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Yachting World

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Boreal 52 boat test – The sailor’s off-roader

• Matthew Sheahan
• January 15, 2015

Is this 52-footer the Land Rover Discovery of sailing? Matthew Sheahan sails a no-nonsense, rugged French cruiser with an eye for adventure

The Boreal 52 has a purposeful, robust, utilitarian style. Photos: Jean-Marie Liot

If ‘off-road’ or ‘off-piste’ were categories in sailing, the Boréal 52 would be among the top contenders. From the brushed aluminium topsides to the no-nonsense, multi-layered protection offered by the distinctive double-stacked coachroof/doghouse, this 52-footer has unquestionably been designed to go anywhere and to head-butt the conditions when the going gets tough.

Designed by company founder and long-time sailor Jean François Delvoye, the Boréal range, which comprises six models, is built in Tréguier on the north coast of Brittany. Like her sisterships, the 52 is one of a growing number of deepwater, long-distance yachts conceived as much for exploration as for liveaboard family sailing. Indeed, Delvoye set up the company in 2005, creating the now-discontinued Boréal 50 after returning from a six-year voyage with his wife and four children.

To some, the purposeful, robust, utilitarian style is the standard to which any long-term cruising prospect has to conform. To others it is the catalyst inspiring them to make the move to a more ambitious type of sailing.

But whether you’re looking to cover long distances or live aboard, anywhere from Patagonia to Alaska this, say her creators, is a truly go-anywhere boat and she won the Bluewater Cruiser category in the 2015 European Yacht of the Year Awards .

Built for battle

Apart from those topsides, the one feature that draws your eye is the aluminium doghouse, with its tinted wraparound window. Although the structure simply does what most boats achieve with canvas on a tubular steel frame, this permanent structure says a lot about this boat.

The robust alloy doghouse says a lot about what this boat is all about

Step inside and you are presented with a large nav area with chartplotter/radar, not to mention a tremendous, almost 360° view, and it’s impossible not to start daydreaming about the ease with which you could stand your watch in even the foulest of weather.

The superstructure also provides substantial protection for crew in the cockpit, although it does mean that in order to get a good view forward, the helmsman needs to stand on the after deck. Yet this is better thought-out than you might expect.

At first glance the cockpit, comfortable and secure as it is, looks a shade shallower than you would have thought on a boat like this. But when you come to manoeuvre the boat at close quarters you see why as you step back and up onto the after deck. From here you can still reach the wheel with ease yet you get an elevated view over the coachroof without feeling as exposed as you might if you were standing on more normal cockpit seating.

With the mainsheet attachment on top of the doghouse, the cockpit is free of clutter, and the primary and secondary winches are well positioned on the coamings to be within easy reach of helmsman and crew.

What you don’t see

But it is the detail that you don’t see that offers the clearest indication of the level of thinking that has gone into this boat. One example is the provision for daggerboards inclined at 14° with a 4.5° incidence on either side of the single-blade rudder. These are used to help achieve a better balance upwind and reduce the physical loads and electrical demand on the autopilot.

Deploying both daggerboards downwind allows the centreboard keel to be lifted, which reduces drag while maintaining good directional stability.

Having a lifting centreboard and a long skeg onto which the boat can settle when she dries out limits the depth of the rudder blade. Although aft-mounted daggerboards could help even with a deep spade rudder, the low aspect ratio of this rudder offers even more benefits.

Elsewhere, discreet vents built into the aftermost lip of the doghouse force-feed fresh air below as and when required, and the solid alloy ‘bye-bye weather’ door inspires confidence in her ability to ride out the worst with ease.

One particularly clever detail is the use of the anchor windlass mounted in a flush deck locker by the mast – in order to keep the 250kg of chain more central – for raising the mainsail. Keeping the weight out of the ends of this boat is also helped by positioning the engine and batteries over the keel.

Room with a view

The overall deck saloon layout of the interior ensures that from normal seating positions it is possible to see what’s going on outside. The arrangement does, however, make for a smaller interior than you might expect of a 52ft boat.

The raised saloon provides good visibilty, excellent security and plenty of handholds

In contrast to the popular appetite for wide open spaces below decks that you see aboard many modern production cruisers, the Boréal’s layout once again says much about her ability to keep you secure when the going gets lumpy.

Throughout the entire accommodation, from the quarter cabins aft, through the longitudinal galley to starboard to the spacious double cabin forward, there is nowhere where you can’t brace yourself with ease, nowhere that you feel as though you have to take a leap of faith to reach the other side of the cabin.

And just as on deck, there are other more subtle details that demonstrate the considerable experience of the builders. One of the clearest examples is that all the interior lights switch on red first to avoid accidentally ruining the night vision of crew on watch. Only by pressing the switches twice do you get white light.

Interior lights switch on red first to help night vision

Overall, the three-cabin, two-heads layout is the one most readily adopted by owners. According to Delvoye, individual variations are more common in the area forward of the mast and to starboard where options range from additional stowage to an office, a workshop or simply a sea berth.

But when it comes to her build quality and finish, there is just one standard: immaculate throughout.

