The building sites unveil the novelties to be discovered for the start of the school year. For us French, it is indeed on the occasion of the Cannes show (6 to 11 September 2016), the La Rochelle show (28 September to 3 October 2016) and the Paris show (3 to 11 December 2016) that the last works of the building sites will be revealed.
If for large production yards, the trend is still to develop the segment of units over 60 feet, we have also noted a certain drift from the world of sailing to the world of motor yachts. While we thought these two worlds were very compartmentalized with very different users for each other, things now seem to smooth things over. Indeed, it is difficult to explain to the client of a sailboat that he cannot protect himself from the sun..
Hard top for everyone!
Thus the future Hanse 588 (17.20 m), Bénéteau Sense 57 (17.78 m) or Dufour 63 Exclusive (19.20 m) all offer a hard top option. This rigid (or semi-rigid) roof avoids the bimini and protects the cockpit from the sun or rain.
Dufour 63 Exclusive
Hanse 588
The hard top is also popular for supporting lighting or music speakers. In its own way, Moody, with its deck saloon range, had inaugurated this principle of protecting the cockpit as can be seen for example on the 62 DS (19.30 m) launched in 2010.
Moody 62 DS
But what about the visibility of the sails for the helmsman? And what about the increase in weight in the top? The design offices reply that these yachts focus much more on comfort than performance. That the customers seek above all the well-being on the water. Exactly what motorboats offer... Hence the slide from one world to another.
