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Boréal is not afraid to forge its own path and its distinctive aluminium cruising yachts have gained a strong reputation over the past 15 years. The latest model, the Boréal 47, is a shoal draught expedition yacht that can take you anywhere on the planet. And as we were to discover, it is responsive and fun to sails. The Breton yard’s success is based on a huge amount of details. Founder and naval architect Jean-François Delvoye based the Boréal concept on fist hand experience gained in all conditions. This unit is not far from being new.

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BOREAL 44 Year 2014

One of the greatest successes of the Boréal shipyard, the Boréal 44 won the award "Yacht of the Year" in France and Holland. Today, the Boréal 44 is without doubt a wordl reference in the long-trip yachts cathegory. It is the ideal boat for sailors travelling in couple or for a family with 2 children. She has proven her nautical abilities by taking her crews around the world for sunny and snowy destinations. With its panoramic Dog House, its bright deck lounge, its three cabins and its quality of construction, she presents herself as a comfortable and secure boat to sail far in autonomy.

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Boréal 47.2 review: a proven concept refined

• April 8, 2021

Rupert Holmes gets behind the wheel of the latest go anywhere aluminium cruiser from Boréal, the Boréal 47.2

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Boréal is not afraid to forge its own path and its distinctive aluminium cruising yachts have gained a strong reputation over the past 15 years. The latest model, the Boréal 47.2, is a shoal draught expedition yacht that can take you anywhere on the planet, yet, as we were to discover, is also responsive and fun to sail in more confined waters.

The Breton yard’s success is underpinned by a huge amount of embedded expertise. Founder and naval architect Jean-François Delvoye based the Boréal concept on experience gained during a six-year circumnavigation with four children, plus expeditions to South Georgia and the Antarctic.

General manager and co-owner Jean-François Eeman’s vast experience includes two trips to Patagonia and the Antarctic on his own boats.

A distinctive feature of the hull design is what Boréal terms the keel ‘embryo’. This shallow, 80cm-wide vestigial keel – a kind of broad, extended skeg – provides a massively strong base on which the boat can dry out and houses the centreboard case, tankage and lead ballast. 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.

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.

Equally, good sailing qualities are an important element. Both centreboard and rudder have efficient hydrodynamic profiles, while heavy items including anchor chain, tankage and batteries kept low down and central.

Sailing the Boréal 47.2

Our test took place in a large swell leftover from the weather system that forced Clarisse Cremer to delay her Vendée Globe finish.

We set out broad reaching using the optional general purpose asymmetric spinnaker , with the boat maintaining an easy motion despite the swell.

Even when the true wind dropped to only 8-9 knots we made decent progress, with boat speed rarely falling much below 6 knots. Our best speed of the test was 8.7 knots at a true wind angle of 145° in 17 knots of true wind.

The test boat was fitted with an optional mainsail upgrade to a laminate cloth and full battens, with an Antal mast track. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

Once heeled to a certain point the boat becomes very solid and stable, with gusts not contributing marked extra heel and the lee toerail remained well above the water, even when we were deliberately pressed.

Article continues below…

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I’m always interested in how a boat handles when overpowered. Keeping the sheets strapped in during gusts into the upper teens when we were carrying the kite at an apparent wind angle of 80-85° provided a good opportunity to test this aspect of handling.

The rudder gave plenty of warning before finally stalling at a much higher angle than those who sail performance boats with deep high aspect rudders will be accustomed to. But, unlike many flighty lightweight boats, the Boréal 47.2 didn’t round up and the boat’s angle of heel barely increased.

Dumping the mainsheet and centring the rudder to re-establish laminar flow was enough to quickly regain control, with the boat then happily bearing away to a more comfortable course.

While owners are unlikely to plan to push their boats to the limit, it’s good to know that the vessel ought to handle being caught unawares by a squall without undue drama.

A pair of daggerboards either side of the rudder are used to tweak the boat’s handling characteristics. With the boards raised it’s more responsive and behaves more like a smaller and lighter yacht – an ideal mode for sailing in more confined waters and for manoeuvring.

The powerful central winch makes it practical to control the yacht from the helm stations. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

With boards lowered directional stability improves markedly. When close-reaching under main and genoa the Boréal 47.2 had more of the feel of a traditional long keel design and it was possible to leave the helm for a minute or so without engaging the pilot.

Soon after dropping the kite to round up for the beat home against the tide the wind dropped again to 8-9 knots. Sailing close-hauled in this wind speed is relatively sedate, but above 10 knots the boat starts to come alive and is nicely powered up in 12-14 knots.

It’s no surprise that a boat of this style is not as close-winded as a performance cruiser. Pinching risks quickly losing speed, but speeds of well over 6 knots can be achieved consistently. For instance, with 15 knots of true wind we recorded 6.5 knots boat speed at 55° TWA.

