rm890 yacht

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

RM890 review

• Chris Beeson
• November 12, 2015

While glassfibre boats try to be wooden inside, Graham Snook test the RM890: a wooden boat with a modern interior

See the November 2015 issue of Yachting Monthly for the full test

What’s she like to sail?

Most yachts will shine in a good force 5, but the 890 was shining so bright she was blinding. We topped out at 9.4 knots beam-reaching in 20 knots of breeze, surfing off waves and generally having a whale of a time – or ‘working hard’, as I tell the editor.

She responded well to the helm, and the flat sections of her hull worked to get her surfing quicker than most – the downside is when a flat surface catches a wave it can slam a little. There was some cruising gear on board, more was yet to arrive; even so she was quick, comfortable and surprisingly dry.

It’s possible to helm seated in the cockpit, but with any heel it feels right to sit on the coaming. I found the steering a little stiff. This did however mean I could leave the helm to tend a line without her steering a course of her own. Although not quite nine metres long, her speed was up there with larger yachts, making longer distances easier to achieve.

What’s she like in port and at anchor?

Her open plan interior has benefits as well as drawbacks. It’s a bright area, and the large, forward-facing saloon window allows light to fill the saloon and forward berth area, even with very dark upholstery. It does however lack privacy, not a problem for a family or couple, but it isn’t ideal for a group of friends.

Shelved stowage is a little rudimentary and lighting forward isn’t the most generous. The shelves particularly might start to bug me after a while: it’s sometimes nice to be able to hide stuff away and out of sight rather than looking at, say, a bright green first aid kit on a shelf day in and day out.

Her hull is painted, epoxy-impregnated plywood. It’s very fair and could be mistaken for GRP, however it’s likely to be less forgiving than GRP if you were to misjudge a berthing manoeuvre. Her anchor stows well in the optional bowsprit and is led to an optional windlass directly aft of the forestay, which feeds straight into the deep chain locker.

Would she suit you and your crew?

It’s fair to say the RM890 lacks the luxury feel of many mass-produced boats, her galley is basic and her painted finish might not be to everyone’s taste. However the lack of frills make her more affordable (starting at around £70,000), as does her ability to dry out. Our test boat had over £22,000 of carbon mast and Doyle Stratis sails, which no doubt boosted her performance, but even with an aluminium mast and less exotic Dacron sails I would still expect her to be faster than most other boats in her class. She’s set up really well for short-handed sailing, so for a couple of eager sailors she’s make a wonderfully fun coastal cruiser with the occasional longer trip if required. Her twin keels, which enable her to dry out upright, open up a host of cruising grounds.

There will be those who find the thought of a brightly coloured, hard-chine, twin-keeled, wooden boat as comfortable to live with as a Great Dane in a bed-sit, but thankfully not everyone feels this way. The 890 is a fast little cruiser that’s well laid out both on deck and inside. OK, she lacks finesse below decks, but she’s a fun boat to sail and what you lose in luxury you gain in practicality, performance and most of all enjoyment.

Facts and figures

Price £117,535 (with £22,600 extras: carbon mast and Technora sails)

LOA 8.90m (29ft 2in)

LWL 8.80m (28ft 10in)

Beam 3.42m (11ft 3in)

Draught 1.50/1.90m (4ft 11in – 6ft 3in)

Displacement 3,200kg (7055lb)

Ballast 950kg (2095lb)

Ballast ratio 29.7 (%)

Sail area 50m 2 (538 sq ft)

SA/D ratio 23.4

Diesel 60 litres (13 gal)

Water 120 litres (26 gal)

Engine 20hp

Transmission Saildrive

RCD category B

Designer Marc Lombard

Builder RM Yachts

UK Agent RM Yachts UK

Tel 01202 724 917

Website www.rmyachts.co.uk

Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

RM890: ‘Fast, fun and functional’

• David Harding
• October 11, 2023

If you want an easy-to-handle performance cruiser that stands out from the crowd, have a look at the RM890, suggests David Harding

The RM890 was designed by the late Marc Lombard. Credit: David Harding Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

Price as reviewed:.

Let’s draw up a checklist of features you might want in your next boat.

