haven’t addressed is “beauty”, and that is another point where the Boreal wins hands down. I don’t wish to hear that beauty is a subjective concept. ? The forward raking windows of the deckhouse on the Garcia are not only ugly, but strike me as being unseaworthy. I’ll never own a Boreal, but they remain the only reason that I occasionally invest in a lottery ticket. Yours aye Bill

There’s been a trend to more use of chines these days even in racing yachts. Do Boreal have an explicit rationale for using chines?

I am sure there are plenty of contemporary accounts of the performance features of chines but Chapelle in The Search For Speed, said that any angular form in a hull which crosses waterlines flow would be a source of resistance. It is unlikely that the chines in a yacht would always present a line parallel to flow lines so you would expect more resistance in a chined hull?

Of course, they say chined hulls will definitely produce more resistance to rolling, a positive factor. Do you have any view on this?

I believe chined hulls are also easier to construct as no panel forming is required and that panel forming in materials like aluminium weaken the metal. Do you have any view on this?

Hum, most of that is above my pay grade to be sure about, but as far as I know chines don’t really make a lot of difference one way or another in performance.

As far as I know, the key benefit is that it’s, as you say, way easier to build a chine boat. That said, I don’t believe that the forming required to build a metal boat without chines makes a lot of, or probably any appreciable, difference strength wise because most of the strength of an aluminium boat comes from the frame, not the plate. (The exception is boats built with the Strongal method.)

I would also doubt that chines would make an appreciable difference to rolling, but I could be wrong.

Hopefully Jean-François will come up with some thoughts on this.

My understanding is that chines make sense on wide, light, downwind flyers for which they assist directional stability when heeled (compensating somewhat for this type of hull’s tendency to round up and/or depress the bow when heeled); support more powerful rigs by increasing buoyancy (at the expense of increased surface area which doesn’t matter once you’re planing); and reduce water-separation drag at planing speeds. None of these benefits seem to apply to an expedition yacht. At lower speeds the extra surface area will hurt performance. Combined with the higher-drag keel-box this might see the Boreal fall behind a Garcia in light conditions. Perhaps the chines make a metal hull more robust.

Hi John, Hi Henry,

As you say Henry, chine hulls are easier to construct (and repair) and require less tools. Also because of the chines (almost) nothing is spherical, everything is cylindrical in the alu work. This means that we only bend the alu plates in one direction and that we can have all plates arriving at ther yard pre-cut to the exact size as a big puzzle/mecano.

But you have to see the history of Boréal : Jean-François Delvoye designed what he thought was the ideal simple live aboard alu centerboarder for his family and build it himself. The personal project was not meant to become a yard with now more than 60 boats sailing all over the world. When you design a boat you are going to build yourself you see things in a different way. You much more think “how am I going to build it”…

This said different naval architects and yards use chines for different reasons. One of the common reasons on some cruising boats is because using chines can allow to increase the inside space…

Unlike Mr. Squire seem to think there is no automatic link : chines – more wet surface – slower boat (in light airs). In fact, sometimes it is even the opposite and the chine allows to narrow the width at or just above the waterline…

Everything is a compromise but the Boréal is narrower at the waterline than the Garcia. (the price for that we have less internal volume). She is also lighter. This a theoretical explanation why one boat sails better in light airs. In practise, on the water : It is a recurrent comment from all who have tested the Boréal in light airs to say how amazed they are by its velocity. This has been the case since the very first testsail with the very first Boréal with Daniel Allisy, chief editor of Voiles & Voiliers. We have sailed side by side upon several occasions in light airs and we know for a fact what is the reality on the water… One should try for himself both boats in indentical conditions, much more convincing than any explanation…

Hi Henry and Jean-François,

I can confirm that the Boreal is way faster up wind in light air than I expected, see further reading.

I agree with you wholeheartedly re combining fiberglass structural pieces with aluminum, as on the Garcia. Boats from Allures, which also now belongs to Grand Large, feature aluminum hulls with all glass decks. To me this negates what I see as one of the main selling points of a metal boat: a unitary hull-and-deck structure with minimal possibilities for chronic leaks. At some point the joint on an aluminum/glass boat is going to cause very annoying problems that will be a pain to resolve.

As to twin rudders versus a single rudder: the rudder on the Boreal is quite short and helm feel while steering is not great. It is not one of those boats that is a “joy to steer.” I noticed this the very first time I test-sailed one with JFE and accepted it. As a cruiser I spend little time hand-steering in any event. The Garcia, by comparison, with its twin rudders, has better helm feel and is more rewarding to steer. In this sense, as you suggest, the Garcia might seem preferable to those who are not planning to sail in high latitudes. I have sometimes wondered if Boreal should offer twin rudders as an option. Discussing this once with JFD I found he has strong opinions, as he once lost a rudder on a twin-rudder boat.

In spite of having a short rudder, the Boreal is remarkably forgiving in sudden strong gusts of wind. The rudder does not suddenly stall, leaving you with no steering, as sometimes happens on performance-oriented boats with deep high-aspect rudders when they are over-powered and laminar flow over the rudder foil abruptly ceases to exist. On the Boreal the rudder loads up gradually, always maintaining some grip, and you have time to make adjustments. Ease the main or drop more of your aft daggerboard to leeward. The motion of the boat in gusts meanwhile is likewise very muted and reassuring.

Jimmy Cornell told me when I sailed with him that he had to lobby Garcia very hard to get those partial skegs on the 45’s rudders. He wanted full skegs. Frankly I’d like to see a full skeg on the Boreal’s rudder. It would have prevented the problem I had with my rudder coming loose en route from Bermuda to New England and would give me much more peace of mind when running through the lobster pot strewn waters of Maine. In that the Boreal’s spade rudder is not really balanced in any meaningful way I see no downside to a skeg. It would only add strength if a growly bit of ice or whatever did jump behind the keel box and strike the rudder.

Like you I see no downside to the hard chines on the Boreal. Some people will tell you they actually increase initial stability, which is why presumably we see them on more and more fiberglass boats these days. Building a metal hull with hard chines is certainly simpler and less expensive.

On the keel box, or whatever you want to call it: one of the great features of the Boreal is that it heaves to extremely well. You can do it with the centerboard up or down. With the board up she makes a lot of leeway and leaves a nice slick to windward that theoretically should tame breaking waves. With the board down she does a fairly good job of staying put. My current theory is this attribute is due to the keel box having all its working area aft, that this helps her keep her nose up to windward.

I never had a chance to heave to on the Garcia, so I cannot compare. The keel box on the Garcia, as you say, is smaller than the Boreal’s, but its area is also aft, so it may also heave to well.

I have intentionally grounded out my Boreal a few times now. The wide foot of the keel box and the lower ballast inside the box makes her very stable indeed when dried out. Grounded out on a slope once (not on purpose) and had no problems.

I have not grounded out on the Garcia, but did participate in hauling out Jimmy’s boat in a yard in Panama. If you look at the boat in profile there’s an awful lot of upward slope from the back of the keel box to the bow. More than on the Boreal. My guess is on a hard surface she would dry out bow down with her rudders well clear.

Like you, I know nothing of the scantlings on the Garcia. As you say, on the Boreal they are formidable. You could throw the boat off a three-story building and I suspect it would suffer little or no serious structural damage.

I had not realized the ballast on the Garcia is cast iron. A bad idea. I wish European builders would stop doing this. It is, as you say, a particularly bad idea on an aluminum boat.

I’m wondering now what they used for ballast on older pre-Grand Large Garcias.

Hi Charlie,

I guess helm feel is pretty subjective, but I was truly amazed at how good the Boreal felt going upwind with the lee board down (see further reading). That said, as you point out, what really matters on a cruising boat is how well mannered she is and here the Boreal seems to be great.

Not at all sure about the adding a skeg. The gap between the keel box and rudder is pretty small and I’m guessing that even partially filling that with a skeg would be a big efficiency hit on what is already a quite small rudder. Also, I wonder if balancing the rudder would not be a negative because it would reduce the feel even further.

Great to hear that the Boreal heaves to well, and that you guess the Garcia would too. I have been asked this question about the Boreal several times, but have just not had the experience (first or reliable second hand) to answer it, so very good to have a fill on that. (As I think you know, Phyllis and I are huge fans of heaving to.)

And I’m totally with you on the folly of iron keels. I know lead is expensive, but as a percentage of the total cost of a boat I still think that using iron comes under “spoil the ship for a ha’p’orth of tar”. Ditto mixing GRP and aluminium.

Once again, thanks for sharing your experience with the two boats.