Changing gear

Once we got back into the breeze funnelling out of the Trieux estuary a band of cloud produced gusts of up to 22 knots true.

As the breeze increases the concept behind the sail plan is to swap from the marginally overlapping genoa to the optional furling staysail at around 17-20 knots, a transition that proved to be smooth and easy. Alternatively, a removable inner forestay with hanked-on staysail can be provided.

A powerful vang enables good control of mainsail twist, despite the lack of a mainsheet traveller, and lines for the towed headsail cars are led back to the working area of the cockpit for easy adjustment.

In the strongest puffs a little depowering of the mainsail helped to keep the boat on its feet, and had the wind continued to rise, a reef in the mainsail would have been useful. The main halyard and pennants for the Seldén single line system on reefs one and two are all led back to the central cockpit winch, making reefing a safe task for a lone watch keeper.

My own preference would be to also lead a luff pennant for the third reef aft, so that all reefing can be done from the cockpit.

As the skies cleared behind the cloud the wind eased, so when we tacked to sail into the estuary we swapped back to the genoa. We then continued close-hauled up the lower reaches of the Trieux river, against an ebb tide, with the electric winch taking all the effort out of playing the mainsail in the gusts.

The boat behaved impeccably with no worries about lack of control even in relatively confined spaces, nor was any great physical effort required.

In this respect, despite the Boréal 47.2’s evident long-distance capabilities, it felt like a smaller and more manoeuvrable vessel.

This exercise also demonstrated that, in the event of engine failure or a fouled propeller, we’d easily be able to sail into a safe anchorage.

The cockpit has separate working and relaxing areas, as well as a clear passage from the transom to the companionway. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Nevertheless, once the channel turned such that the wind was on the nose and the width of the river reduced to less than 150m we resorted to the engine. Our test Boréal 47.2 was fitted with the optional larger 75hp Volvo Penta D2 series engine married to a fixed three blade propeller. This provides plenty of power – even at just 1,700rpm we made an indicated 6.25 knots.

Warm and dry

We put the doghouse to good use in a heavy rain squall as we neared Treguier marina. There’s good visibility from the deep, secure bucket seat on the port side, although it stops short of a full 360° view thanks to blind spots on each quarter.

In more confined waters the best place from which to con the boat proved to be standing at the back of the pilothouse, steering with the pilot remote. This gives an all-round view, with the option of popping your head above the coachroof if the windows steam up.

The doghouse offers plenty of space to open up paper charts, plus room for a decent size monitor for a navigation computer. I was glad to see Boréal wasn’t tempted to add another wheel here – doing so would have added friction and complexity, and take up unnecessary space.

On a more mundane note, for those of us who have to continue working while cruising, the doghouse would make an excellent office, with loads of desk space and a fabulous view.

A full-height watertight door seals the doghouse from the cockpit. This allows easy access, but leaves a low sill making the interior potentially vulnerable to big waves from astern – I’d opt for a partial washboard for use when the door has to be opened in severe weather.

The doghouse makes for a warm, dry working environment with easy access to the cockpit. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The pilothouse coachroof extends above the forward two cockpit seats, creating a further dry and sheltered space. This area can also be fitted a clear plastic enclosure that helps protect the boat’s interior in super-cold weather.

Overall it’s a brilliant arrangement, although it stops short of offering a sheltered position for sail trimming and reefing.

Boréal 47.2 Cockpit zones

The extra space in the back of the boat created by the more modern hull shape has been used to separate the cockpit into distinct relaxation and working areas.

The twin wheels also allow for an unimpeded passage from the fold-down bathing platform to the companionway, even with four people sitting around one leaf of the cockpit table.

Many of the lines led directly to the central winch have to pass through two 90° bends, which inevitably increases friction and loads. However, the arrangement appears to be well executed, with quality deck hardware of an appropriate size.

The mainsheet, headsail sheets and spinnaker sheets are usually handled by their own conventionally-sized winches aft of each helm station. However, the layout is arranged so they can also be led to the central winch when extra grunt is required. There’s also a halyard winch on the mast for spinnakers.

500W of flexible solar panels on the doghouse and coachroof. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

Moving around on the deck of the Boréal 47.2 is easy – there are no big steps needed when transitioning from cockpit to the wide side decks and the V1 shrouds are mounted on the coachroof, so don’t get in the way when walking forward.

Stanchions are of substantial aluminium, which avoids problems associated with mixing metals in a saltwater environment.

Even though most sail handing, especially in heavy weather, can be done from the working area of the cockpit, sturdy granny bars are fitted each side of the mast. The painted non-slip deck of our test boat provided excellent grip. There’s also a high toerail and metal handholds welded to the boat’s structure.

