32 BOATS OF NOTE
A27
In the UK it’s all to easy to associate this yacht with a rather congested section of road between Sussex and Hampshire, but German manufacturers A-Yachts have produced a yacht that is quite possibly the opposite of that painful experience. The A27 is a boat that promises high performance courtesy of slippery lines, a big rig with fat-headed mainsail and a lightweight carbon hull. Styling is Italian, another bonus.
Arcona 345
Fitted with a powerful fractional rig, the Arcona 345 sports a tapered, twin spreader, keel-stepped mast. For strength and stability, the bulb keel is made of antimony hardened lead. The transom is open with an integral bathing platform and a decent – although not extreme – amount of beam aft means that twin wheels are an option. Another excellent feature, given that this is a 40’ yacht, is the heads feature an entirely separate shower stall.
Balance 442
Balance is a US brand that builds its hulls in South Africa to keep costs down. The company is aiming to provide performance catamarans with a good level of comfort. As such, the 44ft long 442 features daggerboards, and a relatively modest displacement of 11,000kg. Nevertheless, there’s no question that this is a yacht which aims to provide a high level of comfort, boasting reasonably high freeboard which boosts volume.
