viko 24 yacht

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Viko S35 review: the best cruiser on a budget?

• David Harding
• December 1, 2022

Designed in Italy and built in Poland, the Viko S35 looks to offer style and space together with remarkable value for money. David Harding sees if the reality matches the promise

Product Overview

• Inexpensive for her size
• Deep sheltered cockpit
• Performance potential
• Basic hardware
• Needs refining below decks
• Limited non-slip on deck

Price as reviewed:

First seeing the Viko S35 at the Düsseldorf boat show in 2019, not long after her launch, she struck me as a boat worth watching. She looked as though she might sail quite nicely and also had a price tag (just €60,000 plus VAT) that would have looked more at home on a 32-footer.

Only a few years earlier I had tested the Viko 21 and I’d come away with mixed feelings, so I was interested to see the new arrival. She too was designed in Italy by Sergio Lupoli, whose racing yachts and performance cruisers (including the Comet range) go back to IOR designs from the late 1970s.

I sailed his Comet 33 in 2007, rather liked it and was disappointed that the Comets never gained a foothold in the UK, though Viko subsequently used the hull of the Comet 31 to produce the Viko 30. This move by Viko – taking on an existing design to build under their own name – reflected a broader push by Polish builders to sell boats themselves rather than just act as contractors for yards in western Europe.

Many well-known builders have had their boats produced (or at least moulded) in Poland for decades. Some I only learned about by chance when, poking around in the back of laminating shops in the middle of nowhere in the depths of Polish winter – as you do – I found the names of some highly reputable boats attached to various moulds.

The new-generation ‘own-brand’ Polish boats have typically been very inexpensive for their size. I have, however, often found shortcomings in the equipment and fit-out. Designs that have been fundamentally sound and seemingly well built have been let down by lack of detailed thought, as though the designer has done the basics and then handed the project over to a yard run by people with limited experience of how a boat works.

For this reason, among many others, I was interested to see how the Viko had turned out when, nearly three years after meeting her in Düsseldorf, I went to sail the first boat to arrive in the UK.

The cockpit is deep and a sensible width, allowing the side decks to run all the way to the stern. Photo: David Harding

What struck me immediately was the height of the topsides. She’s quite sharp-lined, but I hadn’t remembered quite how far the gunwales were above the waterline. Otherwise there’s little out of the ordinary in the context of a modern cruiser with some sporty pretensions: a double-spreader, high-fractional rig (our test boat’s was 1.5m/5ft taller than the standard), pronounced chines running most of the length of the hull, a vertical stem, an optional hinge-down bathing platform, rectangular ports in the topsides and an L-bulb fin keel giving a draught of 1.95m (6ft 4in).

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The stern is fashionably wide, allowing plenty of space for twin wheels, and another option is a moulded bowsprit to keep the anchor away from the stem and project the tack of an asymmetric spinnaker. It’s all pretty standard in many ways, though even this taller rig didn’t look particularly tall. It made me wonder about the amount of weight in the keel, a modest rig often indicating a relatively high centre of gravity because of shallow draft and/or a low ballast ratio.

In this case, around 33% of the boat’s weight is in the keel and the draught is enough to place it reasonably low, so sail-carrying power shouldn’t be an issue.

A comfortable helming position from the coamings. If you want to sit inboard, you even have a backrest. Photo: David Harding

Onboard the Viko S35

Hopping aboard the Viko S35, you find two elements worthy of note straight away. One is the deep cockpit with high coamings, which make it feel much less exposed than on many modern cruisers, with their wide, shallow, dance-floor cockpits. For a boat sold as a family cruiser, that’s a good start.

Moulded bulwarks running the length of the boat lend security outboard. These bulwarks seem to be making a comeback and are now widely seen in place of the once-almost-ubiquitous aluminium toerail bolted through the hull-to-deck joint.

Less convincing to me was the coverage of the non-slip finish on the coachroof. Sizeable areas were left smooth. At this stage I normally like to go sailing to see how a boat behaves. If she sails and handles nicely, it’s worth looking at everything else in more detail. Otherwise you have a non-starter and nothing else matters quite so much.

We motored out into Southampton Water, pushed along by the 30hp Yanmar – an upgrade from the standard 15hp. Getting the mainsail up proved to be our first challenge because of a mast gate that wouldn’t stay in place. The gate should be easy to improve, and would need to be improved because the only way to get the reefing cringles on to the tack horns would be to remove some slides from the mast as you lower the halyard.

I would suggest that reef spectacles would be a worthwhile addition. Alternatively fit reefing pennants, invest in some extra hardware and lead them aft.

The sails on our test Viko S35 were the ‘high performance’ versions (still in Dacron), supplied as part of an optional package with the taller rig for a very reasonable £1,750.

Once under sail, we slipped along nicely enough in about eight knots of breeze and flat water, typically making just over four knots on the wind and tacking through 80-85°.

Our speed would undoubtedly have been greater had we not been dragging some weed around with us. A quick scrub from the pontoon before we set off had failed to remove much of what we could see at the bow, and we don’t know how much more was lurking out of sight. A folding prop would make a difference too.

On a cruising boat it’s interesting to see a full-width mainsheet traveller, set into the cockpit sole immediately forward of the wheel pedestals. It’s a feature of which I very much approve, unexpected though it was given that most of the hardware and systems are pretty basic. I also liked the simplicity and directness of the mainsheet purchase directly from traveller to boom.

