Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise: The successful new edition of a power dwarf in the test
Michael Good
· 03.08.2023
Dennis Hennevanger is still particularly proud of this today: in 1999, he and a friend sailed once across the English Channel from IJmuiden in Holland to Lowestoft in England, 110 nautical miles in rough conditions with up to 7 Beaufort and pronounced waves. This alone would have been nothing special if the vessel had not been an open keelboat, the Saffier 6.50, which was only 6.50 metres long.
You could call it reckless, but for shipyard boss Hennevanger it was more about proving the seaworthiness of Saffier's smallest and oldest boat. In any case, the mission was a success.
Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise: more of everything
Hennevangers built and sold no fewer than 160 units of the cute daysailer between 1998 and 2010. Production was then discontinued. However, the enterprising brothers Dennis and Dean decided to refloat the designs from back then and give the concept a thorough overhaul. The small boat has been back on offer as the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise since 2016.
The voluminous hull with its strikingly pronounced spoon bow remains unchanged - a proven stiff and, above all, seaworthy design by father Richard Hennevanger. Everything else is completely new: the deck now integrates a deep and closed cockpit well into its shape. This means that the boat is no longer open like the previous model, but a closed construction. The rig is higher and also includes a self-tacking jib as standard. And: the hull appendages have become slimmer and deeper. The keel is now L-shaped and carries a ballast body.
The boat is also lighter than its predecessor. The shipyard has been able to save around 200 kilograms in weight with the dedicated model update. The new SC 6.50 Cruise only weighs around 900 kilograms when ready to sail, with an impressive 44 per cent ballast content in the lead keel.
The shipyard's course is clear
Larger sail areas, less weight and more efficient appendages - the shipyard's course is clearly pointing in one direction: more performance potential and better sailing characteristics. For the YACHT test, the small 6.50 has to prove in strong winds whether these considerations work out. On the test day on the North Sea near IJmuiden, the wind was blowing at least 20 knots, and considerably more in gusts. Outside the land cover, a short, unpleasantly steep wave makes things even more difficult, demanding a lot from the sea dwarf.
Unimpressed by the demanding, almost borderline conditions, the SC 6.50 Cruise gets going. On all courses, the boat sails fabulously stiff and is easy to control, with little but still noticeable rudder pressure. Great! Even when it heeled strongly in the gusts, the small ship remained steadfastly on course and showed no signs of losing control at the tiller or even a tendency to sunshade. With a self-tacking jib and a reef in the mainsail, a speed of around 5.8 knots over ground is achieved at a tacking angle of 85 degrees.
If you like active and sporty sailing, you can buy a rollable, 25 square metre gennaker as an option, which can then remain permanently attached to a short, screw-in stainless steel bowsprit. This allows the boat to reach well over 8 knots in the strong wind test. However, the pure displacement hull cannot planing.
More about Saffier yachts:
The thwarts are 2.25 metres long. This means that up to four fellow sailors can sit quite comfortably and very safely in the deep cockpit. However, the voluminous hull and the pronounced spoon bow displace a lot of water, which quickly comes over as spray. Sailing with the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise is therefore - at least with a lot of wind and waves - a pretty wet pleasure.
When sailing, the handling is very simple. The mainsheet runs back to a simple cleat base in the centre of the cockpit via a cockspot guide on the aft deck. There is a winch on the side of the companionway to the slip cabin for the self-tacking jib. All sheets, halyards and trim lines can be accessed directly from the cockpit, which also makes the small boat suitable for single-handed sailing.
The simple, lightweight mast from Seldén can be set and lowered easily and with little effort by hand. The mast foot is equipped with a folding device for this purpose. It is pleasing that the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise is equipped with a powerful backstay tensioner straight from the shipyard, which allows the pressure in the mainsail to be effectively controlled in high winds.
If you want or need to, you can also spend the night on the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise. There is a bunk area in the foredeck where two people can sleep comfortably. After all, the berth is two metres long and 1.63 metres wide at shoulder height.
Price: This is how much the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise costs
The Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise costs 35,700 euros, an attractive offer in comparison. However, buyers should be aware that for the time being they are only getting the very modestly equipped standard boat without a built-in engine and with simple Dacron sails. The boat is optionally available with an O-PS built-in diesel or with an electric drive. However, the drive packages increase the gross purchase price to 55,630 euros. What's more, the so-called custom package with all the amenities such as complete sail-ready equipment with sails, electric motor, tarpaulin, upholstery and antifouling (among other things) costs 76,040 euros gross and is therefore more than twice as expensive as the standard boat.
The shipyard's idea of breathing new life into its first and smallest ship has worked out perfectly and harmoniously. The redesign has been a success, and the good genes of Saffier have been retained. The nostalgic flavour of the new ship is also likely to win her a lot of sympathy.
The measured values for testing the Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise
The Saffier SC 6.50 Cruise in detail
Technical data
- Designer:R./D. Hennevanger
- CE design category:D
- Lüa (torso length):6,50 m
- Width:2,05 m
- Depth:0,95 m
- Weight:900 kg
- Ballast/proportion: 400 kg/44 %
- Mainsail: 13,0 m²
- Self-tacking jib: 8,0 m²
- machine (Yanmar):10 kW/14 hp
Hull and deck construction
- Hull: GRP full laminate, hand rest
- Deck: GRP sandwich, hand rest
Prices and equipment
- Base price ex shipyard: 35,700 euros gross incl. 19 % VAT.
- Price incl. electric pod drive: 55,630 euros gross
- Price ready to sail: 76,040 euros gross
Prices as of 07/2023, as the prices shown are defined, you will find here !
Shipyard
- Saffier Maritiem
- IJmuiden (Holland)
- www.saffieryachts.com
- www.diamond-yachts.de
YACHT rating
Small, charming daysailer with a strong focus on seaworthy sailing characteristics. The build quality is good as usual, the workmanship is neatly executed in detail
Design and concept
- + Proven, seaworthy hull
- + Successful complete overhaul
- - Many options, but steep surcharges
Sailing performance and trim
- + Strong performance in wind and waves
- + Sails stiff and balanced
- - Lots of splashing water
Living and finishing quality
- + Overnight accommodation for two
- + Generous lying surface
Equipment and technology
- + Powerful backstay tensioner
- + Mast adjustable by hand
- + Removable bowsprit
This article first appeared in YACHT 15/2016 and has been updated for this online version.
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