New Cruising Monohulls for 2016

AZUREE 46

This new performance cruiser from Turkish builder Sirena epitomizes much of what is trending in the modern cruising fleet. The boat has a plumb bow and short sprit for downwind sails, a wide beam aft with hard chines and a broad fold down transom and an efficient fractional rig that is powerful and easy to tack. Down below, the interior is light, angular and modern and offers three good-size cabins. The galley and dinette and large enough for a party of eight at dinner time. The Azuree 46 sails very well and will be a truly capable passagemaker. www.berthonusa.com.

BAVARIA CRUISER 46

The Bavaria Cruiser 46 was voted “European Yacht of the Year” for 2015 by a panel of experts. The boat has a voluminous Farr-designed hull that provides very spacious accommodations below deck and a very stable sailing platform underway. With tight sheeting angles and an in-mast, roller-furling main, the 46 is both close winded and fast. Plus, the boat is simple for two people to sail. Down below the 46 has a traditional feel with teak or other darker hardwoods used for bulkheads and cabinets and a teak and holly sole. The three-cabin, three-head layout will appeal to families who enjoy having their own spaces. The 46 can be built with teak decks, so the overall feel of the boat can be a pleasing mixture of modern design and traditional appointments. www.bavariayachts.com.

BENETEAU AMERICA

Being the world’s largest builder of sailboats, Beneteau always has a lot going on with new models, new editions and new concepts. This year, the company is introducing their new Oceanis 35 that follows the successful 38 and has the same layout options: daysailer, weekender or full on cruiser. The difference lies in the amount of interior joinery that is installed. Both are innovative concept boats and have really found followings among younger, free thinking sailors.

The First Series of racer-cruisers has been updated with the new Carbon upgrades for the boats that make them lighter and faster. A carbon bow sprit, boom and wheels all add to the carbon benefit.

The new Beneteau Oceanis 60 is the company’s flagship and offers a true world-girdling design that will take a couple and their friends and family anywhere their wanderlust drives them. With a slippery hull that has proven fast in the light stuff and stable and reassuring in heavy weather, the 60 feels like a big boat, a proper yacht. The rig is simple to handle with electric winches and has the cockpit arch to keep the main sheet system out of the cockpit. The cockpit is huge and beneath it lies a full dinghy garage. Down below the 60 is extremely spacious with a huge master cabin forward and two comfortable guest cabins aft. Each cabin has its own head and shower. The saloon had a U-shaped dinette that will seat up to 10. The galley is more a floating kitchen and the chart table is a traditional working space for the skipper and navigator. The 60 is finished with mahogany colored joinery made from Alpi wood. The feel is quite traditional and truly evokes proper yachts from the ages. www.beneteauamerica.com.

CATALINA 275 & 445

Although not entirely new, the Catalina 275 and 445, have proven to be very successful designs for the legendary American builder in the last few years, The 275 is a sport boat with weekending accommodations. Truly fun to sail, the 275 introduces modern design concepts that we expect to see repeated in larger models as the years go by. The 445 is the flagship of the line and the Catalina you would want for living aboard and long distance cruising. A wholesome design that is built to a very high standard, the 445 lives up to the company’s slogan, “The closer you look, the better we get.” www.catalina.com.

EUPHORIA 54

This brand new Germán Frers design, built by Sirena in Turkey, is one of the most stylish and appealing new cruising boats to come along in many moons. A thoroughly modern design, with a plumb bow, sleek lines, fractional rig and folding transom, the 54 does not seem extreme in any detail. Instead, at first look, the boat looks just right. Down below you can have a variety of options in the two after cabins and many custom details to choose from. The finish is superb. Best of all, the Euphoria sails like a dream. www.berthonusa.com.

HALLBERG RASSY 43 MKIII

New last year, the Hallberg Rassy 43MKIII is the famous Swedish builder’s latest refinement of their ever popular and capable 43 foot, center cockpit cruiser. The hull and rig remain mostly the same and have proven to drive this sweet, seagoing hull very nicely. The changes below decks are mostly to improve the layout, make the forward bunks larger and to offer a centerline double berth in the master cabin aft. Still, the 43 like all of the line is finished below with traditional mahogany panels and cabinets. A boat for the long haul, the HR 43MKIII will last a lifetime or longer. www.hallberg-rassy.com.

HANSE 575

German designed, engineered and built, the Hanse 575 is a thoroughly modern cruiser in the Euro style that is becoming so popular. The boat is massive inside and out with towering topsides and a huge beam that runs well aft. The plumb bow, vertical transom and flat sheer combine to give the boat a uniquely purposeful look and the big rectangular windows in the hull evoke Bauhaus modernism. Down below the 575 offers accommodations for six in three large private cabins with en suite heads. The saloon is bright and comfortable; the galley is more a modern kitchen than traditional galley; and, the dinette will seat up to eight for dinner. www.hanseyachts.com.

J/112E & J/122E

The J brand has long stood for a line that provides superior sailing performance in boats that also offer enough comfort and amenities to be true dual-purpose racer-cruisers. The new “E” designations that J Boats has added to the 97E, 112E and 122E stands for “elegance and evolution”. The boats are still very competitive around the buoys or in offshore point to point races. But, they also have been upgraded with finer interior joinery and detailing (including teaks decks if you so choose) that transforms the boats into proper yachts. For competitive sailors who want more elegance and evolution in their boats, the E series is for them. www.jboats.com.

JEANNEAU 54 & 64

The brand new Jeanneau 54 that will debut in North America this fall is the little sister to the innovative 64 that was introduced last year. Both boats are designed by Philippe Briand and styled by Andrew Winch. The new boats are decidedly different and more modern than anything Jeanneau has come out within a while. The hulls have nearly plumb bows and nicely angled transoms so they don’t look boxy. The chines aft add volume to the after cabins and will add sailing power when broad reaching. The huge cockpits will make wonderful warm weather living spaces and with the stern platform folded down, the space is really expansive. The 64 has a dinghy garage under the cockpit; the 54 has unique retractable davits that can hold a 11-foot RIB. Down below, Winch has made good use of the volume. In the 64, you can have up to five private cabins or chose to go with two truly elegant sleeping cabins. In the 54, the basic plan shows a standard three cabin configuration with an option for two pullman cabins forward instead of the large master suite. Jeanneau is evolving their design concepts, which is why the company remains a leader among production builders. www.jeanneau.com.

MOODY 54DS

The deck saloon concept has had many interpretations but the way that the designers at Moody have gone is completely unique. The single level living idea, similar to cruising catamarans, means that the Moody 54DS’s cockpit flows aft to a large swim platform and forward right into the saloon. With a hardtop over the cockpit that slides open and closed, the exterior spaces are useful in all weather. The 54DS is a great liveaboard cruiser that will be spacious enough for entertaining or cruising with another couple or two. Moody Yachts are built by Hanse in Germany and sold in the US through Berthon USA. www.berthonusa.com.

OUTBOUND 46

Designed by the late Carl Schumacher, the 46 is built to be both solid in a seaway and fast on passage. The hull is long and lean and has proven capable of high sustained average speeds. The interior is traditional and elegant with lots of varnished joinery and intricate detailing. The 46 is a voyager’s boat that over the years has made many long and interesting cruises. In last year’s Salty Dawg Rally seven 46s made the 1,350 mile passage with the fleet to the BVI. www.outboundyachts.com.

