Pure 42: Blue water yacht made of aluminium is tough and faster to the finish line
Michael Good
· 13.12.2025
The lettering "Tom Kyle" can be read in large black letters on the grey aluminium hull. Behind this is neither an actor nor a rock star or perhaps a men's fragrance, but the original name of the city of Kiel from the time of the first settlement in the 13th century. The name on the hull is a tribute to the city on the Baltic Sea, where nautical activities have always been of the utmost importance. After all, numerous shipyards and relevant shipbuilding companies have set up shop here in the "Sailing City", Kiel Week is the world's largest sailing festival, and the Olympic sailing competitions were also held there in 1936 and 1972.
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With the still young shipyard Pure Yachts, the city of Kiel has now gained another nautical manufacturer. Following the BM 50 and Pure 49, the Kiel-based boat builders have now presented their first series model, the new, smaller Pure 42, and have made a remarkable vertical take-off straight away. The new ship was immediately nominated for the European Yacht of the Year 2026. The shipyard spared no effort for the jury trials and sent the
number one to Barcelona in Spain, where YACHT went on board for a test.
Interplay of materials
The hull and deck are still being formed and welded to the highest quality by the aluminium specialists at Folmer Yachtbau in the Netherlands and then finished and fitted out at Pure Yachts in Kiel. However, this is soon to change. The shipyard is now looking into the possibility of manufacturing the hulls itself in Germany in the future.
The hulls are welded over a CNC-milled structural framework of frames and ribs. The underwater hull consists of 15 millimetre thick plates made of seawater-resistant aluminium in a circular frame construction. Significantly thinner aluminium with a thickness of six and five millimetres respectively is used for the freeboards above the strikingly designed chine edges and for the deck. The hull is insulated on the inside and above the waterline with a layer of foam to minimise thermal and cold bridges as well as noise levels.
The cabin roof, on the other hand, is designed as a lightweight GRP construction by Knierim Yachtbau and is only placed on the deckhouse after all the furniture components have been installed. Colour customisation - as on the test boat with its eye-catching paintwork - is freely selectable.
Extremely light and therefore agile
The design comes from Martin Menzner (Berckemeyer Yacht Design), who has already designed the Pure 49 and BM 50 models, among others. In contrast to these, the concept of the new 42 is designed as a true deck saloon yacht - with a raised integrated seating area and a correspondingly raised deckhouse with all-round glazing. Menzner has already realised a similar concept for the Viator Marine shipyard in Berlin. The Viator 42 DS, also built from aluminium, is probably the most direct competitor to the Pure 42 on the market.
Measured values of the Pure 42
An integral part of the Pure concept is the hydraulic lifting keel in a sporty T-shape, with aluminium shaft and hardened lead bulb. The shipyard deliberately does not offer any alternatives, not even a fixed keel. The draught of the fin can be reduced from an impressive 3.00 metres to just 1.20 metres at the touch of a button. Once the keel is fully raised, the boat can be parked on it and on the two rudder blades without any problems, for example when running dry in tidal waters.
With a weight of just 9.7 tonnes and a ballast ratio of 34 percent, the Pure 42 is extremely light, even compared to similarly sized cruising yachts made of GRP. Accordingly, it is dynamic, agile and also very responsive in the sailing test. Her potential under sail is also surprising. In around 12 knots of wind (4 Beaufort), the Pure 42, which has a rather slim aspect ratio of 3.1, achieves a respectable speed of 6.8 knots upwind. With the large, overlapping genoa, this results in a tacking angle of 85 degrees. Of course, the optional performance package on the test boat, with carbon fibre mast and a high-quality, laminated sail wardrobe, contributes significantly to the convincingly good sailing characteristics.
No compromises: Better too big than too small
The standard sail plan includes both an overlapping genoa and a stay jib. Both headsails and the pinhead mainsail are included in the basic package, albeit in the simpler Dacron version. All sheets and trim lines run below deck and inside the cockpit coaming to the two large and powerful winches in front of the helm stations. Additional drums for gennakers or code zero are mounted further aft on the deck. The halyards, on the other hand, remain on the mast.
The winches come from Andersen as standard and are equipped with electric drives straight from the shipyard. Pure Yachts does not seem to make any compromises when it comes to deck equipment: all fittings, blocks and stoppers come from the high-quality ranges of renowned manufacturers and are too large rather than too small. Only the best is good enough for the yacht builders in Kiel - even as standard.
The Jefa gimbal steering system is also of very high quality and offers complete redundancy in the event of a fault thanks to two separate drive systems for the two rudder blades. This provides a high level of safety and confidence on long cruises. However, the complex system still proved stiff in the test and the rudder blades did not appear to be perfectly aligned on the test boat. Above a certain speed through the water, noticeable vibrations occur at the rudder when sailing, and the helmsman has little feeling at the wheel, especially when sailing close to the wind.
Journey of discovery through a widely ramified empire
Pure Yachts has realised the theme of the deck saloon in a very modern and functional way. The spatial concept is based on the idea of combining the saloon and cockpit on one level. To make this possible, not only has the saloon been raised, but the cockpit has also been lowered accordingly.
As a result, the aft section of the ship can no longer be used as a classic living area. This area is reserved entirely for the on-board technology and generous storage spaces. The living areas are located in front of the cabin bulkhead at a lowered level. In addition, a cosy mid-cabin with a double berth is integrated under the raised saloon.