It’s going to be around 9m (30ft) long – the boat, that is, not the list.

How about starting with good performance? That’s important to many people, because you can go further and have more fun on the way.

But you don’t want a racing yacht. Whatever you buy should be stiff, well-mannered, comfortable and easy to manage short-handed .

You also want it to be tough: fearing for your life or feeling compelled to check the bilges every time you nudge the bottom is not good for the nerves.

The tiller steering and cockpit layout mean that the RM890 lends herself to short-handed sailing. Credit: David Harding

You want an interior that’s bright and airy and that lets you see the outside world, yet which isn’t too modern or trendy.

You would like a hull with a high strength-to- weight ratio but without the cost, complexity and potential drawbacks inherent in cored laminates.

If the builder were to offer a choice of fin or twin keels , even better.

Above all, you want your new boat to be practical – and if that means departing from convention in some respects, so be it.

Oh, and you don’t have a limitless budget.

All good so far? Well, whether you’re looking for such a boat or are just curious to know whether there is one, read on: it’s time to meet the RM890.

RN890: Sensible solutions

I went to France and visited the yard. Seeing the boats under construction was particularly interesting, because RMs are built in plywood.

Or, more precisely, the hulls are plywood: decks and superstructures are GRP.

That explains the chines in the hull – though chines are now de rigueur anyway – and why the superstructures feature the sort of smooth curves that would be impossible in plywood.

Another reason for moulding the top half is that decks, cockpits and coachroofs tend to have a lot of corners where water can pool.

It’s all eminently logical.

As we know, plywood is an excellent material for boatbuilding: it’s tough, light and easy to repair, as well as providing good thermal and acoustic insulation.

Helming comfort and cockpit practicality set the RM890 apart from most cruising yachts. Credit: David Harding

As a bonus, it’s fashionably green. The sort of top-grade marine ply used by RM should last for decades even without further treatment.

By the time it’s coated in epoxy and then painted with a two-pack polyurethane, chances are it’s going to outlive a run-of-the-mill GRP equivalent.

At this stage it’s worth mentioning the designer: the late Marc Lombard, who needs no introduction.

Combine a design office of this repute with a well-established yard and one of the best boatbuilding materials on the planet and, whether or not they appeal to you, RMs have to be taken seriously.

While production has increased recently, each hull takes about three weeks. This is no mass- market boat: RM are aiming for those who appreciate the functionality and practicality of the designs, which are not exactly mainstream and won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Stand up to navigate: the nav table on the RM890 is small but fully functional. Credit: David Harding

It’s no surprise that owners are often hugely experienced sailors who have owned several (in some cases many) boats before buying an RM.

Every model in the range comes with a choice of T-bulb fin keel and twin rudders or twin keels and a single rudder .

Lombard made the twin keels deeper and of higher aspect ratio than is traditional with twins.

They’re bulbed, too, and my previous tests have shown that they certainly work. The keels are bolted to the hull through a steel frame that spreads the load both laterally and fore-and-aft.

Tiller steering is another departure from modern cruising- yacht convention, though twin wheels are now offered on the larger models.

Tillers are so rarely found on anything over 30ft these days that this is a notable feature in itself.

Architectural precision

One British owner who homed in on the RM890 is Dave King.

While there’s no such thing as a typical RM owner, he exemplifies the sort of approach, attitude and experience that will be found in many others.

For a start, he has always owned boats. He started with a GP14 as a student, then moved into Merlin Rockets and through a series of small cruisers before buying a UFO 34 with his wife, Sue.

After 12 years the UFO gave way to more modern designs: a Dehler 34 was followed by a number of Beneteau Firsts and a Dehler 36, the Dehler also providing accommodation during the working week for a couple of years.

Having spent his working life as an architect, Dave has an eye for detail and structure and he likes the approach of the RMs.

He first came across them while cruising in France.

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In fact, he looked at the earlier 880 before buying a First 31.7.

A couple of years later he saw the RM890 and chartered one – a twin-keeler, as most are – in France for a week.

That confirmed it was the right boat, if with one keel too many, and the experience made him aware of a few things he wanted changing when he placed his order.