PASSPORT VISTA 545AC & 61

The aft cockpit version of the Vista 545 provides her owners with a larger cockpit that will seat eight or more for sundowners but is compact enough to be very useful for small crews to handle sheet and lines while underway. It doesn’t open to the stern platform; instead there is a large lazarette for deck gear. Down below, the 545 has the classic appeal of varnished teak, teak and holly soles and finely built furniture. A great couple’s cruising boat, the 545 has lots of storage space and tankage for the long haul. The 615 is the big sister of the Passport fleet and is a true world cruiser with accommodations for a full family or a large crew of friends. The details of the new Passports tell a lot about their quality and their durability. Even the engine room is fitted out in yacht style and quality. For sweet sailing, offshore capable yachts, the new Passport Vista 545AC and 615 will be hard to beat. www.passportyachts.com.

SALONA 41

The new Salona 41 is a performance cruiser, designed by J&J, that puts the emphasis on performance in much the same way J Boats does. Last winter the Salona 44 finished first and third in the St. Barths regatta and finished in the top three in Antigua. The new 41 is even faster and has already won events in Europe. But, it is also a fine cruising boat for a family that enjoys sailing well. The Salona fit and finish is excellent and the overall package is a great value. www.salonayachts.com.

SEAWARD 46

This year, Seaward Yachts has moved their production to Island Packet Yachts where the boats are now being built under contract. The flagship of the fleet is the Seaward 46 that combines innovative shoal draft or lifting-keel technology with sailing systems that can easily be handled by a singlehander. With twin engines, the 46 can power like a motorboat or under sail will keep up with any cruising boat in this size range. The shallow draft makes the 46 the perfect boat for the west coast of Florida, The Bahamas, Chesapeake Bay and southern New England. www.seawardyachts.com.

X-YACHTS XC 45

The Danish built XC 45, designed by Nils Jeppesen, is the first in the new cruising line to be built by X-Yachts. Although not new to the European market, the XC 45 is new to North America. The boats carries a lot of the racing pedigree that has made X-Yachts one of Europe’s largest and most successful builders of racing boats. But, it is truly a performance cruiser with a luxuriously fitted out interior. The XC 45 will make a fine family cruiser with three sleeping cabins and a large airy saloon. The aft galley will be excellent at sea. A very high quality cruising boat that will acquit herself well against any of her peers, the XC 45 compares favorably with any cruising boat in this size range. www.x-yachts.com.

Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay has been a hot bed of sailing, racing and boatbuilding for hundreds of years. The bay is the home to the Herreshoff family who dominated yacht design and building in the last Guilded Age and it is now, in the current Guilded Age, the home of builders like New England Boatworks and Waterline Systems that lead the way in the construction of high tech racing and cruising yachts.

The bay is home to world-class sailors and it is said that the Laser, J/24 and Shields fleets are some of the toughest one-design fleets in the country. Sailing on the bay any day during the summer you will encounter a magical sailing mix of mega sailing yachts, high-tech racing machines, vintage yachts from the past and circles of one-designs battling around the buoys. The bay is where sailors live.

So on the day that I had a chance to take the new Salona 33 out for a test sail, I was lucky enough to have aboard yacht broker and old friend Richard Barker to share the sailing duties. Richard has been a fixture in the S-Boat and J/24 fleets for a long, long time and knows his way around a performance boat with the best of them.

PERFORMANCE SAILING

We found the 33 in her slip in a marina up the bay and quickly got her sail covers off, the engine cranked up and the sheets led. The boat we sailed had the optional twin wheels instead of a tiller, which seems like overkill for a 33 footer but actually works very well.

The boat backed out of the slip easily, we put her through a K-turn and avoided running aground by hugging the slips as we motored toward open water. The steering under power was positive and with the engine at cruising revs we made six knots without breaking a sweat. At full revs we got her up to just over seven knots. The 33 has a high aspect spade rudder that gives the helm a sure but very light feel.

We hoisted the fully battened mainsail and sailed for a few minutes without the jib to see how she would handle. Although underpowered, the boat can certainly be sailed, tacked and jibed under the mainsail alone, which is great news for shorthanded crews who like the reassurance that they can sail in and out of tight situations—such as a marina—without having to switch on the engine.

With the fractional 110 percent genoa rolled out, the 33 accelerated noticeably. There was a 35 foot racer-cruiser from another well-known builder sailing hard on the wind ahead of us, so Richard and I hardened up to give chase. After all, you only need two boats to make it a race.

The 33 put her shoulder down in the moderate 10 knots of breeze and charged ahead with real purpose. The J & J designed hull has a long waterline, moderate beam and high aspect keel and rudder below the water. She settled into the groove at about 32 degrees to the apparent wind and as we worked the puffs we were able to climb to windward very sweetly. After three tacks, we had overtaken the 35 footer and put it well in our lee. The 33 was decidedly higher and faster on the wind. Game over.

We fell off the wind and broad reached back toward the marina, sailing at about 160 degrees apparent and jibing easily to maintain our course. It was a shame we did not have the asymmetrical chute aboard; it would have been a blast to feel the slippery little boat really fly under the press of a downwind sail. As it was, we maintained six knots with the apparent wind at six knots off the quarters.

A handy, spritely boat with a good design pedigree, the new Salona 33 made two experienced sailors very happy that afternoon. The boat is well balanced and has all of the traveler, vang and sheet adjustments we needed to get her sailing optimally. The skipper of that 35 footer must have wondered what that little boat was doing rolling him so easily.

CRUISING COMFORTS

Not too long ago—or maybe quite a while ago, actually—33 feet was a normal size for a family racer cruiser, a boat that could be sailed for a week of summer vacation and raced on Tuesday nights and in regional regattas. Today, 33 feet seems quite small when you look at all of the 50 footers that young families deem necessary for their sailing pleasure.

For those on a more modest budget, they still can go sailing, still enjoy cruising and still have fun racing without having to break the bank. A 33 footer can be plenty of boat for all that.

The cockpit of the boat is well laid out for sailing and sheet handling. But it also is fairly spacious. With the twin wheels instead of the tiller, you steer from the side and have great sight lines forward. The benches are wide enough for two adults side by side and the side decks have room for four more to sit.

Walking forward along the side deck, you have plenty of deck width and good places to hang on in bumpy conditions. While aft, the open transom provides easy access to a dinghy or doubles as the swim platform.

Down below, the 33 has two sleeping cabins. The forward cabin has a V-berth, a small bench, plenty of locker space and a hanging locker. The after quarter cabin on the port side has a spacious double berth and plenty of locker space. The boat is laid out for two couples cruising or a racing crew of five or six who also use the bench settees in the saloon as berths.

The head is in the starboard aft quarter and has all of the locker space you need plus a shower head/sink faucet combination.

The saloon has a centerline table with folding leaves that will seat four comfortably but can accommodate six in a pinch. The chart table is a proper nav station that will fit a chart and has room to mount all of the electronics you might need. The galley has a two-burner stove-oven and plenty of locker space. The spaces are all well laid out so even with four adults below decks, you will be able to sit, eat, cook and navigate without always bumping into your partners.

The standard décor of the 33 is quite traditional looking with varnished mahogany joinery and white, molded fiberglass bases. With three port lights in the hull on both sides, a lot of ambient light fills the cabin. Plus, the boat has four opening ports and two deck hatches that add to the lightness of the interior and the ventilation throughout.

The interior of the 33 is a pleasant place to live aboard and a thoughtful combination of traditional décor and modern construction.

BWS THOUGHTS

The Salona 33 is built in a modern facility in Croatia using the most modern techniques and materials. The hull is a vacuum bagged, infused laminate that is fitted with a structural grid that anchors the furniture, provide stiffness to the hull, supports the keel and offers a solid base for the keel-stepped mast. Although we did not press the 33 during our test sail, she certainly was stiff and solid underfoot.

