Design and Technology

Back in 1935, the young Olin Stephens designed a 30-foot sloop called Babe. It was design #97 from his prolific pen, crafted to the rules of the Miami-Nassau race. Stephens drew a hull with a fairly plumb bow and squared-off stern, not at all in keeping with the ‘30s fashion of long overhangs on a short waterline.

Two weeks after declaring victory in its battle to defend GPS, BoatUS is cautioning sailors and other GPS users that they’re not “out of the woods just yet,” following a Federal Communications Commission decision to extend the public comment period on the issue to March 16.

Gunboat, manufacturer of high-end racing and cruising catamarans, announced the opening of its new boatyard in Wanchese, North Carolina. The company will employ 71 people at the new 30,000 square foot facility, from which it will be able to haul, launch, sea trial and service boats year round.

It’s a good bet that Starling Burgess, when drawing the lines for his 1934 America’s Cup defender Rainbow, never imagined that a new Rainbow would be almost ready to launch 77 years later. Or that a new version of his 1937 defender, Ranger, would be already sailing. But the J Class represents the epitome of beauty and elegance under sail, and because of that, the Js are back. Six

It’s a good bet that Starling Burgess, when drawing the lines for his 1934 America’s Cup defender Rainbow, never imagined that a new Rainbow would be almost ready to launch 77 years later. Or that a new version of his 1937 defender, Ranger, would be already sailing. But the J Class represents the epitome of beauty and elegance under sail, and because of that, the Js are back. Six

For over 30 years Bavaria Yachts has been producing good sailing designs at a very affordable price, helped in part by automated production facilities and unit volumes that have exceeded 3,000 a year. The latest model from the Bavaria design crew is this 45-footer with a three-cabin layout that includes an owner’s cabin forward and two cabins aft of the saloon. The owner’s cabin

Most boatbuilders haven’t escaped the economic malaise that’s infiltrated almost every area of activity during the past 18 months. And that’s why it is so nice to see Goetz Custom Technologies LLC, one of the best of the high-end builders, digging out nicely from problems that quickly follow when there’s a light order book. Goetz currently is not one but two 82 footers on the floor. One is a

Let’s face it: moving a wind-powered vehicle straight into the wind is no easy feat. Sailors have grappled with this problem for as long as sails and boats have been used in tandem, usually with limited results. Given enough tweaking, millions of dollars, and the best sails on Planet Earth, America’s Cup Class boats can sail tight, close-winded angles, but they still can’t sail dead to

They are starting to appear at many of the big boat regattas sailed off Newport, Cowes, Cannes, and other ports around the world. Often you see two or more running side by side under a cloud of sail to the finish as their crews strain to snatch every bit of power from the passing gusts and lulls. They’re not purebred racing boats; they’re the latest generation of performance