Concept
A 26ft sailboat with two faces: a family cruiser one weekend, and a club racer the next one.
What is it?
A fast, versatile and trailable racer-cruiser equally suited for full-on racing one weekend, and taking your family for a cruise the one after. Fast, fun and simple sailing just came within your reach!
Who is it for?
Friends&family daily/weekend sailing.
Regatta sailing for smaller crews.
Daysailing / Sailing school
Key characteristics?
Performance: fast-fun-safe
Comfort: versatile-trailable-innovative
Owning: affordable-uncomplicated-low maintenance
Sailing/ Sailboat myths vs. our approach:
Myth #1:
To go sailing, you need a full week, 6-8 people, and a big boat.
Concept
It is increasingly difficult to find 6 or more friends to go sailing, for a regatta or just for fun. Crews of 2-4 is something you see more and more and something which is more realistic to organize nowadays. Likewise, the whole tourism is moving from Sat-Sat full week concept to short breaks somewhere from 1-4 days.
We developed a sailboat that is in line with times we live in: less people on-board and higher frequency of shorter stays. Reacher 780 will accommodate up to 4 people with adequate comfort for day sailing, weekend break, or even longer camping-style stays for sailing enthusiasts. Beam of 2,54m means you can trail it on the road without any special permit, while boat's low weight means you can do it with a regular family car. Sailing-wise, boat’s impressive sailing performance will make it a blast no matter is it a family cruise or a regatta. It’s time to rediscover smaller boats again and to make the most of that every nice weekend or afternoon!
Myth #2:
You have to choose between a racer or a cruiser version and then you’re stuck with it.
Versatility
The problem with many cruiser-racer’s today is that they are often only one of those things – you opt to buy a racer version or a cruising version (different keel, mast, etc) and then it’s impossible to switch, leaving you stuck with the choice you made.
In Reacher 780 we have a modular and versatile platform for both family cruising and performance oriented regatta environments. Our open interior plan allows for different accommodation and comfort combinations giving you the choice to use it as it suits you: 2+2, 1+1+1+1, or something in between. And you don’t have to choose between a racer or a cruiser version, you have both at all times, it's about how you want to use it. It’s the same with comfort features you’d like when cruising (cooker, fridge, music, etc.) but wouldn’t like when racing: they are all portable and easy to take onboard or leave behind.
Myth #3:
Small boat means small comfort.
Space
Sailors we know spend around 80% of their time onboard outside in cockpits. That’s why we maximized the use of (limited) space to where sailors need it, and in cockpit size we are outperforming even much bigger boats. And huge cockpit is not great just for sailing, but also for sunbathing, having a meal, or just chillin' - your friend/girlfriend/wife will also love it!
This naturally leads to a tighter interior plan, and for sure we are not claiming a space-wonder inside, but for a day or a couple of days it will be more than adequate for a crew of 4. And we haven’t just squeezed a 35 foot boat layout in 25 foot, but revised the whole thing. Clever interior plan and open space layout provide more airy interior than you would expect considering how huge the cockpit is. And yes, our bunks are 200+ cm, so again we put the emphasis where it matters.
Myth #4:
You should drag all the household amenities on a small boat for just a couple of days.
Comfort
Do you really need all the household appliances and amenities on a small boat used for daily or weekend sailing? And extra stuff means extra cost. Extra stuff means more weight and less performance. Extra stuff means more maintenance and more failure possibilities.
In Reacher 780 we have a modular and versatile platform for both family cruising and spirited regatta environments. Our comfort features (e.g. fridge, cooker, music, etc.) are all based on portable solutions leaving you the choice what to take with you every time you step on the boat. It means similar comfort but at a much lower price, weight and maintenance. You can have whatever you want, it’s just you don’t have to carry it all the time if you don’t need it. Additionally, we have developed a couple of innovative solutions making your life onboard easier and more pleasurable.
Myth #5:
Performance/ planning should be reserved for racing boats only.
Performance
It goes something like this: racers sail in double-digit speeds but don’t have any comfort. Cruisers are comfy but predestined for slow sailing in 4-6 knots range.
Luckily we have racer-cruisers or performance cruisers today where you can the best of both: reasonable comfort with spirited performance. A small boat like Reacher 780 definitely has some upwind speed limitations because of the hull/waterline length, but its modern design will give you opportunities for much faster sailing in other directions. Planning and double-digit speeds are not out of reach for a regular amateur sailor, while a relatively wide hull will give you the needed stability and control. Boat’s performance and maneuverability will suit the professionals, while easy and simple commands will appeal to a regular guy (or girl) just wanting to enjoy some fun and safe sailing without feeling intimidated.
Myth #6:
You need to be limited by the boat’s draft.
Draft
With draft more is better. Draft is good when you sail, it gives you performance, stability and safety. But less draft is better when you are not sailing. When you want to moor big draft reduces your possibilities and costs money because you’re mostly limited to marina’s. Draft is not so good when you want to anchor deep into the cove for a swim or to take shelter from the storm, or when you want to transport your sailboat or store it on land.
Reacher 780 has a lifting keel/rudders mechanism which allows you to reduce the draft from 1,80 to only 0,50m. This opens so many opportunities in all non-sailing activities: mooring, anchoring, trailing, storing. Every cove and every beach will be within your reach and accessible, with depth well below your waste being enough for the boat with keel up. Moreover, less draft directly translates to lower berthing cost potential.
Myth #7:
26 foot sailboat needs to cost as much as 2-3 family cars.
Cost
Sailing shouldn’t be a rich men's’ game, sailing is for everyone. But when a family sailboat costs as much as a Ferrari than it just isn’t a family boat. We want to take the base boat price from a supercar territory to a family car level. And by base price we mean a sail-ready boat, sails included; when you buy a car they include the wheels, don’t they?
Keeping the weight low, leaving out the complicated solutions and reducing the unnecessary built-in comfort features all help to keep the price as low as possible without compromising on quality and seaworthiness. And it’s not just about the purchase cost, it’s the same with operating cost and equipment cost. Just consider the weight factor with average boats in class being closer to 1500kg compared to our 1150kg and the impact it has on trailer cost, the kind of car you need to tow it, outboard engine power, and so on.