On test: Pegasus 50

Daring to be different

Yacht design can be infuriatingly conservative at times but, once in a while, someone comes along with something a bit different. The Pegasus 50 definitely is, as Sam Jefferson discovers

One of the fascinating things about boat tests is that every boat designed and built then proudly presented to you is the culmination of many thousands of man hours, often many years of development. You step aboard, take a look around, go for a sail and then say ‘well, yes it’s ok’ – or whatever.

In the very worst case the boat is so forgettable you struggle to think of anything to say at all. This is not a concern I had after quitting the

Pegasus 50; a reviewer’s dream in that it is wilfully different. Concept number one was a fast, lightweight blue water cruiser made out of carbon. Fair enough; concept number two seems to have been to ditch the aft cabin.

This seems odd but in fairness, get rid of that inconvenience and you open up all sorts of possibilities – most pertinently the eternal problem of the cockpit and saloon being extremely separate areas.

The main advantage of no aft cabins as here, is that you can then lower the level of the cockpit substantially, meaning that the transition from cockpit to saloon is suddenly not a dramatic one. Add into the equation massive sliding patio doors, which let in masses of light and open up the space, and you have what all monohull boatbuilders are constantly battling to achieve – generally in vain.

So that’s radical concept number one, but there are all sorts of clever touches. Yet before we get to them, a spot of background... Pegasus is a

Slovenian company bankrolled by

Swiss businessman Ernst Thomke.

Some may recall he was involved in the revival of the Swiss watchmaking industry, driven by Swatch watches.

Now he has turned his hand to yachts with interesting results.

The boat has been designed by

Marko Pas who previously worked extensively with Shipman Yachts, among others. He is a partner in the company and therefore has skin in the game so to speak, and it’s clear he has put his all into this new design. The hull is a fibreglass/ carbon composite with the main hull featuring an outer skin of fibreglass, a PVC foam core and then a carbon inner skin. The deck is carbon, as are many other mouldings. This keeps weight down compared to a standard cruiser. The hull shape features relatively full bow sections – as is the modern trend – but comparatively modest beam aft by recent standards.

There are twin rudders but the real piece de resistance down here is the tandem keel. This comprises two relatively narrow foils set in line with a gap or ‘window’ between them and a long lead torpedo bulb bridging the gap. It’s not a new concept – those with very long memories may recall Bruce Farr’s radical America’s Cup design Kiwi Magic sported a tandem keel. That boat, incidentally, narrowly missed out on challenging for the America’s Cup after losing the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup to the Italian Il Moro de Venezia. Anyway, that’s another story. The tandem keel on the Pegasus allows for relatively modest draft (2.35m) with a lot of lead low down that gives the boat a ballast ratio of 39.7%. All of this

ABOVE

Striking lines set off in this case by an equally striking paint job

BELOW

The low, roomy cockpit was a real boon adds up to a boat with excellent speed potential. Combine that with a comfortable interior and you have a boat with what the manufacturers feel is a winning formula.

On deck

The Pegasus is dominated by that coachroof. The decision not to have aft cabins means that it is set well back and, although it is relatively high, the lack of aft cabins keeps the cockpit and coachroof low and relatively sleek. The solid bimini therefore looks low and stylish rather than unwieldy and there is a definite look of the IMOCA in the set up. Starting at the back, there is a wide drop-down bathing platform and the transom is further enclosed by a long, narrow seat that runs across the transom. This can be lifted out when the bathing platform is dropped and doubles as a passarelle – a clever touch. Beneath this is a garage for a dinghy which can accommodate a fully inflated boat up to 2.7m – which isn’t half bad. This locker is a ‘wet’ locker meaning it is sealed off completely from the rest of the yacht and water can enter and drain away freely. The twin helms are set well back with two pairs of large electric winches to either side just forward of the helm plus twin banks of jammers for all the sail controls. The mainsheet is fixed on the carbon doghouse arrangement which features a slide-back targa top to let in plenty of sunlight when required. When the sun isn’t shining this area is very protected and sheltered, the

seats have very deep backs thanks to the fact the cockpit is set so low. This set up ensures that the boat has a very clearly defined ‘sailing’ and ‘relaxing' space. The helm can also control the boat from within the shelter of the doghouse if they sneak in front of the helm – a boon in wild weather – more on that later.