High topsides are made higher by the generous moulded bulwarks on which the stanchions are mounted. Photo: David Harding

The problem is that it’s just 4:1 which, predictably, made it impossible to apply anywhere near enough tension when the breeze kicked in.

Our test boat had non-standard grab handles and pods for nav instruments on the helm pedestals. They would be at risk of being snagged by the mainsheet during manoeuvres, so owners might prefer to mount their instruments elsewhere.

At the helms of the Viko S35 you have a comfortable perch on the coamings, as you do further forward in the cockpit. They’re nicely angled and you can lean back against the guardwires.

The stanchions slot into broad bases, which spread the load nicely and should make stanchion replacement relatively straightforward. My only concern was that a fair bit of rust had formed already.

A full-width mainsheet traveller is set into the cockpit sole. It’s a good arrangement but both the traveller and the sheet need more purchase. Photo: David Harding

Staying on track

Slack in the steering cables between the wheels didn’t enhance the helming experience to start with. Thankfully it was a simple job to tension the bottlescrew in the linkage, reached via a hatch in the cockpit sole.

The rudder bearings were stiff, however, making it hard to feel the increase in weather helm when the wind eventually picked up to around 14 knots. And although our test boat had the bigger rig, I was surprised by how quickly we needed to start de-powering the Viko S35 to keep her on track: she would round up even at a modest angle of heel.

If you can feel the rudder through the helm, it’s much easier to know when you’re pushing the limits. If that feel is disguised by stiff bearings – and perhaps reduced further by a lightly balanced rudder blade, as I suspect might have been the case here – you’re more likely to find that you have applied more lock than you realised.  Then the rudder stalls and the boat rounds up.

As a matter of course you don’t want to sail with more than a few degrees of rudder angle. Any more means something is amiss. Easing the traveller was a quick fix. I would have liked to be able to de-power by other means first, such as removing some of the excessive forestay sag. That wasn’t possible because the rigging was under-tensioned and the leeward D1 (lower shroud) was waving around in the breeze.

Combined with the (optional) 4:1 purchase on the backstay, it meant that tensioning the forestay wasn’t an option.

Of course on a racing boat you expect to change gear all the time with variations in wind speed. On a cruiser, both the need and the crew’s interest or inclination are generally less.

I would like to sail a Viko 35 with a clean bottom, a folding prop and tensioned rigging for starters, not to mention easier rudder bearings and some upgrades to the hardware and sail-control systems.

Lupoli seems to be a designer who gets his sums right, so I suspect the boat would feel and behave in a very different manner with a little tweaking, even if the standard rudder doesn’t look particularly big. You would undoubtedly have to start de-powering earlier still if you had the 1.6m/5ft 3in shallow fin and the shallower rudder that goes with it.

The stanchion bases are mounted atop the high bulwarks. Some were showing early signs of rusting. Photo: David Harding

Viko S35 on deck

Moving to the other end of the boat, we find an anchor well in the bow. If you have the optional bowsprit, the anchor is likely to live on its projected roller and, with the windlass (included in the dealer’s UK Cruiser Pack) feeding the rode straight down through the deck, the locker itself is likely to be used principally for warps and fenders.

Moving aft again is easy given the width of the decks and the outboard rigging. The headsail tracks, mounted just outboard of the coachroof, give a reasonably narrow sheeting angle. I would want to try reefing the headsail in a good breeze to make sure that the tracks extend sufficiently far forward to maintain leech tension: with a low-clewed sail like this, the position of the cars is more critical than it is with a higher clew.

The drop-leaf table is simple but provides useful handholds and a bracing point. Photo: David Harding

I would also want to ensure that extra deck hardware could be fitted for handling reefing pennants, spinnaker gear, the kicking strap (another 4:1 purchase) and anything else one might want led aft.

Clutches are mounted on raised plinths forward of the winches, but the solid moulded headlining throughout (with just one removable panel around the compression post) provides no access to the deckhead.

Back in the cockpit of the Viko S35, stowage is limited if you have the twin double aft cabins as on our test boat. You have a deep locker each side under the helm seats and a shallower bin just forward of the transom that could be used for liferaft stowage. As on most boats these days, there’s no readily-accessible stowage for small items.

The interior is simple and mostly neatly finished in light oak, with no mouldings except the heads and the rather shiny headliner. Photo: David Harding

Below decks

Internally the Viko is simply finished in European light oak. The saloon feels nicely woody from the gunwales down. Overhead, the shiny moulded headlining inevitably looks rather plasticky.

Despite the high-volume hull, this is not an enormous boat down below by modern standards. That’s partly because the rudder is mounted well forward and the space abaft the helm pedestals is occupied by the steering linkage, so the aft cabins don’t extend as far aft as is often the case. Even though their berths are only 6ft 1in(1.85m) long, this inevitably pushes the whole layout forward.

The boat has a fairly basic forecabin, with the berth set noticeably low down in the hull. Photo: David Harding

If you have twin double aft cabins, the heads is opposite the galley, leading to a less open feel down below.

The extra cabin is a lot to fit into a boat of this size. If you have just the one double cabin in the stern, to port, it’s a good deal larger, extending across the centreline, and you can sleep athwartships. Then you have a cockpit locker to starboard and the heads moves aft, creating space for a small chart table.

Whichever Viko S35 layout you choose, the saloon berths are straight, parallel and 1.88m (6ft 2in) long.

