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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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BOREAL 44/47: A Bulletproof Aluminum Centerboard Cruiser for High and Low Latitudes

It says something of the nature of these boats that my initial correspondence with Jean-François Eeman (see photo up top), managing director of Boréal Yachts , regarding a visit to their yard, was interrupted for a month while he and his family took off on a cruise to Antarctica. On a Boréal, of course. Indeed, Eeman’s boat was the first Boréal 44 ever built, the ultimate product of a chance encounter on a dock in Ushuaia, Argentina, between Eeman and another Jean-François, surname Delvoye, a designer and builder with many bluewater miles under his belt who had long been nursing an idea for an ideal cruising vessel.

The basic concept here is not at all unusual. Aluminum bluewater centerboard boats, though not often found in North America, have long been a staple of the French cruising scene. Major French builders Garcia and Alubat have focused primarily on boats like this for decades, and several smaller builders have followed in their wake. Boréal, barely ten years old, is the rising star on the scene, thanks to a focus on build quality that rivals that of the early Garcias and also to some unique design features that take the concept to a new level.

I have long been interested in boats like this and have sailed passages both on an older Garcia Passoa 47 and on Jimmy Cornell’s new Garcia 45 . I am strongly prejudiced in favor of aluminum construction (for lightness, strength, and lack of cosmetic maintenance it can’t be beat; see, e.g., my current boat Lunacy ) and my experience has taught me these centerboard designs are reasonably fast (particularly off the wind in strong conditions), very seaworthy, and almost supernaturally comfortable for monohulls. This last attribute I credit to their ballast being situated in the bilges of the hull, rather than low down in a fixed keel; my theory being that on any ballasted boat it is the ballast that moves least (it serving as the fulcrum of the lever, as it were), and thus the closer you are to the ballast the more comfortable you will be.

So I was looking very forward to visiting the Boréal yard in Brittany, outside the little town of Tréguier, after I finished up my visit with Clare and Edward Allcard in Andorra the week before last.

A Boréal 47 at rest on a dock in Tréguier. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, but I think these are exceptionally attractive boats. I particularly like the big flush deck forward of the mast and the way the doghouse is neatly grafted on to the cabinhouse

Two guys named Jean-François (who are actually Belgian, not French). That’s Eeman on the left and Delvoye on the right. They’ve both been there and done that when it comes to high-latitude sailing. The latter first conceived of the prototype Boréal while cruising with his family on a steel boat he built himself

The bones of the beast. The hull form, you’ll note, features hard chines, which both simplify construction and increase form stability

Pieces of the puzzle. All the metal used is high-quality 5083 and 5086 H111 alloy from Norway (none of that cheap crap from China). Pieces are laser-cut on a CNC machine offsite and are delivered to the plant ready to be welded in place. Plate thickness varies throughout the boat, from 10mm in the bottom and keel area decreasing to 4mm in the deck, coachroof, and cockpit

This massive solid piece of metal forms the bottom of the stem and is the battering ram that leads the way in any forward-motion collision. Strength and watertight integrity is further enhanced with full collision bulkheads both forward and aft

The transom on a 44. The panel in the middle folds down to serve as a small boarding and swim platform. Plate thickness in the transom is 6mm

The transom skirt on a 47, which is otherwise identical to the 44. Note the solid lengths of pipe that make up the hull-deck joint. This enhances the joint’s structural integrity and is also more aesthetically pleasing than a hard corner. Those vertical exterior frame pieces you see tacked on to either side of the transom are temporarily installed to keep the panel from distorting as it is welded in place

The vertical core of the boat. The massive I-beam is the compression post for the deck-stepped mast, with the centerboard trunk behind it. That big tall box forward of the post is the chain locker for the anchor rode, which is brought aft from the bow through a heavy pipe that forms the spine of the forward deck framing. The pipe is lined with plastic so as to isolate the steel chain running through it