Specifications

LOA 15.86m/52ft 0in

LWL 13.82m/45ft 4in

Beam (max ) 4.68m/15ft 3in

Draught 3.06m/1.11m 10ft 1in/3ft 8in

Ballast 4,800kg/10,582lb

Displacement (lightship) 14,500kg/31,967lb

Sail area (100%foretriangle) 130m 2 /1,399ft 2

Engine Volvo D2 56kW/75hp

Water 1470lt/323gal

Fuel 1,257lt/276gal

Sail area:disp 22

Disp:LWL 153

Price (ex VAT) €685,000 (£540,000)

Designed by Jean François Delvoye

www.boreal-yachts.com

There cannot be many brochures that describe a boat’s accommodation as having ‘a desk in every cabin where bluewater children can do their homework’. But this is just one of many examples of what this boat is all about: live aboard, go anywhere.

Solidly built above and below decks, the Boréal 52 is the concept of a designer with many miles at sea sailing with a family. While the chined alloy hull won’t appeal to everyone, the rugged style will instil confidence in many.

As for performance, at 18 tonnes she was surprisingly nimble, even in the light airs of our test, and was a very easy boat to handle with well thought-out control line runs.

All this for a custom-built boat with a price tag that is still considerably less than some popular alternatives even when you’ve added all the listed options. Impressed.

This is an extract from a feature in Yachting World February 2015 issue

Attainable Adventure Cruising

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• Test Sail and Review of The Boréal 47.2

Back in July of 2020 when  I wrote my initial piece  on the new Boréal 44.2 and 47.2 models, it was with every expectation that I would soon have a test sail to share with you.

How wrong can you be? I don’t need to go into why because I’m sure you can guess, but after four attempts I finally made it over to France in late October 2021, just before winter finally struck.

Read on for the results of my in-person inspection followed by a test sail:

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Thanks so much for this long-awaited article! I have to say I was getting all giddy again about my 47.2, until I saw that rendering of the 44.2! Two of the things I’m looking forward to are to not have to ask guests to move every time I want to turn a winch, and easy access to the platform, and it looks like that design accomplishes those as well, in a simpler, smaller package. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll be fine….

Yes, at last….

There is a lot more difference between the 44.2 and the 47.2 than the models they replace and I’d suggest that makes the decision making clearer.

But – I’m sure that you’ll be fine!

A great article Colin, thank you. We’ve noticed via the Boreal fb group, the 47.2 seems to be a very popular choice. The attraction with the bigger cockpit would be a plus for sure but with the sail handling at the mast on the 44.2, that was the deciding factor for us. Whilst the philosophy of Boreal design really makes sense and they are without doubt fine vessels it is the crew onboard that will make it a great sailboat, something we need to focus on after our launch in March 2022.

I think the 47.2 attracts a new audience to Boreal yachts, essential to ensure long term growth, no doubt. But I’m more than pleased that there is still the 44.2 that follows in the footsteps of the earlier designs, for the reasons you suggest. But you’re right about the crew element – and on these boats that are designed to go anywhere, the crew have a lot to live up to. But having strength and safety in reserve are good attributes to have in reserve and will look after the crew well. As it should be….

I’m surprised that the staysail isn’t self-tacking, and the sprit could do with extending. Overall quite nice if you’ve goat a million bucks to spare.

On the earlier models it was self tacking, but I think this larger, overlapping staysail works better, sheeting angle is improved, too. And there’s an optional bowsprit fitting for Code sails, too.

Low profile, impressive tankage on this vessel is certainly a plus, but I have never understood the French devotion to running the galley along the side of the salon. Depending on the angle of heel, dealing with a linear galley would seem to be more difficult and hazardous than a compact, centralized work area surrounding the user on two or three sides. The galley sink amidships, with its center-line through-hull eliminates the possibility of seawater back up when the galley side is heeled hard to leeward. Center line sink through-hulls seem to be an essential feature on most US and UK built monohull sailing vessels.

On these boats (as on our old Ovni) the centre line joinery houses the keel box, which is substantial, as you can imagine, and with the aft head entrance and the offset saloon table and seating, an ‘island galley’ would be virtually impossible to achieve – a compromise as usual. Having covered several tens of thousands of miles with a linear galley (as here) I found that I didn’t dislike it as much as I’d thought I would, and once I had got used to it under way I soon worked out ways to make it work for me.

Amazing article, and an amazing boat design. As for the larger hull form, what was your opinion on its motion when heading into waves? Is there a big difference as opposed to the previous hull shape?

The boat felt a little stiffer.and the motion was very comfortable, but in order to evaluate the difference in a concise manner I’d need far more time on board in a wider range of conditions. The older model was first class in all conditions, but to me, as a first impression, the new hull form may be even better.

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Greater than 10 years in the past Boreal stormed the aluminum sailboat market with a ship that will be an enormous success and would launch a brand new model that will occupy a major place amongst voyage aluminum boat builders.

The boat had fashionable strains however regarded unrefined in what regards seems to be and inside design, even so, the boat qualities make it a hit most likely as a result of it was designed by a sailor, Jean-François Delvoye that had completed a 6-year circumnavigation with the household, on a ship that he had constructed himself. After the circumnavigation, he had very clear concepts about what the enhancements ought to be to implement on a voyage boat to turn into the perfect boat to make the sort of cruising he had executed, his excellent yacht.

