Luffe 45+: Luxurious sailing fun in full carbon – first pictures from the test

In recent years, Luffe Yachts has gradually updated its models and, as with the Luffe 40.20 As can be seen, the cockpit layouts have been adapted and a fixed bow nose for the Code Zero and gennaker has been integrated. With the 45-foot top-of-the-range model, the Danes have now taken things several steps further. For the version known as the 45+, the lines at the bow and stern have been modified so significantly that a new hull shape was required. The aim of the redesign: to improve sailing performance without making the boat more complicated.

The front and rear are completely new

The stem, which is now vertical, not only gives the boat a contemporary look and provides greater buoyancy, but also extends the waterline. The redesigned stern also features flatter lines and improved water drainage. Incidentally, the cockpit has grown by around 70 centimetres, allowing very easy access to the swim platform. The rig, keel and rudder remain unchanged; only the position of the ballast has been adjusted to suit the new distribution of buoyancy and displacement.

Fibreglass hull and deck

However, the improvements go much further than that, as the shipyard has completely overhauled the construction method for the 45 series. Instead of fibreglass laminates, the hull and deck of the Luffe 45+ are built entirely from carbon fibre sandwich construction. This is accompanied by a switch from a steel frame to a carbon fibre floor assembly, as well as the use of carbon fibre bulkheads. Taken together, this reduces the boat’s weight enormously: whilst the old model weighed around 9.5 tonnes when empty, the 45+ weighs just 8.2 tonnes – even when fully equipped with bow and stern thrusters, electric winches and electric furling systems.

Personalised interior

Below deck, Luffe remains true to itself: the boat is built exactly as the owner wishes. Construction number 1, which we sailed, belongs to the shipyard manager Oluf Jörgensen and combines light oak veneer in the saloon with very dark wood on the bulkheads. The smoked oak fronts, with their distinctive grain, provide further contrast. As individual as the choice of wood is, the workmanship meets the highest Scandinavian standards. All edges are gently rounded, the veneers are thick and the wooden surfaces feel silky to the touch. Everything feels very solid, and there is no sign or sensation of the lightweight carbon-fibre sandwich construction. The flat hull and comparatively narrow beam limit the available space. However, the available space is utilised very well, and for the target audience, sailing performance and ease of handling are more important than a cathedral-like saloon or huge guest cabins. More on the sailing characteristics will follow shortly in the full test report.

​Technical specifications for the Luffe 45+

What do you think: is the Luffe 45+ still a proper Luffe, or does the revised hull shape clash with the shipyard’s DNA? Have your say in the comments.