Xp 44 Reports & Reviews

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-Yachts have been buildingcruiser-racers for 3z years andalthough they seem to haveweathered the flnancial storm with

their cunning range of Xc cruisers, theywere always itching to get back to theirroots. Hence the first of a new Xp (p forPerformance) range, with a renewed levelof bui ld qual i ty and technology

Gone is the slender hull form andpinched coachroof and portholes of the oldX yachts in favour of a powerful, muscularchassis, with a modern, wide coachroof andhull windows. There's a T-keel, bolted to astructural grld of carbon-capped epoxy,twin helms and an aggressive bowsprit.

This modern X is very much a product ofthe younger generation, a UK-based designgroup of 3o-somethings, who have beenthrowing creative ideas into the meltingpot alongside founding designer Niels

Jeppesen in an offlce in Hamble. Led byJames Day, who joined the design group lastyear from Rogers Yacht Design, theperformance team are keen, talented sailorsand their enthusiasm really shows.

For the Xp ++the Danish builders sought'the ultimate IRC performer'and the key tothis is stability, so the focus was on takingweight out of the hull and into the keel.Switching from a tradrtional stainless steelgrid to a carbon-capped composite verslonsaved up to z5okg. The Xp 44 replaces thenine-year-old X-+3, shar ing a s imi iardisplacement, but wlth higher ballast ratio.

For those thinking she might be a Iittletoo vivacious, the Xp ++has been designedfrom the off ln both racing and cruisingversions. Two keel and rig conflgurationsare available, both using optionalasymmetric or symmetric spinnakers. Thecruising version has an aluminium mast

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Bocm shorter, but st i l l rod-r igged, as well asan underdeck furler, manual Navtecbackstay, simpli f ied deck gear and optronalteak deck, so she promises to look and

behave wrth more gentillty.Interest has been considerable, with zz of

these 44s sel l ing off the drawings. An Xp 3Bis due in t ime for the Southampton Boat

Show whlch will have the same layout, butno sal l locker or forward heads, and an Xp

5o is promised for next year .From the dock the Xp 44looks a very

powerful boat: aggressive, flared andangularwith a black and white themeenhancinp the imnress ion. The test boat- " " * ' - - ' - ' , 5 - - ' - ^ ^ " 1

was being geared up for the IRC Nationalshe[ore he inp sh inned of l l "o her owner inSydney . She ra l "es r . r 5 r , a round 4o po in l " s

lower than a Swan 45, andX were veryhappy with her performance against thema nd t he Fa r r z cs r r n and downw ind .

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A revelation upwindI was prepared to be impressed with theXp ++downwind, but hardening up ontothe breeze proved a revelat ion:the mix ofbalance and speed upwind is impressive.At 35'to the true wind we maintained Z.B-Bknots. Pinch more and she dropped to themid 7s, but open her to 4o'true and shestrode into the low Bs.

It was also obvious where her bal last l ies,as the Xp ++deflnes r igid. The 3Di main wasimpressively stiff and made an effectivebalance with the No 4 j ib in the Force 5-6conditions - conservative, but we lackedfull crew weight on the rail.

With the spray whipping over theforedeck at 3o knots, her bow made arhythmical corkscrew motion, which, withthe chunky bowsprit , resembles a TP5z

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going upwind. And once lnto this del iciousslot hard on the wind, the helmsmandoesn't need to concentrate unduiy to keepthese high f lgures.

Gybing round, we were lmmedlatelyable to playthe 1m waves from 9 5 up to u.5knots under white satls at i4o-15o" [rue, theforward buoyancy helping the yacht to surfin a stable manner. This was the highestwind speed the X team had yet encounteredwith this boat and, since they had alreadyblown the 43 asymmetrlc, we found someflatter water off Cowes, holsted thesymmetrical (54) spinnaker, poled back andcontinued fl irting with double fl guresrunning at t6o-r65'T.

She was a dream to helm. The controlfrom the low-profile rudder felt spot on -

light, but not ultra-twltchy - there r,vas stiil

a" slight warning when a gust hit and powerlva,s communicated we11.

Easing the pole foruiard, we heated herr-ip lo a close reach, where a high hum fromthe fo1ls conllrmed we were into doublerlgr,rr es - n.6 knots at 135' true in flat water.Tasiy l igures and a realbuzz on the helm.

' Ihe beat back confirmed her balance.

!Vith the wind nudging 3o knots over thecleck, she continued to sit in a groove,cc,asistently doing 7 B-B knots at 35". Thesicje decks suit a seated helmsman, whoalso has angle-optimised, l i f t-up footchccl<s. I f short-handed, the helmsman cansiraddle the wheel to work the mainsheetvr,r,.rches and traveller. "This is our idea of amodern performance cruiser," remarked anobviously proud Niels leppesen as the sai iseventuai ly came down.

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Glean livingGood-looking, modern and spacious, the

Xp ++is themed in white and teak and feels

spacious, with noticeable extra room in the

after cabins thanks to her broad beam aft'The navstation is mounted on a track so it

can slide back to extend the starboard berth

and the central saloon seat moves asrequired, but essentially it's X's way or the

highway, as there's really very little choice in

terms of optionsIt's one layout only, in satin-finished teak

- a lighter grain than their traditional look.

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You can choose to extend the upholsteryover the saloon berth bases and have morehidden lighting, but that's about it.