His concepts have been enriched by those of nice sailors he met on his voyages, all with a style for crusing in distant and remoted locations (he spent two years crusing in Patagonia). Clearly, if he was a distinct sort of sailor, not crusing with an enormous household (4 youngsters), or with out a style for crusing in high-latitudes, chilly and abandoned locations, the perfect yacht can be very completely different and I can guarantee you that there’s not one thing just like the “finest yacht on the earth”,  being the “finest yacht” very completely different, for various sailors .

He wished: “a ballasted boat with a centerboard going windward, with out slamming into the waves and with a delicate helm…an ergonomic cockpit with 2 sheltered outdoors seats…an actual visibility for the helmsman whereas crusing and maneuvering…an actual watertight door… an inside station with an enormous chart desk, permitting you to observe at 360° from inside whereas navigating…massive storage capacities and essential fuel and water tanks….the chance to retailer massive stuff …a roomy and welcoming cockpit…a properly thought air flow…a middle boarder to seaside and to go in so many locations you can not go into with an enormous draught.”

And he had managed all this on the 44, even when issues like actual visibility for the helmsman or that  360º inside view from a station have been relative, and the selection of a centerboard implied a substantial loss in sail efficiency, besides downwind, however being this a voyage boat, commerce winds can be by far the predominant, and that drawback much less essential.

For minimizing the pace drawback because of extreme weight, a centerboarder has to have a worse AVS and worse security stability than a bluewater fin-keeled boat, with a substantial draft and a bulbed keel. Dutch centerboarders, which at this time are virtually extinct, didn’t go that means and for providing an identical AVS and security stability had round a 50percentB/D.

That made them very gradual boats, even downwind, if the wind was not robust, and unable to plan in stronger winds. That’s not the case of the French centerboarders, particularly the larger ones (smaller steel boats are proportionally heavier) and the unique Boreal 44 had a 36percentB/D, which could be thought of excessive if we in comparison with the one of many OVNI 450 (32%), particularly if we contemplate that the ballast within the OVNI is contained in the boat and the one of many Boreal was totally on a sort of brief keel, from midships to the again of the hull.

Notice that to be permitted as Class A the boat has to have a minimal AVS however that minimal decreases with the boat dimension (with mass) and on a ship with 10 430kg just like the Boreal 44, that minimal is simply 100º, even when that’s thought of by most as unsuitable for a bluewater boat. 

Notice that I’m not saying that the Boreal 44 has solely a 100º AVS, fairly the opposite, because of the buoyancy of the partially closed dodger, with a water-proof door, the AVS is increased than the one of many OVNI 450, however the security stability can be shut, or very comparable, and really removed from the considered one of a bluewater boat with a keel, like a Hallberg Rassy or an X-yacht.

The cabin and dodger buoyancy won’t have an effect on positively the soundness curve besides in angles very close to 90º (or over), and that signifies that when the boat is knocked down, it won’t have an effect on the pressure that the RM is making for righting the boat. The a part of the soundness curve that’s used for righting a ship from excessive heel angles is what I name security stability, and if the AVS Boreal is sweet (because of cabin and dodger buoyancy), that’s not the case with the protection stability (because of the low B/D).

Notice additionally that any such centerboarders can elevate the board up and nonetheless stay with the identical stability, and in unhealthy climate with the centerboard up, they won’t journey on the keel when the boat is hit laterally by a breaking wave. That permits them to dissipate the wave vitality sliding laterally, whereas a standard sailboat, with a big and deep immersed keel, would have the larger a part of the wave vitality reworked in a rotating motion. 

This is a bonus centerboards have over different sailboats, particularly those with keels with a big space, however doesn’t diminish the issue when the boat is knocked down, and that may occur simply by an enormous wind gust or an enormous breaking wave, leaving it uncovered for a comparatively very long time, on the facet, virtually with out remaining stability, on the mercy of the following wave. 

That’s the reason it is sensible for these sort of boats to be massive, 44ft or larger, sizes that give them massive total stability (hull type stability and displacement) that makes tougher, and even unbelievable, a capsize on of very uncommon sea and climate circumstances.  That can also be why the SA/D of any such boat is often smaller than the one that may maintain a knockdown with none important drawback (with the ability to proper itself up instantly) and the smaller SA/D additionally diminishes the knockdown danger.

The expertise exhibits that capsizes with any such sailboats are uncommon, particularly with this dimension or larger, and even when I contemplate it essential to find out about its limitations (to sail it accordingly) the Boreal 44 is a seaworthy boat, with an enormous hull type stability and large total stability.

The brand new one could have an even bigger hull type stability because of an even bigger beam (4.39 to 4.30m) however a significantly smaller B/D 28.7% to 36.4%. The ballast is similar on each boats however whereas the older mannequin gentle displacement was 10 430kg, the brand new one displaces 13 250kg, an enormous distinction for such a  small distinction in size (13.80 to 13.87).

