Claret Red? Awlcraft Shark? Owners Make Individual Statements Even on Traditional Down East Boats
By Peter A. Janssen
Most Sabre Yachts, of course, come with blue hulls, in keeping with their classic, Down East heritage. But times may be changing. We couldn’t resist a second, or third, look at this new Sabre 45, photographed by our friend Billy Black, off Nahant, Mass., on the North Shore above Boston. The hull is Claret Red.
The picture reminded me of the color of hull number one of Dirigo, the 66-foot Sabre flagship, which was an eye-opening combination of blue and gray with a touch of black, called Awlcraft Shark. I do know it made a lot of heads turned when it picked me up on the St. Augustine Municipal Dock for a cruise down the Florida coast 18 months ago. In keeping with this moving-away-from-blue mini-trend, hull number two of the Sabre 66 was Fighting Lady Yellow. Then there are veteran cruiser Bob Preston’s various boats – a Back Cove 34, Back Cove 37 and then a Sabre 48 – all in Wasabi Green.
The point is that owners now have a lot of choice. Indeed, Bentley Collins, the Sabre and Back Cove VP for marketing and sales, says that some dealers are now ordering white boats for stock and then Awlgripping them to the owner’s wishes. “Blue is still popular,” he says, “but clients are looking for new ideas. Gray is popular right now.”
How long will these good looks last? “We suggest that well-maintained dark gelcoat will last five to seven years, based on latitude,” Collins say. “Paint, on the other hand, should last far longer.”
The new Claret Red Sabre will not be coming to the Newport show, starting on Sept. 14. The owner will be enjoying it himself. Instead, Sabre will be showing its new 45 Salon Express with the traditional Flag Blue hull.
Whatever the color, the Sabre 45, just launched this spring, is a top performer, with a cruise speed of 27 knots, and topping out at 32 knots. It’s also an unusually quiet boat, registering just 72 dB(A) at the helm at cruise. An all-new design, the Sabre 45 has two staterooms, two heads, and all the built-in-Maine craftsmanship that defines all Sabres.
Specs.: LOA: 49’0”; Beam: 14’8”; Draft: 3’9”; Disp.: 34,700 lbs.; Fuel: 450 gals.; Water: 150 gals.; Power: 2x 435-hp Volvo IPS 600 pod drives. For more: http://www.sabreyachts.com
