Sail Magazine

by Peter Nielsen

Peter Nielsen is SAIL’s Editor-in-Chief.

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Hallberg Rassy 372

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

Any cruising boat from the board of German Frers is certain to be a good performer under sail, and in its short life the Hallberg Rassy 372 has already won many admirers, along with a European Yacht of the Year award. It is the Swedish builder’s biggest aft-cockpit boat. hallberg-rassy.com SPECS LOA: 37ft, 3in LWL: 33ft,

Best Boats 2012: Jeanneau 379

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

This attractive midsize cruiser offers prospective owners a choice between a deep fin keel or a stub keel/centerboard configuration. It shares its bigger sisters’ new-look styling, complete with hull chines, and has a tall fractional rig. jeanneauamerica.comSPECSLOA: 37ft, 2in Beam: 12ft Displacement: 14,740lbs.

Best Boats 2012 Nominee: Mystery 35

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

Produced by Cornish Crabbers of Cornwall, England, the Mystery 35 is a recent arrival on U.S. shores. It’s a fast cruiser with traditional lines topsides and modern appendages beneath the waterline. cornishcrabbers.co.uk SPECS LOA: 35ft LWL: 25ft Beam: 10ft Draught: 6ft Displacement: 10,000lbs.

Best Boats 2012: Bavaria 36

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

The Farr-designed Bavaria 36 is a comfortable cruiser with an incredible amount of space belowdecks for its size. In-mast furling is standard, and an A-sail is available for light-air speed downwind. Wide side decks extend all the way to the transom, providing excellent footing when handling dock lines. Like the rest of Bavaria’s Cruiser series, the 36 comes standard with a large flip-down swim

Best Boats 2012: Hunter E33

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

After bringing a half-dozen new designs to market in 2011, Hunter Marine continues to upgrade its line of cruisers and daysailers with the new e33. The boat is vintage Hunter, with a stainless steel cockpit traveler arch, spacious accommodations belowdecks, a well thought-out cockpit and a B&R rig. The e33 also features the longer saloon windows and hull windows that have become a hallmark of the

Best Boats 2012: Bavaria 32

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

The smallest member of Bavaria’s new Farr-designed Cruiser series, the Bavaria 32 has a wide beam carried well forward and a full 6ft of headroom in the saloon. Careful styling, though, has produced a cruiser that looks good under sail, belying all that interior volume. The boat’s large, sturdy flip-down swim platform will serve up plenty of fun at anchor.

Best Boats 2012: Harbor 30

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 29, 2011

Here is a sweet-looking daydailer-cum-weekender that combines traditional good looks with the fine build quality that W. D. Schock boats are known for. The Harbor 30 has cozy accommodations for four, with an enclosed head/shower and a tidy galley. A fractional rig with self-tacking jib promises easy handling.

Best Boats 2012: J/70

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 26, 2011

The latest J/Boats design updates the venerable J/22 and offers something new as the company’s first ramp-launchable keelboat. This latest entry into the sport-boat market features a vertically lifting bulb keel, a carbon fiber single-spreader rig that flies a masthead A-sail and a large open-transom cockpit with dedicated stowage for an outboard motor.

Best Boats 2012: Marblehead 22

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 26, 2011

Built in wood/epoxy by Samoset Boatworks in Maine, this little beauty is designed by Doug Zurn. Its big square-topped mainsail is set on a freestanding carbon spar and wishbone boom, which really sets it apart from the crowd. samosetboatworks.comSPECSLOA: 22ft, 9in LWL: 18ft, 8in Beam: 6ft, 10in Draft: 3ft,

Best Boats 2012: RS Venture

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 26, 2011

The latest from the UK-based dinghy and performance-skiff manufacturer RS Sailing, the new 16-foot Venture dinghy serves equally well as a daysailer, trainer or club racer. The boat’s huge cockpit can fit a half-dozen people and includes storage space in a rear locker for an outboard engine. An internal ballast option provides additional stability, making the boat nearly self-righting should it