The sailing world is currently witnessing a fascinating split in design philosophy. On one hand, the weekender market is pushing the boundaries of style and effortless speed, creating boats that prioritise the sheer joy of a Saturday afternoon blast. On the other, the blue-water cruising sector is embracing pilot-house protection and hybrid technology, ensuring that long-distance adventures are more comfortable and sustainable than ever before.

Leading the charge for the thrill-seekers is the Saffier SE28 Leopard, a Dutch-built ‘toy’ that combines a feather-light hull with push-button sailing, allowing a single-handed skipper to hit high speeds while guests relax in a cockpit designed for eight. Meanwhile, J-Boats are refining the cruiser-racer formula, proving that a boat can be both a competitive round-the-cans speedster and a comfortable home for a family getaway.

For those looking further afield, the launch of the Allures Horizon 47 and the Ovni 490 marks a new era for aluminium explorers. These boats are no longer just utilitarian tanks; they are becoming sophisticated living spaces with panoramic views and advanced electric propulsion options.

Whether you are looking for a nimble daysailer to keep in a local marina or a rugged hull capable of navigating the Northwest Passage, these five new models represent the cutting edge of modern yacht design.

Saffier SE28 Leopard

Family-run Dutch yard Saffier has built a reputation as a builder of achingly stylish, extremely fun and very quick daysailer yachts, with the notable recent addition of a 46ft cruiser to the lineup.

Instantly recognisable by the sharp lines, low freeboard, and huge cockpit sheltered by a windscreen, these are serious toys and at this end of the scale, while they do have berths to make overnighting possible, they couldn’t be described as cruisers.

The new SE28 Leopard is a foot longer than the previous SE27, but has a wider, shallower and lighter boat hull that has less rocker and more power, making extremely fast sailing highly likely. This is no pure race machine, however, as Saffiers are all about fun, sociable weekend sailing, as evidenced by the large sunpads aft, the inclusion of a cockpit Best Boat Fridge as standard and the ability to entertain eight in the cockpit.

Ease of sailing is achieved thanks to all systems being led to the central helm position – a choice of tiller or twin wheels – while all lines will be handled each side by the push-button powered reversible Selden winches, making solo sailing effortless while your guests sip champagne and look on admiringly.

Construction is both extremely light – this boat only just nudges over two tonnes – thanks to foam sandwich throughout, and very tough. built to take a grounding at speed, as is possible in the shallows of the Netherlands (and the UK). This is achieved by solid 22mm laminate used around the keel with large hull frames laminated in, though the slightly heavier shallow draught lead keel only needs 1.3m of water.

Powered up with the optional carbon Selden mast, rod rigging and North 3Di Endurance sails, and an 80cm bowsprit, this promises to be something of a weapon.

Below decks, the accommodation is commensurately spartan – albeit very stylish. A double V-berth and two settee berths aft offer sleeping for four if you don’t mind not having personal space. There’s space to sit in comfort for four if it’s raining, and views through the hull windows, but definitely not standing headroom. There’s a sink to port, a fridge to starboard, and you can have a chemical toilet under the double.

Having taken the larger SE33 out for a blast recently and come back with a smile plastered on my face, I can see the appeal – it’s pure sailing enjoyment without any of the encumbrances of cruising to get in the way.

Saffier SE28 Leopard specifications

LOA: 9.2m/30ft 2in
BEAM: 2.7m/8ft 10in
DRAUGHT:  1.7m/5ft 7in
SAIL AREA: 40m2/431sqft
BALLAST: 750kg/1,654lb
DISPLACEMENT: 2200kg / 4850 lb
BASE PRICE: €114,500 ex VAT
CONTACT: saffieryachts.com

J-Boats J36

This is an evolution of the popular J/112e, with the deck layout, companionway and cockpit updated. It brings the boat into line with the larger J40 and J45 which have been adapted to have a wider appeal to cruisers as powerful, offshore-capable cruiser-racers.

The aim was to improve ergonomics when short-handed sailing and make it easier to move around the boat. Fred Bouvier of J Composites says no improvements were needed for the boat hull shape, sail plan or the keel and rudder profiles of the existing boat, but some aspects of the ergonomics are improved. All lines are led aft to the cockpit, with the mainsheet within reach of the helm, and three pairs of winches for a proper racing setup that works when cruising short-handed.