The water tanks are laid out either side of the centerboard trunk and will be coated inside with food-quality paint. This ensures water potability and also saves the tank interior from coming in contact with any chlorine in the water, which can cause corrosion in aluminum welds. The fuel tanks are situated fore and aft of the centerboard trunk, over the ballast compartments, which contain large lead pigs sealed in resin. End result: everything heavy in the boat (including the house batteries, which are located either side of the aft end of the centerboard trunk) is concentrated low down in the middle of the hull. This boosts performance and stability and reduces pitching motion

All below-the-water through-hull fittings are stand-pipes that reach up above the waterline. Seacocks are fitted on top of these and can be removed and serviced with the boat in the water

The vents for all tanks are routed to the top of the forward end of the centerboard trunk

The centerboard itself is also aluminum and is hollow. It is shaped as a NACA foil to enhance windward performance

The structure is insulated with panels of polystyrene foam above the waterline. The underlying metal is coated with sprayed-on cork (see, for example, the structural knee in the foreground here) and cracks and crevices are filled with blown foam to eliminate any possibility of condensation forming behind or around the insulation panels

After touring the plant I had a chance to go for a sail on a finished boat, which you can see in profile in the drawing above. As is typical on these centerboard boats, the rig is relatively short to compensate for the ballast being secured in the bilges rather than lower down in a keel. The boat also features what might be called a double-headsail rig, as opposed to a true cutter rig. Either the full genoa is flown, or the smaller staysail (which is self-tacking, sheeted to an athwartship traveler on the foredeck), but not both simultaneously.

You’ll note too the rudder is quite shallow, which allows the boat to be beached when the centerboard is up. There is but one rudder on the boat’s centerline lined up behind the massive keel box, as opposed to twin rudders on either side, which are vulnerable to collision threats. To help enhance the boat’s directional stability there are instead a pair of offset aft daggerboards, built of epoxy composite rather than aluminum, so they can break away if struck by anything without damaging the structure of the boat.

In sailing the boat I noticed immediately that the steering was not as precise and responsive as on a typical modern boat with a high-aspect spade rudder. Consequently I had a tendency to oversteer at first, until I clued into the secret of the daggerboards. Sailing on the wind you play the leeward board and can dial in just as much lee or weather helm as you want. Or you can set the board for a perfectly neutral helm, in which case you needn’t touch the wheel at all, and the boat will happily sail itself for as long as the wind strength remains the same.

The board, which is of course foil-shaped, also helps the boat point higher. Our closehauled sailing angles were quite good for a boat of this type, but not terribly impressive by modern keel-boat standards. Sailing in a 15- to 20-knot breeze the boat was fully powered up at a 45-degree apparent wind angle and could pinch to about 40 degrees at the cost of about a knot of boatspeed. Our speed overall was good, running 6-8 knots depending on the wind strength. I know from experience that the highest speeds on boats like this are attained surfing off the wind in a strong breeze with the centerboard up and and an aft daggerboard (or boards) down. In such conditions I would expect to see some nice spikes into the mid-teens.

What most impressed me was how stable the boat was. We had a fairly steady and moderate wind sailing out the mouth of the Tréguier River, but as we closed the shore again we saw sudden dramatic gusts as high as 29 knots. We were flying the full mainsail and genoa (about 130 percent, I’d say) and none of these gusts engendered any panic or even very extreme heeling angles. A couple of times we had to ease the mainsheet to keep the boat from rounding up, but otherwise the boat’s motion was soft and manageable.

Sailing back up the river we rolled up the genoa and deployed the staysail and had fun playing the intermittent gusts and catspaws the five miles back to town. Even at very slow speeds the boat was easy to control. Later, after we stowed the sails, I tried backing down under power. Again, the rudder didn’t bite as crisply as a deep high-aspect rudder would, but once the boat got moving she was perfectly maneuverable.

