Boat Reviews

If you want to see a dramatic example of how far monohull cruising boats have evolved in the past couple of decades, study the Saga 409 for a while. Its blister-coachroof/deck-saloon configuration opens up the interior and makes space for vital systems below while looking sleek from the outside. It has beautifully curved cherry bulkheads and doors that look as if they might

Internet forums are great for swapping tips on everything from where to anchor in Anchorage, Alaska, to finding an obscure part for a boat that’s no longer in production. Judging from the Flying Tiger 10-Meter forum on sailinganarchy.com, they also appear to be a great way to design and market a sportboat. And, of course, this boat is designed to a “box” rule—but the “box” is actually the size of

Forty years ago Michel Dufour dragged boatbuilding into the industrial age by being one of the first to design boats specifically for production building methods. The company came out of some recent financial troubles and launched a “new era” in 2003. Since then two parallel but carefully matched lines of cruising boats have been introduced.One is a group of performance

The new Corsair Sprint 750 represents a high-octane evolution of the successful Corsair 24. Its length and overall profile are similar to the 24’s, but over 100 pounds have been trimmed from the hull and the cockpit has been lengthened at the expense of some interior volume in the cuddy cabin. The cabin has a small double bunk and a place to put an optional porta-potty, but accommodations space

The 20-foot Eclipse by Com-Pac Yachts makes a strong case for the idea that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to be able to sail to your favorite anchorage, eat a hot meal, and sleep in a comfortable bunk. This trailerable coastal cruiser has all the right features—an easy-to-rig mast, simple sailing systems, a centerboard that reduces draft to 1 foot, 6 inches, and a

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

The mission was to create a true sailor’s boat for a family that had recently spent time cruising in a powerboat and didn’t want to give up what they liked about that—having a room with a view and steering from inside on rainy days. The mission leader was West Marine’s founder, Randy Repass. Repass wasn’t interested in having “just” a boat. Because his heart and his pocketbook belong to the world

It’s late morning on a hot and nearly windless day off Miami Beach, Florida, and the late-February sun is beginning to make the irregular swells look larger than they really are. But the undulating water still retains some of the power from a weather system that has long since moved on. Around us, sailboats are heaving and rolling randomly in the calms, their sails powerless to steady