There is a certain calm that comes with a Dubois-designed sailing yacht. The lines are purposeful, not theatrical, and the reward is felt on deck when the boat leans into pressure and lifts her shoulders cleanly. KOKOTEA, delivered by Alloy Yachts in 2000 and extensively refitted in 2021, is one of those boats. Exclusively for sale with Burgess at EUR 6,950,000 and currently in the West Mediterranean, she sits squarely in the sweet spot for owners who want real miles, not marina time.
Alloy and Dubois is a partnership that defined a generation of modern performance cruisers. KOKOTEA was the seventh Dubois design to launch from the New Zealand yard, a combination that prized stiffness, weight control, and quiet elegance. The 2021 works, including a full hull repaint, keep the presentation crisp. You see it in the clean reflection along the aluminium topsides and hear it in the muted thrum of rigging rather than the rattle of loose deck gear.
On deck, the covered cockpit is the social heart. It is protected and welcoming, a space where you can eat alfresco without shouting over wind noise. In late light, the teak warms underfoot and the table takes on a soft glow. Aft, twin helm stations offer the right vantage to read the telltales and see forward around the superstructure up to the powerful Doyle sails. Underway, this is where the boat speaks clearly, wheel in hand and horizon unbroken.
Inside, Redman Whiteley Dixon’s interior is understated and warm, not a showroom. Generous windows pull in natural light so you are never cut off from the sea. The main deck lounge is set up for relaxed living rather than ceremony. Down below, the dining area seats up to nine, which tells you this is a boat for extended company and unhurried meals. After dinner, the portside leather sofa and armchairs invite a nightcap. You can almost hear the soft clink of glassware against a backdrop of water moving along the hull.
Accommodation is for eight in four cabins. The full beam owner’s suite includes a private office and a spacious en suite, a proper base for work between passages or quiet mornings at anchor. Two additional doubles and a smaller double cabin round out guest spaces. The arrangement prioritises privacy and practicality, a reminder that KOKOTEA was conceived for world cruising rather than occasional hops.
Under the skin, the proposition holds. An aluminium hull and superstructure deliver a light yet robust platform that feels right for serious distances. Machinery is straightforward and proven: a Caterpillar C18 for propulsion, twin 65 kW Onan generators for house loads, and a 3,500 nautical mile cruising range. It is the kind of setup that hums along at sea without complaint. The appeal of sail here is not only romance. It is fuel efficiency, range, and a quieter life underway.
In market terms, KOKOTEA reads as a rational buy. At under seven million euros, you are getting a Dubois Alloy platform with a significant recent refit and a track record of global intent. New build sailing yachts of this size now sit on different timelines and budgets. For owners who value time on the water above renderings, a ready and well kept boat is the smarter luxury. There is also a cultural shift worth noting. Interest in large sailing yachts is steady as clients look for lower impact cruising and a more engaged experience of the sea. When you trim a Doyle main and feel the boat settle, that engagement is not theoretical.
None of this is to claim universality. If you want a beach club and a garage full of toys, a 40m sloop will not try to be something it is not. KOKOTEA is for those who like the cadence of sail, the ritual of entering a cockpit still warm from the sun, and the confidence of a design that has aged with grace. Seen that way, she is less a trophy and more a tool for a life well traveled.
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