Although small by modern standards, the 33 is a perfect boat for young families who want to cruise and race together. It will appeal to those who want to follow the regional racing circuit and enjoy some cruising on the side. And, it will be a great boat for older cruisers who want to downsize from their large boats and get back to the essence of coastal cruising in a boat that fulfills their sailing needs.

Salona 33

LOA                        33’0”
LWL                        31’4”
Beam                        10’4”
Displ.                        11,500 lbs.
Ballast                        3,500 lbs.
Draft                        5’6”
Water                        25 gals.
Fuel                        10 gals.
Engine                         21-hp.

Salona America
Coconut Grove, FL
301-504-8714
www.salona-america.com

The meaning of ‘performance’ in modern, production monohulls continues to evolve and the Jeanneau 3600 is leading the way.  (published November 2015)

Back in September, before the Newport International Boat show, I got a text from my older son Simon Day. He was having lunch with friends at The Moorings restaurant on Newport, RI’s waterfront, and parked right in front of him was a boat that pricked his interest. He photographed it and texted it to me.

“What is this boat? Really cool.”

I texted back that it is the new Jeanneau 3600 and, yes, indeed, it looks very cool. To get some perspective on the meaning of “cool’ in this context it is good to know that Simon is a yacht designer and an accomplished sailor, has raced his own Mini 6.5 in offshore events and regularly crews on Class 40s, including last summer’s Fastnet Race.  He’s into broad beams, hard chines, twin rudders, overpowered boats that are designed to plane and are set up for singlehanders and smaller crews of three or four to race or cruise offshore.

That the boat moored in front of him that day had all of these attributes while also looking like a production boat is what pricked his interest.  So, I concluded my text with the question, “Want to come on the sail trial next weekend?”

“For sure,” came the reply.

So, on a beautiful late summer day a week later, Si and I joined Jeanneau dealer Glen Walters of Bluenose Yachts —also an accomplished singlehanded offshore sailor—and a West Coast dealer with his potential customers for an afternoon of fun on the 3600.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 3600, Invictus, in Annapolis MD.

THE CONCEPT
Several years ago Jeanneau developed the SF 3200 for amateur racers who wanted to take part in offshore events for singlehanders and crews of two or three. One hundred and fifty boats later, the company and their chosen designer Daniel Andrieu knew they had hit a sweet spot.

The decision to develop a larger version with some improvements to the initial design of the 3200 and better cruising accommodations led the Jeanneau team to the concept of the 3600. Incorporating some features seen in the Class 40s that are so popular in Europe, the new design has a plumb bow with a fixed bowsprit, fairly high topsides, chines that run the full length of the hull and increased rocker in the underwater profile.

The chines add volume aft and a positive improvement to initial stability. This will enhance the boat’s ability to power reach and even get up onto a plane. The plumb bow and bowsprit both extend the boat’s waterline to its maximum and allow you to fly asymmetrical spinnakers easily. The addition of rocker to the hull, to the point that the transom sits well out of the water when the boat is at rest, allows the stern wave to breakaway from the transom at fairly low speeds so the boat will be slipperier than the 3200 in light conditions yet quicker to get up on a plane when the conditions are right.

Jeanneau builds the boats with advanced infusion molding technology so the hulls and decks are light, stiff and very uniform in weight. The ability to make each of the boats nearly identical, as a base boat, means that fleet racing will be very competitive and fun. The boats are not exactly “one design.” Instead, the concept is to have them be “development” boats that each skipper and team optimizes.

Under the water, the  J-shaped keel has a lead bulb that adds stability and power when sailing to windward. The twin rudders are high aspect foils that will give the helm a very positive feel and will prevent you from losing steerage should the boat broach under a press of sail. Twin rudders give the boat the feeling of a tight, fast sports car that seems to corner on rails.

The cockpit was designed with the help of a veteran Mini 6.5 sailor so all of the sheets and control lines are right where they need to be, whether you are out sailing solo or banging around a race course with crew. The idea is to make sail trim easy, efficient and precise.

The boat comes standard with twin tillers to steer the twin rudders.  This will be the choice of most short-handed sailors and racers. But, twin wheels are available and these will be attractive to those who sail with a larger crew and will be cruising with friends and family since they free up space in the cockpit.

Down below, the 3600 has been given enough of an accommodation to make the boat comfortable for both family cruising, event racing and offshore passagemaking.

In the end, the 3600 is what is often called today a “crossover vehicle”, which means that it has the performance of a sport boat and the volume and comfort of a small fast cruiser.

When we got our first look at the 3600 as we walked down the dock Si just nodded his head and said, “She looks well proportioned and very cool.”

UNDER SAIL
It was a perfect late summer afternoon as we backed the 3600 out of her slip and then motored across Newport Harbor. The sea breeze was flitting and then rapidly started to fill in with dark creases on the water appearing more and more frequently.

The boat was equipped with a handsome set of North 3Di  sails—laminated—that had seen a few regattas but were still almost new. We hoisted the main, which looked very well cut, and then ran the jib sheets aft and hoisted the 105-percent jib. With eight knots of breeze, we trimmed in as we rounded Ft. Adams and hardened up to sail close to the wind as we left Narragansett Bay.

The cockpit is laid out so well that even the first time you sail the boat, all the strings are just where you need them to be. With twin wheels, the helmsman on this boat sits aft and can sit comfortably either to windward or to leeward. On both sides of the cockpit, there are foot pads that can be adjusted to compensate for heel.

The main traveler runs across the cockpit forward of the wheels. The mainsail trimmer has a good seat right next to it and access to the sheets and winches on both sides of the boat; the boat we sailed was equipped with what is called a “German” main sheeting system, which involves a double ended main sheet that leads from the aft end of the boom forward to turning blocks at the gooseneck and then aft along each side of the boat to the cockpit.

At this main-sheet trimmer position, there are large well placed foot blocks and on each you have access to the trim lines for the backstay adjuster and the control lines for the main sheet travel car.

The small jib is sheeted through floating plastic eyes that can be trimmed inboard to close the slot and eased to give the sail  more twist for reaching. It is a simple and effective sheet trimming system and similar to those used on boats like the Volvo 65s or the Class 40s.

The 3600 was quite close winded. An average modern cruising boat will sail best at about 33 degrees to the apparent wind and tack in about 90 degrees of true angle. The 3600, once we got the sails trimmed properly, sailed easily at 28 degrees apparent and tacked at about 80 degrees of true angle.

The helm on the boat was incredibly light and the feel of the boat as it settled into the groove upwind very forgiving. To reduce rudder drag while still maintaining helm feel, you normally try to trim the sails for five degrees of weather helm.  On the 3600, this seemed to be the boat’s default setting—she was that well balanced.

The wind was gradually building, so in 10 knots of true breeze we sailed quite easily at 28 degree apparent and made 7.2 knots. When we eased to 33 degrees, choosing speed over angle, the speedo jump up to nearly eight knots. With the small headsail, tacking the boat was easy and handling the main traveler trim was made simple by the double-ended control lines.

Sailing upwind, we had no real competition among the boats sailing out Narragansett Bay; we blew by everything as we sailed both higher and faster.

After an hour of happy sailing into the building sea breeze, we had all developed a real admiration for the 3600’s sailing qualities and turn of speed. In a recent distance race, the 3600 acquitted herself very well by finishing second to one of the best boats and sailors in Newport. With a little more practice, the 3600 could have won.

We had the number two asymmetrical spinnaker on board so we sent Si to the fore deck to get it ready and then performed an easy bear-away set. The 3600 immediately took off and in the 10 to 12 knots of breeze we were reaching more than eight knots.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 3600, Invictus, in Annapolis MD.

