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2015 April 1

A blend of design elements makes this cruiser handsome and fast

Alain Mortain and Yannis Mavrikos designed this new 44- foot model, produced by Privilege Marine, and I liked this design the moment I saw it. I find all the proportions pleasing to my eye. The aim of the design is a fast cruising boat with a nice balance of speed and comfort. 
2015 March 1

This hard topped daysailer has a sweet, sweeping sheer and an easy-to-sail rig

I  live in the Pacific Northwest, and do everything in the rain, and  it does not bother me. The sun bothers me. When I saw this  new design from my buddy Paul Waring and his partner Robert  Stephens I thought, "Perfect! I can get out of the sun." 
2015 March 1

Domination of the IRC fleet is the goal for this no-compromise racer

One of the fun things about reviewing a Mark Mills design is that I get to Skype Mark and chat with him for an hour. Mark was not shy about explaining the details of his latest work to me. In this case, it's his exciting new 38-foot 9-inch IRC racer now being built in Turkey at the Gurit yard.
2015 March 1

Interior volume and a great layout define this family cruiser

My Danish friend Tom came up with the "bloated tennis shoe" description for some kinds of yacht styling. He recently described a boat to me as looking like "the box the boat came in." 
2015 February 1

This lifting-keel performance cruiser will satisfy the need for comfort and speed

It’s nice to get real designer drawings from Kevin Dibley. The drawings are expertly produced and a clear sign that Kevin loves his work. Kevin calls this sailboat a performance voyager. 
2015 February 1

Classic-looking on the outside, this cruiser is a modern design built for bluewater sailing

I have been a fan of the Rustler series for years. They are so English. The company’s style is in contrast to what my buddy Tom calls the “Euro bloated tennis shoe” look. 
2015 February 1

This catboat is a pugnacious daysailer and an American icon

The most fun reviews I do are of the boats I would like to own myself. I sure like this catboat. It would be the perfect boat for me to introduce my grandchildren to sailing. 
2014 December 1

This svelte-looking performance cruiser has some speedy options

This great looking boat is a Judel/Vrolijk design built by Dehler Yachts. The vertical stem and transom give the boat a very strong look. Of course we see this in almost all the new boats but with 46
2014 December 1

The versatile 35-footer aims to maximize accomodations

 The Beneteau Oceanis 35 designed by Finot-Conq appears to be a very versatile design aimed at hitting a wide segment of the market. There is a daysailer model, a weekender model and a cruiser mo
2014 December 1

A strong deck design makes Bavaria's latest boat a sailor's cruiser

This new model from Bavaria was designed by the Farr office in partnership with Design Unlimited. I’m not exactly sure who designed what but I think it’s safe to assume that the hull, appendages a
2014 November 1

Performance cruiser

Judel/Vrolijk is the design name behind this new Varianta model, built as an entry boat for the Hanse line. It’s a clean-looking boat with modest styling, and it is a little more conventional lookin
2014 November 1

Performance cruiser

This new Elan model was designed by Rob Humphreys in the UK with an interior design by Gigo Design. I’ve been a Humphreys fan for many years. His designs always appeal to my eye, and he has a very g
2014 November 1

Cruiser

I like the look of this new Marlow-Hunter. To my eye, the look combines European-styling elements with U.S.-style proportions. I find it a good look and well done considering the volume they were
2014 October 1

Daysailer

In my perfect world it’s always 9:30 Sunday morning, about 65 degrees and a little sunny. I am finishing washing my big, dark Mercedes, while listening to Bach’s “Matthew Passion” on CBC2’s
2014 October 1

One-design racer

Here’s a boat designed by my old friend Mark Mills that has a lot of people talking. The first boat is sailing and so far there have been big smiles all around. This new boat enters a tough niche in
2014 October 1

Cruiser-racer

The RM890 is a very interesting Marc Lombard design built by RM Yachts of France. One of the most interesting features of this boat is that it is built with plywood and epoxy using a multichine hull f
2014 September 1

Cruiser-racer

Now for the dessert. This new Jim Taylor design is a good example of my idea of “classic proportions,” but I’m limited by my jingoistic North American taste in yachts, and I’m not sure there is much I can do about that.
2014 September 1

Cruiser

Philippe Briand and Andrew Winch designed this new Jeanneau. I suspect the interior is by Winch and the rest by Briand. Jeanneau Design is also listed, and I would guess it did much of the deck styling. The brochure says it was designed with “classic proportions,” but to my eye this design is thoroughly modern and very much in the dominant style of European yachts today. Do I like it? Sure I do; it’s sleek and sexy looking, but it’s not my definition of “classic.”
2014 September 1

Racer-cruiser

The new Xc 35 from X-Yachts is the smallest in the company’s line of cruising boats. The design work is by Niels Jeppesen, and he is a favorite designer of mine. My take is that the 35 is a hot rod-style family cruising boat. I like everything about it from the shapely stem profile to the traditional rake of the transom. This is a good-looking boat.

Perry on Design

  • Carrying on the tradition of Nautor Swan, this cruiser takes a modern twist

  • This cruiser has plenty of options for comfortable family cruising

  • A svelte cruising cat that has performance front and center

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