The penultimate week of August 2024, we are out on the waters off Helsinki with some of the Best of Boats Award jurors. In mildly choppy seas, we try to put the Saxdor 400 in the best light with the camera at the end of our test day. Our chase boat and mobile base is the new Yamarin Cross 55 BR, with BOB colleague Jan Sjölund at the helm. He steers the boat with a smile, which strikes us with its remarkable directional stability and plenty of power. What kind of boat is this that the Finnish Yamarin shipyard presented to the public a few days ago?
According to Cross sales manager Johan Finnberg, the Yamarin Cross 55 BR leads a new generation of its own bowrider range. With a length of 5.54 meters and an aluminium hull, the Cross 55 BR is part of the Cross series that has been in existence since 2011.
This model series currently comprises ten different boats. It ranges from the Cross 49 BR to larger models such as the Cross 60 Cabin and the Cross 75 BR, which was the last new model to be launched in 2020. The original Yamarin Cross 75 BR has already won the final of the Best of Boats Award in the Best for Fun category.
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The functional design of the Cross 55 BR includes some really practical elements that facilitate both access to and use of the boat. Wide platforms at the stern allow safe access both from the jetty and from the water. The steering console is not only optimized in terms of ease of use. The console is positioned so that the steering wheel does not cover the screen and the driver still has a good forward view.
Designed for being universal
The Cross 55 BR should prove to be a “suitable companion” for a wide variety of purposes. We got to know one of them last week in Helsinki: as a fast fun boat that always looks safe, even in rough conditions. As a commuter boat – which is daily doing in the Nordic countries – it is ideal for short distances due to its size and stability.
Jan Sjölund uses the Cross 55 BR for his daily commute from his home to the editorial office – both located in the Finnish capital. But the boat is also solid enough for trips between the islands of the Archipelago or along the coast.
Aluminum as main material ensures a long service life and low maintenance costs. This makes the boat – the Finns are known to be the statistically most satisfied people – a practical and permanently enjoyable choice for regular use.
The boat also offers a suitable setup for fishing trips. The removable backrest on the rear seat creates an open area. This provides space for equipment and facilitates access to the water. Standing on the wide bathing platforms at the stern, boating anglers can comfortably cast their fishing rods and move around freely. The integrated storage compartments offer sufficient space for fishing gear, equipment and provisions.
Easily configurable
On the way to the summer cottage – in the Nordic archipelago or on lakes in Brandenburg – the Cross 55 BR is a reliable boat for reaching remote bays. When the time comes, the hull simply slides ashore with the engine folded up.
Incidentally, this is something that our Finnish colleague avoids at all costs. If anything is stolen from a boat in peaceful Finland, it’s not the outboard motor, but the propeller. So Jan always leaves the drive in the water at night.
