An 80ft full custom project is nearing completion at Baltic Yachts

Commissioned by an experienced yachtsman – his first build with Baltic Yachts – the 23.99-metre Baltic 80 Custom is conceived as a high-speed offshore cruiser with the performance potential to win Mediterranean regattas.

The sleek, powerful hull is designed by judel/vrolijk with notably low freeboard, a chamfered reverse bow and a minimal coachroof styled by Jens Paulus. Distinctive and purposeful with a striking paint job in old rosé, offset by a jet black rig and details, she is sure to turn heads under sail and in harbour.

Dual purpose design

The deck plan is clean and spacious. There’s a track for a self-tacking cruising headsail and removable transverse tracks further aft for the racing genoa. A large hatch in the flush foredeck gives access to a capacious sail locker that occupies prime real estate down below – on a typical cruiser-racer most of that space would be part of the owner’s suite.

The pushpit, stanchions and pop-up mooring cleats are all titanium, to reduce weight and maintenance. The anchoring system is neat and simple with a snug recess in the bowsprit to hold the anchor securely while cruising, ready to deploy immediately. There is a retractable hydraulic mooring winch on the foredeck for warping operations in harbour.

The vast, open cockpit offers a generous expanse of open-air living space, while also being a well-judged dual purpose layout for cruising and racing. It’s designed with equal emphasis on easy handling by a crew of two and efficient operation by a full racing crew, including manoeuvres such as peel sets. Large stowage bins for sheet and halyard tails, set in the aft ends of the coaming with top-hinged hatch lids, are an elegant solution to avoid lines under foot on the cockpit sole.

Practical luxury living

The accommodation, for six guests in three cabins with a further cabin for two permanent crew, is laid out for optimum weight distribution as well as for comfortable onboard living with a high level of luxury.

Instead of a full-beam master suite in the forward part of the hull, the owner’s cabin is aft on the starboard side. It’s a more practical, comfortable location than the forepeak for a cabin that will be used when the yacht is under way, especially when sailing offshore.

There are two guest cabins forward of the mast, a big double and a bunk room. The saloon has a dining area to port, a deep sofa to starboard and an aft-facing nav station with a large chart table. The galley, to port, is spacious and open plan with the saloon.

The crew cabin in the yacht’s port aft quarter is designed for a couple and just as large as the double guest cabin up forward, with its own private en suite bathroom.

The interior styling is a collaboration between two designers, Jens Paulus and Axel Vervoordt. Raw carbon details are a prominent feature, showcasing the quality of the yacht’s laminate construction. Most surfaces are painted or covered in fabric, with a timber finish only on the cabin doors and sole boards.

Advanced construction and systems

Her carbon/epoxy composite construction is state of the art. The hull and structural bulkheads are Sprint laminates with foam core and prepreg carbon reinforcements. The deck is prepreg carbon with mostly Nomex core. The entire structure weighs just 6.5 tons.

She has twin rudders and a lifting keel in a solid prepreg carbon trunk which extends up to the deck to give a draught of 5.3m under sail, reducing to 3.5m in harbour. Her mast, furling boom and rigging are all carbon, with a hydraulic under-deck furler for both racing and cruising headsails. a rotating padeye in the bowsprit for code sails, a manual gennaker furler and a captive reel mainsheet system. Her stern garage will carry a fully inflated 3.9m jet RIB tender.

Smart choices have been made to ensure high levels of reliability and efficient operation, with all systems controlled by Baltic Yachts’ own in-house developed PLC. In typical operating conditions there should be ample battery capacity to run the air conditioning all night long without needing to use the generator. The propulsion setup is conventional with a 172kW diesel engine. In addition to the main generator, the engine has a second alternator specifically for battery charging.

Extensive development

‘Initially the concept was developed by extensive CFD and rating studies with a strong focus on racing performance,’ naval architect Rolf Vrolijk explains. ‘With the involvement of the actual customer, cruising and living features gained more importance. We decided to keep the wide hull lines generating high stability for both purposes, powerful racing and comfortable cruising. The deck freeboard was pushed as low as possible to just suit the interior demands – sleek look and better vertical centre of gravity.’

‘Space is a very important consideration on this boat,’ says Lars Gripenberg, Baltic Yachts’ project manager for this new-generation 80-footer. ‘The sailplan is a full double setup for cruising and racing. The layout is very versatile and will work well when sailing offshore. She will be remarkably fast under sail and will look stunning on the water. She might be seen cruising in northern Europe before she heads south towards the Mediterranean.’