I think I’ll just quote from the Reichel-Pugh press release here: “A high-performance design for inshore and offshore racing. The briefing to the Reichel-Pugh team was to develop a flat-out racer that delivers the thrill of a high-performance design as well as the ability to capture podium positions.” 

 Here is a new boat from Elan, the first in the Gran Turismo series. The designer is Rob Humphreys, with some help from the Elan factory design team. In most cases you can read this as Humphreys did the hull, appendage and rig design, while the factory did the deck and interior. I quite like the look of the boat. The proportions are pleasant.Schedule

I like the term “pocket cruiser” but I have seen it applied to boats as long as 30 feet LOA. The new Sage 15, designed by Jerry Montgomery, would hardly belong in a group of 30-footers, so Sage is calling its new model a “micro cruiser.” I think that works. Schedule

This is the new Hudson Marine cat built in Xiamen, China. Xiamen is where my Flying Tiger boats were built. It is quite the yacht building center now. This new cat is aimed at high performance with an all carbon fiber build, deep daggerboards and a huge rig. Schedule

The sales brochure from 1989 pretty much sums up the Hunter 43 Legend, noting it was designed to exceed the requirements of sailors searching for performance without sacrificing comfort.Schedule

 At first glance, the 54 is an impressive boat. Its contemporary look is apparent in the plumb bow and a nearly flat sheer, and the raised bulwark reduces the visual height of the cabinhouse but accentuates the high freeboard. Overall, this gives the boat a strong modern look. ScheduleSchedule

 The new 24 is based upon the work done with the 18- and 27-foot Seascapes. Initial stability is high with a very broad stern and a chine. The L/B is 2.94 and the D/L is 63.36. As far as I can tell the LOA is the DWL as it doesn’t look like there are any overhangs on this boat. It is 100% sailing length. Schedule

 Here is a boat from a company in Florida that is very new to me. It’s a good-looking boat that would make a nice dual-purpose boat for a small family.Schedule

 I’m not sure why but right now there is a real interest in aluminum  production or semi-production yachts built in Europe. I like aluminum construction. It is, maybe even including wood, the prettiest of all the materials during the build stage with a shiny, smooth aluminum surface to all the structure. In some cases it is pure yacht eye candy. But aluminum has practical advantages too. ScheduleSchedule

 Clark Mills envisioned a trailerable boat that was easy to rig, simple to sail, and would draw just enough water to make it suitable for breezing across skinny water or spending the night in a gunkhole.ScheduleSchedule

Here is a very interesting design from Marc Lombard for the French company, Feeling. This is the first new boat I have seen from it in a few years. The promotional material says it could be a boat for “A circumnavigation in ultimate comfort.”
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Sometimes I whine about the absence of design documents in the review packages I get these days.  I want to see what the designer drew. Leave it to my buddy Kevin Dibley in New Zealand to knock me out by sending me an almost complete set of plans for his exquisite new 21-foot trailerable sportboat.     Schedule

 
 X-Yachts is introducing a third line of boats to complement  its Xp (performance) models and Xc (cruising) models. The range will be the X series and the first one will be the X6 followed by this X4 model at 41 feet LOA. I have been a fan of the X-Yachts models for many years. Its in-house design team does a great job with both styling and performance. The new X series will combine comfort and speed with the latest build technologies and exceptionally high-quality materials.Schedule

The Jeanneau 64—the French builder’s new flagship built in its state-of-the-art facility—and I go way back. I happened to be visiting the plant in late 2013 when the very first 64 was making its way down the production line. 

 This new Oceanis model from Beneteau makes a very good contrast to the J112E. The biggest difference is that J/112E might be more appealing to the skipper inclined to do some racing while the Oc

The Melges 24 may not have been the first “sportboat” but it sure kicked the design of sportboats in the pants good and hard. The gloves came off. The new 40, designed by Botin Partners Naval Architecture, appears to be an extension of the same all or nothing approach to a 40-foot one-design sportboat. That’s a lot of sport. 

Here is the latest J/Boats entry into the cruising boat field. I’m going to assume the design is a collaborative in-house effort like the other J/Boats. Many thanks to J/Boats for providing me with actual design drawings.  I have said this before in the reviews but the cruising boats that J/Boats has produced have always managed to echo my own thoughts on what the perfect cruising boat would be for me. They combine comfort, efficiency and style into a total design package that I find very appealing. It would work for me.

The Miami Boat Show is a catamaran sailor’s fantasy venue. Leading multihull manufacturers from around the world display not just their latest models, but in many cases their full range of boats. There’s no denying that spacious cruising cats with their mix of outdoor and indoor living spaces are ideal for tropical waters and the palm-tree-lined Miami setting is apropos. Every year we review at least one cat after the show and this year we chose the popular Leopard 44.