boreal yachts france

To lead an expedition: the extreme conditions yacht

The yacht for expeditions.

A yacht fit for expeditions in extreme conditions. A boat with a pleasant aesthetic and a real comfort.

Configuration

• Doghouse with 360° view.
• Deck saloon .
• Different versions of interior arrangements are proposed.

Characteristics

• LOA : 21.59 m
• Full length : 20.63 m
• LWL : 18.92 m
• Beam : 5.70 m
• Draught : 1.35 / 4.10 m
• Lead ballast : 12 000 kg
• Light displacement : 37 500 kg
• Standart engine : 175 hp
• Sail area : 218 m² => Main : 103 m², Genoa : 115 m2, Staysail : 50 m2
• Fuel : 3 750 l
• Fresh water : 1 500 l
• CE Certification : category A – 12 persons

Architect and designer : Jean-François Delvoye

Interior design : Pierre Frutschi & Jean-François Delvoye

Vidéo Boréal 70 in navigation

The Boréal 70 sailing along the coast of Trégor => Ready to go anywhere in the world for this ocean-going yacht!

Boréal 44.2

Boréal 47.2

Boréal 55.2

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An expedition into the world of Boreal

• March 4th, 2021

My love for “real” sailboats made of metal may not of any news for you, dearest readers, as I am a huge fan of those well-made Allures , Cigales or Berckemeyers . During my most memorable trip to France in February 2020, one year ago with my then-partner, I had a look onto three possible 45-feet aluminium blue water cruisers for a certain project we´ve had in the making. The project, sadly, had been cancelled off due to the Covid 19-crisis but, apart from the three boats we originally went to Port Napoléon, I remember seeing a Boreal 44 on the dry in the harbour there. I did not really have this boat on my list so I just had a quick look, neglecting her fine lines and qualities.

Now, with the Boreal 47.2 winning the “Sailing Yacht of the Year”-award, I utilized this trigger to dive a bit deeper into these fascinating go-anywhere yachts with their distinct design and absolutely spot-on features for making these boats the ideal blue water long haul yachts ideal to go to the extreme latitudes. Thanks to Jean Francois Eeman, I´ve gained quite a fascinating insight to this great yard in Brittany. Here is my interview with JF

Talking to Jean-Francois Eeman of Boreal Yachts

Lars Reisberg | NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Monsieur Eeman, please describe in short who you are, since when you work at Boreal in which position(s) and what your history in sailing and your connections to the seas are.”

Jean-Francois Eeman | BOREAL YACHTS: “Hi there, Lars. Well, to answer that question you must understand that Jean-François Delvoye, alias JFD, founded Boréal in the year 2005. The yard was created to finish and launch the Boréal 50 he had designed and build to take his family for a second trip into the world. I met him in 2001 on a pontoon in Ushuaia. At that time there were not much boat people around: Just two Belgians, both named Jean-François, were meant to meet each other. Later, in 2007, JFD designed and build the first Boréal 44 for my family and myself. During the construction of JUAN SA BULAN we decided to team up. First we were friends, than I was his client and we ended up being partners for more than 10 years.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “So you both were originally sailors building their dream One-offs, ultimately deciding to turn these boats into products, right? Where do you come from and what was your sailing background?”