The spinnaker tacks down to a tack line that leads off the end of the small fixed bow sprit. If you wanted to mount a top-down furler, you could leave a reacher or Code Zero rolled up and in place while sailing up wind and then just roll it our when off the wind.

We put the boat through a couple of jibes and were pleased to see that she hardly slowed as we did so. The cockpit is set up perfectly for spinnaker trimming from the windward side of the cockpit.

With performance boats, it is always good to test their susceptibility to broaching under spinnaker.  For the 3600, we tried to get her to broach by sailing at the hottest angle possible but we did not succeed. Twin rudders, a deep keel, the beamy hard chine hull and a  44 percent ballast to displacement ratio all work hard to keep the boat from rounding up.

As we reached back into Narragansett Bay, the wind picked up a bit and the stern wave began to break away leaving a very smooth and untroubled wake.  We didn’t have enough breeze to get it to plane but the 3600 will sail at over 16 knots in the right conditions.

The 3600 is a wonderful sailing machine that will appeal to any sailor who loves to sail fast and well. It is designed for point to point and offshore races sailed by short handed crews. In this category, it accomplishes its mission very well.  But, the boat also can be sailed with a full crew around the buoys and will be competitive with the faster boats in the fleet.

SIMPLICITY
The whole idea of the 3600 is to create a fast, light, slippery sailing machine so it makes obvious sense that the interior will be simple and as light as possible. Yet, Jeanneau hasn’t gone to the extreme of offering a stripped out hull with no amenities. Instead, the interior of the 3600 is a model of simplicity that still will serve her crew well.

The main double berths are aft on either side of the companionway and engine box. These are big and comfortable for couples to enjoy. They also can be split with weather cloths so racing crews can sleep side by side without rolling into each other.

The small galley has a stove and oven, sink and a fridge. Not fancy but perfectly adequate. The chart table is functional and has room for mounting instruments, radios, a satphone and a laptop.  Radar, mounted on a pole aft with other antennas, would be useful on long coastal and offshore runs and the screen would be simply part of a standard multifunction display (formerly known as a chartplotter).

  The boat has straight settees on either side of the centerline table. The table has drop leaves and is large enough for six to have a meal. The compression post for the deck-stepped mast runs through the middle of the table. Outboard of the settees are large storage bins.

The head is forward and closes off with sliding doors.  Surfaces are all gel coated fiberglass moldings so the head will be simple to keep clean.

Forward of the head is the sail locker, which has a large deck hatch through which head sails and spinnakers can be passed. When we dropped the chute at the end of our test sail, we dropped it right into the hatch,  where one person hauled it in and quickly repacked it into its “turtle”.

The new Sun Fast 3600 is a blast to sail and will be fun to cruise between events or on family vacations. It has the legs to win offshore events, either fully crewed or shorthanded. And it is nimble and well thought out enough to excel at close quarter sailing around the buoys.

As Si texted to me the first time he saw the boat, the Sun Fast 3600 is indeed really cool.

Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600

LOA            36’10”
LOD            35’5”
Beam            11’7”
Displacement        10,362 lbs.
Daft            6’11”
Fuel            20 gals.
Water            26 gals.
Engine            21-hp.
Sail area        751 sq. ft.

Jeanneau America
105 Eastern Ave. Ste. 202
Annapolis, MD 21403
410-280-9400
www.jeanneauamerica.com
www.jeanneau.com

Built in Poland, the Delphia 40.3 is a classic cruising sloop that can be configured in many ways to suit each buyer’s needs  (published January 2016)

The morning after the Annapolis Sailboat Show that we got to go for a test sail of the 40.3, the breeze was light and the sky overcast above the Chesapeake Bay.  Aboard with us that morning was the North American distributor, Slavek Krolikiewicz, and the new dealers in the Mid-Atlantic region Jack and Sharon Malatich of S&J Yachts.

We fired up the 55-hp. diesel engine and eased the boat out of her slip at the Port Annapolis Marina. The engine was quiet and the vibration in the cockpit sole minimal.  In reverse, the 40.3 handled very well as the big spade rudder bit the water and spun the bow around with alacrity.

We motored down Back Creek and out into Annapolis Harbor and the Bay. Once clear of the channel we put the throttle down and were happy to see that the 40.3 will make close to eight knots at maximum revs and will cruise at a comfortable 6.5 knots at cruising revs of 2200 rpms.  At cruising speed and in flat water, the engine will burn approximately half a gallon per hour, which translates into a safe cruising range, with 55 gallons of fuel in the tanks, of over 600 miles. That’s comforting to know.

The design has a seven eighths rig with a large full battened mainsail. We hoisted the main and then fell off the light breeze and rolled out the genoa.  The main traveler sits on the cabintop forward of the companionway, so it is out of the cockpit and not in anyone’s way. The main sheet runs to a line stopper and winch on the port side of the cabintop where you will also find halyards and control lines.

The cockpit is comfortable but not  overly large. The five of us onboard that day fit in the cockpit easily while underway and we were able to trim the main and genoa easily without feeling crowded in any way.

The wind was hovering around five to seven knots, not really enough to give the boat a serious sea trial. But, in the light breeze, we were able to get her going and get a sense of her balance and speed potential.

The boat we sailed had the twin-wheel option and the shoal  draft keel option.  Hard on the wind you could sit to leeward in the cockpit to get a good view of the telltales on the genoa and trailing edge of the main. Hard on the wind, the 40.3 will sail at about 28 degrees to the apparent wind and has an easy groove when the main is trimmed right. With the smaller genoa, the boat tacks easily and held her speed well through the tacks despite the wind being fairly light.

The 40.3 was designed by Andrzej Skrzat and has a pleasing and traditional look. With a long waterline, easy sections below the water and efficient foils, the boat feels fast and nimble. The design’s non-dimensional ratios tell a lot about her design profile. Her length to beam ratio is a modest 2.8, so she is relatively narrow and therefore more easily driven than boats with more massive beams.

The displacement to length ratio of 178 falls in the mid-range of modern production cruisers and indicates that  at 18,960 pounds of displacement, the boat will have a solid motion in a seaway and stand up well in a blow.  Regarding her sailing horsepower, the boat’s sail area to displacement ratio is 15.41, which is again in the mid-range for production cruisers and indicates that the rig will be well rounded for easy, fast sailing in a wide range of conditions. All in all, the design of the 40.3 is sensible for a cruising couple who want good high average cruising speeds without the jerky motion of a lightweight speedster.

We put the 40.3 through a series of tacks and then played with sailing angles downwind. It was a shame we did not have a spinnaker that morning, since the boat would have been a lot of fun to sail in the light stuff with a big kite up.

After an hour of sailing we motored back to the marina and slipped her into her docks without any fuss or bother. Both undersail and power, the 40.3 handles very well and is fun, fast and surefooted.

The 40.3 can be configured with the standard deep fin keel with a bulb that draws seven feet, five inches and the high aspect spade rudder.This version will offer the best sailing qualities and is vprobably a good choice for offshore sailing. Or, it can have a shoal cruising fin keel with a bulb that draws five feet, 11 inches. Or, an owner can opt for the swing keel version that draws only three feet, four inches with the keel raised and six feet, five inches with the keel all the way down. The swing keel version has twin rudders that will allow it to dry out on a beach without tipping over and will give the boat a very positive steering capability underway. For the Chesapeake Bay, southern New England or the Bahamas, the swing keel version looks very attractive.

DOWN BELOW
The 40.3 has six arrangement plans to choose from that allow you to select a layout that fits your specific needs.

