On test: Broadblue Rapier 550 | Yachting World
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- Опубліковано 9 жов 2014
- Yachting World video showing our trial onboard the spaceship that is the Rapier 550 - an innovative new British cruising catamaran with sailing systems inside. Does it work? The full report and conclusions featured in Yachting World November 2014 issue. Read it online here bit.ly/1KctNZZ
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I love it! The idea of having all lines down the mast with inside winches and line bags is a stroke of genius in my mind!
Really cool that you can sit out in the rain with a tiller. Much better than sitting inside in the warm!
Wow! What a great design! I like his expression at 3:44 "And its really quite good fun..." Classy boat that doesn't look like the old traditional motorsailer. Love it!
Not many motor-sailers that can actually sail at 17knots to windward! This Rapier 550 does exactly that. The issue of seeing the tell tales or any other aspects of sail trim are still perfectly possible, just different. The headsail is very easy to see from the helm and the mainsail you can see the from the mast head camera much better than you can sat under a bimini on the fly bridge. Nobody even questions the use of cameras for parking now, why not on a boat? If you really want to be more in touch with the sailing experience then the outside tiller positions give you complete view of the sails and control of the sheet trim by use of the reversing winches.
The forward looking mast camera also can be used for approaching coral reefs without having to climb the mast! The coachroof has a full array of solar panels so the power consumption of the whole boat is easily managed without running the genset. If you want to travel quickly in style and comfort why not a fast catamaran?
Mark Jarvis Il La
Love this boat Mark, perfect boat for those long sails and bad weather, just a dream...
Thanks for an interesting, innovative, practical design. Boating in general is highly conservative, so I can see how this design could be polarizing. Some comments and feedback:
0. There is no perfect design for every circumstance. Designs are selected to optimize particular lifestyles and use cases. This design isn't too "sporty" except at the tiller helms, but for real world shorthanded cruising it's highly practical and comfortable.
1. It seems that many people may not realize that real world long distance passagemaking (crossing oceans) for bluewater cruising is usually done on autopilot from inside the salon. (Or biminis, hardtops, dodgers, etc., extend the saloon to a mostly enclosed cockpit.) Therefore there's nothing wrong with a comfortable inside cockpit. In fact it's highly desirable, and this is a clever solution.
2. For wind in the hair, rain/spray on the face, etc., there are the tillers and line controls outside.
3. Lack of visibility of some of the sails is a general problem with many/most cruising catamaran designs. It's untraditional, but using the camera to see the mainsail trim is highly practical. For helms far aft, the foresails are hard to see. For helms at the rear bulkhead or further forward at the salon deck level the main and/or foresails are hard to see. For helms at or above the coachroof, boom height is compromised along with raising the mainsail center of effort, etc. A camera solves this and has other practical benefits, as you note.
4. Slow tacking is a fault of many catamarans, often due to keel or hull design. This possibly could be corrected, at added cost and complexity, with daggerboards.
5. Lack of feedback on the inside helm could be corrected by a different steering linkage design or force feedback on the steering wheel.
6. If an automotive type steering wheel is somehow offensive, replace it with a marine style wheel. (A wheel with evenly spaced spokes would arguably be slightly more practical.)
7. If helm seats are somehow offensive, replace them with the type of seats from cigarette boats where the seat bottom can fold down for a (back supported) standing watch. Or have no seats and only do standing watches.
8. The inside compression post line handling is well done and a clever compromise. It's functional and practical. It's probably safer than a Chris White style forward cockpit for both swamping and not having a forward door. It also moves the front of the salon forward for more volume inside.
9. Modern powered winches and line drivers are superbly well engineered and highly reliable, with a little eventual maintenance. Well-protected inside a salon they should be very durable.
10. The UpSideUp automated sheet/line dumping for stopping overpowering events is a great safety feature, especially for the shorthanded sailing usually done by a cruising couple or family.
11. Toby went from frowns/disdain/indifference/bewilderment inside to smiles outside. Yes, it's more fun sailing outside, however most ocean cruisers don't hand tiller steer for thousands of miles. (Maybe a few do; most do not.)
