BOAT TEST: WINDELO 50 ADVENTURE – SAILING TODAY

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There is nothing wrong with a bit of conformity. Even as humans we all have a certain desire to blend in and melt into the background. Yet, as the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. This certainly rings true on boat tests where, from time to time, you find yourself confronted with a yacht so bland that you are left struggling to find anything to say. This is not an accusation that could be levelled at the Windelo 50.

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On one basic level the Windelo 50 is a conformist. It wants to be a comfortable, top end blue water catamaran in same bracket as, say, Outremer as opposed to Lagoon. To achieve that, the boat has to be reasonably lightweight but also well fitted out, feature decent performance but also the ability to be sailed across oceans with confidence. To achieve these aims the company tamed up with the highly respected team of Christophe Barreau and Frédéric Neuman who have worked extensively with the likes of Outremer and Catana in the past and produced a hull with the aim of providing strong performance even when the boat is fully loaded up.

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Step aboard the Windelo and you are immediately aware that this is a boat that is just that little bit different. The cockpit, for example is not where you’d expect it to be but has instead been shifted well forward, sitting in front of the main living area and just abaft the mast. There are twin helms and large windows, while sliding doors provide masses of light and air but also mean you can shut out the elements if needs be.

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