"We were looking for a pseudonym for strength, someone who can kick arse, who is superior. A shogun, that's what it stands for." This is the answer given by shipyard owner Mats Bergryd when asked about the martial choice of type designation. However, the first time we see the Swedish racer, a completely different association comes to mind: We are looking at a stern-winged vehicle, the maritime answer to a Cadillac from the exciting design language of the 1950s. The open fuselage end protrudes outwards and upwards on both sides, the aft co*ckpit edge describes a sweeping curve, the flat mirror under the open co*ckpit is broken by a bead.
L'art pour l'art? Co-designer Oscar Södergren says no: "The beading also stiffens the hull." The functional stylistic element merges into curved chines that extend to the bow, which in turn rises vertically out of the water and then recedes aft to the deck, with a fixed bowsprit above. A dynamic window line in the elongated superstructure and trapezoidal hull windows complete the sweeping, dynamic appearance of the yacht from Sweden.
The Shogun 43 is said to be a cruising boat with outstanding performance
The rather sharp, narrow foredeck and the relatively narrow width are also striking. The 13.10 metre long hull measures just 3.70 metres, which is a length to width ratio of 1:3.5. Modern performance cruisers usually achieve values of 2.9 to 3.3. Performance cruisers? Racer? Something completely different? Designer Södergren explains: "Our aim was to create a cruising boat with outstanding performance that is easy to sail, even with a small crew. The Shogun should appeal to people who appreciate exceptional sailing characteristics but don't want a pure racer. The goal is a big challenge, especially because the boat has to be very light, but still needs a complete interior."
The Shogun is designed to appeal to people who appreciate exceptional sailing characteristics but don't want a pure racer"
Fast and cosy is what the term performance cruiser usually stands for, but the shipyard is taking this to the extreme with the Shogun 43. This was already the case with the Shogun 50that Mats Bergryd had built for himself. He owned a ClubSwan 50, but its large draught bothered him when sailing in the archipelago. And so the Swede had a 50-foot yacht built that had all the positive features of a ClubSwan 50, but also had a variable draught, and founded Shogun Yachts for it. The Shogun 50 has certainly been a success and can do what it is supposed to do - but has so far remained an only child. The new Shogun 43 is set to go into series production, which appears to be a success; build number 3 is now out of the resin tank.
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A consortium builds the Shogun 43 in series
The same applies to the 43: a consortium of Swedish specialist companies has joined forces to build this exceptionally fast yet cosy boat. The Rosättra shipyard, which usually builds the high-performance but conventional Linjett models (see also Linjett 39, Europe's Yacht of the Year). The hull and deck are supplied by Vaxholm Composites, Sweden's highest-profile manufacturer of composite components.
The deck and hull are made entirely from a carbon sandwich with a Divinycell foam core and are manufactured using a vacuum infusion process. So far, so normal. What is special is that the hull and deck are infused together in a separable mould as a single component. The superstructure and co*ckpit are also produced in one piece.
The interior also contributes to the weight saving. Load-bearing parts such as bulkheads are made of carbon sandwich, which are fully bonded to the hull and deck using epoxy glue. Some furniture is made of laminate with the sustainable and natural glass fibre substitute flax. A measure that saves some costs and also contributes to better acoustics compared to carbon fibre. According to the shipyard, the entire interior weighs just 105 kilograms.
A blatantly high sail carrying capacity for the Shogun 43
The Shogun 43 has a displacement of just 6.10 tonnes, of which 2.66 tonnes are in the T-shaped keel bomb (which is cast from lead and suspended from a carbon fin), which means a high ballast ratio of 42 percent. Stability is also ensured by the large draught of 2.40 metres, with 2.70 metres optionally available.
These are measures that compensate for the narrow width and thus the less pronounced dimensional stability of the hull. On top of this, the waterline width is significantly narrower, measuring just 2.90 metres. This helps the light wind characteristics and improves the ship's performance over a wider range, one of the requirements for the Shogun. This is also reflected in the extremely high sail load factor, which puts weight and sail area in relation to each other. The (dimensionless) value here is 5.9, which qualifies the Shogun 43 as a racer in this discipline.
