The afternoon sunlight had that sharp clarity of spring in the Baltic; warm and golden, but with cold shadows in which the world felt suspended, undecided at winter\u2019s retreat. Silently, we drifted in the Saare 47 out past the church spire, the lighthouse on the harbour mole, and the deserted basket-chairs on the white sand beach.<\/p>\n
The mirror flat water began to ruffle into the softest of carpets across which to glide, as the breeze tumbled over the town before steadying itself further out. With the wind gusting from 5 to 17 knots, and shifting several compass points at a time, our wake was that of a drunkard, though my eyes were glued to the telltales.<\/p>\n
I was in Eckernf\u00f6rde, where Germany teeters on the edge of Scandinavia, to sail this new Saare 47, the luxury flagship of the small-volume boatbuilder. If you\u2019ve not heard of Saare Yachts, that\u2019s because they only build half a dozen or so boats a year. The brand, though relatively young, grew out of a yard where 250 Finngulfs were built on the Estonian island of Saaremaa, where a centuries-old boatbuilding heritage pre-dates the Soviet era isolation.<\/p>\n
Many other well-known yacht marques have their hulls moulded on the same island, close to the University of Tallinn\u2019s faculty of naval architecture. In 2016, the yard was bought by Saare\u2019s German dealers, who now work hand in hand with their Estonian colleagues, with the aim of creating a small but steady stream of beautiful boats, built well, by a long-term sustainable business to designs that evolve slowly without chasing fashions.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2025\/08\/YAW312.TEST_ontest_saare_47.saare47_116-630x354.jpg\")
The Saare feels solid, planted in the water, and able to respond to the wind in a way that most performance cruisers would aspire to, let alone a bluewater boat. Photo: Paul Wyeth<\/p><\/div>\n
Today\u2019s Saare 47 is a serious, long-distance bluewater cruising yacht<\/a>, capable of taking on the world\u2019s oceans. Light, flukey airs might not be the conditions you\u2019d want to test a boat\u2019s heavy weather capability for mid-ocean storms, but they can tell you a lot about a hull.<\/p>\n Despite her stunning joinery, a full owner\u2019s suite in the stern, and even a washing machine, this boat is comparatively light at 13-tonnes \u2013 a good two tonnes lighter than some of her immediate competitors. Her relatively slender and well-balanced lines, reminiscent of her smaller sisters, hide modern construction, helping create a slippery and easily driven hull.<\/p>\n Below the water she is relatively deep and evenly rounded with minimal wetted surface area and a shape that makes for a capable sea boat. Augmented by a ballast ratio of 40% with five tonnes of lead at the bottom of a 2.2m keel, she promises to be stiff and weatherly.<\/p>\n Theo enjoys the view from the \u2018gin-and-tonic\u2019 seats. Photo: Paul Wyeth<\/p><\/div>\n After we set the asymmetric to clear the shoreline, the Saare 47 responded eagerly in the faintest puffs, and notably kept her way on through the lulls. As the true wind reached a heady 5 knots, boat speed matched the breeze, creeping up to 6 knots upwind thanks to apparent wind. Later, in 10-12 knots true, 7 knots upwind was easily achievable with 15 knots across the deck at 32\u00b0 apparent wind angle. Off the wind, we sat a consistent 7.5 knots, nudging occasionally over 8 knots, while the boat gave the impression she had plenty more to give.<\/p>\n This then is an easily driven hull, and a stiff boat that won\u2019t gripe. The only wobble I managed to induce, unfairly, was with the 200m2 kite up, designed for 130\u00b0 wind angle, when a 17-knot gust caught us on a beam reach. The boat rounded up just enough to make the spinnaker flog before regaining grip and calmly bearing away back under the sail.<\/p>\n Article continues below…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2025\/08\/YAW312.TEST_ontest_saare_47.saare47_1122-630x354.jpg\")
Smooth sailing<\/h2>\n
\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/keyassets.timeincuk.net\/inspirewp\/live\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/21\/2023\/12\/Screenshot-2023-12-08-at-16.13.50.jpg\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t