FINE BALANCE

AT FIRST ACQUAINTANCE THIS CRUISER/RACER SEEMS CURIOUSLY AT ODDS WITH ITSELF – UNTIL YOU GET BEHIND THE WHEEL

- MATTHEW SHEAHAN

I’m a soft touch for a well-balanced boat with a light feel and the ability to change gear easily. Be it a cruiser or racer, performance and handling are, to my mind, essential aspects in any design. And while the accommodation is important, what happens below decks always comes second in my book.

So perhaps it was of little surprise that the Italia 11.98 and I got on so quickly. This is a boat that is silky smooth and light on the helm, responsive and comfortable to steer. The kind of boat where the autopilot will get little use and where the main trigger for any tension among the crew will stem from whether someone has been hogging the wheel.

This is also a boat that is as much fun and rewarding to sail in light conditions as it is when the breeze gets up thanks to its balance.

But this is also a boat that is very confusing.

It might sound clichéd, but from the first time I saw the 11.98 there was something about it that really appealed, I just couldn’t figure out what it was. When you first see the 11.98 you think you have it sussed: it’s clearly a modern cruiser/racer. But gradually you notice details which seem to suggest it’s maybe not that modern at all. And then you begin to wonder if it really is a cruiser...

For example, what modern cruiser today has maximum beam amidships with a full and rounded hull that rolls under the boat to form heavily flared topsides aft? Then there’s that odd-looking chine towards the stern that looks like a last-minute fold to ensure the hull meets the deck. Viewed one way it looks very cool, viewed another, dated. So what’s going on?