rm yacht test

RM 1180: A declaration of love to the sea

• August 29th, 2024
• Sailing Yacht

Warning! This will not only be one of the longer articles (maybe I should have published it on the weekend for „your long Sunday´s read) but this could as well trigger some serious buying-itches if you are looking for a compact, yet spacious, luxurious yet high-performing, family yet single handed sailing capable dream yacht. Because, frankly: The RM 1180 combines all of those demands – plus, she is a damn beautiful looking modern yacht! It´s around 9 a.m. yesterday as I walk down the pontoon in Kiel Schilksee marina, yes, that´s the one marina that had been hit the hardest during this year´s heavy storm . Being rebuild and upgraded with a higher breakwater (among other things) it was good to see this harbor restored to its full glory.

Kiel Schilksee, the former Olympic harbor of 1972, is full of interesting sailboats (and you may be happy to read that in the coming weeks there will be another full fledged sea trial of another very interesting yacht published, starting exactly from this location). But the RM 1180, our boat for today, is visible instantly from afar: It´s an RM specialty to have their boats painted in the most colorful way, many of which feature so extravagant colors like bright lemon-yellow, screaming green that would make look a Granny Smith apple pale or – as in our case – a wonderful strong blue. Which, after arriving at the boat and greeting her owner, is the motto of this yacht anyway: eAU POINT, the ship´s name , which at the same time is a nice little, clever pun exactly „on point“ with what this boat is all about.

RM 1180 – an old acquaintance of mine

I´m not a newbie aboard an RM. These yachts have fascinated me since I joined the business some 8 years ago. The shipyard in La Rochelle was among the first I´ve visited and also the designer of the boat, sadly recently deceased, legendary Marc Lombard. This particular yacht has been delivered almost two years ago. Which was a great surprise for me because she looked absolutely gorgeous – if the owner wouldn´t have told me, I couldn´t tell the age. Anyway, still considered new, we boarded the beauty and I found myself at home quickly.

For me it is customary to look around aboard, especially to check out how the boat is sailed. That´s the layout of the winches, the running rigging and steering of course. In this, instantly, the RM 1180 is different from the classic sailing yachts made for cruising. The positions of the winches, all lines and the clavier of clamps is unique. Aboard the RM 1180 there is a strict separation of steering and sails trimming. You can clearly see on the pictures that all four winches and every single rope are diverted to a central trimming position. Something we will be checking out later on the water.

The RM 1180, build by a small/medium-sized shipyard, can be outfitted adhering to many individual wishes and demand by the owners. In the case of eAU POINT, the most apparent of these wishes can be seen right there after boarding the boat: The cockpit area is empty. Like a dancefloor, the wide open space of the yacht, which comes with a significant width of just under 4.40 meters, is even more apparent and visible without a cockpit table fitted. Ex works buyers of a such a boat can choose between a permanent table, a removable option or – as in case of this yachts – without any table at all. We will later see how many advantages this is bringing to sailing the boat and roaming about – certainly an interesting choice also in case of my own new boat that I am currently having built: I won´t have a cockpit table neither permanently fitted nor removable as well. But back to the RM.

I board the boat and get acquainted with the localities, do a bit small talk with the owner and the dealer, Nils Schürg of Blue Yachting Bremen who sold this yacht two years ago. The owner is a very tall guy, which is a bit intimidating by the looks but has a very welcoming and charming attitude. I feel at home and welcome instantly. What really surprises me is the absolute cleanliness of the yacht. She looks like she had been delivered some weeks ago. Especially under deck, where of course some private decorations had been set up by the owner family, but compared to so many other boats, this is one of the tidiest yachts I´ve ever visited. A bit later a team of three journalists of the Palstek, a German boating magazine, arrived at last and we were able to finally cast off.

Sails up, ho! RM 1180 under canvas

The RM 1180 is an impressive boat although her bare numbers don´t appear all too big: With 39 feet length overall, which is 11.80 meters as her name suggests, she has a beam of 4.37 meters. Compared to other 40-footers that is quite something: The Oceanis 40.1 has „just“ 4.18 meters and even the new Hanse 410 measures 4.29 meters. This makes her a chunky lady when negotiating narrow marinas – I will come back to this later. The owner maneuvers her with ease out of her berth and after a few minutes we wind ourselves outside Schilksee: Ready to hoist the canvas!

Our boat sports quite an impressive rigg. Her mast is a beautiful carbon-option off the price list. The big rod is made by Z-Spars and the two pairs of distinctively aft pointing spreaders (in heavy winds and much waves assisted by Dyneema backstays) are yelling „I´m a performer!“ at any potential contender. This also goes for the sails: eAU POINT carries a deep black performance laminate cloth, of which the mainsail we hoist at first.

What instantly surprises me, but it really shouldn´t, is how easy I can pull up the main. Apparently, this guy knows about real sailing and had invested in high grade mast sliders. None of the winches are electrified and this might cause a bit of frowning, but there is really no need to have one. I get up the main sail by just pulling the halyard, no winching is needed. This speaks for itself.

Wind is yet to pick up some speed. As we kill the engine after getting up the main there are merely 4 knots of true wind, the boat is more drifting in a conrolled manner than it is sailing. We talk a bit about which one of the light wind sails othe owner should get on deck – Code 0 or Gennaker – but making a wish and thinking of nice pictures I asked for the latter. The bright Gennaker colors should match this qonderful clear summer sky the most. He aggres and just minutes later the big blue blister unfolds in the wind.

A rhapsody in blue …

It´s always such a great feeling seeing a Gennaker fly! Nils steams around the boat in the rib, ready to take on us photographers to take some awesome pictures. And as the other guys are busy documenting the yacht´s interiors, I take my chance and jump over to Nils. He carries me all around the RM 1180 and I take pictures like it was my last chance to see her. 187 pictures I will have taken from her under Gennaker alone! And hell, this is truly a rhapsody in blue! Which, by chance, fits so nicely my last article …

RM´s specialy design-wise has always been a very own taste for balance, a very own sheerline and form of the coachroof. Not as overly pronounced like you can see it in the Wauquiez Pilot Saloon 42 for example, RM always keeps a lower profile but has strong references to the classic pilot saloon or raised saloon-boats. Marc Lombard – rest in peace, my friend! – has done a marvellous job balancing this boat. Her relatively high freeboard is nicely covered up by the rising sheerline – like a Puma ready to jump.