There’s no doubt that the RM’s twin keels are highly efficient.

Nonetheless if, like Dave, you don’t need the shallower draught or the ability to dry out, why not have a fin?

That way, you benefit from the extra grip of the twin rudders – a significant factor with such a broad stern – and greater stiffness and righting moment from a centre of gravity that’s a whopping 1ft 4in (400mm) lower.

From a performance perspective, as usual when there’s a choice, a fin is the way to go.

Should you want a twin-keeler, however, you’re still likely to leave a good many larger fin-keelers in your wake.

Compared with the 880, her replacement is only a tad longer overall but significantly longer on the waterline thanks to a hint of the reverse rake in the stem now commonly seen on multihulls.

She’s a little beamier, the greater beam aft being balanced by what appear to be slightly fuller bow sections, yet with a narrow static waterline.

Draught is deeper, sail area greater and displacement almost the same.

Light, bright, open and airy below decks. Note the hull ports, ample handholds and open fiddled stowage outboard. Credit: David Harding

It would be surprising if the RM890 isn’t appreciably faster than her older sibling.

There are plenty of differences on deck and down below, too.

In short, she appears to be pretty well everything an upgrade should be.

And while a good deal of development goes into any model that’s totally new, RM don’t have to factor in the time and costs of building a plug and mould for the hull.

If the shape needs tweaking along the way, it can be tweaked.

To see how the new boat shaped up, I went for a sail with Dave. The day we chose started abysmally, as had been promised.

It seemed crazy to be driving to a boat test through torrential rain with the windscreen wipers working at the double.

Our theory was that the front would have passed through by early afternoon.

Sure enough, by the time we started sailing the rain had stopped and patches of blue sky were appearing from the west.

We wanted to be out immediately post-front to catch not only the sun but also the best of the breeze.

Our plans included trying the staysail, set free-flying on a 2:1 halyard at the upper spreaders (countered by runners) that’s a standard option on the RMs.

The tack is taken to a strong point on the anchor-well bulkhead.

Rigged and ready

Apart from the provision for a staysail, there’s nothing particularly unusual about the RM’s rig .

It’s of high-fractional configuration with long, well-swept spreaders and the caps taken to outboard chainplates.

The mast is an aluminium section by Z Spars (carbon as an option) and set further aft than on many fractionally-rigged boats , the sail area being divided evenly between the mainsail and the headsail.

A short bowsprit incorporates stowage for the anchor and helps project an asymmetric spinnaker .

Most notable about the deck layout is how it lends itself to efficient short-handed sailing.

Provision for a staysail is an option. All the sails on the test RM890 are by Kemp. Credit: David Harding

For example, the mainsheet runs from the end of the boom to a full-width traveller just forward of the transom.

Among the benefits are that it places the helm forward of the mainsheet and conveniently close to the primary winches, which are mounted well inboard.

When tacking on your own you can steer with one hand and sheet the headsail home with the other.

This mainsheet-aft arrangement works well when you have a dedicated mainsheet trimmer, too: he/she sits abaft the helmsman, well away from flying elbows and able to read the boat’s balance from the angle of the tiller .

You would have to be seriously wedded to wheel steering not to agree that a tiller really does work best on a boat like this.

Sail plan on the RM890

You can click the Wichard tiller extension in or out to your preferred length and sit comfortably on the wide, nicely- angled coaming, leaning back against the guardwires with an excellent view forward.

Although you’re almost at the point of maximum beam out here, on a beamy boat with a cockpit that’s not particularly deep, you feel reasonably secure.

On some boats with broad sterns you’re acutely aware that it’s a long way down to the leeward side when you start heeling, often because there’s little more than a dance floor between the gunwales.

The RM890 takes a far more practical approach.

Inboard of the coamings are wide seats either side of a cockpit sole of a width that would allow most people to sit on one seat and brace their legs on the one opposite.

It’s comfortable and it works – unless your reason for owning a boat is to accommodate a dozen people around a cockpit table.

Returning to the practicalities afloat, if you want to sit inboard and further forward in heavy weather, for shelter and to minimise the extent to which you’re thrown around, you can: the tiller and the layout give you the option.

