At the beginning of 2016, X-Yachts announced a third boatyard programme: the X-Range is intended to establish itself between the sporty X-Performance line and the more touring-oriented X-Cruising range and combine the good features of both concepts. That was the announcement. YACHT accompanied the first market launch of the X4 (now X 4.3) and the X6 (now X 6.5) with a detailed double test in issue 17/2016. This was followed by the X 4.9 (test in YACHT 14/2018) and the X 4.6, which essentially minimises the concept of its larger sister by adding the dinghy garage in the stern and has also been nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2019.
With the announcement of the new X 4.0, X-Yachts has now realised what was already a logical consequence: the downward expansion of the X range. The official launch has just taken place at the boot trade fair in Düsseldorf. The prototype for the new model is now under construction and is due to enter the water in June 2019. The hull and deck are made as a sandwich construction using a vacuum infusion process with epoxy resin. The hull is also "post-baked" in the oven after lamination, which additionally stiffens the structures.
The fin of the T-keel consists of an internal steel structure encapsulated by GRP half-shells. This process guarantees harmonious profiles and perfectly structured surfaces. An antimony-hardened lead bomb weighing around three tonnes is suspended from the fin; the ballast content of the X 4.0 is therefore a sporty 38 percent. The keel is available in two versions, with a draught of 2.10 metres or 2.30 metres. As Tim Gilding, Design Manager at X-Yachts, explained at the press conference, the performance potential of the X 4.0 should be almost on a par with that of its sporty sister XP-38.
The standard boat comes with a high and powerful two-saling aluminium rig, which is fitted with rod shrouds from the shipyard. The mast is through-stepped and stands on the keel. Customers can choose whether they want to order their X 4.0 with a self-tacking jib (standard) or with a short genoa as an option (106 per cent overlap); accordingly, the yacht builders mount one or two pairs of winches on the cockpit coaming. A short bow nose can be added to the boat for additional sails such as a code zero or gennaker. The stern platform is also only available as an option, but in two different sizes. The larger swim cap closes off the cockpit at the rear up to the level of the running deck.
Six large windows are planned in the hull, providing plenty of natural light below deck and all-round visibility when sitting in the saloon. The windows in the superstructure can also be partially opened. Together with the large hatches, this ensures efficient ventilation. As standard, the X 4.0 is equipped with two double cabins and a spacious wet room with a separable shower compartment. A third double cabin can be realised aft in place of the large aft cabin in the standard version. In this case, however, the toilet compartment is somewhat smaller. X-Yachts also offers variants for the navigation, which can be built as a fully-fledged workstation orientated in the direction of travel or as a flexible and fold-up version.
The first price announcement from Haderslev calculates a basic price for the X 4.0 in the standard version with two cabins of 306,425 euros, including 19 per cent VAT.
To coincide with the announcement of the X 4.0, the shipyard has launched an exciting Yacht configurator activated on the website. Interested parties can now click through a wide range of possible options and customise their boat to their own personal requirements. Impressive: the configurator can calculate over 15 million variants and visualise them as renderings. It is initially active for the models in the X-Range (including X 4.0), but should also work for all models in the X-Yachts programme in the coming weeks.
Downloads:
Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
