Beneteau’s flagship is an excellent example of the new generation of boats in the 50-60 foot range that are coming out of France. It looks great on the water, sails very well, is well built and nicely detailed, and has all the space above and below decks that you could reasonably want.
SAIL’s picks for the best performance boats of 2011_____________________________________________________________________________________ Alerion Sport 33
Beneteau has done a good job in recent years burnishing its racecourse mojo with its new generation of “First” series racer-cruisers. The very first, some will recall, was the 30.
Having long been interested in the concept of putting a parallel or “biplane” rig on a catamaran, I was very happy to have a chance to sail the new Radical Bay 8000 catamaran after the 2010 Annapolis sailboat show. The cool thing about sailing the boat was that I really had no idea what I was doing.
This versatile midrange boat from Poland can be ordered with single or dual wheels, deep or shallow-draft keels, or with a swing keel. There are three layout options, one of which has four sleeping cabins.
Over the last three years Beneteau has completely replaced its ageing First line of performance cruisers. The First 50 and 45, launched in 2008, were joined in 2009 by the First 40 and last year by the First 30 and 35. The Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed First 30 stole the headlines last year, which meant that it overshadowed its bigger (and in many ways as deserving of accolades) sister. Like
The flagship of Dufour’s Performance line up, the 45e promises speed and power in a package that’s also tailored for comfortable cruising. This Umberto Felci design has a tall, triple-spreader fractional rig and a choice of keels, the deeper of which gives her a draft of 7ft 6in.
SAIL’s picks for the best cruising multihulls of 2011_____________________________________________________________________________________Lagoon 450
This fast cruising cat from France looks sharp and reportedly performs well too. Twin wheels and a clever hard/soft bimini design are notable features. There are several layout options, and the yard claims to have kept weight down to enable a decent cruising payload to be carried.For more information on the Outremer 49, click
This impressive new offering from the French builder succeeds the long-lived 440. It is one big cat, over 25ft wide and with a cast interior fitted out in light woods to make the most of the sunlight filtering through the plentiful ports and windows.
Sahula rests at anchor just offshore of a deserted sandy islet and a comfortable swimming distance inshore of a fish-laden coral reef. Not another soul
While vacationing in West Cork, Ireland, in August, one of my goals was to spend some time sailing with Don Street. It says a lot
The sailing sisterhood was out in force on Labor Day weekend in Annapolis for the second Fleet 3 J/105 Women’s Regatta. Host Sailing Club of
Elan Yachts has created the second model in its cruising Impression line with an eye to the ultimate voyaging boat, with comfort, ease of use,
For those of us on smaller boats, it’s always a challenge to figure out how and where to place enough solar panels to power our
It’s about a two-block bike ride from Bill Pinkney’s house in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, to the marina where a 44-foot Norseman catamaran is moored. He
When talking shop among sailors or reading about safety at sea, ventilation is not a topic that comes up much. Evidently it’s secondary to things
Beneteau’s new 37-footer is the latest in the seventh generation of the French builder’s Oceanis line, which began in 1986. It updates the popular 38.1,
I had been at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis for a couple of days when I took a brief break from the 50-footers and
Steve Earley doesn’t sail like you and me. Example: One night, he and his 17-foot open boat, Spartina, were anchored in a cove near Crab
