The Loxo32, a supremely fuel-efficient cruising boat, very much of its time!
by Denis van den Brink 30 Dec 2017 00:42 PST
The Loxo32, a supremely fuel-efficient cruising boat © Pierrick Contin
A yacht specialist, a recognised sailor and a respected boat builder, Christian Bouroullec decided to take it upon himself to create a sports motor boat ideally suited to its time and to cruising. In this way, he rallied together the teams from Pogo Structures to design and build a motor boat geared towards sailing the length and breadth of Europe in a reliable, fuel-efficient manner, and able to sail for long periods under autopilot at a comfortable speed.
Fuel efficiency ticked off
Pogo Structures is launching into the motor boat market with a shock selling point - fuel efficiency. Relying on top of the range manufacturing technologies and opting for ultra-light displacement after a great deal of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) research, the teams from the Structures yard have opted for a hybrid hull which, by getting up on the plane extremely early, requires less effort from its propulsion. The fuel economy is spectacular.
Fuel consumption halved!
The Pogo Structures teams have managed to half the fuel consumption for the Loxo 32 in relation to the most economical motor boats on the market. The latter use 1.0 to 1.2 litres of fuel per nautical mile, often with a cruising speed of around 8 knots. The Loxo 32 consumes around 0.5 litre to the mile at 12 knots in its single engine Volvo Penta D2-75 version, though the lightweight design enables a peak speed of 18/19 knots.
The Loxo 32 also comes in a twin-engine version, equipped with two D1-30 Volvo Pentas.
Light, discreet, elegant...
True to its philosophy as a rational boat builder, Pogo Structures has developed the concept of an original, simple and functional cruiser. Indeed, the engines and transmissions are part of the Volvo Penta's standard catalogue and the propellers have been optimised for the boat's rather singular hull. Like a yacht, the Loxo32's discreet aesthetic line has been dictated by the quest for a low centre of gravity and its guarantee of comfort and safety.
The end result is a nomadic, light and functional boat, with a straightforwardly showy aesthetic line that evokes both comfort and safety.
Loxo as in... loxodromy
Loxodromy is a curve, which transits the meridians of a sphere on a constant angle. It's the trajectory followed by a boat that is on a constant heading. This is the inspiration behind the name of the new motor boat penned by Pogo Structure. This whole concept of cruising has inspired the Loxo 32.