As a result of each displacements are in lightship situation, the distinction in weight can solely partially be attributed to an even bigger beam and better freeboards, but it surely must be due additionally to a extra closely constructed boat, and that may be good on any such boat, however not the absence of the correspondent improve in ballast, to have the identical B/D.

After all, every part is a trade-off and the 1027kg further ballast (most likely extra as a result of it must be positioned contained in the hull) that the brand new boat would want to have the identical B/D because the older mannequin, would make the boat even heavier and slower, contemplating that it’s already 2820kg heavier than the earlier mannequin.

With this B/D and contemplating that the ballast is in a small keel outdoors the hull, in what regards security stability this boat shouldn’t be removed from the OVNI 450, which displaces 11 550kg, whereas the earlier mannequin would have appreciable larger security stability and AVS. Nonetheless, the general stability will probably be larger on the Boreal 44.2 because of the larger displacement.

And that is the one factor I do not like on the brand new model (a lot larger displacement and smaller B/D), even when the general stability is greater that is going to be a slower sailboat, even with barely larger sails. The older model had the identical sail space in the principle and genoa (45 and 55m2) and solely the staysail (this boat has a cutter rig) handed from 22 to 26m2. Displacing extra 2820kg and with virtually the identical sail space and extra beam, this boat goes to be significantly slower than the unique Boreal 44.

All the remaining appears a lot nicer, from the hull design to the general design. The boat doesn’t appear any extra amateur-designed, it appears properly designed and fashionable, particularly regarding the outdoors.

Concerning the within, the apparently bigger window surfaces are solely beauty and do not translate in inside considerably larger “home windows” neither by a extra luminous inside (having as reference the 47.2).

If in comparison with the inside of the final fashions of different manufacturers of voyage aluminum sailboats, those from Boreal appear of excellent high quality and sensible, however present clearly that they aren’t designed by a prime inside designer and lack fashion, magnificence, and design high quality. I hope that the enhancements in design refinement, that the brand new boat clearly exhibits on the surface, goes to be adopted by an equal improve in inside design high quality.

One other factor that deserves to be identified is that the centerboard on the Boreal 44.2 is smaller than on the Allures 45.9, OVNI 450, or Garcia 45 (2.48 draft to 2.90m in all of them) and this can contribute to worse upwind efficiency, that’s not a very good one amongst of them (if in contrast with a bluewater fin keel yacht): within the gentle wind because of the further ballast. And in robust winds because of much less energy, there’s not an identical and proportional improve in RM when the boat heels to greater heel crusing angles (increased CG).

Aluminum sailboats are usually costlier than most fiberglass boats and the large improve in aluminum value didn’t assist. This boat prices on the shipyard (France), customary with two sails, with out electronics, with out taxes 538 525€ that’s barely lower than what prices an Xc-45 and in addition barely lower than a Saare 46, however a bit greater than the additionally Aluminum Allures 45.9.

An accurate value, making an allowance for the standard of the constructing and the excessive resistance of the hull (that has a bow that may break ice) and that’s mirrored in an extended ready listing. If you happen to order one now, it will likely be delivered solely in 2025.

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Boat Review: Boreal 47

• By Tim Murphy
• Updated: October 16, 2018

Gale-force winds blew through the mid-­Atlantic region on the night before we were scheduled to sail the Boréal 47 on Chesapeake Bay last October. First thing that morning, we called the builder to cancel.

“Why don’t we keep our appointment?” replied Jean-François Eeman, Boréal’s managing director. “These are the conditions she was built for.”

So Cruising World’s Boat of the Year judges suited up and went for a sail that I suspect none of us will ever forget. It all crystalized for us as we sailed out from behind Greenbury Point into the full teeth and boisterous seaway of a northerly that by now had diminished into the high 20s.

“Go ahead and take your hand off the wheel,” Eeman suggested to my colleague Bill Bolin, which he very ­tentatively did. No autopilot was engaged; no windvane; no lines from the sheets. “It’s OK,” said Eeman. “Just let her go.” Sure enough, with mainsail reefed and the genoa partially furled, the Boréal steered itself for a minute, two minutes, five minutes, six. And even as we walked around the deck and moved our weight around the boat, I’m convinced it would have continued on like that, elegantly balanced and steering true, all the way to Norfolk if we hadn’t made other ­appointments for that day.

The secret to the boat’s impeccably balanced steering — just one of this boat’s several secret weapons — is a pair of shallow daggerboards mounted aft athwart the single midship rudder. By raising the windward dagger and lowering the leeward, the boat tracks as sweet as you please. For context, it’s worth mentioning that twin rudders have become a full-blown trend in this year’s fleet of cruising boats. But the Boréal’s creator, Jean-François Delvoye, distrusts twin rudders. (In a company led by two men named Jean-François, the principals answer to JFE and JFD.)

Delvoye had conceived and designed the Boréal two decades ago, during a six-year circumnavigation with his wife and four children that included long stretches of time in Patagonia. His firsthand experience taught him to distrust twin rudders because their position outboard of the keel leaves them too exposed. Yet so many of today’s full hull forms, with the beam carried well aft, often beg for some steering help once the boat is heeled. The Boréal’s daggers do exactly that, and all while keeping the rudder protected.

