The Italia Yachts 11.98 is the archetype of a now somewhat forgotten category of yachts: the racing cruiser. On board, everything is geared to performance. The organization on deck is designed for a crew of 6 to 8 who want to battle it out between 3 buoys. And yet, leather-edged cushions, indirect lighting, a table in the cockpit and even a bathing platform that opens onto the transom will all be welcome when it's time to think about a swim.
A deck layout designed for regattas
We cast off from the port of Antibes for a day's trial of this cruiser, which is a real eye-catcher on the quayside, not least because of its enormous beam. Here, the beam extends all the way to the transom. We're testing this yacht with a steering wheel configuration requested by the owner. In fact, this model is also available in a tiller configuration, to give the helmsman an even greater sensation, as he or she is positioned vertically on the very large single rudder, which plunges almost as deep as the keel. This rudder offers unrivalled helming pleasure, which is also felt with precision in the wheels set wide apart on each edge.
The mainsail is hoisted in the blink of an eye, with a clever system for concealing the lazy-bag. The jib is unfurled, skimming the deck with its furler installed in the anchor locker. The piano returns to the center, just above the companionway, and shifts to a port or starboard winch. Aft in the cockpit, the jib and mainsail winches are moved back to free up space for the front crew. The mainsail trimmer always has the traveler at hand, as well as an overdrive backstay with a cascade of pulleys.
The in-haulers provide 3-dimensional adjustment of the jib pull. Cleverly designed, they return to the cockpit on a single setting. As a result, the setting on one tack is identical on the other tack after tacking.
The pleasure of gliding in light airs
For racing, the track record of the 11.98, launched in 2021, speaks for itself. This yacht wins every race it starts. Although well-handled, 11.98s all over the world show their supremacy in regattas. For our part, the light conditions, with wind oscillating between 5 and 8 knots, show this 40-footer's appetite for very light airs. The boat is light, and in 5 knots of true wind, she can easily reach 4 knots upwind. Its lightness and the long torpedo shape of its ballast require particular care to avoid slowing the boat down in the wave, but it restarts just as dry afterwards.
When it's time to lower and hoist the spinnaker, the hull sings differently. Indeed, this large 139 m2 asymmetrical spinnaker is well clear of the mainsail, installed at the end of a large fixed carbon bowsprit which also serves as the delphinière in this cruising version.
Meticulous landscaping
If the deck is comfortable, what about the cabin facilities? This yacht is available in three cabins, with a toilet on the starboard side and a shower opposite on the port side. The bulkheads, laminated to the hull, ensure the rigidity of the platform and separate the galley from the saloon. The galley area with sink and cooking area is on the port side. Opposite, the shipyard offers a choice between a chart table or a second galley area with a second fridge. It was in this configuration that we discovered Italia Yachts 11.98.
The leather upholstery on the bench seats, the fabric-covered bulkheads, the indirect lighting throughout the boat... these are just some of the details that demonstrate the attention paid to comfort and detail on a yacht designed to go fast. With this 11.98, the Italians show that the two are not incompatible.
Elegant, with a shaped hull and no unsightly chine, high-performance and very smooth at the helm, comfortable and meticulously finished, the Italia Yachts 11.98 has all the assets needed for a successful career among the 40-footers on the market.
