It’s not often that you get those spring days when the Greifswald Bodden lies as still as if cast in lead. A high-pressure system then stretches across the Pomeranian coast, making the stars twinkle at night and the hoarfrost sparkle on deck in the morning. It is one such day at the end of March, when the new Y7 is moored, ready to sail, at the pier on the River Ryck – which connects Greifswald directly to the Baltic Sea – for the very first time.
Michael Schmidt, the shipyard’s founder, who had already made Hanse Yachts a major success here 30 years earlier, wants to see his latest and most important model on the water. The engineers from Judel/Vrolijk & Co, working with YYachts for the first time, have travelled specially from Bremerhaven to get a feel for how this impressive vessel handles under sail. But as the 22-metre yacht pulls away from the jetty under engine power, barely audible, there isn’t even a breath of wind.
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Further out, at least, the anemometer spins sluggishly at the top of the almost 35-metre-high carbon-fibre mast. Up there, the wind is blowing at four to five knots, with brief gusts of seven to eight knots. However, the light breeze does not reach the water’s surface. Any conventional cruising boat would be reduced to a drifting buoy in these wind conditions. Even for the Y7, these are certainly challenging conditions.
Lightweight construction meets a loft-style ambience
Although the 72-foot luxury yacht is built entirely from carbon sandwich and is lighter than most of its competitors, Its eight-stay rig, braced by extremely wide, heavily swept spreaders, allows for a square-headed mainsail with a widely flared head and a sail area of 180 square metres – more than a volleyball court. During the first test, the boat set a total of 500 square metres of jet-black Technora membrane to the wind with its Code Zero. Yet what is cutting through the water is the equivalent of a loft-style flat with four bedrooms, just as many bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a dining room and a boat office.
In fact, the crew’s expectations are, shall we say, cautiously subdued. But no sooner are the sails trimmed flat than the log’s figures on the mast display start ticking merrily upwards until they roughly match those of the wind sensor: 5.0 knots … 5.8 … 6.4 … 7.0 … 6.7. It feels like a small miracle in the cool, otherwise almost still weather.
Matthias Bröker of Judel/Vrolijk & Co, who played a key role in designing the Y7, is still marvelling at the moment weeks later: “The way it created its own wind on the oil-smooth water – it was truly surreal,” enthuses the designer.
The Y7 combines performance with timeless elegance
She was designed to race against the wind and outpace other yachts. Easily accessible power is one – if not the very essence – of the YYachts brand. In addition, the boats are characterised by their own distinctive aesthetic. The sleek hull lines and the flat, vertical cabin superstructure define its appearance. Michael Schmidt speaks of ‘timeless elegance’, which sums it up well. Even ten years after the shipyard was founded, the first designs still look fresh and distinctive today.
The very first boat, the Y8 “Cool Breeze”, was built by the enterprising entrepreneur in 2015 for his own use, because he couldn’t find what he was looking for on the market. He found the models from established competitors “too heavy, too cluttered, too conservative, too complicated”. “None of them really sparked my interest.” He wanted a yacht that he could operate on his own, one that started up quickly. “A boat you can really feel.”
From the mass market to the luxury league
It was to be his retirement project after 20 years as founder of HanseYachts, during which he had developed the brand into the world’s third-largest yacht builder and successfully floated it on the stock exchange. Those who knew him, however, suspected even back then that it would hardly stop at build number one. ‘Cool Breeze’ was more of a stepping stone that took him from the price-sensitive mass-market boat sector straight into the luxury segment, just as an unprecedented boom – which has shown little sign of abating to this day – was beginning there.
From the very beginning, the carbon-fibre construction has been one of the keys to YYachts’ success. The higher strength and lower weight enable excellent sailing performance without owners having to compromise on comfort. On the contrary, the loads on sheets and halyards are lower, and components such as the mast, boom, sails and winches can be designed to be lighter – which in turn reduces displacement. It’s a virtuous circle with highly positive effects, particularly as it ultimately helps to keep the price within reasonable limits.
The first Y7 was launched in 2018, designed by the American superyacht designer Bill Tripp. It became the shipyard’s flagship: both a style icon and a best-seller. No other boat of this size and type has been in such high demand; the shipyard has sold a total of 25 units.
A new edition of an icon
Judel/Vrolijk designer Jan Kuhnert compares designing her successor to the task of “developing the next generation of the Porsche 911” – a balancing act between sensitively preserving its heritage on the one hand and resolutely modernising it on the other.
The engineers, who were also responsible for all the structural calculations, have mastered this thoroughly challenging task remarkably well. From every angle, the new Y7 looks more taut, more elongated and more exciting.
The slightly negative deck rake makes the bow look as though it is poised to spring forward and also lowers the attachment points for the gennaker and Code Zero. The transom is wider but considerably flatter, which gives the boat a distinctive sense of lightness when viewed from astern.
