Giving Iroise a big brother 46
Visit bord à Bord construction site is a well-known Breton specialist in aluminum boats, notably for its workboats and small motor hulls, but it had not delivered a sailboat since the Iroise 46 in 2012. Faced with numerous requests, Loïc Cheynet, who took over the reins of the shipyard in 2019, turned to Pierre Delion, already behind the first model, to design a new boat: "10 years apart, we couldn't produce the same boat. By going from 46 to 48 feet, the objective is not habitability, but speed, and this seems to have succeeded in view of the first sailings. For the Iroise, we have set up a joint venture with Dream Race Boats Armor, which will take care of the fitting out."
A cockpit for a reduced crew
With a sturdy roll-bar housing solar panels, an easily accessible and visible liferaft aft and a davit on the port side of the transom for secondary mooring, the Iroise 48 is immediately clear about its cruising ambitions. A rear deck relatively close to the water allows you to enjoy the anchorage.
The two side helm stations, fairly centrally located, take care of all maneuvers. 4 winches, centralized between the two helms, with two beautiful integrated lockers, are sufficient for the sheets and piano.
The two cockpit benches are protected by the very high superstructure. This protects the crew well, but limits visibility to some extent.
Safe traffic flow
On the model we visited, the entire deck was covered with optional Seadek. Wide gangways give access to the foredeck, with a small step in the corner of the helm station to compensate for the low cockpit.
At the foot of the mast, two hoops allow you to brace your back for maneuvers. At strategic points on the boat, on the foredeck and in the cockpit, chainplates are positioned for the lifelines.
At the bow, there's a delfiner with double davits. And the two furlers for the genoa and staysail. The 52 m2 genoa, combined with the 53 m2 battened mainsail, gives the yacht plenty of room to move, with a light displacement of 13.2 tons.
Elegant and adaptable
The boat's interior layout, designed by DRB Armor, can be revised to suit customer requirements, based on two programs: one for solo sailors and short crews, corresponding to the one visited, and the other more family-oriented with a 3-cabin + 2-banquette version.
Access to the interior from the cockpit is via a 3-leaf Goiot telescopic door, which disappears completely in the lowered position, but allows different levels of ventilation in intermediate positions.
On the port side of the companionway, an attractive watch station under the dog-house houses all the electronics.
A first step down leads to the spacious saloon on starboard, while a few more steps lead to the galley on port.
In the version we visited, there's a well-appointed workshop on the aft port side, with crates and equipment racks, while on the starboard side, a double cabin is housed under the cockpit, with a height that's a little low for a yacht of this size, but which should be reviewed, says the shipyard.
Forward of the saloon, there's a passageway on the port side for a desk that converts into a bench seat, with the option of a second one up high.
On starboard, the comfortable owner's cabin. A bathroom is located in front of the cabin.
Finally, a semi-watertight door opens onto an attractive front compartment, also accessible via a deck hatch.
On the whole, we're impressed by the finish of the fittings, rather modern for this type of range, combined with the functional aspects of a specialist work unit yard.
Iroise 48 is offered at a base price of ?650,000 on September 30, 2023, including mainsail and genoa.
