Beneteau and X-Yachts were the big winners in the cruiser categories in this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards presented on the flagship night of boot Düsseldorf, as previously reported on Afloat.ie.

This year’s winner in the Family Cruiser category was the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1, one of the stars of last autumn’s Southampton International Boat Show and the Beneteau stand at boot Düsseldorf alike.

BJ Marine are the Irish dealers for this touring yacht, which is built by Beneteau subsidiary Delphia Yachts in Poland and offers a remarkable degree of luxury and comfort despite its compact dimensions, as the jury determined.

X-Yachts‘ new X4⁰ was picked by European Yacht of the Year judges as the best of the Performance Cruisers

In the Performance Cruiser category, meanwhile, the winner was X-Yachts’ new X4⁰ which had its first media appearance at last year’s show. Judges liked the Danish boat’s readily available power alongside tasteful and comfortable furnishings.

European Yacht of the Year 2020 also recognised the ClubSwan 36 with the Winner Innovation Award, the Amel 60 as the best Luxury Cruiser and the Dealer 30 OD as top of the Regatta Yachts.

X-Yachts has released details and images from the first sea trials of its new X4°, the latest and smallest member of the successful Pure X range.

Since its first appearance for the media at Boot in Düsseldorf this past January, X-Yachts has sold 14 of the new model, which blends quality, performance and styling with cruising capability.

It’s another fine example in line with X-Yachts’ design philosophy, which co-founder Niels Jeppesen discusses below:

The first boat was launched in Denmark last month and has undergone its first sea trials to test sails with the design and production crew — an experience the company describes as “very rewarding”.

Checking a brand-new boat’s sailing performance requires going through a long list of checks, says X-Yachts’ newly appointed director of design and engineering, Thomas Mielec.

“Among other things trim, rig and engineering of the mast are important points. In the gusty breeze on the second test day, we saw need of further tension on the rigging of the otherwise nicely standing Axxon carbon mast. This will be addressed on the coming sea trials this week.

“The boat seemed perfectly balanced with a nice feel to the helm with adequate weather helm going up wind both in light winds and in a gusty breeze.

“The steering system seemed highly responsive in all conditions and left us feeling really well in control even when going under the gennaker on a very tight reach in 22-plus knots of wind in gusty conditions.

“It took a lot of effort and mis-trimming and bad steering to actually make the rudder stall, and even then, it gave us good warning before losing the grip.

“A thorough inspection of all structural parts affected of forces from mast and rigging was commenced in 24-plus knots of wind on the beat. It left us with the impression of a very stiff and sturdy construction, performing just the way we want it to.

“We have experienced a very smooth and silent running engine of the well preforming brand Yanmar. Yanmar later on assisted us on minor tweaking of propeller dimension in order to achieve the perfect match of engine, boat and propeller.

“As regards deck layout ergonomics and geometry, a lot of notes where taken, but in fact only smaller tweaks and changes are required.”

The X4° will be offered in a two-cabin layout in 2019, but from 2020 a three-cabin layout will be added to the model configurations. The two-cabin layout has a double cabin aft to port, and the three-cabin will forego the aft sail locker and add a double cabin to starboard.

X-Yachts says it has worked on creating an interior which feels vast in spite of its compact size. The interior comes standard in Nordic oak veneers with teak laminate on floorboards. All veneers are hand-selected by X-Yachts’ specialists by of one of the most exclusive suppliers for the marine market for high quality yachts.

As for pricing, an X4° standard boat is €257,500 (exclusive of VAT). Included in the price is a pack of X-Yachts Qualities, valued at €48,700.

To register your interest in the new X4°, and for further information, get in touch with [email protected].

And if you want to configure your own X4°, explore the online X-Configurator.

X-Yachts has announced that its brand new X4° cruising yacht has been launched in Denmark ahead of upcoming sea trials.

The performance cruiser was announced in February of this year as the latest addition to the successful Pure X range.

Blending quality, performance and styling with cruising capability, the X4° is the smallest model in the range but utilises the weight savings for increased stability, making for a more comfortable and relaxed experience.

The X4° will now undergo sea trials at the factory in Haderslev before testing in mid-July with Graham Snook from Yachting Monthly magazine.

To register your interest in the new X4°, and for further information, get in touch with [email protected].

And if you want to configure your own X4°, explore the online X-Configurator.

The restoration to original condition of X-79 #1, the first X-Yachts model produced some 40 years ago, has been completed by X-Yachts founding member Birger Hansen.