Jean-Francois Eeman “My history in sailing is pretty long and eclectic, I shall say. I have always sailed. Literally always: I was 10 days old when my parents took me out for my first sail. Until we left home, we spend all our holidays on boats. First on the lakes in Holland, later stretching more and more North. It was all about sailing, of course, but also about discovering countries, different people and it was a way of life. With my brother we did our first deliveries when were 16 and 18 years old. At the end of my studies, my first real trip abroad brought me for two summers on a 18 feet plywood boat between Istanbul and Italy. Singlehanded. What an adventure! In 2002 my wife and I sailed in one year to Patagonia. We spend another year sailing into the channels. Our oldest son is “made in Patagonia”. Five years ago we took him and his brother – at that time 8 and 6 years old – to Antarctica on our Boréal 44. I would say that I love doing cruising and living on board but also racing. A lot. At a good – amateur – level, winning three national titles in multihull with my son as helmsman. Now I still train and coach kids, amongst which my two kids, in their Optimists …”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Wow! What a Palmares! Now, coming back to Boreal, first of all, congratulations to winning prestigious EYOTY Award with your Boreal 47.2 yacht – that is quite a great track record for this boat now. How important is an award like the EOYTY for you as a brand?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “Well, thank you Lars! The award is indeed very prestigious. Maybe the most prestigious you can win. For me I see it as a recognition by a professional jury from all over Europe of our daily quest for excellence. The award belongs to our teams and our suppliers who day after day do everything they can to build the best possible boat. It is a huge boost for the motivation of all and we are all very proud and happy. As important for a yard such as Boréal, is that you not only win a trophy but also – de facto – a very impressive press campaign all over Europe.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “This one is the second EYOTY-award (as far as I know) as the Boreal 52 has won the same category in 2015. A sign for steady good work and congruent high quality: What would you say are the cornerstones of a Boreal boat?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “For the record, it is indeed our second EYOTY award. The Boréal 44 was also “Boat of the Year” in France in 2011, and in Holland in 2012. Our Boréal 47 was “Best Midsize Cruiser and “Overall Winner Boat of the Year” in 2018. More important than that, of course, is the boat: A Boréal is a simple, reliable go any-where live aboard sailing boat. We build our boats completely in aluminum. All Boréal have a centerboard and a single rudder protected by a keel embryo. Part of our signature is our doghouse. A watch post with an almost 360 degrees view with a direct access to the cockpit and a real, watertight, door. Each Boréal can bring her crew to whatever destination in the world in a safe way. That is not a statement, that is a reality. I believe I can say that this last five years Boréal is the brand who has taken the most private crews to Antarctica or South Georgia.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal is one of the very few yards building aluminium yachts – where would you draw the line in differentiation to brands like Alubat or Garcia?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “I would say there are some other yards building aluminum yachts. Not only in France but also in Holland and Germany. Nevertheless I believe you have quoted the three leading brands, at least in these size of sailing boats. Your question is hard to answer and I certainly do not want to denigrate the work our colleagues do. If Boréal does sell boats today, it is because a brand such as Alubat has done a precursor work of promoting for more than 40 years the concept of aluminum and centerboard. In our eyes: A boat is a tool, or a machine, to help making dreams come true. The best tools are designed and build by people who use them. Today Boréal is the only yard where it is the same people who design, build and take themselves their own boats to the end of the world. This concentration of know-how is unique.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Up until now I did not have the pleasure to really roam inside a Boreal – I am working on a yard visit since two years now – so I can´t judge the boat from the iside. As far as I can see, the closest competitor to Boreal in the field of rugged go-anywhere boats would be Garcia. Where is the difference to these boats?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “You know, Lars, you are absolutely welcome at our place! We would be happy to show you step after step how we build a Boréal, what makes a Boréal is so different from what is done elsewhere and “Chiara” the first Boréal 47.2 will be waiting for your visit at the pontoon in Tréguier. We do believe we build the better boat – of course we do – nevertheless you won’t hear a bad word of us regarding Garcia . When conceiving a boat you make trade-offs, compromises and we have made many different choices. A few examples are like this: A boat built completely in aluminum versus aluminum with a plastic lid on the deck saloon. A single rudder and two retractable daggerboards versus twin rudders. With your bluewater cruiser you will eventually hit something : UFOs, whales, rocks, corals. I tick all boxes … (smiles) On a Boréal when that happens your centerboard will come up but you still have the keel embryo protecting the rudder. Having a keel embryo also means when you dry out you rest one something which is very, very solid, with the ballast it is in fact a monobloc structure. Ballast in lead in the keelbox versus ballast in cast iron on the bottom plate. Doghouse versus watch post at the mast foot. On a Boréal you have a direct access from the doghouse to the cockpit. Except for going to the toilet, no reason to go downstairs with your dripping foul weather gear. An almost 360 degrees view and good view on your both sails. On a Boréal you have everywhere 8 centimeters (not millimeters!) of insulation. Before we place the foam panels we spray cork so there would not be any thermal bridges.

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal makes hard-chined hulls – why did you guys opt for hard chined hulls in favor or (obviously more expensive and aloborately to build) round chine-hulls?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “The answer is simple : JFD designed the first Boréal with the idea he would build her himself. It is the simplest way to build but also to repair. Because our teams of welders only have to bend our aluminum plates in one direction (everything is cylindrical, not spheric) we can have all our plates arriving cut by laser or waterjet in a way they perfectly adjust to each other in the building process. Hard chine build versus round chine hulls, well, I would also say: Sail and try out the boat by yourself and you will feel the difference. Marinus Sijdenborgh in the magazine “Zeilen” wrote it this way: “… very balanced which is a pleasure to steer”,  Roland Durer in Yacht Revu : “… at first you feel like boarding an SAR-cruiser, but once at the helm, you get easily surprised by the lightness of the steering.””