The hefty, combined twin bow roller and sprit is now standard equipment for a boat of this style. However, the location of the windlass owes nothing to convention. The anchor rode is led aft through a concealed channel under the foredeck to the windlass and chain locker immediately ahead of the mast.

The anchor windlass is mounted below deck just forward of the mast. Photo: Rupert Holmes

The main advantage of this is that 100m of 12mm chain weighs almost one third of a tonne, so this weight is moved aft from the bows. In addition the windlass, which is located below an opening hatch, is not exposed to the elements and should therefore be more reliable than those perched near the stem.

Stowage and Accommodation

Principal on-deck stowage includes a cavernous sail locker forward and massive lazarette aft with twin openings. This also gives access to the quadrant and other steering system components.

Liferaft stowage is built into the starboard side of the lazarette and includes a dedicated transom door. There’s space on the foredeck to stow a decent sized fully inflated tender.

Easy steps from the pilothouse lead down into the saloon. This is offset to port, with the inboard settee neatly placed on top of the centreboard case which therefore does not appear to encroach on the accommodation.

Once you start poking around, one of the most striking aspects is the mass of stowage everywhere in the Boréal 47.2.

Thanks to batteries and tankage being low down in the centre of the boat, there are lockers under all the bunks, under and outboard of the saloon seats, beneath the cabin sole and so on.

It’s clear this is a boat that can easily swallow the enormous amount of stores, provisions and spares needed for prolonged self-sufficiency in remote areas.

Stainless steel galley worktops – Corian is standard. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

The galley is to starboard, with extensive worktop space. As standard these are in Corian, although stainless steel was used instead for our test boat.

The large two-drawer fridge can be supplemented by an optional freezer in the starboard aft cabin if required. Our test boat was fitted with twin foot pumps at the galley – one for saltwater, the other as a back up for the pressurised water system.

Two large 13kg gas bottles, in a dedicated locker accessed from the cockpit, will provide even heavy users with several months of autonomy.

The extra volume in the forward part of the hull makes for a more spacious owner’s cabin than the previous generation Boréal 47. In particular, the peninsula bed is wider and the larger ensuite includes a generous separate shower stall.

Spacious owners’ cabin includes an ensuite bathroom with separate shower. Photo: Jean-François Delvoye

Again there’s plentiful stowage here and the bed base lifts up on gas struts to give access to huge additional volume.

The aft cabins can be fitted out either as doubles or as twins. Alternatively, the smaller space to starboard can be configured as a big technical and storage area. The doghouse includes a full width dorade-style vent for the aft cabins that creates excellent airflow.

If you enjoyed this….

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This is a boat borne of considerable experience and attention to detail, taking a proven concept and refining it to a new level. There are many small but clever touches that may not be immediately obvious, but make a difference to life on board. So it offers a big step forward compared to the first generation Boréal 47. In particular, the larger owner’s cabin makes living on board for extended periods more civilised, while the bigger cockpit will work just as well in the tropics as at high latitudes. It’s a supremely capable yacht with long legs that will effortlessly put in good daily mileages when crossing oceans, yet will also be fun to sail in your home waters. However, what’s really unique is the combination of Boréal’s three signature features: rugged aluminium construction, shoal draught with ability to dry out, and the protection offered by the doghouse. The latest edition of the Vendée Globe has demonstrated beyond all doubt how important effective shelter is in challenging conditions, yet the subject is rarely so well addressed in the cruising yacht market as it is by the Boréal.

Interesting Sailboats

Friday, january 21, 2022, the new boreal 44.2, a great aluminum bluewater cruiser.

More than 10 years ago Boreal stormed the aluminum sailboat market with a boat that would be a huge success and would launch a new brand that would occupy a significant place among voyage aluminum boat builders.

For minimizing the speed disadvantage due to excessive weight, a centerboarder has to have a worse AVS and worse safety stability than a bluewater fin-keeled boat, with a considerable draft and a bulbed keel. Dutch centerboarders, which today are almost extinct, did not go that way and for offering a similar AVS and safety stability had around a 50%B/D.

Note that to be approved as Class A the boat has to have a minimum AVS but that minimum decreases with the boat size (with mass) and on a boat with 10 430kg like the Boreal 44, that minimum is only 100º, even if that is considered by most as unsuitable for a bluewater boat. 

The cabin and dodger buoyancy will not affect positively the stability curve except in angles very near 90º (or over), and that means that when the boat is knocked down, it will not affect the force that the RM is making for righting the boat. The part of the stability curve that is used for righting a boat from high heel angles is what I call safety stability, and if the AVS Boreal is good (due to cabin and dodger buoyancy), that is not the case with the safety stability (due to the low B/D).