On a bright sparkly day in the Solent , with an agreeable 14-17 knots of wind, you want to sit out and enjoy the sail.

First, however, we wanted to see how the staysail worked, so we set it with the genoa rolled away and tucked a reef in the main as well.

Despite being underpowered we maintained around 5 knots on the wind.

The relatively flat water at this stage helped our speed, but the exercise showed both that the staysail worked well and that the boat is very easily driven – as she should be with a displacement/ length ratio of just 111.

Naturally Dave opted for a folding prop ; anything else would be sacrilege on a boat like this.

Powering up the RM890

Having seen what the rather-too- benign conditions permitted us to see with the staysail, we rolled it away, unfurled the full headsail and shook out the reef.

Tacking the genoa around the rolled staysail takes a little longer but is no major problem, and leaving the staysail hoisted means you can switch headsails in seconds.

The staysail will give you an appreciably better sail shape than a reefed genoa , especially as the tracks are on the short side and wouldn’t allow you to move the cars far enough forward once you’ve taken more than a couple of rolls around the headfoil.

Having set all plain canvas, we didn’t think about shortening sail again.

A simple but workable galley by the companionway. The chainplate on the partial bulkhead is for the lower shrouds. Credit: David Harding

As well as being easily driven, the RM890 proved remarkably stiff, never feeling over-pressed and rarely heeling more than 15° even in the stronger gusts.

The centre of buoyancy moves well to leeward when she’s sailing on her chine and this form stability, combined with the low-down ballast, keeps her on a comfortably even keel.

Our speeds weren’t far off those indicated by the polars. The log was reading differently on port and starboard tacks, averaging 6 knots in the slight chop.

The polars for the fin-keeler indicate 6.3 knots at 35° to the apparent wind in flat water and 15 knots of breeze.

Balance is pretty good. The helm remained light most of the time, only developing a modest tug as we reached back up the channel at around 8 knots.

It would have been fun to fly a kite and see whether the 11+ knots indicated by the polars was achievable, though we’d have needed both a kite (yet to be added) and a fair bit more wind for that.

Upwind the helm could be left alone for lengthy periods if the mainsail was trimmed with the leech slightly open.

Good balance is largely responsible for this, the other factor being the friction that’s almost inevitable with twin rudders and the associated linkage: they never give you quite the same lightness and responsiveness as a single blade.

A single keel, of course, offers the benefits we discussed earlier.

This one is of high aspect ratio and needs a minimum water-flow over it in order to work: it will inevitably stall if you lose too much speed.

Nonetheless the boat would maintain steerage way when pinched mercilessly, only going into stall mode when brought practically to a standstill.

With the bow down once again the RM890 would need a moment or two for laminar flow to be re-established, but for a boat with this much performance potential she’s very tolerant indeed.

She would heave to happily, crabbing gently and not hesitating when asked to gybe round with the sheets pinned in.

The rudders kept working well at low speeds. They also have stops about 45°.

As I found when manoeuvring under power, this is all the angle you need: the boat will spin incredibly tightly and those stops are reassuring when you’re going astern.

Volvo’s D1 13 is the standard engine ; the D1 20 is a popular upgrade.

If I have a criticism of her handling in open water, it’s that the hull will occasionally thump if you fall off a wave and land upright in a trough.

To be fair, although the layout of the plywood panels does result in relatively flat forward sections, many moulded hulls are not dissimilar in shape; they just don’t have the chines.

Like most modern hulls, this one presents more of a V once heeled.

On the whole, the RM890 was very comfortable in the Solent popple.

One would imagine that there must be hydrodynamic compromises inherent in building a boat with a material that can only be bent into a very gentle curve, but if there are any they’re hard to detect.

Aesthetically you end up with topsides that look a little slabby from certain angles; that’s about all.

On deck and down below on the RM890

There’s so much to note on the RM890 that we will have to skim over some aspects.

A large locker in the bow will swallow fenders that won’t fit into the locker right aft beneath the cockpit sole, next to the liferaft stowage.