The simplest layout and one that will appeal to couples who often cruise alone and occasionally invite friends and family aboard will be the two cabin layout with two heads and the galley aft. This provides for a good seagoing galley and plenty of storage in the large port cockpit locker.

But you can opt for a layout with two cabins aft and two heads. This three cabin layout will work for families with children or couples who like to sail with multiple friends aboard.  The three cabin layout has the galley running fore and aft on the starboard side.

For those who want to run a charter or excursion program, the boat can be modified to have four separate cabins and two heads. The fourth cabin is tucked into the boat forward and to port and shares the forepeak with a double cabin with a V berth.

All of the designs  have a large dinette in the saloon to port that is a full U-shape in the two cabin versions and is more of an L-shape in the three and four cabin versions.

The interior fit and finish of the 40.3 and all of the Delphia boats is to the highest standards among production boats.  There are several wood finishes available from a traditional mahogany or teak to lighter colored verneers.  With large windows on both sides, large skylights at the forward end of the saloon and numerous opening hatches and ports, the boat is bright inside, even with the darker wood finishes and has excellent ventilation.

Storage spaces and lockers have been well thought out with family cruising in mind so there are plenty of places for clothes and all of the gear you bring with you when you head off sailing for a few weeks or months at a time.

BWS THOUGHTS
The Delphia 40.3 has been in production for several years and has proven to be a boat that fits the needs of many different sailors with different sailing styles. Circumnavigators have chosen the 40.3 for their adventures because the boat is solidly built and is such a capable long distance passagemaker. And coastal sailors who only sail a few miles each weekend have found the boat fits their needs very well, too.

Built using advanced infusion techniques and modern coring materials in the topsides and deck, the boat is stiff, durable and up to the rigors of the sea.

A very attractive player in the mid-size range of the cruising market, the Delphia 40.3 offers a lot in a handy size-package and turns out to be an excellent value, too. This is not just another cookie cutter cruiser. This is a boat that you can tailor to your own needs and then sail to the ends of the earth.

Delphia 40.3

LOA        40’6”
LWL        36’3”
Beam        12’11”
Draft (deep)    7’5”
Draft (shoal)    5’11”
Draft (swing)    3’4”/6’5”
Displ. (std.)    18,960 lbs.
Ballast     (std.)    6,085 lbs.
Sail area    685 sq. ft. (100%)
SA/D        15.41
D/L        178
L/B        2.8
Water        80 gals.
Fuel        55 gals.
Waste        25 gals.

NaviPro Yachts
Mississauga, Ont. Canada
www.naviproyachts.com

Anchor Yachts & Ships
Barrington, RI
www.anchoryachts.com

Manitowoc Marina
Manitowoc, WI
www.manitowoc-marina.com

S & J Yachts
Annapolis, MD
www.sjyachts.com

Jeanneau’s new 64-foot flagship is a luxury yacht that is a perfect combination of sailing quality, fine styling and practical value  (published February 2016)

The Jeanneau 64 is a big boat, no two ways about it. From the floating docks in Annapolis as we gathered to go out for a sail trial, the deck was shoulder high and climbing aboard required a mounting block and a heave ho. From the dock, we had a look at her lines, the shape of her stern and bow and the symmetry of the low profile cabin to the sheer and everything about the design looked right.

Jeanneau 64 Porto Vecchio (FRA,Corsica)

Designed by Philippe Briand and styled by Andrew Winch, the new 64 has a long and valuable pedigree. Briand, who designs most Jeanneaus these days, has been one of France’s leading yacht designers for 30 years and is known for both his technical wizardry and the simple beauty of his boats. Admittedly, the new 64, like a lot of modern boats, will seem angular and futuristic to the more traditional sailors in the cruising fleet. But, if you can embrace the new styles, this boat is one of the best examples, from a purely aesthetic point of view.
Andrew Winch styles mega yachts —power and sail—and has a knack for making cabins, saloons, galleys and the on-deck living spaces bright, welcoming and infused with style. His collaboration on a yacht is always a sign that the builder is serious about creating  both elegance and fine living in their new boat. As we first explored the 64 everything seemed in the right place, correctly proportioned and well thought out. Of course, this is easier to do in 64 feet than it is in smaller boats, but still it was obvious the hand of a master had been at work here.

SAIL TRIAL
We had a small crowd onboard for the morning sail but we all fit on the boat easily. In the cockpit, the sailing area is separate from the lounging settees, so it is perfectly possible to be a passenger riding in style while others do what little work is required to sail the boat.

Using the thrusters, we walked the boat away from the dock and then motored out Spa Creek into the Chesapeake Bay. The boat is big enough so that you have to maneuver deliberately and anticipate where you need to be in traffic before you get into a pinch.

The wind was blowing at eight to 10 knots from the east so we rolled out the mainsail from the mast and then rolled out the genoa and pointed the bow toward open water. We trimmed for close hauled sailing—using the electric winches—and felt the big boat accelerate nicely and fall into a comfortable upwind groove. The one thing we had not expected was to have the boat feel quick and fast underneath us. Sure, it is a modern lightweight cruiser but it displaces 68,000 pounds so it should feel solid if not stolid under foot. That was not the case. The boat cut through the water with alacrity and we found that we were able to hold her at 28 to 30 degrees apparent wind while we were making 6.5 knots in the eight-knot breeze. The feel on the helm was positive and light.

Once we were clear of the land, we cracked off to a broad reach. The wind was building slightly to 10 to 12 knots and at a broad angle, the 64 really leaped forward. Again, we were pleasantly surprised at the boat’s sailing characteristics.

As we were working the boat through sail trims, tacks and jibes, it became apparent that the design team and the Jeanneau engineers had spent a lot of time getting the layout of the cockpit to be just right. When you needed to find a sheet, control line or lanyard to make a tweak, the line was always right where it should have been. The sail handling logic of the cockpit was impeccable.

Jeanneau 64 – Chantier Jeanneau – Porto Vecchio (FRA,Corsica) – 01/07/2014

The owner of the 64 that we sailed had a professional captain onboard who was running the boat. It was destined to be in the Caribbean for the winter so the skipper was getting all of the systems sorted out for the offshore passage. The boat was working at 100 percent and seemed ready to go. From our point of view, this would  be an excellent boat for Caribbean and  world cruising. And fast, too.

LIVING ABOARD
The 64 has been conceived to be an indoor-outdoor living plan with a huge cockpit and sumptuous but uncluttered accommodations below decks.

The cockpit will be the most lived-in space on the boat, particularly if you are cruising in the tropics or spending time aboard during the summer. Aft there is a huge fold-down platform that will be great for swimming, showering and lounging on warm afternoons. Inside the transom, there is a dinghy garage that will house a proper RIB and outboard.

The aft end of the cockpit is the sailing center with twin wheels, four winches and all sheets and lines led through line stoppers. Most lines run aft under the deck to give the boat and the cockpit an uncluttered look.  The main sheet is mounted on the cockpit arch so it is always out of the way of those in the cockpit.

In the starboard helm seat, you will find a stainless steel grill that pops up and is ready for barbequing. Just forward of the helms there is a small fridge for cool drinks and the supplies you will need for grilling.

The main cockpit is a lounge with large bench seats on both sides and a table for six to dine down the middle. The benches can be expanded to form large sunning beds. A cockpit dodger can be folded up and down to either provide protection from wind and rain, or folded down to open the space to direct sunlight and cooling breezes.