Apart from the headlining and in the heads, Viko have used no interior mouldings, maximising stowage space and allowing access to the outer hull. Reassuringly, bulkheads appear to be bonded directly to the hull and deck.

The aft cabins are fairly compact if you have two of them; more spacious if there’s just the one. Photo: David Harding

Because the saloon is well forward, the forecabin isn’t vast. Here you will find a low V-berth and some locker space for storage. Features that might bug me include the absence of catches to hold doors open (or even positive closure for the double doors to the forecabin), the smooth, flat companionway steps (potentially tricky when wet), nothing to hold the steps up when you need to get at the engine, lack of a crash bar in the galley and a total absence of engine insulation.

It made me wonder about fire-proofing although, strangely enough, noise levels throughout the vessel didn’t seem excessive.

The Viko is an interesting mix of the basic cruisey and the slightly sporty. She has the appearance of a modern performance cruiser, statistics that tell you she should be a reasonably quick boat, and some features in keeping with this, such as the full-width traveller. On the other hand, most of the sail-control systems are pretty basic and, in some cases, barely adequate even for cruising purposes. She also seemed to prefer lighter conditions, and was less sure how to behave when the wind picked up. A performance boat needs to be tuned and equipped like a performance boat in order to handle like one. Otherwise you’re trying to drive a sports car on four get-you-home spare wheels. I believe the Viko 35 has potential. She just needs the opportunity to show what she can do.

VIKO Yachts USA

North American Importer and Dealer of VIKO Yachts

With 30 years of experience in nautical manufacturing, VIKO Yachts are designed and built in Europe. Traditional workmanship meets modern solutions to produce cutting edge yachts at an affordable price point. 

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• Boats for Sale
• Viko Yachts

New and used Viko Yachts for sale

• United Kingdom
• Viko Yachts 21
• Viko Yachts 26
• Viko Yachts 30
• Viko Yachts S21
• Viko Yachts S22
• Viko Yachts S26
• Viko Yachts S30
• Viko Yachts S35
• Viko Yachts Stratos 43

Search for a Viko Yachts on TheYachtMarket today. We have Viko Yachts brokers and sellers from around the world at great prices.

History of Viko Yachts

Established in the scenic city of Poznań in Poland, Viko Yachts has positioned itself as one the pioneering boat manufacturers globally. The company was founded in the year 1986 by an enthusiastic sailor and engineer with a vision to craft unrivalled pleasure boats that blend unique design, fine craftsmanship, and technological excellence. Over the years, the company has grown exponentially, constantly pushing the boundaries in boat development and production. Today, Viko Yachts is reputed for its wide array of sailing yachts, distinguished for their sturdy construction, generous interior volume, and superior sailing performance.

At the heart of Viko Yachts is an innovative spirit and an unwavering commitment to quality. It employs modern building techniques, utilising high-quality materials to ensure resilience, optimum weight, and uncompromised stability. The company's unique combination of hand-laid solid laminate and sandwich constructed hulls and decks, with durable and lightweight furniture elements, has garnered wide acclaim in the industry.

Remaining true to its origins, Viko Yachts' headquarters and production facilities are still based in Poznań, Poland. It is from this hub that all manufacturing process, including prototyping, moulding, assembly and finishing, take place. The company continues to chart new territories, displaying an incredible resolve to elevate the standards of yacht building. Whether it's a day cruiser or a high-performance sailing yacht, Viko Yachts is synonymous with memorable sailing experiences.

Which models do Viko Yachts produce?

Viko Yachts produce a range of boats including the Viko Yachts S30 , Viko Yachts 30 , Viko Yachts S21 , Viko Yachts S22 and Viko Yachts S26 . For the full list of Viko Yachts models currently listed on TheYachtMarket.com, see the model list in the search options on this page.

What types of boats do Viko Yachts build?

Viko Yachts manufactures a range of different types of boats. The ones listed on TheYachtMarket include Sloop , Cruiser , Coastal cruiser , Racing boat and Aft cockpit .

How much does a boat from Viko Yachts cost?

Used boats from Viko Yachts on TheYachtMarket.com range in price from £19,600 GBP to £143,000 GBP with an average price of £60,500 GBP . A wide range of factors can affect the price of used boats from Viko Yachts, for example the model, age and condition.

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Practical Boat Owner

• Digital edition

Viko 21: A trailer sailer that sets the standard

• David Harding
• September 1, 2023

Costing from £23,000, the Viko 21 seems remarkably good value – but what does she offer apart from economy? David Harding investigates

The Viko 21 has four berths. Credit: David Harding Credit: David Harding

Product Overview

• Minimum windage under sail
• Towering topsides
• Standard swing keel is not performance friendly
• Rigging needs constant tuning
• Too much play in the rudder

Price as reviewed:

For a 21ft (6.4m) trailable cruiser, the Viko 21 has attracted a good deal of attention since she landed in the UK.

This was clearly a boat that I had to sail: people wanted to know what she was all about.

The reason for the unusually high level of interest was simple. Here was a four-berth weekender with an almost unbelievable price tag.

How could anyone build such a boat for the money?

She’s vast down below too, yet her sharp lines, vertical stem and notably fine entry hint of a sporty pedigree.

That’s no surprise when you learn that she comes from the drawing board of Sergio Lupoli, the man responsible for, among others, the Comet 26 and 31 built in Italy by Comar Yachts.