As for the boat’s interior, a glance at the accommodations plan doesn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary. This is the standard three-stateroom layout (two aft, one forward) found on most modern boats, with the galley to starboard in the middle of the boat opposite a raised saloon dinette. The interior’s most appealing feature, a nifty nav desk and seat in the doghouse just forward of the cockpit, isn’t readily apparent in the drawing.

The view from the cockpit. In the doghouse just behind that inspiringly bulletproof companionway door you’ll find the nav station. The mainsheet is double-ended and can be controlled from either side of the wheel. The winches are positioned so that the two sets of sheets for the mainsail and genoa can be led to either winch, per your preference. (The staysail is controlled with a single line.) The splayed-out web of the multi-part mainsheet on the roof of the doghouse is surprisingly effective. By hauling in on the windward side of the sheet, you can easily bring to boom to centerline, as seen here

Inside the doghouse. The concave saddle nav seat keeps you tucked in place when the boat is heeled, and the wrap-around view of the outside world allows you to comfortably keep watch here in nasty weather

In the standard deck layout the only line led aft is the vang control. Everything else is handled at the mast, which personally is the way I like it. More controls can be led aft to the cockpit if you want

The anchor windlass is in the middle of the boat, right over the midship chain locker, and can also be used to hoist the mainsail. To manage the windlass from the bow while deploying or recovering your anchor you’ll need a wireless hand-control

The back edge of the doghouse roof incorporates a narrow full-breadth wind-scoop that helps ventilate the aft cabins

The saloon settees and table are raised enough that you can see easily out the cabinhouse windows. Note the Refleks diesel heating stove to the left of the galley. This circulates hot water through radiators in the staterooms

You can order the aft cabins with a pair of split single berths like this, or with a flat double berth. As you can see here, light streams in from both sides

The spacious master stateroom forward features an island double berth on centerline. The mattress is split so you set up a lee-cloth in the middle while underway

A 55-hp Volvo or Nanni diesel (as seen here) is standard, or you can upgrade to 75-hp. Access to the engine is good, and there is room in the systems space for both a genset and watermaker

The day after my plant tour and test-sail I attended the launching of a new Boréal 47. Here you see a member of the launch crew whipping a messenger line on to one of the centerboard control lines, which run up inside the mast and are controlled with a halyard winch. Alternatively, you can order the boat with hydraulic centerboard controls

The boat was launched with the lid of the centerboard trunk removed, which afforded this unique view

Below you’ll find some numbers to ponder. Studying them myself, I’m struck by how similar they are to the Garcia Passoa I mentioned earlier .

Specifications

LOA 45’3” (without scoop transom) LWL 38’2” Beam 14’1” Draft -Board up 3’3” -Board down 8’1” Displacement (lightship) 26,638 lbs. Ballast 8,377 lbs. Sail area 1,076 sq.ft. Fuel 158 gal. Water 200 gal.

Base price -Boréal 44 €417,500 -Boréal 47 €453,000

Postscript: While driving from Andorra to Brittany I stopped and spent the night in La Rochelle. This gave me a chance to see Bernard Moitessier’s famous steel ketch Joshua (see image above), which is kept at the marine musueum there. I have always wanted to do this! This is the metal boat that began the French fascination with metal boats. (See this post here to find out how Moitessier really lost her .)

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Great article with excellent links to relevant sites. Cheers – once again you have provided in-depth and informative material.

Yes, a great article. Grand to see you raving, so enthusiastic, about a boat!

Great read. I like this boat. It reminds me of a space ship in that it is designed to protect it’s inhabitants from the extreme conditions at the poles of the earth.

and so pretty!

Thanks for the great photos. Quite a boat…built like a tank. Last year on a Carib charter i ran into both a Boreal and an Allures. For looks I liked the Allures better and had a hard time loving the chines on the Boreal, but for rugged voyaging the pilot house in the Boreal looks strong. How did the Boreal compare to the Jimmy Cornell boat, in you estimation?

Sweet yacht. I’ve been looking over Alubats for years…one day!

