ON TEST // BESTEVAER 36
AFTER TWO DECADES OF HIGH LATITUDE ADVENTURE ON A 53FT SLOOP OF HIS OWN DESIGN, RENOWNED NAVAL ARCHITECT GERARD DYKSTRA CREATED THE SMALLEST BESTEVAER, A 36 FOR EXPLORING CLOSER TO HOME
RUPERT HOLMES Where: La Rochelle Wind: 4-12 knots Test boat: hull No1, a test platform for sustainable innovations including hybrid propulsion.
Main options include Oceanvolt ServoProp 15 electric drive with 29kW battery bank and 5kW range extending generator, square top mainsail, Code 55 plus staysail
With renowned designer Gerard Dykstra approaching 80 years old, he was looking for a boat for himself that would fit a somewhat different use to his previous yachts. Yet at the same time he still wanted to include many of the features from those vessels over the years.
Given Dykstra’s background, with successful projects including the rebuild of the J Class Endeavour for Elizabeth Meyer and the innovative Dynarig of the 88m superyacht Maltese Falcon, it was clear at the outset that the Bestevaer 36 was destined to be a different class to other yachts of this length.
The designer’s own brief was different to that of any of the previous models in the well known Bestevaer line. Firstly the boat had to be small enough for easy coastal cruising, especially given the Netherlands’ myriad of small harbours and marinas that are out of reach for larger vessels. Secondly, it had to be able to dry out at low water when exploring areas such as the Frisian Islands.
Dykstra also wanted to retain core features that have become key Bestevaer trademarks. These most obviously include the rugged aluminium construction and enclosed pilothouse, but also encompass many smaller, yet important, details learned from hundreds of thousands of miles sailed in challenging conditions.
Our test boat is jointly owned by Dykstra and KM Yachtbuilders, the long-standing builder of the Bestevaer range. In addition to use by the designer and his family, it also serves as a test bed for new technologies, particularly in the sphere of sustainability, that can subsequently be rolled out across other models in the range.
DON’T JUDGE A BOOK...
Displacement is 8.8 tonnes, making this a heavy 36-footer, yet it’s a relatively narrow boat by today’s standards, especially on the waterline, which means it goes upwind surprisingly well. As a result it has a more all round performance profile than might be expected, while also promising a level of comfort in heavy weather that’s rarely associated with boats of this size.
My first sail on the Bestevaer 36 was in light airs that never exceeded 7.5 knots of true wind speed. Yet closehauled we made 3.5 knots at a true wind angle just wide of 60°, although that figure dropped to 2.5 knots when th