Suddenly, I am adjusting something on my camera, Nils yells, puts the lever to „full“ and the rib jumps to speed. „Look at this!“, he joyfully screams against the Yamaha outboard engine: „Just look at this!“ And there she goes: A nice little puff of wind has suddenly appeared, filles the sails and at an instant the boat heels a bit over but at the same time gains speed. It is fascinating to see, like a drag-race in the seas. How much does she weigh? 7.7 tons says the website. For an almost-40-footer full fledged cruising yacht, this is awesome!

Sailing the RM 1180

I get back aboard, now that wind is coming, I want to feel her at the helm with my own hands. The Gennaker is taken down thanks to the socket, quickly the overlapping Genoa unfurls. It´s still not an overwhelmingly great wind, but still. A breeze of 10 to 13 knost (and building) is enough for the boat to show some of ist potential.

Being a performance oriented sailor, our owner decided to go for some very high grade sails cloth. The garments are racing laminates, custom made by Bryt Sails, a sailmaker and thoroughbred sailor himself since 1980, based in Poland. I cannot see any faults or signs of „cheapness“, apparently, these guys know what they are doing. Once the full canvas is set, the RM 1180 heels and we head out into Kiel Bay area.

As the other journalists are steering, I take a closer look to the before mentioned special winch and running rigging layout of this boat. All lines are diverted back into the cockpit, there is no need to leave this area. A plus of safety in bad weather or high seas. But more than this: All of the lines are worked upon on one single location. Set underneath the lare sprayhood, centrally located right at the entryway down, this is the place for the sails trimmer.

Running through the jammers, you can pick up any line, be it a halyard, any sheet, reef or outhaul, put it on one of the four winches and take it in or let ot go at will. It´s a bit unusual as most winches are placed nowadays either far abaft at the helm stations so that the helmsman (sailing alone or being the only sailor aboard) can trim or, more classy, the winches are fitted onto the coamings along the full length of the cockpit.

Not so on the RM 1180. A hint to what the use-case of this yacht is meant to be. A couple´s vacational dream yacht. Two people working the boat, running the business. As a team. Regarding the winch and rope layout, this really pays off. As we do some tacks, first the owner, then myself as well, demonstrate how easy tacking and changing the sheets is. No hectic, no running from left to right. It´s really fun! And so clever. Plus: When there´s really shitty weather, any tack worked from the protection of the sprayhood is a great plus, and also very safe in foul weather.

At the helm

Wind picks up some more speed. In a 13 knots breeze the yacht clocks out at 5, 6 knots. Remember, the boat is fully loaded and currently carrying six adults and one kid (I´ve brought my little son). As much as I liked the winch poistions for the trimmer, as much I apprciate the helmsman´s working place. View and sight over the deck of the RM 1180 is exemplary. Even through the large sprayhood we have no problems observing the other sailboats.

Sitting outside on the coamings the view of the helmsman onto any impostant part of the boat is free: Observing the tell tales, the Windex high above and also traffic in front of the yacht is great even when sitting. As the boat glides on, there are seldom corrections on the wheels needed. The wheels by the way are something special …

Onthe RM 1180 the black anodized (?) aluminium Goiot wheels are a true beauty to look at. The owner tells me that at first the shipyard had indvertently delivered the optional (and more expensive) Carbonautica composite wheels but the owner had already fallen in love with those aluminium wheels. Which are not only cheaper but also standard on the RM. Regarding the wheels, the feeling of the material is very nice, the ouside is a rubber-like material for better grip.

Standing behind the wheel, I get a feeling for the helm. I like the steering post which is supported by black steel columns. Perfect grab handles in heavy weather. The 7 inch chart plotter display is a bit small for my taste, I would have upgraded to 9 inches, but I also wear spectacles with 3.5 dioptre. Anyway, the smaller screen do their job. There is a bow thruster control right above the Diesel engine lever.

I sit down on the other side whilst the colleagues are steering and enjoy the view: When standing up and even when reclining a bit into the aft pulpit the view over the wide side decks and to the frontal quadrants of the boat sailing is exemplary. I could very easily imagine myself sailing this boat not just here in the confined area of Kiel Bay but on a multi-week vacation to through the Baltic Sea … awesome!

Impressive sailing performance

Even though conditions are spot on perfect for a press sea trial (even better for a sea trial with prospect buyers!) the data eAU POINT produces are promising. On a close hauled point of sail she squeezes out 6.5 knots in a 14 to 14.5 knots breeze. Bearing away a bit we can clearly feel a slight „dithering“, just as she would tremble in happy expectation. On a beam reach she is not much slower. Clearly, her chocolate wind angle, at least for today, is a nice broad reach where she is making above 7 knots.

Taking the helm myself I first of all notice the instant feedback from the boat to any slightest movement of the rudders. This is exactly what sets apart the modern hull design from classic displacement hulls. She is so nimble and light-footed on the helm that I wonder how much fun a regatta must be with her. The owner assures me smiling that an X 4.0 was easy prey for his boat on many occasions. We detect a bigger J just some 10 boat lengths in front of us and bring it to the test.

Only minutes later the RM 1180 had eaten away the distance and we surely would have catched her with ease, but we beared away instead as the owner wanted to show me how she would gybe. The RM is a fun boat, truly. Not being an all-out racer on the one hand but also not your classic heavy comfortable cruising yacht, she is a class of her own and I kind of hesitate coming up with similar boats of her kind, honestly. The owner tells me that, depending on the wave patterns, eAU POINT will start planning at a boat speed of 9 knots approximately.

A role model holiday cruiser

As I said, an RM boat is a class of its own. Neither an all out performer nor a luxurious cruising yacht. But in a sense, RM Yachts does manufacture true French boats. Excluding the big series production brands like Dufour, Jeanneau and Beneteau which are making boats predominantly for the charter and general user-market, smaller brands of which RM Yachts is only one example have circled in on a very distinct and defined small range of buyers. In this, a French boat is always easily identifiable: Good performance meets practical and „reserved“ style. This is best seen when going down below.

