Sapphires, diamonds, amethysts and rubies sail across Germany's waters. But a moon of Saturn rarely passes by. That's a shame, because the Phobos 22 is certainly appealing, even if its name translates as "fear".
The only thing that matches the name on first contact at the jetty of Berlin's Marina Lanke is the terrifying noise made by the sails already set. As soon as they leave the harbour, the cloths manufactured by Apollo show impeccable stability and solid workmanship, and you can guess where the name comes from: the Phobos could well give the competition a run for its money.
The small cabin cruiser goes upwind, is lively and sits perfectly on the rudder; under gennaker, she pulls away from her hull speed, with a top speed of 8.5 knots on the log at the end of the day. That's decent for a boat that offers basic comfort for two below deck, with a bed, table and storage space. Then there's the price: the test boat, including a good sail wardrobe, costs around 25,000 euros; however, the electrics, pantry and sea fence are missing.
You can find out whether the Phobos is really as good a deal as it seems at first glance in the current issue of YACHT, on newsstands now.
