SAIL.SailMagazine

Along with the burgeoning popularity of catamarans comes the realization that there are nowhere near as many entry-level cruising cats as there are monohulls. If I want to buy a new 30- to 33-foot monohull for some unambitious, uncomplicated coastal sailing, then all of the major production builders have at least one model that would suit me.

A collaboration between Sparkman & Stephens and England’s Spirit Yachts, this “Super J” is adapted from the plans for Ranger, which defended the America’s Cup in 1937.

The Catana yard in the Catalan region of southern France has been building 47-foot cruising catamarans for more than a dozen years. The newly redesigned Catana 47 incorporates more carbon fiber than its predecessors and springs from an entirely new hull and deck mold, but retains the same distinctive profile, tall twin daggerboards, open helm stations and performance-oriented rig.

The RS Venture—one of a growing line of dinghies and sportboats from UK-based RS Sailing—has a great deal of space, boasting a huge cockpit that can carry up to 1,400 pounds of crew.

The Cruiser 32, smallest in Bavaria’s new line of family cruising boats, is one of the more ambitious boats I’ve come across recently. Like its larger sisters, it boasts a very modern hull form with a fine entry that carries lots of beam aft.