The Lombard Lift 45 scow bow cruiser-racer promises to be one of the stand out new designs in 2025. At the same time, it’s also a project that will put the young yard chosen to build it, SR Structures in Lymington, UK, firmly on the map. It speaks volumes about the firm’s background and skill sets, that an experienced French owner, along with one of the top French design offices, would choose a young British company for a such a complex and cutting edge build.

The first example of this performance cruiser based on the new Lombard Lift V3 Class40, is scheduled to launch in April 2025. An ambitious programme that will see the boat cover impressive mileage in her first year is already planned. In addition to cruising in comfort, the owner intends to compete in the 2025 Rolex Fastnet Race, plus the attendant qualifying races, before sailing to Malta for the Middle Sea Race, followed by the RORC Transatlantic from Lanzarote, the Caribbean 600 and then a return to Europe in 2026.

The Lift 45 is one of the first of a new generation of scow bow ultra-fast cruising yachts boats for owners who also want the option of getting to the finish line of races quickly. These designs also tend to be very dry boats and, of course, they offer a lot of internal volume thanks to the beam being carried so far forward.

This gives room for a spacious three cabin layout, with large berth sizes and an owner’s cabin forward with a full-size rectangular 140x200cm bed. There’s also a full saloon with pilot berths, plus large L-shape galley, a proper forward facing nav station and separate shower stall in the heads compartment.

SR Structures is set up to be able to build more Lift 45s, alongside its other projects. Carbon sandwich an option for those seeking maximum performance, while a more cruising oriented specification with a fixed backstay and pin-head mainsail is also possible.