X-Yachts X-482 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The hull presents a clean, beamy shape with a very broad transom and a sweet sheerline showing no deadrise at the stem. What distinguishes the underbody is the deep and abrupt forefoot knuckle, a small keglet preceding a deep, blade-like rudder, and a bulbish keel of moderate aspect ratio with a pronounced leading-edge fillet. The rudder itself carries considerable sweep and is preceded by a small skeglet. With a displacement/length ratio of 171 and a standard draft of 8.2 feet (a 7-foot-2-inch shoal version was also offered), the geometry speaks to a hull tuned for sustained pace rather than shoal-water wandering.

Above the waterline, the deck is carefully sculpted with recessed areas fore and aft of the mast. These pockets make handy places to stow fenders while getting under way and visually break up the long cabintrunk. A raised coaming around the companionway hatch does double duty, and the broad wrap-around coaming atop the cabintrunk aft houses a dodger that folds neatly out of the way. Teak decks came standard, and the interiors use honeycomb-cored cabin sole panels to keep weight down beneath teak veneers for a rich, furniture-like finish.

Rig and Handling

The three-spreader rig sits on a foretriangle with a long base by contemporary standards and includes a babystay for mast support. Halyards are led aft under the coach roof, producing a very clean deck. The sail plan itself reads as handsome, and the SA/D of roughly 20.7 to 21.55 places her firmly in the lively end of the cruiser spectrum. Given the X-Yachts pedigree and Jeppesen's record, the available evidence predicts a fast boat.

Accommodations

Three interior layouts appear in one review, while another describes four: two with four-cabin arrangements and two with three-cabin arrangements. The classic three-cabin version features pilot berths port and starboard in the saloon, while the modern three-cabin layout spreads the galley to port with a big wraparound dinette to starboard. A favored arrangement pairs a roomy owner forward stateroom with an adjoining head, small curved settees flanking the double berth, and quarter cabins with lower double berths plus an upper berth. One four-cabin version nests an extra stateroom forward and adds pilot berths in the saloon for 12 berths without using the main settees, though the four-cabin forward fit was judged too tight by one reviewer. No version has an enclosed shower stall, and the dining area seats only six at a time. The galley is genuinely big, with centerline sinks and ample counter space; an alternative main-cabin layout leaves the entire port side open to the galley, which one reviewer found impressively large but still secondary to the opposing-settee model. Beautiful joinerwork and finishing details are consistent across the range.

Known Issues

The one documented ownership reservation concerns the teak decks. They work well as non-skid and look good when new, but a period reviewer noted the maintenance burden they impose and would avoid it.

The Verdict

The X-482 is a thoughtfully weighted performance cruiser that wears its racing lineage lightly. Jeppesen's eye for a benign-but-quick hull, combined with disciplined interior materials and a genuinely clever deck layout, makes her a strong candidate for the sailor who wants to race midweek and cruise the rest. The trade-off is a draft that limits certain anchorages and an accommodation plan that prioritizes flow over private enclosed showers.

Pros

Beam-aft hull with disciplined D/L of 171 and 11,023 lb ballast for sustained speed
Three-spreader rig with long foretriangle base and clean, halyards-led-aft deck
Folding dodger hidden in cabintrunk coaming; sculpted deck recesses for fender stowage
Multiple layouts including a roomy owner forward stateroom and big centerline-sink galley

Cons