This boat does not need nor want an overly exaggerated interior concept. Everything is practical, there aren´t many materials, colors or forms. It´s French: All those nice little brands share this attitude, which I like. Be it JPK or Pogo , be it the one-offs of Finot-Conq or smaller (sadly gone) brands like Offcet. In the RM, a very down-to-earth approach is apparent. Look ar the joinery: No frills. Indeed. No frills.

The layout of the RM 1180 is a classic. Upon coming down the just 3 stairs of the companionway, you´ll find a galley to the portside, a nav-station vis-a-vis and the most part of the interior is occupied by the saloon. The volume is breathtaking the least, boosted of course by the big skylights and the interior measurements. Now, standing inside the RM 1180, the true consequences of having such a wide boat with such a high freeboard are instantly apparent: This is a dance hall!

To port side a large dining area with a large U-shaped settee around a nicely manufactured massive wooden table is arranged. I´d say that easily 4 adults with much room, 6 or even 7 could be seated here and enjoy a nice evening meal or a game of Monopoly. The table integrates elegantly the mast stand which is painted white. It kind of blends in into the predominantly white interior and therefore doesn´t really appar to be there. A clever way to hide this „obstacle“ otherwise placed in the middle of the salon.

Vis a vis a short 2-seater settee may be nice to enjoy a last drink before going to bed or read the newspapers in the morning. I haven´t tried (shame on me!) but I reckon a grown up man cannot recline here to sleep, otherwise this would make for a great off-watch but fast up again location to take a nap when heeled to starboard side. What I loved though was the nice and decently sized navigation station housing the electronics, main switch panel and a dedicated chart table.

I´ve often written about my preferences and the never ending discussion between L-galley and the longitudinal galley set-up. For boats on a long haul journey I´d prefer the latter just because there´s so much more stowage. But for weekend or week-long vacational sailing, of course, having an L-shaped galley is much more beautiful. The one on the RM 1180 is exemplary. It´s more a U-shaped galley with lots of tabletop working areas to prepare even multi-course meals, two very large cooler/freezer drawers (and thankfully the pro stainless-steel drawers, not the home appliance fridges!) and a two flame stove . Even in rough conditions, the ship´s cook will always find a secure position to wedge himself into to prepare the crew´s food.

A family boat

Let´s stay inside for a while – up there the wind is shifting wild and is stuck between 13 and 15 knots true anyway – and focus on living comforts. The RM is a „young“ boat. I can´t help myself, but I cannot imagine an Oyster-style sailor being happy aboard this boat, and vice versa. The fresh and modern approach, the clean, honest design, the simple and neat lines make me envision a happy family aboard the RM 1180 sailing during a Sabbattical through the Caribbean . And indeed, apart from the fact that Kiel is not Saint Lucia, the owners of eAU POINT are a family!

Comfort-wise, this boat is available as a three cabin boat or – as in our case – fitted with two thorough cabins with a storage room that can be turned into another guest berth. What I like the most about the RM 1180 is the fact, that the shipyard offers just this one layout: One bathroom, three/two cabins. The owner´s cabin in the front is on the first glimpse huge. Just like a cathedral. This boat has its most volume (and thus standing height) in the forward part of the hull – you remember the rising sheerline? This can be seen here inside this cabin.

Whilst the owners in their front cabin enjoy so many cupboards, shelves and racks, the guests or kids in the aft cabin have a huge dedicated closet that indeed will take on clothing for long, long trips! What I loved about RM´s aft cabins are the multiple porthole windows of which many can be opened. This makes the cabin more light suffused and appear much brighter and bigger. The space between hull and ceiling is perfectly used to add some more trays here and there. So many windows, so much fresh air – where other boat´s aft cabins are just dark sleeping caves, this one is really inviting. Not the least a produce of the enormous width of the boat´s hull.

I mentioned it, RM Yachts thnkfully did not join the battle for the most toilets on a boat. There is one and one only bathroom. It is positioned on ist classy location just right of the entryway down. Again, it´s kept in plain white without frills or exaggeration. There is a nicely sized shower. I would have put the large mirror a bit more centered, it appears a bit offset, and also, the door opening to the inside may be making the enrance into the room a bit complicated for XXL-sized people. Of course, this bathroom features a massive wooden Teak grating : Just as if they could read my mind!

Let there be light!

A motto that is kind of a thread woven into the whole boat is natural light. It seems as if the designers had invested much more thoughts than usual into the question of how they can manage to incorporate as much natural light into the boat as possible. By far the most amount is let through via the large frontal skylights. A reminiscence to the classy pilot saloon or even deck saloon concepts, these are just fantastic!

I mean, in harbor it is nice indeed, but when outside under sails, maybe with this colorful large Gennaker up, the sight from down below is breathtaking! Next to the large frontal windows two portholes can be opened to support ventilation of fresh air. The saloon is also blessed with long, uninterrupted coachroof side windows and hull windows. Now, on a day like today with so much sunlight reflected off of a dark blue water surface, the rich reflections and playful game of the whole spectrum of natural light inside the boat is a treat for the eyes. Now you understand, why this yacht does not need an exaggerated „design“ inside: The plain white is the canvas onto which nature projects its fascinating cinematic movie of prism effects.

Well, there´s always a downside to everything. I don´t know if having so much window surface could be a disadvantage in really hot areas like the said Caribbean or other places with high temperatures and lots of unblocked sunlight. Of course the glass of the windows is tempered and fitted with UV-blocking properties, but I can imagine that so many windows could also have some annoying parts – even if this is only keeping them clean and spotless from salty residue.

Light-footed, nimble: Just pure fun!

As wind picks up once more I again jump over to Nils on board the rip to shoot some pictures of the RM 1180 under standard sails. The guys at the helm are apparently having fun and Nils does his best to drive me all around the boat, while she is showing off her all of her tempting, beautiful angles. And a beauty she truly is indeed!

At the end of our trip today I will add another 270 pictures to the already shot ones – back at home, writing this article, I´ve spent nearly two hours going through the raw material, selecting the best shots for this article. Which is not as easy as it sounds: The choice is so hard! Even now this article contains as many as 40 pictures whereas a normal walkthrough/sea trial article rarely has more than 30. It speaks for the boat.

I particularly like the shot of the stern of the RM 1180 as seen above very much. It shows the principle design of the yacht: You may know, or not, that RM Yachts is the only serious production company manufacturing the boats with plywood. In this, I´ve already made a dedicated article about the special cold-molded plywood-Epoxy hulls of RM Yachts. What I want to  point out here is the fact that these are hard chined boats – as you clearly can see. And of course, how big the owner is in comparison to the guy at the helm! With him in relation, the RM 1180 appears to be a small dinghy, but she´s a decent 40 footer, believe me!

