Design and Technology

It seems like only yesterday that Bavaria introduced a completely revamped range of cruising boats, but in fact, the first boats in the Farr-designed Cruiser line, spanning 32 to 55 feet, made their debut nearly three years ago. This year we’re seeing a makeover of some of those boats, and the introduction of the second offering in the Vision line.

After 25 years of operation, cruising icon Herb Hilgenberg has decided to end his weather forecast and routing service, South Bound II Coastal, call sign VAX498. Since he started, Herb has become something of a structure in the East Coast and Caribbean cruising communities.

Richard Schwartz, Chairman and Founder of Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS,) has announced his retirement. Schwartz ran BoatUS for 47 years and will leave the association in the hands of BoatUS president Margaret Bonds Podlich.

Something has happened to the Strictly Sail component of the Miami International Boat Show over the last five years. Each February, I’ve seen a drop in the number of monohulls and an increase in the number and variety of multihulls. This year, I twice attempted to count the number of catamarans; each time I was distracted and lost track somewhere around the mid-20s. Granted, there were a few brokerage boats in there, but it was an impressive turnout nevertheless, with plenty of new models amongst the evergreens.

European builders are showing renewed interest in the American marketplace. Three boats from Croatian builder Salona Yachts made their U.S. debut at February’s Strictly Sail show in Miami, and now Elan Yachts, from neighboring Slovenia, has announced a push into North America.

After the tragic capsize of the Artemis Racing AC72 on May 9 that resulted in the death of team member Andrew “Bart” Simpson, the team, America’s Cup organizers and the San Francisco Police Department are working together to review the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Several of this year’s finest sailboats, powerboats, kayaks and daysailors, will debut at the SailQuest Boat Show at Milford Lisman Landing Marina in Milford, CT, from May 17-19.

French trimaran l’Hydroptère sets the bar pretty high when it comes to flying boats. Come summer 2013, her crew aims to break the Transpacific record, sailing from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

Just as the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis is the one essential showcase for American builders and importers, so the annual Boot show held in Düsseldorf, Germany, is the one event where all the big players have to exhibit their wares.