@Jeff Bander: That’s a great question. The boats have a good deal in common. The Garcia 45, for example, also has its chain locker in the middle of the boat. And both boats have forward and aft collision bulkheads, a very nice security feature. One thing I don’t like about the Garcia is the coachroof is not aluminum but glass. I’d rather have an all aluminum structure. The Garcia has twin rudders, thus has more precise steering, but the rudders are more vulnerable. The Garcia has its rather large nav station in the saloon, and its saloon consequently feels much more cramped than the Boreal’s. The Garcia’s cockpit is a little larger and easier to move around in and makes a better social space, but sightlines forward are not as good as on the Boreal. Some of the Garcia’s line runs also have a lot of friction in them, particularly the mainsail controls. The Garcia has a fractional rig with sweptback spreaders; the Boreal has a more conservative masthead rig with flat spreaders and forward and aft lower shrouds. I personally prefer the latter, as I think it’s stronger and you can ease out the main further when sailing off the wind, but others may prefer the more modern rig.

Cant wait to buy one, all your articles are just fabulous…!!

Hi Charlie, Best series of Boreal construction photos I’ve see— thanks. Joshua was moored in the slip next to me in Port Townsend after she was salvaged. And an old girl friend was instrumental in convincing Bernard Moitessier to come to California, the voyage that eventually led to the loss of Joshua. Small world.

The best article I have read about Boreal so far. thanks

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

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

PLANNING THE TOUR

A successful trip starts with good planning, our location, getting there, tromsø base, harstad base, longyearbyen, checking in.

Below you find some traveling tips for getting to our bases in Tromsø and Lofoten.

The harbour is about a 10 min drive from the airport.

By airline There are about 10 daily departures to Oslo. Check Avinor for updated information and timetables.

The following flight carriers serve Tromsø airport

• SAS commuter airline Widerøe has routes to several other North-Norwegian airports. Both Widerøe and Norwegian offer a direct route from Tromsø to Bergen. Widerøe offers a summer route to Sandefjord. Both SAS and Norwegian have a route, via Bodø, to Trondheim.

By airline The following flight carriers serve Evenes, the Harstad/Narvik airport

• Flybussen takes you directly from the airport to Thon hotel and it costs around EUR 20/pers;
• The estimated distance is 45 km;
• Local buss is available line 18-641
• Taxi; Harstadtaxi offers maxitaxi (5 to 8 pers) at a price of around EUR 200; alternatively transportation for max 4 pers at a price of aroundEUR 40/pers, service that needs to be ordered minimum 3 h before pick-up; this that not apply to maxitaxi which can be ordered  instantly; [email protected]  Telefon  77 04 10 00 ;
• Rental cars several rental companies serve Evenes
• Ferries to/from Tromsø (3-4 departures daily) – 3 hours
• Hurtigruten 2 stops/day (north going/south going)
• Several parking opportunities in the city centre

Svalbard, Longyearbyen

• Longyearbyen airport serves many domestic flights from Oslo and Tromsø.

Tromsø Base – Eidskjosen

Base contact, directions:.

• Car/Taxi is 15 minute drive from the airport. Taxi costs from around 25 – 40 €. Download directions from Google map
• Bus route 42 goes from Tromsø Centrum and Airport to Eidkjosen. Go to travel planner (search Airport – Eidkjosen)

Facilities:

Harstad base

From the 2022 season Boreal Yachting will operate its Lofoten rentals out of Harstad. This will benefit the clients in many ways and give our guests more opportunities for trip planning. We would like to highlight the following benefits:

• Access to the base is convenient from the Harstad/Narvik EVENES airport. Busses correspond with every plane and will take you directly to and from the base.  Evenes airport has frequent flight connections direct to / from Oslo and served both by SAS , Norwegian , FLYR (new Norwegian flight carrier) and some foreign flight carriers (seasonal).
• The base is in the city centre with walking distance to grocery, Vinmonopol and other shops as well as variety of restaurants.
• The base offers land facilities like showers, toilet, playing areas for kids and more.
• Hotel capacity is very good for those that want to spend extra days in Harstad
• Base personnel will be available locally all days
• Local guided tours to historical places will be available during the summer season

Location and voyages

The base is perfectly located for visiting Lofoten as well as Vesterålen and Senja. As such the location will give many options for planning one-week trips. There are often different weather situations south and north of Harstad, thus giving you and option to “sail with the weather”.