Also noticable is her light-footed behavior. Same as earlier today when the unexpected puff set her Gennaker to boost-mode, I can now clearly see and witness how she copes with some gusts. In that case, she will heel – just slightly – and spring to life, instantly accelerating. There is no pressure on the rudders whatsoever which says a lot about how well balanced her sailplan with the hull design is. I can see Marc Lombard smiling up there …

One of the most spectacular angles is her bow cutting through the waves. The picture above may be a bit misleading as the fish-eye lens effect does make her bow appear more extreme than it is. It is an inverted bow but just so slightly, very subtle. It is sharply formed in ist entry, like a cutting knife, and it gets a bit wider when reaching the top where the slim, aggressive bowsprit is fitted. Isn´t that a beautiful boat?!

And so it happens that just by sheer coincidence a very special boat sails past us: A King´s Cruiser 33 , the very same boat that marked my entry into this crazy wonderful world of yachting. I am standing in awe, smiling and waving to the couple sailing by graciously. This Pelle Petterson-designed IOR-classic is a beautiful and nicely sailing yacht too – but the difference between this Finish eye-candy and our modern RM couldn´t be bigger. 50 years of hull design and development in yachting.

So many great details …

A great day under sails aboard the RM 1180 draws to an end. The colleagues have to return to their office in Hamburg, Nils Schürg has another appointment further up north and even though my small son also got his turn in holding the due course a the steering wheels of eAU POINT, somehow the tempting smell of fish´n´chips smoldering out of one of the many restaurants at the quayside made him a bit hungry. We turn around the yacht and head for her home port.

I use the last remaining time to open my eyes for the smaller details, of which the RM has many. The sprayhood for example: This part has not just been tailor made to fit exactly the size of the cockpit, cover the winches and trimmer´s area and leaving enough standing height and space to safely grind the winches, it also comes with a dedicated grab handle: How cool is that? So many other sprayhoods are getting dirty by the sweaty, greasy fingers of them sailors seeking some safe hold. This is nice!

I also love the Wichard fasteners, fitted by the owner though, not by the shipyard. Other than the usual standard clips, which I frankly hate, those work easy, smoothly and open/close the reeling as light as possible. I make a note to myself that I will fit these on my Omega 42 as well! Have I mentioned that the RM 1180 may have the wides entryway down I´ve ever seen on a sailboat? It is really wide, but narrow enough to grant a safe passage in heavy seas. I say so because right there underneath the steps of the companionway, another nice detail is found.

The light concept of a boat is truly a huge thing, but often neglected. I´ve seen boats you can´t sail at night because there is no idea how to illuminate the interior without blinding the eyes of the crew, waking up everyone else. Location, strength and color of lights is so important (maybe I do an article about this). Well, anyway, what I loved about the RM are the two single LED red-lights. I am sure they are illumunating the entrance area just as much that you will see where you place your foot but not get blinded.

Could this be the perfect holiday cruiser for a couple?

A few minutes later eAU POINT is back in her berth, the land lines are securely fastened and the owner, not after sacrificing to Poseidon, offers a cold beer to us. Burned by the relentless sun and of course having forgotten to bring some own water for the hours on the water, the beer is puuting out the flaming throats and is refreshing our hearts. We are happy: This was a near perfect sailing day, certainly a perfect day for shooting pictures of this wonderful yacht. „The only box left unchecked was the appearance of some Dolphins“, I said and all agree. So, what is this, RM 1180?

She is a fast cruiser, as promised by RM´s marketing division. Although today´s conditions were merely light, she showed at least some of her potential and even in this, squeezing out 6 to 7 knots of a breeze that unsteady and light is quite something. She offers so much space, both on deck and – much more so – below so that I´d say she is a perfect match for a family seeking the sensations of active sailing, combined with the comforts of modern cruising in a very modern, no frills-ambience. Yes, she is a pretty perfect cruiser! „Well, what about that plywood-thing?“, some of you may ask.

If this is a concern for you, you definitely should check out my article on the shipyard visit with a full description of the production! When taking out the fenders for mooring I made a picture of the more than a man deep anchor chain locker . You can clearly see the massive crash box-like safety bulkhead. The plywood skelleton as well as the boat´s sheathing ranges from 20 millimeters to very thinck 40 millimeters (for example around the rudder trunks . The plywood is soaked and hardened with Epoxy resin and the whole hull gets a „wrap-around“ with GRP. This makes this boat not only comparatively light, but also stiff and safe at the same time. It would be interesting to check out impact resistance of both blunt and pointy crashes with such a boat versus various GRP production boats …

In the end, there are hundreds of RM yachts travelling the world, visiting the most beautiful places of our planet. Epoxy hardened plywood is in no way inferior or unsafer as GRP, I am sure. Well, and so a wonderful day ends. As we part and say Goodbye, the owner grinds his hands says: „Well, guys, that was so much fun – I might go out for another turn today.“ He smiles and waves. Back at home, flipping through more than 500 pictures, I dem the last one seen above to be the one picture depicting the character of the RM 1180 best: Fancy and Fresh!

Thanks to the owner of eAU POINT and Nils Schürg of Blue Yachting Bremen for this awesome sailing day!

You might as well like to check out these related articles:

At the RM shipyard in La Rochelle: Where the magic happens 

Talking to legend Marc Lombard about his visions of RM Yachts

Exclusive look: Launching the RM 13.70

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

RM890 review

• Chris Beeson
• November 12, 2015

While glassfibre boats try to be wooden inside, Graham Snook test the RM890: a wooden boat with a modern interior

See the November 2015 issue of Yachting Monthly for the full test

What’s she like to sail?

Most yachts will shine in a good force 5, but the 890 was shining so bright she was blinding. We topped out at 9.4 knots beam-reaching in 20 knots of breeze, surfing off waves and generally having a whale of a time – or ‘working hard’, as I tell the editor.

She responded well to the helm, and the flat sections of her hull worked to get her surfing quicker than most – the downside is when a flat surface catches a wave it can slam a little. There was some cruising gear on board, more was yet to arrive; even so she was quick, comfortable and surprisingly dry.

