IJMUIDEN – Saffier Yachts, the Dutch maker of chic and fast world-class daysailers, introduced a new model at the 2023 Boat Düsseldorf. Its Se 24 Lite has an electric motor and is self-sufficient. Or, as the company says, “Driven by nature.”
“We no longer wanted to depend on a shore power cable,” Saffier Yachts Director Dennis Hennevanger tells this newsletter.
“Many of our boats sail on lakes abroad with a limited number of marinas. Anchoring at buoys is common, so you can’t charge the batteries via shore power. We made the system self-sufficient. The custom-made solar panels are incorporated into the foredeck. They generate enough power to charge the battery for the Torqeedo 3.5 kW electric drive.
“Point is that an electric motor requires 24 or 48V batteries. The instruments, gear and lights need only 12V, so we made the system portable. For home charging, in the car, or through a power bank. The mast nav light has a solar panel and can be controlled remotely.”
Saffier yachts come in six lengths from 6.5m to 12m (21 to 37ft) and pack excellent sailing characteristics. Such is the reputation of Saffier Yachts; it sold 25 Se 24 Lite models before the boat was introduced at Boot Düsseldorf.
The craft was designed by yard owners Dean and Dennis Hennevanger and designer Kees van de Stadt, who has worked on several other Saffier yachts.
It has a reverse bow, a low-rise superstructure, two permanent berths up front and a large cockpit. The boat is easy to sail, even solo, as all control lines come near the helmsman. The lead keel has a high lifting capacity.
The lead keel has a high lifting capacity. Improving the sailing qualities is the fact that the complete electric propulsion system is 70% lighter than a comparable diesel engine.
The deck is a sandwich construction with a non-skid structure on the deck and cockpit floor. It is made of glass-reinforced polyester, 7 mm thick (15 mm over the keel area). The hull comes standard in white.
There are four retractable deck cleats for mooring lines. The foredeck has an anchor hatch, and the below-the-deck mounted furling jib system gives the boat a sleek look. A rail for the self-tacking jib is integrated into the superstructure.
In 2022, Saffier Yachts moved into much larger quarters in the North Sea town of IJmuiden. The arrival of the Se 24 Lite has consequences for older models: the Saffier 6.5m and 8m Cabin will be phased out over time.