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Boreal boats are clearly conceived for going to the high lattitudes – what is your impression: Who is buying a Boreal and are the owners in general utilizing the boat for what it is build?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “At the time – some 16 years ago – the first generation of Boréal was designed, the concept matched the personal program of Jean-François Delvoye. His creation process was not muzzled by any requirements of owners or a so-called “market”. He designed what he thought what was good for him. It is only afterwards some sailors, amongst them myself, came to JFD saying it was the boat which would match the best their dreams and needs. In French we say ´qui peut le plus peut le moins…´, which still holds true. Some of our owners have indeed taken their Boréal to high latitudes. I would even say that in a hi percentage of our total fleet quite a lot compared to most other brands have gone far North or far South. One owner once said to me: “I have had my Boréal built to sail all year around to the islands of Brittany and the Scillys .” That seems to us that he uses the boat what she was built for. But the common point amongst all owners is that at the moment they took the decision of having their Boréal build they did not want to impose themselves any limits in possible destinations. Remember: Go simple, go anywhere! On the second generation of Boréal – and the 47.2 is the first example of that – we have kept all fundamentals but we have added versions with a more open and bigger cockpit with a more easy access to the sea. So even more go any-where, all latitudes than before, I shall say.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “There are very, very few Boreal on the used boat market as there are in general very few aluminium yachts available as secondhand boats: Why is that? What can you say about conservation of value of alu-boats in general and Boreal in particular when it comes to reselling?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “The most important reasons to that is that our owners seems to keep their Boréal for quite a long while. Most of the Boréal are still in the hands of the people for whom we have build them. We offer a service where we help our owners to find a new owner for their well maintained Boréal. Nowadays we have a list of people who say: “Give me ring when a Boréal comes up for sale on the second hand market.” And we are happy to help out here.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Is the EYOTY-award a kind of sales boost for this boat? How many units of the 47 (incl. the older 47-boats) have been built up to now?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “We are on small numbers so it is hard to say what is the result of what. Sure for we have lots of demands for the moment, sure the EYOTY-award has an impact. There are about 70 Boréal sailing all over the world.  There are 12 others in construction. Next month we launch nr. 2 of the 47.2 series. We have 14 others to build. We also have started building the first Boréal 44.2 which is concept wise closer to the initial concept. One wheel, more enclosed cockpit, all maneuvers at the mast.”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “The obvious question – how is/was the yard affected by the Covid-crisis ? Did you experience a serious decline in sales and how the yard doing right now? How do you think will Covid influence the boat market, especially the niche in which you are placing your products?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “I´d say that there are two different impacts of the actual Covid-Crisis. On one side you have the impact on the production, on the other side on the sales side. Almost one year ago, during the first lockdown , we had to close the yard in a compulsory way. After 3 weeks of complete lockdown we were allowed to start up again. First with 8 employees, one week later with some more and so on. It took us several months to be back to normal “cruising speed”.  We lost 875 man-days of work. It has had a huge impact on our delivery schedules. Nevertheless we have delivered all Boréal yachts we had promised to deliver before the summer-holidays. We have been helped by the fact that with some owners we decided to postpone the launch with one year. On the sales side I think we can say that generally speaking more people wanted a sailing boat. A lot of people which had the dream of ever having one, suddenly realized it was the time to do so. In countries like Germany or France, sailing was last summer one the rare activities you could do “just as normal”.  Boréal did benefit from that general tendency…”

NO FRILLS SAILING.com: “Last not least, JF: What can we expect from Boreal to see in the coming years? Any new trends of projects coming up you may want to talk about?”

Jean-Francois Eeman: “Oh, now that´s the moment I should reveal secrets, I see. This is what you can expect in the near future: Next year we will launch the first Boréal 44.2. Preliminary designs are available but we have not presented her yet in an official way. You are the first to receive. As you might have seen on our website we have updated it with a new Boréal 70. We will start building the first one before end of June. I think that might be the good moment for you to come back to us, as at the moment we will have some other interesting news.”

JF, thank you so much for these more than interesting insights into the world and the work of Boreal! I promise that your yard is on top of my places to go after the C19 craze ends.

All pictures with kind permission by Boreal Yachts

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Boréal 47.2 review: a proven concept refined

• April 8, 2021

Rupert Holmes gets behind the wheel of the latest go anywhere aluminium cruiser from Boréal, the Boréal 47.2

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

Boréal is not afraid to forge its own path and its distinctive aluminium cruising yachts have gained a strong reputation over the past 15 years. The latest model, the Boréal 47.2, is a shoal draught expedition yacht that can take you anywhere on the planet, yet, as we were to discover, is also responsive and fun to sail in more confined waters.