The galley is made entirelY in oneglassflbre mould, and doors here and oncabin lockers use a heat-shrunk plasticprotection, as in domestic kitchens, for a

smooth, durable flnish. Doorways are narrow

throughout and stowage is not generous,which X need to address for those wanting to

cruise for any longer than a week. However,those living aboard for any time will flnd her

cuiet at sea thanks to her stiff structure.

Saloron I cannot over-emphasise the amount of

natural l ight in the saloon from the coachroof

windows, which are so much larger than X's

original style and combined with large hul l

windows and hatches.

Two clever features help maximise the space:

the chart table sl ides aft and the chart table stool

sl ides under i t to lengthen the starboard berth anc

the central bench seat locks down under the table

or sl ides out to seat seven around the table.

With tanks under the berths, however, stowagt

is real ly onlyfound in this seat and in the

aeropla ne-style raised lockers.

Galley Two opening coachroof windows

provide good ventilation to an L-shaped

area that has smooth, clean, smart surfaces.

Ours had an optional microwave opposite

the navstation and a second fridge under

the double sink.

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Aft cabins Light, spacious,

identical cabins with

double berths large

enough to sleep on both

ways and still leave room

for the most comforta ble(optional) pipecot I've

been on above (with a

great view out of the hul l

window).The wardrobe

lockers a re structu ra | -

plywood strengtheningon the inside.

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Navstation The l i f t ing topto the sl iding chart table ishinged from the inboard

end to grant access whensitting fore or aft of thetable.The wir ing to theinstrument panel is al l donewith textbook precision.

Aft heads Cruisers mightlike a little less of the wipe-clean look as it comes overas somewhat plast icky andsterile. But this wetroomdoes benefit from plenty ofheadroom and l ight.

Forward cabin Adequate insize, with an en-suite andlots of natural l ight.Thecoachroof extends forward

to the after end oftheberth to provide 6ftheadroom, but stowage isminimal, with only onedouble locker (with

batteries below).The headsis quite plain,with spAcetostand and shower,withshowerhead attachment.

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Clear cockpit for racing crews.A cockpit table and legs stowneatly under a raised sole,providing an idealfoot brace forseated crew,yet mounted thisoffers a solid solution for six tosit in comfort

lmpressive deckThe deck layout deserves a special mention.It's very rare to go on board a prototype andsee everything in precisely the place you'dlike. The test boat had a teeming inventoryof race options, including a full set ofdouble-ended control lines led to cleats onthe coachroof each side, so crew on the railcould control vang, outhaul, cunningham,and pole-down - brilliant.

All versions have a 2:1 inhauler led back tothe coachroof winches, but this model alsohad a side deck-led cascade systemproviding 1o:1 purchase - pointing is takenseriously. "The beauty of 3D modelling isthat you can pre-configure the best leads of

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sheets to winches," James Day explained, socross sheeting to coachroof winches, forexample, is perfect.

Those opting for the cruiser deck layoutwill see all the running rigging led underteak decking back to coachroof winches.Cruisers will also appreciate a large workabledry sail locker forward, which completesgenerous usable stowage on deck (includinglazarette and liferaft locker abaft the helms).Although it has raised hinges, the forwardhatch is the onlyflush model capable ofopening rBo" for dropping sails through,

. while the coachroof windows were aisodeveloped to Brit ish Standards to beoutward openingyet have hidden hinges.

Travel ler is neatly mounted ona recessed track with anendless l ine led to hand eitherside, while the mainsheet ison a German system led underthe side decks to mainsheetwinches,which helps keep thecockpit clean

The optional carbon bowsprit can take code sai lloads without a bobstay, using a custom-madeCode o padeye, and neatly stows an anchor rol lerbelow. lt removes with three bolts. A conventionalcowling with removable anchor rol ler is an option

Winches are neatly designed into the

coamings and al lcan be powered as an

option. Coachroof winches have crossover

bases and there's a large sole

compartnrent for hiding sheet tai ls near

the companionway

Teehnical buildXwere in close consultationwith SP HighModulus (Gurit) over the optimal foam coreand the use of E-Glass vacuum lamination.The infusion process uses CNC-cutSmartPac foam panels from SP, pre-cut toshape to eliminate any resinwastage.

Solid laminate frames are used to absorbhigh loads and are carbon-capped."We useas much directional fabric as we can, withl8om of unidirectional carbon tape on eachboat," explained James Day. Furniture isbuilt onto the composite structure,meaning aft wardrobes for example act asmini-bulkheads and are laminated in as oneglassfibre unit with bulkheads and liners.

We sailed the racing version with taller mastand a racydeck layout

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Designed by Niels Jeppesen/X Yachts

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This is a truly sizzl ing boatto.helm, and she' l lalso make a fun competitor on the racecourse.The quali ty of design real ly is f i rst class and she' l lma ke a worthy successor to the X-43.

But can the Xp 44 really be the best of bothworlds? X were very keen to stress that this isvery much a two-version boat, so their shorter-rigged,teak-decked cruising version could be thechoice for many, and we' l lwait to see how muchof that raw power has been tamed.

I certainly had a good trial of the racy one,yetcould still go down below and enjoy real comfort.But there is always a compromise in a cruiser-racer. For racing clients it could be carryingaround a fu lly fitted teak interior, or simply theprice of allthe go-faster extras (nearly€roo,ooo(t87,7oo) aboard the test boat).And whilecruisers certainly have space and comfort below,they currently lack stowage space.

But for a nyone with performance at the topof their agenda,the Xp +qdoesn't compromise.She provides a rip-roaring ride - plus that goldenperk of being able to embarrass longer r ivals.

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