Boats

Nautitech 441

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 26, 2012

In its original incarnation Nautitech was a captive catamaran brand belonging to Dufour Yachts. For over a decade now, Nautitech has operated independently and has steadily shifted its production focus away from the bareboat charter market and toward private owners and active family cruisers.

VX One Design

by Andrew Burton, Posted June 25, 2012

On a crisp early-fall day, designer and builder Brian Bennett unfurled the self-tacking jib on the VX One Design prototype and we moved to the weather side, feet under the hiking straps, pulling the boat upright and effortlessly accelerating in the puffy northerly. Feedback from the mainsheet and the tiller told me to ease the main a bit. My first thought was, “Brian’s got it right with this design!”

Seaward 46RK

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 25, 2012

It’s fitting that one of the most interesting big cruisers I’ve sailed in a long while came out of a small Florida yard that builds trailerable sailboats. No mass-production builder could have come up with the Seaward 46RK—it wouldn’t have got past the focus groups.

Hallberg-Rassy 372

by Adam Cort, Posted June 24, 2012

In his famous novella Typhoon, sailor and author Joseph Conrad pokes fun at a character named Capt. MacWhirr who is obsessed with the quality of the door handles on the steamer Nan-Shan.

Passport Vista 545 CC

by Tom Dove, Posted June 24, 2012

I have always admired Passport yachts for their beauty, performance and detailing, but stepping aboard the new Passport Vista 545 CC, SAIL’s 2012 Best Boat in the Flagship Monohull category, I felt an especially strong sense of déja vu. The boat not only shares a family resemblance to other Passports, but has the same hull and rig as the Passport 515 I sailed in 2008

Topaz CX14

by Meredith Laitos, Posted June 22, 2012

Weaving through the throngs of boats anchored off Annapolis, Maryland, on the 14ft Topaz CX14, I felt like a kid again—a really giddy kid who had just scored a ride on a the coolest boat in the harbor.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 and How We Test Boats

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 22, 2012

Shot from the largest and latest in Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey line, the 509, we bring you a stem-to-stern look at how the editors of SAIL complete a boat review. Follow Charles Doane on the 509 as you learn how we measure and make sense of a brand new sailboat.

Bavaria Cruiser 36

by Adam Cort, Posted June 21, 2012

It’s funny how quickly things that once seemed revolutionary can become the norm. Created by Farr Yacht Design and BMW Group DesignworksUSA, the Bavaria Cruiser 36 comes standard with an in-mast furling main, fixed hull ports to help light the interior and a sturdy drop-down swim transom.

Com-Pac CP 23 Pilothouse

by Tom Dove, Posted June 19, 2012

How could anybody not be smitten by the Com-Pac CP 23 Pilothouse? It's different from anything else on the market and is a departure for a Florida builder that has been turning out progressively larger vessels in recent years.

BayRaider 20

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 18, 2012

When SAIL’s judges were weighing the candidates for the 2012 Best Boats daysailer award, there was no dissension over the winner: the BayRaider 20 scored a unanimous thumbs-up for its blend of portability, performance, good looks, build quality and innovation.