It seems to me both these broad sterned yachts are problematic, perhaps even relatively unseaworthy given the compromises made. And the fact that they are both centreboarders exacerbates the problem – a single deep centerline rudder can’t be used. The respective builders have adopted different solutions and I would suggest neither of them are appealing, to me at least. Better to have a boat with balanced heeled waterlines in the first place and avoid heeled bow down trim. Would you agree?

Hi Henry, I sincerely wonder why you think that… The theory that in heavy seas lifting your centerboard will avoid you to be tripped over is now a proven concept. (It was before Boréal started building boats) Again theoretical approach versus reality : The Boréal has a proven track record. Our owners (and ourselves) have taken our boats to the wildest places on earth… Yes, just as every other boat, the boat is a compromise and yes, there is room for improvements but in this category I wonder which kind of boat would be more seaworthy…

Jean-Francois,

Firstly, you will note that I used the qualifier “relatively”. I did not say the Boreal is unseaworthy. And I was referring specifically to the use of lee boards.

It seems to me any unprotected hull appendage is a potential liability even if it is sacrificial and replaceable particularly one that, from the accounts described in this article, has a significant bearing on the steering qualities of the yacht. I can imagine situations where the loss of this steering ability could be disastrous (say, short handed, beating off a lee shore in a boisterous sea, inshore, lee board sheared off by an uncharted rock , requiring immediate remedial action – could a damaged lee board get stuck in its sleeve?).

I look at the Boreal’s lines and interior, it is love at first sight, but then one begins to think about the compromises that have been made (every boat is a compromise as you well know). For me, I would rather have a yacht with a soundly constructed deepish centerline rudder behind a longish not so deepish keel with a lump of lead attached to the bottom of it with the keel attached to a hull with well balanced heeled waterlines. If this meant giving up excellent broad reaching ability and a nice big fat stern lazarette, then that’s the compromise I would make. We are all different.

And just for the record, I think chines are well worth considering in an aluminium boat.

And benign skidding factors do not only belong to a centreboarded yacht. High freeboard, moderate beam and shallow fixed keels can also fit the bill.

Bottom line, you don’t want a lifting keel shallow draft boat, like a Boreal or Ovni, and that’s fine. That said, given the record of these boats, saying that they are not seaworthy, even “relatively” is simply ignoring the facts. Also the Boreal sails fine with no dagger boards so there would be no worries of not getting out of a tight spot if one was sheared off.

I agree that balanced lines for and aft, particularly healed, are important, and I too was worried about this when I first saw the boat. But have a look at the pic at the top of the post and you will see that the Boreal accomplishes this well and when I steered the boat up wind my worries evaporated. The fact that the boat steers herself up wind in puffy conditions proves that the ends are well matched beyond any doubt. And note it’s not just me saying that she steers so well (see further reading). As to seaworthiness, the record of Boreals, Ovnis, and older Garcias is second to none, so I just can’t see it being an issue. Have a look at the Boreal record of cruising tough places that I detailed in part 1. I don’t think there is any other production boat that comes even close.

You are misrepresenting my comments. I was careful to add the “relatively” qualifier for a reason. I don’t question the seaworthiness of the yachts. The yachts obviously perform well in real world conditions but require extraordinary steering capacity to do this which opens them up to certain vulnerabilities. Any wide sterned boat is going to trim down by the bow when heeled and lift a centerline rudder out of the water somewhat. I was merely making the point that the compromises made in this case do not suit the risks I personally would be prepared to carry. You said yourself in one of your Boreal sailing tests that “she did seem a little squirrelly up wind in the puffs and lulls” until the lee board was immersed and then she performed flawlessly. It’s not surprising on both counts. And this is in 12 knots of wind – the sea state would have been relatively benign. Put yourself in an extreme situation, short handed as hypothesized above – I would not want to deal with that situation ever if I could avoid it. It’s only a hypothetical possibility but real enough if it happens. In your review, you mentioned that “closer examination shows that Jean-François Delvoye has used considerable flare in the topsides aft so that the actual water plane is quite symmetrical fore and aft and further, as the boat heels, the water plane remains that way. ” Fair enough, the waterplanes might remain symmetrical but she will still trim down by the bow pulling the centreline rudder out of the water to a degree. (It seems to me the waterlines remain symmetrical because stern volume is truncated by considerable rocker aft.) The fact that extraordinary steering measures have been taken suggests there is an issue. And the Garcia’s twin rudders are just as vulnerable, and perhaps relatively (there’s that word again) more than the Boreal given the Boreal has a protected centerline rudder, albeit it relatively (just can’t seem to get away from that word) short one because of the virtually non existent keel. The lack of a fixed keel enhances downwind performance and allows her to beach. More compromises which I personally would not take. Compromises which others obviously prefer.

You are assuming a lot that is simply not true about the Boreal. For example Colin just sailed a brand new one 20 hours from France to Falmouth up wind into F7 conditions. He tells me the boat performed flawlessly. And few people, if any, have his experience in different types of boats. As you point out, she has a lot of rocker aft, and that’s exactly why, together with flare, she does not stuff the bow. It’s also why she has less room in the aft cabins (more on that soon). The point being that Boreal have leaned toward seaworthiness and good sailing over accommodation in every decision because the boat was designed to take their own families to challenging places, not please a market. So just assuming she will exhibit the same problems as boats with a lot of volume aft is flawed logic.

Look, the boat you describe as the one you want is exactly what I have and have sailed for nearly three decades and over 100k miles. I love that boat type too, but to make unfounded accusations about another design that is different like saying that she is “relatively unseaworthy”, against the boats we like, is simply being closed minded, particularly given your limited knowledge of the boat in question and the track record of said boat.

You are still misrepresenting my comments. I have no where judged the performance of the Boreal. As you correctly point out I have no experience of her. I do have your reported comments though.

You say the Boreal does not trim bow down. If this is so why are there extraordinary steering arrangements on the boat (both boats in fact) without which the boat does not perform flawlessly (according to your comments)? These days most if not all modern broad sterned production yachts have twin rudders. Unapologetically not interested! 🙂

All I am saying is that these steering arrangements could possibly be (whether probably is another matter) compromised at critical times. These are risks I would not be prepared to take myself. That’s all I am saying. I wish you would get this. Others on the other hand accept and value the offsetting performance features.

This is yacht design. C’est la vie!

What I’m objecting to is your base assumption that the boat trims bow down when healed. That’s not what I observed and further if she did that would imply a buoyancy mismatch and that in turn would result in a tendency to round up in puffs, and we know from several different sources that that’s not the case. The point being that the Boreal may have a reasonably wide stern at deck level (although modest by modern standards) but that is offset by hull flare and rocker to result in a hull without buoyancy mismatch at the angles she operates at.

After I sailed on the boat and found my worries about the stern seemed to be unfounded, I had a conversation with her designer who was kind enough to explain how it all worked. I learned a lot more than I would have done if I had let my assumptions based on my own boat plug my ears and blind my eyes. And further, the Boreal hull form was tank tested to make sure that they had this, and other stuff, right.

You are also assuming and saying that the lee boards are there to compensate for bow down trim when healed. That’s not what they do. Rather they compensate for the small rudder size to obviate the need for twin rudders on a shallow draft boat or the complexities of a lifting rudder.

Point being that you are building an entire argument on a flawed assertions. As the moderator of this comment stream I can’t allow that to stand.

You have also repeatedly stated that the Boreal will be less (relatively) seaworthy than a keel boat. But that again is an assumption, not a fact. The fact is that the Boreal will have better dynamic stability than your ideal boat or the boat I own (scaled for size). And the latest science shows that dynamic stability is as, or maybe more, important than static.

Here’s a radical idea for you: the Boreal (and Ovnis and Garcias) may even be more seaworthy in a storm than the boats you and I favour. Not saying that’s true, but it’s definitely a possibility. And one I’m open to in my continuing quest to learn more about safe offshore sailing. You might want to read this to understand that these things are not as simple as you are stating them: http://marine.marsh-design.com/content/dynamic-stability-monohull-beam-sea

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the Boreal approach is better than what you like, but to argue against it from flawed assumptions simply makes no sense. Better to just say that the boat does not work for you and leave it at that.

One think I have learned in 50 years of offshore sailing and 15 years of running this site is that there are a lot of different ways to come up with a good and safe offshore boat. And further, that assuming that everything other than the type we favour is flawed is a great mistake that prevents us from learning and growing our understanding. Sure I have made that mistake in the past, but I try hard to be open minded and, after reading an important book on decision making, I have been trying even harder…

Thanks for taking the time to explain the bow trim issue in more detail. I take and accept your correction of my comments. As I mentioned in an earlier comment it is plain that volume has been taken out of the stern with the deep rocker. Given that and the other measures taken to offset the broad stern, I accept that the hull has been designed to be balanced when heeled. Given that, I can then accept that the reason for the lee boards is solely to do with the shortish rudder.