The Breton yard’s success is underpinned by a huge amount of embedded expertise. Founder and naval architect Jean-François Delvoye based the Boréal concept on experience gained during a six-year circumnavigation with four children, plus expeditions to South Georgia and the Antarctic.

General manager and co-owner Jean-François Eeman’s vast experience includes two trips to Patagonia and the Antarctic on his own boats.

A distinctive feature of the hull design is what Boréal terms the keel ‘embryo’. This shallow, 80cm-wide vestigial keel – a kind of broad, extended skeg – provides a massively strong base on which the boat can dry out and houses the centreboard case, tankage and lead ballast. Photo Jean-Marie Liot

This first-hand knowledge shows through in many ways with this new Boreal 47.2, a European Yacht of the Year 2021 winner.

The rugged construction includes an ice-breaking stem, watertight bulkheads and 8-10mm bottom plating on substantial framing that enables the boat to be safely beached.

Equally, good sailing qualities are an important element. Both centreboard and rudder have efficient hydrodynamic profiles, while heavy items including anchor chain, tankage and batteries kept low down and central.

Sailing the Boréal 47.2

Our test took place in a large swell leftover from the weather system that forced Clarisse Cremer to delay her Vendée Globe finish.

We set out broad reaching using the optional general purpose asymmetric spinnaker , with the boat maintaining an easy motion despite the swell.

Even when the true wind dropped to only 8-9 knots we made decent progress, with boat speed rarely falling much below 6 knots. Our best speed of the test was 8.7 knots at a true wind angle of 145° in 17 knots of true wind.

The test boat was fitted with an optional mainsail upgrade to a laminate cloth and full battens, with an Antal mast track. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

Once heeled to a certain point the boat becomes very solid and stable, with gusts not contributing marked extra heel and the lee toerail remained well above the water, even when we were deliberately pressed.

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I’m always interested in how a boat handles when overpowered. Keeping the sheets strapped in during gusts into the upper teens when we were carrying the kite at an apparent wind angle of 80-85° provided a good opportunity to test this aspect of handling.

The rudder gave plenty of warning before finally stalling at a much higher angle than those who sail performance boats with deep high aspect rudders will be accustomed to. But, unlike many flighty lightweight boats, the Boréal 47.2 didn’t round up and the boat’s angle of heel barely increased.

Dumping the mainsheet and centring the rudder to re-establish laminar flow was enough to quickly regain control, with the boat then happily bearing away to a more comfortable course.

While owners are unlikely to plan to push their boats to the limit, it’s good to know that the vessel ought to handle being caught unawares by a squall without undue drama.

A pair of daggerboards either side of the rudder are used to tweak the boat’s handling characteristics. With the boards raised it’s more responsive and behaves more like a smaller and lighter yacht – an ideal mode for sailing in more confined waters and for manoeuvring.

The powerful central winch makes it practical to control the yacht from the helm stations. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

With boards lowered directional stability improves markedly. When close-reaching under main and genoa the Boréal 47.2 had more of the feel of a traditional long keel design and it was possible to leave the helm for a minute or so without engaging the pilot.

Soon after dropping the kite to round up for the beat home against the tide the wind dropped again to 8-9 knots. Sailing close-hauled in this wind speed is relatively sedate, but above 10 knots the boat starts to come alive and is nicely powered up in 12-14 knots.

It’s no surprise that a boat of this style is not as close-winded as a performance cruiser. Pinching risks quickly losing speed, but speeds of well over 6 knots can be achieved consistently. For instance, with 15 knots of true wind we recorded 6.5 knots boat speed at 55° TWA.

Changing gear

Once we got back into the breeze funnelling out of the Trieux estuary a band of cloud produced gusts of up to 22 knots true.

As the breeze increases the concept behind the sail plan is to swap from the marginally overlapping genoa to the optional furling staysail at around 17-20 knots, a transition that proved to be smooth and easy. Alternatively, a removable inner forestay with hanked-on staysail can be provided.

A powerful vang enables good control of mainsail twist, despite the lack of a mainsheet traveller, and lines for the towed headsail cars are led back to the working area of the cockpit for easy adjustment.

In the strongest puffs a little depowering of the mainsail helped to keep the boat on its feet, and had the wind continued to rise, a reef in the mainsail would have been useful. The main halyard and pennants for the Seldén single line system on reefs one and two are all led back to the central cockpit winch, making reefing a safe task for a lone watch keeper.

