Ultim Actual 4: 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 expert Alan Roberts nominated the Ultim Actual 4. Here’s the report:

“I’ve been very lucky. I’ve sailed on a lot of really cool boats, modern boats, but also my background’s from dinghy sailing. So up until recently I probably would have said the International 14, which is an absolute classic, or the Merlin Rocket in the UK. But without a doubt, the Ultim is the coolest boat I’ve sailed on.”

Roberts was part of the Actual Ultim 4 crew for the Rolex Fastnet Race. “This was the old Gitana, it’s the new Actual 4. We put the boat in the water a week before the race, and when you buy these boats, you don’t get given all the information – or even all the right parts. So we’ve only scratched the surface of what we can do with this boat.

“It’s just next level. You sail around at 30 knots upwind, 40 knots downwind. The boat’s dead flat, I can make my cup of tea while we’re going 40 knots without even holding the mug! And it’s so reactive. The Ultim is the ultimate sailing machine in the world at the moment.”

Ultim Actual 4 stats rating
Top speed: 51.7 knots
LOA: 32m/100ft
Launched: 2017
Berths: 1-4
Price: €10-15million
Adrenalin factor: 98%

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