However you are still misrepresenting my comments on the seaworthiness of the Boreal. As I have repeatedly explained my concern is with the unprotected lee boards. This is my particular paranoid fear, if your like. For me this is a real risk. Some people are prepared to wear this risk, being compensated by other performance factors inherent in the Boreal’s design. I did not say the Boreal is unseaworthy. With lee boards in place it performs as required. If the lee boards were sheared off in a critical situation there might be difficulties. You yourself have said the yacht behaved normally with the lee boards down and not so much with them up and that was in what I would call in benign conditions.

Regarding the Boreal and its drop keel and skid factors. I have not said the Boreal is unseaworthy because it has a non fixed keel. I have never been in a situation where the yacht I was on was threatened by huge breaking waves. (The worst I have been in is in Bass Strait in an F10 storm with 30ft waves steep as walls coming at us , but surprisingly they were barely breaking.) So I really cannot speak to the situation. All I have to go on is the advice of people like Steve Dashew (“Surviving the Storm”). And I don’t question the experience of people who have survived encounters with big breaking waves in non-fixed-keel boats. Given Steve’s advice and my other paranoid fear of not having a lump of lead attached to the bottom of a keel under my feet, then that’s another preference I would have. Others can differ, that’s fine with me. So please do not misrepresent what I have said.

That’s fine, as long as we have the bow down trim issue sorted, I’m happy to agree to disagree on the level of vulnerability that the boards represent.

On the rudder skeg: I think there’s room to fit one in there. And I wonder if it might not improve the rudder’s effectiveness (see comment below re the single daggerboard ahead of the rudder on a Garcia Passoa).

All my previous bluewater boats had rudders attached to either keels or full skegs. I was biased in favor of this. But I did read an awful lot about how a properly done spade rudder can be very solid, and have talked to many I respect who believe this, so I swallowed my bias in choosing a Boreal. Now I’ve had a problem with my spade rudder, early in the game, so my bias is swelling again.

Yes, I hear that, nothing like having a nasty problem at sea, and steering issues are very high on the nasty scale, to kick in the paranoia. That said, I’m still reasonably sure that adding a skeg ahead of a rudder is a pretty big hit to lift and assuming I’m right (by no means certain) that would say that adding a skeg would have reduce the effective area of the rudder. That said, I’m talking at least 150% of what I know here.

Maybe Jean-François has some wisdom on this? Or anyone else who really understands how rudder hydrodynamics work?

By the way, the bearing problem you had could be solved once and for all with a Thordon bearing that is installed after being shrunk with dry ice. We changed to one of these some 10 years ago and it’s absolutely secure without the use of set screws or sealant. We just gave all the relevant dimensions to Thordon and they made the bearing a press fit to the tube ( slips in when cooled with dry ice) and slip fit to the shaft. https://www.thordonbearings.com/marine-markets

Fascinating! Thanks for this tip on Thordon bearings.

One other thought on heaving to that struck me after my last comment: surely having a lot of area aft on the hull would be more a negative than a positive since that would move the centre of lateral resistance aft of the centre of effort of the rig and hull windage? The way I thought about this was to imagine a boat with a dagger board forward. Putting the board down would tend to make the boat sit with her bow further up in the wind. So conversely, say putting a Boreal lee board down would tend to bring the stern up in the wind and be a negative. Assuming I’m right on this, that might imply that the Garcia would have more trouble keeping her bow up, particularly with the board up, since she has no keel box.

And further, having sailed centre board boats quite a bit, both inshore and offshore, I would caution others (I’m sure you are aware) that if it’s gnarly leaving the board down will decrease both boat’s capsize resistance.

I know exactly what you are saying here and that thought has definitely occurred to me. As I said my thinking on this is only theoretical. I come to it asking the question: WHY does the Boreal heave to so well? There’s certainly no daggerboard or keel area forward to keep the bow from blowing off. That she will heave to with the centerboard up is what made me start thinking about the area in the box keel aft. Which got me thinking about other boats I’ve had. One that heaved to very poorly, with a full keel cut well away both fore and aft, and another that heaved to very well, with a full keel cutaway forward but not aft. I can’t offer a hydrodynamic explanation of why this would be so. There may be other features in the hull shape that help here. The relationship between the sails and underbody obviously is important.

Steve Wrye has a lot to say about heaving to in a Boreal. Perhaps he might chime in here if he’s paying attention to us.

Hum, beats me too. Still the key point is that the boat does heave to well, which is great and is a huge check box for me on the list of what makes a good offshore boat, particularly for short handed crews.

Hi Charles and John, sorry to be so late to the table I just completed a 7 month delivery of a Boreal 44 and have not had the time to partake in this discussion. Maybe I can help here with a few observations, one on heaving to, another on stability and lastly on going to weather on a Boreal. I’m not expert in design but like John I have been sailing a lot of years and over time I have learned a lot through observation. So here are my opinions with actual results on a Boreal. By the way I do not own a Boreal anymore I am totally free of having that bias.

Heaving to; When I received my Boreal, hull # 13 in 2013 I was a bit concerned that the Boreal would not heave to. Having spent a lot of time with the two owners of Boreal I could not get much info on heaving to from them. They told me that one owner did heave to with great success but that’s all they could tell me. They were of the mind if I remember right that running down was the way to sail in those situations one would heave to in. In the Canary Islands waiting for hurricane season to end we often took the Boreal out and tested many ways to sail her, it was a totally new concept for my wife and I to sail such a boat as we have only owned more traditional CCA boats. As for heaving to we did so on a day with 25 to 35 kts winds and really lousy close 2 meter seas. I started with two reefs in the main, the boom down center of boat and the centerboard all the way down. Forward a block on the windward side mid cleat and a sheet to the stay sail run through that block and sail pulled all the way over to windward. Also helm all the way over to windward side and tied off. Just like the way we did it on our more traditional boats like the Mason 44. I was amazed that the Boreal worked just like the Mason. The Boreal sailed forward at about one knot and the bow was at about if I can remember right 45 degrees apparent. Very comfortable very normal and very much like any good CCA blue water designed boat would heave to. But then for the hell of it I started playing around with different ideas and things became even better. I started to raise the centerboard up a bit at a time and each time I did so the boat slowed down moving forward and she came up into the wind a bit more. By the time I had pulled the centerboard fully up and took some of the helm to windward away the boat was going about a half a knot backwards and the bow pointed as much to weather as 17 degrees apparent. Just like I’ve read about in the old full keel boats of long ago. What a beautiful slick to windward. Never have we had a more comfortable heave to in 40 some odd years of sailing. I think Charles is right about the keel it is just big enough when the centerboard is all the way up or close to being up the boat will not slide side ways much and move in a bit of backward direction.

Stability; the Boreal is very stable and drier than any boat I have ever sailed. In one of the earlier discussions on Boreal’s back a few years ago I told the story of being hit on the beam by a standing breaking wave at two in the morning while I was on watch. That breaking wave had so much force in it and it was only about 15 or so feet high. But never have I heard a louder noise and a boat be shaken as much for a very brief time. It did break over just about the entire boat up to as high as the boom and filled the cock pit full. The Boreal did slide side ways and the windward side of the boat, (port side) the breaking wave side seemed to be a bit lower than the side of the boat one would expect to be lower if a boat was being tripped by the wave. It was only a few seconds for all this to happen and we were back on course doing 7 KTS with the auto pilot on. If that had been our beautiful sea worthy Mason 44 I have no doubt that we would have tripped and put the starboard spreaders in the sauce with a complete stall out nose up into the wind.

As far as needing the lee dagger board down for going to weather it sure makes for a nice ride with great control of steering. But what I have found with the Boreal no matter what point of sail you are one keep the right reef in the main. If I keep the boat as flat as possible and not heeled over more than 8 degrees, I like less a lot less if possible. I can sail the Boreal just fine without the lee dagger board down if i do not have too much sail up. A lot of times the boat will sail faster without a lot of sail that makes it over powered. Going to weather with lee dagger board down proper sail management in 25 kts of wind and lousy seas I have sailed with Boreal with Colin on board at about 55 degrees apparent and was able to keep speed up. Pretty damn good for a centerboard boat. Just keep your sails where they work best and the boat does its job very well. One more thing, I don’t think Boreal is perfect and I tell them that often. But in over 40 years of sailing I have never met a boat building company that takes the time to listen as well as Boreal does. JFD and JFE go out of their way to help all the Boreal owners with any problem they may have. I also think JFD is quietly one of the greatest blue water / expedition sailboat designe ever. Having sailed with Garcia owners and hung out with them I know Garcia is not so bad at helping an owner out but in no way do they compare to Boreal for service and caring. The Garcia is a fine bluewater boat but can’t touch the Boreal for a blue water plus an expedition boat for the demand that its owners put on the Boreal be it in the higher lats, the atolls of the Caroline’s or the jungle rivers of the Amazon and Borneo. Cheers Steve and Tracy.