The twin wheels, for example, are not a nod to fashion. Instead, they make it easier to move around the boat when sailing offshore. Even then, this change was carefully considered. The open transom and fixed bathing ladder make this boat appealing at anchoring, although early images suggest deck stowage is limited to the cockpit locker, with no lazarette space below the cockpit sole.

‘The big wheel was there for a reason on the J/112,’ Bouvier told us. ‘It’s the best way to get a great sensation when you’re helming, because you have a very direct link to the rudder.’ Experience with the J/40, launched last year, however, showed that much smaller twin wheels would be possible for the 36, without detriment to the feel of the boat.

Below decks, the companionway has been improved to make movement between above and below deck easier, while the interior retains the same layout as the J112e with a forward-facing chart table to port and a full galley to starboard, and accommodation in two separate cabins.

The fit-out is simple but stylish and comfortable, and looks to be finished to a good standard. Stowage and tankage promises to be sufficient to make this a useful cruising boat as well as a boat with round-the-cans potential. The small hull window in the saloon remains unchanged from the 112e.

J-Boats J36 specifications

LOA: 10.99m/36ft 1in
LWL: 9.68m/31ft 10in
BEAM: 3.60m/11ft 10in
DRAUGHT: 2.10m/6ft 11in
SAIL AREA: 65m2/699sq ft
DISPLACEMENT: 5,125kg/11,300lb
BASE PRICE: €239,980 ex VAT
CONTACT: jcomposites.eu

JP40

Niels Jeppesen, co-founder and former design director of X-Yachts, has created this 38-footer as his second project with naval architect Ariadna Pons, following the Arcona 50 that launched two years ago.

The JP40 is intended as a powerful and timeless design that combines cruising comforts with good performance. There’s an emphasis on ease of handling, but this doesn’t come at the expense of efficient sailing, and the set-up is intended to facilitate accurate trimming sails.

The design brief was for ‘A 40ft sailing yacht that is easy to handle, enjoyable to sail, and comfortable to liveaboard over extended periods of time. It is a yacht conceived for those who truly love sailing –sailors who appreciate trimming, balance, and control, yet also value short-handed sailing, clarity, and long-term enjoyment.’

Generous beam is carried well aft at deck level, while a U-shape transom helps to minimise wetted surface area, thus helping to boost performance in light airs and upwind.

A high chine extends roughly one-third of the way forward, so form stability should build quickly as heel angle increases.

Below decks the layout and ergonomics are designed for comfort when living aboard. There’s a choice of two- or three-cabin layouts, with the quarter cabins benefitting from the wide beam aft and therefore able to be set up with a big double berth or a pair of side-by-side singles.

The first boat built will be in the ‘European Launch Edition’, with three double cabins, a heads, a main cabin, and the ends includes a large sail locker and lazarette. The two-cabin version will have an enlarged heads and large cockpit locker.

The boat can be specified as a family boat, with a removable tall transom that includes a bathing platform, plus an anchor-handling system, cockpit table and sprayhood. Alternatively, it can be specified as a competitive inshore or offshore racing boat, with a different keel and tweaks to the rig and deck layout.

JP40 specifications

LOA: 12.21m/40ft 1in
LWL: 10.52m/34ft 6in
BEAM: 3.90m/12ft 10in
DRAUGHT: 2.10m/6ft 11in (Deep) or 2.32m/7ft 3in
SAIL AREA: 85m2/915sq ft
DISPLACEMENT: 7,500kg/16,534lb
BASE PRICE: €224,833 ex VAT
CONTACT: jeppesen-pons.com

Allures Horizon 47

Since 2003 Allures have been building yachts that don’t sit neatly in one category or another. Rugged explorer yachts with aluminium hulls, the deck and superstructure are fibreglass and as such allow the boat to feel much less utilitarian than some of its all-metal counterparts. This fourth generation model seeks to take a fresh look at what a blue-water cruising yachts is.

Olivier Racoupeau, Allures’ long-standing architect, explained, ‘We wanted to orient the boat towards the elements – towards the sea – both visually and functionally, while staying true to the fundamental features of a blue-water yacht: safety, particularly through ease of movement on board. With this new concept, the boat becomes a living spaces, a place for observation and sharing.’

At 47ft, it enters a competitive size bracket in the market alongside blue-water yachts like the Saare 47, X-Yachts Xc47, Oyster 495, and the new Ovni 490. The looks will almost certainly divide opinion and, Allures hopes, carve a niche for the brand.