The seating area features a large carbon table with a fridge built into it plus a dedicated space for the liferaft. The whole table flips up to allow excellent access to the 75hp Volvo engine which is on a saildrive. Beneath the seats to either side of the chart table is superb storage and access to all of the electric circuit boards, water pumps and shut off valves. I was fortunate enough to briefly test the electric version of the Pegasus 50 too which featured twin Oceanvolt motors, each of which was neatly tucked in these two lockers.

The rig is carbon and features a square topped mainsail with a backstay on a crane with a hydraulic tensioner to keep it out of the way of the tip of the mainsail. The backstay is Dyneema and the shrouds and forestay are rod rigging. The standard set-up is a cutter rig with the choice of the inner staysail being fixed on a furler or on a removeable baby stay. The inner staysail is self tacking. The sheeting angle for the jib is very tight to the extent that a spare set of sheets are fitted to give a better angle of trim when you are off the wind. Up at the bow there is a short sprit for your gennaker or Code 0 plus a nicely integrated anchor roller that is set below the sprit.

Down below

The key premise here is that there are no aft cabins. This allows for the seamless segue between the cockpit and the saloon. There is a slight drop down of about 3’ but the huge windows and sliding door mean that this boat is more effective than any other monohull I have tested for making the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces completely seamless. The main saloon features a U-shaped seating area with a large table to port with the galley to starboard aft and a chart table forward of that. The whole area is something of a triumph for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly the galley is very well thought out and cocoons and encloses you perfectly to ensure that cooking in a seaway is as comfortable as possible. The

ABOVE

The cutter rig is ideal for blue water cruising

BELOW

An innovative interior boasting masses of both light and space worktops are made of stainless steel which is very practical, the induction hob and electric cooker/microwave are a nice touch, keeping the boat gas free, while the chart table seat flips up to create even more worktop space. Little touches like the twin bins recessed into the counter show that this boat has been put together by someone who actually cares and definitely goes sailing.

The seating area is large and comfortable but the most distinctive and weird point is that it is gimballed. Yep, that’s right, the whole unit is one solid carbon fibre moulding that can be canted in a seaway by an electric ram to minimise discomfort. It could be argued this is a gimmick but, then again, on a long ocean passage, with the boat tilted on the same angle day after day, I can see it would be a bonus. The skipper's

seat at the chart table is a triumph and this commanding position is surely the most coveted spot on the boat and, with decent views out from every angle, would be a nice spot to spend a chilly watch. Views out forward are not as good as on some deck saloon yachts as the windows forward are realtively narrow, but they are still good and this space is among the lightest of all the boats I have ever tested thanks to that huge amount of glass aft.

Descend down a couple more steps and you’re in a long corridor with doors leading off to various cabins. Immediately to port is a pilot berth, which is open to the corridor and is well placed for dozing between watches. This space can be a bunk room if needs be. To starboard of this is the main stateroom which is a good sized space. The double can actually be slid apart to create two singles which is a clever additional touch. There is an ensuite head with shower that can also be accessed from the corridor. Forward of this is another double vee berth with a heads just aft of that and a large cupboard that can accommodate a washing machine if you wish. There is the option of a separate shower room or that space can be a hanging locker. The forward double berth can convert into a large sail locker if needs be too. As you can imagine, Pegasus offers a good level of customisation to clients and there are a number of permutations on this layout, but this is the basic set-up.

The quality of fit-out is good but things are kept relatively simple and un-elaborate. It’s not spartan in the style of the ‘go anywhere’ aluminium yachts, but things are definitely kept simple and quite muscular with woodwork kept to a minimum and a good deal of brushed stainless steel and a dash of carbon.