I saw the Comet 26 at the Düsseldorf Boat Show, at a time when a well-established yacht dealership in the UK was looking to add her to their range.

If you prefer to sit outboard you could ditch the removable backrests, fit a tiller extension and helm from the coamings. The netting isn’t standard. Credit: David Harding

Sadly this never happened, but what has happened is that Viko used the hull of the Comet 31 to produce the Viko 30.

This cooperation has now resulted in the new Viko 26.

But let’s return to the Viko 21. Achieving space, pace and grace within such a short length will always be a challenge and, to be fair, the Viko does have rather towering topsides.

She looks like the bow section of a 42-footer that’s been chopped in half.

Then again, her long waterline and light weight, which give her a displacement/length ratio of under 100 and a sail area/displacement ratio of 24.2, point to some performance potential.

She sends out an interesting variety of messages.

One consequence of this high freeboard and wide stern is enormous interior volume.

The accommodation runs the entire length of the boat, because the height and the broad transom allow a double berth to be fitted athwartships beneath the cockpit sole .

It’s neatly made in stainless, but the rudder assembly allows too much play. Credit: David Harding

So if you want a 21-footer that’s extraordinarily inexpensive, light enough to be easily trailed (she weighs around 950kg, or just over 2,000lb in proper money) and roomier than many 25-footers, this is a boat you can hardly ignore.

If you think £23,000 is more than you’ve seen her advertised for, that’s because it’s for the UK specification.

The Viko has been promoted elsewhere with a spec that’s pared down to – or arguably below – the absolute minimum, whereas over here she comes with a number of items that most owners would deem essential.

Add a 5hp outboard for around £1,000, then tick a few boxes on the options list, and you’ll soon be into the mid-20s.

On the day before we went for a sail, the wind was also into the mid-20s.

We had been trying to get afloat for a long time, but pinning down a Viko to take for a spin proved to be a challenge.

Boats that arrived in the UK were despatched to their new owners as soon as they landed: they simply didn’t hang around.

It looked at one point as though a fin-keeler might have been in residence with the dealer for a while, but it too disappeared in short order.

Besides, since the centreplate version is by far the most popular, it made sense to test one of those.

The sail area is 23.0sq m/248sq ft. Credit: David Harding

Like many Polish designs, the Viko 21 comes with multiple choices of keel design : the standard flat steel centreplate, a fixed fin with a bulb, or a bulbed fin that lifts vertically.

The latter two will enhance performance significantly, being appreciably deeper, heavier, profiled sections of higher aspect ratio and with a lower centre of gravity.

The centreplate, on the other hand, gives the shallowest draught, is easier to lift than the lifting fin and will swing up if it hits the bottom.

It accounts for just 40% of the ballast, the rest being internal.

Given that buyers of a boat like this are unlikely to be obsessive about speed or tacking angles, its popularity comes as no surprise.

When everything finally came together for our sail, the flat water and offshore breeze of between 12 and 17 knots would have made no serious demands on any boat, but at least the gusts were enough to push the Viko 21 just a little.

She proved undemanding to sail as we made upwind with mid-4s showing on the log.

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We tacked through an acceptable if unremarkable 90° remaining agreeably light and the rudder blade retaining its grip until we pushed her to near gunwale- awash.

That’s a lot of heel on a boat with this much freeboard.

When she did break free from the rudder, she rounded up gently into but not through the wind; no full-on ‘French broach’ of 180°.

For all her docility this is a boat that, perhaps ironically given her target market, does make some demands on the crew.

The rigging on our recently-commissioned test model had already begin to stretch, leading to cap shrouds that were on the slack side and, correspondingly , correspondingly, to a saggy forestay.

The enclosed heads compartment is an option. In the stern, abaft the removable companionway steps, the broad transom and high freeboard create space for a generous athwartships double berth. Credit: David Harding

As is often the case with Polish trailer-sailers, the mast and standing rigging were about as slim as they could be.

This keeps weight and windage to a minimum, which is a good thing – vital, in fact, with a boat that doesn’t have a lot of low-down ballast to help keep her on her feet.

At the same time, it means the rigging really does need to be kept up to tension, because a boat that’s not the stiffest is going to be more sensitive to the heel-inducing consequences of forestay sag.

Tensioning the backstay is of limited help in these circumstances because it makes the cap shrouds even slacker: tight caps are the answer.

The sails weren’t too bad a cut. They were let down by stiff, un-tapered battens in the mainsail and a cloth that, as you often find on budget-priced boats, felt light and highly resinated.

I couldn’t help wondering how long they would hold their shape.

Plenty of space to sit down or stretch out, but stowage is limited. Credit: David Harding

Once sails start to stretch, heel will increase as performance decreases, and the effects will be more noticeable with a boat that doesn’t have a lot of power in reserve.

Even tensioning the luff of the jib is a challenge when you’re under way because the roller-reefing system comes with an integral halyard.

There’s no substitute for one that comes down the mast, though the integral system simplifies trailer-sailing .

Elsewhere in the rigging department, I think every Polish trailer-sailer I have ever sailed has misaligned swagings on the standing rigging, and the Viko 21 is no exception.

None of these points is by any means unique to the Viko.

They just mean that you need to be aware of them: keep the rigging tensioned, replace the sails the moment the draught starts to creep aft, and be aware of the need to depower the rig when the wind picks up.