Note also that this type of centerboarders can lift the board up and still remain with the same stability, and in bad weather with the centerboard up, they will not trip on the keel when the boat is hit laterally by a breaking wave. That allows them to dissipate the wave energy sliding laterally, while a traditional sailboat, with a large and deep immersed keel, would have the bigger part of the wave energy transformed in a rotating movement. 

Because both displacements are in lightship condition, the difference in weight can only partially be attributed to a bigger beam and higher freeboards, but it has to be due also to a more heavily built boat, and that can be good on this type of boat, but not the absence of the correspondent increase in ballast, to have the same B/D.

With this B/D and considering that the ballast is in a small keel outside the hull, in what regards safety stability this boat should not be far from the OVNI 450, which displaces 11 550kg, while the previous model would have considerable bigger safety stability and AVS. However, the overall stability will be bigger on the Boreal 44.2 due to the bigger displacement.

Regarding the inside, the apparently larger window surfaces are only cosmetic and don't translate in interior significantly bigger "windows" neither by a more luminous interior (having as reference the 47.2).

If compared to the interior of the last models of other brands of voyage aluminum sailboats, the ones from Boreal seem of good quality and practical, but show clearly that they are not designed by a top interior designer and lack style, beauty, and design quality. I hope that the improvements in design refinement, that the new boat clearly shows on the outside, is going to be followed by an equivalent upgrade in interior design quality.

A correct price, taking into account the quality of the building and the high resistance of the hull (that has a bow that can break ice) and that is reflected in a long waiting list. If you order one now, it will be delivered only in 2025.

15 comments:

Hallo Paulo, thank you for sharing this insightful analysis. Your article made me wonder - what defines a great bluewater cruiser? A boat that will take you afar and keep you safe in remote locations. Does it need really to be aluminum? And does it really have to be a centerboarder? I am not sure. Wouldn't a well made GRP boat be equally suited? One with a high-quality hull, collision bulkheads front and rear and a pivoting or lifting keep that allow to access shallow anchorages. Plus - such a boat would probably faster and have superior stability ... invaluable assets to outrun or ride across a storm. It seems to me that an aluminum centerboarder really is a niche concept for a very specific purpose ... to sail across frozen seas and beach your boat without penalty. Best, Markus

Hi Markus, No, a Bluewater boat does not need to be in aluminum even if aluminum is probably the best option to sail in waters with ice. Probably a boat with a kevlar hull, or an outside kevlar layer would be as good or better, but none is proposed now on the market (Comar had proposed one without comercial success). Does not need also to be a centerboarder even if almost all aluminum boats on the market are centerboarders. And most sailors have no desire whatsoever to cruise or sail in very cold high latitude deserted places, you have only to see the number of Nordic boats sailing in the med, Caribbean or circumnavigating by harmer climates to understand that. For all those probably a faster sailboat offering the same cruising amenities makes more sense even if these aluminum center boarder can be as fast on the trade winds. Some will want to do that in a really fast sailboat, like the Pegasus, the JPK45 or an Outremer catamaran. What defines a bluewater boat is the seaworthiness and to have a large autonomy. There are plenty boats that have those characteristics.

Hello Paulo, thank you for your comment. The JPK would be on top of my list ... ;-)

Bom dia Paulo I sold my 2015 Beneteau Oceanis 38 and bought an 2006 Ovni 395. What a difference, an aluminum with retractable daggerboard and rudder makes, specially is your playground is the shallow waters of the Bahamas and south Florida..I think I will never go back to fiberglass and fixed keel boats.the sense of security and practically is incomparable… congratulations on you blog. Abraço Homero

The Boreal 44.2 likewise has removable daggerboards (as did its predecessor). Will likely assist it a lot in going upwind.

I would love to see this style of aluminium centreboard sailboat, but with a somewhat lighter, and much more easily driven hull. (Imagine a cross between a Boreal 44.2 and a J/45!). I suppose the market niche would be way too small, and the initial stability too low. Perhaps the latter issue could be partly overcome my rigging it as a ketch. That of course would make the market demand even tinier.

You cannot have that. This type of boats have their seaworthiness based on having the same stability with the board up or down. You can have a fast aluminum boat with a swing keel like the Pogo, but the stability will be very different with the keel up or down. The builders of OVNI make also the Cigale, a fast aluminum boat and they can have it with a swing keel (Pogo Style) but it is a different type of boat, much lighter (and faster) because it does not have the ballast inside the boat, or in a small keel, like the Boreal, but it has a very different stability, keel up or down and keel down and it will trip on the keel if a breaking wave hit it. https://www.alubat.com/la-gamme/cigale-16/

