Jeanneau Yachts 60: harmony and design, an 18-metre yacht of pure elegance

Jeanneau Yachts 60, a free and safe boat

Sailing with a sailboat is always a great emotion, as Philippe Briand also says “we are in a non-urbanized environment, there are no roads but only wind, sun and waves. If you are able to understand these ingredients then you become rich, very rich in freedom”.

Perhaps for this reason, when I climb aboard the Jeanneau 60, I immediately realize that it is a free boat, designed and conceived to sail miles in absolute safety.

Despite its 18 metres, everything in this sailboat is easy and within reach; if I were alone, I would have no problem steering it.

Jeanneau 60 responds exactly to what every owner wants from their boat: safety, easy handling, range, performance and living space on board, both outside and inside.

The search for the right size and balance is perceivable everywhere, starting with the cockpit, which offers large spaces that can be used either for cocktails with friends or for keeping watch during navigation, even at night, protected from the wind and cold, in maximum comfort.

Jeanneau Yachts 60 Sea Trial

We leave the port of Cannes on a beautiful day, characterized by calm seas and a north-easterly wind of around 7/8 knots.

We hoist the mainsail effortlessly, simply by operating the control on the helm console, where we also find the primary and secondary winch controls.

It is just as easy to open the genoa and the hull immediately begins to show its qualities.

Soft waterlines, an upturned bow and a slight tapering at the stern offer little resistance to advancing, so much so that we are already sailing at just under wind speed.

I try to ply and, with an angle of 30 degrees to the apparent wind, the speed increases quickly, we are sailing at 6 knots and the feeling of stability and balance is utmost.

I decide to put the boat about, I give the command to the crew and the boat leans on the new tack and starts up again without losing speed.

The two consoles in front of the two wheels allow me to easily read all the data I need and the driving position offers excellent visibility, even though the spry-hood is open.

I bear up and sail between 45 and 60° and here the boat enters its comfort zone in my opinion, as we often call it when we are in balance with ourselves, producing the best ratio between true and apparent wind we are sailing at 7/8 knots in a 7/8 knot true wind, a wonderful performance for a cruiser.

I sail at 110/120 degrees, the true wind is continuing blowing at around 6/7 knots while we sail at 5 knots. A good speed, especially considering that the jib is 105%.

I would have liked to have tried this Jeanneau Yachts 60 with a few more knots of wind because it could certainly give us a few surprises.

Test Conditions

The Jeanneau Yacht 60 in detail

Cockpit

Entering from the stern, there is a large space between the two wheelhouses that allows easy access to the central cockpit, which is spacious and arranged to offer maximum comfort and convenience both for going down to the dinette, and for using the two large compass tables that allow ten people to eat comfortably.

The possibility of lowering one or both tables via the telescopic legs makes it possible to create a single surface with the side cushions and become an extremely comfortable relaxation area.

The high-side spry hood offers good wind protection and leaves plenty of visibility thanks to the large windows fitted.

The sloping side-decks now adopted on the boatyard’s flagship models offer excellent passage to the bow with ease thanks to their width.

In front of the mast, the sunbathing area is equipped with cushions for three people; if necessary, an awning can be installed between the mast and the genoa to create a very useful shaded area on hot summer days.

At the bow, an integrated bowsprit makes it possible to rig a CODE 0 easily thanks to the deck, which, totally uncluttered, offers plenty of space.

Interior and layouts

I descend the staircase consisting of five large steps which, thanks to their slight inclination, allow easy access to the Saloon.

Spacious and of truly impressive dimensions, it offers incredible light thanks to the many windows on the sides and on the deckhouse, where we find three large portholes, two of which can be opened by compasses.

On the starboard side, two large armchairs, together with the sofa on the port side, create a convivial space for relaxing or eating comfortably.

The whole ambience is beautifully designed thanks to the collaboration with Andrew Winch, who as always chose elegant lines and great functionality.

The galley located on the bow, at the bulkhead of the mast, allows for a large saloon that is very comfortable even on the darkest and rainiest days thanks to the choice of light colours and shades that naturally reflect the light.

In this version we find a configuration with an aft master cabin of significant dimensions served by a head with a single entrance directly from the cabin, offering decidedly unique privacy .

In the bow, two guest cabins, each served by a shower room that can become a single cabin if necessary by simply sliding the central wall.

Opposite these two twin cabins is a bow cabin for the skipper or captain. At the stern there is a folding hatch and the garage, which can accommodate a 3-metre tender.

Yachts 60 ushers in a new era of design by offering a multitude of layout to meet the desires of every customer down to the smallest detail, both in terms of interior accommodation and sailing style.

Indeed, the Jeanneau Yachts 60 offers numerous options: the bow, the hard top, the open galley, the removable forestay, the furling mast in the standard version, the classic and performance mast as an option, etc.

It thus becomes possible to switch from a “Mediterranean sport” version to one suitable for ocean cruising.

Technical Specs