Flatten everything down using the halyards , outhaul and backstay, vang-sheet the mainsail (having first inverted the kicker to make adjustment easier) and keep the boom well off the centreline.

It was easy to induce excessive heel and I would be concerned that some owners might lack the sailing skills to get her going.

You can use the single reef point in the mainsail and take a few rolls in the jib, only you’ll then find the sheet lead is too far aft and sail shape will be further compromised.

And you can’t reef those topsides.

Much of the hardware on deck is from familiar brands.

Spinlock supply the two XAS clutches each side, the winches are Lewmar 7s and some of the blocks are Selden.

The stainless-steel work is of typically neat Polish design and finish.

Sail plan of the Viko 21

This includes the (optional) pivoting mast heel for easy raising and lowering of the rig. A 4:1 mainsheet is taken to a raised plinth on the cockpit sole, the plinth extending aft to form a foot-brace for the helmsman.

This is presented as a sit-in boat: no tiller extension is provided, and removable backrests (£540 extra) slot into the inboard edge of the coamings.

My inclinations would be to save the £540, invest in a tiller extension and helm from the coaming.

On the other hand, the coaming is so close to the single guardwire that, as so often on small boats, you couldn’t angle your torso back far enough to counter the effects of gravity once the boat starts to heel.

Dipping underneath and outboard of the guardwire would be the answer, as on the Haber 620 .

On our test boat, the netting to help keep the owner’s dog on board would have made that difficult.

We shouldn’t forget that this is not sold as a performance boat, so let’s not get carried away.

Looking forward: this shot from the stern gives an impression of the volume offered by the Viko 21. Credit: David Harding

She’s sensitive to crew weight, however, and in any breeze that means keeping your weight as far to windward as you sensibly can.

Simple geometry means that the higher up the crew’s weight in relation to the boat’s beam, the sooner it comes into line with the centre of buoyancy as the boat heels and, therefore, the sooner it begins to induce heel rather than counter it.

I was reminded of this in no uncertain terms when I went forward and stood on the boom to take a shot of the deck and cockpit.

The precarious angle of heel that resulted encouraged me to hop down and aft again without delay.

There’s no arguing that high freeboard and easy-lift keels have their benefits, but you also need to understand their effects when you’re sailing.

Generally speaking, the smaller the boat the harder it is to make it do everything well.  You choose according to your priorities.

Back in the cockpit, single-handed manoeuvres are simple enough if you’re coordinated.

The split pulpit means you need to give a sharp luff after a tack if the foot of the jib has got outside it, then sheet in before bearing away to a close-hauled course.

Just make sure you don’t get a riding turn around the winch , because it’s a fair distance from the car (which needs to be right at the forward end of the track).

Then you need to create some slack in the sheet abaft the winch to jam it in the cam cleat on the bulkhead.

It’s not slick, but it’s doable with two hands.

Occupying the double deck-organisers and clutches to starboard are the main halyard and centreplate line.

To port is the topping lift . Reefing is at the mast.

It’s not obvious how extra hardware could be fitted if, for example, you wanted to add spinnaker gear or lead the reefing pennants aft.

On the subject of the centreplate, it was notable that it clonked in its case even when we were sailing upwind.

Plates often clonk when the pressure comes off, downwind or when the boat’s rocking around at rest with the sails down.

Upwind it’s unusual. Matching clonking came from the rudder.

It looked to be a perfectly robust and neatly-made structure, with the stock and tiller in stainless steel in typical Polish fashion.

It’s just that there was play between the stock and everything to which it was attached: the hinge-up tiller, the blade and the transom brackets.

Combined with the boat’s slight tenderness, it contributed to a feel that wasn’t exactly taut and sporty; power, precision and positivity were rather lacking.

Fundamentally this is a design that has potential when it comes to sailing.

So is it unfair to mention some of these aspects of her performance, given that she’s unlikely to be bought by people planning to thrash around exposed headlands against 30-knot headwinds?

The important thing is to understand the boat’s limitations.

With a clean bottom, the outboard lifted well clear of the water, new (or still-good) sails and a crew who know what they’re doing, she’ll sail well enough for most people in undemanding conditions.

But give her a weedy bottom, a prop dragging through the water, slack rigging, sails that are poorly trimmed or past their prime, an inexperienced crew – any of these, in fact, let alone all – and I think she might start to struggle when the wind picks up.

None of these factors would help any boat, but some would have greater capacity than others to overcome them.

Stick to sheltered waters with the Viko 21, don’t ask too much of her, and enjoy the aspects of her design that other boat can’t match.

If you like the boat but want more power and performance, you should seriously consider one of the alternative keels.

Don’t underestimate the difference they can make.

Then make some mods to the rudder (the fin-keeler has a fixed blade anyway), upgrade the sails and ensure the rigging is tweaked up, and the boat would be transformed.

As for the other practicalities of her design – well, nothing major stands out on deck.

The deck sits on a return in the hull moulding that forms a low-level toerail, a bead of sealant running the length of the join.

You find an anchor locker in the bow and a half-height locker to starboard in the cockpit.

A stainless steel support for the mast is permanently bolted to the transom if you have the mast- raising system.

There’s no rubbing strake , so you’ll need to be nifty with the fenders .

For a boat of her length, the Viko 21 offers an extraordinary amount of space.

You can’t stand up as you can on the Haber, for example, but the entire length of the hull is used.

The only enclosed space is the heads compartment if you choose it (£1,000 extra).