My own preference would be to also lead a luff pennant for the third reef aft, so that all reefing can be done from the cockpit.

As the skies cleared behind the cloud the wind eased, so when we tacked to sail into the estuary we swapped back to the genoa. We then continued close-hauled up the lower reaches of the Trieux river, against an ebb tide, with the electric winch taking all the effort out of playing the mainsail in the gusts.

The boat behaved impeccably with no worries about lack of control even in relatively confined spaces, nor was any great physical effort required.

In this respect, despite the Boréal 47.2’s evident long-distance capabilities, it felt like a smaller and more manoeuvrable vessel.

This exercise also demonstrated that, in the event of engine failure or a fouled propeller, we’d easily be able to sail into a safe anchorage.

The cockpit has separate working and relaxing areas, as well as a clear passage from the transom to the companionway. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

Nevertheless, once the channel turned such that the wind was on the nose and the width of the river reduced to less than 150m we resorted to the engine. Our test Boréal 47.2 was fitted with the optional larger 75hp Volvo Penta D2 series engine married to a fixed three blade propeller. This provides plenty of power – even at just 1,700rpm we made an indicated 6.25 knots.

Warm and dry

We put the doghouse to good use in a heavy rain squall as we neared Treguier marina. There’s good visibility from the deep, secure bucket seat on the port side, although it stops short of a full 360° view thanks to blind spots on each quarter.

In more confined waters the best place from which to con the boat proved to be standing at the back of the pilothouse, steering with the pilot remote. This gives an all-round view, with the option of popping your head above the coachroof if the windows steam up.

The doghouse offers plenty of space to open up paper charts, plus room for a decent size monitor for a navigation computer. I was glad to see Boréal wasn’t tempted to add another wheel here – doing so would have added friction and complexity, and take up unnecessary space.

On a more mundane note, for those of us who have to continue working while cruising, the doghouse would make an excellent office, with loads of desk space and a fabulous view.

A full-height watertight door seals the doghouse from the cockpit. This allows easy access, but leaves a low sill making the interior potentially vulnerable to big waves from astern – I’d opt for a partial washboard for use when the door has to be opened in severe weather.

The doghouse makes for a warm, dry working environment with easy access to the cockpit. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The pilothouse coachroof extends above the forward two cockpit seats, creating a further dry and sheltered space. This area can also be fitted a clear plastic enclosure that helps protect the boat’s interior in super-cold weather.

Overall it’s a brilliant arrangement, although it stops short of offering a sheltered position for sail trimming and reefing.

Boréal 47.2 Cockpit zones

The extra space in the back of the boat created by the more modern hull shape has been used to separate the cockpit into distinct relaxation and working areas.

The twin wheels also allow for an unimpeded passage from the fold-down bathing platform to the companionway, even with four people sitting around one leaf of the cockpit table.

Many of the lines led directly to the central winch have to pass through two 90° bends, which inevitably increases friction and loads. However, the arrangement appears to be well executed, with quality deck hardware of an appropriate size.

The mainsheet, headsail sheets and spinnaker sheets are usually handled by their own conventionally-sized winches aft of each helm station. However, the layout is arranged so they can also be led to the central winch when extra grunt is required. There’s also a halyard winch on the mast for spinnakers.

500W of flexible solar panels on the doghouse and coachroof. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

Moving around on the deck of the Boréal 47.2 is easy – there are no big steps needed when transitioning from cockpit to the wide side decks and the V1 shrouds are mounted on the coachroof, so don’t get in the way when walking forward.

Stanchions are of substantial aluminium, which avoids problems associated with mixing metals in a saltwater environment.

Even though most sail handing, especially in heavy weather, can be done from the working area of the cockpit, sturdy granny bars are fitted each side of the mast. The painted non-slip deck of our test boat provided excellent grip. There’s also a high toerail and metal handholds welded to the boat’s structure.

The hefty, combined twin bow roller and sprit is now standard equipment for a boat of this style. However, the location of the windlass owes nothing to convention. The anchor rode is led aft through a concealed channel under the foredeck to the windlass and chain locker immediately ahead of the mast.

The anchor windlass is mounted below deck just forward of the mast. Photo: Rupert Holmes

The main advantage of this is that 100m of 12mm chain weighs almost one third of a tonne, so this weight is moved aft from the bows. In addition the windlass, which is located below an opening hatch, is not exposed to the elements and should therefore be more reliable than those perched near the stem.

