Saffier isn’t a brand well known in the States, and as far as we know, they’ve never entered a single model into our Boat of the Year world. But after admiring a brand new Saffier Lite 24 on a trailer all summer, we persisted in convincing them to show us what they’ve been hiding in Europe for the past few years.
Saffier, says our demo host and dealer Anton Webre, promises there is no pretending with its boats. “It is a premiere performance daysailor brand. That is their DNA. Dennis (Hennevanger, the builder) will tell you that if you’re looking for something else, then look somewhere else.”
Webre sells quite a few Saffier models, especially the builder’s bigger mooring candy. The 24 Lite, he says, is one sweet little harbor burner. Yes, it’s pricey at $195,000 (as quoted, with tariff), but sailing it is believing it.
“Esthetically, this boat is really, really nice,” Davis says. “It would be a beautiful thing to have for a Wednesday night club race series.”
It’s also light and plenty lively, Davis adds. At only 1,300 pounds, the boat is really stable, so the ballast is clearly in the right place. And sailing upwind was a delight. “It’s designed to be a stay-in-the-cockpit boat,” Davis says, “so yeah, sit on the cushions and enjoy it.”
Comfortable, very light and very cool-looking daysailor is what Ingham jotted into his note pad, while also noting the quality and finish of the composite hull, built in the Netherlands, northwest of Amsterdam, in what is described as a technically-advanced and clinically clean shop. Saffier’s story is a captivating one, but it is one for later. We know very little about them in the States, but what we do know is that they’ve been building award winning and ground breaking sailboats since 1999. The Saffier 24 Lite is yet another for them.
“It’s a boat where you get out on the water, by yourself or with a bunch of people,” Webre says. “It’s all so easy to use, thoughtful and beautiful.”
The judges also pointed out its impressive gelcoat finish and that there is not one piece of wood on the boat. It’s all composite, including the synthetic decking, which comes in almost any color.
Aluminum is the standard rig, and while carbon is an option, Webre says not to bother. The aluminum rig is perfectly fine. And for the dry-sail racer in the group: A single-point lift eye is embedded into the rock-solid keel grid. Easy in, easy out on the hoist.
It’s certainly possible to shorthand the 24 on a beer-can twilight, but four would be perfect company. Whether racing with a code zero, an A2 or even JAM, there’s something for everyone. All controls cascade aft to companionway clutches. With cabin-top winches, it’s all simple and effective. The jib is self-tacking and runs on a flush deck track, the Zero is on a furler at the end of a carbon sprit, and the mainsheet block is set on the cockpit floor post.
Behind the helm is a sprawling aft cushion lounge for guests to enjoy the ride, away from the fray, and down below is sitting headroom only and acres of cushions encircling a compression post. You hardly know the electric sail drive unit and batteries are there. Inside, there’s nothing more until you toss the overnight gear drybags on board and see where that takes you. “I’d overnight it with my son,” Webre tells the judges with a hint of sincerity, “but my wife would not.”
And that’s okay, because there is no night in daysailor. But there is all day—and there is twilight—in the Saffier 24 Lite.