Hi Paulo, Thanks for your always interesting insights! We are interested in a yacht arount 45 feet with variable draft and have already visited the 4 French Centreboarders (i.e. Boreal 47.2, Allures 45.9, Ovni 450 and Garcia E45). We also thougth about a Discovery 48, but the future of the yard is uncertain and the price.... We hope we can sail an Allures this year. Which yacht do you think sails best and offers best stability? According to German Yacht Magazine, the Boreal 47.2 sails very well. However, they did not address the low ballast ratio. Best, Fred

Hi Fred, I have a professional paid service to help clients to choose the boats that fit them better. I know well all those boats and many times clients end up paying nothing because I can agree with the shipyards a fee for bringing clients. If you are interested contact me by email: [email protected]

BTW I just came across this posting on yacht.de. An X 4.9 had to be abandoned in the middle of the Atlantic due to water ingress. The article states that 'the rudder shaft on board had come loose from the upper rudder bearing for reasons that were apparently unknown. Only fixed by the lower bearing, the shaft damaged the GRP hull, which led to water ingress.' https://www.yacht.de/aktuell/panorama/arc-january-erstes-schiff-im-ziel-x-yacht-auf-see-aufgegeben Clearly, this is one of the things that can't happen in a bluewater cruiser. IMO, even if in the case of negligence on behalf of the crew, the rudder system has to be designed in a way that it cannot compromise the structural integrity of the boat. Including, in case of hitting a floating object. Best, Markus

Thanks for the comment. I knew about the loss of that X4.9, knew that it was rudder related but I thought that they had hit something big and hard with the rudder and that the rudder stock had broken the hull at the insertion point. This seems weird and almost incredible. But In my own boat, when the rudder was dismounted for inspection, I did not like the way the upper rudder bearing was holding the shaft and modified the system, increasing the safety. Anyway, accidents can happen and even if a rudder is designed to break before breaking the hull, when a massive object hits it with huge force, sometimes things just do not happen as previewed, at it is always possible the hull to be broken by the hull shaft, specially when it is a stainless steel one, but that should not result in a boat sunk because the bulkhead that separates the rudder zone from the rest of the boat should be watertight. Well, it should be, but in reality the boats that have this feature are very rare, even among very expensive sailboats.

Hi Paolo, Nice article, quite well documented. A big thank you for your interest in our sailing boats. I would of course have preferred to collaborate with you in its drafting in order to avoid having to make some corrections. Your reasoning, correct regarding your numbers, leads to the conclusion that this new model will be slower and less stiff than the old model with regard to the B/D ratio. How could it be possible that all the journalists from the European nautical press who tested the boat in La Rochelle and crowned her "European sailboat of the year" were so wrong in unanimously praising its performance and seaworthiness in all the wind and sea conditions? In fact, the light weight of the old Boréal 44 was 12,850 kg and not 10,430. her ballast was 3.8T, the current one goes to 4T, the ratio remains more or less stable. But this report, if it gives some indications on the stability of weight, gives none on the stability of forms. The hull of the 44.2 has been completely redesigned for the most part above the waterline so that, as soon as the boat starts heeling a little, her RM is always greater than the old version. For the same sail area, we will take the first reef at 22 knots instead of 20, gaining power and therefore speed. We have also straightened the bow which is now vertical and thus increased the length at the waterline, a guarantee of speed. Regarding the B/D coefficient, it is essential to specify the capital importance of the height of the final center of gravity of the ballast in this ratio. The majority of current aluminum sailing boats have their ballast placed in the bottom of the hull. Many of them consist of a heap of little cast iron units whose final density is less than 7T/m³ if the space between them is taken into account. The ballast of the Boréal is made up of molded lead blocks (weighing an average of 450 kg each) to be integrated at the lowest point in the keel embryo, under the hull. Their density is 11.4T/m³. The result of these different elements is a better centering of the weights (better behavior at sea) and a lowering of the center of gravity (better stability). I can tell you that all these improvements have changed the behavior of the boat… and not in the way you are describing. I remain of course at your disposal to talk about it again. jean François Delvoye Architecte des Boréal

Hi Jean François, It is a pleasure to talk with you, and as somebody interested in yacht design I noticed from the beginning the innovative caracter of the Boreal 44 and my comments about the boat (then in a thread with the same name in a big sail forum - 2 million hits on the thread) had relevance in the boat being known, particularly in what regards American sailors. In what concerns the data your site provides about the yachts not being correct, that is something that is not my responsibility. I work with the data that is provided by the shipyards and I assume it is correct. An error of displacement of 2400kg in a 10 400kg, regarding lightship condition, it is a huge mistake. I have seen many optimistic displacements, but this one is really big. On the new boat the indicated ballast is given as 3800kg, not 4000kg and I prefer not to comment about the optimistic stability curve that was provided. Regarding to be the sailboat of the year, I have no doubt that the Boreal 44.2 is a great sailboat, but regarding to know if this one is faster or slower than the previous boat, the only way to know about that is to have both boats in the water at the same time, even if a very expensive top VPP program in the hands of a specialist can give solid information. I believe when you says that the new boat needs to reef later and that the stability is bigger, that is quite normal being the sail area the same and being this boat heavier (even if not so much as the wrong information about the previous boat make believe) and you say that this boat has more hull form stability....but that also increases drag. Anyway that is not important in this type of sailboat and if the difference between the displacement of the two boats is not so big, that difference in speed will be small. Probably it is more important the increase in stability and need to reef later than a small loss in speed.