And that big forward-facing window? Let’s say it’s just as well that the boat is designed for asymmetric spinnakers: I wouldn’t want to be the one gybing the pole.

Diving below decks – well, you will either love it or hate it.

It’s all open-plan and white-painted ply.

A feature of the RMs is the ‘utility cabin’, providing dry stowage, workshop space and easy access to the systems. Credit: David Harding

Neither the V-berth in the bow nor the double aft to port are in what you could call a cabin: you just climb in and pull a curtain across if you want to.

It’s privacy Gallic-style.

Instead you have the famous RM ‘utility room’ abaft the heads to starboard, giving easy access to the vital systems as well as stowage (not accessible from on deck) for things like an inflatable.

Headroom is modest – barely 6ft (1.83m) under the hatch and less further forward.

As with much else about this boat, that’s the way it is: take it or leave it.

When you’re down here, it’s lovely being able to see forward through that big window ahead of the mast.

Covering it with non-slip patches wouldn’t do much for the view.

Noteworthy features include the vented under-bunk stowage and an abundance of well-placed handholds.

PBO Verdict on the RM890

The RM890 is a Marmite boat for sure.

Forget convention, opulence and privacy: this is not a choice for mum, dad and two teenage kids all new to boating.

For seasoned sailors who like tough, functional boats that perform efficiently and are fun to sail, the RM might well find her way on to a very short list

Tough, functional boat that performs efficiently; fun to sail

Sales information

• De Valk Monnickendam The Netherlands
• +31 299 65 63 50
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Broker's comments.

Designed for speed and long distance, the RM 890 has a sail plan allowing the superb hull to express its full power. The 'Golden Lobster' is a complete and well kept sailing yacht.

General - RM 890

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• Sailboat Guide

RM 890 is a 29 ′ 2 ″ / 8.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Marc Lombard and built by RM Yachts starting in 2013.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

alt. twin keel w/single rudder draft: 1.5m/4.92’ ballast: 950kg

25 m² Mainsail area 25 m² Genoa area 14 m² Staysail area 90 m² Asymmetric spin. area

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RM Yachts: French plywood sailboat manufacturer

Over 30 years of plywood yacht building expertise.

Welcome to RM Yachts!

French sailboat manufacturer since 1989, our shipyard based in La Rochelle is specialised in the construction of fast cruising yachts of 30ft to 45ft in plywood and epoxy – approximately 9 to 14 meters.

Whether you are looking for a coastal cruising sailboat, or planning longer open sea trips, such as Atlantic, Pacific crossing, or round-the-world sailing, there will always be an RM yacht fitting your project.

We are actually the sole shipyard and manufacturer having built over 500 monohull sailboats using this material and this sailing yacht building technique. Needless to say, we know plywood-epoxy in-and-out.

This material’s benefits are numerous: lightness and stiffness, for increased performance under sail, and a dry and sane interior atmosphere, thanks to its thermal and phonic specifications.

Not to mention its reduced impact on the environment, compared to other materials usually found in naval construction (GRP, polyester, etc.).

Designed by award-winning architect Marc Lombard, RM yachts are 100% made in France, and then sail around the world. Our clients frequently share their anecdotes and logbooks from their solo or family adventures on our modern sailing boats.

Available in different appendage versions (single-keel, twin-keel, lifting-keel, single or twin rudder), RM Yachts are customisable, starting with their hull colour and interior design.

Advising you to choose the best cruising sailboat

Thanks to our many years of experience as a sailing yacht manufacturer, we have designed our website to provide you with all the information you need to select your next cruising yacht :

• What is important when choosing a cruising sailboat?
• What is the best size for a coastal or bluewater cruising yacht?
• How to choose the best sailboat to live on?
• What options are to be considered when preparing an ocean crossing or a circumnavigation?

Our F.A.Q. section is also a great source of information to help you find the ideal sailing boat according to your needs and sailing plans.

You are more than welcome to visit our premises, and we can also set up a sea trial! Our team will be more than happy to help you configure your brand-new sailing yacht

Alternatively, you can also have a look at our previous models and see how high our used monohull sailboats are on the market. Our expert brokers remain available for additional information.

