Boats

X-35

by Sail Staff, Posted May 3, 2005

Danish builder X-Yachts is set to debut its new X-35 One Design later this year, but don’t be fooled by the "One Design" label. It's more than just a 35-foot one-design racer. Like lots of new launches these days, it's designed to be sporty, easy to sail, and comfortable belowdecks.Strict one-design rules have been established to foster fleet development for those who want to race, but the

Perry 57

by Sail Staff, Posted May 3, 2005

A market is often the mother of invention. According to Australian cruising-catamaran designer and builder Bryan Perry, "A number of people saw the Perry 43 and liked it. They said they wanted something bigger along the same lines." So he checked on what was already available and came up with the Perry 57 to scratch the itch of his potential customers. The resulting design is 57 feet long and

TomCat 9.7

by Tom Dove, Posted March 29, 2005

The TomCat 9.7 was a splendid surprise at the Annapolis boat show. Walking through, I checked off my key points for a 32-foot cruising cat. Marina-friendly beam—check; twin four-stroke outboards—check; open interior space—check; shoal draft—check; neat construction—check. During my test sail, I found that the solutions Ted Strain has implemented to maximize interior space and sailing

J/100

by , Posted March 29, 2005

As first impressions go, J/100 hull number two stood out in fine company moored off the New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court facility in Newport, Rhode Island. From shore I sized up the boat lying still at her mooring—plumb bow, clean and simple deck, wide-open cockpit, narrow blue hull, and rakish lines. But how would this new daysailer go? The boat's prime harbor

Harmony 42

by Sail Staff, Posted March 29, 2005

In spite of all the advances in boat-building techniques over the years, hull and deck layup on boats over 25 feet has always been a labor-intensive, hands-on process. SCRIMP, resin infusion, and vacuum bagging have gone a long way toward reducing harmful styrene emissions and providing superior resin saturation, but these layup techniques still depend heavily on skilled workers. When Olivier

Dufour 385

by Sail Staff, Posted February 28, 2005

Ever since Dufour Yachts was purchased by Cantiere del Padro several years ago, older Dufour designs have been systematically replaced with newer, more stylish models. Italian designer Umberto Felci first drew new 34-, 40-, and 44-foot performance cruisers, and now he's turned his eye to a new 38-footer that is the first in Dufour's revamped cruising line. The

Impression 434

by Bill Springer, Posted February 28, 2005

Slovenia-based Elan Marine has established a presence with its line of Rob Humphreys–designed performance cruisers over the past several years, but the new Impression 434 by Elan is an entirely different animal. Unlike Elan's low-slung racer/cruisers, the 434 is aimed directly at the cruiser looking to reel off quick passage times while enjoying spacious

Sabre 386

by Charles J. Doane, Posted February 28, 2005

Since its founding by Roger Hewson more than 20 years ago, Sabre Yachts has excelled at building boats under 40 feet. The old Sabre 28 is certainly one of the best pocket cruisers ever marketed, and Hewson himself often asserted that the company's core boats were its 36-footers. I personally have always favored the Sabre 38, both the Mark I and Mark II models, built

Dibley 23

by Sail Staff, Posted February 28, 2005

Colorado may not be the first place you'd look for a builder offering a new trailerable sportboat, but Watershed Sailboats is indeed in Colorado. The Dibley 23 is a trailerable sportboat Watershed is building with New Zealand–based designer Kevin Dibley of Dibley Marine. Dibley worked closely with Watershed founder Tim Reiter to develop a trailer-friendly design

Melges 17

by Sail Staff, Posted February 28, 2005

With active fleets of M, C, A, and other scows racing on the Great Lakes, why are the folks up in Zenda, Wisconsin, at Melges Performance Sailboats introducing a new scow class? "We're presently losing a lot of our young sailors once they graduate out of the X-Boat, Laser, and 420," says Melges VP Andy Burdick. "The Melges 17 will bring new excitement to scow