We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest yachts of our times. Alan Roberts nominates the Ultim Actual 4

Performance voyaging in a responsive, elegant craft is the dream for most sailors, a dream that Kinetic Catamarans was set up specifically to realise by offering top-quality fast-cruising catamarans with clean lines for those with discerning tastes. Its new all-carbon K6 range aims to push the boundaries of performance cruising in luxury.

The US-based brand builds high-end bespoke multihulls in small series from its own yard in Knysna, South Africa, a facility which has recently undergone a major expansion. Kinetic’s popularity is already proven in its existing KC62 and KC54 models; now it’s shifting gears with the announcement of a new K6 range of maxi-cats, which comprises a 63 and its sistership 67.

Where the 63 is designed to suit owner-operated cruising, with the ability to fit in a 20m berth, the 67 is more suitable for sailing with a professional crew. It should be emphasised that these two new models are individually designed and built to length, rather than one being a stretched or squashed version of the other. That means properly balanced platforms, with the 67 proportionally larger all over, with the key bulkheads moving aft to allocate its additional space proportionately and retain a balanced sail plan.

K6: For sailors who demand more

What sets the K6 range apart? Firstly, there’s the visual appeal: these fresh new Simonis Voogd designs have strikingly clean aesthetics. Then comes their tangible potential afloat: these carbon fibre builds offer thrilling sailing in first-class comfort and control.

Consider the ability to cruise shorthanded while matching the wind speed. This is achieved through multiple factors, including the lightweight composite construction, coupled with a powerful but manageable sailplan. For example, Kinetic provide the option for in-boom furling of the square-top mainsail. When you combine this with a hydraulically powered mainsheet lead and traveller, which is kept out of harm’s way on the coachroof, it all adds up to easy push-button sail trimming from the helms.

The K6 platform is also one which can be optimised further still to allow for racing indulgences, for those who occasionally want to really push their craft and see what’s under the hood.

Features born out of experience

Signature Kinetic features are continued in the K6 range, including lifting centreboards to benefit upwind performance, and spacious forward cockpits, which link to an interior helm station. This latter feature allows you to steer from a completely protected position, in close contact with the mast base winches, while being able to check the mainsail shape through the large moonroof stylishly blended into the coachroof’s solar field. For those sailors who really enjoy the hands-on sporty sensation, the K6 also has exterior wheels on the raised side decks.

While daggerboards are an option, Kinetic prefer centreboards as they maintain the clean deck lines and provide a safety fuse in the case of grounding. Once again, these are controlled by push-button, via powered line drivers, and are contained below the floorboards in the hulls.

When at rest, the K6 offers a formidable leisure platform. The new forward cockpit design again creates real appeal, with its removable awning and sunpads designed into the deck, while the aft cockpit is completely free of lines and sail handling systems. Imagine the horizon views from here as you fold the transom down to create a bathing platform terrace on the sea.

A real highlight of the new K6 designs lies in the flexible accommodation spaces, particularly in the owner’s suite, which can take over a whole hull as private space and offer a full office section too. These suites also have their own access out to the aft decks, for that instant morning swim.

Look and feel

September 2025 is the first time Kinetic Catamarans is exhibiting at a boat show in Europe. Be sure to pay them a visit at the Cannes Yachting Festival, from 9-14 September, on Sail booth 024, where you will be able to see their KC54 in person and learn more about this transformational new K6 range.

In the latest from the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3, Biotherm is still defending its perfect streak from Leg 1 and Leg 2.

The race leader arrived in Nice just before dawn on 29 August, with Holcim-PRB following just twenty-seven minutes later. Both foiling IMOCAs averaged over 20 knots of boatspeed as they raced towards the finish line.

In third, Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei, finishing just 53 minutets after Holcim-PRB.

“We didn’t make all good choices,” said Beccaria. “But we are improving so much as a team. Our boat is not designed to sail in light unstable winds like here, but as soon as we have wind we are flying. We love the boat and we love the team.”

Yoann Richomme’s Team Paprec Arkéa (FRA) – skippered on this leg by Corentin Horeau (FRA) for this leg followed in 4th, despite sustaining damage after a broken halyard sent the J0 headsail into the water.

The rest of the Ocean Race Europe fleet soon finished their 3-day, 680 nautical mile passage. The Mediterranean challenged sailors right up until the end, with unpredictable weather conditions, low pressure fronts, and sudden squalls of up to 70 knots.

“In the light winds it can be more work than in the strong winds,” said Malizia’s Boris Hermann. “We had all conditions – from reefed and small headsails to spinnakers. We used all the sails which is not normally the case on most legs. It was all-the-time full-on action and enjoyable racing. It was so motivating to have our competition in sight all the time.”

“It was an incredible leg,” added Holcim – PRB skipper Rosalin Kuiper. “I have never experienced something like this: so many manoeuvres, all the weather models were different to what we saw on the water. We had to be super flexible and dynamic and we didn’t sleep much – the crew is exhausted.”

