XR 41: X-Yachts back in racing with super optimized ORC model

The stakes are high when the brand new XR 41 crosses the start line next year. The ambition is to show strong results under the ORC in 2025.

“It feels great to be back on the racing scene”, says CEO Kræn Brinck Nielsen. “X-Yachts is famous for building handcrafted performance cruisers, but originally our brand was built on race wins at the highest level.”

An early decision was made not to make this another one design class. Instead, a completely new way of approaching changing rating parameters was devised: The XR 41 can be continuously developed, and annual upgrades will be offered to all the owners. Modifications can be done at the yard. Rating aspects aside, the XR 41 is a fast racing boat in it’s own right and will be competitive in a broad range of race formats.

An important aspect has been safeguarding the future of the boat, including resale value. X-Yachts is known to build boats that last for decades, and the XR 41 is not only a racer – it’s also designed for sporty cruising. To accommodate this, parts of the interior is built in modules that can be removed for racing and reinstalled for fast cruising. Also, the XR 41 comes in two versions: Race and Sport.

The Danish yard has a long tradition of making everything inhouse, but this time a team reinforced with external specialists was needed. “We wanted to be absolutely sure that we were able to use the best knowledge possible, especially when it comes to optimizing for ORC, but also IRC, the second most used rating rule worldwide.”, says Brinck Nielsen.

The design team put together for the XR 41 includes C-Performance with Casper Nielsen, a CFD expert with extensive experience in rating optimization. Another central force is Vmax Yachting with Max Gurgel, a leading rating expert and data cruncher. Surge Projects with Javier Jaudenes was involved, especially with deck layout and interior. In addition, professional racers like Bouwe Bekking and Jesper Radich came in to share their practical experience. For the rig and sails, North Sails International brought their unmatched resources.

“We see this boat as a game changer”, says Brinck Nielsen. “To my knowledge, nobody has done this before – developed a production race boat with such a high-tech approach – for example, we have used neural networks and AI for the hull optimizing. The strategy has been to focus specifically on ORC category B, and to position the boat in the fastest end of that fleet.”

The XR 41 will be officially launched at Boot Düsseldorf in January 2025.