That brings us to another of the Boréal’s secret weapons: its keel box — or, as Delvoye calls it, the “keel embryo.” The boat’s centerboard, which drops down to 8 feet 1 inch, is a NACA foil that’s designed for lateral stability only, not ballast. The keel embryo contains the boat’s lead ballast and extends deeper than the rudder’s lowest point. What’s more, the Boréal is designed to sit on its keel embryo when the tide runs out from beneath it.

“In Brittany,” said Eeman of the region of France that’s home to the Boréal yard, “we have 10 meters [33 feet] of tide. We use the boat as a weekend house on the beach.” No poles, no crutches: The boat sits on its own bottom. “We can stand on the side and jump. The boat will not flip over. If you had a virtual finger, you could push the mast, and up to 14 degrees she’ll come back. At 14 degrees, she would slowly lay over on her first chine, which is at the same angle. So you never fall.”

Boréal builds between eight and 10 boats per year. Since 2005, the yard has launched roughly 50 boats in two sizes: 44/47 and 52/55. Classic transom versus scoop transom accounts for the difference around the slashes. We sailed hull number 37, Lunacy, owned by sailing journalist Charlie Doane. For details about Doane’s firsthand experience with the boat, including beaching and a shakedown transatlantic passage, check out “Lunacy Report” at ­wavetrain.net.

The Boréal’s standout design feature is its well-executed doghouse and pilothouse. This is essentially a hard dodger that provides outside shelter for two at the forward end of the cockpit. A massive watertight door opens into a pilothouse with a portside nav station inside the heated cabin and still at cockpit level. From that pilothouse, you step down the companionway into the saloon and private cabins.

The Boréal’s construction is robust aluminum built to an “expedition boat” standard, following from the experience both Delvoye and Eeman gained from sailing in high latitudes, including Antarctica. Of course, every building material comes with its particular concerns. While stronger and far more abrasion-resistant than fiberglass-reinforced plastic, aluminum lives near the least noble end of the galvanic series of metals. To counteract corrosion, Boréal sandblasts the hull below the waterline, then applies an epoxy barrier coat within eight hours, before oxidation can start. From there, the underwater corrosion-mitigation strategy continues with three sacrificial anodes: one at the rudder, one at the centerboard and a large 5-kilogram anode bolted to the hull near the engine and stainless-steel propeller shaft. Custom-made plastic and anodized bushings isolate dissimilar metals throughout the boat. A hull-potential meter at the pilothouse keeps the operator apprised of any galvanic-corrosion issues before they damage material.

In the 2018 fleet, this Boréal 47 won Cruising World’s award as overall Boat of the Year. It’s a boat that puts me in mind of something the legendary yacht designer Bill Crealock said at a design forum organized around the magazine’s 25th anniversary (see “The Futurists,” CW, October 1999): “The challenge of cruising boats,” he said, “is that they’re a fixed platform operating in a variable environment. You really need one boat for passagemaking and another one for port.” Our 1999 designers forum ended with a prediction: “The trend of future boats will see an increase in their adaptability to all the contradictory situations we sailors love to put them in.”

The Boréal’s ultimate secret weapon is its overall design and build. Robust, seakindly, balanced, beachable: It embodies Crealock’s long-ago dream for the future.

Tim Murphy is a CW editor at large and a longtime Boat of the Year judge.

Boréal 47 Specifications

Boréal SARL (Minihy-Tréguier, France) +33 2 96 92 44 37 boreal-yachts.com

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Boréal 55 – tested and reviewed

The new boréal 55 is a go-anywhere yacht that will get even the most stolid sailor dreaming of far-flung horizons.

There is something about yacht cruising that seems to attract dreamers. If you don’t believe me, head to any boatyard and have a chat with a few of the owners pottering about on their yachts. If  – and I stress if – you manage to cut through the perfunctory niceties of anodes, seacocks and favoured types of antifouling to get on to cruising destinations, I almost guarantee that it won’t be long before spots like Patagonia, the South Seas or even the Northwest Passage crop up. Never mind that the yacht in question has never sailed past Portland Bill, the dream is still hazily there in the owner’s mind. I guess it’s part of what keeps us interested in sailing – the promise of the far-flung horizon.

The Boréal 55 is a dangerous yacht because it makes those distant pipe dreams far too attainable. She is one of a growing fleet of rugged aluminium boats tailored for the kind of adventure cruising that could just as easily take in picking your way through ice fields or booming before the trades.

Boréal is based in the pretty French town of Tréguier in north Brittany, but was actually the brainchild of Belgian sailor Jean-François Delvoye. Initially, he was simply trying to build his own dream boat, distilling everything he had learnt from six years of bluewater cruising with his family. But the resulting Boréal 50 proved so popular that he ended up going into the boatbuilding business. The Boréal 52 was the natural development of the 50 and was launched in 2014 to great acclaim, scooping the European Yacht of the Year in the bluewater cruising category. The 55 I tested is essentially the same boat with a sugar scoop stern instead of a transom.

