Design and Construction
Premier Composite Technologies built the 45 around an e-glass and carbon hull with a full carbon deck and a composite interior structure, all infusion-moulded using 5-axis CNC milled tooling for precise repeatability. The builder credits this lightweight, e-glass/carbon hull and the low displacement and wetted surface area with making the boat easily driven in lighter conditions, and the 41.6 percent ballast ratio on 7,363 pounds of lead helps explain why test sailors found her stiff. With a displacement of roughly 20,580 pounds and a waterline length of 42 feet 5 inches, the hull design was developed to excel both up and downwind and to maintain stable handling in waves when further offshore. Stand-out styling is to PCT's credit, and the RCD Category A rating with a STIX value of 53.7 places her firmly in offshore-capable company.
Rig and Handling
A generous upwind and downwind sail area provides the horsepower, and the standard package includes a carbon mast and boom, a retractable bowsprit, and a full Harken deckgear and winch package. Reviewers in the sailing press found her a marvellous boat to sail, bursting with power and stiffness, and her stiffness in a gust means she accelerates coltishly rather than hesitating. She is easily handled by a couple, which suits the performance-cruiser mission, though the same reviewer noted the mainsheet winches could be a little closer to the wheels and the mainsheet traveller line could be ducted from the cockpit sole to somewhere nearer the helmsman's hand for easier shorthanded sailing. The primary winches, in that view, could also be electric.
Accommodations
Below decks the interior design concept comes from Norwegian architect Snøhetta, and the result is minimalist, clean, and practical with a deceptively large amount of stowage. The large interior can sleep seven, and the convertible aft cabins drew specific praise from the reviewer who sailed her. Details include a Corian kitchen, smoked oak floorboards, programmable underfloor LED lighting, and carbon toilets, though the tester was unconvinced about splashing out on the latter. The cockpit is spacious and includes a table for socialising, yet the bathing set-up seems a touch miserly for a boat of this size, and the reviewer felt she would need some sort of bimini for long, lounging afternoons.
Known Issues
The anchor arrangement is designed to be unobtrusive so as not to spoil her lines, but in practice it is impractical: test sailors found that attaching a halyard to the bow roller, hauling the anchor out of the locker, and flipping it over the bow makes a routine anchoring a chore that discourages use. That trade-off between visual cleanliness and day-to-day function is the one clear operational compromise recorded against the design.
Ownership and Refits
Maintenance access is excellent throughout the boat, which eases the owner's routine servicing of the 55-horsepower diesel and the various systems. The lifting keel, carbon rig, and Harken package are all part of the as-delivered specification rather than common owner additions, and the interior's convertible berths and generous stowage suggest the design was laid out with liveaboard and short-handed cruising in mind from the start.
The Verdict
The Premier 45 is a genuinely distinctive performance cruiser that translates raceboat pedigree into a livable, well-built 45-foot package. Her carbon-reinforced structure, easily driven hull, and stiff, quick sailing character set her apart from the typical cruising fleet, while the Snøhetta interior keeps the accommodation modern and practical. The anchor handling remains an awkward exception to an otherwise thoughtful design.
Pros
- Lightweight e-glass/carbon hull and full carbon deck built with CNC-milled infusion tooling
- Easily driven in light air with class-leading speed potential up and downwind
- Stiff, powerful handling that a couple can manage shorthanded
- Spacious, minimalist Snøhetta interior with convertible aft cabins and strong stowage
- Excellent maintenance access throughout
Cons
- Unobtrusive anchor arrangement is impractical to deploy without a halyard-and-flip routine
- Mainsheet winches and traveller line positioned away from the helmsman for easy shorthanded use
- Bathing platform setup considered small for the cockpit's generous social space
