Esse Sportboats Announces New Pricing for the Esse 850

The dramatic decline in the euro/dollar exchange rate has allowed Esse Pacific Northwest to reduce the price of the Esse 850 to $57,810. Now you can buy a boat similar in speed to a J-109 at J-80 prices!

Now, the most desirable sportboat in the 28 foot range is more affordable and we are able to deliver the superb Swiss quality of the Esse 850 at a competitive price in the US and Canada. The Esse 850 has been called a "centerfold from the Robb Report" by one magazine editor and it is a beautifully classic design capable of unbelievable speeds while being comeptitively raced by a crew of 3.

The "Esse Experience" is a rush of speed with the taut feel of absolute control. The "Esse Experience" is founded on the four most important characteristics of a great racing machine: Stability, Power, Control and Quality.

Stability:

The Esse 850 is notable for its very high ballast to displacement ratio of 60%. The keel bulb weighs 1,600 pounds and the overall weight of the boat is 2,700 pounds. When you step onto an Ess 850 at the dock, the boat barely heels, a hint of the amazing stability of these boats. The Esse 850 has a Limit Of Positive Stability of 124 degrees, a truly amazing number for a 28 foot keel boat. Under sail the Esse 850 is very stiff and doesn't require hard-core hiking on the rails to keep it level and moving upwind. Downwind, the combination of the high ballast to displacement ratio, the narrow beam and the shape of the after end of the hull means that the boat never gets the rolling crazies - the Esse 850 tracks straight and true under all conditions. Wipe-outs and broaches are not part of the Esse 850's repertoire. You can comfortably walk around in the cockpit of an Esse 850 while it is planing - an Esse 850 is never squirrely, under any conditions.

Power:

The sail plan is a fractional rig with the jib riding on a below-deck roller furling headfoil and a square-headed main The standing rigging is stainless steel rod and forms a very stiff sail plan. With such a stiff rig and swept back spreaders the Esse 850 is easy to trim for maximum performance. Working sail area for the Esse 850 is 477 square feet and the 832 square foot gennaker is launched and recovered from the cockpit with no foredeck crew. The gennaker will drive the Esse 850 at 17 knots of boatspeed in 25 knots of true wind. The sailplan is powerful enough for the Esse 850 to plane in 10 knots of true wind while maintaining complete control.

The hull shape is a brilliant synthesis of style and function. The bow is sharp and plumb and pierces on-coming waves without slowing down. In heavy air and seas the ride is comfortable and the boat never pounds in waves. As the hull transitions aft, the cross sectional shape is smoothly rounded, giving the boat a very soft ride. In coditions that cause other boats to pound from crest to trough the Esse 850 smoothly and gracefully transitions to the next wave. With gently curving chines the hull does not throw large amounts of spray aside when planing and the boat planes effortlessly even in moderate wind conditions. As an Esse 850 begins to plane there is only a slight bow-high attitude and the boat remains almost level at any speed downwind.

The overall performance of the hull is characterized by exceptionally low hydrodynamic drag. When winds are light, an Esse 850 will move when other boats are struggling.

Control:

The Esse 850 has the most delightful helm. The rudder shaft is mounted in a sealed ball bearing assembly and the carbon fiber tiller turns the rudder effortlessly. The balance of the Esse 850 is remarkable - transitions from displacement to planing takes place with the only indication being an increased speed on the knotmeter display. In light air the helm is light and balanced. Upwind in a breeze the boats have an almost unnoticeable amount of weather helm. The way the boats respond to gusts is unique - there is no increase in weather helm and the boats heel slightly and accelerate sharply.

Downwind the helm is neutral and balanced and there is no increase in helm forces as the speed builds. You cannot tell the difference in feel between 8 knots and 18 knots of boat speed. More importantly, the rate of response to the helm inputs doesn't change with speed - a small movement of the helm has the same effect at 18 knots as it does at 8 knots. The Esse 850 simply doesn't have any white-knuckle moments and the boat can be sailed easily in planing conditions, even by novice helmsmen. All the controls fall readily to hand and the Esse 850 can even be raced competitively by two people.

Quality:

The Esse 850 is built with legendary Swiss attention to detail. Every Esse 850 has the imprimatur of Josef Schuchter, recognized as one of the leading builders of exceptional yachts.

The hull is constructed in an epoxy/e-glass rigid foam closed cell laminate with exceptional strength and stiffness and there is never an issue with blisters or voids. The outer cosmetic surfaces are vinyl ester resin which will maintain its high gloss finish for years without attention. All standing rigging is stainless rod and deck hardware is top-of-the-line Harken. Rig tuning for different wind conditions is never required and like an IAC boat the Esse 850 is ready to go at every wind speed.

How the world views the Esse 850:

The Esse 850 was selected as the European Sport Boat of the Year in 2005. It was also selected as the Sailing World Overall Boat Of The Year in 2007. In published reviews the Esse 850 has been universally praised for its looks, its performance and its quality.

The Esse 850 is simply the best boat available in its size range, regardless of price. The Esse 850 is the perfect boat for the discriminating racer who wants the absolute best combination of high speed performance, comfort, advanced technical features, balance and style.