Rugged good looks

Like many yachts in this genre, the Boréal 55 boasts a centreboard and aluminium construction of both hull and deck. Double-chined and not as beamy aft as many contemporary designs, she is incredibly solidly built: the bottom plates are 12mm-thick aluminium and her lower chine is 8mm. She features a specially reinforced sacrificial forefoot and a watertight collision bulkhead behind this – handy for ice or sunken containers. Understandably, her displacement is a healthy 15 tonnes.

One look at the rugged exterior of the 55 leaves you in no doubt about what she has been designed for. Those brushed aluminium topsides and hard angles all speak of utilitarianism, while the solid aluminium sprayhood fairly yells practicality. Yet for all that, she’s not bad looking, with a certain power and purpose at rest. I find myself dreaming of Patagonia and have to give myself a stern ticking off when no one is looking.

Step aboard and there is an instant feel of solidity. The stanchions, for example, are welded right through to the hull giving absolutely no flex (not so handy if you bend one). This is a yacht designed to take a beating if required. The cockpit is uncluttered and the mainsheet is sited out of the way on top of the coachroof. There is a single steering pedestal – a feature that is becoming unusual on any yacht over 35ft these days – and a simply huge lazarette. I am told that this was designed for the express purpose of accommodating a 125cc motorbike. I can only say that this rather novel design brief has been accomplished. You could pretty much live in there.

I was initially surprised at how open the cockpit was for a serious bluewater cruiser; the large deck space aft clad in synthetic teak looked more suited to Med sunbathing. Yet there is a well sheltered and secure space just abaft the doghouse and once I was ushered in through the watertight door I fully began to understand how secure you could feel in a storm. Seated in a comfortable chair with a large chart table in front of you, there is an excellent all-round view and you can happily control the yacht using the autopilot. Storm-tossed night watches need never be quite such an ordeal again.

The side decks have a generous amount of non-skid and are open and clear with a plethora of good handholds. Up at the mast is another clever touch: rather than siting the anchor windlass at the bow, it is situated just forward of the mast with the anchor chain led back from the bow and stored in a locker by the mast step. When you have a serious bluewater yacht, you need large amounts of anchor chain and this keeps all that weight nice and central.

The hydraulic windlass can also be used for raising the mainsail, although the halyard goes back to the cockpit for raising in the usual way. At the bow is a very sturdy roller/bowsprit for setting a Code 0 or gennaker.

Thoughtful interior

So far so good, but I headed below with some trepidation. These French go-anywhere yachts can have the sort of stark interiors that make you want to go anywhere other than down below. I was therefore pleasantly surprised by how civilised the Boréal was.

The deck saloon arrangement let in plenty of light and the standard of finish was good. The galley was sited to starboard with the centreboard case offering a good bracing point.

The saloon area to port is raised up to give you the benefit of the view, and could comfortably accommodate eight. That said, the yacht felt relatively small for a 55-footer and this can partly be explained by the fact that she is thoroughly insulated with 80mm polystyrene throughout – she even features double glazing to ensure you are cool in the tropics and warm in the high latitudes.

Again, there are a number of thoughtful little touches on show: a good example being when you turn on a light, it initially comes on in red mode, so your night vision is not impaired.

Forward of the galley is a workshop area, although on this yacht it had been turned into an office – all Boréals are semi-custom. There is also a Refleks diesel stove here, which will ensure a cosy cabin in cold climes.

I could easily picture myself toasting my toes by this while bound for Patagonia. The owner’s cabin is forward and is well appointed with its own ensuite heads and shower.

There is also space for a washing machine here.

Aft, there are two more berths with a communal heads/shower unit. There is the option to use one of these berths purely for storage or have bunk beds. Engine access is also excellent.

Patagonia bound?

Interior thoroughly inspected, it was time to go sailing. For those unfamiliar with Treguier, the marina is a tight one, situated in a narrow bottleneck of an estuary with exceptionally strong tides. To complicate matters, the breeze was fresh and gusty.

This particular 55 had bow and stern thrusters which I had initially tutted at, but I must admit they were a blessing.

Two of my biggest gripes actually concern the engine. First, the control panel for firing it up was in the pilot house, while I generally prefer to have it within reach of the helmsman. Second, the throttle was one of those weird ones where you have to lift the top of the lever up to drop it into gear – just the kind of thing to screw you over in a tight situation.

The Boréal has a 75hp Volvo and an 879lt fuel tank in the keel core, with the option of two extra 378l tanks giving her a phenomenal range. She also carries 1,470lt of fresh water. There are special water catchers built into the lazy jacks to further boost your supplies. These kinds of things are important when you are headed to Patagonia which, in my imagination at least, we were.

Out in the shallows of the river, the Boréal’s draught of 1.14m with the centreboard up became a real asset. It is raised on a hydraulic ram and there is the option of a push-button control in the cockpit, which certainly could be handy around the rock-strewn coast of Brittany. Once clear of the estuary, we put up and reefed the mainsail with the aid of the anchor winch, which sounds odd, but worked very well. The 55 is cutter rigged with a 9/10ths fractional rig and we had taken the precaution of reefing the main. The conditions were pretty wild, to be fair, with a 20-25kts breeze blowing and a hefty swell rolling in. I had spent the previous week skippering a particularly beautiful deep keel cruiser/racer which I’m ashamed to confess I had fallen in love with. I was interested to see how the shallow draught centreboarder contrasted. Not too badly was the answer. She wasn’t quite so well mannered upwind and had a propensity to gripe somewhat in the gusts, but this was natural given the conditions.

