Enigma 34


The Wally Nano got me thinking about the emerging class of ultra sexy performance/head turning daysailers that are steadily coming from designers and builders across the pond. And as a guy who’s seen his fair share of cruising boats that all appear to come from the same time-tested formula (safe yet uninspiring lines, decent accommodations, etc.) or the much talked about “big daysailers” (that employ classic American aesthetics combined with modern underbodies, sail plans and construction materials and techniques), boats like the Wally Nano and the Enigma 34 pictured here are welcome revelations and could be signaling a sea change in conventional design aesthetics. Who says traditional designs are the only way to achieve drop dead gorgeous? Who says that “new” is stark or too aggressive or to, dare I say, Euro?

As you can see the Enigma is pencil thin while also having enough flatness aft to keep it skimming over rather than through the water. It’s got a stiff hull, powerful carbon rig, plenty of sail area, and a deep bulb that should scream around the cans or around the harbor. It’s possible to single hand (most sail controls lead to a central easy access pod) if you’re into turning heads and has the room you’ll need for a full crew on the race course.


It’s highly tweakable for those of us who are always trying to tease a bit more speed out of whatever we’re sailing and looks like it could be a fun racing class for those who have the dough and want a high performance boat that’s easy on the eyes and fun to sail. The teak decks and such may offend single minded racers that only care about speed and weight savings. But I say let them scoff. This is my kind of gentleman’s racer.

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