Yachting Monthly - November 2015

NOVEMBER 2015 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 77

OUR VERDICT ON THE BOAT

What’s she like to sail?

Most yachts will shine in a good force 5, but the 890 was shining

so bright she was blinding. We topped out at 9.4 knots beam-

reaching in 20 knots of breeze, surfi ng off waves and generally

having a whale of a time – or ‘working hard’, as I tell the editor.

She responded well to the helm, and the fl at sections of her

hull worked to get her surfi ng quicker than most – the downside

is when a fl at surface catches a wave it can slam a little. There

was some cruising gear on board, more was yet to arrive; even so

she was quick, comfortable and surprisingly dry.

It’s possible to helm seated in the cockpit, but with any heel

it feels right to sit on the coaming. I found the steering a little

stiff. This did however mean I could leave the helm to tend a line

without her steering a course of her own. Although not quite nine

metres long, her speed was up there with larger yachts, making

longer distances easier to achieve.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

Her open plan interior has benefi ts as well as drawbacks. It’s a

bright area, and the large, forward-facing saloon window allows

light to fi ll the saloon and forward berth area, even with very

dark upholstery. It does however lack privacy, not a problem for a

family or couple, but it isn’t ideal for a group of friends.

Shelved stowage is a little rudimentary and lighting forward

isn’t the most generous. The shelves particularly might start to

bug me after a while: it’s sometimes nice to be able to hide stuff

away and out of sight rather than looking at, say, a bright green

fi rst aid kit on a shelf day in and day out.

Her hull is painted, epoxy-impregnated plywood. It’s very

fair and could be mistaken for GRP, however it’s likely to be

less forgiving than GRP if you were to misjudge a berthing

manoeuvre. Her anchor stows well in the optional bowsprit and

is led to an optional windlass directly aft of the forestay, which

feeds straight into the deep chain locker.

Would she suit you and your crew?

It’s fair to say the RM890 lacks the luxury feel of many mass-

produced boats, her galley is basic and her painted fi nish might

not be to everyone’s taste. However the lack of frills make her

more affordable (starting at around £70,000), as does her ability

to dry out. Our test boat had over £22,000 of carbon mast and

Doyle Stratis sails, which no doubt boosted her performance, but

even with an aluminium mast and less exotic Dacron sails I would

still expect her to be faster than most other boats in her class.

She’s set up really well for short-handed sailing, so for a couple

of eager sailors she’s make a wonderfully fun coastal cruiser

with the occasional longer trip if required. Her twin keels, which

enable her to dry out upright, open up a host of cruising grounds.

There will be those who fi nd the thought of a brightly

coloured, hard-chine, twin-keeled, wooden boat as comfortable

to live with as a Great Dane in a bed-sit, but thankfully not

everyone feels this way. The 890 is a fast little cruiser that’s well

laid out both on deck and inside. OK, she lacks fi nesse below

decks, but she’s a fun boat to sail and what you lose in luxury you

gain in practicality, performance and most of all enjoyment.

Would she

suit your style

of sailing?

COASTAL

PORT-HOPPING

★★★★★

CREEK

CRAWLING

★★★★★

OFFSHORE

PASSAGE-MAKING

★★★

TRADE WIND

VOYAGING

★★★★★

HIGH-LATITUDE

ADVENTURE

★ ★★★

■ Price £117,535

(with £22,600 extras: carbon

mast and Technora sails)

■ LOA 8.90m (29ft 2in)

■ LWL 8.80m (28ft 10in)

■ Beam 3.42m (11ft 3in)

■ Draught 1.50/1.90m

(4ft 11in – 6ft 3in)

■ Displacement

3,200kg (7055lb)

■ Ballast 950kg (2095lb)

■ Ballast ratio 29.7 (%)

■ Sail area

50m^2 (538 sq ft)

■ SA/D ratio 23.4

■ Diesel 60 litres (13 gal)

■ Water 120 litres (26 gal)

■ Engine 20hp

■ Transmission Saildrive

■ RCD category B

■ Designer Marc Lombard

■ Builder RM Yachts

■ UK Agent RM Yachts UK

■ Te l 01202 724 917

■ Website

http://www.rmyachts.co.uk

NEW BOAT TEST

FACTS AND FIGURES

RM890

GRAPHICS: LIZA SAWYER

ABOVE: The

technical area

aft of the

engine gives

easy access to

the boat’s

systems

LEFT: The

basic heads

opens onto the

excellent

technical area