Boats

Just Launched: New Rackam Wing 26 Heats Up the Market

by Peter Nielsen, Posted February 1, 2012

Recently launched boats boast of high-performance, luxury and quality that sailing enthusiasts can't miss out on. Think high-performance sub-30-foot racer/ cruiser multihull and you think trimaran. But the imminent arrival in the United States of the Rackam Wing 26 Xtreme could quickly change that.

Beneteau Sense 43

by Charles J. Doane, Posted January 24, 2012

This 43-foot offering doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as its big sister, the new Sense 50, but it does demonstrate that the Sense design concept can translate successfully into a significantly smaller hull.

The Farr 400: A wolf in wolf's clothing

by Ralph Naranjo, Posted January 10, 2012

The new Farr 400 is all predator, a no-holds-barred one design that can ghost through 5-knot holes and still stand tall in 25-knot gusts. As the heir apparent to the Farr 40, this all-carbon lightweight speedster reveals an up-tick in commitment to performance and an upgrade in the commitment to technology.

2012 Best Boats Winners

by Sail Staff, Posted November 21, 2011

Among this year’s 2012 Best Boats Award winners are a cat with two cockpits, another cat with two tillers, a variable-displacement daysailer and a pair of red-hot raceboats. Clearly it takes more than a little bad economic news to keep the boatbuilding industry down!

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Com-Pac CP 23 Pilothouse

by Tom Dove, Posted November 17, 2011

Among the many large, expensive sailing vessels at this year’s Annapolis show, the crowd-stopper was this diminutive 23-footer with a tall pilothouse. Something about it—perhaps the proportions, perhaps the novelty, perhaps the accessibility— made people pause, do double takes and smile.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Passport Vista 545 CC (Flagship: Monohull)

by Peter Nielsen, Posted November 17, 2011

Passport has been creating strong, beautifully detailed cruising boats at its yard in Xiamen, China, for 20 years and each new model evolves slightly from the previous one. Looking at the new Passport Vista 545 CC at Annapolis made us wonder if the factory locks a man inside the boat each night and gives him breakfast only after he has come up with some small improvement.

Best Boats 2012: Farr 400 One Design (Performance 30ft and Over)

by David Schmidt, Posted November 17, 2011

The Farr 400’s all-carbon construction, powerful sailplan and excellent deck and cockpit layout make it a convincing successor to the aging Farr 40. The 400’s lifting keel and two-part carbon mast (supported by EC6 standing rigging) also allow for cost-effective shipping in a 40-foot container, facilitating international competition.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Southerly 49 (Systems)

by Nigel Calder, Posted November 17, 2011

Britain’s Southerly Yachts has been building shoal-draft cruisers for decades, so the 49 has a serious pedigree. Designer Rob Humphreys also works for Oyster, so there is a generous splash of luxury in the 49’s detailing and accommodations.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: Outremer 49

by Charles J. Doane, Posted November 17, 2011

This quick cruiser from France was entered in last year’s Best Boats but never made it to the shows. It’s a handsome cat with twin wheels and a number of layout options to suit everyone from charter operators to world cruisers.

Best Boats 2012 Winner: The Bavaria Cruiser 45 (Cruising Monohull Under 50ft)

by Charles J. Doane, Posted November 17, 2011

The twin rudders on this beamy cruiser ensure excellent helm control even when hard on the wind at an aggressive angle of heel. The wide transom incorporates an enormous flip-down swim platform that is raised and lowered with an electric motor and will undoubtedly make you the envy of the anchorage.