First Baltic 68 Café Racer launched

The first Baltic 68 Café Racer was launched on schedule last week.

With her flax-reinforced hull, eco-electric propulsion, easy-to-handle sail plan, and interior design by Jens Paulus and naval architect Javier Jaudenes, the company says the new yacht offers a stylish and sustainable, performance sailing experience.

Baltic Yachts Executive Vice President, Henry Hawkins, says: “This is a yacht which tackles today’s challenges of sustainability and low carbon targets head on – she’s fun and easy to handle, offering a genuinely rewarding sailing experience. Baltic’s engineers and partners have incorporated a brilliant, naturally grown yacht building material in sustainable flax which perfectly complements the advanced composites expertise for which the company is renowned.”
 
50% of the Café Racer’s hull and deck mouldings use Bcomp’s ampliTex^TM naturally grown flax as a reinforcement. Flax is said to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the build and works in conjunction with more conventional advanced composites, which are still used throughout the structure.
 

An array of solar panels will be fitted to the yacht’s superstructure providing sufficient power to run onboard systems, including refrigeration. Sustainably grown Marinedeck cork replaces teak for the Café Racer’s decking material.

The Baltic 68 Café Racer also employs some of the latest in rig and sail technology to make handling easier. It has a Marstrom Composite mast with swept back spreaders and wide shroud base, meaning there are no runners or backstay to deal with. And the use of Doyle Structured Luff Technology means the sails themselves are designed with reinforcement in the luff area to spread the load into the sail itself, avoiding large headstay tension to reduce luff sag, which the company says is ideally suited to the backstay-less Marstrom rig.

Under power, the Café Racer is driven by twin 15kW Oceanvolt electric motors with saildrive-style legs. While sailing, the free-wheeling propellers can, if selected, drive the motors as generators, which in turn charge the lithium battery banks.

The main saloon forms the focal point of the accommodation, with a large owner’s double cabin located just forward. An additional double berth is located to starboard, aft of the companionway.

The yacht will now undertake trials off Jakobstad before heading for the Mediterranean where she will be available for viewing.