Finally, acquiring an RM also means you have access to a panel of services, provided by Grand Large Yachting group’s dedicated subsidiary: Grand Large Services. Whether it’s about training lessons, spare parts, maintenance, or refit before slipping lines, our specialists are here to help!

Bring your own dreams, we’ll take care of everything else.

Looking forward to meeting you soon,

The RM Yachts team.

Keep in Touch' Restons en contact

We will send you RM Yachts News (Only) to make sure you are up to date. Recevez (seulement) nos infos, pour être sûrs de ne rien rater !

• FR - Français
• EN - English

Specifications

Sails, engines and tanks.

RM Yachts RM 890+ :

Like the RM890, the new RM890+ is a superb cruising sailboat with amazing performance and unusual elegance. To do even better, our design office, helped by the Marc Lombard team, has made many improvements to offer you unequalled comfort.

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• A&C Yachts

• News & Trends
• Monohull sailboats
• Fast cruising sailboat
• Exhibitions

Fast cruising sailboat RM890+ wooden twin rudders twin keels

Characteristics

8.9 m (29'02" )

Description

Other rm yachts products, rm yachts range.

• Open sailboat
• Cruising sailboat
• Sailboat with bowsprit
• 3-cabin sailboat
• 2-cabin sailboat
• 4-cabin sailboat
• Twin rudders sailboat
• Ocean cruising sailboat
• Wooden sailboat
• Bilge keel sailboat

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REVISITING SUCCESS

• Unlike the interior, the RM890+ hull has not been modified. Since inception, she has been plebiscited by our customers and media, both unanimous when it comes to her shape and sporty look.
• Her seaworthiness remains intact on the RM890+, clearly an easy to handle lively sailboat, should it be in light airs or in a gusty breeze.
• Ready to tack?

Concentrated Comfort

• Below deck design has been revisited to make it even more contemporary:
• Teak saloon table
• New interior colors
• New furniture (kitchen, chart table and doors)
• Light dimmer
• Four windows bringing more light into the saloon
• Reading lights in the cabins
• Curtains for all cabins (optional)

Technical Specifications

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Cruiser-racer

The RM890 is a very interesting Marc Lombard design built by RM Yachts of France. One of the most interesting features of this boat is that it is built with plywood and epoxy using a multichine hull form so that flat panels of plywood can be used. It’s a very modern looking boat. I’d call it very Euro even if some don’t like me using that term. It is nicely styled and a handsome vessel, and to my eye it represents a very good example of the turn towards more performance in European production cruiser-racer boats.

Mr. Lombard was kind enough to send me the full lines plan of his design so we can take a hard look at the hull shape. The D/L of this design is 142. The L/B is 2.6. This indicates a very beamy boat. The Capsize Screening Formula was developed by the Cruising Club of American after the 1979 Fastnet race, and is based on the beam and displacement of performance boats, not hull shape or location of ballast. A lower number is considered more stable. The RM890 has a stability index of 2.34 and “Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts” recommends that this number be under 2. But in this age of light and very beamy boats, perhaps this number needs to be revisited. Perhaps. 

The hull form uses two chines, one well above the DWL and the other starting near the DWL at each end. Max beam is carried almost all the way to the stern but we are getting used to this shape. The sectional shape at the transom is very flat. There is no question that the designer is handicapped by being restricted to conic development, that is, using flat-plate friendly shapes. But a skilled designer can still produce an effective and good looking hull.

You can choose from a twin-keel model with an 4 feet 11 inch draft and a single rudder, or you can get the performance model with a single keel drawing 6 feet 3 inches and twin rudders. I wonder if you can get twin rudders with the twin keel version? I find the keel shaping exquisite. With the slight reverse on the stem profile, this hull is all sailing length. I’m not sure that stem reverse does much for performance but it does look sexy and modern. Note the slight reverse sheerline.

The RM890 is just shy of 30 feet LOA. It would be fun to compare this layout to  the layout of a 30-footer from 35 years ago. Having no bow overhang allows the V-berth to be pushed all the way forward but in this case the designer has avoided “wedge toes” by having a fairly spacious fo’c’sle. There are what appears to be full length settees with a drop-leaf table. The galley to port looks adequate if not luxurious.

