Sailing Magazine
10 15 Topic : Yacht Reviews | Sailing Magazine
Dibley Voyager 72
In 1974 I had to convince sailors that the Valiant 40 was not a radical, dangerous, speed freak of a cruising boat. Times have changed.
Kevin's design reflects what the experienced sailor wants today: a blend of comfort and performance. Performance remains a moving target.
The old Valiant 40, D/L 260, was considered by many to be too light for serious cruising. Kevin's 72 has a D/L of 113. That's on the light side of moderate. The L/B is 3.92. It's a slick hull with twin rudders, a beaver-tailed ballast bulb on a high-aspect-ratio fin and a chine aft. I can't see anything in the design that will slow this boat down.
The keel retracts to 7 feet 6 inches. The draft with the keel down is 13 feet 9 inches. The beam is carried well aft.
There are two complex interiors designed around the keeltrunk. I have never seen layouts quite like these. There are sleeping quarters for three couples or two couples and two kids. I'm sure Kevin can draw up a layout to suit you if the standard layouts don't work. The elevated dinette arrangement may not provide the feeling of a saloon where a group can spread out and relax.
The cutter rig is huge with two versatile roller-furling headsails. The SA/D is 28.4.
The big, square-top main will twist off to depower automatically, to some degree, in a breeze. But these are big sails and when the flotsam hits the fan it will be a lot of flotsam hitting a big fan. "Honey, will you douse the chute?"'No."
This is a very handsome boat with a very spacious cockpit. A big door in the transom will make bringing the dinghy on board relatively easy.