Pilot Classic 47 - timeless elegance

The ideality of a yacht is a difficult quality that can sometimes be quantified. For many yacht owners, appearance will play a secondary role, giving way to pragmatics. Practicality, space, and affordability come first (hence the success of production yachts). 

But surely you have thought about which yacht can theoretically cause you the greatest aesthetic pleasure from being on it? 

Most likely, such a yacht will be a monohull. Most likely, such a yacht will be finished with beautifully varnished wood. Most often from my friends I hear that their modern boats are good, but I would like to feel the classics. And there is some truth in this. Classic yachts have some kind of eternal and immortal appearance. It does not need to be radically changed - only carefully and sensitively care.

Modern classic

I am often asked which yacht I would choose and it depends on the circumstances. I am occupied with questions about when, where, for how long and with what imaginary budget I will be. But for those lucky enough to afford a true treasure, Performance Classic Yachts (PC Yachts) offers a line of Hoek experimental neoclassical designs. 

PC Yachts is a small brand that produces modern classics. The yard builds several yachts a year in composite materials or epoxy at the Metur Yachts shipyard in Turkey, which is also known for its refurbishments. The 74-foot Stormvogel ocean racing ketch was recently restored here.

Boats from PC Yachts often have a Bermuda sail rather than a gaff sail. Despite this, they still boast a huge sail area. Frankly, such an area is more typical for pilot cutters. Cutters (or cutters) were a proven design for northern European waters over a hundred years ago. Then they had to chase oncoming ships, often in terrible conditions, and they had to be fast and easy to manage. The latter is also true for PC Yachts.

We were invited to test the smallest and latest PC yacht just a few days after its launch. The Pilot Classic 47 “Kazumi” was commissioned by a Japanese gentleman who tragically died along with his wife in an accident. He did not live just a few months before the boat was launched. The family of the victims decided that before putting the yacht up for sale, it must be completed as the couple would like. The result is something they would no doubt be proud of. 

Pilot Classic 47 - a yacht ready for ocean travel?

The assignment was unusual. With aesthetics in mind, the original customer requested a 10 cm reduction in the freeboard. Thus, below deck, the ceiling height was a maximum of 185 cm. This would be sufficient for him, but not enough for many people from the USA or Europe. He also wanted a yacht that could be easily steered alone, so the yacht is equipped with a fur boom, a self-tilting staysail, electric winches and a thruster.

First impressions tend to focus on the great looks of the Pilot Classic 47. To confirm the enduring appeal of such lines, the yacht was moored alongside the Pilot Classic 55 and Pilot Classic 66. Neither boat has aged and still stands out in a busy marina.

Distinctive features of the Pilot Classic 47

If you look at the Pilot Classic 47 next to its larger brothers, then its widest part is significantly shifted to the stern. This creates a much wider stern and a spacious cockpit. André Hoek (yacht designer and architect) compares the wider stern to the stern of the Herreshoff NY40. He also confirms that this also helps with going upwind when heeling. As a rule, a longer yacht looks sleeker with its slimmer lines, but the increase in length creates an equally striking effect on the Pilot Classic 47.  

The design still retains much of the traditional style, including tufted slats, a square cockpit roof and traditional planking that rises from a low freeboard at the stern to high bow sections, culminating in a bowsprit powerful enough for a classic work boat.

The boat is built in accordance with category A ocean standards. The base structure of the boat is made of carbon fiber, reinforced with an epoxy foam “sandwich” (hull technology), all structures are connected together. There are watertight bulkheads in the bow and stern, and the bow is reinforced. 

Thus, despite the fact that this yacht is designed for weekly cruises, the Pilot Classic 47 is structurally capable of sailing anywhere. For me and my photographer, the owners of the shipyard arranged a test drive.

simple pleasures

Ah, the delights of steering a large boat with one helm! The Pilot Classic 47 quickly proved to be agile, light on the steering wheel. We took a tack in the channel between the mainland and the island of Kara-Ada. There, right off the coast of the island, the color of the water changes from dark blue to an alluring blue hue. At the same time, you need to be careful when swimming so close to land. The problem is that the sonar goes from 40m to single digits in less than one boat length.

It was here that the self-twisting staysail came to the rescue. Being able to go short tacks up the coast knowing that you can instantly turn the boat on the tacks along its length without the need for anyone to move is very reassuring.

As with classic yachts, aesthetics outperform comfort in many areas. For example, I did not find it particularly comfortable to sit at the helm. When heeling into the wind, it is far from the steering wheel. Therefore, for a long stay on the steering wheel, you either need to stand, which means you need foot rests (installed at the request of the owners), or sit on the leeward side, which is rather inconvenient. At the same time, to be honest, I am ready to sacrifice comfort for the sake of appearance.

However, forward visibility is good and any Harken winch is a pleasure to work with. I found the yacht attractive for solo sailing. I really liked the feeling of "sportiness" - the lightness and humility of the boat will win the hearts of many yachtsmen.

The comparatively wider stern creates a large headroom at the helm. The bowsprit also looks great and increases windage without increasing mast height. However, it also has its drawbacks. Increases the actual length it creates in port as well as the practical aspects of anchoring. 

Aesthetics is the head of everything

A yacht that prioritizes aesthetics must look good. Pilot Classics handles this well below deck as well, achieving a balance of styles. New England beach house interior design means lightness and chic.

If we compare the boat with a modern cruising yacht, then it definitely lacks volume. In particular, storage space and headroom. However, against the backdrop of weekender-style yachts or even classic yachts with small beams, “Kazumi” looks like a spacious open-plan format that includes six berths.

The comparatively low headroom on this model is impossible to ignore. The ceiling height is about 182-185 cm at the maximum in the wardroom and saloon. But you get used to it, remembering that the "standard" version can be only 10 cm higher.

The style and details are admirable, especially the hull and deck plating. They are white painted tongue and groove. The satin lacquered teak joinery and sculpted solid wood panels around all the furniture are beyond praise. Instead of using plywood, PC Yachts use foam furniture. This is done to save weight where possible.

The chart table boasts a very large amount of space for maps. The original owner was a busy man and wanted to be able to work on board. And it immediately attracted me. So much so that I sat down at my desk for the first time to type notes during a test.

It rightfully feels like the heart of the interior, from where you can plan transitions and work. I was frustrated that the raised locker doors didn't line up perfectly, but there's plenty of locker space and a neat control panel that includes smart analog water tank gauges.

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03.09.2022