Stowage and Accommodation

Principal on-deck stowage includes a cavernous sail locker forward and massive lazarette aft with twin openings. This also gives access to the quadrant and other steering system components.

Liferaft stowage is built into the starboard side of the lazarette and includes a dedicated transom door. There’s space on the foredeck to stow a decent sized fully inflated tender.

Easy steps from the pilothouse lead down into the saloon. This is offset to port, with the inboard settee neatly placed on top of the centreboard case which therefore does not appear to encroach on the accommodation.

Once you start poking around, one of the most striking aspects is the mass of stowage everywhere in the Boréal 47.2.

Thanks to batteries and tankage being low down in the centre of the boat, there are lockers under all the bunks, under and outboard of the saloon seats, beneath the cabin sole and so on.

It’s clear this is a boat that can easily swallow the enormous amount of stores, provisions and spares needed for prolonged self-sufficiency in remote areas.

Stainless steel galley worktops – Corian is standard. Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

The galley is to starboard, with extensive worktop space. As standard these are in Corian, although stainless steel was used instead for our test boat.

The large two-drawer fridge can be supplemented by an optional freezer in the starboard aft cabin if required. Our test boat was fitted with twin foot pumps at the galley – one for saltwater, the other as a back up for the pressurised water system.

Two large 13kg gas bottles, in a dedicated locker accessed from the cockpit, will provide even heavy users with several months of autonomy.

The extra volume in the forward part of the hull makes for a more spacious owner’s cabin than the previous generation Boréal 47. In particular, the peninsula bed is wider and the larger ensuite includes a generous separate shower stall.

Spacious owners’ cabin includes an ensuite bathroom with separate shower. Photo: Jean-François Delvoye

Again there’s plentiful stowage here and the bed base lifts up on gas struts to give access to huge additional volume.

The aft cabins can be fitted out either as doubles or as twins. Alternatively, the smaller space to starboard can be configured as a big technical and storage area. The doghouse includes a full width dorade-style vent for the aft cabins that creates excellent airflow.

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This is a boat borne of considerable experience and attention to detail, taking a proven concept and refining it to a new level. There are many small but clever touches that may not be immediately obvious, but make a difference to life on board. So it offers a big step forward compared to the first generation Boréal 47. In particular, the larger owner’s cabin makes living on board for extended periods more civilised, while the bigger cockpit will work just as well in the tropics as at high latitudes. It’s a supremely capable yacht with long legs that will effortlessly put in good daily mileages when crossing oceans, yet will also be fun to sail in your home waters. However, what’s really unique is the combination of Boréal’s three signature features: rugged aluminium construction, shoal draught with ability to dry out, and the protection offered by the doghouse. The latest edition of the Vendée Globe has demonstrated beyond all doubt how important effective shelter is in challenging conditions, yet the subject is rarely so well addressed in the cruising yacht market as it is by the Boréal.

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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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Clutch exotics now offering luxury car and yacht rentals, 5 must-do activities in fort lauderdale, otedola charters multi-million iconic superyacht christina o as he turns 60, exclusive report on yacht rental industry: market size will, our pick of the very best kit for boaters, golden globe skipper tapio lehtinen rescued by fellow competitor after 24…, orca interactions with boats ‘expected’ to stop, can the america’s cup make great tv, starlink for yachts: true remote connection for your boat, vacation ideas: travel in style with these useful tips, 5 tips of yachting for beginners, water travel options that don’t involve a cruise : travel tips…, how this entrepreneur is disrupting the yacht rental industry, discover turkey’s beauty via yacht, the new boreal 44.2, a great aluminum bluewater cruiser.

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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Attainable Adventure Cruising

The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

• Boréal Yachts—Eight Years On

On January 1, 2010, Attainable Adventure Cruising published an article I wrote on a then recently-designed aluminum cruising yacht being built in France.

As proud owners of an Ovni 435 that my wife and I had built to our specifications, I took more than a passing interest in this new design, not least because at first glance it had one wonderful feature that our boat lacked (and that we would have loved to have had): a watertight doghouse.

Further digging and an email exchange with the factory only piqued my interest. The excellently conceived doghouse was only the first of many equally worthwhile ideas incorporated into the boat.

It was if the builders, Boréal Yachts , had taken every sensible design feature that there had ever been for aluminum expedition boats and then added some brilliant innovations of their own. And all that at a vast discount in terms of price to what might have been expected for a custom built one-off high latitude boat. I was, by now, hooked. Who were these people and what was this boat? So I went to find out.

