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2019 January 1

The Hylas 48 is a robust offshore passagemaker tricked out with creature comforts, sophisticated systems and a seakindly nature

It’s not every day that you sail with a Boston terrier as a bo’sun, which made it a nice surprise when Bikini peeked her head out of the cockpit as I boarded the brand-new Hylas 48 at Mears Marina
2019 January 1

This pocket cruiser and popular club racer is built for speed and comfort

Opinions vary widely when talk turns to the Tanzer 26, the Canadian-built masthead sloop that was popular in 1970s and 1980s. Some sailors contend the recreational sailboat offers just about everythin
2018 November 1

With a Down East bloodline, this cruiser can also make the most of sunny Caribbean sailing

The Hinckley Sou’wester series goes back many years to when I was a kid. It would be difficult to draw a line from the old Sou’westers of the 1970s to this modern Bill Tripp-designed Sou’wester
2018 November 1

This rugged, comfortable cruiser has plenty of performance to make quick passages

I think it’s safe to say that Hylas is the longest running, that is to say continuous production sailboat builder in Taiwan today. I first visited that yard, Queen Long, in the late 1970s. It w
2018 October 1

A diminutive sturdy cruiser that is capable of mighty bluewater passages

If there was ever a question about whether the Southern Cross 28 is bluewater capable, Donna Lange’s two solo circumnavigations aboard the compact cutter surely answered it. Lange sailed her 1982 In
2018 October 1

A handsome cruiser that will shine in the charter market or favorite cruising grounds

This new Hanse model comes from the design office of Judel/Vrolijjk and Co. That’s a pretty good pedigree to start with. The design appears to be a big, comfy cruiser in the Euro style that would be
2018 October 1

This small, attractive cruiser has plenty of options to suit every need

This new Sun Odyssey model from Jeanneau was designed by the company’s in-house design team. It has a wide variety of options including a swing keel so there should be one overall configuration that would suit your sailing needs.
2018 September 1

This Swedish design is a practical family cruiser and formidable racer

I walked out of the grocery store with my cart and headed for my usual parking area and my white SUV. I opened the tailgate and immediately noticed Ruby, my dog and constant companion, was missin
2018 September 1

This new daysailer checks all the boxes in the traditional spirit category

Overhangs are in vogue these days. One of my neighbors inherited his mother’s car. The car is for sale. It’s a 1970 Cadillac Coup deVille, vomit green with a black vinyl top. It has to be the long
2018 September 1

Foil-assisted racing is coming to a yacht club near you

My cronies are beginning to whine. “What happened to the boats you could race or cruise with your family?  But to me as a designer I like to see just how far design elements can be pushed befo
2018 September 1

With indoor-outdoor living spaces, the new Seawind 1260 is a cruising cat that offers speed and seaworthiness

Afresh trade breeze was gusting across Florida’s Biscayne Bay and we unfurled the screecher to make the most of it. The sail filled and the Seawind 1260 picked up the pace as we headed toward Miami.
2018 July 1

A seaworthy pocket-cruiser that is a perfect project for the home builder

I  have been following the design work of John Welsford for some time now. His SCAMP design caught my attention and it has become quite a popular class in the Pacific Northwest. It’s hard not to like pocket-cruisers but so many of them appear to me to be “toy boats” and not the kind of boat I would want to sail. John’s designs escape this type and are capable little vessels that perform well and are aesthetically very satisfying. I pestered John for one of his designs to review and he finally broke down and sent me the drawings for his Pelegrin 17-footer. John’s designs are aimed at the home builder so design details are simple but effective.
2018 July 1

This new French cruiser has a beautiful deck design and commodious accommodations

I have been aware of the Dufour line of boats for longer than I can remember. I even sailed a Chicago-Mackinac race 44 years ago on a Dufour Arpege. We were the slowest boat in the race. But that’s another story. This new Dufour, an Umberto Felci design, is a great example of the extreme proportions that Europeans are using in order to get maximum accommodations into a given LOA.
2018 July 1

A unique cruiser that is made for fun in the sun and Jimmy Buffett

This new boat from designer Ted Fontaine and built by Pacific Seacraft in North Carolina has been getting a lot of attention lately. This could be due to the fact that hull No. 1 was built for singer
2018 June 1

A way-out-of-the-box cruising catamaran has no speed limit

Vlad Murnikov and I have been friends for many years. I met Vlad shortly after he set up shop in the U.S. following his 1989 Whitbread Round the World Race adventure on Fazisi, an 82-foot radical offs
2018 June 1

This offshore cruiser meets the demands of the Pacific Northwest and its curmudgeonly owner

When design commissions slow down I like to keep working so I pass the time being my own client and drawing what I think I would like. Recently, when I had some time on my hands, I took my 43-foot car
2018 May 7

This new Swedish cruiser has a lot packed into 40 feet

This new Najad is promoted as a “mini superyacht.” That sounds ambitious with 39 feet 4 inches of LOA.  The design is from the Farr office with styling by Ken Freivokh. Most of you will be u
2018 May 1

New flagship for the Oceanis line has speed and comfort in a stylish package

The Oceanis 51.1 is the new queen of the Beneteau Oceanis series. The design is by Berret-Racoupeau Yacht Design with deck and interior by Nauta Design. This is a big boat and it comes with enough opt
2018 May 1

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449: Taking ergonomics to the next level with walkaround side decks and an innovative interior packed into a powerful hull, this new cruiser is challenging the status quo

You can’t ask for better weather conditions for a boat test. It was 85 degrees with an east-northeast 18-knot wind blowing across Biscayne Bay as I walked out the Key Biscayne Yacht Club docks. All
2018 May 1

A weekender with a surprisingly roomy interior

We don’t get too many boats to review from Poland but here is a new 24-footer from the Northman Shipyard. The designer is Jacek Daszkiewicz, who is part of an in-house design team at the yard that u

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

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