Although not visible, the significantly higher rigidity is certainly noticeable. Matthias Bröker puts the increase at 30 per cent. This is due to greater dimensional stability and a lower centre of mass – measures which raise the reefing limit and allow for a more upright, efficient sail in moderate conditions. The ratio of righting moment to heeling moment has improved by no less than 25 per cent.
The synthesis of space and performance
The engineers from Bremerhaven optimised a total of eleven parameters relevant to sailing performance over dozens of iterations until, together with the shipyard’s development team, they finalised the design of the Y7. “As designers, we were challenged to create much more space below deck without losing any sailing performance – and ideally to gain a little,” says Bröker.
The fact that this feat – squaring the circle – had been achieved was demonstrated not only by the first test run on the Greifswald Bodden. The boat’s potential was demonstrated even more impressively during its journey from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean, where it celebrated its world premiere at the Palma Boat Show in early May.
Klaus Kurzweg, the skipper who has logged nearly 50,000 nautical miles on various earlier Y7 models since 2019, sailed across the English Channel in winds of 25 to 28 knots from astern, using only a self-tacking jib and a single-reefed mainsail, “for three or four hours non-stop, even though there were hardly any waves”. Top speed: 20.7 knots through the water, averaging around 17 knots. “She ran like she was on rails.” When he moored in the Balearic Islands, he said: “I was in love with the old Y7 and sceptical as to whether the new one could measure up. But she really does have significantly more power.”
It was only the stiff steering that dampened the sailing experience somewhat. Even when unladen at the jetty, the twin-rudder system exhibited noticeable initial resistance. The shipyard has since modified the push-rod steering system.
A cultivated habitat on board the Y7
The Y7 has also gained a great deal of space below deck – far more than the 30-centimetre increase in width would suggest. The increase in space – due not only to the more compact hull shape but also to a more efficient use of the interior volume – is in the region of 20 per cent.
This is evident in the saloon, where, in the standard layout, the U-shaped galley is situated on the starboard side in front of the main bulkhead, whilst on the port side there is a sort of lounge which can also be converted into an office or partitioned off to create a guest cabin. Those who do not opt for this configuration retain the open-plan character of the saloon, which then appears as spacious as that of an 80-foot yacht.
Equally spacious is the owner’s cabin, which is situated at the bow in all layout variants. It features a slightly off-centre double berth that is easily accessible from three sides. A walk-in wardrobe is available as an option. The optional VIP guest cabin aft on the starboard side is also new. However, it does slightly restrict the crew’s quarters, which then have to manage without their own mess.
A customisable luxury platform with superyacht-style details
Owners can choose from three basic layouts, each of which allows for a further five variations. All of this is available in four different styles, ranging from dark and sophisticated (which the shipyard calls ‘Baltic’) to fresh and light (Glacier, as seen on hull number one). From these alone, just under three dozen different combinations can be configured, making the boat extremely customisable: for use with a professional crew living permanently on board, for example, but also for a couple with a family who only occasionally bring a paid deckhand on board to help. The crew can access the deck via their own companionway. This is situated in front of the mainsheet block and is so seamlessly integrated into the aft end of the cockpit that it remains almost invisible – a detail usually found only on superyachts. The carefully insulated engine compartment is also accessible via this route. There is also access from the bow via the central service tunnel, which houses the washing machine and much of the electrical system.
This is made possible by the companionway from the cockpit to the saloon, which is offset to port, and which offers further advantages. As a result, the guest cockpit remains unobstructed by traffic routes – a design now common in the luxury sailing segment. Steering columns, electric winches, halyard stoppers and line lockers are situated aft, ensuring the deck area is clearly segmented. Another plus: anyone wishing to actively sail and trim the Y7 doesn’t need to send anyone out onto the leeward deck, as the winches are mounted on raised platforms further amidships than on the previous model, allowing for more sheltered hauling and easing.
Whilst construction number one after the trade fair in Palma With one already in the hands of its owner, the second yacht is due to be launched in Greifswald shortly. And orders for three further yachts have already been placed. Ready to sail, they generally cost between 3.2 and 3.6 million euros net. All the signs suggest that the Y7 is set to continue its successful run at a rapid pace. YYachts, it would seem, has given itself its first present to mark its 10th anniversary. And the next one – the new Y6 – is set to follow in September.
Technical specifications of the Y7
- Design Engineer: Judel/Vrolijk & Co
- Interior design & styling: YYachts Design Team & David Thulstrup
- Fuselage length: 21.99 m
- Total length: 23.80 m
- Waterline length: 20.55 m
- Width: 6.10 m
- Draught/Alt.: 3.50/2.85 m
- Weight: 31.8 t
- Ballast/proportion: 10.7 t/34 %
- Mainsail: 180 m²
- Self-tacking jib: 126 m²
- Genoa (105 %): 147 m²
- Code Zero/Gennaker: 320/500 m²
- Engine: Yanmar 4LV SD15 Saildrive 150 PS/110 kW
- Fuel tank: 850 l
- Fresh water tank: 850 l
- Sail area ratio (with SW jib): 5.5
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
