FIRST TEST LINJETT 39

This long-established, yet little known, Swedish yard believes it has the perfect formula for a contemporary yacht with timeless appeal. Rupert Holmes put her through her paces

- Rupert Holmes

 Today’s new designs are invariably variations on a common theme. Happily they tend to sail better than earlier designs, while also offering more accommodation volume. But are other approaches to yacht design viable today?

The Rosättra Boatyard, 90 minutes north of Stockholm, definitely believes there are better options. The firm, which has only had one change of family ownership since it was founded in 1886, introduced the Linjett range of cruiser racers in 1973.

Today it quietly produces 10-15 performance cruisers a year across a three-model range from 34-43ft. The yard also enjoys outstanding customer loyalty, looking after 220 Linjetts every winter – a quarter of all boats built since the range’s inception. The small production numbers of new yachts means design and tooling costs must be amortised over a long period – each model is expected to remain in production for up to 15 years. Together these factors foster a long-term mindset, and the promise a boat that won’t date as quickly as more mainstream offerings.

The Linjett 39 is the latest model and, like the rest of the range, was designed in-house. From a distance it has echoes of classic early 1990s designs such as Stephen Jones’ excellent Sadler Starlight 39. However closer up, and especially once you start sailing, it’s very clear this is a more contemporary design in many respects, with performance and handling to match.