There are boats that have space. And there is the S-850, which is consistently designed for travelling on the water, so all other functions are subordinate to the centreboard. However, to start with, the boat is nevertheless a good success. What's more, with this focus it has also met with keen interest from sailors. So there is a market beyond the increasingly established performance cruisers - a segment for boats that are designed for relaxed water hiking.
With a powerful built-in diesel engine, the Jütt device, plenty of storage space and a comfortable cockpit, the S-850 is well equipped for this. Whether an inland cruise or a Baltic voyage, everything seems possible. However, the destination must not be downwind, as the high hull, the short rig with small sails and the high centre of gravity make it difficult to get there. Together with the 2.5 tonne weight, this results in deficits in the upwind sailing characteristics, as the test in Neustädter Bucht showed.
6 to 8 knots of wind, no current and smooth water - normally good conditions for centreboard boats. However, equipped with the optional self-tacking jib and a mainsail measuring just under 18 square metres, the S-850 needs a lot of effort to break through the 4-knot mark from time to time. The values only improve with the slightly larger genoa, but the unsuccessful cut of all sails wastes a lot of potential. They can be trimmed well and the fittings are sensibly dimensioned and positioned. With the mainsail, however, you can only choose between a profiled cloth with loose shrouds or a flat board with a properly trimmed rig. It is therefore no surprise that the tacking angles fall short of expectations and the competition.
However, if you give the sheets a shake, the touring boat sets off in a relaxed and appealing manner. Skipper and crew sit comfortably in the cockpit or on the coaming, with tiller boom and mainsheet in hand. Everything is easy to reach and operate, even single-handed.
The market in this area is manageable. Only the Henk 25 came close to this volume region in YACHT's major comparison test in 2009.
