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2024 July 1

This recreational coastal cruiser is designed for effortless sailing

The Hunter Vision 32 has been described as a lazy sailor’s boat because it’s so effortless to sail. Key characteristics aboard this sloop mirror those found on earlier Freedom Yachts boats design
2022 January 1

This racer-cruiser makes for spirited club racing and great family cruising

When Canadian-born naval architect Rob Ball talks about favorites among the dozens of boats he designed for C&C Yachts, he lists the C&C 34+ racer-cruiser as one his best. During an October 20
2021 November 1

This family cruiser offers affordable amenities

During the late 1980s, recreational sailors began searching for cruising boats that were easy to handle and loaded with liveaboard comforts. Hunter Marine Corp. answered the call with several models,
2021 August 1

This beautiful classic continues to win races and the hearts of offshore cruising sailors

The origin of the celebrated Pearson Rhodes 41 can be traced back to the 1950s and construction of the Bounty II design, a cruising sloop designed by naval architect Philip Rhodes that was made of a p
2021 July 1

This midsized Canadian cutter is robustly built for bluewater passagemaking

More than 40 years after the first Cabot 36 cutter was built in Canada, the boats remain cherished by their owners and the stuff of dreams for sailors looking to purchase one.  Only 49 of these
2021 March 1

Robustly built, this traditional cruiser is made for bluewater sailing

If Gozzard Yachts had a mantra, it might be comfort and safety.  The late Canadian boat designer and builder Hedley “Ted” Gozzard harbored strong opinions on how a sailboat should be laid out
2020 October 1

When ‘Fast is Fun’ is designed to cruise, you get a swift passagemaker

There’s really no way to talk about the Santa Cruz 52 without stating the obvious: It’s fun to go fast. Bill Lee, who designed the SC52 along with several other sleek and speedy sailboats of varyi
2020 September 1

This full-keel ketch can take sailors across oceans in comfort and safety

Arthur H. Edmunds Jr., designer of the Allied Princess 36 ketch, spent most of his life drawing sailboats. After graduating from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and completing his military service, the P
2020 July 1

This reliable 40-footer shows off the best of its cruiser-racer heritage

The C&C 121 doesn’t resemble the venerable boats designed and built by C&C Yachts from the mid-1960s into the 1980s, but the sleek, 40-foot sloop is every bit as high quality as its predeces
2020 June 1

This classic Alden-designed ketch is seaworthy and beautiful

Naval architect John G. Alden never got to see his traditional Fuji 35 ketch make the jump from drafting table to boat-building production line. Alden was born in 1884 and died in 1962, eleven years b
2020 May 1

This well-built center-cockpit cutter can take you offshore in comfort

The center-cockpit Kelly Peterson 46 has sparked plenty of discussion among sailors who favor bluewater cutters, mostly because it’s often compared with its little sister, the popular Kelly Peterson
2020 March 1

This rugged racer cruiser has a loyal following, making this rare early C&C a desirable used boat

The Invader was launched in 1965 during the golden age of fiberglass boat construction. This recreational cruising boat was one of the earliest C&C designs built. The Invader was designed by Geor
2020 February 1

This rugged bluewater cruiser offers seakindly sailing and comfort

One of the ways to learn about the Corbin 39 is to read builder Marius Corbin’s story in his own words. On the verge of creating the boat of his dreams, Corbin founded Corbin les Bateaux Inc. in Can
2019 November 1

This classic Chuck Paine design is a capable offshore cruiser

When Morris Yachts launched the Chuck Paine-designed Annie 29 in 1980, it attracted plenty of attention in the sailing community. Its look was in sharp contrast to Paine’s double-ended designs, the
2019 September 1

A proven, long-range cruiser for two that is forgiving and economical

The seaworthy Downeaster 32 was designed by Bob Poole, who founded Down East Yachts in Santa Ana, California, during the fiberglass boatbuilding heyday of the 1970s. Poole was an East Coast native and
2019 August 1

This roomy, capable and well-built cruiser is ocean crossing ready

The Pacific Seacraft Orion 27 has been called many things, from an overbuilt floating apartment to the sort of boat an adventurous sailor might choose to sail around the world. During production in th
2019 May 1

This affordable coastal cruiser has plenty of room for entertaining

The Hunter design team was listening carefully to what potential buyers had in mind in the late 1990s when it came to building the ideal racer-cruiser, with an emphasis on the latter. The result was t
2019 March 1

A roomy pocket-cruiser that’s a breeze to sail

It’s not hard to understand why the original Cal 25 appealed to so many sailors. It was relatively inexpensive, easy to maintain, comfortable below deck and fun to sail. Jensen Marine built 1,848 of
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 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

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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