Hello Paulo, thank you for your reply. I don't want to deviate too far from our initial discussion about the new Boréal 44.2, but you are raising a really interesting and important subject. What are minimum safety requirements a bluewater cruiser should comply with? Evidently, these requirements have to include minimum stability requirements, as you have pointed out in several of your articles. Additionally, they would have to include navigation and communication equipment, plus the ability to detect and avoid other vessels. And then there is the issue of floating objects. Today, I came across these guys here - https://www.useitagain.earth/cartographie/. They attempt to circumnavigate the globe in the 'wrong' direction, and during their passage from Lorient to Cape Horn they claim to have hit four UFOs! Maybe they had an extraordinary dose of bad luck. But regardless, I believe that a bluewater cruiser should either be able to reliably detect and avoid UFOs, or withstand a collision, not sink and still be maneuverable. Whether you need a watertight aft bulkhead to achieve such a goal or not, is a different question, but it's certainly a good idea to have it. To my knowledge, among aluminum centerboarders both Boréal and Garcia have this feature, whereas Ovnis are 'open'. Among GRP boats, I understand that a few shipyards - JPK, Salona, Pogo, possibly Luffe and Faurby - have it, but many others not. Hallberg-Rassy, who claim to build outstanding bluewater cruisers definitely do not offer this feature. Best, Markus

That talk about avoiding UFOs or remain with a boat able to continue sailing is a bit theoretical. Sure there are boats that have a bigger resistance to impact.... and slower the better because the energy in a collision is proportional not only to the mass of the object but also to the speed of the boat. But who wants to sail slower if one can sail faster? The many UFOs encountered by the boat you refer has to do with the speed of that boat, that is a very fast multihull, and most if not all of those UFOs are marine life, most of them mammals. A very poor choice of sailboat to try to beat that record. Several racing multihulls have tried and all failed. I will predict that they will fail, breaking the boat, before reaching half of the way.

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An expedition into the world of Boreal

• March 4th, 2021

My love for “real” sailboats made of metal may not of any news for you, dearest readers, as I am a huge fan of those well-made Allures , Cigales or Berckemeyers . During my most memorable trip to France in February 2020, one year ago with my then-partner, I had a look onto three possible 45-feet aluminium blue water cruisers for a certain project we´ve had in the making. The project, sadly, had been cancelled off due to the Covid 19-crisis but, apart from the three boats we originally went to Port Napoléon, I remember seeing a Boreal 44 on the dry in the harbour there. I did not really have this boat on my list so I just had a quick look, neglecting her fine lines and qualities.

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 this great yard in Brittany. Here is my interview with JF

Talking to Jean-Francois Eeman of Boreal Yachts

Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Monsieur Eeman, please describe in short who you are, since when you work at Boreal in which position(s) and what your history in sailing and your connections to the seas are.”

Jean-Francois Eeman | BOREAL YACHTS: “Hi there, Lars. Well, to answer that question you must understand that Jean-François Delvoye, alias JFD, founded Boréal in the year 2005. The yard was created to finish and launch the Boréal 50 he had designed and build to take his family for a second trip into the world. I met him in 2001 on a pontoon in Ushuaia. At that time there were not much boat people around: Just two Belgians, both named Jean-François, were meant to meet each other. Later, in 2007, JFD designed and build the first Boréal 44 for my family and myself. During the construction of JUAN SA BULAN we decided to team up. First we were friends, than I was his client and we ended up being partners for more than 10 years.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “So you both were originally sailors building their dream One-offs, ultimately deciding to turn these boats into products, right? Where do you come from and what was your sailing background?”