While hull windows have been growing larger and more numerous for years, Allures have taken things a step further with vast coachroof windows that extend down into the hull. Where the side deck is lowered to the level of the cockpit sole aft, this continues forwards below the level of what would have been the hull window, and a large cutout in the bulwarks mirrors its shape, before the side deck steps to the level of the flush foredeck. There’s something reminiscent of a galleon about it, while also looking sleek and modern.

On deck, the explorer ambitions of the boat are confirmed by a solid dog house that extends aft as far as the helms to provide a semi-enclosed cockpit, offering good protection to watchkeepers and a large sociable seating area shaded by the sun, with a canvas sunroof built in.

Sailing is all handled from the twin wheels aft, with lines coming to clutches and winches ahead of the helms. Permanent davits stand watch over the bathing platform that closes off the cockpit, or lowers to form another lounge area, with boarding steps to use from the stern when the platform is raised.

Below decks, the effect is dramatic, with light and views flooding in. The space is dominated by an L-shaped galley, while the saloon seating and nav station look more like luxury lounge areas. What would be wide open spaces have been contained by the presence of the central centreboard case, making for useful bracing, though this doesn’t offer additional seating, preferring ease of circulation instead.

Allures Horizon 47 specifications

LOA: 16.77m/55ft 0in
BEAM: 4.70m/15ft 5in
DRAUGHT: (Board up) 1.20m/3ft 11in (Board down) 3.10m/10ft 2in
SAIL AREA: 100m2/1,076sq ft
BALLAST: 4,950kg/10,913lb
DISPLACEMENT: 15,000kg/33,069lb
BASE PRICE: €827,118 ex VAT
CONTACT: allures.com

Ovni 490

Anyone who has followed the last two editions of the Vendée Globe, or even developments in the Class 40 fleet, will know it’s now well understood that, if sailors have good protection on watch, they’ll perform better as well as be more comfortable. Similar thinking is being applied to cruising yachts, though this can be complicated by a stronger emphasis on aesthetics.

Ovni’s latest all-aluminium centreboarder is a Mortain/Mavrikios and CBA design intended to meet what the French yards says is a ‘high demand for a 50ft Ovni with a pilothouse’. Hull shape is similar to the Ovni 430 launched in 2023, with broad forward sections that help create high form stability and increase interior volume. The pilothouse gives excellent shelter for two or three people when on watch, and there’s a panoramic roof that helps maximise natural light. In addition, a raised saloon offers a clear view out even when seated.

Three-cabin accommodation includes a space for a washing machine, freezer, plus a locker for foul-weather gear. Systems are concentrated in a technical space accessible from both the cockpit and the interior. There are watertight bulkheads fitted fore and aft.

The standard configuration has twin 50hp shaftdrive Volvo Penta diesel engines, with twin fuel tanks with a total capacity of 1,000L. There’s also 600L of water distributed across two tanks.

Some of the first boats ordered have been specified with electric propulsion from BellMarine, with a system consisting of twin 20kW EVO shaft-drive motors, a 50kW lithium battery bank, more than 1,600W of solar panels, plus a 22kW generator.

All of this means that the boat can cruise with a high degree of autonomy, with potentially very little need for either diesel or LPG for cooking on board. The upshot is both comfortable and quiet cruising, an environmentally friendly boat underway, and a huge range as long as batteries can be kept topped up.

Ovni 490 specifications

LOA: 15.95m/52ft 3in
LWL: 13.98m/45ft 10in
BEAM: 4.80m/15ft 9in
DRAUGHT: (keel up) 1.00m/3ft 3in (keel down) 3.10m/10ft 2in
SAIL AREA: 129m2/1,389sq ft
KEEL BALLAST: 480kg/1,052lb
DISPLACEMENT: (max) 21,000kg / 46,297lb
BASE PRICE: €1,035,000 ex VAT
CONTACT: alubat.com

---

Enjoyed reading this?

A subscription to Yachting Monthly magazine costs around 40% less than the cover price, so you can save money compared to buying single issues.

Print and digital editions are available through Magazines Direct – where you can also find the latest deals.

YM is packed with information to help you get the most from your time on the water.

• • • Take your seamanship to the next level with tips, advice and skills from our experts
    • Impartial in-depth reviews of the latest yachts and equipment
    • Cruising guides to help you reach those dream destinations

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

---