2011

Flagships 2011

by Sail Staff, Posted August 11, 2010

SAIL's picks for the best flagships of 2011

The lineup of new boats making their debut at the fall boat shows is impressive indeed, considering the economic conditions still plaguing the boating industry. Whether you’re going to the Newport International Boat Show this month or the U.S. Sailboat Show at Annapolis next month, you’ll be treated to exciting developments in design and boatbuilding. From small daysailers to big

2011 Best Boats Flagship Monohull: Southerly 57RS

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

One day you might be power-reaching across an ocean, logging double-digit speeds under a massive A-sail set on a retracting bowsprit. On another day you may be tacking effortlessly up a narrow channel, putting the helm over and watching the self-tacking jib slam across its track, enjoying the windward bite and responsive steering of a deep-drafted performance cruiser. Or you may have nosed up to

2011 Best Boats Innovation Award: Beneteau Sense 50

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

In many ways, the Beneteau Sense 50 was the hit of the Annapolis boat show. The 50-foot performance cruiser with modern Euro styling was tied off in a small square basin just a few feet longer than the boat. Every hour on the hour her crew cast off the dock lines and spun the boat in its own length, stopping every 90 degrees to drive directly sideways up to the dock. It did so with ease, even in

2011 Best Boats Flagship Multihull: Gunboat 66

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

Opulent luxury meets speed-freak performance in the Morrelli & Melvin-designed Gunboat 66. Constructed in South Africa out of carbon fiber, the Gunboat has a saloon that offers close to 360 degrees of visibility and appears to be crafted of acres of perfectly matched solid hardwood. In reality all the luscious furniture is carbon and honeycomb with a hardwood veneer. The result is a featherweight

2011 Best Boats Deck and Cockpit: J/111

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

There’s a lot to like about the new J/111—an aggressive rig, racy good looks, a hull form that loves to be driven—and tying it all together is one of the best production-boat cockpits we’ve seen. J/Boats has had decades to improve on the simple trench it carved out of the aft deck of the J/24, and it hit the ball out of the park on this one.The primary winches are well placed for tending

2011 Best Boats Green Award: Hunter 27e

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The ELCO company introduced its first electric boat motors at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. And now we’ve seen the re-introduction of ELCO electric motors on a Hunter 27 at the 2010 Annapolis boat show. In the intervening 117 years considerable changes in electric motor and battery technology have radically transformed the efficiency and

2011 Best Boats Daysailer: C.W. Hood 32

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

This year, we decided to create a special category for the elegant daysailer. These boats don’t fit in the cruising or performance boats categories, and it’s a shame to leave such beautiful crafts unacknowledged. There was a strong field this year, but our judges were unanimous in electing the C.W. Hood 32 as the one that stood out above the rest. With its long, lean hull, sweeping overhangs,

2011 Best Boats Performance, 30ft+: Beneteau First 30

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

No Volvo 70 designer has been more successful than Juan Kouyoumdjian, so it should come as no surprise that Juan K’s first foray into production monohulls has produced a boat that resembles a miniature VO70—but with a cruising interior.The First 30’s performance pedigree starts with her hull form: hard chines run from either side of her wide transom and carry forward to the boat’s max

2011 Best Boats Cruising Monohull Under 50ft: Presto 30

by Peter Nielsen, Posted August 11, 2011

One thing we particularly like about this boat is that it reminds us there are many different ways to go cruising. A shoal-draft sharpie based loosely on a boat designed in 1885, the Presto 30 is a very modern reinterpretation of a very traditional archetype. A simple, trailerable, beachable boat that is fast, fun and easy to sail, it also has an enclosed head, a dedicated galley and enough berth