Jean-Francois Eeman “My history in sailing is pretty long and eclectic, I shall say. I have always sailed. Literally always: I was 10 days old when my parents took me out for my first sail. Until we left home, we spend all our holidays on boats. First on the lakes in Holland, later stretching more and more North. It was all about sailing, of course, but also about discovering countries, different people and it was a way of life. With my brother we did our first deliveries when were 16 and 18 years old. At the end of my studies, my first real trip abroad brought me for two summers on a 18 feet plywood boat between Istanbul and Italy. Singlehanded. What an adventure! In 2002 my wife and I sailed in one year to Patagonia. We spend another year sailing into the channels. Our oldest son is “made in Patagonia”. Five years ago we took him and his brother – at that time 8 and 6 years old – to Antarctica on our Boréal 44. I would say that I love doing cruising and living on board but also racing. A lot. At a good – amateur – level, winning three national titles in multihull with my son as helmsman. Now I still train and coach kids, amongst which my two kids, in their Optimists …”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Wow! What a Palmares! Now, coming back to Boreal, first of all, congratulations to winning prestigious EYOTY Award with your Boreal 47.2 yacht – that is quite a great track record for this boat now. How important is an award like the EOYTY for you as a brand?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “Well, thank you Lars! The award is indeed very prestigious. Maybe the most prestigious you can win. For me I see it as a recognition by a professional jury from all over Europe of our daily quest for excellence. The award belongs to our teams and our suppliers who day after day do everything they can to build the best possible boat. It is a huge boost for the motivation of all and we are all very proud and happy. As important for a yard such as Boréal, is that you not only win a trophy but also – de facto – a very impressive press campaign all over Europe.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “This one is the second EYOTY-award (as far as I know) as the Boreal 52 has won the same category in 2015. A sign for steady good work and congruent high quality: What would you say are the cornerstones of a Boreal boat?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “For the record, it is indeed our second EYOTY award. The Boréal 44 was also “Boat of the Year” in France in 2011, and in Holland in 2012. Our Boréal 47 was “Best Midsize Cruiser and “Overall Winner Boat of the Year” in 2018. More important than that, of course, is the boat: A Boréal is a simple, reliable go any-where live aboard sailing boat. We build our boats completely in aluminum. All Boréal have a centerboard and a single rudder protected by a keel embryo. Part of our signature is our doghouse. A watch post with an almost 360 degrees view with a direct access to the cockpit and a real, watertight, door. Each Boréal can bring her crew to whatever destination in the world in a safe way. That is not a statement, that is a reality. I believe I can say that this last five years Boréal is the brand who has taken the most private crews to Antarctica or South Georgia.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal is one of the very few yards building aluminium yachts – where would you draw the line in differentiation to brands like Alubat or Garcia?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “I would say there are some other yards building aluminum yachts. Not only in France but also in Holland and Germany. Nevertheless I believe you have quoted the three leading brands, at least in these size of sailing boats. Your question is hard to answer and I certainly do not want to denigrate the work our colleagues do. If Boréal does sell boats today, it is because a brand such as Alubat has done a precursor work of promoting for more than 40 years the concept of aluminum and centerboard. In our eyes: A boat is a tool, or a machine, to help making dreams come true. The best tools are designed and build by people who use them. Today Boréal is the only yard where it is the same people who design, build and take themselves their own boats to the end of the world. This concentration of know-how is unique.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Up until now I did not have the pleasure to really roam inside a Boreal – I am working on a yard visit since two years now – so I can´t judge the boat from the iside. As far as I can see, the closest competitor to Boreal in the field of rugged go-anywhere boats would be Garcia. Where is the difference to these boats?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “You know, Lars, you are absolutely welcome at our place! We would be happy to show you step after step how we build a Boréal, what makes a Boréal is so different from what is done elsewhere and “Chiara” the first Boréal 47.2 will be waiting for your visit at the pontoon in Tréguier. We do believe we build the better boat – of course we do – nevertheless you won’t hear a bad word of us regarding Garcia . When conceiving a boat you make trade-offs, compromises and we have made many different choices. A few examples are like this: A boat built completely in aluminum versus aluminum with a plastic lid on the deck saloon. A single rudder and two retractable daggerboards versus twin rudders. With your bluewater cruiser you will eventually hit something : UFOs, whales, rocks, corals. I tick all boxes … (smiles) On a Boréal when that happens your centerboard will come up but you still have the keel embryo protecting the rudder. Having a keel embryo also means when you dry out you rest one something which is very, very solid, with the ballast it is in fact a monobloc structure. Ballast in lead in the keelbox versus ballast in cast iron on the bottom plate. Doghouse versus watch post at the mast foot. On a Boréal you have a direct access from the doghouse to the cockpit. Except for going to the toilet, no reason to go downstairs with your dripping foul weather gear. An almost 360 degrees view and good view on your both sails. On a Boréal you have everywhere 8 centimeters (not millimeters!) of insulation. Before we place the foam panels we spray cork so there would not be any thermal bridges.

