boot Düsseldorf Premieres V: How X-Yachts wants to shake up the ORC scene with the XR 41

A regatta boat is actually explained from the outside in. Although it usually remains pretty empty on the inside. We're going to do it the other way round when we present the XR 41 and start below deck. Because that's where some special features are hidden that characterise the yacht. Or rather, show its two souls.

A racer as a hermaphrodite that is also great for cruising

In fact, this is a racer-cruiser, whereby X-Yachts emphasised from the outset that one purpose should not be at the expense of the other. After all, who would run two boats just to avoid having to compromise on regatta sailing?

So the XR 41 really is a hermaphrodite. And this is most evident below deck. As she stands in Düsseldorf, you wouldn't miss anything when cruising, except perhaps a second wet room. Otherwise, however, the new boat offers everything: three cabins, a large U-shaped galley, a cosy owner's cabin in the foredeck, plenty of storage space and, thanks to the walnut interior, an almost classic cosiness.

But this is where the specialities begin. What looks like real wood veneer is actually laminate. Why? Because it is more resistant to scratches and insensitive to moisture, which can never be avoided when stowing wet sails. What the surfaces conceal is not marine plywood either. Rather, the expansion modules are predominantly made of sandwich material with a lightweight foam core.

X-Yachts has developed a new process for sealing the edges especially for this purpose. They are not filled with fibre filler or GRP mats, but instead with a special Sikaflex filler that hardens into a kind of hard rubber, is extremely robust and can also be milled over for a fine finish. Ingenious! The visible edges correspond elsewhere - for example in the bulkheads - with black joints, which gives the whole thing a very harmonious, high-quality ambience.

Removing 300 kilograms from the ship in a few simple steps

However, the Danes did not stop there. All the lockers in the compartments are not glued in place, but are fixed to the bulkheads and GRP foundations with toggle bolts, meaning they can be removed without tools. This also applies to the berth cushions in the owner's compartment, which can be completely emptied, and to the inner berths in the two aft compartments, which can then be repurposed as a sailing load. The tables in the saloon, also made of foam sandwich, are simply plugged in and can be removed with a handle.

In total, you can get rid of a good 300 kilograms of weight. The "moding", alao the adaptation to different purposes, can also be taken further in the other direction than on most other racer-cruisers. For example, instead of the regatta rig with double backstays and squarehead mainsail, the XR 41 can also be sailed with a classic cut sail with a central backstay, which greatly simplifies manoeuvres. Only some of the already generously dimensioned mainsail area and efficiency is lost. The carbon fibre bowsprit can also be exchanged for a more civilian version, which then also has an anchor holder.

It remains to be seen whether many owners will make such changes during the season, or at most once for a holiday cruise. There is no doubt that the XR 41 is first and foremost a regatta boat that also works well in cruising mode. One positive aspect of its duality is that it is more attractive for resale because it also covers the fast cruiser market, where it meets boats such as the JPK 39.

Radical hull design

Of course, earlier models from Haderslev were just as broad-based: the XP series, for example, or the X-35 and X-41, but the new XR 41 is of a completely different calibre - much more consistent, much more performance-oriented. This can be seen in both the cockpit and the hull design, on which many international experts have worked under the direction of Thomas Mielec, including Max Gurgel from Kiel, who offers ORC optimisations with his company VMax Yachting.

Some of the special features are unmistakable, such as the underwater hull, which is strongly drawn in aft at the sides, the V-shaped stern, the negative deck step, the extremely high chines and the hull sides bevelled towards the deck in the foredeck. Never before has X-Yachts focussed so consistently on performance.

But it also continues in less obvious areas. At the transition from the deck to the bowsprit, for example, there is a 20 centimetre deep recess that allows the luff tension of the genoa to be adjusted from the cockpit using a hydraulic or tackle-operated cunningham. The hoisting points of the genoa can be adjusted via travellers on the coachroof - from a sheet angle of 6.5 degrees to an incredible 2.5 degrees, which is roughly on a par with the TP52 class. This can also be done hydraulically if required, making the enormous performance of the XR 41 available even for two-handed crews. The pushbuttons for this are mounted on the cockpit wall at the height of the steering columns and can therefore also be reached by the helmsman.

ORC optimisation by the shipyard crew

Perhaps the strongest argument in favour of this boat from an owner's point of view is that X-Yachts is not leaving it to the market to develop its full potential. The shipyard is sending its own team, led by Jesper Radich, into the race for the ORC World Championship and wants to openly share the knowledge gained in training with others. This is probably one of the reasons why many committed regatta sailors such as "Intermezzo" owner Jens Kuphal have already made the switch, even before the first results are available. Before the fair, 14 boats had already been sold; the counter now stands at 15, and the fair is still running until Sunday.

The XR 41 can be seen in Hall 16. The basic version with carbon fibre mast, but without sails, costs 521,220 euros including VAT.

Technical data XR 41

• Designer: X-Yachts Design Team, Design Coordinator Thomas Mielec
• Hull length: 12.75 m
• Overall length with bowsprit: 14.58 m
• Length waterline: 11.71 m
• Width: 4.18 m
• Draught (ORC keel / T-shape): 2.40 m
• Weight: 7.15 to
• Ballast/proportion: 2.65 tonnes / 37%
• Mainsail: 59.1 m2
• Genoa (106%): 49.3 m2
• Gennaker: 180.0 m2
• Engine: Built-in diesel Yanmar 30 hp
• Fuel capacity: 115 litres
• Fresh water capacity: 205 litres