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Designed by Oscar & Håkan Södergren, focusing on performance and ease of use, the Shogun 43 goes beyond conventional design, taking performance cruising to the next level. Thanks to the combination of carbon fibre laminate construction and Divinycell core materials, it is a lightweight yacht for people who love speed. Something that got it nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2024.
The Shogun 43’s hull, deck, and interior structural elements are made from carbon fibre laminate sandwich construction with Divinycell H and HM foam cores. Even the keel blade is made of carbon to maximise leverage, as most of the weight is then transferred to the bulb, giving the yacht a better righting moment. All the carbon laminates were vacuum-infused with epoxy in collaboration with Diab, Vaxholm Komposit, Marstrom Composite and Linjett Yachts. Diab supplied the Divinycell foam core materials as Advanced Kits and supported the structural optimisation of FRP laminates via CCG.
The fusion of the hull and deck is done differently. Instead of placing the deck onto the hull and fusing them at the shear line, the Shogun hull sides fuse by the inside of the deck by the cabin house. This is why Shogun can have such a smooth and rounded shear line.
Tough core materials for harsh conditions
Divinycell HM80 was used mainly in the deck and hull. It’s a high-performance structural core designed for extremely demanding applications, such as fast marine hulls. It combines very high shear strength with an outstanding shear elongation. Divinycell HM130 was used locally in heavily loaded areas. As a result, it is an extremely tough laminate, capable of absorbing high dynamic impacts and slamming loads.
A stiffer overall structure
The hull and deck are laminated as one unit, ensuring a stiffer structure. The bottom structure is then laminated after the hull sides are fused. The cabin top and stern are laminated individually using Divinycell H80 and later fused with the hull. With this stiffer overall structure, the bulkheads become less significant. They allow the Shogun 43 to have a divided bulkhead structure forward with three aligned skylights. This is why the yacht has an open interior that creates a spacious feel.
Advanced kitting for extreme lightness
To save weight and achieve a perfect fit, the builders decided to go for a complete sandwich solution, using an Advanced Kit of Divinycell PVC foam. It consists of computer-designed pre-cut parts shaped to suit the design and then numbered to fit precisely into their designated places in the mould. Advanced kits have much fewer curvature cuts and minimal gaps between each part and, consequently, significantly less resin uptake. It also improves the surface quality because an intact foam layer without GS-scrim closest to the mould side fibre reinforcement prevents printing from curvature cuts. The high-precision production method ensures minimal gaps between foam parts, minimising printing. The improved fit accuracy and larger foam details also speed up the lay-up procedure.
A relaxed interior atmosphere
While performance is at the heart of the Shogun 43, style and comfort reign below deck. Some interiors use a flax fibre laminate sandwich construction with Divinycell H80 underneath the wood veneer. The interior's structural part is made similarly but with carbon laminate, as it is stronger. Both laminates have the same low weight, but the flax resonates with a more dampened sound when touched, creating a more relaxed atmosphere inside the yacht.
Shogun 43 has been nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2024
The European Yacht of the Year Award is the most important, influential, and widely communicated boatbuilding prize worldwide. Often called the “Oscar“ of yachting, it reaches an international audience of several million sailing enthusiasts, boat owners and industry executives. A jury of 12 people voted to nominate Shogun 43 as European Yacht of the Year 2024 with the motivation, “This yacht breaks all standards: for its length, it is very narrow compared to the majority of the market, extremely light for its size and outrageously fast for a cruising boat.” The winners of each category will be announced at the Flagship Night at boot Düsseldorf in January 2024.
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