Bluboats are among the best yachts to hit the sailing market in their class. They are light, easily portable and safe to use. So what makes these boats a benchmark for so many sailors?
Why the Blu26 Class
In this edition of DESTINATION - SAILING, my focus is on the Blu26 Class for the apparent reason that it is celebrating ten years of existence. As is expected of such a highly glorified boat, numerous groups of people including schools, sailing clubs, individual owners, and event organisers have all had a taste of this yacht, and they have a lot of positive commentaries to make about it as do I.
Blu26 class
This boat is well-rounded, making it ideal for competitions and recreational purposes. It is a steady yacht, making it suitable for most weather conditions; therefore, assuring you of security.
Its popularity has increased steadily owing to its attractive features. Also, the Blu26 International Class Association was formed with the sole purpose of promoting the use of Blu26 boats in competitions and recreational activities. This move has led to the birth of over six international competitions sponsored by top entities globally.
Up, Close, and Candid View of BluBoats
Bluboats are sports boats specifically created for sailors. Their decks are crafted elegantly to enhance their appearance and provide just enough working space. They have a narrow beat and keel system, aspects that make the transportation process safe and simple. These boats are unique in that they have a hole in the bow and around the fore hatch. You get to pick from the one design or have your boat partially customised to suit your preferences.
The Person Behind Blu26 Scenes
I had the chance to meet the brains behind the creation of Bluboats, Christian Scherrer, at first race of the season 2018 in Zug, Switzerland. Born and raised in Austria, Christian's sailing career began some time back in 1993. At the moment, he was participating in the WhiteBread Round World Race as a watch captain. From this moment on, he took a keen interest in sailing, which led to his participation in several other races including the Americas Cup.
Christian did not stop at this; instead, he organised two of the most famous races namely, St. Moritz Match Race and the Volvo Match Race Cup. For ten years, his complete attention was on these two events. However, when he was sure they could run without much of his attention, he sought out to do greater things. This is how the Blue collection came into being. Bluboats was founded over one decade ago togehter with his parnter Christian Bolinger, but it was in 2008, two years after the establishment of Bluboats GmbH that the first Blu26 boat was created.
Aside from this, Christian Scherrer also works as an independent consultant on anything and everything about boats and sailing. To top this up, this man has recently taken up the position of a manager of the GC32 class. I cannot wait to see what he comes up with during his tenure.
Before then, you can enjoy the photos of the last race that took place in Zurich, Switzerland which was also the last of the 2018 season.
Photography Sébastien Rohner