Sa er SE 27

The new Saffier Se 27 Leisure offers a welcome change to the trend of ever-bigger daysailers. Smaller perhaps, but no less fun, as Riemer Witteveen finds out

Hitting the sweet spot?

When Dutch boat building brothers Dennis and Dean Hennevanger asked me to test sail the Saffier Se 33 a couple of years ago, I obviously could not refuse. The boat was rather big for a daysailer, but also surprisingly simple to handle.

Above all it was a fast machine.

Not having sailed that kind of boat before, I was amazed by this take on sailing: no fuss with getting your boat prepped for a weekend away, just untie your lines and take it for a spin. Like you would with a motorbike on a sunny day instead of loading up your caravan for hours.

Shortly after testing that boat, the Hennevangers announced the even bigger Se 37 Lounge. I caught myself wondering what was next? Can they go even bigger? Isn’t 37 foot already too big for a boat you can’t even spend a two week holiday in? Then, by the end of 2019, the Hennevanger brothers announced the latest Saffier was in the pipeline and I was not disappointed. Instead of going bigger, they actually went smaller.

The Se 27 Leisure is unmistakably a boat that fits within the more modern Elegance range of the yard, with sleeker lines and faster hulls than the more traditional looking Classic range. Dennis Hennevanger has always compared Saffiers with luxurious cars: “The Saffiers in the Elegance range are like supercars: good looking, fast and exciting to drive. Whereas the boats in the Classic range are more like the Jaguars and Bentleys.”

As we walk down to the boat I look at my colleague Anke and I cannot help but state the obvious: “We have chosen a perfect day for this test!” Before casting off, Dennis shouts to me from the docks: “You

ABOVE

Effortless fast sailing in style is the name of the game

should take your shoes off!” I look down at my sneakers and think, okay, why not? There are no sharp edges anywhere and the cockpit seats, as well as the large aft deck, are covered with comfy cushions. Saffier’s Kay Heemskerk is also on board and takes his shoes off with a grin from ear to ear. “Ready for a spin?” he asks us. “Let’s go!”

Push-button sailing

We untie the lines and the standard electric Torqeedo engine helps us out of the berth, without making any noticeable sound. The cockpit of the Se 27 feels unconventional, but very much Saffier-like. There are two Harken winches on either side of the helm and a fair amount of lines running through clutches right in beside it. Kay quickly explains which line is the halyard and which are the sheets and trimming lines: “The nice thing about these electric winches is that they work both ways and you can control both of them from either side.”

Soon the Elvstrom mainsail is up without any physical effort and shortly after we unfurl the big orange Code Zero. This push-button sailing is new to me. There are no winch handles in the cockpit and easing and pulling in the sheets is done with one finger on a button. The winches respond with a slight delay and that feels unnatural to me, sailing with a big kite like this Code Zero. It takes me close to 20 minutes to get the hang of it.

The boat feels very light on its feet. With light winds up to 10 knots, we can still feel the boat heeling and accelerating with every little puff of air. There is hardly any pressure on the rudder, but she responds quickly. “You should sail her like a dinghy,” says Kay. And I’m confused because I don’t know how I would sail a dinghy with electric winches without a sheet in my hand. I decide to push a bit harder and as I change position to the lee side of the boat, I lose control of the rudder as I feel the boat swiftly pointing towards the wind. I unwrap the mainsheet from the winch to release it a bit faster. When the boat is back under our control Kay is still laughing hard. “I told you, you should sail her like dinghy. Every bit of weight counts!”

With his words ringing in my ears, we take off again hitting 7 knots of boat speed in the more vigorous puffs of breeze. All the helm needs is one finger to make little corrections. The boat feels completely in the groove and very assured.

ABOVE

Testing the aft lounging area

BELOW

(left) The hull is narrow and easily driven; (right) A self tacking jib makes life simple, while the fixed screen is a distinctive feature

Down below

As we throw out our anchor for a quick lunch, I go below decks to have a quick look around. Being 6’6” it’s not very spacious, but I can easily imagine falling asleep on one of the bunks after a long day of sailing. Of course, being a daysailer it’s designed for some hours of good fun before going back home to sleep in your own bed. This particular boat is equipped with a nice little (optional) fridge so you can enjoy some cold ones and keep your lunch fresh. It’s nice to have a bit of shelter from the rain, but don’t expect to comfortably play a game of Monopoly with the kids. Life is meant to be enjoyed outside on this little Saffier, but it’s nice to have the option to go away for a few days without having to set up a tent onshore anyway.

With a bit of reluctance, I hand the wheel over. I wasn’t done playing yet, but I do have to admit

that the a deck looks rather cozy in the sun. Even though the boat really does sail like an oversized dinghy, there’s no dinghy I know of that allows you for a quick snooze on deck while under sail.

My colleague needs about the same amount of time to get used to this type of electric dinghy sailing, but soon we are ying again. We’ve own downwind for the rst half and we are eager to nd out how she performs upwind. Close to the shore as we are now, the wind is very shi y, so we have to be aware of every little gust. Our eyes track down little patches of wind on the water. e swi response on the rudder is very welcome in these conditions and the large main sail helps us forward. Suddenly a windshi comes in unannounced. e wind changes about 90 degrees to the lee side of the boat and without touching any button, the boat simply tacks itself and sails on within a matter of seconds. Try that with an ocean going boat!

THE VERDICT

Dean and Dennis Hennevanger have the experience to successfully work out a new concept, no one thought they wanted. is daysailer is no exception and a very welcome addition to both their classic and more modern daysailers. is little brother of the Sa er 33 UD and 37 Lounge has a few feet less, but is in no way a lesser boat. It’s got all the qualities and fun packed into 27 feet and it seems that Sa er has hit a sweet spot. Winning the European Yacht of the Year award makes perfect sense.

PERFORMANCE: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ LOOKS : ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ PRACTICALITY: ★ ★ ★ ★★

THE SPEC

Length: 8.2m (26’9”) Beam: 2.6m (8’5”) Draft: 1.65m (5’4”) (standard) 1.05m (3’4”) (shallow version) Displacement: 1.900 kg Main: 24m2 (258sq/ft) Self tacking jib: 15m2 (161sq/ft) Genoa (108%): 18m2 (193sq/ft) Contact: sa eryachts.com Price: €90.000 (base price includes motor but not sails (as tested) €160.000 excluding VAT (includes carbon rig and electric winches)

ABOVE LEFT

e 27 displays many characteristics of a big dinghy

ABOVE RIGHT

e distinctive windscreen is a feature of all Sa er yachts

BELOW

Under sail in prime conditions; sunshine and a decent breeze

Feisty, and comfortable

Sailing back to the piers in front of IJmuiden is di erent. Sur ng behind the Code Zero was exciting, but tacking to windward is far from boring. e wind has died a little. Still the speed gauge shows a pleasant 4.5 to 5 knots of boat speed, which is very rewarding. I’m amazed by how powerful this boat actually feels sailing close to the wind.

Some tacks later, our time is up. As we roll up the sails in front of the harbour, I can’t help but to compare this feisty little daysailer with my own 48 year old Contessa 32. e boats are incomparable, but the simplicity of this concept is very addictive. e electric motor buzzes us into the berth and the sunburn and smile on my face says it all.