VAAN R4
A RECYCLABLE ELECTRIC CATAMARAN BUILT FROM RECYCLED ALLOYS AND DESIGNED FOR SAILORS, IS VAAN’S NEW R4 VISION THE FUTURE, ASKS SAM FORTESCUE?
Even if Vaan’s debut boat had not been the only catamaran moored to the ancient brickwork of the canal at Hellevoetsluis, there would have been no mistaking this fascinating boat. With its sleek silvery ‘spoiler’ arch, open cockpit and sculpted hull, the R4 is a real headturner.
The impression is more than skin deep. Vaan’s 12.8m debut model is built to be as sustainable as possible, with a hull in almost entirely recycled aluminium and a host of upcycled or naturally-sourced interior materials to boot. Quite simply, the R4 is unlike any other catamaran I’ve been aboard. It is neither testosterone-laden flyer, nor buxom family caravan, groaning with mod-cons. This is a catamaran conceived for people that really enjoy the feeling of sailing – abit of heel, a burst of acceleration and a helming position that puts you close to the water.
“We built this boat also for monohull sailors,” says Vaan founder Igor Kluin. “We wanted to create a sailing sensation.” He gestures me over to the huge aft lockers where the steering gear can be seen. Sturdy Jefa direct linkage gears connect the twin helms to the rudders. “No hydraulics or wires to get in the way. There’s real feedback.”
And it’s true. Out of the wind shadow of the low coast, we get 10, then 12 and 14 knots of true wind, pushing the boat to a day’s best of 8 knots. OK, we’re heading downwind with the huge black gennaker pulling hard, but there’s plenty of information coming out of the helm.
My crew of three makes short work of snuffing and lowering the gennaker, then unfurling the jib to tack back upwind. With one of the Netherlands’ most storied dinghy sailors whispering advice in my ear, I experiment with what this boat will do. On a course of around 50° AWA we make 4.2 knots of boat speed in 8 knots of true wind. It is respectable, but not stellar for a catamaran. The optional longer centreboards (fixed or swing) should improve pointing to windward.
STEERING POSITIONS
Even in the cold grey that passes for spring here, this boat is a genuine joy to sail. And though the cold is not of Kluin’s making, it does raise a valid point about this boat. Unlike most of the ‘family’ cats on the market, there is no hefty aft extension to the coachroof – no great sheet of gleaming white GRP covering the cockpit. I appreciate that, because it feels like real sailing, but there is a drawback. Combine this with the helms on the quarter, and you are more in the elements than you would be on a Lagoon or a Fountaine-Pajot, for instance. Not exposed, because the topsides and aft railing keep you safe, while an optional bimini arrangement offers shade. But if the seas were generating spray, you’d certainly feel it.
Luckily t
