Boat Reviews

Nauticat 515

by Sail Staff, Posted July 19, 2004

Nauticats have always been solid, stable, and comfortable, and the newest and biggest Nauticat is no different. There's nothing radical about the Nauticat 515. Its long overhangs are something of a rarity among new cruising designs, and its displacement of nearly 53,000 pounds will make it a stately offshore passagemaker. The hull is made of meticulously hand-laid fiberglass, and the fit and

Santa Cruz 53C

by Sail Staff, Posted June 6, 2006

Santa Cruz 53CDesigned for serious passagemakers, the new Santa Cruz 53C is a bluewater-cruising version of the company’s 52-foot racer/cruiser. While it maintains the original’s lightweight design, new cruising-friendly features include hull windows, self-tacking jib, carbon-fiber boom, optional shoal-draft keel, and a fiberglass dodger for more comfortable foul-weather sailing. The 53C boasts

Najad 440

by Sail Staff, Posted July 12, 2005

Following a number of successful collaborations with the Judel/Vrolijk design team, Najad has improved the windward performance of this new 44-footer by giving it a narrow V-shaped entry forward. For solid downwind performance, the aft sections have a more pronounced U shape and slightly more beam. The keel is also deeper and narrower than on previous models, and the spade rudder is well balanced

Passport 515 CC

by Tom Dove, Posted August 11, 2008

Contemporary styling and custom features provide exciting alternatives for the serious cruiserSome people are satisfied with the basics—a basic car, off-the-rack clothes, a standard house floor plan, a production boat. But others are not. Bob Perry's Passport Vista 515 Center Cockpit cruiser comes from a builder who specializes in satisfying sailors who like to have

Seawind 1160

by Kimball Livingston, Posted March 3, 2006

Wollongong, Australia, is a beautiful spot you’ve possibly never heard of. Backed by mountains south of Sydney and fronting the Tasman Sea, Wollongong is home to Seawind Catamarans, whose newest offering reinterprets the open accommodations of its popular Seawind 1000 into something larger, comfier, and better suited to offshore duty. The new 1160, at 38 feet, sails at the

Catalina Morgan 440

by Kimball Livingston, Posted March 29, 2006

I made it a point to spend time below during my sail aboard the Catalina Morgan 440. With many brand-loyal Catalina owners getting beyond career age, the company’s first deck-saloon offering was conceived as a vacation home for some and a retirement home for others. The “house” really matters.The main cabin, with a galley convenient to the cockpit, is astonishingly big

Cabo Rico 42PH

by Sail Staff, Posted September 22, 2004

The Chuck Paine-designed Cabo Rico 42 has an excellent reputation as a bluewater cruising boat. Its full underwater profile, sturdy good looks, and quality craftsmanship have helped instill confidence in offshore sailors for years, but only if they were willing to brave the elements in the aft cockpit. With the introduction of the Cabo Rico 42PH, offshore sailors can now order a 42 with a

Hunter 33

by Sail Staff, Posted August 24, 2004

It appears that designer Glenn Henderson is systematically redesigning the entire Hunter line. He's already drawn 21-, 35-, 41-, and 44-footers and now he's turned his computer mouse and designer's eye on the 33-footer. As with Henderson's previous designs, the new Hunter 33 carries its beam well aft to provide for considerable interior volume. The boat has a large aft master

HydroVision Raptor 16

by David Schmidt, Posted September 6, 2006

Proa designs are ancient, but there’s nothing stale about HydroVisions’s new proa-style Raptor 16 outrigger canoe. The 16-foot, 9-inch composite hull weighs a scant 40 pounds and can be rigged with either a 70- or a 90-square-foot sail, depending on your thirst for speed. What makes the Raptor 16 unique is the L-shaped retractable hydrofoil mounted under the ama. This foil

Wally 148

by Sail Staff, Posted September 29, 2006

Commissioned by an experienced yachtsman who wanted a high-performance bluewater passagemaker, this 148-foot Wally was developed by Bill Tripp from the lines of a 143-foot Tripp design now being finished by Wally after a two-year build. The yacht displaces 309,000 pounds, and its lifting keel allows draft to vary from 19 feet, 9 inches to just over 13 feet. The standing rigging will be of PBO