A voyage of rediscovery

The Discovery 58 has long been recognized as a superlative blue water cruiser. Toby Heppell steps aboard the latest model to examine how it has developed

- Toby Heppell

I’d been provided a berth number ahead of our test of the new Discovery 58C, but arriving at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour up the Beaulieu river I really didn’t need anyone to point me in the right direction. All Time High’s mast towered over every other boat on the pontoons and swinging moorings, looking for all the world a beacon of calm in the blustery, crisp, autumn morning air.

It is clear from the off, the 58C is a big boat. A very big boat. At just shy of 60ftthat might not come as a surprise, but up close, her high topsides, wide stern and deck saloon all point to a yacht with a great deal going on below, and she practically towers over the pontoon as a result. She follows the successful, earlier Discovery 55, also designed by Ron Holland, and features the same standard keel, and cutting edge build techniques include a resin infused kevlar reinforced hull.

There will be those that take one look at the Discovery 58C’s lines, her electric winches and furlers, and scoff at the thought of this modern bluewater business. This is, no doubt, exacerbated by the not insignificant cost of a boat like this. To be clear, the vast majority of us will never have the money to own one. But the question is, if we did, would we want to?

Below

The work below on Discovery Yachts is noted for being incredibly impressive, and you could well argue that it is here the Discovery 58C has been designed to excel. Before we get into the specifics, it is worth noting that the C in 58C stands for custom, and thus the test boat we were sailing on - All Time High – has been designed alongside the owners and their wishes. This is not an all-out custom build from scratch, but within the basic confines of the moulds from which the hull and deck are made, the bulkheads etc. the world is very much your oyster (or rather, Discovery…)