With the Linssen 55 SL AC Variotop, the shipyard is bringing a solid, well-tested concept with improved details and a modern look to the steel boat market. It is the first Variotop in the SL series and, for me, has a more modern, fresher look.
Not only the exterior has a new look
However, this applies not only to the exterior appearance, but also to the interior of the boat. The Linssen offers a total of three cabins and a large central saloon with two seating areas and a galley for additional comfort. Let's start in the bow, where the VIP guest cabin is located. It offers a comfortable double berth with a slatted frame under the mattress. There is plenty of storage space here as well as a door that leads directly into the toilet room. Another door provides access from the vestibule. This entrance is intended for guests from the second cabin. A separate shower room adjoins the toilet room aft. Opposite is the second guest cabin, which has two single berths (ventilated cushions).
The owner finds his spacious area in the aft cabin. A large double berth provides a comfortable night's sleep. A small seating unit (with table) for two people provides a cosy place to read and write. It is of course not surprising that the owner's wet room is spacious, and the same applies to the stowage options.
One floor up in the saloon of the Linssen there are two seating areas, one of which is directly opposite the galley. The galley has everything you could wish for and the seating area has cosy cushions. The same applies to the seating area aft. The accompanying table can be ordered as an optional electric version (height-adjustable) with inlay cushions and can then be converted into a berth or simply a cosy TV lounger. The entire saloon has a lovely atmosphere thanks to the large windows with plenty of natural light.
The hydraulic pump for the Variotop is accessible and can be operated manually in an emergency
You also get a lot of sun at the driving position, and of course when the Variotop is moved aft. This is child's play at the touch of a button; an electro-hydraulic unit allows the roof to move softly aft - and back again, of course. If there are any problems with the system, it's not so bad: the hydraulic pump is located under the side bench on the port side of the wheelhouse and can also be operated manually. If you want to go from the wheelhouse to the cockpit of the aft deck, you go through a double door (clearance height approx. 1.80 metres). There they will find a huge U-shaped bench seat with a height-adjustable table. Under the bench (on the port side) on our test boat is a fridge drawer, which is ideal for drinks. If you want to get into the cool water, you can reach the hydraulic bathing platform via side steps from the side decks. There is plenty of space down there, a bathing ladder and a stern shower.
Back to the wheelhouse. We take a seat on a double bench with good upholstery. A bow and stern thruster, both powered by the 17.5 kW generator, help with casting off and mooring on the test boat. To ensure safe operation, the thrusters have "priority" over all other equipment on board.
Fuel consumption and driving behaviour
We have cast off and set off for the Meuse with the two new Mercury Diesel 2.0-Ls. We reach about 10 knots at full load on the Meuse and calculate a consumption of 5.14 l/sm, which together with the tank volume of 2370 litres minus 15% reserve gives us a range of 392 nm. The noise level in this situation is 67 dB/A. It becomes even more pleasant around 7 kn (1750 rpm), when our measuring device only shows 56 dB/A at the helm. Diesel consumption has also fallen considerably to 1.65 l/sm, which gives a range of 1224 nm. At a speed of 4 knots, that's even around 3000 nm in purely mathematical terms. So the Linssen has already earned the title of cruising yacht.
The fact that it also reacts extremely stably in fast turns is no longer a surprise, as the SPH hull is known for this. This means that when cornering (rudder at full lock) at full throttle, the hull remains almost horizontal and then swings softly into its own wave, so nothing slips on the tables and nothing rattles in the lockers. If you want to stay on course comfortably on long trips, you can of course do this directly on the hydraulic rudder system or even easier: simply let the autopilot do the work. Another option is to steer using the "follow-on-tiller joystick" (steering lever).
To access the two diesels, a hatch in the saloon floor is raised electrically. A ladder and handrail make it easy to get into the engine compartment. Down there, I can see a carefully installed engine compartment with good safety equipment and, on our test boat, a permanently stowed on-board battery bank with lithium-ion batteries.
Conclusion
The Linssen 55 SL AC Variotop is a stylish cruising yacht for travelling in comfort. It can also be used for longer trips thanks to its good living comfort and generous bunker facilities. Linssen gives the hull length as 14.95 metres, which is below the 15-metre limit for cruising on the Rhine, which is important in Germany.
Our test judgement on theLinssen 55 SL AC Variotop
DRIVING & MANOEUVRING
- +Good driving characteristics
- +Large range
PROCESSING & TECHNOLOGY
- +Good processing quality
- +Clean installations
SAFETY
- +High safety standard
- +Good movement safety
COMFORT ON BOARD
- +Bright, practical and comfortable interior design and layout
Technical data Linssen 55 SL AC Variotop
The boat
- Shipyard:Linssen/NL
- Type: 55 SL AC Variotop
- CE category: B/12 persons
- Hull and deck: Steel
- Length over everything: 16,50 m
- Width: 4,90 m
- Unladen weight: 30 t
- Depth: 1,29 m
- Clearance height: 3,49 m
- Fuel tank: 2x 1185 l
- Fresh water tank: 960 l
- Holding tank:400 l
- Cabins: 3 + Salon
- Berths: 6
- Motorisation: 2x Mercury MD2.0L 112 kW (150 hp)
- Base price: 1.587.341 €
- Shipyard address: Linssen Yachts B. V., Brouwersstraat 17,NL-6051 AA Maasbracht, www.linssenyachts.com
The motor
- Manufacturer:Mercury Marine
- Type:Mercury Diesel 2.0L
- Performance:112 kW (150 hp)
- Cylinder:4 in series
- cubic capacity: 2,0 l
- Alternator: 12V/110 A
- Cooling: Water/double circuit
- Fuel:Diesel
- Translation:3,031 : 1
- Test propeller: k. A.