A carbon hull, plenty of cloth, lots of stability - it must be boiling. For the test after the world première of the boat at the Hamburg Ancora Yacht Festival in Neustadt, the conditions are powerful; the wind is constantly blowing over 20 knots, with gusts of more than 30. The shipyard crew, understandably quite cautious in the presence of the owner, decides in favour of two reefs and the smaller self-tacking jib. The fathead mainsail is used, which is sailed with double flying backstays. The sail plan provides for a pinhead mainsail as an alternative, and a genoa can be hoisted on deck and with inhaulers or directly on the cabin roof.
Impressive speed, high stability
And off she goes. The racer effortlessly reaches nine knots just behind the harbour, even without an additional sheet, then the water drain breaks off and the yacht starts to glide, easily reaching speeds of over ten knots. The shipyard crew reports at least 20 knots during the passage, you would believe it. Or you have to, because a test with more cloth at the front is not possible due to a faulty halyard lock: the smaller Code Zero falls into the water before it rolls out. The damage cannot be repaired with on-board equipment.
As convincing as the speed potential is, the stability is also convincing; even excessive heeling does not upset the boat, not even in the strong, sudden gusts that the Neustädter Bucht increasingly throws up on the cross. The twin rudders, also made entirely of carbon fibre, certainly contribute to this.
The Shogun cruises at a formidable eight knots plus with a turning angle of less than 90 degrees and is extremely easy to steer. Two things help here: the fold-out footrests ensure that the helmsman can stand safely with little fatigue, and he can operate the electrically powered traveller quickly and easily at the touch of a button - great fun.
Overstable fittings on the deck of the Shogun 43
The deck layout has other special features. The fittings are of a very high quality, coming mainly from the Italian manufacturer Antal, which is less well-known in this country but has a very broad and qualified range. However, the dimensions appear to be on the overly safe and therefore unnecessarily heavy side. Four winches on the coachroof, two of which are electrically operated, also point in this direction. According to the shipyard, the prototypes from Seldén are still too weak, and they cannot be operated alternatively or by crank in the event of a low battery.
Two Karver winches are available for the mainsheet, which is guided endlessly to both sides by the traveller carriage, and two more for the two flying aft stays. These are equipped with so-called deflectors, lines that attach to the stays below the upper attachment point, are guided into the mast and can be tensioned there hydraulically. This allows the carbon rig with three pairs of aft-swept spreaders from Swedish manufacturer Marström Composites to be trimmed even more effectively and the pull to be better directed onto the forestay.
The mast is positioned relatively far aft to allow for larger headsails and, in particular, to make the self-tacking jib as potent as possible.
Overall, the boat is very easy to handle and the ergonomics are right for both helmsman and crew. The mainsheet can be easily reached from the wheel, an important function if a small crew needs to change course or re-trim. If the helmsman wants to operate the mainsail more often, he can simply slide forwards past the wheel and steer from there. However, by guiding the headsail sheets on cabin top winches, the ship is not suitable for single-handed sailing - which it neither has to be nor should be.
In any case, the Shogun 43 fulfils the demand for a first-class, high-performance sailing machine for connoisseurs and lovers of the extraordinary.
Inviting and modern below deck, but cramped
When visitors enter the interior via the generously designed companionway, they imagine themselves to be in another world. The bright, neatly crafted interior is modern, but at the same time very inviting. The mast in the saloon table at the aft end is striking.
The large hull windows and the many skylights are impressive. The narrow hull comes into its own, but the space has been visually extended by the open foredeck, making it appear somewhat more spacious than it actually is. In keeping with the high-tech attitude of the Shogun 43, the furniture is neither round nor angular at the edges, but has diagonal transitions.
There are two identical aft compartments, which emphasise the disadvantage of the narrower boat. The berths are only 1.23 metres wide at shoulder width. What's more, the cabins have no ventilation options, a shortcoming that could easily be remedied by installing co*ckpit windows.
The forward berth is spacious enough with a width of 1.70 metres, and the saloon berths can also provide comfortable sleeping accommodation. The headroom is also adequate throughout the boat. Storage space, on the other hand, is a little tight. While the co*ckpit still offers plenty of space in the floor, even for additional sails, there is not much space below deck to store touring equipment and personal items. However, weight can also be saved here, albeit inevitably. The head compartment is quite large, offers a ceiling height of 1.83 metres, has a shower facility and plenty of storage space.
