Having put the'performance'in performance cruisers forthe last 30 years, X-Yachtsare now aiming to definethe 'cruiser' side of theterm with the launch of anew range of cruising yachts.Toby Hodges went aboard theXc 45 for an exclusive test

-Yachts know how to make slipperysailing boats. Over nearly 3o years ofproduction, they have produced 4odifferent models, including fourone-designs and a cruiser-racer, injust about every length from 34ftto

65ft. So when they announced they were going toproduce a cruising range, eyebrows were raised.Surely they know their clientele - they've got theirniche; should they risk jeopardising that?

If there's one man who would know the answerto that conundrum, it's X-Yachts'veteran designerand co-director Niels Jeppesen.

'A lot of our clientshave owned Xs for years, many several differentmodels, but as they grow older they are lookingfor something different," he says. So customerswant to grow old with X, but apart from thedemand, there is a personal element to thedecision, reveals Jeppesen: "l am getting oldertooand I hate marinas. While we don't want todistance ourselves from our racing clients, we feelthe demand is there."

He has a point - nearly zo orders for the Xc 45,as well as a scaled-down replica 4z (launchingspring next year), have already been placed off thedesigns alone. We Brit$are a little more sceptical,we like to try before we buy, so hull No 3 is heading

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Her fit-out on deck and down below will cause Bdtic sailors' hearts to flutter

. , - .

Right: theraked transomincorporates theswim platform

and easi lydeployed liferaft

Above and right:viewfrom thedual helms isvery good and

mainsheet is

to hand. Flushhatches andhidden halyards

make for a very

clean deck

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for Southampton Boat Show inSeptember. However, we managed toget on board two weeks after thelaunching ceremony, conducted by thePrince Frederik of Denmark.

Danish royaltyIf you thought this was just going to beanother X-Yachts brandedperformance cruiser, think again. Thisis an impressive, genuine long-distancepassagemaker. Brand newbuilds arehabitually riddled with nigglingproblems, yet I struggled to find any-hence the superlatives that mayfollow.Both her look and her instantly evidentquality of workmanship give anadmirable fi rst impre s sion.

Modern, fullish lines combined witha raked transom ensure she sitselegantly in the water - unsurprisinggiven her designer's pedigree. But herfit-out and finish on deck and downbelow will quickly cause Baltic sailors'hearts to flutter.

Technology has long filtered downfrom racing yachts, so perhaps weshouldn't be surprised that there aremany instinctively practical featuresaboard. That transom, for example,may seem a nonchalant nod to thepast, but conceals practical purpose.With the flick of a switch half of it turnsinto a bathing platform with swimladder, and the central seat drops toprovide walk-through acces s. Inside

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the starboard aft locker are controllines to open a second door to deploya six-man liferaft. A kedge anchor canalso be located here.

The practical touches continue. Asail locker large enough for a deflatedtender can be found behind theanchor locker, with a stainless rail forhanging warps and fenders. Mastlines are barely seen-they run undercover to the winches before hiding ina neat locker under the cockpit sole.

The cockpit is large and protected,with good access to side decks plus awalkround aft deckwith quarter seats.While the rig is tall, the boom is keptshorter than that of X's cruiser-racers,leaving the cockpit completelyhazard-free. The 45 was designed withNorthern European yachtsmen inmind, but an optional bimini plus thebathing platform will no doubt enticeMed and Caribbean sailors.

Long-distance cruisers will alsosalute the fact that this boat is builtIike a tank. X continue to use a steelgrid frame around the keel to spreadIoad from the mast and bulbed flnkeel: two longitudinal girders take thekeel load and spread it across thethree main crossovers.'lWe design ourboats like this so the keel is able to hita rock at full hull speed," claimsfeppesen. Think about that for aminute! And with her fuller sectionsall tanks can be stationed centrally

Above:traditional,comfortable,secure - theinterior is verywell f inished.

Above right:pul l-down

G&Ttable

and low, reducing pitching upwind.Hull and deck are sandwich-builtusing vinylester and polyester resins,with bi-directional E-Glass for addedlightweight strength.

The X factorThis maybe billed as a cruisingyacht,but it was never going to come off theX design board without theirnotorious gift for making boats gofast. "We know cruising sailors don'tlike to go to windward, but we stillwant it to sail to windwardl" saysfeppesen. And as the first of a fjord-funnelled Force S fllled the main,l sawhe wasn't kidding. Soon B knotsappeared on the log and it rarelydipped below (before even unrollingthe genoa).

With the wind gusting r8-z8 knotsoff the land over flattish water, thesailing was exhilarating. Normallyyacht reps like to reef early, especiallyon new builds, to play cautious andkeep the boat sailing well. But eventhough we carried too much canvas,which I kept very full in an attempt tofind out how she behaved when hardpressed, there was no real concernshown from the X team.

Keeping her flatter would haveimproved boatspeed and comfort,but it was a genuine pleasure to feeltotal confidence in herbehaviour,even with the lee-rail under. Weatherhelm is enough to prevent surprises -

in fact, she has been blessed with themanners that make you just want tokeep going on a lengthy passage.

