Racer-cruiserr

For fun let's briefly compare this design to my double-ended 56-footer. They both share the same waterline length. The 612 has a significantly lower d/l of 157 based on a displacement of 49,606 pounds, but a similar B/D ratio of 40 percent. To achieve this latter ratio the 612 will have to be built with very high strength-to-weight materials and methods. The 612 is a foot beamier than my 56 and draft is 9 feet, 6 inches. That's a bit much for most cruisers in the United States, but it sure will make this boat climb to weather. A shallow draft keel is available, but it would be a shame to cripple the boat with a stubby keel.

The forefoot knuckle is immersed and the stern is quite broad. The sheerline is sweet and subtle, and fore and aft overhangs, while short, are not minimized. There is enough overhang in this bow to keep the anchor from whacking the stem. Note the extended, shallow skeg preceding the big spade rudder. The keel shows pronounced leading- and trailing-edge fillets with the hull.

This layout features mirror-image staterooms with adjoining heads aft. The staterooms show double berths with an upper berth over. There is a small hanging locker in each stateroom along with a bureau. The galley is skimpy. I mean, look at the S&S galley in that 46-footer. It's bigger than the galley in this 60-footer. So much of cruising revolves around meals that I feel attention must be paid to the galley so that there is sufficient counter space for a cook to work. You guys just sit there sipping your drinks while I stand here, day in day out, slaving away at meal preparation. The least you could do is give me some counter space and a decent reefer. It was explained to me once as, "In Europe we eat ashore." Fine. The saloon is really comfy with a big dinette and room for six (I thought you were eating ashore!), including the three swivel chairs. Forward of the saloon is a stateroom with a double berth, what look like reading chairs and an adjacent head with a large shower stall. There is a fo'c'sle big enough for two pipe berths and an exposed head. Curiously, while there is room for these reading chairs there doesn't seem to be enough room for a large hanging locker. In a 60-footer I would also like to see one hanging locker dedicated to foul weather gear.
The deck layout shows beautiful tooling and a fully inflated dinghy can be stowed in the stern garage.

Powered winches will make sail handling easier for a short-handed crew. Winches are not within easy reach of the helmsman, but on a boat this size there is sufficient directional stability to allow you to get to the winches without panic if you, by chance, are sailing the boat by yourself. The interior fit and finish is impeccable in satin-varnished teak.
In a world of fractional rigs, the designer has chosen a masthead rig for this boat. The spreaders are only very slightly swept and the drawings shows runners, checkstays, a babystay and an inner forestay for a staysail. The backstay is split to open up the transom for the garage entry. SA/D is 22.17.

Here's a beautiful boat that can race from time to time and cruise with style and grace the rest of the time. Sure the purist racer will see compromises as will the purist cruiser, but you have to look pretty hard. I see a well-balanced design that, like the J/109, was designed to give us a good all-around boat.

Yet another good-looking racer-cruiser from X-Yachts.