ARCONA 50

The new flagship for Swedish yard Arcona represents a new era and a bold new direction. Theo Stocker went to find out whether there is still a family resemblance to her smaller siblings

- Theo Stocker

Does a metre really make that much difference when it comes to boat length? It may be one small step up in size, but it represents a giant leap for the normally understated Swedish yard Arcona. Take a look at their stunning new flagship, the Arcona 50, and you'll see how different this boat is to the rest of their fleet.

Stefan Qviberg, the yard's resident designer, passed away in 2018 having drawn every Arcona from 1982 onwards. The new designer had some big boots to fill.

Conveniently, the design duo of Niels Jeppesen and Ariadna Pons had recently stepped away from X-Yachts to establish their own design practice. The potential accusation that the Arcona 50 looks more like an X-Yacht is therefore not entirely unfounded, though Arcona would respond that it looks like an Arcona drawn in the style of Jeppesen & Pons, rather than an imitation of any other yard.

The fact is, however, that a wide, full stern that is balanced by full bow sections, pronounced hull chines and twin rudders represents a departure for the Swedish yard from its trademark slow, sleek and sharp-bowed coastal cruisers. It represents not only an incorporation of the recent advances in design thinking, but also the entry into the highly competitive luxury cruiser market. She’ll stand toe-to-toe with other yachts around the 50ft, £1m mark, including the Solaris 50, X-Yachts X49, or Swan 48 as well as boats from Grand Soleil and Oyster.

DISTINCTIVE DNA

That being so, I was keen to find out how much of the distinctive Arcona DNA has survived this evolution. I was joined for the test sail by the boat’s designer, Ariadna Pons, and as she enthused about the boat, it became clear that this is a boat that is set apart by understated but key details. The 50 may do similar things to other boats, she just aims to do them better.