X-Yachts XR 41 first look: A return to racing yachts

The XR41 marks X-Yachts return to the racing sector, which was historically a strong market for the Danish yard

Fourteen of X-Yachts’ 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’s ORC World Championship, while a well-known two-handed Dutch crew will compete in the Rolex Fastnet Race.

The 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.

The 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.

The 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’s maximum rated reaching speed is only 13.5 knots, yet the boat exceeded 20 in early sea trials.

Another 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.

Düsseldorf displayed a Sport version with lightweight interior modules that enable the boat to quickly switch roles between full-on racer and comfortable performance cruiser.

XR 41 specifications

LOA: 14.58m / 47ft 10in
Hull length: 12.75m / 41ft 10in
Beam: 4.18m / 13ft 9in
Draught (std keel): 2.40m / 7ft 10in
Ballast: 2,650kg / 5,842lb
Displacement: 7,150kg 15,763lb
Base price: €438,000 ex VAT
Builder: x-yachts.com

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