Best Boats

Best Boats 2012 Winner: Outremer 49

by Charles J. Doane, Posted November 17, 2011

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.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Southerly 49 (Systems)

by Nigel Calder, Posted November 17, 2011

Britain’s Southerly Yachts has been building shoal-draft cruisers for decades, so the 49 has a serious pedigree. Designer Rob Humphreys also works for Oyster, so there is a generous splash of luxury in the 49’s detailing and accommodations.

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Catana 50

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 30, 2011

Light weight and good performance are hallmarks of the Catana line. This sporty new 50-footer benefits from the liberal use of carbon fiber, which allows laminates to be made thinner yet stronger. catana.com SPECS LOA: 49ft, 11.6in Beam: 26ft Displacement: 27,400lbs. Draft: 9ft, 8in Sail area: 1076sq ft,

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Hanse 495

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 30, 2011

Continuing the trend begun by last year’s Hanse 545, the Hanse 495 combines comfort below with performance underway, while a retractable bow-thruster—part of the boat’s SMS (Smart Mooring System)—makes tying up at the end of the day a snap. The boat’s twin helm stations and low cabin trunk create excellent sight lines, while the drop-down swim step provides a great platform for cooling off in an

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Fluid 550

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 30, 2011

Yet another new arrival from South Africa, the Fluid 550 is available with either fixed keels or daggerboards, and has a pair of sheltered helm stations. It falls into the luxury catamaran niche and is packed with interesting features, like a built-in soft enclosure for the cockpit. fluidyachts.com SPECS LOA: 40ft, 8in LWL:

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Lagoon 560

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 30, 2011

An imposing yacht from any angle, Lagoon’s latest cruiser offers the interior space of a 75ft monohull and the deck space of a small aircraft carrier. Okay, so that’s an exaggeration. What’s not is the luxurious standard of cruising comfort offered by boats like this. cata-lagoon.com SPECS LOA: 56ft LWL: 54ft Beam:

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Swan 66FD

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 30, 2011

The Swan lineage is immediately recognizable in the sleek form of this new luxury performance cruiser from the legendary Finnish builder. The deck plan is deceptively simple and incorporates a huge “lounging” cockpit ahead of the working area. nautorswan.com SPECS LOA: 66ft LWL: 56ft, 5in Beam: 17ft, 8in Draught:

Best Boats 2012 Nominees

by Peter Nielsen, Posted September 7, 2011

Last year, more than 40 new boats made their U.S. debuts at the fall boat shows in Newport, Rhode Island and Annapolis, Maryland. That was a fine effort from an industry that was hit hard by recession. It’s also the kind of effort that’s hard to sustain, which makes this year’s cast of 41 newcomers all the more impressive.

Best Boats 2012: Jeanneau 439

by Peter Nielsen, Posted September 8, 2011

Continuing the new styling introduced with the smart-looking 409 last year, the 439 is a fast and well-mannered family cruiser that also promises enough fizz for rewarding PHRF acing. The Philippe Briand design has a bright, well-thought-out interior layout and a deck plan that’s optimized for ease of handling.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The VX One Design (Performance 30ft and Under)

by David Schmidt, Posted November 17, 2011

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.