Omikron’s parent company, Olympic Marine, made its bones with the Carter 37. It was a cruiser-racer named after its American designer, Dick Carter, back in the 1970s. The company built thousands of sailboats before ducking out of manufacturing some time ago to focus on its marina and boatyard business in its native Greece.
Now it has ducked back in, with a new brand and some progressive ideas. If you think the Omikron OT-60 looks a little like a modern sailing yacht without a mast, that is not a coincidence. This is a company with sailing in its blood.
The OT-60’s clean, uncluttered exterior and interior design by Lorenzo Argento are complemented by calm, determinedly modern interior styling by Ciarmoli Queda. Both studios are based in Milan, and it shows. The emphasis is on maximizing daylight inside and making efficient use of space, while including practical features. The shipyard’s experience is evident in elements such as the number of drawers and lockers for stowage. Omikron does understand that cruising boats accumulate stuff, and then your guests bring more.
Two layouts are offered. The eight-berth Club layout has two double-berth staterooms in the bow, along with two more staterooms amidships: one double and one twin. In the six-berth Owner layout that I saw aboard Hull No. 1, the bow is given over entirely to a master stateroom, and there are three staterooms total, all en suite. Headroom is 6 feet, 6 inches in the two guest staterooms, and it’s more than 7 feet in the master, where the upper windows in the raised coachroof are an excellent touch. In the salon, headroom is a comfortable 6 feet, 9 inches. The galley and dinette are on the lower deck but open to the windshield overhead, with unlimited headroom and plenty of light.
Out on deck, deep bulwarks and high rails make moving around feel safe and secure. The stern is broad (the yacht’s beam is 19 feet, 11 inches) and sensibly organized with seating and tables. For guests who appreciate a great view, a ladder leads from the foredeck up to the sunpads atop the deckhouse. The aft platform can stow a tender on its side.
Standard power is two 150-hp Yanmars, with options that include 250-hp and 370-hp engines, both from Yanmar (Hull No. 1 had the 250-hp engines). The hull is by Juan K, a naval architecture firm in Valencia, Spain, that mostly does the kinds of sailboats you see covered in sponsors’ decals and winning the The Ocean Race around the world (three times so far).
The brief on the OT-60 was for the most efficient shape possible for a cruising motoryacht with a 20-ton-plus displacement. Draft is less than 3 feet to the tips of the props, and the hull has a fine entry with a sailboat-type stern that leaves the water in a smooth, slippery curve with minimal turbulence or drag. Displacement is stated at just over 40,000 lbs. Although subsequent boats have apparently hit that target, the first boat off the line is a little heavier.
In terms of construction, the hull is foam-sandwich fiberglass, and the superstructure is lightweight carbon fiber to help lower the center of gravity. Interior bulkheads and partitions are CNC-cut, as is the structural foam, a refinement that ensures just the right amount of resin is used, saving yet more weight.
The results are undeniable. On this waterline length, the OT-60’s theoretical hull speed is a shade under 10 knots, and at that speed on our runs off Cannes, France, in light winds and a calm sea, the boat sipped a mere 9 gallons of fuel per hour. Even with a modest tank capacity, that rate translates to a cruising range of about 320 nautical miles with a 10-percent reserve.
Omikron Chairman Nikolas Dendrinos says 8 knots is “the sweet spot for cruising.” On the OT-60 at that speed, fuel consumption was around 4 gph, and range was more than 550 nautical miles. Owners can spec bigger fuel tanks for longer range. Omikron says range improved on a subsequent hull that’s 2 tons lighter than Hull No. 1 (with standard power, the builder claims a 1,000-nm range at 8 knots.) At 12 knots, we saw a range of less than 200 nm. Maximum speed was 13.5 knots.
Hull No. 1 of the OT-60 had no stabilization or trim system, but on our admittedly calm day we didn’t miss them, and the hull’s broad beam provided plenty of stiffness. The combination of light weight and shallow draft is evident underway. The OT-60 feels right. It handles easily, with precision and predictability, and just a slight outward heel in hard turns at the upper end of the speed envelope. Thanks to widely spaced engines and a shallow draft, she spins around willingly in her own length using the throttles alone.
This boat is also quiet. The engines are on soft mounts and thrust bearings. V-drive transmissions allow them to be placed far aft. All of that means little noise or vibration makes it into the salon. We recorded 50 decibels at the helm at 8 knots, and 54 decibels at 10 knots. That is virtually silent. Combined with her slippery hull, the OT-60 looks to be a restful, low-stress environment underway, even on long trips.
It is easy to imagine making a long cruise around the Greek islands aboard an OT-60. The concept seems tailor-made for that type of journey, with broad deck spaces and a roomy interior, plenty of light inside, and shade all around the deckhouse from a generous roof overhang. The OT-60 is a remarkably accomplished re-entry into boat design, with the long experience of the people behind it shining through.
Omikron OT-60 Specifications:
LOA: 60ft. 5in.
Beam: 19ft. 11in.
Draft: 2ft. 10in.
Displacement: 44,092 lbs.
Fuel: 317 gal.
Water: 158 gal.
Standard power: 2x 150-hp Yanmar 4LV150
Power (as tested): 2x 250-hp Yanmar 4LV250
Optional power: 2x 370-hp Yanamr 8LV370
Info: omikronyachts.com