Congratulations on a bold, thoughtful and interesting design. I'm sure some myopic traditionalists hate it. I'm not and don't.
P.S. 10 tons light displacement for a boat this size is very light, so many of the overall naval architecture decisions seem functional.
@@LoanwordEggcorn Good summary. I imagine this yacht to have excellent light wind performance. Indeed, that's a very light weight for a 50+ footer with this much interior space. There's enough room that a master cabin on the main deck doesn't seem out of the realm of possibility if some of the lounge seating was sacrificed. Really fantastic design and potential.
@@jamesaron1967 Thanks for your kind words. It's a very innovative design, and it's good to have some innovation, even if not everyone likes it immediately. If we never try anything new, then there's no possibility to improve.
An up cabin arrangement could be interesting. Sort of depends on the use case. It could make more sense for a liveaboard cruising family than charters, etc. On the other hand, cabins in the hulls help privacy, and having a common area as the bridgedeck makes sense as a social space.
Great presentation as usual!
This would be my preferred blue water passage maker. I have a ways to go to get my sea legs but it's not the 'sport' of sailing that I'm keen on as much as the destinations and the safety, comfort, and speed in getting there. I also don't see myself sitting out in the wind, sun, and salt getting splashed for hours at a time when there's something like this, so well thought out, and well made available.
Questions:
1. Why aren't we seeing more diesel hybrid electric with lithium batteries systems on these cats?
2. Why not more engagement of modern tech like cameras, larger display screens for navigation systems, and integrated automated radar/sonar collision systems?
3. Security and anti-piracy systems are rarely ever discussed despite the challenges faced by blue water sailors.
Great work on the automated sail management system - to depower the sails. Means I can sleep on autopilot knowing the boat can take care of itself in a gust.
We enjoy the videos, thank you!
i guess it's kind of randomly asking but do anyone know a good website to watch newly released tv shows online ?
Scandinavian boats are largely operated from inside so BRAVO Broadblue. A lot of thinking outside the box seems to have gone into this design.
Love your reviews Toby, easy to follow.
Fantastic concept. Well done on the review.
it brings sailing into this century, just maybe a bit more advanced than most sailors are ready for with such a leap in the direction of Automation... Cars & Aircraft have evolved so much, Uber & Amazon are investing in Drones etc, Did we realy expect sailing yachts to remain in the past forever? we can't stop progress eh!
Pros & Cons to every formula.. This would be perfect for cold, wet, winter climates or any sailor confined to a wheelchare etc.
They say "Old sailors never die, they just buy a motor yacht" .......but now they don't have to!
I love this boat. very inviting concept. I would love to try and sail her. perfect for foul weather.
You looked happier on The Gunboat Toby.
Agreed Dan
Toby was on his little twink behavior in this video
Interesting concept. If I sailed it everyday, this would be the boat to do that with. Also sailing in cold waters and rough waters. A lot to be said to work the sails inside instead of dealing with all the elements. 8 hours or less with that and your ready to go indoors no matter what. No when the sun breaks out! I'm glad it has an outdoor option to sail and control the yacht with one person. My big question for long cruise is what's the back up plan if the electronics fail? In the Ocean it will fail at some point and you might not want to be the lone when it does.
Interesting that you like the idea of the tillers so that you can get outside on a sunny day.
After a few decades of sailing in the Australian sun (and looking down the barrel of skin cancer checks for the rest of my life) I'm looking for a boat where I can get out of the sun!
Well, I suppose the hulls are much thinner than a Lagoon right? A lagoon is a comfort boat (slow but with a lot of space), and this one is a bit more of a sport line with narrow space.
I have seen a video of a new brand - the HH66, seems quite a good compromise between space and speed. Not as narrow in the hulls as a gunboat, but still a fast performance since it's carbon fiber. The price however must be insane... I could barely afford an old mono now, much less a new carbon fiber cat.
There are more that can be sailed from the inside, like the Gunboat 55 (winches are inside). (Expensive though - full carbon).
The HH66 they have 2 versions of it (optional)... one of them can be sailed from inside. The one in the videos is from outside.