As reported in March, Birger and Lars Jeppersen travelled to the Channel Islands last summer to pick up their very first production boat — a gift from the UK and Ireland dealer team to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary.

Birger began the restoration process last autumn with a number of partners involved.

And the work was completed in time for X-79 #1 to be present at the boatbuilders’ birthday celebration in tandem with the X-Yachts Gold Cup in Haderslev, Denmark earlier this month.

She will now take up residence in the X-Yachts showroom in Denmark, showcasing an important part of the company heritage and history.

X-Yachts has more images of the refurbishment process HERE.

The new South Coast Boat Show in Southampton from 17-19 May is just over a week away.

And X-Yachts will be among the exhibitors, displaying the ever-popular X43 in a high-spec true with three cabins and two heads.

While viewing of the X43 is strictly by appointment, visitors will also be able to register their interest in he new X40 cruising yacht announced in February.

For details on how to attend the show see SouthCoastBoatShow.com.

In the first of a new video series from X-Yachts, CEO and founder Niels Jeppesen explains how the Danish sailing yacht builder arrived at its unique name.

It might surprise some in the yachting community to know that from its inception in 1979, the company originally used the name of a pre-existing firm started by co-founder Birger Hansen to manufacture fibreglass tops for the popular Citroen 2CV.

And it was a number of years until a Swedish importer suggested that the ‘X’ naming convention for their increasingly popular yacht designs — derived from their initial plan to extend the sailing cloth by 10 centimetres — would make a more arresting brand.

Whether you are itching to take part in the 2019 ARC, eager for an exhilarating race campaign or looking to relax and cruise the Mediterranean, the X-Yachts GB & Ireland pre-owned range can offer a selection of well presented yachts to suit.

The latest selection includes this race-ready X-50 2005 with new rod rigging, lying at Hamble Point Marina and available for £260,000 VAT paid (€301,535).

X-46s are available from Denia in Spain and Chatham in Kent, while those more cruise-minded might be interested in the Xc45 2011 at Hamble Point currently under offer, or the X-442 2003 with new synthetic teak decks.

Find the full range displayed on the X-Yachts website. For For more information or to discuss your requirements, contact Stuart Abernethy at +44 (0)23 8045 3377 or email [email protected].

X-Yachts customers and window-shoppers alike can now configure their own X49 thanks to a new online tool.

The X-Configurator provides all the customisable options available for one of the latest additions to X-Yacht’s luxury Pure X range — and one that was named Cruising World’s Best Full-Size Cruiser in its 2019 Boat of the Year awards.

Designed for easy crew handling in all conditions, the X49 is as suitable for short family sailing trips as it is to long-distance blue-water cruising, as Susan and David Carratt can attest — yet maintains the performance of a competitive racer.

X-Yachts recently revealed more details of its newest cruising yacht, the X40 — and the marque will be at the new South Coast Boat Show in Southampton from 17-19 May displaying a high-spec model of the popular X43.

In the early summer of 2018, Birger Hansen and Lars Jeppesen of X-Yachts picked up the very first model of the company’s debut boat, the X-79, from Jersey in the Channel Islands.

The boat — one of around only 500 made — was a gift to X-Yachts headquarters in Denmark from the UK and Ireland X-Yachts dealer team, who had been trying to secure the purchase of the boat for some years.

In autumn Birger began the refurbishing process with a number of partners, putting his vast knowledge and passion into revitalising what is a very unique piece of X-Yachts history.

And the six-month restoration process has been documented on the X-Yachts website, ahead of the boat’s unveiling during the company’s 40th anniversary celebrations this summer — which include the X-Yachts Gold Cup in Haderslev, Denmark from 7-9 June.

Earlier this week X-Yachts unveiled more details of its new X40 performance cruising yacht.

More details have emerged of X-Yachts’ new X40 cruising yacht which was announced earlier this month.

The pre-launch brochure includes renderings of almost all options available for the new 40-foot performance cruiser yacht, both above and below deck, ahead of its first official photoshoot this summer.

X-Yachts will be at the new South Coast Boat Show in Southampton from 17-19 May displaying the ever-popular X43 in a high specification trim.

The inaugural event at Ocean Village Marina is set to feature the marine industry’s “most exciting and innovative global power and sail brands” with more than 50 new boats on display.

Viewing of the X43 is strictly by appointment — contact [email protected] for details.

And to register your interest for the new X40, and for further information, get in touch with [email protected].