It’s possible to helm seated in the cockpit, but with any heel it feels right to sit on the coaming. I found the steering a little stiff. This did however mean I could leave the helm to tend a line without her steering a course of her own. Although not quite nine metres long, her speed was up there with larger yachts, making longer distances easier to achieve.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

Her open plan interior has benefits as well as drawbacks. It’s a bright area, and the large, forward-facing saloon window allows light to fill the saloon and forward berth area, even with very dark upholstery. It does however lack privacy, not a problem for a family or couple, but it isn’t ideal for a group of friends.

Shelved stowage is a little rudimentary and lighting forward isn’t the most generous. The shelves particularly might start to bug me after a while: it’s sometimes nice to be able to hide stuff away and out of sight rather than looking at, say, a bright green first aid kit on a shelf day in and day out.

Her hull is painted, epoxy-impregnated plywood. It’s very fair and could be mistaken for GRP, however it’s likely to be less forgiving than GRP if you were to misjudge a berthing manoeuvre. Her anchor stows well in the optional bowsprit and is led to an optional windlass directly aft of the forestay, which feeds straight into the deep chain locker.

Would she suit you and your crew?

It’s fair to say the RM890 lacks the luxury feel of many mass-produced boats, her galley is basic and her painted finish might not be to everyone’s taste. However the lack of frills make her more affordable (starting at around £70,000), as does her ability to dry out. Our test boat had over £22,000 of carbon mast and Doyle Stratis sails, which no doubt boosted her performance, but even with an aluminium mast and less exotic Dacron sails I would still expect her to be faster than most other boats in her class. She’s set up really well for short-handed sailing, so for a couple of eager sailors she’s make a wonderfully fun coastal cruiser with the occasional longer trip if required. Her twin keels, which enable her to dry out upright, open up a host of cruising grounds.

There will be those who find the thought of a brightly coloured, hard-chine, twin-keeled, wooden boat as comfortable to live with as a Great Dane in a bed-sit, but thankfully not everyone feels this way. The 890 is a fast little cruiser that’s well laid out both on deck and inside. OK, she lacks finesse below decks, but she’s a fun boat to sail and what you lose in luxury you gain in practicality, performance and most of all enjoyment.

Facts and figures

Price £117,535 (with £22,600 extras: carbon mast and Technora sails)

LOA 8.90m (29ft 2in)

LWL 8.80m (28ft 10in)

Beam 3.42m (11ft 3in)

Draught 1.50/1.90m (4ft 11in – 6ft 3in)

Displacement 3,200kg (7055lb)

Ballast 950kg (2095lb)

Ballast ratio 29.7 (%)

Sail area 50m 2 (538 sq ft)

SA/D ratio 23.4

Diesel 60 litres (13 gal)

Water 120 litres (26 gal)

Engine 20hp

Transmission Saildrive

RCD category B

Designer Marc Lombard

Builder RM Yachts

UK Agent RM Yachts UK

Tel 01202 724 917

Website www.rmyachts.co.uk

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

RM970 on test – award-winning plywood family cruiser from Marc Lombard

• Toby Hodges
• July 7, 2017

RM has continuously improved its boats and the new 970 is a spacious and highly versatile yacht.

When I visited the RM yard in La Rochelle in 2012, I was really impressed by the quality of the company’s plywood epoxy construction process. Not only is plywood more sustainable than composite or metal, it is also a stiff, light and naturally insulating material.

RM’s yachts were still a little quirky, however, and needed to dazzle a little more on the water. Since then RM has moved into a larger yard and put an energetic young team in place, which has given the new line added spark.

RM won the European Yacht of the Year family cruiser category in 2013, was nominated in 2015 with its 890 and won again this year. Other nominees in the 2016/17 European Yacht of the Year awards : Django 12.70, Ikone 7.50, Jeanneau 51, Sunbeam 22.1.

This 970 perfectly demonstrates why designer Marc Lombard is so crafty in this size range. Modern lines, including reverse sheerline and voluminous forward sections, help create a spacious and highly versatile yacht that’s fun to sail.

Wheel or tiller steering can be specified; fixed or twin keels are offered too. RM has collaborated with specialists INO Rope on the deck layout: the purchase systems make light work of sail handling; the 3D genoa on an inhauler/barber system is a particularly neat set-up.

The 970 is great fun on the helm, really sporty, especially with the kite hoisted. There is direct communication to the twin rudders, which have real traction, allowing you to boss her around sharply.

Those accustomed to single rudders may still miss the feedback however, as the helm is neutral. We sailed in 15 to 18 knots with full sail, averaging 8.5 to 9 knots under gennaker.

At just over 9 knots she starts to plane, which is a blast and about the right balance of sportiness and control that you want out of a family cruiser. Upwind figures hovered around 7 knots but at a relatively low angle, even under staysail.

Further reading RM970 review continues below…

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RM sites the primary winches inboard, which is a superbly practical solution and the cutter rig option works well for cruising. I enjoyed steering from the aft quarters, but at this size, when a boat is fitted with wheels rather than tillers, the helmsman is squashed against the backstay.

Down below is the sort of  simple, bright and colourful modern interior that RM is known for. The saloon receives the majority of the space and light, thanks also to the open vee berth forward, and it adjoins a galley and a proper little navstation.

The two-cabin layout has a large heads aft that includes some wet hanging space and access to a utility/storage area.

Specifications: RM970

LOA: 9.65m (31ft 8in) LWL: 8.95m (29ft 4in) Beam: 3.70m (12ft 2in) Draught (twin keels): 1.65m (5ft 5in) Draught (single keel): 2.10m (6ft 11in) Displacement (twin): 4,100kg (9,039lb) Displacement (single): 3,900kg (8,598lb) Price ex VAT: €120,417 (£106,500) Contact: www.rm-yachts.com

Toby’s conclusion

This is the most impressive RM yet and shows the plywood specialists setting the bar for midsize cruisers. The 970 packs it all in – exciting performance in a fun, voluminous, versatile and refreshingly modern family-friendly cruiser. However, like past RMs it is comparatively expensive. I like the deck design, notably the running rigging and winch layout, and she’s a joy to drive – sporty yet authoritative, the ideal balance for a fast family cruiser.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Bert Bosman, Waterkampioen , The Netherlands The prettiest and best sailing RM to date. The contemporary and eye-catching interior is as fresh and as bright as a greenhouse

Pancho Pi-Suñer Oses, Nautica y Yates , Spain The RM 970 achieves an incredible feeling of space inside, plus fast sailing and very comfortable in cruising mode.