Thanks very much for that update. Particularly good to hear that the Boreal will heave-to without forward motion. As Phyllis and I found out the hard way, pretty much any forward motion makes heaving-to ineffective and in fact dangerous: https://www.morganscloud.com/2013/06/01/when-heaving-to-is-dangerous/

Your comment about the steering feel is interesting. Having never sailed one of these boats but finding them very interesting(and not currently in the market for a boat so this is completely academic), steering is one of the things I had been wondering about. I am one of those people who loves to steer and if I am not needed for something else and the engine isn’t on, I go for the tiller/wheel rather than a book and sometimes steer for hours at a time. From afar, it would appear that it is a good thing that the prop is so close for maneuvering under power. But it also makes me wonder if the big fixed props I often see in pictures on these boats really hurt steering performance under sail due to no part of the rudder really being clear of disturbed water.

I think that a lot of whether or not you would like steering a Boreal would depend on what your bench mark is. I came direct from Morgan’s Cloud a boat that is great fun to steer up wind, and was still pretty impressed once the lee board was down, and even with the boards up I did not hate it. What I really wonder about would be steering off the wind in big breeze. Here I think the Boreal might even be more fun than the boats we are used to since with the board up the centre of lateral resistance will be way aft. I’m thinking that the same techniques I learned years ago in high performance dinghies in big waves might work well and produce big grins.

Any experience/wisdom on that Charlie?

And I agree, I have never understood why anyone who really likes to sail would saddle a boat with a fixed prop. As a past PHRF handicapper I know just how big the hit is.

On steering off the wind: doing so on one of these French centerboard boats is a blast. It’s one of the reasons I like them. Still my experience on the Boreal is that you still have to be careful not to oversteer. As I said earlier (in a previous thread), it helps to have both daggerboards down. Then you are riding, as I like to think of it, a big French metal surfboard. I had a chance once to steer downwind for a long time in strong conditions aboard an older Garcia, a Passoa, and my vague impression is that it steered better than the Boreal. It was a long time ago so this may not be a reliable memory. Interestingly, that boat also had an aft daggerboard, but only one, right in front of what was also a short centerline spade rudder.

That’s good to hear. I can certainly see that over steering would be a mistake, but then that’s the same with most any boat that really gets smoking off the wind. Years ago, in the early days of really fast off wind boats like Merlin Stan Honey told me they were actively recruiting 505 sailors to drive in the TranPac because they instinctively knew how to keep the boat under the sails whereas those drivers more used to keel boats would wipe out regularly.

Hi John and Charlie,

I have very little experience in dinghies in actual seas, most of my small boat big seas adventures happened in kayaks but what you describe intuitively makes sense.

What actually makes a boat have good steering feel is very hard to define to me. If I had to list my favorite 10 boats to steer that I actually had experience with, 2 boats over 100′ would be on there despite big boats having a reputation of no feel. Both boats are slow to respond by the nature of small rudders and enormous inertia but they are also predictable and really reward a good helmsman. I have also steered even more expensive yachts than these which are faster but no fun to steer. Big rudders alone are certainly not the answer although too small is definitely bad. Balance, predictability and feel would probably be my top criteria but I am not sure even that is right. For a cruising boat, our current boat is a lot of fun to steer, combined with the build quality (in a relative sense, there were still plenty of issues) it is what sets the boat apart from many boats of a similar era in my opinion.

John’s comment about keeping the boat under the sails is spot on but I find that many people don’t know how to apply it, oversteering seems to be the norm. When I get on a new boat to me, I first try to steer as minimally as possible which allows you to see how the boat handles on its own and then you can start to try to do small proactive rudder changes to improve from there. Growing up, I spent a lot of time on boats that are along the lines of NY32’s and they are really great teachers of minimalist steering which becomes necessary on really large vessels. Talking to some people who are accomplished on sportier boats and have crewed Dorade recently, they have commented that they had to learn to anticipate more and steer less and that it made their sportboat helming better too.

By the way, my thought on the fixed prop had nothing to do with speed, it is that a rudder that is shallow does not have a big amount of area running in relatively undisturbed water below the prop disturbance. I can’t actually quantify this but it is clear that a fixed prop creates quite disturbed water, although a keel does too so it may not be as big an effect as it might otherwise be.

I agree, it’s very hard define what factors make a boat fun and easy to steer. Kind of like the old saying about porn “hard to define, but I know it when I see it”. That said, I do think that there is one factor that boats that are fun and easy to steer share: symmetrical water planes for and aft, that stay that way when the boat heals.

And yes, that was my worry about fixed props too and I think the turbulence is way worse than the keel. I can still remember sailing my old Fastnet 45 with a fixed 3 blade prop for three weeks while waiting for a new MaxProp and after removing a folding prop (long story about why that sequence of props). I could actually feel the difference on the helm from the prop turbulence and the negative effect in speed and pointing was amazing. The Fastnet was never a good boat to steer (terrible directional stability) but with the fixed prop it got way worse.

Hi John I’m currently looking at a semi-expedition design boat with one of those skeg designs where the skeg swoops down to the lower rudder bearing leaving what is something like a very large aperture for the prop. The prop is directly in front of the rudder— should be great for managing prop wash at low speeds. I built a similar design years ago but never was able to test it under sail. Have any readers had enough experience with this particular configuration to let me feel confident that changing to a feathering prop will cure the problem of rudder stall and turbulence affecting the helm feel and autopilot performance? As I recall the Fastnet 45 had a lot more separation between the prop and rudder but still had a similar problem?

Hi Richard,

I can’t be sure, since, as you say the Fastnet is very different. That said, I’m pretty sure that a feathering prop would be a fix. I base that on the Paine Justines which are configured the same way. I understand they steer very sweetly, are fast (for type) and most (all?) have feathering props.

Hi Charlie I remember well your glee while steering the Passoa 47 Che Vive downwind in a gale, passing dozens of other boats in the Marion-Bermuda race. I enjoyed it too.

Having now sailed our own Passoa 47 over 40,000 miles, I think that the single rudder with the centreline daggerboard is one key to the easy steering. Our Raymarine autopilot never draws more than 5 Amps, and hand steering is easy Like the Boreal, the Garcia rudder is shallower than ideal for hydrodynamic efficiency, but is well protected I think that the skinny stern of the Passoa (skinnier than the Expedition or the Boreal 47) is a great asset, although it makes for skinny bunks The one time we sailed alongside a Boreal, we were a knot faster and pointing slightly higher, but that was just one set of conditions. 15 knots, moderate chop in the Hebrides

I agree. The bottom line is that displacement boats, like your Passoa, that are symmetrical fore and aft sail and steer better.

As an Allures owner I think I can speak to the Garcia bottom plate thickness as both the Allures and Garcia are fabricated at the same yard – which we visited. Although the Allures has significant compromises (and some benefits including being less costly), I am pretty sure the hull plate thickness and structure matches the Garcia. The bottom plate thickness of the Allures is 10mm. Thicker plate is used in some high load areas including the transom (16mm) and keel skeg (12mm).

One benefit of the twin rudders that was not mentioned is that they are set up to accommodate redundant autopilots. Not sure how easy this would be to accomplish on a Boreal.

In terms of the ballast material, I suspect in either case if the full penetration welds of the 10mm plate have failed, and sea water is getting into the ballast compartment, one has a major problem. Not sure epoxy encased iron or lead would make the problem smaller or easier to fix. I believe this kind of failure is very unlikely. I guess with iron one would see staining and know there is a problem before it spreads. Hard to imagine this happening on any of these boats and low on our worry list.

Hi Charlie & John Looks like those who actually have time in a Boreal don’t find the smallish rudder a problem. But in the spirit of solving a problem that doesn’t exist (LOL) I should point out that there are several ways to design rudders with variable draft. For example, if the rudder is transom hung, (as are many Open 60’s) then it is quite simple to design it with a sacrificial breakaway lower section or a hinge latch held in place by a hydraulic cylinder with a pressure “fuse”.

Chines vs radius; Ironically the only Garcia I’ve been aboard was a Passoa specially designed for Antartica. The bottom plate was 12mm, and the radiused garboard plating a single 8mm sheet nearly 50′ long formed on a giant roller. In the hands of Sr. Garcia the hull was a flawless work of art. Fair as a mold tooled fiberglass boat, with no welding distortion like heavily framed aluminum boats.

But he is no longer with us, the company that carries his name is a conglomerate, and boats are built in factories. In the hands of anybody but a true aluminum master, chines make all kinds of $$$Sense.