This tendency was also tempered by an interesting innovation: Jean Francois was adamant he wanted a single rudder on a skeg for the strength and protection this configuration affords. The problem here is that, with this hull shape, twin rudders offer a good deal of extra grip. The solution has been the addition of two small daggerboards either side of the main rudder. Once lowered when on the wind, they immediately steadied the yacht down. Running with the wind, they also mean you can completely retract the main centreboard and retain good control of the yacht. It’s a clever touch that saves precious power with your autohelm on a long voyage.

At 15,000kg, the Boréal is no lightweight flier and this was to her benefit in the conditions, as she sliced to windward with no slamming, making an easy 7kt plus at 40 degrees or so off the wind. I am assured that she is also pretty obliging in light airs, but will have to take their word for that. Off the wind she was impeccably mannered and on a beam reach she got easily into her groove and stayed there, hitting 8kt-plus. Suddenly the Atlantic seemed to beckon.

When Boréal set about designing the 52 and 55 it gave itself the unenviable design brief of ‘a ballasted boat with a centreboard going to windward, without bashing into the waves and with a soft helm’. Now, that is a challenge but one that the company has risen to admirably. Delvoye’s deep understanding of a bluewater cruising sailor’s requirements shines through in his design, with all sorts of little touches here and there adding up to a winning combination.

The interior is also a huge improvement on many of the previous go-anywhere aluminium boats which seemed to see the tag as an excuse to be spartan below. Not so the Boréal; the fit and finish is excellent and the feel is light but cosy.

My only real question mark applies to any yacht in this genre: I understand that a centreboard and shallow draught is mighty handy when coastal cruising – be that in Patagonia or Poole – but is a deep hull form or even long keel not better suited to the wilds of the Roaring Forties?

Performance: 4/5 Comfort: 4/5 Bluewater 5/5

THE SPEC LOA: 53ft 8in (16.4m) LWL: 45ft 3in (13.8m) Beam: 15ft 3in (4.7m) Draught (board up): 3ft 9in (1.1m) (board down): 10ft 3in (3.1m) Displacement: 15,000kg (33,070lb) Engine: Volvo D2-75 (75hp) Sail area: 130m² (1,400sqft)

PERFORMANCE AVS: 120° Sail area/displacement: 22 Displacement/LWL: 153

PRICE Base price: £565,000 As tested: £719,000 boreal-yachts.com

Insure this yacht with  Craftinsure  from £2,288.25.

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The first Boreal, borned from note- and sketchbooks written during the Delvoye’s family’s first trip. This 6 years trip took Jean-François, his wife and their four children around the world on the 12 meter’s yacht he built himself in his garden. From the Mediterranean sea to Cabo Verde, from Brazil to Argentina, the apotheosis of this long trip certainly was the two years spent wandering in Patagonia’s canals.

Six years spent by Jean-François asking to himself and the sailors they met “what is missing to your boat to make it the best yacht of the world ?”. And it is true to say that the question benefited greatly from their port-calls and encounters with Philippe Poupon, Oleg Belly, Alain Caradec, Bertrand Dubois and many others.

Coming back to France, the idea was to make the best of all the experiences they accumulated to design and build the almost perfect boat to leave for new adventures with the family.

That was the start of the Boreal 50…

A 15 meters aluminum boat that Jean-François draw in every details in 3D on his computer. The original project, build and sail oceans again, has quickly gone awry… Two yachts were sold before the prototype even touched the water…

The company “Boréal” was created in 2005, a little bit by chance, with three clients, experimented sailors and totally convinced by the concept. The first sea trials totally validated the specifications.

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For the first time Rosatom Fuel Division supplied fresh nuclear fuel to the world’s only floating nuclear cogeneration plant in the Arctic

The fuel was supplied to the northernmost town of Russia along the Northern Sea Route.

The first in the history of the power plant refueling, that is, the replacement of spent nuclear fuel with fresh one, is planned to begin before 2024. The manufacturer of nuclear fuel for all Russian nuclear icebreakers, as well as the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, is Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC), a company of Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL that is based in Elektrostal, Moscow Region.

The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactors of the icebreaking type. Unlike convenient ground-based large reactors (that require partial replacement of fuel rods once every 12-18 months), in the case of these reactors, the refueling takes place once every few years and includes unloading of the entire reactor core and loading of fresh fuel into the reactor.

The cores of KLT-40 reactors of the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit have a number of advantages compared to the reference ones: a cassette core was used for the first time in the history of the unit, which made it possible to increase the fuel energy resource to 3-3.5 years between refuelings, and also reduce the fuel component of the electricity cost by one and a half times. The FNPP operating experience formed the basis for the designs of reactors for nuclear icebreakers of the newest series 22220. Three such icebreakers have been launched by now.

