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2025 March 1

Hanse 360

This midsize cruiser has plenty of elbow room

By Robert H. Perry
It was about 5 a.m., I was awake and listening to the rain, thinking about my sailing reviews due later that morning. I began to think of all the production sailboats that were built in the U.S. in th
2025 March 1

Bavaria C46

A handsome cruiser has plenty of options

By Robert H. Perry
According to the Bavaria brochure, the C46 offers “ideal conditions for the ambitious sailor who values not only performance and easy handling, but also comfort and a sense of style.” The design i
2025 March 1

Beneteau First 53

Beneteau brings back its First line of racer-cruisers with the launch of the powerful and beautiful flagship

By Greta Schanen
In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Beneteau First cruiser-racers were winning regattas across the world. The popularity of multipurpose boats waned over the decades, with racing and cruising
2025 January 1

Cabo Rico 38

This classic cruiser has a go-anywhere offshore mentality

By David Liscio
Owners tend to wax enthusiastic about the Cabo Rico 38 cutter, attesting to its quality construction and ability to handle heavy seas during offshore passages. Mike and Linda Nixon of Sharpsburg, Geor
2024 November 1

Sun Odyssey 350

This cruiser has plenty of options for comfortable family cruising

By Robert H. Perry
For this review, I should save the surprise for the end, but why make you wait? About a month ago, around midnight, depending on the version of the story, I rolled out of bed and fractured my bac
2024 November 1

Swan 51

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

By Robert H. Perry
Nautor says, “The first Swan 51 represented a landmark in the inspirational evolution of the Nautor Swan brand.  Launched in 1981, the model marked the first collaboration between Swan and the
2024 October 2

Nautitech Open 48

A svelte cruising cat that has performance front and center

By Robert H. Perry
It will be fun to see what happens when we compare two catamarans with similar L/Ds using both hulls, and similar L/Ds using each hull individually, while reducing LOA by 9.62 feet.  The 48 Open
2024 October 1

Bali 5.8

This cruising cat’s palatial accommodations have sailors living in comfort

By Robert H. Perry
The Catana Group is launching its 14th Bali catamaran model, the 5.8, in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of the line. The promo blurb says “always bigger,” and I’m not going to argue with
2024 September 1

Outbound 5360

This raised saloon offshore cruiser offers comfort and performance

By Robert H. Perry
I first met Tim Kernan about 20 years ago when he was attending The Landing School of Boatbuilding and Design in Maine, taking its yacht design course. The students are required to complete an in
2024 September 1

Dufour 44

A family cruiser that has so many interior options there’s sure to be one to suit

By Robert H. Perry
Dufour is a French builder that has been around as long or longer than I have been designing. Its Arpege model was hugely successful and began life as a half-tonner. This new Dufour is aimed at the cr
2024 July 1

Hunter Vision 32

This recreational coastal cruiser is designed for effortless sailing

By David Liscio
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
2024 July 1

Elan Impression 43

An offshore cruiser with plenty of options for family cruising

By Robert H. Perry
The newest design in the Elan series of cruising boats is this Rob Humphreys-designed Elan Impression 43, which marks 20 years of Humphreys designs for Elan. The deck is designed by the Pininfarina st
2024 July 1

Cayman 28

This gentleman’s skiff takes you sailing fast and comfortable

By Robert H. Perry
Regular readers probably know that years ago Mark Mills was an intern in my office. He was fun to have around and really knew sailing. I would listen to him talking to my clients on the phone with his
2024 June 1

Rapido 40

This high-powered, high-tech cruising trimaran has speed to burn

By Robert H. Perry
Now for that contrast I mentioned earlier: The Rapido 40 designed by Morrelli & Melvin in southern California, is a high-performance, high-tech, folding trimaran built by Triac Composites in Ho Ch
2024 June 1

Wisp

A daysailer with a vintage vibe will turn heads in every anchorage

By Robert H. Perry
We have two very contrasting designs to review this month. The first is this very special design that I’ll call a “weekender” although there’s nothing to stop it from sailing out for a mo
2024 June 1

Solaris 44

This powerful performance cruiser exudes Italian style above and below deck

By Greta Schanen
It was a brisk autumn day, which also meant there was wind. That isn’t always the case on the Chesapeake Bay, and I was looking forward to sailing in the best conditions I’d seen all week. The day
2024 April 1

Tanton No. 309

This rugged pilothouse cutter can handle the rough stuff in comfort

By Robert H. Perry
When Yves-Marie, Chuck and I left Dick Carter’s tower in Nahant, Massachusetts, to try it on our own I don’t think either of us knew where the future would take us in the world of yacht design. We
2024 April 1

Full Circle 30

This small oceangoing cruiser can be built by DIY builders

By Robert H. Perry
It’s hard to find interesting designs for review these days. So this month I thought we’d try a little different approach. In early 1973 I quit my design job in Seattle, loaded my Peugeot wagon an
2024 April 1

Beneteau First 36

Beneteau’s latest midsize racer-cruiser gets the mix right

By Bob Pingel
The Beneteau First series has a long history and proud pedigree. Launched in the late 1970s, Beneteau First designs have collected wins all over the globe. Over time, the design ethos wavered a bit, b
2024 March 1

X4.9

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

By Robert H. Perry
This month we are going to look at a revamp of the X4.9. I’m not very familiar with the 4.9 but the promotional material I have does a good job of highlighting the changes and there are many. X-Yach
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Perry on Design

  • Tanton No. 309

    This rugged pilothouse cutter can handle the rough stuff in comfort

  • Full Circle 30

    This small oceangoing cruiser can be built by DIY builders

  • Sun Odyssey 350

    This cruiser has plenty of options for comfortable family cruising

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