The Chinese from Far East have long been known as dinghy makers, and now they are trying their hand at a keelboat. The design by Simonis/Voogd is already sailing successfully in the Far East as a youth and regatta boat. In Europe, it should also appeal to sporty touring sailors.
The hull and rig were already on show in Düsseldorf last year, but still as an empty shell and without attachments. Now the mould construction is largely complete and you can get an idea of the interior of the small yacht. In contrast to the Chinese version, which has conventional wooden fittings, practically everything is made of GRP mouldings. As the shipyard operates its own mould construction department and has a lot of experience with milled aluminium moulds from rudder and centreboard construction, this is a logical step that also helps to save weight.
Bulkheads and interior fittings are made of foam sandwich with epoxy resin and have a high-gloss and largely flawless surface thanks to the negative moulds.
However, large parts have a transparent look, so the fabric structure is visible. In combination with the aluminium-coloured glass fibre material used, the result is a very technical look.
However, a disadvantage of this concept becomes apparent in more complicated areas such as the pronounced curves in the centre of the table. Here, it was not possible to lay the fabric cleanly and without overlaps in the mould. The transparent top layer makes these imperfections very visible and significantly reduces the impression of quality. The shipyard will have to improve on this.
There is also a need for optimisation in the cockpit. The lid of the newly added rear box does not align with the roof. However, importer and dealer Michael Honsel has promised improvement here too.
In terms of sailing, however, the boat should be very exciting. The weight of
just 1.6 tonnes in conjunction with the 1.70 metre deep, retractable T-keel and 37 square metres of sail area promise good performance values. The modern hull lines with a wide stern and the high-quality fittings from Harken also speak in favour of sporty sailing. According to Honsel, the Far East is already being used by more than 28 clubs in China for regatta training.
For 34,900 euros, including sails, this is definitely an exciting boat, provided that the visual defects in the interior are rectified.
Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
