Boat Reviews

The Hanse 445

by Adam Cort, Posted November 10, 2011

This is a boat that violates nearly every traditional aesthetic value you can imagine. Yet somehow, the Judel/Vrolijk design office has managed to blend these elements into a yacht that is powerful looking and uniquely elegant.

Mystery 35

by Duncan Kent, Posted April 26, 2012

The Mystery 35 from UK-based Cornish Crabber Boats is a traditional, hand-built fast cruiser that hails from an era when seaworthiness, handling and ride comfort were more important than interior volume and cockpit space. The design brief given to renowned designer Stephen Jones was to create a boat that had the looks of a classic, the performance of a racer and adequate accommodations to enable her to be cruised extensively.

Tartan 4700

by Adam Cort, Posted April 25, 2012

Today’s performance-cruisers are faster than ever. But are they going to take care of you in heavy weather in the same way as those pre-IOR boats many of us grew up admiring? Fortunately, there are still builders and designers out there who are willing and able to combine the best of both old and the new in boats like the raised-saloon Tartan 4700.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44DS

by Adam Cort, Posted March 2, 2012

I tend to look askance at boats like the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44DS, under the assumption that dramatic styling and scads of space belowdecks leave little room in the design brief for performance. In the case of the 4DS, though, I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Impression 434

by Bill Springer, Posted February 28, 2005

Slovenia-based Elan Marine has established a presence with its line of Rob Humphreys–designed performance cruisers over the past several years, but the new Impression 434 by Elan is an entirely different animal. Unlike Elan's low-slung racer/cruisers, the 434 is aimed directly at the cruiser looking to reel off quick passage times while enjoying spacious

Bruckmann Daysailer 42

by Sail Staff, Posted August 10, 2005

Measuring in at over 42 feet long and displacing more than 17,000 pounds, the Bruckmann Daysailer is designed to be an easy-to-sail head-turner with graceful lines and long overhangs that’s equally at home on a harbor cruise or a weekend getaway. The final product seems to be up to the task. The light, stiff hull is a composite of Corecell, E-glass, and vinylester resin. The decks are

Seaward Eagle

by Sail Staff, Posted September 23, 2004

At 34 feet and 10,000 pounds displacement, the Seaward Eagle is one of the larger variable-draft coastal cruising monohulls you can haul and launch from a trailer with relative ease—and you can sail it with the keel at a variety of depths. It achieves shoal-draft status thanks to its 2,500-pound retractable bulb keel. An electric winch raises and lowers the keel within a keel trunk.

Harryproa Visionarry

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

Proas were all the rage back in the 60s when tacking your entire rig (shunting) was a small price to pay for the speed potential of a multihull that had the reduced wetted surface of one main hull and one stabilizing hull. As catamarans and trimarans continued to set speed records and become increasingly popular and easy to sail, it looked like the proa had gone the way of

Maximus

by David Woodley, Posted July 14, 2005

New Zealanders Bill Buckley and Charles St. Clair-Brown believe they have created the fastest and most innovative monohull in the world. Just as pedigrees count for a lot in the horse business, the 24-carat lineage of the new 100-foot carbon-fiber canting-keeled sloop is certainly impressive. Designed by Greg Elliott and Clay Oliver, both alumni of the team that created the current holder of

FastCat 305 Vector-K

by Sail Staff, Posted February 25, 2005

Who says cruising catamarans must be over 40 feet long to have accommodations? The FastCat 305 Vector-K is one of several new cruising catamarans that are now being imported by African Cats US. It's only 30 feet long, but its 18-foot beam frees up sufficient interior space to house three cabins and a comfortable six-seater saloon with wrap-around exterior views. Freeboard is