Feedback from some 310 previous Outremer owners has gone into refining the design of the new Outremer 55
Plugging the gap between Outremer’s longstanding 5X and 51 models, the Outremer 55 will exhibit the brand’s typical balance of performance and comfort.
When the design was unveiled at the Düsseldorf Boat Show in January, we heard how VPLP’s efficient hull shape will allow the boat to match wind speed up to around 12 knots.
“It means much less use of the engines,” explains commercial director Matthieu Rougevin-Baville. Outremer considers performance to be a key plank of its environmental policy. “If you can sail at 5 knots, you can sail 95% of the time,” he reasons.
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There are daggerboards for 15-degree better windward performance, and a swing helm pedestal that allows you to sit up on the side deck in fine weather, or shelter under the hard top when it turns inclement.
Tillers are still an option, but Outremer has worked hard to give the wheel better feedback. It is set up for short-handed bluewater sailing.
Outremer is part of the same Grand Large group which owns Gunboat, and there have been some technical improvements, notably on the lamination.
For instance, the coachroof is now stiffer, despite being lighter and having more openings. Powered winches are electric rather than hydraulic, saving kilos.
The yard also considers ventilation paramount for an eco-friendly cruiser, rather than fitting air conditioning, which needs more fuel and results in additional weight.
With 2.3kW of solar panels on the coachroof, Outremer claims the 55 is electrically self-sufficient – and that is despite having equipment such as watermakers and dishwashers.
The rear of the saloon completely opens to unite the cockpit and the interior, and there is the option of three or four good-sized double cabins.
Specification
LOA: 16.69m (54ft 9in)
Beam: 8.28m (27ft 2in)
Displacement (light): 13,500kg (29,762lb)
Price: €1,215,000 (ex. VAT)