Dear readers,

It's a quiet development in the yacht industry: shipyards, designers and builders are pushing the performance limits of their production touring yachts ever higher. Where elegance, cosiness and good-natured sailing characteristics were perhaps more important in the past, hull speed, sail area optimisation and hydrodynamic subtleties are increasingly coming into focus. Shipyards are investing heavily in the development of modern hulls, high-performance rig concepts and weight-saving construction methods - and not just for high-end racing yachts, but also specifically in the area of boats for the broad base of cruising sailors.

The approach is understandable: The need for speed in cruising sailing probably has more facets than you might think at first glance. If you can sail faster, you can reach your destination earlier, plan a diversion to the most beautiful anchorage or escape the impending weather window more quickly - for example. However, modern hull shapes not only offer more speed, but also stable sailing characteristics, better control and, above all, more safety - characteristics that sailors like to count on. And last but not least: sailing fast is simply more fun.

In addition, yachts with a higher performance capacity generally attract more interest from buyers. For many, it's like a car: performance is sexy, even if you don't necessarily always have to or want to utilise its potential. On a cosy family cruise on the Baltic Sea, the broad collective of touring sailors is unlikely to care whether you make progress at half a knot more or less. Rather, the journey is the goal.

The hunt for more performance also has its downsides. The modern, often more radical lines break with the classic ideal of beauty. Instead of long, elegant overhangs, harmonious shapes and soft transitions, aggressive-looking designs with an often almost threatening appearance set the tone today. What used to come across as a gently curved piece of maritime elegance now often looks as if it is about to become the Vendée Globe or - as is currently the case - the The Ocean Race Europe across the world's oceans. Anyone who falls in love with a boat for emotional reasons - and hopefully quite a few people do - will feel alienated here.

So why the urge? Part of the answer is probably to be found in the competition. In a tight market, any measurable improvement is always a good selling point. Sporty sailing characteristics and high performance potential are also undisputed seals of quality when assessing a cruising yacht - even if they are less important to the future owner in everyday life. What's more, anyone who buys a boat wants to feel that they are at the cutting edge of technology. There's nothing wrong with that - quite the opposite.

Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind what cruising is really about. It is about consciously slowing down in a world that is constantly accelerating. It is the art of savouring and enjoying the moment. It's the quiet moments in the evening light, the play of the waves on the bow, the smell of salt and wind. The most beautiful sailing does not necessarily come from the pursuit of maximum performance, speed and sportiness, but often in the balance of comfort, safety, enjoyment and - yes - aesthetics. Moving fast can be a means to an end, but it is rarely the end itself.

Performance has its place in sailing, no question about it. But if it becomes the driving force behind every design decision, the touring yacht also loses a piece of its soul.

Michael Good

YACHT editor

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