Super-rugged and hugely-capable 60ft aluminium water-ballasted cruising yacht from Alubat and Groupe Finot with full bluewater specification and versatile 4-cabin, 4-heads interior layout.
FURTHER BROKER’S COMMENTS:
Extremely rare to the market, ELEONORA 2 is a 2008-launched example of the Groupe Finot designed semi-custom Cigale 18m from Alubat in France.
Conceived as a safe, fast and comfortable bluewater cruising yacht, the basis of the Cigale 18m is a slippery chined aluminium hull with broad transom, heavily roached mainsail an a cutter rig free of back-stays, supported by three sets of swept back spreaders. The inclusion of water ballast tanks aft allows for a manageable fixed draft of 2.90m (removing the complication of lifting keels) and helps to create an unsinkable hull.
The last of three Cigale 18’s built. ELEONORA was delivered to her current and only owner in 2008. Fitted out with a comprehensive bluewater specification and with a customised interior layout designed to provide enormous versatility with or without crew.
Having taken line honours in the 2014 ARC+ with a crossing time from the Mindelo to Saint Lucia of just 12 days, ELEONORA’s ocean capabilities are well proven. Coupled with her ultra-low maintenance unpainted aluminium topsides and synthetic teak decking, ELEANORA would be an ideal candidate for those planning a circumnavigation or high-latitudes adventure.
ELEONORA 2 boasts many specification highlights including:- • Aluminium hull, deck and superstructure construction with unpainted topsides • Synthetic teak decks for zero-maintenance • 2.90m torpedo bulbed lead keel • Semi-skegged aluminium rudder • Water ballast system created aft crash structure and unsinkable hull form • Versatile 4-cabins 4-heads layout with aft saloon and stunning cherry interior joinery • Aft targa-arch providing support for solar panels, antennas and high-mounted dinghy davit for safe passagemaking in following seas • Sloop/cutter rig with low boom and heavily roached mainsail, for lower centre of gravity and increased stability. Triple swept-back spreaders removing need for backstays. • Recently replaced standing rigging • Lewmar powered winches • Furling code sail • 92hp Yanmar diesel engine with shaft drive and 4-bladed MaxProp • Retractable bowthruster • Northern Lights generator • Inverter • Solar panel array • Dessalator watermaker • Air-conditioning • Diesel-fired cabin heating • Washing machine • Updated Raymarine instruments with radar, plotters and twin autopilots • SSB radio with Pactor modem • Satellite phone system • Dinghy with outboard engine
MANUFACTURER HISTORY:
In 1974 ALUBAT built ‘VODKA’, the prototype of the first OVNI ever: the OVNI 25. It was made of aluminium but with a fin keel. Then, the OVNI 31 soon enlarged the range, but as a weighted lifting keel boat. After that, the OVNI 28, launched in 1978, was the first aluminium lifting keel boat and although it had a bilge keel, it did set the tone for the next designs.
Later, in 1994, the yard started to build keel yachts. Today, this range includes 4 CIGALES (from 14 to 22 meters) and the ‘ALUBAT 58’.
Bought out in 2014 by 14 shareholders represented by Michel Berson, president, and managed by Christian PICARD, the ALUBAT shipyard has built more than 1,500 units, all aluminium, most of which are still sailing all over the world.
DESIGNER’S COMMENTS:
We wanted to make a sure, simple boat to handle, which allows to go fast and far in complete safety with enough comfort, great space of life, low angles of heal because of the water ballasts and easy to handle and to drive thanks to twin helms non-overlapping genoa and good positioning of powered winches.
“I liked to start again, on the Comet 13, the boat which we navigate in family for 12 years, the principle of the aft saloon, of the stability reaching; but I wished besides water ballasts to limit heeling, a aft space big enough to place a dinghy…”
MANUFACTURER’S COMMENTS REGARDING BALLAST TANKS:
Contrary to some preconceived ideas, water ballast tanks do not affect the safety of the boat. When the full ballast is located to leeward, the ease of tacking is not affected, as long as the boat is carrying the right sails for the weather.
The ballast makes it possible to limit the heeling of the boat to 10 degrees and therefore makes it possible to increase the speed by 7 to 10%. Ballast maneuvering is designed to be simpler than reducing sail. It consists, for filling, in opening a valve and letting the ballast fill upwind, or in starting the engine for five minutes, to fill the ballast upwind. When tacking, just open a valve, wait 3 minutes, close it and then tack.
The ballast consists of two compartments welded to the hull on both sides (these compartments also create a safety partition in the event of impact or grounding and constitute an unsinkable volume).
2008 Alubat Cigale 18 – ELEONORA 2 – Asking Euro 750,000 ex VAT – full details here
Do you have a yacht like this to sell? Grabau International are always looking for new high quality cruising yacht listings both in the UK and internationally. For further information about our tailored brokerage services, please look here or feel free to contact us.
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