The Sarch shipyard was founded in 2016 in Denia, on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Created by Axel de la Hidalga and his wife - in charge of communication and interior design - it now has a team of 6 people.
If the birth of the shipyard was motivated by Axel's desire to create its own boat, whose specifications are to be transportable, light, fast, but also habitable, the range has since developed.
A range of dayboats
The yard produces two dayboats - the DS6 (5.99 m) and DS8 (7.95 m) - for day sailing. If they have a small cabin, the headroom remains quite low, making it impossible to live there. These two models have a very distinctive look with a well marked chine, a pinched bow and an open cockpit. These dayboats are equipped with a sabre daggerboard which, when raised, reduces the draught to 12 cm.
"They're like little Wally's, they're the perfect dinghy for owners of big sailboats or motorboats who want to have fun on the water. They are transportable, easy to dismast and manoeuvre single-handed and unsinkable thanks to to watertight caissons at the bow and stern" explains Patrice Montero, from the Sarch shipyard based in the South of France.
A range of habitable yachts
Sarch also offers two liveable models - the S7 (6.95 m) and S8 (7.95 m), which are equally easy to drive single-handed and easy to transport and mast. A desire of the founder, who was passionate about the Mini 6.50, wanted to have the same ease of use for his own boats.
"The S8 is an extrapolation of the S7 with an extra six feet on the rear and an extra six inches of headroom, with an inside height of six feet." details Patrice Montero.
Like all the models in the range, these yachts are built on an Okumé plywood base, with carbon/glass fibre (fabric) and then consolidated with epoxy. The 1.5 cm thick deck is built in infusion with an aircell foam core with a grid pattern. The interior is very solid and odourless, with a very appreciable absence of odour.
"The shipyard has chosen to work on the construction of its boats in a top-of-the-range way by not using polyester. The S7 weighs 1.2 tons and the S8 1.3 tons. Everything is done by hand, it's a lot of work, but the result is very beautiful. The bulkheads are structural, which makes it possible to have boats with very clear interiors. Finally, the foam core of the deck prevents condensation in the boat, makes it particularly rigid and soundproof and regulates the temperature."
These two habitable models offer the same layout: double transverse berth at the stern (1.43 x 2.30), galley on the starboard side in the passageway with a nice worktop and fridge, alcohol stove (it is possible to opt for other means of cooking) folding table with bench seat on the port side which can be converted into a berth, large double berth at the bow with a length of 2.20 m and a toilet with WC and washbasin.
In the S8, extended by 1 m, the space-saving rear storage space saves on storage space and offers the possibility of installing an inboard engine.
"In the Mediterranean, we're content with an electric motor (Torqeedo for my part), which is only used for harbour manoeuvres. If you need more than that, just plug it into the battery and you'll have over 30 hours' autonomy."
The S7 is approved in category B and the S8 in category A. In fact, it is the only transportable sailboat in this category.
These two yachts are equipped with a daggerboard that can be raised with a hoist from the single winch. In this configuration it is possible to beacher, with the bulb protruding and a draught reduced to 30 cm instead of 1.70 m for the S7 and 2 m for the S8. If the boat is a little heeled, the yard also offers crutches to facilitate grounding.
They also have two folding rudders, which can be raised and a swim ladder built into the transom, which can be extended at the click of a button.
In terms of equipment, the shipyard has focused on quality: Harken fittings, AG+ Spars rigging, North sails.
"Sarch's philosophy is to offer boats that are easy to sail single-handed. There is a single winch, a self-tacking jib on furler or jib furler, an asymmetric spinnaker on furler. Thus, they mix performance and ease of trimming for the helmsman and interior comfort for the guests ", concludes Patrice Montero.
Price S7 : 47?750 euros HT without sails