A tall bloke can just about fold himself inside, sit down and close the door.

At the foot of the removable companionway steps , you find yourself facing a lot of volume and not much else.

With minimal stowage it would be a question of living out of kitbags or doing some customising.

Narrow stowage troughs are outboard of the backrests in the saloon and there’s space beneath the forward berth.

Foam buoyancy is under the settee berths.

Opposite the heads is a small moulded galley unit.

I’m not sure I would consider electrically- pumped water to be vital on a 21ft weekender and I was also rather disconcerted to see a 13A socket just below the tap at the aft end of the galley.

A full interior moulding forms the basis of the accommodation. Above it, the hull sides are lined in vinyl.

The teak-and-holly-effect sole is bonded down and there’s a moulded headliner.

It’s simple, modular and, as you would expect, all pretty basic.

The finish is a bit tacky in places, but then you’re not paying top dollar.

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The outstanding features of the Viko 21 are the high volume and low price. But if you want features like this, you have to accept some compromises elsewhere. A builder of a boat of similar size told me that his materials alone cost more than the Viko sells for. In terms of the hull lines and sail plan, the basic design looks fine as long as you accept the implications of those towering topsides. The swing keel and budget specification do nothing for her sailing qualities but, as we’ve discussed, you could do something about both of those. I can’t over-stress the difference one of the alternative keels would make. Then either accept the boat as she comes, or spend a bit of time and money making some mods. What matters is that the basic structure is sound. It’s never easy to know that unless you witness (or have verified) every stage of the building process.Happy owners Given the rate at which the little Viko has been selling, plenty of owners are willing to accept what she has to offer. I spoke to one who, although admitting to limited sailing experience, was living aboard and was delighted. If there’s a boat whose price allows people to buy it and that then makes them happy, that can’t be bad.

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VIKO 23 is a classical yet smart cruiser, designed with the highest comfort of the crew and safe leisure sailing in thought. The boat comes with a number of options with swing keel, perfect for inland waters sailing as well as fixed keel version with bulb for seaside waters. With her spacious and highly customizable interior VIKO 23 provides plenty of comfort alongside copious portions of performance.

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Time for a bigger boat? Check out what the Palm Beach International Boat Show has to offer

Whether you're the son of a son of a sailor or even just love that song and want to know more, the granddaddy of all boating events is happening this weekend along the West Palm Beach waterfront.

That's right, the Palm Beach International Boat Show is back for four glorious days along Flagler Drive.

This will be the 42nd annual event, and organizers promise it will be bigger and better than ever.

There will be $1.2 billion worth of Bond-worthy super yachts, cruisers, sportfishing boats, center consoles and even inflatables to see and tour, along with attractions and activities highlighting the latest in boat engines, motors and accessories. There will also be the latest fishing gear and even fishing seminars.

Yes, it's a big event, but don't be intimidated. In fact, here are seven fun facts about the show:

How many boats can this boat show boast?

There will be more than 800 boats on display along the floating docks in the Intracoastal Waterway.

What is the biggest boat at the boat show?

With a length of 236 feet (and 38 feet wide), Casino Royale takes the title for largest boat this year. This gorgeous yacht, designed for her exterior lines by Francesco Paszkowski with interior by Paszkowski’s interior lead designer Margherita Casprini, is also one of the most technically advanced yachts in her category. Casino Royale is powered by twin Caterpillar 3516B main engines and has an impressive top speed of 17.5 knots. You can put your checkbooks away for this one, however, as she is only on display and not for sale.

This boat is the boat show's most epensive

Built in 2022 and 196-feet long, Come Together is listed for $59,950,000. This expedition yacht was delivered by the Dutch shipyard Amels and features interior styling by British designer Winch Design. It can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests in six cabins along with 14 crew members.

Are spectators allowed to go on the boats?

To go onboard the yachts and superyachts, visitors must make an appointment with the brokers. For the smaller boats, however, spectators can come onboard if they are interested in buying.

What is the smallest boat?

The smallest boat being displayed on the water is a runabout boat that is 22-feet-6-inches long, and 5-feet-11 wide. It is manufactured by Hermes.

Eating inside the boat show

The show will have dozens of food concessions featuring almost anything you could be craving, from Greek gyros to woodfired picanha, authentic street tacos and hand-crafted burgers. On a seafood diet? Enjoy fresh stone crab claws, calamari, oysters, and much more! Vegetarian, vegan, and/or gluten-free? No problem; they have options for you as well.

And libations at the boat show?

Of course there will be drinks. To be precise, there will be four bars for general admission guests, including two floating cocktail barges: the Goslings Island Bar and the Anheuser-Busch Barge. In addition there will be multiple bars in the Windward VIP Club.

What: Palm Beach International Boat Show

Where: Downtown West Palm Beach along Flagler Drive from Banyan Boulevard south to Lakeview Avenue

When: noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, March 22 and Saturday, March 23; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 24

Cost: Adult one-day tickets $33, adult two-day tickets $60; child (ages 6 to 15) one-day tickets $17.

Information: pbboatshow.com

Eddie Ritz is a journalist at  The Palm Beach Post , part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at  [email protected] . Help support our journalism.  Subscribe today .

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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1 dead, 1 in hospital after boat capsizes in Hoover Reservoir

by WSYX Staff

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — One man is dead and another is in the hospital after a boat capsized in Hoover Reservoir.

