Voiles et voiliers N°639 – CAPE COD 767. Différent, stylé, jouissif

Cape Cod 767. Different, stylish, fun

How about a pocket yacht that’s both sporty and comfortable?
This proposal is original, to say the least, and has no real equivalent on the market. Here’s a boat full of seductive ideas, capable of slipping in anywhere.

TEST CONDITIONS :

La Rochelle, westerly wind 1 to 3 knots, flat sea. Even before hoisting the sails and leaving the pontoon, this Cape Cod, with its resolutely modern look and vacuum infusion construction, had a surprise in store for us. A system of articulated engine seats, allowing a Torqeedo electric outboard to be fitted which, under sail, disappears completely into a dedicated watertight box, is integrated into the bottom of the cockpit on the starboard side. The throttle and control box are offset and protected in a special housing inside the cockpit under the gunwale, as if it were an inboard motor. The whole system is efficient, easy to use and very well suited to this boat, which has no draught at all. Another little in-house trick on this Cape Cod 767: the table, also integrated into the bottom of this very long and spacious cockpit a little forward of the two lockers, folds up like an ironing board, revealing a technical access hatch through which you can access the keel well.After that, nothing. This was all the more frustrating given that our test boat was equipped with a very complete set of sails (mainsail, self-tacking jib, code 0, asymmetric spinnaker). At first glance, the boat seems pretty lively, so you’d think we’d have a lot of fun at the helm.

ONLY TWO BERTHS

However, we were able to appreciate the ergonomics of the cockpit. It’s completely open, with no coaming or closed transom, which is in keeping with the boat’s somewhat sporty vocation. Without a coaming, but with soft cushions integrated into the gunwales and concealing retractable backrests that are just as comfortable, because this Cape Cod definitely likes to surprise (other cushions are also provided for the foredeck). The absence of lifelines may be a cause for concern, but it can also be seen as a link between sport and yacht. Attention to detail has been taken quite far. There are a number of small refinements in the fittings: a Harken furler below deck for the self-tacking jib, a code 0 that can be kept in position with a line that runs below deck (like that of the jib and spinnaker tack), and Seasmart quick-release padeyes that allow the spinnaker blocks and fenders to be hit and removed quickly. There’s no mainsheet track, but a small tackle struck on the edge of the bench seats acts as a barber to fine-tune the trim. The windward helmsman can have both his mainsail tackle and, in front of him on the winch, his Code 0 sheet, his spinnaker sheet… or his jib sheet, since the latter is cleverly mounted flat on the deck and returns on each tack. The asymmetric spinnaker lacks a bowsprit, but this is available as an option. As far as accommodation is concerned, there’s no need to dream. However, the manufacturer has provided two berths under the foredeck, allowing you to spend a night on board, but with no headroom!

Conclusion

A dayboat that is actually quite astonishing, unclassifiable, playing on all fronts and cultivating paradoxes… But with a certain amount of happiness. The cockpit without coaming evokes performance, while the cushions, the beautiful cockpit table and even the berths under the foredeck invite you to take a stroll. But in the end, the minimal draught is an obvious advantage, and you should be able to have a lot of fun under sail, as our more fortunate foreign colleagues have done with the weather in La Rochelle. You can be tempted

Text Sébastien Mainguet Photos Ludovic Fruchaud Sources Voiles et Voiliers

A BOAT FOR FUN

As for the rest, the inverted bow and progressive chine are immediately noticeable. The planks are very vertical, which isn’t exactly elegant, but it’s probably difficult to achieve a different result when you want to stay within the same road-going dimensions as here. On the other hand, the flush deck with its teak-like synthetic covering and the fairly fine water intakes contribute to a rather flattering overall appearance. First and foremost, the Cape Cod 767 has an interesting feature: a 330-kilogram pivoting keel that can be fully retracted into the hull and manoeuvred using a hydraulic jack. Once this appendage is raised, the draught is reduced to 22 centimetres! As for the single rudder, it is under the canopy but pivots, thanks to a helm integrated into a recess in the transom. This pivoting and retractable lifting keel formula offers two major advantages, apart from the shallow draft. Firstly, performance under sail is comparable to that of a keelboat; secondly, transport and handling are simpler, with the boat as low as possible on its trailer. Another important note: unfortunately, we ran out of wind for our test in La Rochelle. Just enough time to make a mini-sail under code 0 at around 1 or 2 knots, in a wind that struggled to exceed 2 knots.