Taking cues from its award-winning big sister the Outremer 55, the new VPLP-designed Outremer 52 has been optimized for performance and long-distance bluewater sailing. Technologies developed by the Gunboat shipyard have enabled the builders to create a lighter boat without sacrificing strength, improving performance and allowing for more windows to improve visibility. The owners of the boat that members of SAIL’s review team saw at the Miami International Boat Show, where the boat made its U.S. debut in February, had taken delivery of the boat in France, sailed to the Canary Islands in Spain, and then sailed transatlantic to Martinique before heading north to Miami for the show. On their best day, they logged 254 miles with a top speed of 21.3 knots. Daggerboards draw 6’8” inches when down, enhancing upwind performance.
Changes to living spaces also are geared to enhance safer and easier watchstanding on board. The main helm to starboard is at cabintop level for good visibility and there’s ample space here for one person to be standing at the helm and the other to be linehandling. The wheel can also be lowered to a position under the cockpit hardtop, and sailhandling lines led down, for helming with protection from the elements. On the test boat, the owner had opted to keep the port helm a tiller, because he loves the feel of sailing the boat with the tiller. Both helms have a comfortable seat for two people. The mainsheet has a heavy-duty traveler aft of the cockpit seats, with multiple jammers and winches on either side for good, low control of this 1,023-square-foot sail.
In the salon, a terrific nav desk with full visibility forward has a dedicated, robust chair that articulates to face the galley or dining space to starboard. Below in the port hull, a modular “free space” forward can be configured in multiple ways, from an office and workshop with convertible bunk, to a double cabin or child’s cabin. Aft is another cabin with head and shower, separated. The owner’s cabin to starboard includes piles of storage midships and a full shower and head forward.
Stay tuned for a full review of this SAIL Top 10 Best Boats 2025 nominee, and in the meantime, enjoy this walkthrough video.
LOA 51’7” Beam 25’10” Draft 3’6” (boards up), 6’8” (boards down) Air draft (w/out antenna) 75’6” Engines 50hp (2x) Sail area (mainsail and self-tacking jib) 1,507 sq ft; Genoa 646 sq ft; Gennaker (optional) 1,507 sq ft; Spinnaker (optional) 2,271 sq ft