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal makes hard-chined hulls – why did you guys opt for hard chined hulls in favor or (obviously more expensive and aloborately to build) round chine-hulls?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “The answer is simple : JFD designed the first Boréal with the idea he would build her himself. It is the simplest way to build but also to repair. Because our teams of welders only have to bend our aluminum plates in one direction (everything is cylindrical, not spheric) we can have all our plates arriving cut by laser or waterjet in a way they perfectly adjust to each other in the building process. Hard chine build versus round chine hulls, well, I would also say: Sail and try out the boat by yourself and you will feel the difference. Marinus Sijdenborgh in the magazine “Zeilen” wrote it this way: “… very balanced which is a pleasure to steer”,  Roland Durer in Yacht Revu : “… at first you feel like boarding an SAR-cruiser, but once at the helm, you get easily surprised by the lightness of the steering.””

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal boats are clearly conceived for going to the high lattitudes – what is your impression: Who is buying a Boreal and are the owners in general utilizing the boat for what it is build?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “At the time – some 16 years ago – the first generation of Boréal was designed, the concept matched the personal program of Jean-François Delvoye. His creation process was not muzzled by any requirements of owners or a so-called “market”. He designed what he thought what was good for him. It is only afterwards some sailors, amongst them myself, came to JFD saying it was the boat which would match the best their dreams and needs. In French we say ´qui peut le plus peut le moins…´, which still holds true. Some of our owners have indeed taken their Boréal to high latitudes. I would even say that in a hi percentage of our total fleet quite a lot compared to most other brands have gone far North or far South. One owner once said to me: “I have had my Boréal built to sail all year around to the islands of Brittany and the Scillys .” That seems to us that he uses the boat what she was built for. But the common point amongst all owners is that at the moment they took the decision of having their Boréal build they did not want to impose themselves any limits in possible destinations. Remember: Go simple, go anywhere! On the second generation of Boréal – and the 47.2 is the first example of that – we have kept all fundamentals but we have added versions with a more open and bigger cockpit with a more easy access to the sea. So even more go any-where, all latitudes than before, I shall say.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “There are very, very few Boreal on the used boat market as there are in general very few aluminium yachts available as secondhand boats: Why is that? What can you say about conservation of value of alu-boats in general and Boreal in particular when it comes to reselling?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “The most important reasons to that is that our owners seems to keep their Boréal for quite a long while. Most of the Boréal are still in the hands of the people for whom we have build them. We offer a service where we help our owners to find a new owner for their well maintained Boréal. Nowadays we have a list of people who say: “Give me ring when a Boréal comes up for sale on the second hand market.” And we are happy to help out here.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Is the EYOTY-award a kind of sales boost for this boat? How many units of the 47 (incl. the older 47-boats) have been built up to now?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “We are on small numbers so it is hard to say what is the result of what. Sure for we have lots of demands for the moment, sure the EYOTY-award has an impact. There are about 70 Boréal sailing all over the world.  There are 12 others in construction. Next month we launch nr. 2 of the 47.2 series. We have 14 others to build. We also have started building the first Boréal 44.2 which is concept wise closer to the initial concept. One wheel, more enclosed cockpit, all maneuvers at the mast.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “The obvious question – how is/was the yard affected by the Covid-crisis ? Did you experience a serious decline in sales and how the yard doing right now? How do you think will Covid influence the boat market, especially the niche in which you are placing your products?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “I´d say that there are two different impacts of the actual Covid-Crisis. On one side you have the impact on the production, on the other side on the sales side. Almost one year ago, during the first lockdown , we had to close the yard in a compulsory way. After 3 weeks of complete lockdown we were allowed to start up again. First with 8 employees, one week later with some more and so on. It took us several months to be back to normal “cruising speed”.  We lost 875 man-days of work. It has had a huge impact on our delivery schedules. Nevertheless we have delivered all Boréal yachts we had promised to deliver before the summer-holidays. We have been helped by the fact that with some owners we decided to postpone the launch with one year. On the sales side I think we can say that generally speaking more people wanted a sailing boat. A lot of people which had the dream of ever having one, suddenly realized it was the time to do so. In countries like Germany or France, sailing was last summer one the rare activities you could do “just as normal”.  Boréal did benefit from that general tendency…”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Last not least, JF: What can we expect from Boreal to see in the coming years? Any new trends of projects coming up you may want to talk about?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “Oh, now that´s the moment I should reveal secrets, I see. This is what you can expect in the near future: Next year we will launch the first Boréal 44.2. Preliminary designs are available but we have not presented her yet in an official way. You are the first to receive. As you might have seen on our website we have updated it with a new Boréal 70. We will start building the first one before end of June. I think that might be the good moment for you to come back to us, as at the moment we will have some other interesting news.”

JF, thank you so much for these more than interesting insights into the world and the work of Boreal! I promise that your yard is on top of my places to go after the C19 craze ends.

All pictures with kind permission by Boreal Yachts

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Flotilla Radisson Royal

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Flotilla Radisson Royal - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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