Open 7.50: World’s coolest yachts

Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and offshore champion Charles Caudrelier nominated the Open 7.50. Here’s his report:

The Open 7.50 is the fastest one-design sportsboat ever built. Designed by the Finot Group, it applies much of the developments from Open 50s and 60s ocean racing designs to a 24-foot sportsboat weighing just 750kg.

Features include a retractable carbon keel, carbon rotating wing mast, and twin carbon rudders with a titanium rudder bar system. High stability combines with an impressive sail plan – 54m² upwind and a 65m² asymmetric – for blistering performance.

“The Open 7.50 is an amazing inshore boat. It was designed 25 years ago but nobody has done it better since,” says Caudrelier. “It’s very light and very powerful – downwind is amazing on this boat. All the famous sailors in France try to race in the class every year at Spi Ouest – our ‘Cowes Week’.”

The Spi Ouest entry list reads like a who’s who of sailing: Loïck Peyron, Franck Cammas, and Marc Guillemot have raced in the 7.50s, along with Caudrelier, at the Quiberon spring regatta.

Open 7.50 stats rating
Top speed: 25+ knots
LOA: 7.50m/24ft 7in
Launched: 1998
Berths: 0
Price (used): €20,000-35,000
Adrenalin factor: 80%

For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here.