Boats designed by Niels Jeppesen

Niels Jeppesen has 53 designs in this archive, drawn between 1975 and 2024, racing in classes Class 0, Class A, Class B, Class C, Sportboat, mostly displacement hulls. The highest scoring is the XR 41, at 91 of 100 against its own handicap.

What Niels Jeppesen's boats do well

Niels Jeppesen has 53 designs in this archive, drawn between 1975 and 2024, and nearly all of them carry the same name on the hull: X-Yachts. That is rare — most designers draw for whoever calls — and here drawing and building grew up together, with 2 other yards taking the rest.

The boats here have a recognisable way of going: they are quick when there is little wind. In light air nearly all of them make back more than their rating asks, and nearly all give some of it away once the breeze fills in and the day turns serious.

The XR 41 of 2024 is the most efficient design here, with a Race Edge of 91 — it is in the middle and the heavy that it makes the difference, turning the old pattern over.

The recent ones tell a different story. The designs drawn since 2010 are plainly quicker against their rating and, more to the point, they have stopped giving the middle band away, which used to be the family weakness.

It holds for the X-79 of 1979 as much as for the X4.0 of 2019: the size changes, the character does not.

53

Designs

27

With a Race Edge

1975

First design

2024

Latest design

Built by

X-Yachts 51Bianca Yachts 1

Every design by Niels Jeppesen we have measured

Race Edge is how much a design makes back of what its rating asks; designs without one are listed last. Sort the range whichever way suits.

XR 412024 · 12.75 m · Class B91Xp 332013 · 9.99 m · Class C87X4.32016 · 12.49 m · Class B84X4.02019 · 11.49 m · Class B80X-352005 · 10.60 m · Class C77Xp 382011 · 11.58 m · Class B77X-991985 · 9.96 m · Class C73X-342007 · 10.34 m · Class C70IMX 381992 · 11.36 m · Class C67X-412006 · 12.35 m · Class B67X-372004 · 11.35 m · Class C63Xp 442010 · 13.29 m · Class A60IMX 402000 · 12.10 m · Class B57X-3721987 · 11.05 m · Class C54IMX 452002 · 13.73 m · Class A53X-502004 · 15.22 m · Class A49X-3321994 · 10.06 m · Class C46X-432003 · 12.90 m · Class B45X-402004 · 12.22 m · Class B38X-462003 · 13.99 m · Class A36X-791979 · 7.93 m · Class C35X-4421993 · 13.48 m · Class B34X-3621993 · 10.72 m · Class C32X-3821992 · 11.47 m · Class C29X-4121990 · 12.49 m · Class B25X-4821996 · 14.50 m · Class A11X-3021994 · 9.12 m · Class C7Bonita 7671997 · 7.68 m · Class C—Ravage 361975 · 11.10 m · Class C—X 42016 · 12.48 m · Class B—X-11981 · 12.12 m · Class C—X-1021981 · 9.99 m · Class C—X-1191988 · 11.96 m · Class B—X-31987 · 10.03 m · Class C—X-3121986 · 9.25 m · Class C—X-3421989 · 10.23 m · Class C—X-4.32016 · 12.48 m · Class B—X-4021984 · 12.09 m · Class B—X-4521987 · 13.09 m · Class B—X-552007 · 16.83 m · Class A—X-5621999 · 16.97 m · Class A—X-6121995 · 18.27 m · Class 0—X-951982 · 9.24 m · Class C—X4.62019 · 13.49 m · Class A—X4.92019 · 14.49 m · Class A—X5.62021 · 16.31 m · Class 0—Xc 352014 · 10.24 m · Class C—Xc 382010 · 11.57 m · Class C—Xc 422010 · 12.63 m · Class B—Xc 452009 · 13.63 m · Class B—Xp 502013 · 15.00 m · Class A—Xtreme 252007 · 7.83 m · Minialtura—Xtreme 372004 · 11.37 m · Class B—