Down below, the companion steps lead to the large galley to port and the saloon where these is a dinette for eight to starboard and either a large sofa or a navigation center to port.  The boat has a 59-foot waterline and almost 18 feet of beam, and it has a chine aft that expands interior volume even more. The interior is huge and Winch and Jeanneau have been very restrained in an effort to make the boat open, light and elegant.

The interior can have several accommodation plans to suit a family’s unique needs. The master cabin can either be aft under the cockpit with a centerline double berth and large en suite head or it can be forward where the double berth is off center to starboard and the cabin is fitted with a desk/dressing table and a huge head in the forepeak. With the aft cabin arrangement, the twin guest cabins are forward of the saloon. In the forward cabin plan, the guest cabins become quarter cabins under the cockpit.

To starboard of the companionway there is a cabin that can be set up with upper and lower berths or arranged as an office with a desk, communications and computers built in. If you were to have a captain aboard, you might designate this the captain’s cabin. Or, you could opt instead to have the captain live in a smaller cabin in the forepeak just aft of the chain locker. This last option would occupy what otherwise would be a large sail and storage locker that would be useful on a boat of this size.

The choice of light colored veneers and trim and soft colors for fabrics on the boat we sailed in Annapolis made the interior spaces warm and inviting. With large windows and numerous overhead hatches, plenty of sunlight filled the saloon and cabins and ventilation was superb.

The engine room is under the cockpit and accessible through large doors. The space is large enough to house the main engine, a genset, air conditioning and watermaker without making routine maintenance and repairs difficult.

The standard 64 carries 218 gallons of diesel and 265 gallons of water. The 180 horsepower main engine will burn roughly two gallons an hour at cruising speed so you can figure that the boat has a safe cruising range under power of 600 miles. With four people aboard and no watermaker, the boat carries enough water to last a careful crew at least two weeks. A watermaker would make the 64 self-sufficient for a long time.

BWS THOUGHTS
The 64 is a proper yacht in the classic sense in that she is designed for elegant living while exploring the world’s best cruising grounds. While it may be a bit large for a couple on their own, the boat would work very well for a family with teenagers or active young friends who like to sail. And although the 64 is a yacht in the true sense of the word, she is still a lot of fun to sail.    (images provided courtesy Jeanneau/Gilles Martin-Raget)
Jeanneau 64

LOA        65’11”
LOD        64’ 1”
LWL        59’0”
Beam        17’8”
Draft        9’8”
Draft (shoal)    7’2”
Displ.        68,343 lbs.
Sail area    1,829 sq, ft.
Fuel        218 gals.
Water        265 gals.
Engine        180 hp.

Jeanneau America
105 Eastern Ave. Ste 202
Annapolis, MD
410-280-9400
www.jeanneau.com

The new Oceanis 41.1 is a stylish re-boot of the classic Oceanis 41 with many improvements  (published April 2016)

The lovely Miami morning that we got to sail the new Beneteau Oceanis 41.1 on Biscayne Bay right after the Strictly Sail Miami show, the sun was warm and bright and the breeze light and building. We motored from Miamarina at Bayside down the narrow channel and under the high bridge on the Rickenbacker Causeway that connects Key Biscayne to the mainland. Under power and with the bow thruster operating, the 41.1 handled easily as we maneuvered from a very tight berth in the marina and then spun her around and put the hammer down.

In the flat water of the channel we got her up to eight knots at 3200 rpms and the feel on the helms remained consistent since the sail drive is far enough forward to reduce the turbulence from prop wash. At 2400 rpms, which is a natural cruising speed, the boat ambled along at 6.5 knots and consumed about half a gallon of diesel an hour. With 53 gallons of diesel in the tank, at this speed the 41.1 will have a powering range of over 400 miles.

Once out in the open water of Biscayne Bay, we hoisted the mainsail, rolled out the 106 percent genoa and hardened up for some close hauled sailing. Onboard with us that morning was Beneteau’s Chris Doscher, who is Sailboat Sales Manager for Beneteau North America. Chris had specced out the boat and had it equipped with laminated performance sails, a double ended or German-style mainsheet, and an adjustable backstay. The sails set beautifully and after we adjusted the sheet cars and added some backstay tension to flatten the main and tightened the headstay, the 41.1 settled into a very nice groove sailing at about 28 degrees to the apparent wind.

The 41.1 is built with the same hull and deck configuration as the original Oceanis 41 that has been part of the company’s cruising line for the past five years. But, a lot has been changed. The deck is now an infused part, which is significantly lighter than the old deck. The interior has been modified and a lot of weight has been removed from the joinery without damaging the overall quality of the built.

With almost a thousand pounds of weight removed from the hull, the designers Finot-Conq were able to redesign the keels—shoal and standard—to be heavier and to have a lower center of gravity which in turn makes the boat stiffer and faster.

The rig has been modified as well. The mast has been moved aft which allows for a good sized main and a larger slightly overlapping headsail. The boat can be equipped with a self-tacking jib, which will be appreciated by couples sailing on their own. The whole concept of the 41.1 is to make sailing easier and more efficient. The shrouds for the mast are outboard so the headsail trims inside them. This gives you better sheeting angles and accommodates a number of headsail sizes.

In the cockpit, the main sheet runs to both of the twin helms where it is controlled with winches close to the helmsman. On the boat we sailed, Beneteau had installed the optional electric Harken winches, so we could sit at the helm and quickly and effortlessly trim the big sail. With only two cockpit winches, you have to use the line stoppers to control the main sheet or jib sheet on the leeward side of the boat but that is no real inconvenience.

With small headsails, particularly the self tacking jib, you will need a downwind sail of some sort to add the power to make the boat sail well off the wind. The bow roller for the anchors can double as a small sprit where you can tack down a reacher or fit a top down furling device.

All control lines from the mast run aft to line stoppers and winches on either side of the companionway. You can hoist and lower the main, trim the outhaul, adjust the vang and tie in reefs without leaving the cockpit. The main sheet is fixed on the cockpit arch so you never have to worry about the sheet slamming across the cockpit when you tack or jibe. The arch also serves as a rigid attachment point for a canvas dodger and can be integrated into a Bimini top over the helms.

Out on the bay, the sea breeze began to fill in as the land heated up. We sailed the 41.1 through a series of tacks and then fell off to jibe downwind for a while. Eventually, the breeze got up to about 10 knots and we were able to harden up to sail very nicely upwind. The boat has hard chines aft that increase aft cabin volume and improve stability. When we heeled to 12 degrees, we could feel the boat stop heeling and the hull just stayed slightly angled as speed through the water increased.

Forty one feet is a good size for a couple who often sail on their own. The cockpit is ergonomically well laid out and all sheets and lines are accessible. With performance sails and rigging, the new stiffer hull and keel design and the already proven hull design, the Oceanis 41.1 is a pleasure to sail.

LIVING ABOARD

By modern standards, 41 feet is no longer a large cruising boat as it would have been a generation ago. But it is still a great size for a couple or small family who want to cruise together whether that be across the bay or around the world.

The new Oceanis 41.1, with deck and interior design by Nauta Design, feels very spacious and well proportioned when you step aboard. With the stern swim platform folded down, the whole cockpit becomes a kind of patio area with plenty of places to sit, a large area for water sports and a table that will seat six for a meal.

The side decks are fairly narrow for a boat with almost 14 feet of beam but moving fore and aft along them is not a problem. With the shrouds mounted outboard, you do have to duck under them as you pass the mast. The foredeck is spacious enough to carry a 10-foot dinghy and the chain locker is large enough for two full rodes and their anchors.

