Boats

Dufour 445

by Ralph Naranjo, Posted June 14, 2012

Often it’s an evenhanded blend of design attributes rather than extreme features that make for a good sailboat. The Dufour 445 Grand Large offers just such a combination of moderate draft, displacement, sail area and freeboard.

Hunter 33

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 16, 2012

The last iteration of the Hunter 33, introduced in 2005, was a big hit for the Alachua, Florida company. Its balance of value, volume and performance struck a chord with sailors

Nacra 20 Carbon

by Jeremy Evans, Posted June 17, 2012

Nacra is a transatlantic brand, combining the design expertise of Morelli & Melvin in the United States with the cat racing expertise of Gunnar Larsen and Peter Vink at Nacra Europe and Performance Sails in Holland.

Flagships: Shipman 57

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 14, 2012

This carbon-fiber/epoxy performance cruiser is the result of yet another collaboration—this time between noted cruising boat designers J&J Design and performance specialists Doug Peterson and Guillaume Verdier.

Bavaria Cruiser 32

by Charles J. Doane, Posted June 3, 2012

The Cruiser 32, smallest in Bavaria’s new line of family cruising boats, is one of the more ambitious boats I’ve come across recently. Like its larger sisters, it boasts a very modern hull form with a fine entry that carries lots of beam aft.

Flagships: Cheveyo

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 6, 2012

A collaboration between Sparkman & Stephens and England’s Spirit Yachts, this “Super J” is adapted from the plans for Ranger, which defended the America’s Cup in 1937.

Just Launched: Seawind 950 & TNT34

by Peter Nielsen, Posted June 7, 2012

Along with the burgeoning popularity of catamarans comes the realization that there are nowhere near as many entry-level cruising cats as there are monohulls. If I want to buy a new 30- to 33-foot monohull for some unambitious, uncomplicated coastal sailing, then all of the major production builders have at least one model that would suit me.

Catana 47

by Tom Dove, Posted June 4, 2012

The Catana yard in the Catalan region of southern France has been building 47-foot cruising catamarans for more than a dozen years. The newly redesigned Catana 47 incorporates more carbon fiber than its predecessors and springs from an entirely new hull and deck mold, but retains the same distinctive profile, tall twin daggerboards, open helm stations and performance-oriented rig.

RS Venture

by Jeremy Evans, Posted June 4, 2012

The RS Venture—one of a growing line of dinghies and sportboats from UK-based RS Sailing—has a great deal of space, boasting a huge cockpit that can carry up to 1,400 pounds of crew.

Sage 17

by Kimball Livingston, Posted June 1, 2012

An important part of the Sage 17’s pocket-cruiser DNA became evident the moment I deliberately stepped onto her rail with my full weight—and nothing much happened.