Some boat builders are responding to these unsettling economic times by launching smaller, more affordable boats, but the folks at Gunboat are charging full steam ahead. Maybe that’s because these guys are one of only a few companies that build all carbon cruising cats and the only ones with fully enclosed bridge deck saloons—and crazy speed potential.
Youve got to tip your cap to the folks at Island Packet. They know their market. If youre looking for a lightweight, fin-keel cruising boat with a sporty feel and a big cockpit, there are many to choose from. But if youre looking for a new solid, moderate-displacement, full-keel cruising boat that will look after you, chances are an Island Packet will be one of the few boats on your very short
All new designs from Catalina Yachts can trace their pedigrees back to the first boats Frank Butler built in California just as fiberglass-boat building was taking off. The newest, the Catalina 375, is one of them. In coming up with a successor to the legendary Catalina 36, Catalinas long-time in-house designer, Gerry Douglas, had his work cut out for him. How do you improve on a design that has
Octobers Annapolis Boat Show opened as Wall Street experienced one of the biggest sell-offs in history. With the scary economic news, it was easy to think that many people would put off investing in a new boat. That idea went out the window as VIP Thursday appeared to be more crowded than ever. Instead of panicking, sailors seemed to be turning to sailing, much as they did after 9/11as a
Im always impressed when a boat design shows you can teach an old dog new tricks. Thirty-one-foot coastal-cruising designs have been around since builders started using fiberglass to build hulls, so its easy to think that its all been done before. But the new Beneteau 31 has innovative solutions and incremental changes that have a positive effect on comfort, functionality, aesthetics, and
Get close to the Dean 441 and open a bundle of surprises. From a distance, it could be just a typical mid-size catamaran with more mast rake than most, but once youre aboard youll see a boat thats totally different in both design and execution.The accommodations can be customized to suit the owners needs, and the hull, rig, and systems are built to thrive at sea. Since every
Kaidoz 31Some of the most innovative boat designs and concepts come out of France, and here is a fine example. The Kaidoz 31 has the rig of a hotshot racer, a hull design that gets it planing at 16 knots or more, and an accommodation plan thats unlike anything Ive seen on a monohull sailboat.The twin rudders, torpedo-shaped ballast bulb slung from a skinny keel, huge rig,
There’s a whole lot more here than headroom and easily handled sailsThe hull form is sleek and sophisticated, the eyebrows above the ports denote competence and self-worth, and some of the accessories belowdeck are fine leather. The Beneteau First 50 starts with style, but it carries through with performance. An owner looking for a fast cruiser, an occasional racer, and/or a
A fixed windshield and teak deck create a familiar Scandinavian look, but the Najad 355 appears sleeker than many offshore cruisers. “It attracts the younger crowd with a little higher performance, contemporary style and interior, and a racy look,” said broker Rob Robinson. CONSTRUCTIONThe hull carries a flat underbody and a fine entry that flares gracefully into a moderately
Many of today’s boats are designed to be both quick and comfortable, and X Yachts continues to stake its claim in the performance-cruiser market. The X-34 is light, nimble, and sturdy, as I learned firsthand during several hours of thrashing into a stiff 17-to-20-knot headwind and steep chop on a recent 50-mile test sail/delivery.CONSTRUCTIONThe hull and deck are built
Kirsten Neuschäfer, a South African whose life as a sailor has practically defined the word “adventure,” today won the 2022-23 Golden Globe Race, becoming the
Early on the morning of April 27, Holcim-PRB dismasted off the coast of Brazil. The IMOCA 60 was in just days into Leg 4 of
After 32 years of operation, Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB) is moving. Six years, countless volunteer hours, persistent efforts working with state, county, and local
It’s been a minute since I’ve done any serious voyage planning. Even saying that is sort of sad, but I’ve been filling my sailing days
In 2020, 30-year-old Clarisse Crémer set off on one of the most ambitious feats in sailing—the Vendée Globe. Alongside 32 other competitors, she left Les
Chances are you’ve been at the boatyard or marina lately, hovering hopefully as you wait for your boat to get back in the water, checking
Usually when people ask me how I learned to sail, I answer that I taught myself. And this is true to a large extent. No
It happens in a moment of weakness. Perhaps my wife is distracted, perhaps she buckles under the gray of the winter sky. Even though Danielle’s
Video by Elena Patriarca Most of the multihull world seems driven by the concept that bigger is always better. But with its new 38-foot Catsmart,
The Cruising Club of America (CCA) is a collection of 1,400 ocean sailors with extensive offshore seamanship, command experience, and a shared passion for making
