According to boss Matt Newland, the shipyard wants to use the boat to solve a problem that many small boat sailors are probably familiar with: "In calm conditions or with very little wind, the journey home to the mooring or to the next destination is often too long. Or there is a current against the boat, and 2 to 3 knots are a problem for a small boat, sometimes taking hours to cover short distances. We also have customers who want to move their boat quickly over longer distances, for example to reach new sailing areas."
With a top speed of 15 knots, which is what the Coast 250 is supposed to achieve, 50, 60 miles or more are possible - daily distances that many small cruiser crews would otherwise hardly dare to attempt. There have already been various attempts to develop such boats, such as the McGregor 26 many years ago or most recently the Spanish Nuva MS 6, but they all looked like motorboats with a more or less convincing rig and were not exactly able to score points with good sailing performance.
Swallow Yachts says it wants to take a different approach and has set itself ambitious goals: the Coast 250 should have the sailing characteristics of a performance cruiser and yet - depending on the engine size - be able to travel at around 15 knots. Shipyard boss Matt Newland is well aware of the design challenges involved.
The crux of weight trim and tail shape
"The problem with a large outboard motor is that it increases the weight at the stern, exactly where you don't want it on a sailing boat. This spoils the trim and strongly encourages the boat to roll around its longitudinal axis. Many attempts to date have therefore favoured an enormously wide, deep-diving stern, as is common on motorboats. But this led to major disadvantages in terms of sailing performance."
The shipyard is therefore taking a different approach: the outboard motor (anything from 10 to 70 hp should be possible) is run in a shaft located just before the companionway. It is soundproofed and can be raised. The hull is significantly narrower as a result and should sail better. The shipyard worked on the development with the British Wolfson Unit, a renowned research institute that has also co-developed Open 60s. Swallow Yachts has made a name for itself in recent years with well-sailing and visually appealing retro classics such as the Baycruiser 23 and 26 (videos of the YACHT test are available at here and here ).
As always at the shipyard, the Coast 250 also has a carbon mast and boom, a swivelling keel with lead bomb, which reduces the rather large draught of 1.85 metres to just 40 centimetres, and a retractable rudder so that falling dry is no problem. A fully battened mainsail as standard and optional gennaker on the carbon fibre boom ensure plenty of propulsion. Below deck there are four berths, a pull-out galley and, on request, a wet room with WC.
The boat is currently under construction and should be ready in late summer. To the Swallow Yachts website.
Coast 250
Andreas Fritsch
Editor Travel