Under sail

The boat test took place in the Adriatic in early November and the weather gods dished up a savage Bora that came roaring down the moutains providing gusts of up to 31kn and the sort of horrible short chop that would throw any boat off its stride. We put one reef in the main and set about our work. Soon we were pounding into the short seas hard on the wind and reeling off an impressive 7.5-8.5kn. The boat was hard pressed yet extremely mild mannered, with a total lack of weather helm. The boat is fitted with hydraulic steering as standard – something that worried me greatly as, in the past, I have tested boats with hydraulic steering and found it either totally lacking in feel/absurdly heavy and notchy, or so light you felt like you were twizzling it endlessly to no avail. It’s all about tuning but, this system was well tuned and while it lacked a slight visceral immediacy of cable driven steering, it wasn’t far off – good enough to keep me well content in these wild conditions. Meanwhile, the grip was absolutely superb and the boat inspired confidence. It’s worth noting that under motor the relatively wide forward sections combined with the stiffness of carbon construction meant there was a couple of hard slams in the short chop but the boat settled down as soon as sail was up and was unruffled by the wild conditions. The protection of the doghouse meant that I was able to hide from any wayward sprays that flew aboard, while those sat in the doghouse area were completely protected and very comfortable. Heading off the wind, we hit 10kn and again the boat was poised and in control. Under motor there was also very little noise in the saloon, in part thanks to the fact the engine is kept well separated from the saloon and accessed via the hatch in the cockpit. I also tested the electric version under power and the twin motors set just in front of each rudder were very effective when manoeuvring in tight spots as they can be used in forward and reverse to facilitate tight turns. It did take a bit of getting used to though. With the boat pinned over on its ear by some savage gusts, I headed down below to test the gimballed seating area and, by God, it worked a treat. Sailing in and feeling exhilarated, I was informed mournfully that the best conditions to test the boat would have been 5kn as the boat could then have demonstrated its prowess in light airs. I agreed that this was a shame but was secretly rather glad we had stormed around the Adriatic for a couple of hours at high speed.

ABOVE

Test day and the wind was gusting up to 35kn but the boat handled it supremely well

BELOW

The carbon rig is extremely powerful and the boat is a strong performer in light airs

SAM’S VERDICT

Generally with a boat test you think things like ‘this boat is a bit like the (insert competitor brand)’. Yet this really was tough with the Pegasus – a fast blue water cruiser made out of carbon with a tandem keel? It’s pretty unique – yet the whole package worked. It won’t be for everyone as anyone after an aft cabin is immediately excluded but by refusing to compromise on this, the Pegasus 50 has opened itself up to being a really clever and original boat. Performance was impressive in really horrible conditions and the boat was comfortable and crammed with clever and thoughtful touches that certainly set it apart from the crowd. The tandem keel seemed to work well and keeps depth respectable while the striking looks will also turn heads. For a carbon boat, the price is also impressive. All in all, you have a boat that will perform a job as a Med cruiser or blue water mile muncher with aplomb – just don’t expect an aft cabin and you’ll be delighted.

PERFORMANCE: H H H H H BLUE WATER ABILITY: H H HHH LOOKS: H H H H H

THE SPEC

LOA: 49’2” (14.98m) LWL: 46’5” (14.14m) Beam: 15’10” (4.83m) Draft: 7’9” (2.35m) Displacement: 12,300kg (27,117lb) Ballast Weight: 5,020kg (11,067lb) Engine: Volvo D2-75 (75hp) Contact: pegasus-yachts.com Price: €890,000 (full sailaway price including commissioning and numerous extras included; for a lower price some upgrades can be deducted)

ALTERNATIVE BOATS

AMEL 50

The Amel is similar in the fact it wants to be different. It’s also a blue water cruiser with lots of clever touches and a cockpit and living area that segue seamlessly together. Displacement is alarmingly different though. amel.fr

CONTEST 50CS

Contest Yachts are all about performance in a blue water sailing package but they come at the matter from a very different angle, going for a fibreglass build, centre cockpit and lines penned by Judel/Vrolijk. contestyachts.com

KRAKEN 50

Another yacht where the manufacturer has gone for painstaking attention to detail in order to produce their vision of the ultimate blue water cruiser. The key for Kraken is to produce a yacht with a skeg hung rudder but there are many, many other thoughtful touches beyond this. Krakenyachts.com