Design and Construction
The hull was drawn by Alexander Vrolijk, son of the prolific judel/vrolijk naval architect Rolf Vrolijk, and it shows a pedigree for innovative, well-balanced constructions. The shape relies on aggressive chines and hull bevels that make the boat simultaneously light, stiff, and powerful — qualities that also simplified fabrication. The panels are CNC-cut, ready-laminated, and assembled into a monocoque structure in a process that reportedly takes just three hours to join hull and deck. The builder, Yacht Service in Poland, also produces hulls for X-Yachts, lending credibility to build quality. Vrolijk describes it as the only fully cored small cruiser of its size, engineered for a service life of at least thirty years. The mast is deck-stepped rather than keel-stepped to keep the hull watertight — a detail that also supports offshore use despite the boat's RCD Category C coastal rating.
Rig and Sailing Performance
Two rig configurations are offered: a standard coastal rig and a taller inland-water rig that exploits the boat's light displacement to generate more speed in the lighter breezes typical of lakes and rivers. The bowsprit performance package adds a square-top main for racing. Lines are led aft to a single coachroof winch, keeping the deck layout simple and single-hand friendly — a deliberate design choice that makes the boat comfortable for solo sailing. A full-width traveller is paired with a single transom-hung rudder, giving direct helm feel. Downwind, the boat carries an enlarged sail plan capped by a large gennaker, with the wide, flat stern encouraging planing in a breeze. The fixed bulb keel provides a high ballast ratio that underpins stable upwind performance, while the boat's low displacement means it responds well to breeze rather than needing it.
The Signature Dodger and Cockpit
The most visually distinctive element — and the one that defines life on board — is the prominent hard GRP arch and moulded plexiglass windscreen. This is not a folding spray hood but a structural part of the boat, chosen deliberately because the founders believed people simply do not put folding sprayhoods down. The dodger delivers three distinct functional benefits: it provides approximately 190 cm of weather-protected standing headroom at the companionway; it keeps the cockpit dry in choppy conditions; and it gives the helmsman a clear sightline to all halyards, sheets, and reefing lines. The companionway itself is notably offset — an asymmetric design that allows a crew member to stand in the saloon and have full headroom with shelter while remaining connected to the cockpit. The cockpit is described as large enough for five people, with the removable table transferable between cabin and cockpit use.
Accommodation
Below decks the Bente 24 is honest about its priorities. There is no timber on board, and no fixed furniture — hull sides serve as seat backs, beanbags double as cockpit cushions, and the philosophy of removability extends to nearly every fitting. The layout provides a large double berth forward, two saloon singles, and two long aft berths at 2.6 metres concealed beneath the retractable galley. The pull-out galley can be used below decks or pushed aft and lifted through the cockpit seat lid for use on deck — one of several student-designed ideas incorporated via the Hannover University of Design collaboration. Storage runs to canvas bags on the hull sides and limited stowage under the bunks. A heads compartment with a canvas door sits to starboard. A large skylight makes the saloon feel light and bright, important in a hull that is otherwise lightly fenestrated at deck level. The floor and folding tables are Permateek — a synthetic teak alternative that resists rot and requires minimal maintenance.
Propulsion Options
The Bente 24 was designed from the start with a Torqeedo 4kW retractable electric motor weighing just 60 kg as the premium option, paired with a lithium-ion battery pack that Vrolijk claims offers the capacity of 100 kg of lead-acid in a 23 kg package. A petrol inboard alternative is also offered. Both options are compact, supporting the trailer-sailer use case: the boat can be rotated on its trailer to 2.55 m beam for road transport, and its sub-1,700 kg empty weight in the basic version makes it road-legal in most European jurisdictions. The engine choice has no structural implications for the hull, so owners can in principle switch between variants.
Known Issues and Category Considerations
The Bente 24 carries an RCD Category C rating, limiting it to coastal sailing in up to Force 6. That is not a fault so much as a design boundary — the boat was built around simplicity, light weight, and fun, not offshore endurance. The sparse interior will not suit sailors accustomed to the comforts of heavier production cruisers. Storage is limited compared to boats in the same length band with fuller interior fits, and the canvas-bag approach to stowage requires some discipline on passage. The high capsize ratio (2.48 from the spec block) warrants respect in open water, a consequence of the lightweight, wide-stern planing hull that otherwise gives the boat its performance character.
The Verdict
The Bente 24 is a concentrated piece of design thinking — built not to tick all boxes but to be genuinely exciting and commercially accessible for sailors who find the mainstream 24-footer dull. It excels as a daysailer, weekend cruiser, and club racer for two to four people who value sailing performance and fresh design over conventional comfort. It asks for pragmatism in return: minimal fixed furniture, modest stowage, and an RCD ceiling of Force 6.
Pros
- Fully cored construction engineered for multi-decade longevity
- Exceptional SA/displacement ratio with a large gennaker option
- Innovative retractable galley usable on deck or below
- Trailer-sailer dimensions with genuine coastal cruising capability
- Structural hard dodger offers standing headroom and genuine shelter
- Single cockpit winch and led-aft lines make solo sailing practical
- Electric or petrol engine options with no hull modification required
Cons
- RCD Category C limits serious offshore ambitions
- Minimal fixed stowage demands disciplined packing
- No timber or fixed furniture — interior comfort is spartan by production-cruiser norms
- High capsize ratio requires respect in open-water or exposed coastal conditions
- Beanbag/canvas-bag philosophy may feel too minimalist for family cruising