What I found was a massively constructed boat, with a multitude of sensible features for long-distance cruising far from help and support:

• A solid, stay-up rig with parallel spreaders. A large single wheel and well protected single rudder.
• A simple, airy and comfortable interior.
• Thick insulation and a wonderful Refleks heater system to keep you cosy.

Oh, and that doghouse, a major benefit, as anyone used to ‘summer’ in the higher latitudes will attest.

Now we are eight years on…

The fundamentals remain the same: Boréal believe in evolution, not revolution, and having got the basic boat so right, have then concentrated on simply making it better. I, having worked with many owners having a new Boréal built since then, have been close to the action and have seen those changes first hand.

Simple things, for the most part, but all designed to make the boat better and broaden its appeal. Having sailed all of the different Boréal boats in all conditions, I can confirm that this strategy works.

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• Boréal 44.2/47.2
• Boréal 44/47
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• Garcia Exploration 45 Compared to the Boréal 44/47

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• Boréal Yachts—Looking To The Future
• Rudder Options

Hi Colin. Even though I’m a long time fanatic multihull sailor, I really like the Boreals. I understand why their owners seem so in love. I’m looking forward to part two and the future ideas of these clever and nice people.

Thanks Stein I’m sure you’ll enjoy part II!

Hi! Thank You for all articles and especially my dream yacht Boreal 🙂 I had wonderful chance to sail 47 on last October in Brittany coast for almost week. Absolutely best experience. Just few ideas to change and maybe I expected more speed, but overall definetively best concept and stunning and beauty.

Hi Tiit glad you liked the 47 – a great boat. High speed isn’t everything – the ability to maintain high averages in total control is the ultimate advantage, in my view. And the boats can certainly do that.

Hi Colin, yes, you’re right, for speed there are lot of more options on the market 🙂 And if to point up, I liked mostly very practical layout, plenty of storage everywhere, comfortable cabins, saloon and galley, stunning carpenter work, secure cockpit, doghouse and all concerning to design. Very practical, indeed. And seaworthiness, as well. And landing on the keel…. this was one of highlights for all this weekend. Best! And waiting for part II.

Hi Colin, Thanks for all the articles on Boreal. We are currently in the research phase for a new boat and the Boreal 47 has topped our wish list for some time. Articles such as this help solidify our desire/decision!

Hi Baxter I’m glad you find them useful and I’ll sure you’ll enjoy Part II.

Hi Colin, I read your excellent article with mixed feelings. Like many (I suspect), there is a big part of me (not to be too disloyal to my wonderful cruising sail boat) wishing to start out again with a Boreal. No regrets, but clearly improvements have been made over the decades. Which brings me to another point: although clearly there have been improvements, I do not believe the average sailing/cruising boat is better, maybe the contrary, than a few decades ago. And, concomitantly, I believe the average sailor nowadays is less clear about what makes a good sailing/cruising boat. (Those who believe that “fake news” was a product of recent political rants in the US just have not been listening/reading the hype at the boat shows and in the maritime media about new boats/products over the last few decades.) I would expect your article (and the boats from Boreal visiting the many ports of the world) would go a ways toward educating emerging sailors as to the design/manufacturing elements that contribute to an excellent passage-maker. Not everyone needs to have a Boreal, but it is important to have an example to aspire toward and measure against. My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Dear Dick I agree: great article. And Boreal boats and Morgan’s Cloud lead the way by example in good boats and seamanship. There may not be much progress in boats overall. Look at the 80 keels that have fallen off with loss of life. This is not the epitome of good boat construction. Some previous designers did it right and their boats remain as good examples we should all learn from: Rod & Olin Stevens, McCurdy & Rhodes.

http://dorade.org/RAS_On_Sailing_Master.pdf

Best wishes, Charles L Starke MD s/v Dawnpiper

Hi Dick, Charles I also agree – and I know that both John and I have consistently flagged up our misgivings about the direction that yacht design has been going for some time. And I’d also add that in my view it’s a pity that fashionable design features are becoming the order of the day in so many yachts, even from big name builders. Not everyone needs a Boreal, perhaps, but even if your ambitions don’t extend to extreme sailing it ought to be possible to choose from a selection of good boats from a variety of yards to go ocean cruising in safety and comfort – but I think that’s getting harder and harder to achieve. But here at AAC we do try to push for the need to build good boats- with articles on other good boast like the Rustler range and the A40 concept. After all, it’s a pleasure to do so. Best wishes Colin

