Y6

Over the past decade Y Yachts’ range of 70 to 90-footers has stood out from the pack in an increasingly crowded market place.

- RUPERT HOLMES

These semi-custom lightweight carbon fibre yachts offer a level of simplicity, along with the possibility of short-handed – or even solo – sailing that's rarely encountered on a fast cruising yacht of this size.

But until now the German yard, formed by Michael Schmidt, has not offered a smaller yacht than its first series-built model, the 70ft Y7. The 64ft Y6 is therefore a major departure that brings Y Yachts' appealing philosophy, including a flexible semi-custom approach, to a wider audience. Like its larger stablemates, the Y6 is a Bill Tripp design that the yard says is the result of ‘customer demand for maximum privacy and easy handling’.

These aims are achieved through the design and layout of systems, along with minimising displacement, so the boat can be sailed and, if necessary, maintained without professional crew on board. A small forward crew cabin is, however, offered as an option.

Compared to the Y7, this model is proportionally slightly heavier and has a marginally lower sail area/displacement ratio, though it's still within the ultra-light bracket.