Design and Construction
The hull and deck are built as a sandwich of biaxial and unidirectional glass fabrics with vinylester resin, vacuum-infused, using a PVC core of varied densities. Carbon reinforcements sit at the highest stress points, and in the bow, carbon structural framings are laminated directly to the hull anchor. Amidships the structure is a grid of galvanized steel stringers and floors forming a closed ring that distributes loads through hull and deck, while a watertight bulkhead seals the anchor locker and sail stowage from the living spaces for safety. The hull carries flared sections with knee-high flare and deep deadrise forward, and Yachting World described her Cossutti lines as long, sweet, and fast with a quality of finish that is simply prima.
Keel, Rudder, and Rig
The standard keel is a 2.90 m T-shaped fin with a Weldox 700 steel blade and lead torpedo, the more performant choice where draft is no constraint, and two L-shaped shoal-draft options are offered. The rudder is a high-aspect spade 2.50 m deep, with a blade that fishes 1.50 m, and steering runs through two pedestals with fully separate, independent circuits so that a failure in one lets the crew steer from the other wheel. The rig is a 19/20 fractional sloop with three orders of quartered spreaders on a 24-meter mast slightly set back, giving a prominent bow triangle suited to gennakers and code zeros. The standard mast is aluminum by John Mast with discontinuous rod rigging and closed turnbuckles, and a carbon mast-and-boom package is available on request. All running rigging uses Dyneema-core rope, halyards are flush, and the furling drum is recessed below deck and worked from the halyard winch.
Handling and Cockpit
Test sailors found her fast yet purposeful on the helm, slicing to windward at 8 knots in a Force 4 and tacking sharply, with a relatively stiff but direct feel. With a large gennaker she took off into double figures, surfing at 11.5 knots and touching 13.5 in 20–24 knots true, and the sail plan is powerful enough that taming it properly in cruising mode matters. The cockpit follows maxi-yacht thinking, divided into three zones with the central area given to guests and relaxation around a folding-leaf table, a recessed mainsheet traveler under the decking, and a sunbathing space aft by the wheelhouse. Four Harken Performa electric winches sit within reach of the helmsman so one person can manage the sails, and the maneuvering area was judged genuinely ergonomic, with concealed bollards and wide, unobstructed foredecks.
Accommodations
This is a semi-custom platform with twelve interior combinations and two deck layouts, sleeping four to eight across two to five cabins, and the owner may place the master cabin forward or aft — the aft choice raising the cockpit to gain headroom below and adding a step in that space. The port side of the saloon is the one constant element, while both an L-shaped passageway galley and a central U-shape are offered, and the C-shaped settee seats eight. A bow crew cabin with sink and head is available, the engine room is wide enough to walk around in, and the test boat showed a machinery room between cabins separate from the engine bay. Reviewers called the C-shaped galley superb, stowage excellent, and the belowdecks style and sophistication consistent with the exterior.
Known Issues
Writing in Yachting World, test sailors flagged the cockpit coamings as far too low and the benches as inadequate for protection, a consequence of keeping them low to preserve the sleek lines anchor. The same review found the winch layout could make sheet-handling difficult and the overall cockpit arrangement too complicated for a typical cruising couple, despite the aft-sited primaries and mainsheet winches that consolidate lines in front of the wheel.
The Verdict
The 15.98 is an elegant, soundly built flagship that sails as beautifully as she looks, pairing a refined Cossutti-Polli hull with Spadolini style and a genuinely customizable interior. She rewards an engaged crew with real performance and offshore manners, though her low coamings and busy cockpit ask for experienced hands rather than a relaxed two-person cruise.
Pros
- Long, fast Cossutti hull lines with vinylester sandwich construction and carbon reinforcements at load points
- Independent dual steering circuits and a performant T-keel with shoal-draft alternatives
- Twelve interior layouts, forward or aft owner’s cabin, and walk-around engine room
- Genuine offshore speed: 8 knots to windward in a Force 4, surfing to 13.5 under gennaker
Cons
- Cockpit coamings and benches too low for adequate protection
- Winch layout and cockpit complexity difficult for a typical cruising couple
