Design and Construction
Boréal built the 47.2 as a genuine aluminum centreboarder, and the wide 14ft 5in beam is a direct consequence of that shallow-draught configuration, needed to keep sail-carrying power without a deep keel anchor. The hull wears an ice-breaking stem, watertight bulkheads, and 8–10mm bottom plating on substantial framing that lets the boat be safely beached anchor. A distinctive hull feature is what the builder calls the keel "embryo": a shallow, 80cm-wide vestigial keel acting as a broad extended skeg that gives a massively strong drying base and houses the centreboard case, tankage, and lead ballast anchor. Heavy items including anchor chain, tankage, and batteries are kept low and central, and the centreboard and rudder both carry efficient hydrodynamic profiles anchor. The substantial aluminium stanchions avoid mixed-metal corrosion issues in salt water, and a high toerail with welded metal handholds rounds out the rugged deck structure anchor.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig places the mast well forward in the hull, opposite to most true cutters, and the new staysail is conventionally rigged rather than self-tacking as on the 44/47 anchor. A larger overlapping staysail sheets inboard through the slot between the two shroud sets, improving the sheeting angle, and an optional bowsprit takes Code sails anchor. All lines lead back to a big central winch, and the sitting area is fully separated from the steering working zone anchor. Twin wheels sit over a single spade rudder, while V1 shrouds mount on the coachroof so the foredeck walk is clear anchor. A powerful vang controls mainsail twist despite the lack of a traveller, and a pair of daggerboards either side of the rudder tweak handling: raised, the boat is more responsive like a smaller yacht; lowered, directional stability improves markedly anchor. Yachting World found her responsive and fun in confined waters, and the rudder stalled at a much higher angle than deep high-aspect performance rudders while giving ample warning anchor.
Accommodations
Below, the saloon is offset to port with the inboard settee atop the centreboard case so it does not intrude, and the galley runs linear to starboard with extensive Corian worktop as standard anchor. The doghouse gives a 360° view per the builder, while the test boat's deep port bucket seat stopped short of full rotation due to blind spots anchor. A direct passage runs from the doghouse to the aft cockpit with a table that stays in place, and a full-height watertight door seals doghouse from cockpit anchor. Forward, the owner's cabin gains volume over the previous 47: a wider peninsula bed, a larger ensuite with separate shower stall, and a gas-strut bed base revealing huge stowage anchor. Aft cabins convert to doubles or twins, and the starboard side can become a technical and storage space; a full-width dorade vent serves the aft cabins anchor. On deck, a cavernous sail locker forward and massive twin-opening lazarette aft dominate, with liferaft stowage built into the starboard lazarette via a transom door anchor.
Equipment and Systems
The standard engine is a 50hp Volvo Penta D2 with 60 or 75hp options; the test boat carried the 75hp on a fixed three-blade prop anchor. A hefty combined twin bow roller and sprit is standard, with anchor rode led aft through a concealed foredeck channel to a below-deck windlass just ahead of the mast anchor. The large two-drawer fridge can be supplemented by a freezer in the starboard aft cabin if required, and twin galley foot pumps (salt and pressurized backup) were fitted on the test boat anchor. Two 13kg gas bottles in a cockpit-accessed locker give heavy users months of autonomy, and 500W of flexible solar panels lie on the doghouse and coachroof anchor.
The Verdict
The 47.2 is a big boat masquerading as a small one, bulking up to within a ton of the Boréal 52 while keeping a shorter waterline and fractionally narrower beam on the waterline anchor. She maintains trim better than most of her type and carries load without sag, tacks around 100 degrees as a fair ocean mean, and can be beached or dried out on her keel embryo anchor. The result is a considered refinement of a proven concept rather than a clean-sheet gamble.
Pros
- Full aluminum construction with ice-breaking stem, watertight bulkheads, and beaching capability
- Centreboard and twin daggerboards give shallow draught plus tunable stability
- Doghouse and deck-saloon layout with protected 360° visibility and watertight separation
- Owner's cabin and forward ensuite enlarged over previous generation
- Central winch and coachroof shrouds simplify deck movement and sail handling
Cons
- Sail-area-to-displacement below 17 light ship, and not as close-winded as a performance cruiser
- Offset saloon and aft head entrance preclude an island galley
- Conventional (non-self-tacking) staysail loses the older model's easy tacking benefit