Axel Nissen-Lie, Seilas , Norway Sailors on the French west coast demand high standards of build quality and function. This is a boat you can push hard. Both the exterior and interior design excels and sets a trend.

Jochen Rieker, YACHT , Germany She has one of the best cockpit layouts, a very fresh interior and – above all – she sailed convincingly well, making her a very good all-rounder.

Lori Schüpbach, Marina.ch , Switzerland A roomy and comfortably equipped family cruiser that is impressive under sail with a surprising potential for speed and a high level of stability.

RM 1180: our 39-foot / 12m sailboat

When cruising rhymes with performance.

Should you be looking for a fast, elegant cruising yacht, capable of crossing either oceans or the next bay nearby, solo or with your family, the RM1180 will satisfy all these expectations. Just add charm and seduction on top.

Designed by Marc Lombard and developed by our internal engineering team, this fast and modern 39ft sailboat is one of a kind monohull, representing the perfect synthesis of our definition of a transatlantic (or any other ocean!) sailing yacht: breathtaking lines, remarkable performances, non-to-second comfort, not to mention environment-friendly construction in plywood and epoxy.

“An RM is all about stYle: you fall in love with her design”

A bluewater cruiser combining well-being and comfort

As soon as you enter the RM1180 saloon, you get the difference: soft and large companion way, unexpected feeling of space for a liveaboard sailing yacht of roughly 12m, omnipresent light, and 180-degree visibility.

Further down your visit, this feeling is reinforced: soft and dry atmosphere, without any condensation (consequence of the wood’s insulation capability), attention to ergonomics that make a difference in day-to-day life aboard, practicality of the U-shape galley, of a real-sized chart table, added to the soft and relaxing tones of the furniture: just breath, you’re in the RM1180.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Marc Lombard Design team perfectly understood our expectations: conceiving the best plywood-epoxy 39ft sailboat. The specifications below show a perfect balance between the boat’s metrics: displacement, hull power, sail plan, liveaboard volume.

Marc Lombard Design Group

Edouard Delamare Deboutteville

hull length

Single keel draft, twin keel draft, light displacement, engine in board sail drive.

Volvo Penta 50 CV

fuel capacity

Water capacity, holding tank capacity, furling genoa, asymmetric spinnaker, virtual tour.

Thanks to this virtual tour, you will get most of the RM1180: natural light, ergonomics, feeling of space. The only thing you won’t perceive is the atmosphere provided by the wooden interior design. Come and visit us for real!

Elegance and performance: a reference in her category

At first glance, the RM1180 sets the bar: racy lines, personalised hull colour, feeling of power and safety. Sails up, comes the 39-footer’s personality: well-balance helm, smooth sea motion, speed over ground, responsiveness.

When it comes to maneuvering, the deck plan of the RM1180 has been fine-tuned with a combination of ergonomics and fittings which together lead to a mix of performance and safety. A good example of this is the position of the winches. Centered in the middle of the cockpit, their height facilitates their use by a standing crew, for an optimum safety combined with ideal body posture.

GUIDED TOUR RM1180

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We will send you RM Yachts News (Only) to make sure you are up to date. Recevez (seulement) nos infos, pour être sûrs de ne rien rater !

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Interesting Sailboats

Wednesday, march 26, 2014, rm 890, one of the best rm ever.

3 comments:

Really nice boat! I hope there will be some cool videos soon to drool over :) Cheers!

Hi Paulo. I Love this boat. When I'm done our circumnav (with the Nordhavn), it's a choice between the Pogo 30 or this RM890. : )

That's quite a change!!! And then I guess you will be cruising without your wife...or will she accept that change in lifestyle?

YACHT test : RM 1180: innovative and capable of compromise

Michael Good

 ·  08.10.2019

With a new owner and managing director, the yacht builders at RM Yachts in La Rochelle now want to take off on the market and have reorganised and expanded their production to this end. The new RM 1180 is currently the centre of attention, and the French company has come up with some exciting innovations for the boat. The most significant change to the previous proven RM concept is that the hulls are now only partially made of plywood; the side flanks of the multi-folding transom are now made of GRP. The very special, almost radical shape of Mark Lombard's design, with the freeboard strongly drawn in towards the deck, made this step necessary. However, the bulkheads, the hull reinforcements and the entire interior are still made of plywood.

In the YACHT test, the RM 1180 demonstrated impressive performance potential. The concept also impresses with its many innovative details on and below deck. What's more, the chic interior design in the style of a French summer cottage impresses with its cosiness and high quality.

You can read the comprehensive test report of the RM 1180 in YACHT, issue no. 20/2019. The magazine is available in the DK shop, or you can download the test report directly via the link below.

RM 1180 (pdf)

Most read in category Yachts

RM890: ‘Fast, fun and functional’

• David Harding
• October 11, 2023

If you want an easy-to-handle performance cruiser that stands out from the crowd, have a look at the RM890, suggests David Harding

The RM890 was designed by the late Marc Lombard. Credit: David Harding Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

Let’s draw up a checklist of features you might want in your next boat.

It’s going to be around 9m (30ft) long – the boat, that is, not the list.

How about starting with good performance? That’s important to many people, because you can go further and have more fun on the way.

But you don’t want a racing yacht. Whatever you buy should be stiff, well-mannered, comfortable and easy to manage short-handed .

You also want it to be tough: fearing for your life or feeling compelled to check the bilges every time you nudge the bottom is not good for the nerves.

The tiller steering and cockpit layout mean that the RM890 lends herself to short-handed sailing. Credit: David Harding

You want an interior that’s bright and airy and that lets you see the outside world, yet which isn’t too modern or trendy.

You would like a hull with a high strength-to- weight ratio but without the cost, complexity and potential drawbacks inherent in cored laminates.

If the builder were to offer a choice of fin or twin keels , even better.

Above all, you want your new boat to be practical – and if that means departing from convention in some respects, so be it.

Oh, and you don’t have a limitless budget.

All good so far? Well, whether you’re looking for such a boat or are just curious to know whether there is one, read on: it’s time to meet the RM890.