Ocean Race Leg 3 at a glance

• Uncertainty over Mediterranean conditions, long nights of light airs and frequent sail changes along the Spanish coast
• Neck-and-neck race between Biotherm and Holcim-PRB before Biotherm regained the lead
• Unstable forecasts prompt a race course adjustment away from Ille de Giraglia to a virtual waypoint
• Team Amaala, trailing behind the fleet, is hit with gusts surpassing 70 knots

Leaderboard

1. Biotherm (Skipper: Paul Meilhat)
2. Team Holcim-PRB (Skipper: Rosalin Kuiper)
3. Allagrande Mapei Racing (Skipper: Ambrogio Beccaria)
4. Paprec Arkéa Team (Skipper: Corentin Horeau)
5. Team Malizia (Skiper: Boris Hermann)
6. Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive (Skipper Scott Shawyer)
7. (Still to finish) Team Amaala (Skipper: Alan Roura)

The start of Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

The fleet left Cartagena on the afternoon of 26 August in 12-17 knots of fresh north-easterly. Crews sailed upwind, braiding a neat line of tacks up the Spanish coastline.

Biotherm was again first through the scoring gate at Cabo de Palos, making the most of the ideal conditions and confirming their as-yet untarnished score.

All teams reported feeling unsettled by the incoming low pressure and the general meteorological instability of the Mediterranean.

Paul Meilhat of Biotherm commented before setting off, “There is low pressure on the way. We don’t really know what will happen but it will change the timings a lot – so we don’t really know what the course will be.”

“It’s going to be super challenging,” said Team Holcim-PRB’s Rosalin Kuiper. “We will prepare for every scenario and we will see when we are out there.”

Boris Hermann, who replaced Leg 2 skipper Will Harris onboard Malizia, says “The centre of that low might coincide with our biggest obstacle – which is the beautiful island of Mallorca. We might sneak very close past the northern coast of Mallorca, but other scenarios yield different routes. There will be surprises up until the end.”

Biotherm also made some crew changes for the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3, replacing Jack Boutel with fellow frenchman and Vendee Globe alum Benjamin Ferré.

First night of Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

Heading into the night, teams had to chose between preserving an ideal heading with less wind, or chasing stronger breezes offshore.

“It’s been breeze versus angle pretty much the whole night,” explained Team Malizia’s Cole Brauer. “You get a nicer angle going into the shore, but less breeze, so you kind of have to play both sides to find a little happy middle ground.”

The upwind conditions came with an intense workload for crews, demanding frequent tacks and constant trimming.

Italian sailor Ambrogio Beccaria of Allagrande Mapei was unfazed by the unpredictable conditions.

“I love Mediterranean sailing,” he commented. “I was born here and it is what made me love the sea. I hope she loves me too, but sometimes it is a difficult relationship and it is hard to understand what she wants.”

His team was considering several possible routing options. “We need to use our instincts,” he said of deciding tactics. “We like that.”

Biotherm and Holcim-PRB race neck-to-neck

The pace picked up after a long night of light, humid airs. Holcim-PRB’s Carolijn Brouwer described the conditions as: “Hot, sticky, sweaty – but fun.”

“I don’t know how many times we changed headsail – maybe five or six times – so it is a lot of work for the crew,” said Mielhat.

The middle of the second day saw 16 knots of northerly breeze, and Biotherm and Holcim-PRB locked in a close battle for first place. In some points, the two contenders were separated by just a half mile. Team Paprec Arkéa, closely followed by the rest of the fleet, fell another 12 miles behind.

Biotherm pulled ahead after a close battle, but the leading team never rested on its laurels.

Biotherm sailor Sam Goodchild (GBR) commented, “All night we felt like they were going quicker than us behind us and we were going into lighter winds – so we felt like they were catching up. The forecast was saying that we were going to park in front of Nice for a few hours to wait for the wind. All of that was not for relaxing.”

“The only moment we felt ‘we have got this’ was about half a mile from the finish line, when we could see wind between us and the finish.”

Holcim – PRB helmsman Franck Cammas commented, “We fought against Biotherm from the beginning to the end. Even two hours before the finish we hoped to overtake them. The battle is very nice. It’s what we love in The Ocean Race: to fight against the very best crew in the world and to be able to see them all the time.”

Brutal last day of the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3

Stronger winds arrived as the fleet approached the French coast, close to the island of Poquerolles.

In light of the meteorological instability, Race Control issued a course amendment that shifted the final turning mark of Leg 3 from the Ile De La Giraglia to a virtual waypoint 20 miles further to the northwest. The switch kept the fleet from having to round the island in potentially treacherous conditions, which are forecast to include thunderstorms and gale force winds.

The dismal forecast kept its promise when a sudden wind squall with winds reaching 70 knots sent Team Amaala skipper Alan Roura on deck to reduce sail (in his underpants!).

