First things first: the Viko S 35 is not new, it has already been tested in detail in YACHT 13/2020. However, the new Black Edition version brings so many relevant changes that a new test is justified.
A unique selling point of the Viko S 35 was the very low base price of 72,900 euros, which is now 90,600 euros. This is not only due to rising raw material and transport costs or the fact that this amount is achievable. Many things that used to be paid for separately are now included in the price.
It should also be noted that with a hull length of 10.88 metres, the Viko S 35 is very large; for comparisons, 37 to 38-foot boats such as the Hanse 388 or Bavaria 37 are more suitable. A lot of boat for the money. The design by Sergio Lupoli is also very successful: The design is contemporary and appealing, with an independent design language.
The very high all-round foot railing is particularly striking; from the outside it is an elevation of the ship's side and deserves the name bulwark. In addition to the visual aspect, it provides a great deal of safety, especially on the foredeck, and offers good lateral support for the feet when in position. The rather small sail area proved to be a drawback in the first test, resulting in a sail load factor of just 3.9 in relation to the displacement - rather low, even for a cruising boat. The result was a limited speed potential, especially on the cross. In 10 to 15 knots of wind, a maximum of 5.5 knots was possible. If the wind dropped a little, the speed dropped below 5 knots. The low values were disproportionate to the high-performance lines.
This is exactly where the Black Edition comes in. Instead of a mast length of 13.50 metres, this version has a length of 15.00 metres. The extra 1.50 metres in height provides 12.35 square metres more sail area upwind. In addition, Lite Skin laminate is used instead of white Dacron cloth. There is also low-stretch cordage for halyards, larger 40 mm winches from Harken, an easy-to-use traveller across the entire width of the cockpit and a mainsheet with a ratio of 1 to 8. Due to the higher rig, only the deep keel of 1.95 metres is offered.
Other new features include a fresh look and greater living comfort: the running decks, cockpit and bathing platform are covered with Flexiteek in a dark rod look with light-coloured contrasting joints. The lazy bag and sprayhood are also black to match and are designed to harmonise in colour with the higher-quality sails. The cockpit can be enclosed by a cake stand by connecting the sprayhood and bimini and with matching side walls up to behind the wheels. This adds a covered area of 8.5 square metres to the living space. The cake stand can even be heated using an additional air vent from the hot-air diesel heater next to the helm.
You can read how the Black Edition fared in the test in the new YACHT 23/2021.
