If you're after a go-anywhere cruiser, the Allures 45.9 firmly ticks that box, says Graham Snook in Yachting Monthly. The raw battleship-grey aluminium hull "might not to be everyone's tastes", but it's "insanely practical" it won't crack or craze, it doesn't fade or need polishing, and in ten years' time it will pretty much look the same, other than a few more scuffs and scrapes.
She's "a handsome vessel", says Tom Dove in Sail Magazine. The 45.9's long waterline, plumb bow and flat sheerline follow the current design trends for performance cruisers, while the deckhouse has a clean, smooth line that melds into a wide, functional cockpit.
The rig is a versatile double-headed sloop with an anchor bowsprit that allows you to set a big asymmetric spinnaker in light conditions. A single person can move out and tend all the controls, while a crew of two will find sailing this boat especially easy, says Dove.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
There are three accommodation layouts to choose from for the interior. Cruising World's test boat was a two-cabin model with a large single head to port off the companionway, and with a technical room aft of the head, which is "really terrific", says Herb McCormick for Cruising World. The interior layout "belies the workmanlike appearance of the robust topside". In other words, "it doesn't look like an expedition boat but rather a contemporary cruising boat with accoutrements that wouldn't feel out of place on a modern, French production model".
All in all, the 45.9 feels "indestructible" in the water, says Snook. She "gives me all I want in a cruising yacht and so much more".
Length overall: 48ft 4in. Loaded water length 45ft. Beam: 14ft 6in. Draft: 9ft 6in (board down); 3ft 6in (board up.) Displacement: 28,224lb.Ballast: 10,707lb. Fuel/water (gallons): 165/111. Engine: 60hp Volvo. Designer: Berret-Racoupeau.
-
Who is the richest person in the world?The top five richest people in the world have a combined net worth of $825 billion. Who takes the crown for the richest person in the world?
-
Top 10 stocks with highest growth over past decade - from Nvidia, Microsoft to Netflix, which companies made you the most money?
We reveal the 10 global companies with the biggest returns since 2013. One firm has posted an astonishing 9,870% return, meaning a £1,000 investment would now be worth almost £82,000.
