Design and Construction
X-Yachts positioned the X4/4³ as slightly heavier than the Xp but carrying the same T-shaped keel, spade rudder, and ballast, a configuration that trades a little outright lightness for cruising capacity without abandoning the performance silhouette. The vacuum-infused epoxy hull and integrated steel grid are the structural backbone, and the deck is kept deliberately clean with flush, frameless hatches. Early boats left the factory with mirrored windows, but those were swapped for tinted versions, and the aft pushpit was revised to add a third lifeline after the open-transom test boat showed only two aft guardrail wires. Tanks sit beneath the berths for optimum weight placement, and the engine space is reported to have good all-round access.
Rig and Handling
Afloat, the X4/4³ reveals a rewarding upwind sweet spot that test sailors at Yachting World found genuinely satisfying; get it right and she’ll carve to windward all day at 7.4 knots. The test boat carried 3Di black Kevlar/Spectra sails stiff enough for bullets of wind, with a Maxi-style mainsheet led from boom end to a recessed traveller and then to winches nestled in the coamings, while headsail sheets emerged from beneath the coachroof. Rod rigging meets covered stainless chainplates for a clean toerail line, and an optional carbon bowsprit keeps the anchor clear of the vertical stem. Offwind, she averaged 9.5 knots and began to plane at over 10.5 knots, a lively turn for an 8,850kg (19,511lb) lightship cruiser with a sail-area-displacement ratio of 23.2.
Accommodations
Below, the standard three-cabin, two-head layout uses teak, with oak Alpi veneer available as an option. Doorways on the tested boat offered just 5ft 7in of headroom, though X-Yachts widened the frame detailing afterward; the forward island berth carries 6ft 4in and lifts on gas struts over generous stowage. Aft cabins are conventional long doubles, and the heads convert to a wet-room with a stand shower and mixer tap. The saloon holds four raised lockers per side, a flip-top table with wine stowage for six, Oceanair blinds, optional indirect floor lights, and lit LED switches. The galley is practical, with a Corian fiddled worktop, double sink, top-opening 90-liter fridge, sliding double bin, and an optional front-opening second fridge. The three-cabin format offers only a minimum chart table adjoining the starboard sofa, and the tested boat lacked a dedicated navstation; a two-cabin version with a forward-facing navstation was scheduled for 2017.
Deck and Equipment
On deck, beam carried aft yields practical cockpit lockers and a locker between the quarter berths for two gas bottles, plus a deep forward sail locker for gennaker and fenders. The standard boat comes without a cockpit table, and an optional swim platform is raised or lowered on a simple rope purchase. There is space in front of the twin wheels for a short-handed trimmer or helmsman, underscoring the boat’s dual-purpose intent.
The Verdict
The X4/4³ is a thoughtfully executed modern cruiser that keeps X-Yachts’ performance DNA visible while adding the volume and payload a cruising couple or family expects. Its structural honesty, clean deck, and upwind verve are real strengths; the early interior compromises around headroom and navstation are largely addressed in later or optional layouts.
Pros
- Vacuum-infused epoxy hull with X-Yachts steel grid for stiffness
- Sharp upwind performance with a clear, rewarding sweet spot
- Planing capability offwind despite cruising displacement
- Practical tank placement and good engine access
- Clean deck with flush hatches and revised three-lifeline pushpit
Cons
- Early doorways limited to 5ft 7in headroom before widening
- Three-cabin layout lacks a proper navstation
- Standard boat omits a cockpit table