The head is spacious with room for a large wet locker accessed through the aft bulkhead. To starboard there is a large double quarterberth. It’s going to be a bit challenging to get into this berth—I just don’t bend the way I used to—but once in you have lots of room. The racy looks of this design are partially the product of not trying to provide full headroom throughout. But you can stand up straight in the galley and that’s all I care about.

The rig is on the big side with a SA/D of 23.43. If that broad-transom hull form picks up a lot of wetted surface aft in light air the rig is big enough to keep the boat moving. Some crew weight to leeward and forward wouldn’t hurt either. The forestay goes almost all the way to the masthead but not quite. The fixed sprit allows the tack of the asymmetrical chute to be well forward for easy jibing.

I like the cockpit. The mainsheet traveler is aft of the tiller head and out of the way while being in the most effective location. The stern is wide open with access to the limited lazarette areas through flush hatches. I see a recess in the transom for either a life raft or a boarding platform. The svelte cabintrunk means that there is quite a bit of open deck space on this boat. The helmsman will be very comfortable sitting outboard tiller extension in hand on that broad stern.

I like the overall look of this boat, and I’m intrigued by the plywood construction in a production boat. I’ll keep my eye out for one so I can take a closer look.

Also in Perry on Design

• Full Circle 30
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Also from Robert H. Perry

Description

Although the RM890+ is the smallest model of the RM family, she has everything: wood-based building process, space, comfort and natural light, seducing design and performance under sail! Owning an RM is owning an exceptional yacht, that will lead you to a different perception of the sea and the navigation.

The RM team remains at your disposal to help you design your own lifestyle. According to your budget, they’ll be happy to guide you through a selection of sails, electronics, appendages, hull color, rigging and interior design.

For full details please go to...  https://www.rm-yachts.com/rm-890

Specific details

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Interesting Sailboats

Wednesday, march 26, 2014, rm 890, one of the best rm ever.

3 comments:

Really nice boat! I hope there will be some cool videos soon to drool over :) Cheers!

Hi Paulo. I Love this boat. When I'm done our circumnav (with the Nordhavn), it's a choice between the Pogo 30 or this RM890. : )

That's quite a change!!! And then I guess you will be cruising without your wife...or will she accept that change in lifestyle?

Our sailing boats

Since its launch in 2013, the RM890+ never stopped to surprise and seduce. The goal was to conceive a true cruiser, with loads of living space, comfort yet performance, at ease for both coastal cruising and port-hopping. In her different versions – twin-keel or fin keel – this fast 30ft sailboat is easy to sail, and quick to set up.

The ideal 32ft yacht for family cruising. With the RM970, you’re entering the serial cruiser category! Conceived as the perfect family liveaboard, this 32-foot sailboat will be your best companion to create great memories.

With the RM1070+ we wanted to create a 35ft sailboat suitable for all navigation plans, including long-range cruising. She is available in three appendage versions: twin-keel, fin keel, or lifting keel.

Should you be looking for a fast, elegant cruising yacht, capable of crossing either oceans or the next bay nearby, solo or with your family, the RM1180 will satisfy all these expectations. Just add charm and seduction on top.

Designed by Marc Lombard and developed by our internal engineering team, this fast and modern 39ft sailboat is one of a kind monohull, representing the perfect synthesis of our definition of a transatlantic (or any other ocean!) sailing yacht: breathtaking lines, remarkable performances, non-to-second comfort, not to mention environment-friendly construction in plywood and epoxy.

The bluewater sailing yacht you’ve been dreaming of. For the past 30 years, Marc Lombard Design team and the RM Yachts engineering team have been conceiving legendary and head-turning sailing yachts, all contributing to the French shipyard’s reputation. The RM1380 is, somehow, the culmination of our efforts, and probably our most remarkable achievement.

A 45-foot sailboat made of plywood-epoxy, the RM1380 is exceptionally elegant and racy, and capable of long cruises, such as a circum-navigation or a transatlantic ocean crossing in the best conditions of speed, safety, and comfort.

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