When it comes to blue water vessels made of aluminium, the industry knows one big name: Ovni. The Alubat shipyard in Les Sables d'Olonne on the west coast of France has been manufacturing extremely powerful multi-buckling chandelles for long voyages - including to the Arctic Ocean - since 1974. The legendary Ovni 365 and 395 models in particular are known as flagships and are still very much in demand, especially as second-hand boats for blue water beginners. These two older models are now being retired and replaced by two completely newly developed boats in the shipyard programme.
We have already presented the Ovni 400 as a test in YACHT 3/2020. The new boat from Alubat premiered at the Boot trade fair in Düsseldorf in January 2020 and surprised brand connoisseurs with completely new features: extremely voluminous bow section, wide stern, all-round glazed cabin superstructure, two steering wheels. Now the shipyard is presenting the first views and information for a smaller Ovni 370 with a very similar concept. With a hull length of 11.95 metres, the ship is only slightly shorter than its larger sister (12.28 metres), but with a width of just 3.99 metres, it remains significantly slimmer than the Ovni 400 (width: 4.35 metres).
Otherwise, the Ovni features typical of the brand remain the same: robust aluminium folding frame with integral canting keel and two stub rudders for dropping dry, plus the massive equipment carrier at the stern. The designers from the Mortain & Mavrikios office in La Rochelle have also retained the distinctly voluminous bow section with the negative stem for the new boat. The look is modern, contemporary and attractive. And the design of the current Ovni models has already distinguished itself in the test of the 400 with good sailing characteristics, especially with very good behaviour in the waves.
Compared to its bigger sister, the new Ovni 370 now offers even more interior design options. The saloon is available in two versions: as a proper deck saloon concept with a raised seating area on the starboard side and a view through the large hull windows, or in a version with a lower seating area and high navigation and galley. However, it remains in the version with two cabins, a walk-in stowage and workroom aft and a bathroom. In the deck saloon version, the living space is complemented by a separate shower compartment in front of the main bulkhead.
The first Ovni 370 boat is now under construction and is due to be unveiled in autumn as a new product for 2022. Alubat has already announced the price. It will cost 322,500 euros, including 19 per cent VAT. For comparison: the only slightly larger Ovni 400 is listed with a base price of 367,700 euros.
Read the detailed test of the Ovni 370 from YACHT 06/2022 here!
Downloads:
Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