Yes, the old Garcias were loverly. I was drooling over one this summer hauled in Maine. Note that I did mention the Ovni rudder, but do be aware that this design has not been without problems (I have this direct from an owner) so I guess I just like the simplicity of a single part rudder. Also the Ovni uses a flat plate rudder to make it all work, a big efficiency hit.

Hi Richard, John as I guess you’re both aware, our Ovni 435 has a ‘split’ rudder, with the upper section fully supported by a skeg and the lower section liftable via a hydraulic pump. This has a lot going for it, not least as it allows the rudder to be lifted (as well as the centreboard) for beaching horizontally when on the bottom. It also (as with the board) incorporates a failsafe ‘rupture’ plug on each circuit, that will burst on major impact to save the various parts of the system from damage. This works, as I can attest having hit a log, which burst the plug and allowed us to install a new one and be back in action in 5 minutes. Given the severity of the impact, I don’t doubt that we would have suffered major structural damage to the rudder otherwise. The single spade rudder on the Boreal works well, and is well protected by the keelboat ahead of it – totally acceptable, in my view. Finally chines – some people don’t like them aesthetically, and I can see that, but – they offer solid protection from bumps when coming alongside, help reduce rolling at anchor, aid directional stability (albeit not by a very great deal) and – my favourite – when the boat is heeled on the breeze, let the boat heel until she settles down on to the chine and stiffens up noticeably – so you don’t ‘sail on your ear’, so much. Obviously, these attributes apply to multichined designs, less so for single chined designs. After many miles in both round bilged and multichined designs, I’m a convert. Best wishes Colin

Thanks for the fill, particularly on your experience with chines. I had not thought of the stiffening effect at all.

We had a very minor quibble with J-F on the design of the boreal chainplates/tangs. The tangs for the 4 lower shrouds (attached through the deck to hefty frames) are vertical. The loads along the shrouds, however, are not vertical (since the shrouds are in front of and behind the mast). This introduces some eccentric loading on the stainless steel strapping that holds the toggle at the end of the shroud – with the outside of the toggle being pulled over the end of the tang.

J-F pointed out that these attachment points are hugely over-designed and there’s never been a problem – which is completely true. We pointed out that it would still be better if the load ran straight through the tang with no bend – which is also true. In the end, they kindly agreed to fabricate the tangs for our boat at the required angle so the loads run true.

Sounds like a good modification, thanks for the tip.

First post on this august site! I have also lusted after a Boreal for a while and have found the analysis very interesting. The only thought I have had with regard to the spade rudder. I have always had a prejudice about unsupported rudders but am happy to be corrected – it is a prejudice after all. Could a compromise be to have a simple plate running from the bottom of the keel to the bottom of the rudder. The rudder could have a simple shoe. This would provide additional protection in that it would prevent ropes and such like from riding up and snagging on the rudder. This would also make it more difficult to foul the propeller. What do people think?

As with other commenters, my thoughts are totally academic pending a lottery win. 🙂

I have to admit that I too had a prejudice against spade rudders, but, as I say in the post, over the years I have come to believe that as long as the the rudder is really well built, and the rudder post bracing inside the boat is done right, that the benefits of spade rudders are pretty compelling. That said, the idea of in some way closing the gap between the keel and rudder on the Boreal is certainly attractive. However, such a structure would, I think, have to be pretty massive if it were going to get even close to matching the strength of the keel box and existing rudder, remembering that this is a boat intended to dry out. And that, in turn, would produce a fair amount of drag and probable reduce the efficiency of the already small rudder.

So given that the rudder is already well protected behind the keel box, and further protected when the board is down, and it’s leading edge is swept back enough that I think it would shed most debris that got past the keel, I think the downsides of adding structure would outweigh any benefits.

Bob Perry’s latest commission ( the Carbon Cutters) uses exactly such a strap to connect a longish fin keel to the rudder. However I suspect the real reason for it was to satisfy the client’s insistence upon a full keel boat and Bob’s desire to design a boat with a nice helm feel and a turn of speed. It’s a funny old world when owners insist upon building their old fashioned looking custom boat out of pure carbon fiber just because they struck it rich in the Seattle market bonanza. (Regardless of the fact that it probably creates a worse boat for this application) And even stranger, three best buddies decide that they have to have identical copies in spite of the fact that there is no mold for the construction.

My experience with full skeg mounted rudders on most fiberglass and cold molded wood boats is that the rudder shaft serves the function of supporting the skeg rather than the other way around! It also prevents using balance— area forward of the shaft axis to lighten the forces on the helm and reduce loads on the autopilot or wheel.

With metal boat construction it is quite easy to build a skeg strong enough to provide substantial protection to the rudder. Combine that with a partial skeg and a rudder designed with a sacrificial lower 1/3 * and you can have the combination of an optimal rudder hydrodynamic shape and a rudder that is still functional after a conversation with a grey whale.

*(glass layup over a red cedar core on the lower 1/3 with a zipper line of small holes in the core at the break point for example) ** Another benefit of a partial skeg is that it is inherently much stiffer than a full length one, and with a bearing mounted at the lower end can massively contribute to the stiffness of the rudder shaft itself. ***For a metal boat designed to dry out, the benefits of a sacrificial lower rudder section are null and void!

Hi Richard, John and all, I am not sure what is meant by Bob Perry’s “strap” from keel to rudder, but: As someone who, when underway, is fine keeping a good lookout for other boats, whales and the like, but absolutely abhors the effort, concentration, and anxiety of sailing in areas where fish/lobster/crab pots are strewn, I have spent considerable time imagining a remedy. I have a conservative fin keel and a skeg (full length) hung rudder (Valiant 42) and I seem to get hung up once a year or so. I have wondered about having a light line going from the aft/ bottom end of my keel to the bottom of the skeg of the rudder. It would not need to be a very strong line as its job would be to direct pot pennants along the line so they are more likely to clear the prop and the rudder. Clearly this would need to be a break-away line. If broken, the worst mischief I could see would be to get around the prop, which, if light enough, should just break it or get cut with the line cutters. More likely it would just stream aft behind the skeg This is such a simple idea; I am sure someone has done it and already discovered some fatal flaw. Is this the same idea as the “strap” mentioned? Thanks for your thoughts. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Hi Dick If you look carefully you can see the connector between the fin keel and the transom hung rudder in this series of photos. The keel itself is interesting. When you walk up to it it is monstrous in surface area. Reminds me of one of those giant sunfish one occasionally encounters, but very thin. The carbon keel cavity is filled with lead. I don’t think it would be possible to build an integral keel this narrow except as a one-off from a male mold. If you are going to build a one-off carbon boat on the West Coast Jim Betts is your guy. http://www.bettsboats.com/yachts/current/perry43/

ps Check out the official displacement: 35,600#. That is a lot of Carbon! Even if 12-13,000 of the total were lead.

Hi Richard, Thanks. That is one sweet set of pictures. I am glad I am not looking for a new boat in which to go wandering widely or my first-born child would be in jeopardy. Is the strap only to keep pot lines/debris from getting in the aperture and getting hung up (similar to my thought for the break-away line) or is it (maybe also) structural and providing some fore and aft support? Thanks, Dick

Hi Dick My best guess is 2++ million each for those boats. A bargain considering how much it costs to send your firstborn to Harvard. For that price you could have a Boreal 47 built with a custom ballast compartment to store all the leftover gold bars saved, and be prepared for SeaSteading after the Collapse.

From talking with Bob I know that the client was a long term Cape George 36 owner. The design brief was for a Cape George 36 with a full keel, transom hung rudder, and split cabin trunk lacking headroom in the mast area, only bigger and more expensive. My guess is that the “strap” was employed so it could be called a full keel boat and make both the client and designer happy. LOL

Nice looking design. Seems to me the aperture strut is a great idea, protecting the rudder and propeller.

Here she is scooting along in what seems a moderate but stiff breeze and no waves at hull speed:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLR5VM1FGbQ

It’s interesting to note how she rounds up immediately there is a gust (the boat can be seen to heel a touch more) despite the long keel.

Interesting discussion. I am the owner of the Boreal 47, Curlew, that did the crossing from France to Falmouth this year mentioned by John, skippered by Colin (thank you, Colin!) in demanding conditions, so I am not a disinterested party. I can certainly confirm that the boat performed flawlessly on the trip, and on the subsequents legs to Crosshaven and then up the west coast of Ireland.

We spent this summer with Curlew in Connemara, on the western edge of Ireland, putting on many miles, often in bad conditions. Although not exactly Patagonia the area is exceedingly remote and the few other yachts you see are typically en route between Scotland and France. If you get into trouble, you are on your own. Rescue may take a considerable time. The weather is demanding with high average wind speeds coupled to a constant large swell.

A few observations.