With the wind just abaft the beam,we quickly hit 9.5kts. The Jefa steeringis direct on the twin helms as twoquadrants independently link bothwheels, eliminating slack andproviding back-up steering if oneshould break. ))

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Powering back up onto the wind, sheconsistently stayed above 8 knots,between 4o-5ol off the wind, tackingthrough Bo" at over flve knots. At4oper cent genoa is standard, but a self-tacking jib is available. Downwind sailscomprise either a spinnaker orgennaker and optional bowsprit.

X-tra practicalitiesCockpit layout is practical with all sailhandling leading aft. There is seatingfor six around a sturdy table, but by thewheels the coamings reduce enoughforthe helmsmanto sit out and havegood views forward. Twin Andersen 46self-tailers control the mast lines, withthe port one powered for raising themain and furling the genoa. Thisfurling sheet fouls the foredeck, butthe trade-off for having it Ieadingundercover to a powered winch, ratherthan struggling with a line on theleeward rail, is worthwhile.

Considerable thought has also beengiven to keeping the mainsheet out ofharm's way. From the track forward ofthe sprayhood (glass windshieldoptional), sheets lead forward, then backunder deck to winches controllablefrom eitherwheel. The wide side deckshave substantial rails, cleats, raisedbulwarks and scuppers with drains.

X use discontinuous rod rigging.This, combinedwith a mast sectioncustom-made for longitudinalstrength and shape, negates the needfor runners if using the optional innerstay. X don't see any advantage of wirerigging, they like to set up the pre-tension and keep it tight. With 3o percent greater displacement and 20 percent more stiffness than the X-46 sheneeds to, and can, carry lots of sail.

The 75hp saildrive turns a three-bladed folding prop,giving 7.zkts from2,ooorpm,with 8 plus at2,4oorpm.X intend to upgrade the prop, aimingfor 8 knots atz,ooorpm. The transomsquats at speed, but manoeuvres aresuitably sharp. We docked her stern-tobetween piles in zokts of wind withoutbowthruster.

Traditional paysDownbelowthe 45 is atrifleconservative, but it's a time-honouredlayout that works well and will pleasepassagemakers. White vinyl lining and

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upholstery combined with amplenatural light to give a pleasantambience, but it's the quality of flt-outand attention to detail that impress.

Two full-height leather-coveredgrab bars greet you each side ofthecompanionway and, combined withhorizontal bars above the saloon berth.make moving around easy at heel -

helped by a single-level sole (barring azin step into the forward cabin). Theextensive satin-fl nished teak veneer,with matching grain continuingthrough all joins, whispers quality.

The U-shaped galley is both socialand secure and the nav station featuresa proper chart table,large enough foran Admiralty chart plus a large elevatedpanel for instruments. Stowage andlocker space throughout is noteworthy-with every locker incorporating neatventilation strips into the corners, plusall surfaces and shelves fiddled.

With a flxed island seat in the centre,the saloon table comfortably seatseight plus a settee berth to starboard(with neat pull-down drinks tray).Stowage, under all port berths plus sixlockers each side, is abundant.

The owner's cabin forward has alarge, high double, with cavernousstowage below. Lifting the thick, sprungmattresses also reveals the springy

slats X use for ventilation. It's spaciousand light thanks to three deck hatches- hatches and windows throughoutuse Oceanair's combination mosquitoscreen and blinds. The aft-facingheads has a separate shower cubicleand an optional washing machine inthe wet locker aside.

Our boat had the twin (almostidentical) aft cabin layout, but thestarboard double can be replaced bya large workshop if required. Apartfrom good locker space, these areunremarkable. The galley features ar4olt top-opening fridge, plus optionsfor a front-opening one, microwaveand dishwasher.

The secure navigation area will ))

Top:the mastercabin has a highbut comfortableberth and large

ensuite.Above:aft cabins arealmost identicalwith cosydoubles, but theport one can betraded for alargeworkshop

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make the long-distance cruiser feel athome - but this can be traded for a showercubicle in the aft heads. The instrumentpanel lifts for ?cce ss: with cabling endingin a safe GRP housing in case of leaks.

Hard to faultIn the cold, harsh light of reflection, Icould come up with only a couple ofgrumbles. The second heads is small andcan't be ensuite on either layout as theworkshop option is also to starboard. Themaster berth is too high - X have sincereduced it by 3in, which will lose an inchin length, but make it appear less boxy.And although the companionway lifts ongas struts, engine access is poor.

Water fllters and coolant reseryoir areto hand and there are access panels eachside, but on a 45ft cruising yacht, owners

Xc 45Polar Curue

should be able to do full servicingthemselves. The hotwatertank above thegearbox currently hinders access and the oilfilter is almost unreachable. But, followingour comments; X have already redesignedthe starboard inspection hatch to be zo percent larger - true Danish efficiencyl

Dan Pedersen heads up X-Yachts'qualitycontrol and was on board for our trial. Heshed some light upon why I found it difficultto find further faults. Several of his teamspend three days on each newbuild,meticulously going over an Boo-pointchecklist. Each boat will then receive a finalcheck once all alterations have been madeback in the yard. Their feedback is crucial tothe development of new builds, from theirrigging performance to their mechanics.

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