Test Vaan R4: A cruising catamaran that soothes the environmental conscience

Sustainability. The term is currently being overused everywhere. And not everything that claims to be sustainable actually is. Greenwashing is the new German term for this. In other words, labelling things or processes as environmentally friendly just because they have a characteristic that actually appears to have less impact on the planet.

To describe a cruising catamaran made of aluminium as sustainable is downright ridiculous at first glance. After all, aluminium is light and, unlike GRP for example, can be easily recycled at the end of its life. However, the production of the light metal from its raw material bauxite consumes an adventurous amount of energy. So how could such a catamaran be sustainable, even if it is powered by electric motors? It smacks of greenwashing.

Greenwashing on a cruising catamaran?

If you voice this suspicion to shipyard founder Igor Kluin, he is delighted. Because then he can get started: "The whole concept revolves around sustainability. That's why we use recycled aluminium, for example," explains the Dutchman. Depending on where it is used in the cruising catamaran and availability, the material contains 60 to 85 per cent material that was previously a road sign, an Audi A8 or an aeroplane or something else made from the building material. Of course, it is still high-alloyed to quality 5083 so that it is seawater-resistant, because compromising on the safety of the cruising catamaran is out of the question.

Together with the many other points at which the shipyard has considered better solutions in terms of environmental compatibility, this will result in a smaller ecological footprint: aluminium melts at 660 degrees Celsius. Glass, from which the fibres for GRP are made, only melts at around 1,600 degrees Celsius. Significantly more energy goes into it. Of the common boat building materials, only wood seems to consume less energy than recycled aluminium. But wood has other disadvantages. So you could say that the Vaan was built from the least unsustainable of the common series-produced boatbuilding materials, thanks to the high proportion of recycled aluminium.

Environmentally friendly solutions

But the building material is by no means the end of the story. Then there's the drive. As already mentioned, always electric and from Oceanvolt. For just under 20,000 euros extra, two servopropane drives are installed in the fins. They are equipped with adjustable pitch propellers. The system continuously calculates the perfect pitch in order to consume as little energy as possible during propulsion and to find the optimum compromise between speed loss and power generation when recuperating under sail. This allows up to 2.5 kilowatts of charging power per drive. This is quite realistic for a fairly fast catamaran. The package is therefore undoubtedly coherent.

Good sailing performance

Keyword good sailing characteristics. The Vaan R4 has them. Admittedly: During the test, the wind was blowing at 15 to 18 knots, which is when most boats sail well. The Dutchman does a typical catamaran job. In other words, when a gust comes, it is largely converted into speed. Logically, there is no noticeable pressure at the helm or even heeling, as on a monohull. It feels very confident, almost bored.

If the wind suddenly picks up, you can quickly see two or three knots more on the log without much else happening around you. You can keep an overview on the wheel, steering is very direct and the feeling of always having everything under control quickly sets in. At 35 degrees to the apparent wind, the optimum speed is reached, with the cruising catamaran travelling at around six knots. You can go higher, but then you lose too much speed. The test boat has keels that are 1.25 metres deep. More would probably be possible with the optional 1.95 metres, as this would reduce the drift. These are very decent values for a multihull. If you drop off, the Vaan sets off, the water splashes up at the front of the wide stem and the luxury flat gets going. Unfortunately, there were no waves on the test day on the Haringvliet off Hellevoetsluis, so nothing can be said about the sea behaviour.

Good working conditions

Working in the large cockpit is easy, the arrangement of the winches on the V-beam aft in the cockpit is great, the height is good for working. However, you should make sure that the line ends do not fall over the open end of the deck into the water, as it is not far from there to the rudders or the drives. And that's certainly not where you want the ropes.

The fold-out seats for the helmsman are an ergonomic highlight of the cruising catamaran. From there, you can keep a close eye on the wind in the jib and have a perfect view past the deck superstructure. If someone wants or needs to go forward from the helm position, they can easily do so via the wide gangways - the roof of the saloon protruding to the side also serves as a handrail - but the route inevitably leads over the upholstered benches in the cockpit. This is not ideal, as the cushions get dirty very quickly this way. The shipyard is looking into ideas for using the aft folding seats as a climbing aid. This would certainly be the more sensible alternative, even though there are no handholds in the aft part of the gangway.

The Vaan with its neutral steering is good for a vessel that is supposed to carry the crew over long distances, and the autopilot thanks it with low power consumption. If you ever want to steer the boat yourself, you can do so easily and, for a cruising catamaran, in a pleasingly direct manner. However, it lacks the sensation of a crisp monohull.

Green expansion of the cruising catamaran

Talking about sensations: Cruising catamarans usually offer them elsewhere. And here too, the Vaan R4 delivers convincingly: The cockpit is huge and open, with a solid table available on request. The floor is covered with Sea Cork, an FSC-certified teak substitute that also insulates well and heats up less in the sun. It goes without saying that the wood used elsewhere is also sustainably grown. Fabrics for upholstery are woven from a fibre made from pineapple leaves or from recycled fabrics. Carpets are made from a hemp fibre. "We take this really seriously, sustainability is at the centre of everything we do, it's far more than just marketing."

