
Boat Review: Hunter 40
Hunter Marine—now known as Marlow Hunter—celebrated its 40th birthday and a recent change in ownership by introducing its latest mid-size cruising boat, the new Hunter 40,

Hunter Marine—now known as Marlow Hunter—celebrated its 40th birthday and a recent change in ownership by introducing its latest mid-size cruising boat, the new Hunter 40,

The Hanse 415 is superficially like a lot of new production cruising boats in the 40-foot range. It has a plumb bow, generous beam carried well aft, a comfortable cockpit, dual helms and a walk-through transom leading to a drop-down swim step. Like many new cruising boats today, it’s also designed to be fast and easy to handle. But as I found out during a test sail on Narragansett Bay last fall, not all 40-foot “performance cruisers” are created equal.

The sound of water rushing past the foils and propellers took on a note of urgency as Gemini’s Robin Hodges cranked in the genoa and pointed the Gemini Legacy 35 higher into the 10-knot breeze.

It’s good to be a multihull sailor these days. Advances in materials and design have not only revolutionized the market, but it seems the innovations just keep coming. Case in point: the Leopard 48, a boat that employs the latest in catamaran thinking to deliver a platform that is as fun as it is comfortable.

It’s not often that we here at SAIL get to test-sail production sailboats from Japan. Personally, this is the first one I’ve ever sailed, in a test or otherwise. It is a remarkable little vessel.

Although multihull innovation at the racing end of the spectrum gets the lion’s share of the press, no less of a revolution in design has been taking place among cruising multihulls: case in point, French multihull builder Fountaine Pajot’s new Hélia 44, a boat that in its own way is as cutting-edge as a carbon fiber racer.

It was déjà vu all over again. Motoring back to the dock at the end of the boat test, I couldn’t help noticing the distinctive lines of well-worn Tartan Ten sitting on the hard.
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 Aussie-bred McConaghy 38 takes skiff sailing adrenalin and repackages it in a low-slung sport boat that redefines the genre. It came as no surprise that our Best Boats team found little not to like about this 7,000lb, all carbon, elegantly Spartan sloop.
Since the moment of its inception in 1967, Nautor’s Swan has been the epitome of a Scandinavian boatbuilder—highly regarded for its traditional boatbuilding skills, its exquisite woodwork and cabinetry, and its exceptional attention to detail.

On September 15, 1835 HMS Beagle, with Charles Darwin on board for a five-year voyage as the ship’s naturalist, reaches the Galápagos Islands. During this

The 2026 Best Boats nominees highlight innovation, diversity, and design—offering something for every sailor and every adventure.

A major powercat brand is turning towards new horizons with the announcement of three new sailing cats to join their lineup.

I have a confession to make: I recently read one of John Kretschmer’s books for the first time. You’d think someone who’s made a career

As the summer winds down, a season change is in the air. Autumn? Nope, it’s boat show season. You’d think the SAIL editors would all

A drop-in sailing lifestyle is a reasonable alternative to cruising on your own boat.

Reserve your tickets now.

Ready or not, boat show season is upon us.

As the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival approaches its half-century mark, a look at past, present, and future of this Pacific Northwest classic.

Tracy Edwards led the first all-female circumnavigation during the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race and has been a bold advocate for women and girls ever since.