RN890: Sensible solutions

I went to France and visited the yard. Seeing the boats under construction was particularly interesting, because RMs are built in plywood.

Or, more precisely, the hulls are plywood: decks and superstructures are GRP.

That explains the chines in the hull – though chines are now de rigueur anyway – and why the superstructures feature the sort of smooth curves that would be impossible in plywood.

Another reason for moulding the top half is that decks, cockpits and coachroofs tend to have a lot of corners where water can pool.

It’s all eminently logical.

As we know, plywood is an excellent material for boatbuilding: it’s tough, light and easy to repair, as well as providing good thermal and acoustic insulation.

Helming comfort and cockpit practicality set the RM890 apart from most cruising yachts. Credit: David Harding

As a bonus, it’s fashionably green. The sort of top-grade marine ply used by RM should last for decades even without further treatment.

By the time it’s coated in epoxy and then painted with a two-pack polyurethane, chances are it’s going to outlive a run-of-the-mill GRP equivalent.

At this stage it’s worth mentioning the designer: the late Marc Lombard, who needs no introduction.

Combine a design office of this repute with a well-established yard and one of the best boatbuilding materials on the planet and, whether or not they appeal to you, RMs have to be taken seriously.

While production has increased recently, each hull takes about three weeks. This is no mass- market boat: RM are aiming for those who appreciate the functionality and practicality of the designs, which are not exactly mainstream and won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Stand up to navigate: the nav table on the RM890 is small but fully functional. Credit: David Harding

It’s no surprise that owners are often hugely experienced sailors who have owned several (in some cases many) boats before buying an RM.

Every model in the range comes with a choice of T-bulb fin keel and twin rudders or twin keels and a single rudder .

Lombard made the twin keels deeper and of higher aspect ratio than is traditional with twins.

They’re bulbed, too, and my previous tests have shown that they certainly work. The keels are bolted to the hull through a steel frame that spreads the load both laterally and fore-and-aft.

Tiller steering is another departure from modern cruising- yacht convention, though twin wheels are now offered on the larger models.

Tillers are so rarely found on anything over 30ft these days that this is a notable feature in itself.

Architectural precision

One British owner who homed in on the RM890 is Dave King.

While there’s no such thing as a typical RM owner, he exemplifies the sort of approach, attitude and experience that will be found in many others.

For a start, he has always owned boats. He started with a GP14 as a student, then moved into Merlin Rockets and through a series of small cruisers before buying a UFO 34 with his wife, Sue.

After 12 years the UFO gave way to more modern designs: a Dehler 34 was followed by a number of Beneteau Firsts and a Dehler 36, the Dehler also providing accommodation during the working week for a couple of years.

Having spent his working life as an architect, Dave has an eye for detail and structure and he likes the approach of the RMs.

He first came across them while cruising in France.

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In fact, he looked at the earlier 880 before buying a First 31.7.

A couple of years later he saw the RM890 and chartered one – a twin-keeler, as most are – in France for a week.

That confirmed it was the right boat, if with one keel too many, and the experience made him aware of a few things he wanted changing when he placed his order.

There’s no doubt that the RM’s twin keels are highly efficient.

Nonetheless if, like Dave, you don’t need the shallower draught or the ability to dry out, why not have a fin?

That way, you benefit from the extra grip of the twin rudders – a significant factor with such a broad stern – and greater stiffness and righting moment from a centre of gravity that’s a whopping 1ft 4in (400mm) lower.

From a performance perspective, as usual when there’s a choice, a fin is the way to go.

Should you want a twin-keeler, however, you’re still likely to leave a good many larger fin-keelers in your wake.

Compared with the 880, her replacement is only a tad longer overall but significantly longer on the waterline thanks to a hint of the reverse rake in the stem now commonly seen on multihulls.

She’s a little beamier, the greater beam aft being balanced by what appear to be slightly fuller bow sections, yet with a narrow static waterline.

Draught is deeper, sail area greater and displacement almost the same.

Light, bright, open and airy below decks. Note the hull ports, ample handholds and open fiddled stowage outboard. Credit: David Harding

It would be surprising if the RM890 isn’t appreciably faster than her older sibling.

There are plenty of differences on deck and down below, too.

In short, she appears to be pretty well everything an upgrade should be.

And while a good deal of development goes into any model that’s totally new, RM don’t have to factor in the time and costs of building a plug and mould for the hull.

If the shape needs tweaking along the way, it can be tweaked.

To see how the new boat shaped up, I went for a sail with Dave. The day we chose started abysmally, as had been promised.

It seemed crazy to be driving to a boat test through torrential rain with the windscreen wipers working at the double.

Our theory was that the front would have passed through by early afternoon.

Sure enough, by the time we started sailing the rain had stopped and patches of blue sky were appearing from the west.

We wanted to be out immediately post-front to catch not only the sun but also the best of the breeze.

Our plans included trying the staysail, set free-flying on a 2:1 halyard at the upper spreaders (countered by runners) that’s a standard option on the RMs.

The tack is taken to a strong point on the anchor-well bulkhead.

Rigged and ready

Apart from the provision for a staysail, there’s nothing particularly unusual about the RM’s rig .

It’s of high-fractional configuration with long, well-swept spreaders and the caps taken to outboard chainplates.

The mast is an aluminium section by Z Spars (carbon as an option) and set further aft than on many fractionally-rigged boats , the sail area being divided evenly between the mainsail and the headsail.

A short bowsprit incorporates stowage for the anchor and helps project an asymmetric spinnaker .

Most notable about the deck layout is how it lends itself to efficient short-handed sailing.

Provision for a staysail is an option. All the sails on the test RM890 are by Kemp. Credit: David Harding

For example, the mainsheet runs from the end of the boom to a full-width traveller just forward of the transom.

Among the benefits are that it places the helm forward of the mainsheet and conveniently close to the primary winches, which are mounted well inboard.

When tacking on your own you can steer with one hand and sheet the headsail home with the other.

This mainsheet-aft arrangement works well when you have a dedicated mainsheet trimmer, too: he/she sits abaft the helmsman, well away from flying elbows and able to read the boat’s balance from the angle of the tiller .

You would have to be seriously wedded to wheel steering not to agree that a tiller really does work best on a boat like this.