Genoa Township Fire Chief Joe Ponzi told ABC 6 that the two people were reported missing just before 8 p.m. on Sunday after their boat capsized in the Hoover Reservoir

The two men were reportedly out fishing when their boat capsized, and they both 'may have had lifejackets on.'

Authorities rescued both men later on Sunday night, and both were taken to St. Ann's Hospital.

On Monday morning, officials confirmed to ABC 6 that one of the men has died.

Jason Milliken is the central district captain for parks and watercraft. He’s urging anyone looking to get into the water is to make a plan.

“What boat ramp you’re going to be located at, who’s going to be on board with you, yourself and somebody else, emergency contact information, where you’re going to be put in and put out adjust to plan for the family if something does happen, we have somewhere to go leave it at the house," he said.

Captain Milliken says there’s one item everyone on a boat should wear.

“Lifejackets are huge, I can’t emphasize that enough," he said. "They save lives so whether it’s 90 degrees out or about 25 like today. Have a life jacket and wear it on days like this."

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is investigating.

The Comprehensive Guide to Moscow Nightlife

• Posted on April 14, 2018 July 26, 2018
• by Kings of Russia
• 8 minute read

Moscow’s nightlife scene is thriving, and arguably one of the best the world has to offer – top-notch Russian women, coupled with a never-ending list of venues, Moscow has a little bit of something for everyone’s taste. Moscow nightlife is not for the faint of heart – and if you’re coming, you better be ready to go Friday and Saturday night into the early morning.

This comprehensive guide to Moscow nightlife will run you through the nuts and bolts of all you need to know about Moscow’s nightclubs and give you a solid blueprint to operate with during your time in Moscow.

What you need to know before hitting Moscow nightclubs

Prices in moscow nightlife.

Before you head out and start gaming all the sexy Moscow girls , we have to talk money first. Bring plenty because in Moscow you can never bring a big enough bankroll. Remember, you’re the man so making a fuzz of not paying a drink here or there will not go down well.

Luckily most Moscow clubs don’t do cover fees. Some electro clubs will charge 15-20$, depending on their lineup. There’s the odd club with a minimum spend of 20-30$, which you’ll drop on drinks easily. By and large, you can scope out the venues for free, which is a big plus.

Bottle service is a great deal in Moscow. At top-tier clubs, it starts at 1,000$. That’ll go a long way with premium vodka at 250$, especially if you have three or four guys chipping in. Not to mention that it’s a massive status boost for getting girls, especially at high-end clubs.

Without bottle service, you should estimate a budget of 100-150$ per night. That is if you drink a lot and hit the top clubs with the hottest girls. Scale down for less alcohol and more basic places.

Dress code & Face control

Door policy in Moscow is called “face control” and it’s always the guy behind the two gorillas that gives the green light if you’re in or out.

In Moscow nightlife there’s only one rule when it comes to dress codes:

You can never be underdressed.

People dress A LOT sharper than, say, in the US and that goes for both sexes. For high-end clubs, you definitely want to roll with a sharp blazer and a pocket square, not to mention dress shoes in tip-top condition. Those are the minimum requirements to level the playing field vis a vis with other sharply dressed guys that have a lot more money than you do. Unless you plan to hit explicit electro or underground clubs, which have their own dress code, you are always on the money with that style.

Getting in a Moscow club isn’t as hard as it seems: dress sharp, speak English at the door and look like you’re in the mood to spend all that money that you supposedly have (even if you don’t). That will open almost any door in Moscow’s nightlife for you.

Types of Moscow Nightclubs

In Moscow there are four types of clubs with the accompanying female clientele:

High-end clubs:

These are often crossovers between restaurants and clubs with lots of tables and very little space to dance. Heavy accent on bottle service most of the time but you can work the room from the bar as well. The hottest and most expensive girls in Moscow go there. Bring deep pockets and lots of self-confidence and you have a shot at swooping them.

Regular Mid-level clubs:

They probably resemble more what you’re used to in a nightclub: big dancefloors, stages and more space to roam around. Bottle service will make you stand out more but you can also do well without. You can find all types of girls but most will be in the 6-8 range. Your targets should always be the girls drinking and ideally in pairs. It’s impossible not to swoop if your game is at least half-decent.

Basic clubs/dive bars:

Usually spots with very cheap booze and lax face control. If you’re dressed too sharp and speak no Russian, you might attract the wrong type of attention so be vigilant. If you know the local scene you can swoop 6s and 7s almost at will. Usually students and girls from the suburbs.

Electro/underground clubs:

Home of the hipsters and creatives. Parties there don’t mean meeting girls and getting drunk but doing pills and spacing out to the music. Lots of attractive hipster girls if that is your niche. That is its own scene with a different dress code as well.

What time to go out in Moscow

Moscow nightlife starts late. Don’t show up at bars and preparty spots before 11pm because you’ll feel fairly alone. Peak time is between 1am and 3am. That is also the time of Moscow nightlife’s biggest nuisance: concerts by artists you won’t know and who only distract your girls from drinking and being gamed. From 4am to 6am the regular clubs are emptying out but plenty of people, women included, still hit up one of the many afterparty clubs. Those last till well past 10am.

As far as days go: Fridays and Saturdays are peak days. Thursday is an OK day, all other days are fairly weak and you have to know the right venues.

