Loxo 32: the powerboat which fancies itself a sailboat

Someone has described her as a sailboat without the mast. In a more flattering way, others, including the boatyard itself, describes her as a boat designed for the retired sailors who want to find an alternative in motorboats. No one, however, seems to have gone out of a limb by describing the Logo 32 as a beautiful boat.

Presented at the Salon Nautique International de Paris these days, the new creation from the French shipyard Pogo Structures is actually beautiful and not only from an aesthetical point of view. The Loxo 32 (maybe, the name doesn’t follow the conventional marketing standards) is highly affected by the design Pogo Structures – a shipyard which has built supreme, fast cruising sailboats like the Pogo 30, the Pogo 12.50, the Pogo 50 and the 6.50-meter Pogo 3 – has traditionally adopted to date. Inspired by ocean open yachts, Pogo boats feature an extremely wide beam, good performance and thin forward sections.

However, the Loxo 32 looks like the “different sister” of the sailing branch of the family. Lines are more chiseled, the bow is thinner, the stern is full-beam, the hull lines are similar to those commonly found on board a sailboat. Even the handrail is openly inspired by sailboats since it consists of a series of stays and stanchions instead of a simple steel rail.

A key part is played by the deckhouse, an impressive superstructure where a joystick, located on the starboard bulkhead, makes mooring maneuvers easier. Behind it, a couch, positioned next to the transom, can become a sun pad in just a few simple moves.

Simple-designed, the interiors consist of a dinette, a helm station on the starboard side and a galley with sink on the left. The bathroom is positioned just behind the helm station. The dinette layout is completed by two sofas and a table in the middle. The master cabin is positioned at the bow.

By setting any aesthetical judgement apart from our analysis, the main goal of Pogo Structures was the construction of a boat which could be comfortable enough for short-range cruises and capable of sailing at good speed and with low fuel consumption. This is why they have built a sandwich with polyester and vinylester resin where all parts are done by infusion.

 

The recently conducted sea trials have demonstrated that, at a cruising speed of 10-12 knots, the boat delivers its best fuel efficiency, using just half a liter of fuel per nautical mile. The 150-liter fuel tank capacity guarantees a range of 300 nm. The boat is offered in different power options: a Volvo Penta sail drive 50/75 hp engine or twin Volvo sail drive 30hp engines.

 

Technical Specifications

Length Overall                         9.50 m

Beam                                         2.55 m

Displacement                          1,650 kg (1 engine) 1750 kg (2 engines)

Draft                                         0.70 m

Fuel Tank Capacity                150 l

Water Tank Capacity             150 l

Power options                         1 Volvo 50/ 70 hp/ 2 Volvo sai drive 30 hp

Maximum Speed                    17 kn

Range                                       (at 10 knots) 300 nm; (at 12 knots) 260 nm