Being able to pull up safely on a beach, previously viewed as nice, I now see as essential. In remote areas the water quality is usually high and you get rapid shellfish build-up. Cleaning the bottom, checking anodes and greasing the folding propeller are all nice things to be able to do but if something significant below the waterline goes wrong you have to be able to address it yourself. Diving is always inefficient, sometimes dangerous and never inviting in these waters. Additionally, in remote areas the few piers and harbours mostly dry out, so being able to handle that greatly increases the number of places where you can seek shelter from bad weather.

Secondly, even in remote areas there are crab and lobster pots everywhere. Accurate GPS now allows fishermen to put out huge numbers of these. The limited yacht traffic is seldom considered and buoys are found even in passages between islands or rocks. Twin rudders add greatly to your exposure to this risk. It is also useful to bear in mind that charts are updated on a frequent basis only where there is traffic. If you are off the beaten track this is not the case and although charts will be internally consistent, meaning that visual bearings are accurate, the longitude reference is often slightly out, so at close quarters GPS will not be accurate. In short, sooner or later you are going to clip a rock. I am much more comfortable thinking about this – it has yet to happen – with my single rudder behind a substantial keel box than I would be with twin rudders.

Great and very useful real world report, thank you. I totally hear you on the benefits of drying out. I can’t tell you the number of times I have wished I could easily do that as well as the number of times I have wished I could get up some snug shallow creak when bad weather was bearing down.

Hi John Really enjoying your articles and comments on them with regards these two yachts. I was just wondering if it would at all be possible to hear your thoughts or anyone’s with regards to another yacht builder I have been looking at from Holland who also manufactures aluminium yachts ….. specifically there 45 Pure from KM yachts. I have often read and seen mentions of other yachts in your articles and subsequent comments but have not seen a mention of KM. Many Thanks. Also really looking forward to article 4.

I have not put any time into investigating K&M so there’s not anything useful I could say. That said, the designer is well known and well respected with huge experience.

Hi Andrew and John, In 5 yrs of poking around Northern Europe, there was only 1 boat that consistently caught my eye: it was the Bestevaer series from K&M. There were a number of boats that I thought well done in the traditional manner (Rustler/Rival/Bowman) but the Bestevaer boats really seemed at casual glance to be pushing into the nice combinations of live-ability, easy handling, go anywhere safely, low maintenance boats. There was that and the owners we occasionally spent time with were among the more experienced and knowledgeable skippers. Not sure why they are not better known. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

KM are building Skip Novak’s latest Tony Castro designed Pelagic:

http://www.kmy.nl/yachts/pelagic-77/

If you are serious about the K&M and looking for a second opinion I would highly recommend hiring Colin to report on the boat for you. His fee will be a small fraction of what the boat will cost and worth every penny: https://www.morganscloud.com/services/consulting/

Hi John and Dick

Thank you for your information. In the past I have also been very interested in both the Bowman and Rustler yachts as well, however more recently have been gravitating towards the aluminium yachts especially with there strength and versatility with the shallow draft options.

Regards Colin I will keep this under careful consideration.

Hi Andrew, You are welcome. For jump-starting what can be a long, impressive, and expensive the learning curve and for making more likely you will start out with a boat that checks your particular boxes, I can’t think of a better guide than Colin. Let us know how you make out and the decisions you make. My best, Dick

The Bestavaer 45 is indeed an impressive looking yacht. I’ve long admired them. Quite different from the Boreal in terms of design. More expensive too.

I can report I had a chance to compare performance one-on-one with a Bestavaer 45 I saw in Cape May, NJ, last year. The Bestavaer left first; I left soon afterwards on my Boreal 47. We were both sailing north, downwind, singlehanded, under working sails poled out. No spinnakers or drifters or anything fancy. My Boreal quickly overhauled the Bestavaer and it was three miles behind us when I turned off into Atlantic City.

For whatever that’s worth.

Skip Novak is building his third Pelagic 77 at K&M.

I agree with at least one of John’s comment that potential Garcia Exploration buyers should actually talk to Garcia owners, particularly those who have sailed with the boat in high latitudes! I would also encourage them to speak to a few Boreal owners as well. I have…. Best Regards Chris de Veyrac S/Y Haiyou Garcia exploration 45

Hi Chris, I appreciate you talked to Boreal owners and then you bought the right boat to better satisfy your needs. I only discussed it with Jimmy Cornell, but he might be biased ?. Happy sailing! Alex.

Hi John It’s impossible to compare any two designs in depth without developing opinions. (AKA biases or conclusions.) If those opinions are fact-based they contribute to the analysis. On the other hand if they are mere personal preferences they may be equally important, but of little use to others.

It is my personal opinion the Garcia 45 is ugly and the styling makes it look like it is radically trimmed bow down. This opinion has little to do with how it performs or whether another owner will fall in love with it. On the other hand the disadvantage of twin rudder designs in ice or log filled waters is a question of fact.

I recently did subcontracting work on an $18 million dollar ultramodern home with over a million dollars of glass in its walls and an inverted roof that permanently leaks (Thanks, Famous Architect). If I were to receive it as a gift with the condition that it could never be sold I would bulldoze it and build a 1200 sq foot log cabin in it’s place. Bias or a belief that design must fit the surroundings and environment?

I have found your series of articles comparing the Boreal and Garcia Exploration very interesting. We bought an Allures 45.9 new in September 2017 and are now in New Zealand having sailed over 20,000 NM in the last two years or so. Our boat is of course from the same stable as the Garcia and shares many features (and there are also a number of significant differences also between our boat and the Exploration 45). I think that it would be useful for your to consider a follow-on article that compares and contrasts the after sales experience that a sample of Boreal and Garcia owners have enjoyed (or not enjoyed). The first year or so of ownership of a new boat is a time when minor and sometimes major issues need to be resolved. During our travels these past two years we have chatted to many purchasers of new boats from many different makers and the after sales experience seems to have varied dramatically. Once a boat leaves the factory, there should be an ongoing supportive relationship between the builder and the owner. Resolving issues in far flung parts of the world is never easy but good support helps a great deal. I look forward to your thoughts.

Julian Morgan S/Y A Capella of Belfast.

Sure that would be great if it could be done, but the problem is how would such a survey work in practice?

For example how would we get a list of buyers and even if we could, how could we assure that the builder had not cherry picked the list?

The other problem is that boat owners that have had a bad experience are loath to out the builder for it because they are afraid that this will make their relationship with the builder worse than it is, and/or reduce the resale value of their boat. I know of one major builder who is famous for punishing owners who say anything bad about them by withdrawing support—I can’t publish a name because no one will go on record, so my liability would be horrendous. And I can’t tell you the number of times readers have written to me to complain about boats but then don’t want that publicized.

And finally, to do this right would be hundreds of hours and many dollars in communications costs, so how would that be financed? And then what about legal liability and cost of insurance against litigation if a builder felt that they had been unfairly singled out and could prove that the survey results were inaccurate? (One of our biggest costs is our journalism liability insurance, but I just know the underwriters would up the premium big time if we told them we were going to take this on.)

The bottom line is that such a study, to be useful and relatively safe from litigation, would need to be rigorously done, not just casual antidotal interviews.

All that said, how has your experience been with Allures and Grand Large?

Also, do you have any thoughts on something I may have missed about the fibreglass deck advantages. I have always been very hard on this, but always interesting to hear the opposing view from someone who has the miles you do on the boat.

Hi John (and Bill),

My comments certainly do seem to have got under your skin, and I’m sorry for this. Nothing is gained by putting people’s backs up. That was not my intention. This is the only site of this type that I visit, nor do I use social media. In consequence I don’t know the meaning “trolling” (in this context) or “forum games” (images of toga-glad children playing hop-scotch in the market place come to mind, tho’ I pretty sure that’s not what you mean).

So, in the interest of righting the ship a little I would like to address my suggestion that the inclusion of non-dimensional ratios and form coefficients would have improved the content of this 2 boat comparison. John seems to have jumped to the conclusion that I was asking that this data be included in order to evaluate speed potential or prepare a VPP. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although helpful in comparing differing appendage (keel or rudder for example) designs on an existing hull and necessary for use in routing programs I personally do not find them particularly useful in evaluating an existing design.

I was suggesting that their inclusion because, taken as a whole, with a knowledge of the general type and style of craft that they pertain to and with some experience in evaluating them, they give the best indication of the designer’s intent and the type of vessel and its performance (in which speed is just one of many behaviors and properties) that is likely to result.

In my opinion a compiling of these ratios and coefficients and a familiarity with them is the single most useful thing that a prospective buyer of a sailing vessel can do to ensure that he selects a boat best adapted to his needs. I absolutely disagree with John’s statement that “a few ratios would tell us nothing about two boats this similar”.