The Ultimate Moscow Nightclub List

Short disclaimer: I didn’t add basic and electro clubs since you’re coming for the girls, not for the music. This list will give you more options than you’ll be able to handle on a weekend.

Preparty – start here at 11PM

Classic restaurant club with lots of tables and a smallish bar and dancefloor. Come here between 11pm and 12am when the concert is over and they start with the actual party. Even early in the night tons of sexy women here, who lean slightly older (25 and up).

The second floor of the Ugolek restaurant is an extra bar with dim lights and house music tunes. Very small and cozy with a slight hipster vibe but generally draws plenty of attractive women too. A bit slower vibe than Valenok.

Very cool, spread-out venue that has a modern library theme. Not always full with people but when it is, it’s brimming with top-tier women. Slow vibe here and better for grabbing contacts and moving on.

High-end: err on the side of being too early rather than too late because of face control.

Secret Room

Probably the top venue at the moment in Moscow . Very small but wildly popular club, which is crammed with tables but always packed. They do parties on Thursdays and Sundays as well. This club has a hip-hop/high-end theme, meaning most girls are gold diggers, IG models, and tattooed hip hop chicks. Very unfavorable logistics because there is almost no room no move inside the club but the party vibe makes it worth it. Strict face control.

Close to Secret Room and with a much more favorable and spacious three-part layout. This place attracts very hot women but also lots of ball busters and fakes that will leave you blue-balled. Come early because after 4am it starts getting empty fast. Electronic music.

A slightly kitsch restaurant club that plays Russian pop and is full of gold diggers, semi-pros, and men from the Caucasus republics. Thursday is the strongest night but that dynamic might be changing since Secret Room opened its doors. You can swoop here but it will be a struggle.

Mid-level: your sweet spot in terms of ease and attractiveness of girls for an average budget.

Started going downwards in 2018 due to lax face control and this might get even worse with the World Cup. In terms of layout one of the best Moscow nightclubs because it’s very big and bottle service gives you a good edge here. Still attracts lots of cute girls with loose morals but plenty of provincial girls (and guys) as well. Swooping is fairly easy here.

I haven’t been at this place in over a year, ever since it started becoming ground zero for drunken teenagers. Similar clientele to Icon but less chic, younger and drunker. Decent mainstream music that attracts plenty of tourists. Girls are easy here as well.

Sort of a Coyote Ugly (the real one in Moscow sucks) with party music and lots of drunken people licking each others’ faces. Very entertaining with the right amount of alcohol and very easy to pull in there. Don’t think about staying sober in here, you’ll hate it.

Artel Bessonitsa/Shakti Terrace

Electronic music club that is sort of a high-end place with an underground clientele and located between the teenager clubs Icon and Gipsy. Very good music but a bit all over the place with their vibe and their branding. You can swoop almost any type of girl here from high-heeled beauty to coked-up hipsters, provided they’re not too sober.

Afterparty: if by 5AM  you haven’t pulled, it’s time to move here.

Best afterparty spot in terms of trying to get girls. Pretty much no one is sober in there and savage gorilla game goes a long way. Lots of very hot and slutty-looking girls but it can be hard to tell apart who is looking for dick and who is just on drugs but not interested. If by 9-10am you haven’t pulled, it is probably better to surrender.

The hipster alternative for afterparties, where even more drugs are in play. Plenty of attractive girls there but you have to know how to work this type of club. A nicer atmosphere and better music but if you’re desperate to pull, you’ll probably go to Miks.

Weekday jokers: if you’re on the hunt for some sexy Russian girls during the week, here are two tips to make your life easier.

Chesterfield

Ladies night on Wednesdays means this place gets pretty packed with smashed teenagers and 6s and 7s. Don’t pull out the three-piece suit in here because it’s a “simpler” crowd. Definitely your best shot on Wednesdays.

If you haven’t pulled at Chesterfield, you can throw a Hail Mary and hit up Garage’s Black Music Wednesdays. Fills up really late but there are some cute Black Music groupies in here. Very small club. Thursday through Saturday they do afterparties and you have an excellent shot and swooping girls that are probably high.

Shishas Sferum

This is pretty much your only shot on Mondays and Tuesdays because they offer free or almost free drinks for women. A fairly low-class club where you should watch your drinks. As always the case in Moscow, there will be cute girls here on any day of the week but it’s nowhere near as good as on the weekend.

In a nutshell, that is all you need to know about where to meet Moscow girls in nightlife. There are tons of options, and it all depends on what best fits your style, based on the type of girls that you’re looking for.

Related Topics

• moscow girls
• moscow nightlife

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Migrant boat carrying 24 Cubans arrives in Florida Keys, Border Patrol says

M IAMI — A makeshift migrant boat carrying 24 people from Cuba arrived in the Middle Florida Keys Monday night, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The vessel made landfall around 7 p.m. on the shores of Duck Key, said Adam Hoffner, assistant chief patrol agent for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Miami sector.

Hoffner told the Herald there were 21 men and three women on board. They are in Border Patrol custody, being processed for removal back to Cuba, Hoffner said Tuesday.

The landing happened days after Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered hundreds more state police officers to South Florida and the Keys in anticipation of a possible maritime arrival of large groups of people fleeing increased gang violence and instability in Haiti.

So far, that exodus has yet to materialize.

But, the migrants’ arrival Tuesday also occurred in the midst of growing street protests within Cuba demonstrating against the communist government’s response to food and electricity shortages.

©2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.