Everything is circular, everything can be recycled"

"We also make sure that our suppliers use renewable energies. And where this is not possible, we compensate for the impact that the boat has on the environment in other ways," says Kluin, explaining the shipyard's approach.

Typical cruising catamaran: plenty of living space

The R4's interior proves that this can look and function very well: a very uncluttered design that is nevertheless warm and cosy thanks to the use of natural fabrics. Lots of space, lots of open space, the shipyard assured us during the test that they can also fit handrails wherever the customer wants - this creates a feeling of luxury.

This is also the case when you step down into the hulls. A hallway of 3.80 metres in length connects the large owner's bed aft with the wet room forward. This area is flanked by usable cupboard space with plenty of drawers. At 1.60 metres wide, the bed offers plenty of space for two over its entire length and, thanks to two hull windows, a wonderful view.

The toilet and shower are separated in the wet area at the front. The former was still a little tight on the test ship, but the shipyard recognised this and changed the layout. Very nice: the shower at the very front of the bow offers a whopping 100 x 82 centimetres of space, more than most hotel showers. The boat is clearly aimed at owners, says the shipyard boss. The shipyard has therefore installed the owner's layout in both hulls of the test ship. Alternatively, however, a smaller wet cell in combination with a bunk bed or a rather small trapeze berth, as Vaan calls it, is also possible in the foredeck. This is ideal for children or grandchildren. Aft there is still the large double berth.

The saloon is impressively open. The huge sliding door to the cockpit, which is also completely open aft, and the large windows provide the best view. 360-degree harbour cinema at all times. Also a great place to set up a home office.

A successful overall work

The Vaan R4 cruising catamaran does everything right. A clear design language, very good build quality, convincing sailing characteristics - all this makes it a really good boat. The price of the catamaran is well below that of an Outremer 45, which is one metre longer but has no extension in the front of the hulls for performance reasons. The usable space is therefore absolutely comparable. This makes the Vaan R4 a very special boat. What makes it unique, however, is the consistent and credible realisation of sustainability. The shipyard does everything possible to minimise its impact on the environment. This may not be important to everyone, at least not yet. However, if you want to travel the world in the future without feeling that your lifestyle is leaving a disproportionately large footprint, the Vaan R4 is the right boat for you.

Article on the competitor Outremer:

• Route du Rhum:Outremer 5X built from flax fibres is the first cat to cross the finish line
• Yacht of the Year: What the jury says about the winners - Part 5: Outremer 55
• Catamaran can also be sporty: the Outremer 51 on test

Technical data Vaan R4

• Construction: Dykstra Naval Architects
• CE design category A
• Hull length 12.80 m
• Total length 13.65 m
• Waterline length 12.75 m
• Width 7.05 m
• Draught/alternative 1.25/1.95 m
• Mast height above WL 19.95 m
• Theoretical hull speed 8.7 knots
• Weight 10.9 tonnes
• Mainsail 55.0 m²
• Furling genoa (106 %) 30.0 m²
• Machine (2x) 12 or 15 kW
• Batteries 28.8, 43.2 or 57.6 kW/h
• Fresh water tanks 2x 325 l
• Holding tanks 2x 40 litres

Hull and deck construction

Manufactured over a frame of seawater-resistant (5083) aluminium, 65 to 80 percent recycled content. Material thickness: deck five to six, hull seven millimetres

Insulation

By hand with mineral wool, which is packed vapour-tight with a foil. This means that mould doesn't stand a chance and the boat remains at a pleasant temperature and quiet

Drive

E-drives from Torqeedo or Oceanvolt. The latter also includes the Servoprop, which can deliver up to 2.5 kilowatts per hour and drive to the batteries under sail

Draught alternatives

1.25 metre deep stub keels are standard, on which the cat can fall dry. Optional are 1.95 metre deep keels, with which this is not possible. Alternative: centreboards with a draught of 1.25 to 1.95 metres

Equipment and prices

• Base price ex shipyard € 632,360
• Price ready to sail € 639,380
• Comfort price € 689,280
• Warranty 2 years

How YACHT defines prices for better comparability

Shipyard and distribution

Vaan Yachts, Stationsplein 9, 3224 AT Hellevoetsluis, Netherlands www.vaan.yachts

YACHT rating

Design and concept

• + Torsion-resistant fuselage
• + Good insulation
• + Consistent sustainability

Sailing performance and trim

• + Convincing performance
• + Good operability
• + Clear view into the sails

Living and finishing quality

• + Good sense of space
• - Access gangways
• - WC room access

Equipment and technology

• + High-quality fittings
• + Good recyclability
• + Recuperation possible