Article published by TIDE Magazine (issue 12, 2025)

TIDE is therefore delighted to be able to throw more of a spotlight on this exceptional yacht. Drawn by Malcolm McKeon and engineered for highly efficient operation, she is perhaps the ultimate exponent of the marriage between performance and comfort. “The owner’s team came to us with a fairly detailed brief,” says McKeon. “They wanted something with exceptional performance – an easily driven hull shape and a large sail area. We started at 57m but ended up at 60m, so we had to go more slender to stay under 500GT [to avoid stricter maritime regulations].”

There was never any question of a flybridge from this experienced owner – he wanted an open cockpit and a boat focused on the joys of sailing fast. That meant a low-profile cabin top that gave the helmsperson a clear view ahead. Royal Huisman even built a mock-up for the owner to try out – as a result they dropped the superstructure by another 2 inches.

“Royal Huisman
even built
a mock-up
for the owner
to try out –
as a result
they dropped
the superstructure
by another
2 inches”

“He’s very much design-orientated – he’s got a keen eye,” says McKeon of the owner. “I love working with people like that, who push on every detail, right down to placement of the instruments and the console.” Now to blend functionality with aesthetics, the sailing controls have their own dedicated console just forward of the helm and the throttles and thrusters hide away under the deck when not needed.

Even the mighty carbon-fibre arch that keeps the mainsheet clear of the deck is understated. It has been designed with an aerofoil shape to look vanishingly slim, and yet there is enough volume to hide the lines within the traveller system. The arch is one of the few design features that the boat shares with her predecessor for the same owner, and it formed a key part of the brief.

In search of speed

Although that first Sarissa (now Sharlou, 2011) was built in carbon fibre, her 2023 successor has a robust aluminium hull, albeit in lightweight Alustar. This is primarily to reduce vibration and noise transfer below, and has surprisingly little impact on the yacht’s performance, according to McKeon. She easily matches wind speed up to about 18 knots and goes exceedingly well to windward. “Because we maximised the sail plan and stability, the light-medium airs performance was very similar to the carbon-hull option. Only downwind in heavy airs above 25 knots would the carbon-fibre hull outperform,” he explains.

“Success has
not been slow
in catching up
with Sarissa.
She cornered
multiple gongs
at the 2024
Design and
Innovation
Awards”

With her carbon-fibre superstructure, high-modulus carbon-fibre mast and AEROsix standing rigging, Sarissa is designed to be as light as possible aloft. It has all been so carefully calculated and engineered that this 60m thoroughbred can be controlled using entirely manual direct-drive rudders. Royal Huisman has experience in this field, with yachts such as Ngoni, but the result is nothing short of breathtaking, according to Captain Iain Cook. “You feel everything with this boat – just as you would with a much smaller yacht,” he says. “You really feel the water beneath you; the elements. Of course, there’s a big team around you, all trying to optimise the experience of the owner – all eyes are on the sails!”

Indeed, Sarissa’s square-top mainsail from North Sails is among the largest in the world, covering an eye-watering 1,050 square metres. Along with the jib and genoa, the sails are all in 3Di Raw composite – again maximising performance. A clever addition is the under-deck furling drum, which makes quick work of tidying away and storing the headsails. “All stays are removable, so in normal Caribbean conditions, you can easily short tack the boat without furling any headsails away, “says McKeon. “You can put two or three different sails on the drum. It’s all made of carbon – a piece of art.”

Another key performance feature is the dual retractable propulsion system, developed by Hydrosta. The Captain raises the first drive as soon as the main is hoisted, then the second once the sails are well set. “It means she gets up to speed very fast,” says Cook. “Once the propeller units are retracted, there’s really not a lot under the hull apart from a deep keel and the two rudders. If we’re reaching, we’ll easily be doing 20 knots and we haven’t really pushed the boat yet – we’ve been very cautious, it being just her second year in the water.”

“Then she was
crowned
sailing yacht
of the year
at the World
Superyacht
Awards”

There is a tone of delight in the Captain’s voice as he relates all this. The boat is obviously a revelation under sail, even following his career path until now, via celebrated sailing yachts such as Ngoni, the 40m /132ft Huisman Antares and a Southern Yachts sloop. “She’s the most performance-oriented yacht I’ve sailed,” Cook says simply.

Besides speed, those electric drives have another benefit: near-silent operation. Fantastic for the owner and guests, this was something of a challenge at first for the Captain. “You can’t feel them in the helm and you can’t hear them, because they’re all electrically driven,” says Cook. “You can’t see them either – there are no inputs like exhaust or cooling water that you would normally use to orient yourself. You just have to trust the systems. It takes some getting used to!”

Quiet luxury

If it’s all about sailing fast above deck, the interior of the yacht is another realm altogether. Parisian design studio Liaigre spent many years finalising elegant styling in a palette of carbon fibre and natural woods. Described as light and full of clever design details, its social hub is the huge, raised saloon area that enjoys excellent sightlines out through the cabin top.

“You feel
everything
with this boat –
just as you would
with a much
smaller yacht”

Cabins themselves then lie aft, down another companionway, and include four doubles/twins for guests and a fabulous full-beam owner’s suite, with floor-to-ceiling windows and private access to the beach club. This last feature was a major design focus in its own right and fell to Malcolm McKeon. It required a vast articulated carbon-fibre transom door which opens to create a large platform for lounging as well as a deep 4m by 4m / 13ft internal space with a bar, shower and sauna. “The double opening platform was another engineering feat, pulling part of the deck above away. It’s become a very popular spot on the boat – sheltered and right by the water,” McKeon says.

Another favourite area is the cinema, forward of the mast on the starboard side. “It’s fully equipped with all the insulation and speakers so it can be completely shut off from the rest of the boat,” McKeon continues. “There’s a two-tier settee arrangement and cubby holes either side of the chainplates inside those full-height windows. It’s a great place to be underway, with the water rising up the glass.”

The list of smart features goes on: a foredeck tender well whose hatch converts into a professionally designed bouldering wall complete with specifically crafted crash mats at anchor; twin underwater anchors whose flukes dovetail perfectly with the hull to close the storage bay; and there’s a full-beam toy garage amidships, with fold-down sea balconies for easy access to a rich supply of toys, from dive kit to fliteboards. The last piece in the jigsaw is a 18m / 60ft Windy chaseboat, custom-designed by McKeon, which serves as a tender, dayboat and inshore explorer.

“There is a tone
of delight
in the Captain’s
voice as he
relates all this”

Success has not been slow in catching up with Sarissa. She cornered multiple gongs at the 2024 Design and Innovation Awards – best exterior, best interior, best naval architecture, eco award and innovation of the year. Then she was crowned sailing yacht of the year at the World Superyacht Awards. But despite her performance focus, she has yet to see the other form of competition: on the regatta circuit. Instead, we are looking to head straight to South America and round the Horn. “The plan has always been, much like with the previous Sarissa, to head to the Pacific and cruise around arguably the finest seas in the world,” says Cook.