The XR41 marks X-Yachts return to the racing sector, which was historically a strong market for the Danish yard Fourteen of X-Yachts\u2019 first all-new racer for more than a decade, the XR 41, have been sold off-plan, all but one to established and successful teams. Five boats are entered in this year\u2019s ORC World Championship, while a well-known two-handed Dutch crew will compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race.
\nThe designers worked hard to determine exactly where gains or losses relative to the rating could be identified, analysing a mind-blowing number of hull families and many thousands of iterations.
\nThe final V-shape transom and concave surfaces ahead of it, for instance, have positive effects on performance without increasing rating. They reduce wetted surface area in light airs, yet form stability builds quickly with heel angle.
\nThe final design has 12% more sail area than the older X-41, yet far more stability and a lower rated upwind speed. The XR 41\u2019s maximum rated reaching speed is only 13.5 knots, yet the boat exceeded 20 in early sea trials.
\nAnother big attraction is that the boat is optimised straight out of the box, saving huge amounts of set up time and costs, while all learnings from the professional team sailing the works boat will be shared among owners.
\nD\u00fcsseldorf displayed a Sport version with lightweight interior modules that enable the boat to quickly switch roles between full-on racer and comfortable performance cruiser.
\nXR 41 specifications
\nLOA: 14.58m \/ 47ft 10in
\nHull length: 12.75m \/ 41ft 10in
\nBeam: 4.18m \/ 13ft 9in
\nDraught (std keel): 2.40m \/ 7ft 10in
\nBallast: 2,650kg \/ 5,842lb
\nDisplacement: 7,150kg 15,763lb
\nBase price: \u20ac438,000 ex VAT
\nBuilder: x-yachts.com<\/p>\n
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The post X-Yachts XR 41 first look: A return to racing yachts appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The XR41 marks X-Yachts return to the racing sector, which was historically a strong market for the Danish yard Fourteen of X-Yachts\u2019 first all-new racer for more than a decade, the XR 41, have been sold off-plan, all but one … <\/p>\n