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Perry on Design
2019 April 1 - 12:00 am

This cleverly designed catamaran is ready for cruising

To a monohull sailor, cruising cats can look awkward. But there is a lot of square footage to their footprint and different aesthetic standards need to be applied. I see a lot of interesting styling t
Perry on Design
2019 April 1 - 12:00 am

Good looking and comfortable, this cruising catamaran provides excellent performance for island sailing

Let’s see what the Leopard group can do with 50 feet of LOA. Design work was done by  Simonis & Voogd Yacht Design for the hull and rig. Interior and exterior styling is by Robertson and Ca
Perry on Design
2019 April 1 - 12:00 am

A catamaran designed to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act gets its owners back on the water

I don’t often review “conceptual designs.” But in looking for something out of the ordinary to review I think this new project of mine deserves to be considered. Let me start by showing you
Perry on Design
2019 March 1 - 12:00 am

This French cruiser sets a unique course for offshore sailing

Here is a beautiful new 60-footer from Amel that comes just two years after it introduced the Amel 50. It’s a handsome design in the contemporary Euro style from the office of Berret-Racoupeau Yacht
Perry on Design
2019 March 1 - 12:00 am

This entry-level family cruiser has packed in everything for fun sailing

Here is a very interesting 30-footer—its actually 29 feet 6 inches—from Beneteau for its Oceanis series. The design is by Finot-Conq with an interior design from the Nauta Design studio. This
Perry on Design
2019 February 1 - 12:00 am

If cruising to the ends of the Earth is your goal, this is your boat

Here is an interesting design from Owen Clarke specifically designed for high-altitude cruising. I think that means you will need a very durable boat that will keep you safe, warm and protected. It’
Perry on Design
2019 February 1 - 12:00 am

Straight from Finland, the latest elegant family cruiser is teeming with comfort and high style

I think anything that comes out of the Nautor’s yard in Finland is interesting. But this new Frers designed Swan 54 is truly beautiful. If you go back to the early 1970s you’ll find what I co
Perry on Design
2019 January 1 - 12:00 am

This family cruiser has classic American styling and plenty of creature comforts

In a bold and rare move, Tartan designer Tim Jackett broke with the accepted Euro-styling movement and designed a new boat with classic American yacht proportions. Good on  ya, Tim.  I rea
Perry on Design
2019 January 1 - 12:00 am

A big fast cruiser that has everything you need to sail in comfort and style

The new Xp 55 from X-Yachts has far more features than I can describe given my word limit. I guess it would be a cliché to say “they have thought of everything” but it seems that is the case. Wit
Perry on Design
2018 November 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 November 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 October 1 - 12:00 am

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.
Perry on Design
2018 October 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 September 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 September 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 September 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 July 1 - 12:00 am

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
Perry on Design
2018 July 1 - 12:00 am

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.
Perry on Design
2018 July 1 - 12:00 am

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.
Perry on Design
2018 June 1 - 12:00 am

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

Perry on Design

  • This folding trimaran for fun cruising offers plenty of options

  • The redesign of a popular 50-foot cruiser offers better performance and more comfort

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

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