Design and Construction
X-Yachts has built its reputation on engineered structures, and the X5⁶ follows the marque's post-2018 shift to epoxy infusion, with hulls baked at 70°C for nearly 24 hours to optimize material properties and protect darker hull finishes from surface defects. The weight saved through infusion is redirected into stability rather than stripped from the structure, and the result is a yacht of near 20 tonne displacement with a standard ballast of 15,873 pounds carried low in a bulb keel. Maximum beam of 16 feet 1 inch is carried right aft, giving the hull massive form stability that, paired with the deep-draught low-slung ballast, produces the very high stability Yachting World's test sailors measured. Wide side decks, secure deep bulwarks, and a low-profile coachroof complete a deck structured for safe movement offshore.
Rig and Handling
The standard rig is a keel-stepped triple-spreader aluminium mast with oversized discontinuous rod rigging, and carbon spars remain an option for those chasing weight aloft. An 88 percent self-tacking jib on the main forestay is standard, while the boat can also be specced with longitudinal genoa tracks or a larger overlapping headsail and inner forestay with staysail for flexible shorthanded sailing. A large moulded bowsprit is standard, pushing both furlers forward to maximize the J measurement and improve upwind performance, with space for a Code-0 furler ahead of the forestay and asymmetric spinnakers flown from the sprit tip. Lines lead aft to cockpit-coaming winches well ahead of the helms, and three mainsheet options range from a German system to a recessed traveller or a central pedestal with electric winch. Under way, the slippery hull and powerful rig felt like a smaller, lighter boat: testers made 2.8 knots in 3.5 knots of true wind, 6.2 in 7 knots, and 7 to 7.5 knots upwind with full sail in 15 to 17 knots, jumping to 8 knots with a five-degree bear-off and 9 to 10 knots on a Code 0 reach.
Accommodations
Below, the X5⁶ is a showcase of luxury interior design centered on a full-width saloon with separate dining and lounging zones to port and starboard, lit by flush deck hatches, coachroof side windows, and large hull windows. Standard joinery is hand-selected Nordic oak with teak optional, and the owner's cabin is brightened by paired hull windows, overhead hatches, and forward-facing coachroof glass. Two aft cabins convert from twins to large doubles, served as standard by a single aft heads with separate shower, while a third heads can be specified at the cost of galley and stowage space. Galley buyers choose a conventional U-shape or a more open island layout with less counter and locker room. Practical touches include a forward-facing navstation, cockpit lockers, a central folding table with drinks fridge, and a tender garage with crane, with the forward sail locker convertible to a skipper's cabin.
Equipment and Systems
The 110-horsepower Yanmar diesel and 550-liter fuel capacity support a 18800 kg light-displacement yacht built for long passages, while a 537-liter standard water tank underpins autonomous cruising. Twin parallel hydraulic steering rams provide redundancy but, as testers noted, deliver a heavy helm with little direct feel. In-boom mainsail reefing is chosen by around 70 percent of Pure X owners from the X43 up, and the test boat demonstrated electric Andersen 72 winches and a Reckmann electric top-down Code 0 furler mounted at the sprit's inboard end. A small dishwasher and washer-dryer provision speak to the boat's luxury-bent cruising brief.
The Verdict
The X5⁶ distills X-Yachts' performance-cruiser ethos into a flagship that sails with surprising nimbleness for its size yet offers a finished interior and equipment list suited to serious liveaboard voyaging. Its infused, baked hull and stability-first engineering make it a confident offshore platform, though the hydraulic helm's weight is a tradeoff for redundancy.
Pros
- High stability from deep draught, low ballast, and beam-carried-aft form
- Light-air performance unusual for a near-20-tonne yacht
- Luxury interior with flexible galley and cabin configurations
- Tender garage and convertible sail locker add real voyage utility
Cons
- Heavy, low-feel hydraulic steering from redundant ram systems
- Open island galley sacrifices worktop and stowage
- Third heads option erodes galley and aft-cabin storage
