The concept takes its name and spirit from the café racer motorcycles ridden by London rockers in the 1960s. Its distinctive exterior combines a dreadnought bow with a gentle reverse sheer.
Design and Construction
Baltic Yachts builds the Café Racer series with construction as sophisticated as a grand prix racing yacht and an exceptionally high standard of finish. The fully optimised laminate makes extensive use of unidirectional carbon fibre and honeycomb core, while the fit-out, systems, and detailing meet full superyacht standards and an exceptionally high standard of finish.
The chined hull carries a generous maximum beam but has a narrow waterline and minimal wetted surface. Low freeboard and outboard helm positions give the helmsman a direct feel for the water. On deck, hardwearing, eco-friendly cork replaces traditional teak. The layout is notably clean and efficient.
Weight matters on this light-displacement hull. Careful discipline is needed to meet the builder’s final displacement target.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Café Racer is a fractional sloop with a square-top mainsail and a large asymmetric reaching sail. In normal use, the rig needs no backstays, making it practical to cruise with the square-top main. Owners fit running backstays for racing, but the mast is engineered to keep tacking straightforward during day sailing.
The original Pink Gin Verde was among the first yachts anywhere to use Doyle Sails’ Structured Luff mainsail technology. A carbon-fibre lens in the luff pre-bends the mast as the cunningham is eased on. Test sailors found that the same approach had already been proven in the America’s Cup and on Maxi72s.
All sail handling can be managed from the aft steering and pit console, helping to keep the deck safe. Two people can trim and sail the boat with ease, and the helm is light and positive. With the asymmetric unfurled, the hull power reaches on the plane at over 20 knots. One owner has recorded 23–24 knots while planing in roughly 21 knots of wind.
Under electric pod drive, the Café Racer is almost silent in harbour and produces virtually no vibration. Hull number four, however, substituted diesel propulsion and a single rudder, so the all-electric package isn’t universal.
Cockpit and Accommodation
The broad, open cockpit is arranged for relaxed social sailing, with adjustable seating, day beds, tables, and an awning, while the overall deck layout remains notably clean and efficient. The sofas and dining set can be removed for racing. An open transom provides easy access to the water for bathing.
Below, a very large open-plan saloon forms the heart of the spacious, luxurious accommodation. It is roomy, airy, and bright, with sea views from the sofas and a well-equipped galley.
All four delivered boats have a full-beam owner’s suite forward. It includes a king-size bed, a large en-suite, a study desk, and ample stowage. Additional cabins accommodate guests or crew. Buyers can choose between two- and three-cabin arrangements; hull number four, Hormar, has the latter.
Owners may bring in their own designer or select an existing scheme, so each interior has a different character. All retain the forward owner’s suite and large saloon.
Ownership and the Palma Fleet
Four boats have been built, and all are based in Palma. There, Baltic Yachts Service & Refit provides full gardiennage to manage maintenance and servicing. By taking full responsibility for the yacht while it is in commission, the service can extend the Café Racer’s low-stress approach to ownership.
The concentration of all four boats in Palma has encouraged major regattas, including Superyacht Cup Palma and Joy Ibiza, to welcome the class. Hull two, Open Season, won a day’s racing both overall and on handicap at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and Les Voiles de St Tropez. With successful regatta sailors among the owners, the fleet shows genuine potential for closely matched racing.
The Verdict
The Baltic 68 Café Racer is a genuinely novel take on the large daysailer. It combines grand-prix construction and a sophisticated, easily driven hull with a calm, social cockpit and a bright, owner-friendly interior. It is fast enough to plane offwind and simple enough for two friends to manage without crew, while shipyard gardiennage and a small, active Palma fleet support the ownership experience.
Pros
- All-electric propulsion and systems make the boat quiet and easy under power or sail, with hydrogeneration and solar power able to run the air conditioning on its eco setting
- Square-top mainsail with no backstays in cruise mode, plus Structured Luff technology for easy tacking
- Large open saloon and full-beam owner’s suite in either a two- or three-cabin layout
- Semi-custom construction, superyacht-level finish, and a growing Palma fleet for class racing
Cons
- Only four hulls exist, so any purchase will be a rare, bespoke transaction
- Hull number four substituted diesel propulsion and a single rudder, showing that the standard all-electric package isn’t universal
- The light-displacement, racing-oriented hull requires careful weight discipline to meet the builder’s final displacement target
