It is also the first Arcona designed by Niels Jeppesen and Ariadna Pons of Jeppesen & Pons. They took over the design work following the death in 2018 of Stefan Qviberg, who had drawn every Arcona since 1982. The Arcona 50 won European Yacht of the Year 2024 honors in the luxury performance cruiser category and was highly commended in the British Yachting Awards – Performance Yacht 2023.
Design and Construction
The hull, deck, and internal structure are built in vacuum-infused, Divinycell-cored GRP, with carbon reinforcement in strategic areas. Rather than using interior fiberglass liners, the yard laminates the bulkheads directly to the shell.
A galvanised steel keel frame, bolted to the hull’s frames and stringers, carries a fin of Swedish cast iron with a lead bulb. The lead bulb is bolted directly into the hull’s galvanised steel matrix for far greater stiffness than a GRP matrix. The keel root sits in a recess to create a more watertight bond, while the lead bulb is formed around and bolted through a steel H-beam.
Weight-saving runs throughout the construction. Foam-cored bulkheads, doors, and lockers save 60kg compared with plywood, and honeycomb companionway steps save another 30kg. Cored woodwork cuts further mass without compromising its appearance. Arcona argues that this saved weight can instead go into lead in the keel, improving stability and pointing ability.
The 2.95m-deep keel fin tapers downward to account for denser water at depth and has convex leading and trailing edges. An inverse knuckle halfway up the bow runs aft through a topside bevel to pronounced stern chines.
Twin rudders operate through separate quadrants with independent Jefa steering. If one blade fails, the yacht remains controllable. Vacuum-infused composite watertight bulkheads forward and aft seal the living accommodation from the forepeak sail stowage and tender bay.
Rig, Handling, and Performance
The Arcona 50 is a fractional sloop with a three-spreader mast and discontinuous rod rigging. Twin hydraulic backstay cylinders share a central pumpstation, and the mainsheet runs to a recessed central single block. A carbon mast and furling carbon boom are available as an upgrade.
For ocean work, an optional inner forestay can carry a furling heavy-weather jib. A moulded carbon bowsprit, mounted below deck height, extends the available luff length for a Code Zero or gennaker. Arcona favors large mainsails and jibs rather than overlapping genoas, and the boat is arranged for push-button operation and easy handling by two.
During Yachting World’s test, the boat recorded speeds in the late-7s to early-8-knot range upwind in 10–12 knots, tacking through 80°. The test sailors reported a very neutral helm and the ability to keep tracking under autopilot. Under sail, she heels onto her soft aft chine and stops leaning, converting power into acceleration. With the Code 0, she averaged 10 knots in 14 knots true and reached 11.7 knots under gennaker.
Cockpit and Deck Equipment
L-shaped cockpit benches and twin tables leave a clear central walkway. Twin wheels are standard, with large carbon wheels available as an option. Powered aft winches and captive Harken units move the traveller car in eight seconds.
A below-deck electric genoa furler and flush hatches help keep the deck uncluttered. Halyard and sheet lockers sit beneath the side decks, while aft coaming lockers conceal the gas bottles and shorepower connection.
Lowering the bathing platform electrically opens the dinghy garage, which can hold an inflated 2.7m tender. A dedicated liferaft well sits beneath the cockpit sole. Retractable bow and stern thrusters assist with tight-marina exits.
The standard engine is an 80hp saildrive. An optional 100hp Yanmar common-rail engine with a folding prop is also available.
Interior and Accommodation
The standard interior is finished in Khaya mahogany, with Scandinavian light oak offered as an upgrade. Large hull windows and flush hatches bring plenty of light into the saloon.
The saloon has C-shaped seating to port and a starboard settee that can serve as a sea berth. Bookshelves and a recessed television occupy the forward bulkhead.
At the foot of the companionway, the port-side galley includes a gimballed three-burner oven, a generously sized sink, a 90L top-opening fridge, a separate dishcloth sink, and space for a drawer dishwasher.
The two aft cabins have double berths that can be converted into twins. Forward, the owner’s cabin has a kingsize bed on the centerline, more than 190cm of headroom, and an en-suite heads with a separate shower. A further guest heads also has its own shower area.
The tanks are mounted amidships beneath the cabin sole, keeping their weight low and central. This arrangement leaves stowage beneath the berths and in raised lockers along the hull.
The Verdict
The Arcona 50 is a bold reset for a marque long defined by cruiser-racers. It is a beamy, 15.8m luxury performance cruiser with genuine short-handed capability, a stiff hull built around a galvanised keel frame, and a quiet, light-filled interior.
Watertight bulkheads and independent twin-rudder steering support its offshore intent. At the same time, the push-button rig and optional thrusters make this 50-footer manageable for two.
Pros
- First Arcona with twin rudders, a tender garage, L-shaped cockpit benches, and twin cockpit tables
- Galvanised steel keel matrix bolted to the frames for exceptional stiffness
- Easily handled by two, with electric winches, hydraulic backstays, and a recessed traveller
- Watertight composite bulkheads separate the accommodation from the bow locker and garage
- Strong reaching and upwind pace, with a neutral helm reported during sea trials
Cons
- Shallow coamings and a flat coachroof provide little cockpit protection unless the sprayhood is raised
- No option to close off the transom
- In the current layout, the aft heads door was noted as tight to close