If you look around below deck, you will embark on a true voyage of discovery through a widely ramified realm. No space is left unused, everywhere you look you come across little surprises and cleverly designed details that will amaze you. And easily accessible storage spaces can be found in every nook and cranny below deck.
High quality workmanship and materials
The shipyard emphasises that only lightweight and at the same time very robust composite materials in sandwich construction with a foam core are used for the furniture below deck. According to the shipyard, a total weight saving of around 1.5 tonnes can be achieved by completely dispensing with plywood components.
The exceptionally high quality of workmanship and the quality of the materials used in the interior below deck are remarkable. The numerous high-quality and expensive fittings on the doors, storage compartments, heads compartments and in the galley as well as the immaculate wall and ceiling panelling are representative of this. They are neatly fastened with small screws and yet are easy to remove.
It goes without saying that the windows in the superstructure are made of real glass, and the drawers on roller bearings can bear loads of up to 80 kilograms. In short, the interior fittings of the Pure can withstand even the toughest loads while meeting the highest quality standards.
Features and prices of the Pure 42
Of course, you can't get so much good stuff at a bargain price. The basic price of 1.13 million euros is both an announcement and a statement. Comparably sized cruising yachts from mass-produced shipyards are available for a third of this amount. However, the comparison falls short: the price range is just as wide as the differences in build quality, fittings and equipment.
- Base price ex shipyard: 1.129.310 €
- Standard equipment included: Engine, sails (main, genoa, staysail), sheets, railing, navigation lights, battery, compass, sails, cushions, galley/cooker, bilge pump, toilet, sailcloth, anchor with chain (stainless steel), fenders/mooring, fire extinguisher, electric cooler, waste tank with suction, antifouling paint, clear sailing handover
- Price ready to sail: 1.129.310 €
- General guarantee: 2 years
- Surcharge for comfort equipment: Line adjustment, Hole points incl.; Traveller not available; Electric windlass incl.; Tube kicker incl.; Backstay tensioner incl.; Jumping cleats incl.; Sprayhood not available; Teak in cockpit not available; VHF radio incl.; Log and depth sounder incl.; Wind gauge incl.; Autopilot incl.; Battery charger incl.; Electrical package incl.; Shore power with RCD incl.; 230-volt socket (one) incl.; 12-volt socket in the sat nav incl.; Heating incl.; Pressurised water system incl.; Hot water boiler incl.; Shower WC room incl.; Cockpit shower incl
- Comfort price: 1.129.310 €
- Also included in the price: Retractable bow thruster (Max-Power), chart plotter, electric sheet winches, cockpit table, bathing platform, Dyform shrouds, all lines made of Dyneema
As of 2025, as the prices shown are defined, you will find here!
The Pure 42 has unique selling points not only in terms of price, but also in terms of design and quality. Anyone who wants to play it safe on a sea voyage, is looking for a boat of a reasonable size and at the same time values a high degree of individuality should take a look at the Pure 42. There will be an opportunity to do so in January at boot in Düsseldorf, where the yacht will be on show for the first time.
YACHT rating of the Pure 42
A blue water yacht made of aluminium with an explorer character does not necessarily have to be heavy and cumbersome. This is impressively demonstrated by the new Pure 42 from Germany. The high build and finishing quality is also impressive.
Design and concept
Consistent interpretation
Deck saloon with all-round view
Very robust construction
Price-intensive
Sailing performance and trim
Strong sailing performance
Genoa and staysail
One-handed handling
Little sense of control
Living and finishing quality
Cosy interior fittings
Plenty of storage space
Impeccable finishing quality
Separate toilet and bathroom
Equipment and technology
High-quality basic equipment
Machine very easy to reach
Hydraulic lifting keel
Gradations on the decline
The Pure 42 in detail
Technical data of the Pure 42
- Design engineer: Berckemeyer Yacht Design
- CE design category: A
- Torso length: 12,90 m
- Total length: 13,80 m
- Waterline length: 12,30 m
- Width: 4,20 m
- Draught (lifting keel): 1,20-3,00 m
- Mast height above WL: 18,20 m
- Theor. torso speed: 8.7 kn
- Weight: 9,7 t
- Ballast/proportion: 3,3 t/34 %
- Mainsail (Std.): 50,0 m²
- Furling genoa (106 %): 49,0 m²
- Stagfock: 24,0 m²
- machine (Yanmar): 42 kW/57 hp
- Fuel tank (aluminium): 2 x 200 litres
- Fresh water tank (PVC): 300 l
- Holding tank (PVC): 2 x 60 litres
Hull and deck construction
Aluminium construction with underwater hull in round bulkhead. Cabin superstructure roof made of GRP.
Rig and sail
The two-saling aluminium rig is standard. A set of Darcon sails (main, genoa, staysail) is part of the basic equipment ex shipyard.
Extra performance in a package
The test boat is equipped with a performance package. This includes a carbon fibre mast with rod shrouds, high-quality laminate sails, more sail area and an intelligent self-steering system from NKE. The surcharge for the package is 99,000 euros.
High-quality batteries
Two lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4), each with a capacity of 300 Ah, are installed ex shipyard. Motorisation Yanmar 4JH57 four-cylinder engine with saildrive and three-blade folding propeller. The installation of an electric pod motor would also be possible.
Shipyard and distribution
Pure Yachts, 24159 Kiel; www.pure.yachts
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