Cruising World - February 2016

february 2016

cruisingworld.com

80

A centerline drop-leaf table

fi lls the middle of the cockpit.

There’s plenty of room to both

sides to pass forward, and a

life-raft storage compartment

is located in the table’s center.

Seating has been carried for-

ward, past the companionway,

to create two comfy loung-

ing areas beneath the dodger,

complete with armrests and

cup holders. More cushions

are found in a space forward

of the mast, where there is

also a fold-up bimini for shade.

At sea, the area would make

a handy nest for a RIB, keep-

ing it safe from boarding seas,

noted Boat of the Year judge

Alvah Simon.

At the show, the 54 was in-

troduced in conjunction with

Assisted Sail Trim, Jeanneau’s

new collaboration with Har-

ken. Using Harken electric

rewind winches, the compa-

nies are developing a system

that can raise, lower and reef

sails at the touch of a but-

ton; trim sheets automatically

when tacking; and even react

to excessive levels of heel by

easing lines. A fi nished prod-

uct is still in development,

but the boat in Annapolis was

fi tted out with the reversing

winches as a fi rst step.

Call me an old-fashioned,

winch-handle kind of guy, but

under sail, I initially found the

new winches a bit confusing to

use. I had to remember to tog-

gle switches to control speed

and direction, though I guess

that if I played with them a bit

longer, they’d become intui-

tive. The benefi t, of course, is

that under load, sheets can be

eased without removing the

line from the self-tailer. Re-

gardless, once the sheets were

properly trimmed, we had a

very pleasant and lively ride.

An electric headsail furler

and an in-mast furling main

took the work out of setting

sail, and when the double-

ended main and jibsheets were

hauled tight, the 54 settled

into a comfortable groove,

with respectable numbers on

the speedo.

“I actually like this boat

quite a bit,” BOTY judge Ed

Sherman reported after tak-

ing it out for sea trials. “There

were some innovative things

going on.”

The Yacht line off ers own-

ers a number of options not

usually available from produc-

tion builders. In addition to

multiple wood and upholstery

choices, the 54’s interior can

be confi gured in a variety of

ways.

The owner’s cabin for-

ward, with a separate head and

shower, can be divided into

two smaller cabins; the in-line

galley to port in the saloon can

be moved aft to replace the

starboard guest cabin; or an

additional cabin with bunks

can be substituted for the port

head, located at the foot of the

companionway.

The boat we visited had a

double aft cabin to port and

two single berths in the star-

board aft cabin — a good

setup for a family with kids

or grandkids. It also had the

in-line galley, which works

well on a boat this size, keep-

ing the cook in the midst of

things. At the L-shaped din-

ing table, a centerline bench

with a tall back provides a

solid handhold and brace

while the cook whips up

meals at sea.

Other seakindly details

include good nonskid on the

scalloped companionway

steps, multiple padeyes for

jacklines and tethers, molded

bulwarks and 30-inch-tall

lifelines.

Well-equipped and priced

in the $600,000-plus range

(base boat price is $475,000),

the 54 brings a lot of sailboat

to the dock, all wrapped up in

a package that’s quite easy on

the eyes.

Judge Simon spoke for the

crowd when he commented on

the lines: “As we approached,

I thought, ‘That’s a very mod-

ern, very nice-looking boat.’”

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

Dockside Accessibility

For the cruising sailor who

plans to tie side-to in marinas

from time to time, Jeanneau

has solved the problem

posed by high freeboard

by incorporating a boarding

ladder into the lifelines gate,

eliminating the need to carry

boarding stairs.

BOATS & GEAR

SEA TRIAL

WIND SPEED

10 to 12 knots

SEA STATE

Mild chop

SAILING

Closehauled 7.1 knots

Reaching 7.8 knots

MOTORING

Cruise (2,300 rpm) 7.5 knots

Fast (2,900 rpm) 8.7 knots

SPECIFICATIONS

JEANNEAU 54

LENGTH OVERALL

53’ (16.15 m)

WATERLINE LENGTH

46’9” (14.25 m)

BEAM

16’1” (4.90 m)

DRAFT

5’9” (1.75 m)

SAIL AREA (100%)

1,195 sq. ft. (111 sq m)

BALLAST

10,240 lb. (4,645 kg)

DISPLACEMENT

36,000 lb. (16,330 kg)

BALLAST/DISPLACEMENT

0.28

DISPLACEMENT/LENGTH

157

SAIL AREA/DISPLACEMENT

17.5

WATER

192 gal. (727 l)

FUEL

63 gal. (238 l)

HOLDING

23 gal. (per head) (83 l)

MAST HEIGHT

73’5” (22.38 m)

ENGINE

110 hp Yanmar, shaft drive

DESIGNER

Philippe Briand, Andrew Winch,

Jeanneau designers

PRICE

$650,000

Jeanneau Yachts

410-280-9400

jeanneau.com

The in-line galley, equipped

with all the appliances you’d

fi nd at home, works well

and keeps the cook in the

midst of things. The cen-

terline seating at the dining

table doubles as an appreci-

ated handhold and brace for

the cook underway.

BILLY BLACK

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