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2019 May 1

Beauty and brawn

The latest French-designed, American-built cruiser has plenty of power in a stylish package

By Greta Schanen
Beneteau has long had the ability to put the go-fast into sailboats, with many of the boats in its First line winning offshore and inshore races. It even launched the foiling Figaro 3. Cushy comforts
2019 May 1

Ventura 2300

Trailerability is the key to this motorsailer

By Robert H. Perry
Here is a trailerable pocket cruiser that is built in Ventura, California, and designed by Heraldo Ruesch. It’s a lot of boat in 23 feet and has been designed to perform both under sail and with a l
2019 May 1

Corsair 880

This new folding racer- cruiser is primed to take over the title of most popular trimaran from its predecessor

By Robert H. Perry
Without a doubt, the Corsair F27 has been the most popular trimaran design of all time. It’s in the Sailboat Hall of Fame. But the Corsair group thought it was time to replace that model and has com
2019 May 1

J/99

This sexy offshore racer-cruiser has plenty of power for racing combined with simple cruising comfort

By Robert H. Perry
The latest sportboat from the J/Boats crew is this J/99 designed by Alan Johnstone. It follows on the tremendous success of the J/121 and J/112E models. It’s a hot rod but it has comfortable accommo
2019 April 1

Empowerment 52

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 April 1

Leopard 50L

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 April 1

Lagoon 46

This cleverly designed catamaran is ready for cruising

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 March 1

Oceanis 30.1

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 March 1

Amel 60

This French cruiser sets a unique course for offshore sailing

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 March 1

Cal 25-2

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

By David Liscio
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 March 1

Packing a big punch

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 319 is a new entry-level cruiser that packs all the best of a big cruiser in an affordable package

By Greta Schanen
The test boat came with the standard stainless steel bow roller, but the 319 is available with an optional sprit to fly an asymmetrical spinnaker or code zero. The new Sun Odyssey 319 sails into
2019 February 1

Swan 54

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 February 1

Expedition Yacht Qilak 2

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

By Robert H. Perry
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’
2019 January 1

Xp 55

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 January 1

Tartan 395

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

By Robert H. Perry
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
2019 January 1

Made for the sea

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

By Greta Schanen
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

Tanzer 26

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

By David Liscio
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

Sou'wester 53

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

By Robert H. Perry
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

Hylas 48

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

By Robert H. Perry
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

Southern Cross 28

A diminutive sturdy cruiser that is capable of mighty bluewater passages

By David Liscio
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
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