Finngulf Yachts has been building quick, sturdy performance cruisers for 25 years, but the company’s new 43-footer is the first to be designed by a well-known firm here in the States. Farr Yacht Design got the commission, and the result appears to be an excellent combination of style, performance, and good old-fashioned Finish sturdiness. The hull and deck are laid up with
The SB3 (stands for sportboat for three people), hugely popular in Europe, made its American debut at the Annapolis sailboat show earlier this month. It seems to have hit the elusive target that sportboat designers shoot fora fun, fast, durable, and reasonably affordable raceboat. To that end, theres some carbon used in the bowsprit and foils, but the rest of the boat uses tried-and-true
Not everybody can race an Open 60. But the Akilaria Class 40 thats making an appearance here in the States makes it possible for mere mortals to experience the exhilaration of sailing and racing a water-ballasted thoroughbred without necessarily needing a sponsor to foot a rather large bill. Its built to the French Class 40 box rule, which was created by a group of designers,
On a gorgeous autumn day, I found myself trimming the mainsheet aboard a Grand Soleil 37 during a race series in Annapolis. There couldnt have been a better way to test the sailing performance of this new boat from Italy.Though there are relatively few of this builders boats in the U.S., Grand Soleil is well respected among the cognoscenti here and in Europe. Its nicely
Click here to read a PDF version of this reviewMany of us would like to see the world from the deck of our own sailboats, but time, money, and long, slow offshore passages can interfere with that dream. Sailboats are efficient but slow, earning money requires time and roots, and crossing an ocean takes determination
Click here to read a PDF version of this reviewBack in 2004, Jeanneau caused quite a stir with the launch of its stylish Sun Odyssey 54 DS (deck saloon). Italian designer Vittorio Garroni had worked more with cars than boats when he came up with the fresh-looking 54 DS, and he wasnt bound by any conventional
Sitting at a table with designers and engineers in Miami, I have the sense of a futuristic adventure, akin to NASA in the 60s or Silicon Valley in the 80s. Their enthusiasm as they wax on about voltage levels, firmware, energy conversion, and interoperability is contagious. The unlikely source of all this is a catamaran, the Moorings 4300 Electric. In a Caribbean charter fleet
With its flat, plane-friendly Groupe Finot hull shape, dual rudders, square-headed full-batten main, and lifting, narrow-chord bulb keel, the Open 5.7 is obviously designed for the high-end of the performance spectrum. Its only 20 feet long, displaces merely 1,020 pounds (330 pounds are in the keel), and boasts a working sail area of 280 square feet. Off the wind the 5.7 carries a
(Click here for PDF version)This is not another sportboat designed to do nothing but scream downwind. The Rocket 22 is an update of the Gary Mulldesigned Pocket Rocket that has commanded a loyal following in the Pacific Northwest since the 1980s. Don Martins design brief was to use cutting-edge materials and insight to turn
Ive had a penchant for sailing on two hulls ever since I built a 26-foot racing micro-multihull some years ago. That boat routinely sailed at double-digit speeds but was frequently wet, so it was with some enthusiasm that I stepped aboard the considerably larger Broadblue 435 for a test sail on Chesapeake Bay. On deckThe 435 has plenty of deck space for walking
A UK startup is developing a 60-meter catamaran that will produce and store green hydrogen while sailing.
Making its U.S. debut at the Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show this weekend, the TEMO 1000 is the latest clever electric outboard from the French builder, powering sailboats up to 26 feet.
Chartering paves the way for a couple’s cruising dream.
“How far from my pulpit to the wall?”
Is single sideband radio still relevant in today’s Starlink world?
With fresh thinking and some risk taking, Lagoon creates a worthy successor to an immensely popular model.
In 2001, SAIL’s then executive editor, Charles Mason, awarded Garry Hoyt the magazine’s Industry Award for Leadership, noting his “insatiable desire to make sailing simpler,”
Whether you prefer digital or old school, charts do a great job of getting you where you need to go, and satellite images can provide
Adding low friction rings to your boat’s rigging repertoire can be a lighter, more affordable alternative to line management.
The winner of the CCA’s seamanship medal says that accepting the new reality during a sinking situation is critical to safety.