Wait till Daedalus yachts comes out with their 48-55 performance cat cruiser. If its anything like the D80 it will be a masterpiece no doubt.
I don't mind tech, but how durable are these controls? It's fine to be able to go outside and use a tiller but what about a power failure?
Like this boat. Looks easy to sail!
Awesome design!!
wow ,,,,this is what i call smart very smart boat ,,,, love it
Great video.
It maybe a great boat for someone who is older and not so mobile. Someone that wants to sail but needs things set up much easier... maybe?
And really in the end why not? I mean if this is the kind of thing someone wants, great. If it doesn't appeal to you, great. Lots of options out there.
Looking at the cockpits of the new IMOCA 60s you realize that the Rapier 550 was ahead of its time, a boat that you can sail at high average speeds without ever getting wet, just as they are doing today in the new IMOCA 60s.
Today you can see that the first thing buyers of live-aboard catamarans do is install a closure on the aft deck to turn it into another closed place. The Rapier 550 is already closed and incorporates that space into the total room.
When you see that those who live on board sailing around the world never steer by hand, but instead rely on autopilot throughout the ocean crossing while standing guard inside the salon, you realize that the Rapier 550 was ahead of that.
For all that I tell you that I love the Rapier 550, and it would be the boat that I would choose to live on board.
Ha, I agree - this Rapier was definitely ahead of its time!
The engine space is better than I expected
I like almost everything about this boat, especially the centralized interior control line station, but I still can’t relate to the tiny car wheel and bucket seat at the helm station. I wish there was an option for a proper wheel helm.
I feel the biggest danger would be falling asleep at the wheel. Still, cool concept. Not for everyone, but I'm sure there are some this is perfect for.
Is this yacht still made, could you do a current review if so?
That huge saloon would be perfect to place solar cells over the entire roof allowing you to get rid of the diesels and replace them with electric motors.
This is awesome not getting wet or fried from the elements!
so what makes it feel so disconnected? the helm position is the same as on the gunboats
He might have been commenting on the general feeling of a multihull vs a mono. Or possibly, the way the wheel is linked up doesn't provide any force feedback from the rudder. Maybe both.
If I had the cash this is exactly the kind of boat I would want.
And I'll be right with you.
I agree with both Jeremy and Allen, sign me up with one
Please review the new Gunboat 55.
Interesting concept that appeals to short handed sailing. A little overboard using a Momo steering wheel and Recaro seats. I guess the intent was to show its racing influence, but it's definitely misguided here. Bring the connection back with a proper non assisted wheel, and rotary potentiated knobs instead of single value levers to control the winches. I hope there's a manual override and a display of the tension in your sail.I can see the beauty of this boat for long passages, but there's a reason sport car lovers prefer manual transmissions, and there's a reason why sailors need to feel the wheel and the tension.
Car steering wheel drives me nuts...
reminds me of the logitech steering wheels for playstation/xbox. barf.
How do you dock this spaceship? Any engine controls outside?
Amazing
Nice design and one that I can only dream of owning ......Its purely a show of what can be done not what should be done ....I for one would never go for such an electronic marvel
Love it
First thats a really sweet boat. Second I think the boat take all of the fun out of sailing. The wheel and is different and its cool, I especially like the tiller too. Its also almost all automatic.
Most cruising distance is done on autopilot. There are also the tillers to use.
It would take a little while to get used to the handling systems but it’s fabulous
i like the open interior design!
…yeah, but can you imagine being thrown across that in a heavy sea!
Is it legal to use in the Volvo Ocean Race?🤔
Trying to wrap my brain around this one to be honest. It's a hard jolt to my senses seeing all the control lines and winches sitting in the center of the salon like some bizarre kiosk at the mall, I gather it would be positively maddening in fickle winds, not to mention the unavoidable technical failures. Sailing for me is all about the deep connection to this watery, windy earth and I can't imagine being hermetically sealed inside like that. Still, it's a novel and courageous concept to explore. It's not for me though.
What kind of distances do you sail William? For short distance sailors it might be good to feel the wind, but if you go around the world (literally) short handed or single handed you might go for this type instead...
