SAIL.SailMagazine

This quick cruiser from France was entered in last year’s Best Boats but never made it to the shows. It’s a handsome cat with twin wheels and a number of layout options to suit everyone from charter operators to world cruisers.

South African builder Robertson and Caine consistently hits the mark with its cruising/charter cats, designed by American firm Morrelli & Melvin. The new 44 combines practicality, volume and decent performance in a capable-looking package.

The BayRaider 20 may look traditional with her ketch rig and saucy sheer, but she is very much a modern boat, with features like a self-draining cockpit and a water ballast system to help tailor performance to your particular sailing needs.

From the same design team that brought the world the Viper 640 comes a new sport boat configured for two- and three-person racing. The boat is designed to be both affordable and accommodate a wide range of experience levels.

Britain’s boatbuilding industry is a shadow of what it was back in the 1970s and 80s, but a handful of boutique yards still thrives around its shores. One such is Northshore Yachts, whose Southerly range has survived four decades of the boom-and-bust cycles that saw once-mighty production brands tumble.