Home / Boats
 
2023 January 1

This classic cruiser’s DNA comes from the company that redefined the racer-cruiser

 On a perfect fall day on Chesapeake Bay, the brand-new J/45 effortlessly sliced through a two-foot chop under jib and main. This new flagship cruiser from the company that has defined American r
2022 November 1

A room with a view is found in this offshore cruiser with a spacious deck saloon

I live in the Pacific Northwest where we get more than our fair share of rain. I understand the appeal of a raised-saloon boat. Drop the hook in a remote harbor and sit inside dry, warm and comfy
2022 November 1

This midsize cruiser has options to suit all kinds of sailors

I have a soft spot for Dufour boats. I once sailed the Chicago-Mackinac Race in a Dufour Arpege 30. We were the slowest rated boat in the race and we lived up to our rating. I remember the heat a
2022 October 1

This stylish new Beneteau can be racy or cruisy

I think it’s fair to call the Beneteau First series the Beneteau “premier” line. These boats have a very good reputation for speed on the race course and the durability required to be raced
2022 October 1

Elegant and fast, this new Nautor design pulls out all the stops for great cruising

Oh boy! I’ve been looking forward to reviewing this new Swan 55. Why? German Frers is my favorite designer. He has an eye for subtle beauty, never “over designing” and he sure knows how to desig
2022 September 1

Attention to detail makes this cruiser stand out from the crowd

This month we have two handsome European designs in the contemporary style. The two boats are 7 feet 8 inches apart in LOA, but if you compare the profiles they are very close to identical. Seems like
2022 September 1

This cruiser keeps things elegant with Scandinavian flair

Now let’s look at the Arcona 50 and see what having another 7 feet 8 inches of LOA buys you. But first and I do think this is a first in the history of my design reviews: try as she might, Greta, my
2022 September 1

Beneteau’s latest family cruiser offers all the bells and whistles for fast and comfortable sailing

Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard in Annapolis, Maryland’s Back Creek, was abuzz as I walked down the docks to get my first ride aboard the new Beneteau Oceanis 40.1. The week following the U.S. Sailboat Sh
2022 July 1

This German-built racer-cruiser keeps the sailing simple

We can have some fun this month comparing two new European production boats that have almost the same LOA. As you would expect, both boats are in the “contemporary” style. I’m inclined to use th
2022 July 1

A fast and sexy looking racer-cruiser that ups the cool factor

Here is a new design from Italian designer Maurizio Cossutti and the Italia Yachts design team. This boat is 2 feet longer on deck than the Dehler. The Italia group provided me with an extensive set o
2022 June 1

Bob Perry designs a custom 53-foot motorsailer with a Pacific Northwest aesthetic

My client writes: “I’ve admired Bob Perry’s designs for years and in 2010 we were fortunate enough to have our own Valiant 42 built (sadly the last hull laid up). She has taken care of us for th
2022 June 1

The latest midsized cruiser from Jeanneau packs in great performance, cruising comforts and the latest innovations that make sailing easier

Tradition has it that a cruising boat should be heavy and slow to keep sailors safe and comfortable. But with advances in technology and design, boatbuilders have discovered that lightweight equals li
2022 April 1

This sexy looking cruising cat was designed for speed

At first glance at the 2D sailplan this 44-foot catamaran appears to be a stubby and kind of awkward looking cat. But don’t be fooled. Add the third dimension, the depth and the complex geometry of
2022 April 1

The revival of Beneteau’s First series of racer-cruisers continues with this midsized family boat

This new Beneteau First model was designed by a team led by Kristian Hajnsek. Samuel Manuard, known for his Class 40 and IMOCA 60 class racers did the basic design. Structural design came from Pure De
2022 March 1

This powerful offshore cruiser has all the bells and whistles that allow shorthanded sailing in comfort

The new Bill Dixon-designed Hylas 57 has been making waves since its debut at the 2021 fall boat shows with its good looks and innovative shorthanded sailing systems. The 57 is a departure from the mo
2022 March 1

This beautiful daysailer will be created by build-it-yourselfers

I was cruising around on Facebook one day and I saw a boat that jumped out at me. It was a great looking boat and very nicely drawn. Clearly the designer had some well honed skills and a good eye
2022 March 1

A wolf in sheep’s clothing, this classic cruiser is deceptively powerful

Here’s an elegant design from the Hoek design office in Holland for Performance Classic Yachts in the United Kingdom. The company has built a series of Hoek designs in Turkey that have proven quite
2022 January 1

With a emphasis on performance, this cruising catamaran doesn’t skimp on comfort and styling

I understand that it is difficult to sell boats from two-dimensional working drawings for a new design. Many sailors have trouble reading 2D drawings and need 3D renderings to understand the new
2022 January 1

This cruising catamaran has room for a crowd to sail in comfort

I don’t know if many of you have heard the story of how I got my job as “technical editor” of SAILING but I’ll tell it again. It’s a funny story.It was late in 1974 and SAILING Editor M
2022 January 1

An elegant and powerful bluewater cruising catamaran with high-tech systems that make it comfortable for doublehanded sailing

When Bob Hayward, a successful American real estate developer, film studio co-founder and farmer, couldn’t find the perfect cruising catamaran, he had one built at Phil Harvey’s South African boat

Perry on Design

  • An American-built pilothouse cruiser keeps you out of the rain

  • This performance cruiser has Italian flair

  • Retro style but modern performance are the trademarks of this new cruiser

Advertisement
Advertisement