One way trips between Tromsø and Harstad / Lofoten will be an available option.

The harbour is located in the city centre. Flybussen stop at Thon Hotel, just 30 meters from the harbour.

Address: Sjøgata 8 – 8311 Harstad

Web Cam showing the Boreal Yachting floating piers to the right in the camera

Base Manger:

Knut Skarsem Granås // Phone: +47 476 36 520

Commuting to Harstad

There are numerous of ways to travel to and from Harstad;

The following flight carriers serve Evenes, the Harstad/Narvik airport

To and from the base to the airport

General reference about Harstad city can be found at Visit Harstad .

The Boreal Yachting base in Svolvær / Lofoten will only be served on request from the 2022 season and onwards. Bases in Tromsø and Longyearbyen will be served as before.

We believe that the move to Harstad / Lofoten will be a great improvement for our guests and that it will be appreciated by previous and new guests.

A warm welcome to Harstad / Lofoten from

The Boreal Yachting team

Our base on Svalbard is Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen.

Port of Longyearbyen, bykaia ( website ) 

Check in / Out Time

Check in is after 16:00 on day of arrival

Check out if before 09:00 on day of departure

The boat must be in home port before 18:00 on the day before check out.

Bare boat season has charter periods from Friday – Friday

Ski & Sail season has charter periods from Saturday – Saturday

Before arrival preparation:

• Name, phone number, email address
• License and Skipper CV (bare boat only)
• Arrival/departure information with flight number and time or name of accommodation
• Bedlinen must be ordered at least 10 days in advance!
• Transportation between hotel/airport and the Tromsø base can be organized at a cost of 800 NOK per trip. This service is subject to availability and must be ordered in advance. No transportation service is available in Svolvær.
• Food may be ordered in advance for 350 NOK + actual costs.

For Bare Boat charter we require a security deposit that must be paid before the yacht leave port.

This can be paid either per bank transfer in advance or by credit card in base.

• Special costumer deals
• Svinøya Rorbuer Svolvær – refer to Boreal Yachting when booking in order to get a better deal.  
• Clarion Collection hotel Aurora Tromsø – refer to Boreal Yachting when booking in order to get a better deal.

Rent Equipment

Tromsø Outdoor offers -15% discount for Boreal Yachtings costumers when renting equipment (must be rented in shop, not applicable online)

Tromsø Outdoor is located on Sjøgata 14 about 100 meters north of Radisson Blu hotel and south from the market square. Their 300 m2 large rental center provides equipment for most types of activities throughout the year. Here you get professional assistance in choosing the right activity and the right equipment for your outdoor adventure in Tromsø area.

Tromsø Taxi

Tromsø Taxi Phone number: +47 982 41 320

TROMSØ TAXI offer the following indicative rates

Prices in NOK, including 10 minute waiting.

TRAVEL ADVICE AND USEFUL INFORMATION

14 days Tromsø – Nordkapp – Tromsø

24 Summits to conquer on Ski

Aurora Borealis – the magical green northern light

Base Information Svalbard

Base Information Tromsø

Bike & Sail: Riders of the sea

Need to know when sailing in Northern Norway

One week itinerary from Tromsø

One week sailing and trekking around Tromsø and Lyngen Alps

One week sailing and trekking in Lofoten

One week sailing and trekking on Senja

Plan your route

Svalbard Wildlife

The Arctic Climate

The Cities of Svalbard

The spectacular Midnight Sun

TWO WEEKS TOUR TO LIEFDEFJORDEN