In his reply to my comment John asks if I seriously expect him to collect such data and if I seriously expect the designers of the two boats to share it. I can’t answer the first question, not being privy to AAC’s resources but I would note that both sailing magazines and published books (see Bob Perry’s volume on his designs — chock full of this kind of info as well as lines plans) increasingly share this information. A very cursory internet search on the Garcia yielded D/L (208), SA/D (15.9) and ballast ratio (32%) data from a not altogether laudatory Yachting Monthly review.

As to designers’ willingness to share this data I think you might be surprised. As a young NA student I spent 4 years compiling such a data bank for designs that I admired. Among many prestigious designers who kindly answered my questions was the designer of Morgan’s Cloud. I still remember the pale blue airmail paper (it was a long time ago) on which his charming reply was printed.

I understand that AAC is John’s property and he gets to decide its content. My suggestion may not fall into his vision of the site, he may feel that it would not be of interest to the membership or that it would be impractical for any number of reasons. I offered it simply as one member among many as a way to further improve the site’s value to its readership.

Garcia specifically refused to give me any data on the design, other than the very scant amount published. As I wrote in the post, this made it impossible to make any meaningful comparisons since they don’t even specify the load state that the displacement applies to. Nor would they tell me if the SA was 100% fore triangle, which it should be, but often builders use the overlap of the genoa to make the boat look more powerful. As to the numbers in magazines, very often they are wildly out due to just these kinds of problems.

And I stick by my assertion that said ratios would not have been useful in comparing the boats since I’m fairly sure that they would be quite close, or at least not useful enough to justify the time and effort involved in deriving accurate numbers.

That said, I agree that ratios are useful for comparing different types of boats, but that’s not what this series was about. If I was writing an article comparing this type of boat to say a fixed keel boat like the Outbound 46, ratios would have been very useful and inaccuracies less of a problem.

Agreed that the classic ratios such as SA:Displacement are often wildly inaccurate in magazines and sales literature I dug into this deeply when designing a sail plan for Milvina, our Passoa 47, that was taller than standard. I calculated values for a number of well known boats, and when I found different results from publications, called vendors. I got a range of push-back but no solid info Sales/magazine info for most boats I looked at presented numbers more appealing than my calculations based on the boat’s dimensions

Yes, it’s very annoying since it makes it hard to come up with any meaningful comparisons and worse still it calls into question any comparisons we read about online or in magazines. The sail ratios are bad enough, but when we get into displacement it gets really murky. And even waterline length is pretty fungible since what really matters is effective waterline length when underway and the only way to derive that is a full hull image.

On iron vs lead ballast When Garcia was building our Passoa 47, I was keen on lead ballast, but ended up with iron for two reasons Firstly, my calculations showed that lead would lower the centre of gravity by only a few inches, because of the wide, flat shape of the ballast in centreboarders Secondly, Jean-Louis Garcia told me that he had trouble with a lead ballasted boat because it hit the rocks, leaked and was weeks in the water afterwards. Jean-Louis related that when lead, aluminium and seawater are together without oxygen the lead corroded rapidly and formed bulky corrosion products that pushed the welded top off the ballast enclosure A simple test I did with lead and aluminium showed rapid corrosion Jean Louis also related having repaired boats with iron ballast that had sailed for months with damaged, leaking bottoms and he had observed only a little corrosion The result was that we chose iron ballast, although we had been willing to pay for lead

That’s interesting. Based on your comment I took a look at the galvanic table and it is true that cast iron is closer to aluminium alloys than lead. I was surprised. Also the fact that Jean-Louis said this gives me more reassurance. I will think on it some more, but maybe change the article to reflect this.

Hi again Neil,

I just found a different galvanic scale that indicates the exact opposite: that lead is closer to aluminum than cast iron. Clearly going to take more research to get a definitive answer, even assuming that’s possible.

My key input was what Jean Louis Garcia told me. They had at least one rock battered Garcia in for repair on about half of my dozen visits to the yard, so he clearly had experience Concerning the galvanic table, remember that it is based on metals with oxygen around. In the case of sea water leaking into ballast, there would be no oxygen You have surely observed that the alloys used for yacht hulls corrode badly if seawater is trapped against them under a bolted on fitting I suspect this may explain the difference between the galvanic table and Jean Louis experience In my work as an engineer with industrial equipment corrosion, I observed that corrosion reactions in practice often differ from elementary chemistry

Protection of hull when drying out As you say, the solid keel in the Boreal protects the hull to some extent, but I am not sure the hull needs it. In our Garcia Passoa 47, the bottom is 10mm plate with a lot of ribs. In the integral fuel and water tanks, the anti-slosh webs are solidly welded to the hull, reinforcing it. In the ballast areas, of course the ballast back up the hull. I do not know how the current Garcias are built

One possible issue with the Boreal keel is that a boat dries out on a flat bottom, balanced on the keel as the tide slowly falls, then falls with a bang when the boat is fully dry. If the boat heels quietly as the tide drope, then it will not be too livable I think you are correct that Garcia owners perhaps do not dry out often. We have done it only a few times, once inadvertently. One Passoa owner we visited in Brittany keeps his boat on a mooring in a somewhat sheltered bay, where it dries out on a gravel bottom every tide. When we met, he had been doing it for years. I guess his boat has grounded more often than all the other Garcia boats put together

Experence has shown that the Boreals don’t fall off the keel box. It’s simply too wide for that. More here: https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/12/22/the-garcia-exploration-45-compared-to-the-boreal-47-part-5-interior-summary-and-price/comment-page-1/#comment-289259

I agree, with that kind of construction I don’t think you have a lot of worries drying out.

I was reading the discussion on the Boreal’s daggerboards with great interest, but did not really find answers to a few questions that arose. I saw that John and Henry had differing opinions on what kind of a problem losing a daggerboard might consitute. As far as I was able to follow the discussion, in lighter airs the lack of the daggerboards would require a bit more attention on the helm, but that seems like a very small issue.

I am wondering does anyone have experience in more demanding conditions? For example, how would clawing off a lee shore upwind in strong winds work if the boards were gone?

Has anyone tried raising the lee board when beating in a real blow?

Any other situations in which not having the boards would be a real problem rather than a minor nuisance?

Assuming that it would be a real problem in some situations, carrying spares might make sense. That brings up the question whether or not the boards are identical so that one spare could fit in place of either board, or are they mirror images so that both sides require a separate spare?

I guess the risk of losing both would be small, but the above has bearing on the costs of carrying the spare(s).

I don’t know the answers to these questions in detail, but Colin does, so if you are really interested in buying a Boreal, then it would be worth talking to him about this, and other factors. https://www.morganscloud.com/consulting/

That said, having sailed the boat a bit, and having talked to several people with a lot of miles in Boreals, I’m pretty sure that the boards are an added benefit, but not required for safe operation. Also, the last time I talked to Boreal none of their boats had suffered a board breakage.

If memory serves, the boards are identical.

https://youtu.be/WNVTFd4t_HE

Hi John, Boreal’s daggerboards can be broken as you can see on the n° 42 ep ” Bushpoint ” on You tube. It was last year on a Boreal 55 in the north of Norway. Even if it was not a great issue , it can happen. The owner fix it himself. My wife and I are looking to build a new boat to change our Ovni 43 and we ask Patrick Lenormand, the yard manager of NYS ( Caen France) to build it . We have chosen a Cordova 45 ( design of Jean-François André , well known french architect ) . His choice of a twin rudder system concern me . He said that he put two strong skegs welded on the hull to prevent any damage. My worry is also about the drag of these skegs in front of the rudders . I know that a boat is always a trade-off but I don’t want to make a mistake. It’s always a great pleasure to read AAC. Best regards, Françoise et Jean-Michel.

Hi Françoise and Jean-Michel,

That’s such an interesting question that I answered it as a tip: https://www.morganscloud.com/jhhtips/twin-rudders-have-no-place-in-the-high-latitudes-or-maybe-cruising/

Hi John, you mentioned Pelagic and Seal, do you know more about this type of boat, how they would be compared with Boreal/Garcias ? I am talking about the smaller Pelagic, not the 75 feet

Yes, I do, but it’s a huge subject. Short answer, Pelagic and Seal are lifting keel boats with most of their ballast in the keel. The Boreals, Garcias, and Ovnis are centre board boats with no ballast in the board, but rather internal hull ballast. Completely different approach. I prefer the latter for most usage. On the three, I like the Boreal, with its keel box, the best.