Hi Charles, Thanks for the reminder about Rod Stevens’ book. I read the intro and I believe I read it decades ago, but look forward to doing so again, especially as it was download-able. What a treat. My best, Dick

Great boats and I look forward to your articles. Now I just have to hope that a used one shows up on the market about 2-3 years from now…

If your articles are not written yet, could you also comment on how some of their design/construction decisions are different from ones we see taken on the Ovnis that you know so well? Cheers,

Hi Mike Glad you like the articles and the boast – but don’t hold your breath regarding second hand boats – I’ve seen two come to the market and they were both snapped up! I covered a lot of the different design features in previous articles on Boreal yachts. As far as general construction is concerned, I’d say that the Boreal’s are more heavily built than Ovni’s (which are tough enough!) and the external keel box lowers the ballast effectively which gives them a substantial edge over similar designs with centreboards in terms of ultimate stability. Best wishes Colin

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Boréal 47, LUMINA is now on film

January 5th, 2023

For the past 15 years Boréal have been building these distinctive aluminium cruising yachts and have gained a large following from around the world. All Boréal’s are built for serious bluewater sailing with a simple deck layout that’s easy to manage with a small crew. LUMINA is the perfect example of the ever popular Boréal 47. The 47 has many clever designs and one of the standout design features is its well-executed doghouse offering a pilothouse with a portside nav station inside the heated cabin giving excellent visibility while still at cockpit level.

Another standout design is the boat’s centerboard, which drops down to 8 feet but can be lifted to 3ft offering access to shallower anchorages while being designed to sit on its hull when the tide runs out.

On deck she is full of practical details that serve to make life easier and safer at sea: including safety railings to either side of the mast for extra security working forward, a massive lazarette and single large wheel with bow thruster making manoeuvring a breeze. On the foredeck there’s plenty of deck space and large sail locker. LUMINA is fitted with a double-spreader masthead rig with a Sparcraft aluminum mast and boom with stainless steel wire rigging and a pair of headsails, both on Profurl furlers, the inner forestay flies a self-tacking jib and an outer forestay a larger genoa.

Down below forward of the doghouse there is a raised saloon to port with seating on all three sides offering a good view of the outside world and to port there is a well laid out galley.

Further forward there is a large and comfy owner’s cabin with en-suite heads while aft there two cabins with twin bunks in each. As you would expect there is plenty of storage space throughout that’s ideal for longer distance sailing.

LUMINA is as new throughout and done very little sailing for her purpose. These yachts often don’t come up for sale on the brokerage market and with the yard in Brittany having a long waiting list for new build, LUMINA offers a new owner the chance to set sail today on many new adventures.

Full Sales Particulars: [OFF MARKET]

For more information on LUMINA, contact [email protected] .

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Boréal is not afraid to forge its own path and its distinctive aluminium cruising yachts have gained a strong reputation over the past 15 years. The latest model, the Boréal 47, is a shoal draught expedition yacht that can take you anywhere on the planet. And as we were to discover, it is responsive and fun to sails. The Breton yard’s success is based on a huge amount of details. Founder and naval architect Jean-François Delvoye based the Boréal concept on fist hand experience gained in all conditions. This unit is not far from being new.

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More than 500 migrants arrive in small boats

More than 500 people crossed the English Channel in small boats on Wednesday, according to the Home Office.

Ten boats were intercepted making the crossing from France with 514 migrants on board - the highest daily total so far this year.

It brings this year's Channel crossings figure to 4,043 people - which is higher than the equivalent period last year (3,683).

One man was found with stab wounds after the arrival of one of the boats at Dover Western Docks on Wednesday, Kent Police said.

He reported he had been assaulted on a beach near Calais by two men who then stayed in France, while he made the crossing, police said.

The man was taken to hospital but has since been discharged.

A Kent Police spokesperson said information had been passed to the French authorities for further investigation.

So far this year 4,043 people have made the crossing to the UK in small boats, with 1,788 arriving so far this month, figures collated by the BBC show.

Last year 3,793 crossed from France to the UK in the whole of the first three months of the year.

Prime Minister Rushi Sunak vowed to "stop the boats" as one of five key pledges a year ago.

The House of Lords has inflicted fresh defeats on the government over its flagship Rwanda bill, which aims to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda.

The bill will now return to the Commons, but not until after Easter.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We continue to work closely with French police who are facing increasing violence and disruption on their beaches as they work tirelessly to prevent these dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journeys.

“We remain committed to building on the successes that saw arrivals drop by more than a third last year, including tougher legislation and agreements with international partners, in order to save lives and stop the boats.”

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