The first new Westerly to be seen in British waters is on display at the Southampton Boat Show, and she’s a major departure from Westerlys of old.

The Westerly GK35 has a black hull with a silver epoxy-infusion deck.

The hull is largely the same as the previous GK35, drawn by Ed Dubois in 1997, but the construction is very different.

The boats are being built in Slovenia. The hull is laid up using carbon fibre mat for stiffness and strength at low weight.

She also has key areas reinforced with a kevlar-type material.

This makes her 800kg lighter and enables her weight to be kept lower and a larger rig to be carried. The new boat is aimed at cruiser-racers but an ‘Ocean’ edition, aimed at cruisers will follow, along with a 40-45ft totally new Westerly.

She’s certainly turning heads at the boat show.
Look out for a test report in a forthcoming issue.