To me this cat seems like maybe a good match for colder water sailing. Might be nice to be able to do most sailing/trimming without putting on survival gear.
What do you prefer? Gunboat or Rapier?
The real question is "Does this thing have turn indicators and horn"?
You can tell by his expression that he did not like it lol
I like it, sailing for dummies!!!
Yeah, like me, a dreamer who has never sailed but dream about sailing, this would be the boat for me. I'm an old fart who does not want to learn and study, I just want comfort and ease!
Sailing's easy and fun. A great way to learn is to join a local sailing club and take lessons there. Sailors of all ages are usually welcomed.
I think it is not just easy to operate, it looks boring actually,but a person on the wheelchair can go on the cruse,its fun. Th
have they sold any rapier 550
I have been watching this cat for a while love the idea don't agree with the reviewer, as the fastest cats the Gun boats are controlled from inside that does not seem to lessen the appeal the 550 though has both inside and out sit controls saw it
This was up for sale,,, wish I had enough money to buy it..
Didn't realize that this design has been around for 10 years .
Gunboat 55 has done it first. No that automated so it is boring, but having steering including lanes inside.
I'll take one.
Wich do you prefer Toby, mono hull or catamaran? thanks bro.
+jwrappuhn71 i think toby is just like this cat.......dead in the water.
jwrappuhn71
If you want fun take mono hull if you want have girls (woman) on board, take catamaran
And after time, you will start hate to live in diagonal...
I would miss being outside and the feeling you get when you do everything your self. No assistance or electronic crap.
Use the tiller. The sails on a boat this size would probably need electric winches anyway.
If you circumnavigate the globe and you are away for years and living on the boat, you get tired of being outside in the elements dude.
How many are sailing today…… I can’t find good information and the search results seem dated……
Now hoist the spinnaker!
I was thinking the same thing!
We ran two spinnakers across the Atlantic last year on our Rapier 550, one was an asymmetric and the other was a Parasailor - not sure what the imagined problem was? The halyard is hoisted from inside but because the view forward is so easy and you are close to the foredeck this was an easy job. Under Parasail we were doing 300+ miles per day, under asymmetric alone we were doing 10-20 knots with ease and comfort.
If you cruise on a Cat, why not play on one.? Look into Expandacraft, a modular watercraft that stores in small spaces and converts into all sorts of different craft. Oh, and we ship all over the world.
Why wouldn't I just buy 50€ simulator? Same experience.
PS , are they still being made?
I believe they only built one - which crossed the Atlantic on the ARC last year
All the nylon, PE or whatever fibers in the air of the kitchen...
Interesting- not sure about this-
I can see the appeal. That wheel is way out of place though. I'm pretty sure I have seen that exact same steering wheel in race cars
+bakagamer918 It's a racing brands wheel as well, What a weird design idea to put that in.
I believe they do have an option for a standard sailing wheel
I liked the concept but winch inside? No...No!!!
It seems like its no fun. Like a self-driving car. Turns a sailboat into an appliance.
That face of dissapointment through the whole video hahaha
And where's the fun in that?? Just more toys to break and tinker with.
Looking at the luff of the sail and tell tails is essential to keeping in touch with the trim of the boat in my view.
The reviewer doesn't sound convinced to me. He's saying the right words but his tone doesn't match with what he's saying.
I don't like having so much computerized control. It's a nice idea but how long do computer systems hold up in a salt air environment?
One last thing, the sharp edges on the table that I see there are dangerous to passengers and crew in an open ocean. Overall I don't like the design.
It's a 55' cat... I don't think the sharp edges will be that big a deal, although it does give it a more "block-like" feel.
From what I could see, it looks like you weren't dependent on the computers, but they sure would make your life simpler if you're sailing long distance short. Almost like another crew member.
I agree Toby seemed out of sorts with it. If you love sailing because of the sailing, I don't think this is the boat you want. If you love sailing because you like to move your house to beautiful places all over the world in safety and comfort, I'd imagine this becomes much more attractive.
True! I like Cats though. Not having to deal with healing all the time. You are right about computers being another crew member, that means a lot.