The companionway has a Lexan door that can be locked from the inside while still admitting air flow. The door has a raised sill to prevent water from flooding below as required in the CE Cat A Offshore regulations. The companionway has five steps that are shaped to be good underfoot when the boat is heeled over to her normal 12 degrees. The engine compartment is under the companion steps and accessed by lifting the steps and through side hatches in the two aft cabins. The engine room is tight but you can perform all routine maintenance without taking the boat apart.

The 41.1 has four interior options but all four use the same basic saloon plan. The saloon has the galley to port as you descend the stairs. It s a simple L-shaped galley with a large fridge—top and side loading—a two burner propane stove, a microwave in a cabinet and plenty of locker space. While there is no post to hang onto in the galley, there is a safety bar across the stove and the counter has deep fiddles all around that keep water contained and provide handholds.

Across from the galley is the aft or main head, which has a large separate shower stall that will double as a good wet locker when sailing in rain or rough conditions. Oddly, the boat we sailed had a huge mirror on the saloon bulkhead that frames the head. Since sailors are the least vain class of humans we know, the mirror must have been for added light and the illusion of more space. Below the mirror is the liquor cabinet. All told, we found 17 slots for stowing wine bottles. D’accord.

Beneteau Oceanis 41.1 galley

The dinette is U-shaped and will seat four for dinner while another two or three can eat off their laps on the settee to port. The bench in the dinette is long enough to be a good sea berth during passages offshore.

guest cabin

The four variations offered for the 41.1 include a standard three cabin, one head variation that will suite most families or a couple that often sails with friends who are not partners. In this arrangement, the forward berth is on the centerline. The simple variation on this design has the port quarter cabin converted into a store and work room where you can keep all spare parts, tools and much more. This may be where you would install a genset.

The boat also can be built in a two head version that alters the forward cabin to accommodate a small enclosed head without a shower. To make this fit, the double berth has to be angled to port. The two head version can have either two quarter cabins or the storeroom option.

The 41.1 we sailed had the mahogany Alpi veneer that has been so popular in the recent editions of Beneteaus. This synthetic wood has a uniform grain and can be easily replaced if it is ever damaged. Also it never needs refinishing.

With white overheads, and white vinyl cover bulkhead panels, the interior has a somewhat classic look with modern touches. The side windows and overhead hatches add light and the opening ports all around make for adequate ventilation.

The Beneteau Oceanis 41.12 has a base price slightly under $200,000 so in its most basic form it represents a hugely good value. Plus, if you add the performance package—laminated sails, etc—you add only a few thousand to the price and provide yourself with a rig that is fun to sail. The 41.1 is being built in Beneteau’s U.S. facility in Marion, South Carolina by American craftsmen and women to a level of quality that stands up very well when compared to other production boats. Plus the boat sails like a dream.

Beneteau Oceanis 41.1

LOA                                    40’9”

LOD                                    39’4”

Beam                                    13’9”

Draft 9deep)                        7’2”

Draft (shoal)                        5’7”

Displ.                                    19,350 lbs.

Sail area                        916 sq. ft.

Fuel                                    53 gals.

Water                                    63 gals.

Water (option)            87 gals.

Engine, diesel                        45-hp

www.beneteauamerica.com

First Look  (published February 2016)

This spring Catalina Yachts—America’s leading builder of production sailboats—will launch their all new Catalina 425, and while still built to the high standards of the whole Catalina line, the new boat is definitely a refreshing new take on what a mid-sized family cruisers can be.

Catalina’s chief designer Gerry Douglas noted that “The 425 is designed to be a wholesome, American-built, three-cabin family cruising boat that is intended for  generations of use and to hold its value well over time.”

Catalina is no stranger to building boats that become the best sellers in their class. For example, the company built 2,305 of their famous 36s and 1,022 of the classic 42s. The launch of the 275 two years ago marked a new modern design phase for the company and the 425 continues that tradition with completely modern lines and many well proven and well thought out details.

The hull has a nine degree bow that is nearly plumb but angled forward just enough to keep the foredeck dry while beating to windward and to keep the anchor from dinging the bow’s gel coat when it is being hoisted on deck. The stern has a modest sugar scoop and a door that leads into the cockpit, which keeps the cockpit secure when underway but allows for easy access to the stern.

The cockpit is large and commodious, with twin wheels and bench seats long enough to lie on. The side decks going forward are wide and with the chainplates for the rig mounted inboard next to the cabin sides, you don’t have to duck or turn sideways to get to the foredeck. The anchor locker is huge and equipped with an electric windlass, which makes anchoring —and re-anchoring—so much easier.

The rig shown in the drawings is a tall sloop configuration with an in-mast roller furling mainsail and a roller furling 100-percent jib. The jib is self tacking and fitted with its own traveler. All of the sheets and the furling line for the jib are led aft to the helms so the boat can be effectively singlehanded.

The 425 has a short bowsprit that has two bow rollers for anchors and doubles as the tacking point for a downwind sail such as a screecher or an asymmetrical reacher on a top-down furler.  The added horsepower in these downwind sails that can be left hoisted all the time will make sailing the 425 a blast.

Fitting a three-cabin accommodation plan into a 42-foot cruising boat that also has two heads and an aft sea-going galley is no small feat but it looks like Douglas has done just that. He noted, “The three cabin version of our classic 42 did not have an aft galley and many owners suggested that they would prefer that to an in-line galley. So, our goal was to create a new accommodation plan that offers three cabins, a large and comfortable owner’s cabin forward, two heads and the after galley. The galley is a true offshore galley so cooking while on the move will be more convenient and, I think, safer. The forward cabin has a large centerline double berth that is one of the largest berths on a cruising boat and appropriate for sailors over six feet tall.”

The 425 has a number of design features that will give her owners confidence. In the bow, the boat has what Catalina calls their “Strike Zone” collision bulkhead that will protect the hull’s integrity should it run over a container or other hard objects at sea. The rudder has the “Deep Defense” system that will sustain a collision and keep on steering. The mast is deck stepped and mounted on Catalina’s “T-Beam Mast Step” that transfers all compression to the top of the keel and main bulkhead while also providing all of the benefits of a deck-stepped mast.

Douglas developed a new hull-to-deck joint system in the 275 design process and has adapted that to the 425. “The new joint,” he said, “provides a large and secure flange to attach the deck to the hull and allows us to eliminate the aluminum toe rail that to my eye looks a bit dated in today’s market. The new molded toe rails look better and are a lot more watertight and stronger.”

Catalina still uses lead keels on their boats and the 425 is no exception. Lead is denser than cast iron and absorbs a grounding much better. A lead keel enhances stability and has allowed Douglas to give the new boat a very high—40 percent—ballast-to-displacement ratio, which is a good indication of the boat’s stability and stiffness when sailing in a breeze.

The other non-dimentional ratios also tell us a lot about the new design.  The displacement length ratio is 130, which indicates that the boat is relatively light and has been built with excellent sailing performance at the top of the list.  The sail area-to-displacement ratio of 21 indicates that the power in the sail plan is relatively high, again an indication of the boat’s speed potential.

With a long waterline and good performance ratios, the 425 should be one of Catalina’s best performing cruisers. The boat is built to the highest ABYC and IMI standards and has a Category A—unlimited offshore—rating.

As soon as hull number one is launched and ready to sail, BWS will give the boat a full sea trial for a complete review in a future issue. For more information, log on to www.catalinayachts.com.

Specification:
LOA     41’8”
LWL      39’1”
Beam     13’8”
Draft      6’8” (std.)
or 4’11”(shoal)
Ballast      7,000 lbs.
Displ.     17,500 lbs.
Water     114 gals.
Fuel       65 gals.
Waste       54 gals.

