Boats

Topaz CX14

by Meredith Laitos, Posted June 22, 2012

Weaving through the throngs of boats anchored off Annapolis, Maryland, on the 14ft Topaz CX14, I felt like a kid again—a really giddy kid who had just scored a ride on a the coolest boat in the harbor.

Southerly 49

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 24, 2012

The Southerly range of beachable swing-keel cruisers from Britain’s Northshore Yachts has been consistently represented in the United States now for a number of years, which is a good thing, as there are many cruising grounds here where shoal-draft capability is a great advantage. Every time I sail a Southerly, I come away impressed by the utility offered by their ballasted swing keels and by the high quality of their design and construction

Seaward 46RK

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 25, 2012

It’s fitting that one of the most interesting big cruisers I’ve sailed in a long while came out of a small Florida yard that builds trailerable sailboats. No mass-production builder could have come up with the Seaward 46RK—it wouldn’t have got past the focus groups.

Passport Vista 545 CC

by Tom Dove, Posted June 24, 2012

I have always admired Passport yachts for their beauty, performance and detailing, but stepping aboard the new Passport Vista 545 CC, SAIL’s 2012 Best Boat in the Flagship Monohull category, I felt an especially strong sense of déja vu. The boat not only shares a family resemblance to other Passports, but has the same hull and rig as the Passport 515 I sailed in 2008

Nautitech 441

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 26, 2012

In its original incarnation Nautitech was a captive catamaran brand belonging to Dufour Yachts. For over a decade now, Nautitech has operated independently and has steadily shifted its production focus away from the bareboat charter market and toward private owners and active family cruisers.

Island Packet 360

by Tom Dove, Posted June 2, 2012

The new Island Packet 360 shares the same hull and rig as last year’s Estero, but incorporates a more conventional interior layout, making it a very different boat.

Hanse 495

by Bill Springer, Posted June 28, 2012

Hanse Yachts sure has come a long way since it made its American debut at the U.S. Sailboat show in Annapolis in the late 1990s. Back then I thought its boats were small and unremarkable, save for the fact they were built in what was once East Germany. Hanse’s founder and chief visionary, Michael Schmidt, had big plans, however, and since then Hanse Yachts has evolved into one of the highest-volume boatbuilders in the world

Hallberg-Rassy 372

by Adam Cort, Posted June 24, 2012

In his famous novella Typhoon, sailor and author Joseph Conrad pokes fun at a character named Capt. MacWhirr who is obsessed with the quality of the door handles on the steamer Nan-Shan.

Corsair Sprint 750 MK II

by Adam Cort, Posted June 30, 2012

I boarded the new Corsair Sprint 750 MK II with some trepidation. I’m far from the world’s most experienced multihull sailor and wondered if I’d be up to the task of putting a rocket like the 750 through its paces. I needn’t have worried, though; despite its horsepower, this is a boat that takes care of its crew and can make even a rank neophyte look good as it pours on the speed.

Beneteau Oceanis 48

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 13, 2012

This latest offering in Beneteau’s revitalized Oceanis line of family cruising boats was introduced at the Miami International Boat Show in February. Like the new Oceanis 45, which received a 2012 European Boat of the Year Award, the 48 immediately won some accolades and was tapped for a National Marine Manufacturers Association Innovation Award soon after the show opened.