I do like rounded edges and soft lines. It's my weakness so the sharp edges don't appeal to me very much.
he sure looks uncomfortable... but I like it
I feel like the people who make long ocean passages do it FOR the grittiness.....the adventure, by turning sailing into driving a car...what’s the point of being on a sailboat. If you can afford a million dollar sailing yacht, chances are you can affairs to motor wherever you’re going too.
Is there such thing as a purist anymore? is this not just a nother evolution of the cruising yacht as we know it ?
So what happens when the electrics go out?
plebiansociety
Dead in the water.
Though solar, impellers, and wind turbines would make it a great boat. Still the electrics corrode.
plebiansociety sick a motor on it Lol, but really how often does a ship need to change out its electronics..
I'm talking about winch motor failure, an electrical short, blown panel, etc while you are miles away from any land. Electric parts corode easily, especially at sea. There's no manual winches to back up the electric, and even if they were to put one, there's no porthole for viewing the sails from the winches to even know what you're doing if you had to go to manual. I'll commend them, they've given a sailboat the ease of a motorboat, but they've also given it the same lifespan of motorboat. There's a reason motoryachts lose so much of their value compared to a sailing yacht, mechanical and electrical systems cost alot to keep up, rigging is next to nothing comparatively.
Good insight and experience, even for a rich man this Yacht has its problems, its rickety and only for show I guess. Deff not something for long crossings, where the coast guard cant come rescue quickly. I think it still has 2 motors probably, enough to hold her straight? Its not a real sailer!
I thought of the winch motor issue afterwards, this boat could be a real headache, and dangerous in a bad situation I guess hey.
plebiansociety I'm sure the manufacturer didn't put any thought into backup or manual controls.
WTF $2,083,000 not worth it. Beautiful but not for that price
Which price tag would you suggest and why?
Build one for us for cheaper.
Where's the blast of rain and sea spray in the face and your hair blown back by the wind? It's an integral part of the experience of sailing, like the difference between driving a car or being in the elements on a motorcycle.
if you are a weekend sailor... but if you start in Europe, cross the Panama canal, then the all pacific to end up in Australia... you might appreciate the comfort of not being outside all the time... this is not a race boat, it's a comfort boat for long travel....
Weird cat.
On one hand you got the high tech stuff and on the other hand we go back for a 100 years and use the hand rudder, rofl. i dont get that. probably missing the space for a steering wheel. And take a look the cabins, hahahaha real funny. pricewise i think this one will cost well over 1.5 million. wich is crazy for this kinda cat, and makes it virtually unsaleable.
This is definitely not my cup of tea and I'm not sure who this is targeted for. Is the target buyer the same as for something like a nordhavn 56 motorsailer? I'd be shocked if this cat finds a lot of buyers. It's priced higher than a Lagoon 56 (the Rapier 550 has a base price of £1,190,000), and frankly I'd prefer something with a fly bridge and something that has more of the feel of sailing. If I wanted to have more of the feel of motor yachting but cut down on fuel costs, I'd go with a traditional motorsailer.
A lot of Americans won't buy anything without a fireplace or wood stove either. being it was and still is a Honeymoon cottage before it was this faux boat. Motor Sailors, LMAO. Now see, we all know, Catamarans for the most part, can't or don't sail or are sailors without their duel 3508 turbocharged Cat motors and $1000 in fuel a day.
Mr. Midshipman All those that aren't impressed with the " having another crew member" aspect of having a computer on board probably already have one in their GPS mapping computer.
Roger Spinks A computer? Use Charts with a divider. You talking about a Chartplotter, 5X as expensive. A GPS is for cars or hikers. I don't know if Chartplotter is one word or two. So for the greater good, I chose one word. Google's just gonna have to get used to it.
Mr. Midshipman Toby seems to be sticking his nose up a little at this concept of comfortable sailing. I'm sure there is those who would rather be at an exposed helm position in a wind driven downpour or in the baking sun for hours while on watch but that just seems silly to me. I would no buy a boat that had an exposed helm unless it was a day sailor.
Roger Spinks Good for you. Don't know what I have to do with your issues but stop writing me. I think you mistaken me for someone else. I buy what I can afford.
Leggo My Ego is who you should write.
