First Yacht 53 promo

[Jackdaw]

Tell your captain and crew if they want seat cushions to find some other gig.

This is obviously a day sailer, owners arent spending more than a couple days a year on board.

Thats interesting, you and @Will Gilmore seem to have a 100% different definition of what a daysailor is from mine.

To me, a real 'sailboat' is either 1) Actively driven or 2) On autopilot.

Otherwise it's a daysailor.

Because nobody hand steers a sailboat for 100 continuous miles. You trade off active drivers ever few hours, or its on AP. On every boat over 26 feet I've owned, this has been the drill.

Actively driving means looking at the telltails and steering to them. It's a full time job. And that is done best (either with a tiller or a wheel by sitting on the coaming and watching the telltails. When you get tired, swap. Or if you're not racing, then you turn on the AP. If you don't have an AP, you are a daysailor by definition, or someone is always chained to the wheel.

That boat has been designed to race in the big 600MN+ races, the Fastnet, the Sid-Hobart, Middle Sea etc. I'm guessing the average one will do more miles in a year than most boats will in a decade.

 

[BobbyFunn]

Thats a gorgeous boat Jack. You dont look at all those goofballs on the stern and wonder if they would be having a good time in the roaring 40s in tees flipflops no dodger, nothing to grab?

I argue, it looks like a badass fastnet racer without the open ocean gear to make that safe...a daysailor.

I bet its very fast, i just cant imagine why it has living quarters if its a racer. I see it as an afternoon toy for casual and wealthy sailers. Not being elitist or anything. If i had the cash to burn might get a couple so wouldnt have to ship them from port to port.

 

[Jackdaw]

Thats a gorgeous boat Jack. You dont look at all those goofballs on the stern and wonder if they would be having a good time in the roaring 40s in tees flipflops no dodger, nothing to grab?

I argue, it looks like a badass fastnet racer without the open ocean gear to make that safe...a daysailor.

I bet its very fast, i just cant imagine why it has living quarters if its a racer. I see it as an afternoon toy for casual and wealthy sailers. Not being elitist or anything. If i had the cash to burn might get a couple so wouldnt have to ship them from port to port.

Artie. 2-time Rolex Middle Sea race winner. On the course in 2017. Flip-flops and all.

For any race, the boats will of course contain all OSR safety gear required by the SIs, and the crew will follow boats orders based on current conditions. I know for a fact the the crew of Artie spent 1/2 the race in foulies and PDFs, harnessed to the boat! In the First 53 pic, I'm sure the crew was 100% comfortable on that boat in those conditions.


To answer your question more directly, the boat was designed to do well in these races, and in great comfort. Its not a pure-on race boat. It might not win, but for 99% of the owners of boats like this in these races, they are bucket list races that just sailing well is its own reward. And if you can afford it, you'll wanna do it in comfort. In particular if the SO is along! And you're right, the boat will cost cost to US$1M in full race trim.

 

[AlastairLC]

This is what I have that most modern designs don’t.

I can see the telltales just fine (if I’m on the leeward side) and my bum and back are both happy.

 

[Jackdaw]

This is what I have that most modern designs don’t.
View attachment 173213
I can see the telltales just fine (if I’m on the leeward side) and my bum and back are both happy.

Hard to argue with a boat that makes its owner happy!!

 

[Jackdaw]

A detailed walk-through. Love everything about this boat.

As Jodi and I get closer to retirement, we're startling to talk about what kind of boat we want. While this baby might be out of reach (unless my company valuation TAKES OFF), this is the basic idea. While I love offshore racing, Jo is cool to the idea, unless it involves total comfort. Now this is a woman that will day-race offshore in conditions that most guys would not go out in, but at night she wants comfort. Thats the target market for this boat.

 

[Will Gilmore]

Jackdaw, you have the cred, the experience, the intelligence and the writing skills to start an ocean racing blog, attract a bunch of followers and negotiate a deal with Beneteau for a reduced price of the perfect boat for the World cruising, ocean racing, live-aboard couple who know how to do it in style.
No boat is out of reach for the properly motivated, creative and dedicated sailor. I see this boat as exactly your kind of retirement boat.
The Old Man would have seriously considered this boat if he were still sailing. He did like his J boats, though.

-Will (Dragonfly)