You won't be able to simply walk past this ship in the harbour - the lines are too exciting, the shapes of the hull too unusual and the layout on deck too exciting. Impossible to ignore.
With its little sister Italia 9.98, the shipyard from Venice got off to a brilliant start in the ORCi regatta scene and won two world championship titles virtually from a standing start. However, the fast Italian has quasi in-house competition in the form of the two metre longer Italia 11.98. With a maximum measurement and a provisional GPH of 593.5, she also just fits into Class C, just like her successful and smaller sister 9.98.
The competition
Participation in regattas with ORCi or IRC classifications is not the ultimate focus of the design. Rather, the Italia 11.98 is intended to establish itself as a very powerful sports tourer that is capable of winning races but is also suitable for cruising. The symbiosis of active sailing and living comfort below deck seems to be more in demand than ever before. Italia Yachts sees this development as a challenge and wants to create clear demarcations from its more conventional, more luxurious cruising yacht line with the newly created Sport programme.
Italia 11.98 surprises with curious contours
For the development of the Italia 11.98, the yacht builders from Venice made it quite easy for themselves and simply extended the successful concept of the 9.98 by one length class. Designer Matteo Polli had more work to do, working out the new design with an even more radical design language. His line is particularly unusual at the stern of the 11.98 with its pronounced but also very flat round bulkhead. Despite its enormous width, the waterline is extremely tapered at the rear, which leads to a veritable hull overhang in a neutral floating position in the harbour.
The measured waterline of the unladen ship is just 10.06 metres, almost two metres less than the length of the hull. Designer Matteo Polli's aim is to ensure that the wetted surface remains as small as possible in light winds and low heeling and therefore produces less drag and buoyancy. In higher conditions and at higher speeds, on the other hand, the flat hull sides should rest on the water and thus ensure stiffer sailing characteristics upwind and faster planing when reaching with a gennaker.
Just like her little sister, the Italia 11.98 can be ordered in two different basic versions. The regatta version Fuoriserie comes with tiller steering, short cockpit thwarts, tuff- luff forestay profile and equipment for a symmetrical spinnaker. Under the name Bellissima, the same boat for sporty touring sailing is supplied with double steering wheels, extendable cockpit benches, a fixed bowsprit and a furling headsail, as is the case with the test boat. Of course, the components can be combined as desired as options for both versions. For example, it is also possible to order the regatta boat with double steering wheels instead of the tiller or a bowsprit for the gennaker.
Even with water ballast
The shipyard also offers exciting variance with regard to the ballast proportions. The standard lead T-keel has cavities that are filled with foam and plastered over. If you wish, you can have additional lead granulate filled in here and thus increase the keel weight, for example for longer offshore trips or for touring sailing with a small crew. Matteo Polli is also working on a fin keel without a ballast bomb for a favourable IRC measurement. However, at the time of the YACHT test, this option had not yet been specified in detail.
And what's more: Italia Yachts now also wants to offer a water ballast system for the 11.98. This involves installing additional tanks with a volume of around 400 litres on both sides, which are filled alternately. J/Boats' main competitor recently introduced a similar system with the J/121.
Due to the distinctive hull shape at the stern and the short waterline, designer Polli had to position the slim but deep rudder blade far below the boat, which makes steering challenging. The lightly built boat reacts to every deflection of the very directly adjusted steering. Small inattentions on the part of the helmsman have an immediate effect on the performance values, especially in a relatively high and steep wave like the one we tested off Venice, outside the lagoon. It is not to be expected that the tiller will make steering the Italia 11.98 any easier, in fact the opposite is more likely to be true. Experienced helmsmen will be pleased, but beginners will have to practise.