The cameraman needs to stop with the narrow depth of field and figure out how to a hold focus. For gods sake
What happened to this concept?
Didn’t sell and got forgotten. Pity though...good ideas on this boat.
She needs longer sugar scoops
Once you go TRI you won't go CAT.
funny... almost
I like my training hulls!
It does not have graceful lines and those square windows look hideous. With all that electronic gear it's obvious this is the boat for a guy who wants to go sailing without having to sail the boat!
+Walter Strong exactly, I don't like those push button for everything yachts. It's more house than sailyacht. In my opinion sailing is about adventure than comfort.
I'm not a sailor so basically I don't WTF I'm talking about! However, I've watched a ton of videos and it seems to me like there are boats that provide both comfort and adventure but this one isn't amongst them. There you have it, an expert opinion from a "keyboard sailor"!!
Do you drive a car with electric windows or manual wind up, automatic or manual shift, sat-nav or AA road map, power steering, power assist braking, reversing censers................given the choice which car would you drive.....
Don’t like it, not a bit. If I want to drive a boat then I’ll look, I like the breeze in my face with a little spray. Plus sailing is an outside sport.
Looks like catamaran design has evolved to the point where the marketing department is driving designs with gimmick features because it's the only thing left that differentiates them.
Track ID anyone? HAHAHA
This boat misses the entire point of sailing. The wind in your hair, the salt sprat in your face, the smell of the ocean in your nostrils. This boat sanitizes the entire experience.
No thank you !
i don't get why the aim of some people is to make sailing the equivalent of playing a video game. i mean wtaf is this, tacking by turning a steering wheel meant for a car and pushing a button i mean where is the fun in that... might as well just buy a motorboat...
i get the cockpit inside for sailing in harsh conditions but people should stop trying to make sailing effortless
This is ship for comfort sail and vacation. Perfect for sail around world
what fun you expect in middle of Atlantic ?
Normal sailboat have 14-30 days passage, this "monster" in ideal condition can pass Atlantic in 7 days
@@tihomirrasperic Are you drunk ?? pass the Atlantic in 7 days rofl
@@VirtanenDK if you have avg 17 KN speed make calculation...
BTW, 7 days are in perfect conditions, with perfect wind and sea
I like the idea of not going outside in the dark of night in rain to trim the sails, but, it really does have that unrefined prototype vibe. A lot of it is a matter of interior design, it's just lacking with that big ugly black leather chair and sports car steering wheel. Odd shaped windows with no curtains and the sleeping quarters for a boat of this size are simply unacceptable. There is no reason to have anyone climbing up over a step and crawling into a bed from its foot.
They need to take a page out of the Lagoon boats and have the beds facing the freeboards with huge portlights and easy access all around the bed (Lagoon 52 & 60) And the interior is a bit glum too, I would like to see less plastic surfaces, and more cloth and wood veneers like in the Fountain Pageout saloons.
I'm not sure I'm willing to forgo a sunbathing deck on the saloon topsides either.
This boat has two things going for it; it's fast going 10 knots with 10 knots of available wind. I think that is the fastest in the industry, and you are protected from the elements in gale force winds. I hope they get a real interior designer to add a feminine designer touch and re-configure the sleeping quarters because that is a deal-breaker. I actually wrote a letter to Lagoon over seven years ago requesting they drop the curved 'boat furniture' which mono-hauls require, and design it like you would any square shaped condo apartment with high-end shabby chic designer touches, and three years later they came out with two boats that fit my request. In fact, I specifically requested that the Lagoon 50/60 loose that big ugly leather and chrome attached helm chair in favor of 'normal' home furniture and this year they did, it's a free standing designer chair like you would see in a house. So I'm not the only one who wants homey over functional.
+Castaway I totally agree if those windows can be change to something like the ones on the GB55 ..... It looks a little boxy... I love the rest of it
well you can demant better furniture when you order ship
probably the least appealing sailing vessel i've seen to date... yuck.
Boat porn. Purely nasty boat porn.
Please learn to speak! I only ever listen "aahhaaaa ahhh, ohh aaahh ohhhh aaaaaaahhhhh"