Roura commented that he has never experienced such heavy swells in the Mediterranean Sea before, and that maintaining the speed of the boat was of a lower priority than securing the sails to prevent them from being displaced from the deck of the boat.

“It was beautiful. We really enjoyed it so much,” he said after the finish, in typical good humour. “We love it when it’s stormy like this. Until the end we were in the game and that’s a good feeling. We were last, but not by so much!”

When is the Ocean Race Europe Leg 4?

The fleet will set off for Ocean Race Europe Leg 4 on 31 August for a 600 nautical mile sprint to Genoa, Italy, which hosted the Grand Finale of the first inaugural Ocean Race Europe in 2021.

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If you enjoyed this recap of the Ocean Race Europe Leg 3….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

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Between £50,000 and £100,000 might mark the point at which boat buying gets ‘serious’. And while nobody is claiming that £100,000 is not a lot of money, in today’s yacht market it’s probably not going to buy you a new bluewater yacht.

So is the adage of legendary cruisers Lin and Larry Pardey ‘go small, go cheap, go now’ still feasible? Albeit with ‘cheap’ now being a little less cheap, and fewer adventurous sailors today likely to build their own yacht.

The £100,000 figure, and sticking to it, can be a useful benchmark in itself, forcing a buyer to focus the mind on what they really need for an adventure afloat. Air conditioning? Certainly not. A rig in good order? Certainly.

A lack of complication has other advantages; less to inspect and get ready means leaving sooner. But what is really possible, and what is it smart to look out for when shopping for a cruising yacht while spending under £100,000?

Careful buyers

Broker David Morris deals regularly with yachts around the £100,000 price point. He explains that clients are quite often either those with very little experience, or a lot, but almost all are very aware of price.

“It’s a very price sensitive area of the market. For a 35ft yacht you are going to be looking at around £800 for a survey, plus the haul-out costs; so even just thoroughly checking out a boat is a big amount of money proportional to overall spend.”

A survey is still undertaken by the majority of buyers, but Morris explains that in this sector of the market some don’t bother, particularly when it’s a relatively new yacht. “I recently sold a Dufour 360 for a little over £100,000 and they took the view that they’d take their chances. The yacht was only four years old and lightly used, so it’s true that there is less risk.”

The question of what expensive items will be needed to buy, or costly work to be undertaken immediately or shortly after purchase, is one of the first asked by potential buyers. “A new engine, something that’s often up for consideration, could easily be £10-15,000, so 10-15% of the overall purchase cost.

Other items, like rigging, some sellers will change pre-emptively, knowing that it could well be a big factor in making the yacht attractive for a quicker sale.”

Don’t underestimate

So what do buyers often fail to consider? David Morris suggests that buyers look at the major costs of upgrading a boat that’s bluewater capable, but not really bluewater-equipped.

“At the £100,000 price point, if it’s a yacht that’s never been used for ocean sailing, it probably doesn’t have the kit. The autopilot set-up would probably be my number one consideration. On a small yacht, more specifically, wind vane steering gear would be high on my list of priorities.”

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Hans Dettman is another broker often dealing in the same market price range. “I get a lot of novice buyers, and then occasionally some that really know their stuff and what they want,” he explains.

When it comes to pricing, Dettman has seen some changes in the market recently. “Really well-built boats are fetching a slight premium now simply due to scarcity. Westerly yachts are a good example of that because hulls now are rarely built to that standard. People are appreciating something that was never so fashionable but is fundamentally good.”

Sellers with yachts built by well-established high-end brands, Dettman explains, tend to price highly to begin with. “Owners tend to believe their yacht is worth more than it really is, especially when it’s a desirable bluewater brand, so you can quite often see these on the market for a while.

“There are also sometimes sellers bringing yachts to the market where they’ve plainly let lots of small jobs build up until they are too much for them to tackle. Some spend at this point can be prudent to take the yacht to market and prove investment has been made.

As a rule, sellers tend to get around 10% less than listed price, but it does vary,” he explains.

What to look at on a £100,000 yacht

Things you might not have considered at this price point – advice from broker Hans Dettman:

• Maintenance. A boat that’s completed ocean crossings will suffer more exposure to the elements. The cost of service and replacement of parts will be higher. Buying a proven boat may not necessarily be a good thing, since it will have had much higher stresses in its lifetime.
• The cost of equipping the boat for a crossing. The RYA-recommended kit is extensive and includes a liferaft, EPIRB, flares and many other items. Generally, I find when selling a boat that a lot of this equipment has expired, so check expiry and service dates.
• Is the boat sufficiently equipped electrically? Specifically batteries, and charging equipment such as solar panels, battery chargers, generator, shore power, wind generator. Is the 12V system divided into engine and domestic to avoid accidentally running the engine battery flat?
• Rigging and chainplates. A lot of boats have chainplates hidden behind the interior joinery, making them impossible to check without removing fixed parts of the interior. We had this recently with one of our berth holders who lost their rig as the chainplates were left too long unchecked because they were hard to get to.

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If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

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