Sail plan on the RM890

You can click the Wichard tiller extension in or out to your preferred length and sit comfortably on the wide, nicely- angled coaming, leaning back against the guardwires with an excellent view forward.

Although you’re almost at the point of maximum beam out here, on a beamy boat with a cockpit that’s not particularly deep, you feel reasonably secure.

On some boats with broad sterns you’re acutely aware that it’s a long way down to the leeward side when you start heeling, often because there’s little more than a dance floor between the gunwales.

The RM890 takes a far more practical approach.

Inboard of the coamings are wide seats either side of a cockpit sole of a width that would allow most people to sit on one seat and brace their legs on the one opposite.

It’s comfortable and it works – unless your reason for owning a boat is to accommodate a dozen people around a cockpit table.

Returning to the practicalities afloat, if you want to sit inboard and further forward in heavy weather, for shelter and to minimise the extent to which you’re thrown around, you can: the tiller and the layout give you the option.

On a bright sparkly day in the Solent , with an agreeable 14-17 knots of wind, you want to sit out and enjoy the sail.

First, however, we wanted to see how the staysail worked, so we set it with the genoa rolled away and tucked a reef in the main as well.

Despite being underpowered we maintained around 5 knots on the wind.

The relatively flat water at this stage helped our speed, but the exercise showed both that the staysail worked well and that the boat is very easily driven – as she should be with a displacement/ length ratio of just 111.

Naturally Dave opted for a folding prop ; anything else would be sacrilege on a boat like this.

Powering up the RM890

Having seen what the rather-too- benign conditions permitted us to see with the staysail, we rolled it away, unfurled the full headsail and shook out the reef.

Tacking the genoa around the rolled staysail takes a little longer but is no major problem, and leaving the staysail hoisted means you can switch headsails in seconds.

The staysail will give you an appreciably better sail shape than a reefed genoa , especially as the tracks are on the short side and wouldn’t allow you to move the cars far enough forward once you’ve taken more than a couple of rolls around the headfoil.

Having set all plain canvas, we didn’t think about shortening sail again.

A simple but workable galley by the companionway. The chainplate on the partial bulkhead is for the lower shrouds. Credit: David Harding

As well as being easily driven, the RM890 proved remarkably stiff, never feeling over-pressed and rarely heeling more than 15° even in the stronger gusts.

The centre of buoyancy moves well to leeward when she’s sailing on her chine and this form stability, combined with the low-down ballast, keeps her on a comfortably even keel.

Our speeds weren’t far off those indicated by the polars. The log was reading differently on port and starboard tacks, averaging 6 knots in the slight chop.

The polars for the fin-keeler indicate 6.3 knots at 35° to the apparent wind in flat water and 15 knots of breeze.

Balance is pretty good. The helm remained light most of the time, only developing a modest tug as we reached back up the channel at around 8 knots.

It would have been fun to fly a kite and see whether the 11+ knots indicated by the polars was achievable, though we’d have needed both a kite (yet to be added) and a fair bit more wind for that.

Upwind the helm could be left alone for lengthy periods if the mainsail was trimmed with the leech slightly open.

Good balance is largely responsible for this, the other factor being the friction that’s almost inevitable with twin rudders and the associated linkage: they never give you quite the same lightness and responsiveness as a single blade.

A single keel, of course, offers the benefits we discussed earlier.

This one is of high aspect ratio and needs a minimum water-flow over it in order to work: it will inevitably stall if you lose too much speed.

Nonetheless the boat would maintain steerage way when pinched mercilessly, only going into stall mode when brought practically to a standstill.

With the bow down once again the RM890 would need a moment or two for laminar flow to be re-established, but for a boat with this much performance potential she’s very tolerant indeed.

She would heave to happily, crabbing gently and not hesitating when asked to gybe round with the sheets pinned in.

The rudders kept working well at low speeds. They also have stops about 45°.

As I found when manoeuvring under power, this is all the angle you need: the boat will spin incredibly tightly and those stops are reassuring when you’re going astern.

Volvo’s D1 13 is the standard engine ; the D1 20 is a popular upgrade.

If I have a criticism of her handling in open water, it’s that the hull will occasionally thump if you fall off a wave and land upright in a trough.

To be fair, although the layout of the plywood panels does result in relatively flat forward sections, many moulded hulls are not dissimilar in shape; they just don’t have the chines.

Like most modern hulls, this one presents more of a V once heeled.

On the whole, the RM890 was very comfortable in the Solent popple.

One would imagine that there must be hydrodynamic compromises inherent in building a boat with a material that can only be bent into a very gentle curve, but if there are any they’re hard to detect.

Aesthetically you end up with topsides that look a little slabby from certain angles; that’s about all.

On deck and down below on the RM890

There’s so much to note on the RM890 that we will have to skim over some aspects.

A large locker in the bow will swallow fenders that won’t fit into the locker right aft beneath the cockpit sole, next to the liferaft stowage.

And that big forward-facing window? Let’s say it’s just as well that the boat is designed for asymmetric spinnakers: I wouldn’t want to be the one gybing the pole.

Diving below decks – well, you will either love it or hate it.

It’s all open-plan and white-painted ply.

A feature of the RMs is the ‘utility cabin’, providing dry stowage, workshop space and easy access to the systems. Credit: David Harding

Neither the V-berth in the bow nor the double aft to port are in what you could call a cabin: you just climb in and pull a curtain across if you want to.

It’s privacy Gallic-style.

Instead you have the famous RM ‘utility room’ abaft the heads to starboard, giving easy access to the vital systems as well as stowage (not accessible from on deck) for things like an inflatable.

Headroom is modest – barely 6ft (1.83m) under the hatch and less further forward.

As with much else about this boat, that’s the way it is: take it or leave it.

When you’re down here, it’s lovely being able to see forward through that big window ahead of the mast.

Covering it with non-slip patches wouldn’t do much for the view.

Noteworthy features include the vented under-bunk stowage and an abundance of well-placed handholds.

PBO Verdict on the RM890

The RM890 is a Marmite boat for sure.

Forget convention, opulence and privacy: this is not a choice for mum, dad and two teenage kids all new to boating.

For seasoned sailors who like tough, functional boats that perform efficiently and are fun to sail, the RM might well find her way on to a very short list

Tough, functional boat that performs efficiently; fun to sail