{"id":45221,"date":"2019-12-09T16:00:22","date_gmt":"2019-12-09T21:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/?p=45221"},"modified":"2023-05-06T17:56:30","modified_gmt":"2023-05-06T21:56:30","slug":"x-yachts-x46-best-full-size-cruiser-45-to-55-feet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cruisingworld.com\/story\/sailboats\/x-yachts-x46-best-full-size-cruiser\/","title":{"rendered":"X-Yachts X46: Best Full-Size Cruiser 45 to 55 Feet"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"X-Yachts\" <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n There was an international flavor to this heavyweight \u00addivision, with nominees from France, Denmark, Germany and Slovenia. But none of them could unseat the latest offering from X-Yachts.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

The big-boat classes in the 2020 Boat of the Year<\/a> competition presented some big problems for the judging panel. Take the Full-Size Cruiser 45 to 55 Feet fleet, with a quartet of extremely solid contenders across a wide range of price points and with different design briefs and objectives, ranging from versatile performance-style cruisers to a dedicated bluewater passagemaker. Decisions, decisions, decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

At $550,000, the Bavaria C50 packed a lot of punch into a 50-footer. \u201cIt\u2019s billed as a family cruiser, and features twin helms and a single rudder,\u201d judge Dan Spurr said. \u201cThe representative who presented the boat emphasized the division between the entertainment area and the cockpit and working areas, and that cockpit really resonated with me\u2014for a bigger boat, it\u2019s very efficient to sail.\u201d The Bavaria also struck a chord with fellow judge Ed Sherman: \u201cI\u2019ve been watching the evolution of Bavarias since they first started coming to the United States, and they\u2019ve come a long way. Everything about them is significantly better than the earlier boats, and you get a lot of features for the price. It\u2019s a player in this group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Elan <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The Elan Impression 45.1 impressed the judges with its overall quality.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

From a value standpoint, the Elan Impression 41.5 left a strong, good impression on the judging panel. Judge Ralph Naranjo was particularly enamored with the overall build quality of the hull laminate. \u201cIt\u2019s an \u00adISO-approved Category A offshore boat; they did a really nice job with the vacuum infusion,\u201d he said. \u201cI was crawling in those aft lockers looking at the autopilot arrangement, and could see how well the deck elements and bulkheads went in. And the autopilot installation was great, with an excellent stainless-steel bracket that was bolted and cantilevered to catch both the deck and the bulkhead. The autopilot and rams have to take a huge amount of thrust or push\/pull; they need to be in there securely. And they were.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

It was clearly going to take an outstanding vessel to sway the panel\u2019s opinions. It turned out there was not only one other formidable yacht to choose from, but two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Amel <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The highly anticipated Amel 50 did not disappoint.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Amel 50 is truly an oceangoing globe-trotter,\u201d Sherman said, speaking about the latest, highly anticipated model from the long-standing stalwart French builder. \u201cWith a signature watertight forward crash bulkhead, a centrally located sea chest for easily isolating a leak and shutting it down, to a globally conscious shore-power system that can deal with 50 or 60 hertz and 120 or \u00ad230-240 volts, Amel has designed a boat that will have you covered wherever your travels take you. For those who want to cruise in luxury, this is the boat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cAmel has long been one of the only worldwide \u00adcompanies to offer what is essentially a \u2018ready to cruise\u2019 boat,\u201d Spurr said. \u201cThe boat can be operated entirely from the security of the cockpit, which has a windshield and hardtop, like many solo offshore racers. Some of my colleagues didn\u2019t like this feature, feeling it isolated the helm from feeling the weather. The boat is not inexpensive, but it also seemed to have the highest-quality finish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\"Bavaria <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n
\n The Bavaria C50 packed a punch.<\/span>\n Jon Whittle <\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t <\/figcaption>\n <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo me, it\u2019s more of a motorsailer than a traditional cruising sailboat,\u201d Naranjo said. \u201cHer performance under sail is somewhat limited by a fairly high displacement and a modest sail area. She is easy to handle, though, because of her power-assisted sail \u00adtrimming and setting capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Sailing prowess is never a debatable issue with X-Yachts, however, and after treating the judges to a world-class sailing experience, they \u00adultimately decided that the X-Yachts X46<\/b> was the Best Full-Size Cruiser 45 to 55 Feet<\/b> for 2020. (It was a back-to-back winning effort from X-Yachts; in 2019, X-Yachts\u2019 X49 was also honored as the Best Full-Size Cruiser.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was just a joy to sail,\u201d Sherman said. \u201cA \u00adperformance sailing boat in every sense \u2014very close-winded. It was everything I\u2019ve come to expect from X-Yachts. They are put together by real craftspeople who take a great deal of concern in everything they do. So many little things. For instance, the wiring connections behind the panel board are all bent to 90 degrees and secured in place, and they hand-solder the solid copper bus links between the switches. This is all labor-intensive stuff that you just don\u2019t see on most boats. They\u2019ve always been known for using top-quality gear, and they certainly didn\u2019t cut any corners here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\u201cX-Yachts are put \u00adtogether by real craftspeople who take a lot of pride in their work.\u201d\n\n<\/p>\n<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe epoxy resin they use in the layup is going to last forever, and the post-cure process is just top shelf,\u201d Sherman continued. \u201cI mean, what can I say? And I believe the pricing is actually pretty darn good. This boat costs $740,000, which is nothing to laugh at\u2014it\u2019s a significant amount of money. But when you compare it dollarwise to some of the other boats out there of similar lengths, you know what? It kind of stands out. And so, yes, I\u2019m a fan. I\u2019ve always been.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike all X-Yachts, it has a unique feature in the construction, with a steel grid that sits on stringers with a balanced lifting point where you can actually lift the entire boat with a crane, with a strop that comes down through a hatch,\u201d Spurr said. \u201cThe quality of construction all around seemed very good, with the keel actually bolted to the grid. Basically, we were told that you can\u2019t lose the keel on this boat, which is pretty remarkable. And it\u2019s really a handsome boat all the way around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Not to mention, when the final votes were cast, it was a winning one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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See All Winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

2020 Boats of the Year<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

Other Winners:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n