What a beauty.

This is Xoanan, a brand new X One-Design masterminded by twins Ado and Stuart Jardine.

The new XOD was a volunteer winter project that XOD leading lights Ado and Stuart shared with fellow Lymington sailors David Alan-Williams, David Harris, Ian Burr, Chris Baldwick, Doug Rogerson and Bill Dunsdon.

What makes Xoanon different is that she is strip plank and construction, with glassfibre epoxy inside and outside. Designer David Alan-Williams computerised the lines and plotted Mylar sheets for build templates, and extra frames were added.

The boat was built for £10,000 and part of the point of the project was to show the cost-effectiveness of modern construction methods – the cost is a fraction of that needed to build a new XOD to traditional methods. The group is hoping to persuade the class to allow ‘progressive build methods’.

But the fly in the ointment for this lovely new yacht is that that the XOD class is proud of its heritage – including building traditions – and it’s doubtful if or when Xoanon could measure and race in class.

XOD class secretary Tina Scott tells me: [She] will never measure to current XOD Class Rules because they include construction details. For events open to all XODs, organising authorities require entries to meet the RRS for one design yachts and the XOD Class Rules, but Xoanon cannot meet these entry criteria.

There are some races where she has been accepted to race with the XODs, but it is very much a local decision.’

But Tina adds: ‘She looks a beautiful boat!’

That she does.

The photo shows the boat at her launch being sailed by a trio of Olympic medallists: Pippa Wilson, Ado Jardine and Nick Rogers.