Hi John, what about the Dutch boats, like Orion 49, that have also centerboards? Compared with the Boreals

Interesting looking boat, but I’m not a fan of twin rudders on cruising boats: https://www.morganscloud.com/jhhtips/twin-rudders-have-no-place-in-the-high-latitudes-or-maybe-cruising/ https://www.morganscloud.com/jhhtips/a-nasty-danger-of-twin-rudders/ https://www.morganscloud.com/2017/11/16/qa-coming-alongside-docking-with-twin-rudders/ https://www.morganscloud.com/2019/12/04/the-garcia-exploration-45-compared-to-the-boreal-47-part-3-hull-and-build/

To lead an expedition: the extreme conditions yacht

The yacht for expeditions.

A yacht fit for expeditions in extreme conditions. A boat with a pleasant aesthetic and a real comfort.

Configuration

Doghouse with 360° view.
Deck saloon .
Different versions of interior arrangements are proposed.

Characteristics

LOA : 21.59 m
Full length : 20.63 m
LWL : 18.92 m
Beam : 5.70 m
Draught : 1.35 / 4.10 m
Lead ballast : 12 000 kg
Light displacement : 37 500 kg
Standart engine : 175 hp
Sail area : 218 m² => Main : 103 m², Genoa : 115 m2, Staysail : 50 m2
Fuel : 3 750 l
Fresh water : 1 500 l
CE Certification : category A – 12 persons

Architect and designer : Jean-François Delvoye

Interior design : Pierre Frutschi & Jean-François Delvoye

Vidéo Boréal 70 in navigation

The Boréal 70 sailing along the coast of Trégor => Ready to go anywhere in the world for this ocean-going yacht!

Boréal 44.2

Boréal 47.2

Boréal 55.2

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IMAGES

Boréal 70 : the extreme conditions yacht
Boréal 44, the long trip yacht
Boréal 44, the long trip yacht
Boréal 47.2 : European Yacht of the Year 2021
Boréal 44, the long trip yacht
Boréal 44, the long trip yacht

VIDEO

Launch of SV Fabule (Boreal 47.2)
Boréal 44.2 sous furlstrom / Boréal 44.2 under furlstrom
Boreal 70 le long des côtes Bretonnes / Boréal 70 along the coast of Brittany
2018 Boreal Yachts 47! MARK THAT SOLD! #boat #borealyachts #sail #offshoresailing #yachts #love
Boréal 44.2 sous spi asymétrique / Boréal 44.2 under asymmetric spinnaker
An evening sail on a Boreal 47! #atlanticyachtsales #boreal #yachts

COMMENTS

Boréal 47.2 review: a proven concept refined
Photo Jean-Marie Liot This first-hand knowledge shows through in many ways with this new Boreal 47.2, a European Yacht of the Year 2021 winner.
Boréal 55
AVS: 120°. Sail area/displacement: 22. Displacement/LWL: 153. PRICE. Base price: £565,000. As tested: £719,000. boreal-yachts.com. Insure this yacht with Craftinsure from £2,288.25. The new Boréal 55 is a go-anywhere yacht that will get even the most stolid sailor dreaming of far-flung horizons.
Test Sail and Review of The Boréal 47.2
Boreal 47.2 showing the new open-cockpit design with twin wheels, but still only one well-protected rudder. Once aboard the test boat, the most obvious difference is the spacious cockpit, with its wider, longer seats and twin wheels. Compared with the small, enclosed cockpit and single wheel of the 47, this is a major departure.
Boreal 52 boat test
The Boreal 52 has a purposeful, robust, utilitarian style. Photos: Jean-Marie Liot. TAGS: Boat tests European Yacht of the Year HR. If 'off-road' or 'off-piste' were categories in sailing ...
An expedition into the world of Boreal
Now, with the Boreal 47.2 winning the "Sailing Yacht of the Year"-award, I utilized this trigger to dive a bit deeper into these fascinating go-anywhere yachts with their distinct design and absolutely spot-on features for making these boats the ideal blue water long haul yachts ideal to go to the extreme latitudes. Thanks to Jean Francois Eeman, I´ve gained quite a fascinating insight to ...
Boat Review: Boreal 47
The latest design from Boreal SARL, located in France's Brittany region, the Boreal 47 is an evolution of the Boreal 44, with the extra 3ft coming in the form of a reverse transom incorporating a modest swim step. Both the hull and deck are fabricated in aluminum: same with the pilothouse, or "command module," which incorporates a padded ...
ON TEST BORÉAL 47.2: OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
This first-hand knowledge shows through in many ways with this new 47.2, a European Yacht of the Year 2021 winner. The rugged construction includes an ice-breaking stem, watertight bulkheads and 8-10mm bottom plating on substantial framing that enables the boat to be safely beached.
Boat Review: Boreal 47
This versatile aluminum boat won Cruising World's overall Boat of the Year award for 2018. Boat Review: Boreal 47 Jon Whittle. Gale-force winds blew through the mid-Atlantic region on the night before we were scheduled to sail the Boréal 47 on Chesapeake Bay last October. First thing that morning, we called the builder to cancel.
Boreal 55
Our intrepid boat tester Sam Jefferson camps in Treguier in order to put this all-aluminium, high-latitude cruiser to the test.
Boréal 47.2 : European Yacht of the Year 2021
From her very first test in September 2020, "CHIARA" has been nominated and in January 2021, the Boréal 47.2 officially received her award "European Yacht of the Year 2021" in the "Bluewater Cruiser" category.
BOREAL 44/47: A Bulletproof Aluminum Centerboard Cruiser for High and
It says something of the nature of these boats that my initial correspondence with Jean-François Eeman (see photo up top), managing director of Boréal Yachts, regarding a visit to their yard, was interrupted for a month while he and his family took off on a cruise to Antarctica. On a Boréal, of course. Indeed, Eeman's boat was the first Boréal 44 ever built, the ultimate product of a ...
The Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 47—Part 1
Pete and Tracy Goss's Garcia Exploration 45 at the Annapolis boat show. While at the boat show in Annapolis, Maryland, I was able to spend an hour or so on Pete and Tracy Goss's Garcia Expedition 45. Obviously I can't write a full review based on such a short time on the boat, but there are a bunch of things that jumped out at me.
John and Phyllis Visit Boréal
John's in-depth review, complete with many photographs, of one of the most interesting and all around cool boats being built today.
BOREAL 44.2 a proven concept refined for true blue water adventure;
Full tour of the new Boreal 44.2 blue water adventure cruiser. More than 10 years ago Boreal stormed the aluminium sailboat market with a boat that would be a huge success and would launch a new ...
Aluminum Upgrade: Boreal 55 OC
Aluminum Upgrade: Boreal 55 OC. November 3rd, 2021. ·. ·. Interview. I am a big fan of aluminum yachts as you all may know and I do not miss a chance to grab a story on these fantastic boats. Be it a new boat launched by the handful of aluminium yards, a walkthrough in one of these or the chat with a naval architect.
Boréal 47 : for the rear skirt fans
The new Boréal 47.2 : "European Yacht of the Year 2021" Winner in the category "Bluewater Cruiser". The Boréal 47.2 was designed taking into account all feedbacks from our owners (more than 60!) of Boréal 44 and 47. A real Boréal with the general specifications and the philosophy of the shipyard in terms of safety, ergonomics ...
YACHT test : Boreal 47.2
The demand for explorers is growing and with it the supply. The new Boréal is one of the most exciting newcomers in the 15 metre range. There are many reasons for this. Download the test in PDF format
Two New Designs From Boréal
Boréal 47.2 showing the new open cockpit design with twin wheels, but still only one well-protected rudder. Therefore, the two new boats will have very different cockpit arrangements to meet that requirement. The 44.2 will be aimed at the traditional Boréal high-latitude sailors, with a small, secure cockpit and a single wheel, whilst the 47. ...
Boreal Yachts : from the Tropics to extreme cold
Boreal yachts are solid performance boats, roomy all-rounder, as comfortable at sea as at anchor, easy to handle and to maintain.
Boréal 47.2 review: an improved proven concept
First-hand knowledge is evident in this new Boreal 47.2, which won the European Yacht of the Year 2021 competition. The robust design includes an icebreaker stem, watertight bulkheads and 8-10mm bottom plating on a sturdy frame to allow safe access to shore. Good driving performance is equally important.
Boreal 70: Prices, Specs, Reviews and Sales Information
View video reviews, onboard virtual tours and walkthroughs, sea trials and test drives of the Boreal 70 sailing yacht from the manufacturer and independent yachting experts.
The Garcia Exploration 45 against the Boréal 47—Hull & Build
The two aluminium expedition offshore sailboats boats hull and build quality compared in an in depth review
Boréal 70 : the extreme conditions yacht
The Boréal 70 sailing along the coast of Trégor => Ready to go anywhere in the world for this ocean-going yacht! With its pleasant aesthetic, the Boreal 70 has been conceived to lead expeditions into extreme conditions. This workboat offers a real comfort.

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Boréal 55 – tested and reviewed

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