The Shogun 43 is a real one-off
The navigation corner with a small table utilises a sofa for sitting, while navigation is carried out on the saloon table or with the two plotters installed on the steering columns. The galley, on the other hand, offers complete comfort with a semi-cardanic oven cooker, refrigerator, two sinks and enough space for crockery, utensils and food. The installations deserve high praise: The electronics are easily accessible behind the sofa backrests, the hydraulics in the saloon table.
A carbon boat with extension, a rare combination in the size below 50 feet. Arcona Yachts offers an Arcona 465 in carbon fibre, but that's about it in the production market for cruising yachts. Mylius and Neo from Italy produce smaller carbon fibre yachts, but these are more racers than cruisers. Carbon cruisers are usually reserved for the maxi yacht scene and come from shipyards such as Baltic, YYachts, Southern Wind and Wally. In this respect, the Shogun 43 is quite unique.
Measured values Shogun 43
Sailing performance (without drift/current)
Wind speed: 20 to 30 kn (5-7 Bft), wave height: approx. 0.8 m
* according to VPP for Pinhead
Potential STZ* = 5.9
The sail carrying capacity calculated with fathead mainsail and genoa indicates that the boat is a thoroughbred racer
*Dimensionless number. Calculation: 2√S/3√V. The higher the value, the more sail area (S) the ship has in relation to the displacement (V)
YACHT review Shogun 43
Exquisite daysailer, hot cruiser, full-blooded racer, large sports boat: the Shogun 43 combines many characters. However, it still has to prove itself on the track
Design and concept
- + Elaborate upscale construction
- + Exciting lines
- + Independent concept
Sailing performance and trim
- + Easily retrievable high speed
- + Great stability
- + Ergonomics in the co*ckpit
- - Not suitable for one-handed use
Living and finishing quality
- + Bright, light interior
- + Clean finish
- - Foreship not separated (Std.)
Equipment and technology
- + High quality components
- + Installations easily accessible
- - Fittings difficult to select
Technical data Shogun 43
- CE design category: A
- Torso length: 13,10 m
- Total length: 13,77/14,40 m
- Waterline length: 12,30 m
- Width: 3,70 m
- Draught/alternative: 2,40/2,70 m
- Mast height above waterline: 21,0 m
- Theoretical torso speed: 8.5 kn
- Weight: 6,1 t
- Ballast/proportion: 2,7 t/42 %
- Mainsail: 65,0 m2
- Genoa: 54,0 m2
- Gennaker: 180,0 m2
- machine (Volvo Penta): 21 kW/28 hp
- Fuel tank: 140 l
- Fresh water tanks (2): 130 litres each
Hull and deck construction
The boat is manufactured entirely from sandwich with carbon prepregs and Divinycell foam core using the vacuum infusion process. The hull and deck are manufactured as one component in a mould that can be opened, while the superstructure and co*ckpit are manufactured as a separate component.
Fixtures
Flax or carbon sandwich with wood veneer is used for furniture and bulkheads
Keel and rudder
The two rudder blades and the keel fin are made of carbon fibre
Sail
As is usual for performance cruisers, the price is quoted without sails, the owner chooses them according to his own taste. The standard set for main and jib made of Dacron from North costs 17,493 euros
Rig versions
You can choose between a heavily flared fathead mainsail and double flying backstays. The alternative is a pinhead main with a fixed stay
Equipment and prices
- Base price ex shipyard: 1.142.400 €
- Price ready to sail*: 1.143.352 €
- Comfort price*: 1.166.925 €
- Guarantee/against osmosis: 5/10 years
Prices as of 6/2023
* How the prices shown are defined can be found here!
Shipyard and distribution
Shogun Yachts, Stockholm/Sweden; www.shogunyachts.com
More on the topic:
- Test X 4.3: Travelling in comfort and sailing fast - both are possible
- Shogun 50: A cruising yacht that puts everything in the shade
- Elan GT 6: The touring boat that doesn't fit in any drawer
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