For the first time the power units of the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant were connected to the grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020. The supply of nuclear fuel from Elektrostal to Pevek and its loading into the second reactor is planned for 2024. The total power of the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, supplied to the coastal grid of Pevek without thermal energy consumption on shore, is about 76 MW, being about 44 MW in the maximum thermal power supply mode. The FNPP generated 194 million kWh according to the results of 2023. The population of Pevek is just a little more than 4 thousand, while the FNPP has a potential for supplying electricity to a city with a population of up to 100 thousand people. After the FNPP commissioning two goals were achieved. These include first of all the replacement of the retiring capacities of the Bilibino NPP, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya TPP, which has already been operating for more than 70 years. Secondly, energy is supplied to the main mining companies in western Chukotka in the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub a large ore and metal cluster, including gold mining companies and projects related to the development of the Baimsk ore zone. In September 2023, a 110 kilovolt power transmission line with a length of 490 kilometers was put into operation, connecting the towns of Pevek and Bilibino. The line increased the reliability of energy supply from the FNPP to both Bilibino consumers and mining companies, the largest of which is the Baimsky GOK. The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic is a national strategic priority. To increase the NSR traffic is of paramount importance for accomplishment of the tasks set in the field of cargo shipping. This logistics corridor is being developed due regular freight voyages, construction of new nuclear-powered icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively involved in this work. Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL (Rosatom Fuel Division) includes companies fabricating nuclear fuel, converting and enriching uranium, manufacturing gas centrifuges, conducting researches and producing designs. As the only nuclear fuel supplier to Russian NPPs, TVEL supplies fuel for a total of 75 power reactors in 15 countries, for research reactors in nine countries, as well as for propulsion reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world runs on TVEL fuel. Rosatom Fuel Division is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium and the leader on the global stable isotope market. The Fuel Division is actively developing new businesses in chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. TVEL also includes Rosatom integrators for additive technologies and electricity storage systems. Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company is part of Rosatom Electric Power Division and one of the largest companies in the industry acting as an operator of nuclear power plants. It includes, as its branches, 11 operating NPPs, including the FNPP, the Scientific and Technical Center for Emergency Operations at NPPs, Design and Engineering as well as Technological companies. In total, 37 power units with a total installed capacity of over 29.5 GW are in operation at 11 nuclear power plants in Russia. Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC, Elektrostal) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fuel for nuclear power plants. The company produces fuel assemblies for VVER-440, VVER-1000, RBMK-1000, BN-600,800, VK-50, EGP-6; powders and fuel pellets intended for supply to foreign customers. It also produces nuclear fuel for research reactors. The plant belongs to the TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom.

Rosatom obtained a license for the first land-based SMR in Russia

On April 21, Rosenergoatom obtained a license issued by Rostekhnadzor to construct the Yakutsk land-based SMR in the Ust-Yansky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

ROSATOM and FEDC agree to cooperate in the construction of Russia's first onshore SNPP

ROSATOM and FEDC have signed a cooperation agreement to build Russia's first onshore SNPP in Yakutia.

Rosatom develops nuclear fuel for modernized floating power units

Rosatom has completed the development of nuclear fuel for the RITM-200S small modular reactor designed for the upgraded floating power units.

Boréal 55.2

Boréal 55.2 : A new hull for more space, comfort and performance.

Boréal 55.2 is the natural evolution of boréal 52, 55 and 55 oc..

This new model has benefited from all the experience of the previous models and the improvements made to the Boréal 70 to ensure comfortable, long-distance sailing.

A new hull designed by JF Delvoye. The challenge was to improve without compromising the essential principles of the Boréal concept.

The ergonomics of the cockpit with two steering columns:

Sitting behind the bars on a curved seat

Standing on a reclining support at the gite

Sitting sideways on a reclining seat with the helm between your legs.

Accessibility for manoeuvres : The helmsman has a dedicated ‘navigation’ area that is completely separate from the ‘relaxation’ area.

Visibility when sailing: the boreal principle is that the helmsman can see the anchor in the davit from any position., safety at the helm and when manoeuvring: thanks to the forward position of the steering columns., a deck saloon offering an ‘exceptional’ view of the outside and interior fittings that provide even more space, fluidity and comfort., configuration.

• The cockpit’s ‘living space’ has been considerably enlarged, and the outside circulation is much smoother. The door has been moved to starboard and the cockpit has been reorganised to create an obstacle-free passageway from the inside of the boat to the bathing platform.
• A large fold-down bathing platform provides easy access to the sea.
• A large sunbathing area aft of the helm stations provides immense storage space under the floor.

And of course :

• We’re keeping our dog house equipped with a seat for two and a waxing cupboard.
• The layout has evolved from that of the Boréal 52 55 and 55 OC.

Characteristics :

• Length Overall (LOA): 17.12 m
• Length at the Waterline: 14.47 m
• Beam: 4.94 m
• Beam à Water Line: 3.91 m
• Draught: 1.20/3.18 m
• Ballast in lead: 6 600 kg
• Sail Area: 145 m² – Mainsail: 71 m² – Genoa: 74 m² – Staysail: 42 m² – Spi 180 m²
• Engine : 80 hp (110 hp optional)
• Capacity Fuel (standard + optional) : 1 250 l
• Capacity Water: 1 500 l

Architect and design : Jean-François Delvoye

Boréal 44.2

Boréal 47.2

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