Launched in the summer of 2002 and the starting point of a string of yachts in the same style, "Bharlin Blue" has been a genuine revelation. She hit the headlines when winning the Heineken Regatta in 2003 against some very stiff competition, confirming her status as a performance boat par excellence. In contrast to many contemporary yachts, "Bharlin Blue" was built in aluminium rather than carbon fibre to meet the owner’s sturdiness requirements. The added weight was countered by a lifting keel (with a large bulb in an America's cup styled geometry), carbon rudder/mast/furling boom, and lightweight interior and technical installations. Here the resulting 43-ton displacement is exceptional for a boat with an aluminium hull. Other successful features since incorporated in new designs include the flush deck with deckhouse, huge engine room and twin cockpit arrangement. "Bharlin Blue" is ideal for both racing and long-distance cruising, and has set new standards for (corporate) chartering in the process. Her crew quarters are aft, connected to the galley, but a version of this design with an aft owner’s stateroom and crew forward could easily be created.