In difficult and strongly gusty conditions with an average wind of around 13 knots, the racy Italian can deliver an impressive demonstration of her skills: 7.2 knots upwind at a true wind angle of 40 degrees are impressive values even for a proven performance boat - and this despite the fact that the test boat was equipped with very simple, cross-cut, but black-coloured Dacron sails for the first tests. The less dimensionally stable amwind wardrobe does not match the high-quality carbon fibre rig, with which the construction number 1 is equipped as an option. Stable laminate sails would undoubtedly push the performance data even higher.
Apart from the components already mentioned, the two versions Fuoriserie and Bellissima come with identical basic equipment. Italia Yachts only uses the best and highest quality fittings for its sports boats. All blocks, rails and clamps as well as the winches come from Harken, the stoppers from Spinlock. The boats are also equipped with multi-adjustable 3D haul points and a variety of extremely efficient trimming devices right from the shipyard.
Sober modernity characterises the Italia 11.98
The interior of the Italia 11.98 is less spectacular than its exterior. The layout, which is completely symmetrical from aft to bow, provides two spacious aft cabins. The two berths there are large enough for double occupancy. Because the cabin superstructure and therefore the entire interior has been moved quite far forward in favour of more space in the cockpit, there is less space available in the forward cabin; the berth is short at just 1.90 metres in length and is also built far into the bow. It is therefore cramped for two people in the front. On the other hand, the two sofa rows in the saloon can also be used as berths if the back cushions are removed.
Exciting: the kitchen and navigation areas are also designed symmetrically and at the same height. The idea is that the work surface in the navigation area can also be used as an extension for the relatively small galley - a clever plan. The shipyard can install toilets or shower rooms in the two heads compartments, which are also arranged symmetrically, according to the owner's wishes.
Incidentally, the feather-light furniture is made almost entirely from composite materials and sealed with gelcoat surfaces. This looks very modern, but goes hand in hand with a sober and not very cosy living ambience. You can choose between leather and carbon fibre covers for the fronts of the side storage compartments. The only visible wood is in the form of the large lounge table, which can be opened on both sides. However, the furniture is only anchored very unstably, but can be removed for the Regatta.
In view of the competition, Italia Yachts is offering its latest model at a very interesting price, despite the very extensive and first-class basic equipment and the solid construction. The 11.98 is not an easy boat and is not suitable for beginners; it is too sophisticated and too complex in design for that. However, sporty sailors and regatta participants will find it an exciting platform that can easily be used for touring with the family.
The measured values for the Italia 11.98 test
The Italia 11.98 in detail
Technical data of the Italia 11.98
- Design engineer:Matteo Polli
- CE design category:A
- Torso length:11,65 m
- Width:3,98 m
- Depth:2,10 m
- Weight:6,2 t
- Ballast/proportion:2,0 t/32 %
- Mainsail:48,0 m2
- Furling genoa (105 %):42,0 m2
- machine (Volvo Penta):21 kW/30 hp
Hull and deck construction
GRP sandwich built in hand lay-up with PVC foam core and vinyl ester resin. Carbon fibre reinforcements
Price and shipyard
- Base price ex shipyard (Bellissima version):356,620 €, gross incl. 19% VAT, without sails
- Guarantee/against osmosis:2/2 years
As at 12/2023. price valid until 31.12.2023. How the prices shown are defined can be found here !
Shipyard
Italia Yachts Srl, 30015 Chioggia (Italy); www.italiayachts.it
Distribution
Dealer network
YACHT rating
Chic and fast, but not easy to sail sports tourer with a strong focus on a favourable measurement according to ORCi and IRC. Available in two basic versions
Design and concept
- + Strong and rigid construction
- + Two versions for more variance
- + Lightweight composite interior fittings
Sailing performance and trim
- + Perfect deck layout
- + Very sensitive control
- + Efficient trimming devices
Living and finishing quality
- + Sofas in the saloon can be used as bunks
- - Very sober interior
- - Small berth area in the foredeck
Equipment and technology
- + High-quality basic equipment
- + Water ballast as an option
This article first appeared in YACHT 10/2019 and has been updated for this online version.