The new Philippe Briand design is a family cruiser with passagemaking capabilities  (published March 2016)

The first thing you notice about the new Jeanneau 54 as you walk down the dock is just how large the boat is for a 54 footer. The transom with its wide fold-down swim platform is very broad and made broader yet by hard chines. The topsides are fairly high and slab sided without much flare or tumblehome. The side windows are rectangular and very modern looking. The sheer line is dead straight and angled slightly upward as it runs forward. And, the bow is nearly plumb so the sailing waterline, when the boat is heeled to 10 degrees or so, will be just about 54 feet.

The high topsides create a huge interior so the curved cabintop can have a very low profile that flows in one continuous line into the cockpit coaming. This streamlined appearance is enhanced by the long, narrow cabin windows that conform nicely to the curved line of the cabintop.

This thoroughly modern design was drawn by noted French naval architect Philippe Briand whose designs and style have led the way forward for the past three decades and more. Briand boats are known for their excellent sailing characteristics—easily driven, fast on all points of sail and comfortable in a seaway—and for their distinctive look.

As an expression of Euro-modern yacht design, the 54 promises to do many things very well and we were not disappointed by that promise when we got her away from the dock.

SAIL TRIAL
The morning BWS took the 54 out for a sail on the Chesapeake Bay was fair, warm and a fine 10-knot breeze was blowing from the south. So often we find only zephyrs on the bay so a bit of breeze was welcome.

The 54 handles easily around the docks. With the bow thruster engaged and the big folding prop inching us forward we peeled away from the floating dock and then slipped by other moored boats with only inches to spare. The twin Jaffa wheels and steering systems give you a  firm and instant feel for the rudder and allow you to maneuver in tight spaces.
Once clear of the docks and mooring field we motored out the channel into the bay. The 75-hp. turbo charged Yanmar has plenty of torque to drive the 54 at her hull speed of 9.6 knots in flat water. At full revs, the engine was noticeable in the cockpit but not loud while down below, the sound insulation in the engine compartment kept the noise to a conversational level.  At cruising revs of 2,200 rpms, the boat slipped along at seven and a half knots and the engine was virtually silent.

The 54 comes with an in-mast furling mainsail and a 100-percent self tacking jib that gives it 1,194 square feet of sail area and a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 16.5. As an option, you can have a classic slab reefing mainsail and add a 135 percent roller furling genoa that together increase the sail area to 1,323 square feet; this will enhance sailing performance both with more sail area and with better shaped sails.

The boat we were sailing on the bay had the in-mast furling main with the 135 percent genoa. Once clear of the channel, we rolled out the main and genoa and switched off the engine. The boat responded surprisingly quickly to the press of wind on the sails and felt like a true performance cruiser.

01/04/2015, Dubrovnik (CRO), Jeanneau 54

We hardened up to close hauled and trimmed the sails to see just how balanced she was. With about 15 knots of apparent wind the 54 sailed at 30 degrees and made a happy 7.7 knots. Plus, the helms were light and the whole boat in fine balance.  We threw her through a few tacks to see how she handled and came away impressed with both the ease of tacking the big boat and her ability to tack in under 90 degrees true wind  angle.  With the 100 percent self  tacking jib, we would probably be sailing five degrees closer to the wind but about a knot slower.

Once we fell off the wind to 60 degrees apparent, the 54 showed her true cruising colors. The apparent wind speed stayed right around 15 knots as the boat speed crept over eight and then settled in at about 8.3 knots. In fair weather and with a steady breeze and not much of a sea running, the 54 will be able to make 200-mile 24 hour runs under working canvas. With a reacher or other downwind sail, she should be able to cruise at close to nine knots.

The 54’s cockpit is huge. With us that day were the boat’s new owners and a couple of representatives from Jeanneau and the dealership.  But this crowd did not get in the way of sailing the boat at all. The main seating area is forward while the sail controls and winches are aft and next to the helms. The boat can be handled quite easily by two people, while the rest of the party can relax and enjoy the ride.

We jibed our way back toward Annapolis and thoroughly enjoyed a perfect day of sailing. The 54 was easy to sail, fast and felt very balanced and solid underfoot. Just what you would expect from a Briand design and a Jeanneau Yacht.

LIVING ABOARD
In 54 feet, there is enough interior volume to really permit the designers to go to town. Jeanneau and Briand worked with the famous interior designer Andrew Winch—super yachts are his normal thing—to give the new 54 and the Jeanneau Yacht line maximum comfort and elegance.

Winch has created spaces below that are both well lit with natural and LED illumination and warm while still being thoroughly modern. The mixture of light colored vinyl overheads with warm Alpi wood joinery gives the saloon and cabins a kind of homey glow.

The 54 has four layout schemes that can be mixed and matched. The standard boat has the master cabin forward, two quarter cabins aft and three heads. The galley in three of the four versions runs along the port side of the saloon and is separated from the huge dinette by a counter that runs fore and aft. This counter provides more working space, is a place to brace yourself when cooking underway and it houses the huge flat screen TV that rises out of it as if by magic.

For a family heading off cruising, this configuration works well. Interestingly, the after cabins can have standard double berths or they can have side by side single berths that would be good for two children or two crew who were not partners.

Jeanneau has also provided a luxury two-cabin version that has the master cabin forward and a second or preferred cabin in the port aft cabin. Each cabin has its own en suite head and shower. The advantage of this layout is that it allows the galley to be moved into the space that used to be the starboard aft cabin. The galley becomes an excellent sea galley and its position in the saloon is replaced by a large settee and and a cabinet that combines useful drawers and a glass-fronted wine cooler. But, of course.

For use in a charter fleet, the 54 can also be set up with four or even five cabins. In the four-cabin layout, the master cabin forward is transformed into two smaller cabins with double berths that are side-by-side and partitioned with a bulkhead that can be removed.

In the five cabin version, a small Pullman cabin is wedged into the space that had been devoted to the after port head.  So, if you wanted to, you could take this version of the 54 off cruising with 10 aboard each of whom has his or her own bunk.

The 54 has plenty of headroom in all cabins so you never feel claustrophobic. All drawers and cabinet doors have positive latches that will keep their contents in place when the boat rolls or pitches. And, attention has been paid to adding hand holds accessible by large and small folks alike so maneuvering around the saloon in bouncy conditions won’t be dangerous.

The Yacht series of Jeanneaus—54, 57 and 64—are real high quality cruising boats with passagemaking capability. The 54, for example, has a fuel capacity of 127 gallons and a water capacity of 255 gallons when the optional extra tanks have been added. The galley is equipped with a large fridge and feezer and a second freezer could be added under a settee. There is room aboard to install a genset, the optional huge battery bank and a water maker. The large lockers aft in the cockpit and forward in the bow provide ample storage for extra sails, a spare  dinghy, SCUBA equipment and more.

01/04/2015, Dubrovnik (CRO), Jeanneau 54

You may not choose to sail away for an extended cruise aboard the new Jeanneau 54, but you should know you can do so when the boat has been fully prepared. Plus, it will get you where you are going at high average speeds and will be easy on her crew. A good passagemaker should carry her crew across an ocean safely and deliver them to their new landfall better rested and happier than when they left. The new Jeanneau 54 is certainly in that category.

JEANNEAU 54

Length overall           16.16 m / 53′
Hull length        15.75 m / 51’8″
Hull beam          4.92 m / 16’1″
Light displacement  17164 kg / 37840 lbs
Standard keel draught    2.24 m / 7’4″
Fuel capacity          63 L / 127 gal.
Water capacity        724 L / 255 gal.
Motor    Yanmar      75 Hp / 55 kW Sail drive
CE Category             A14 / B15 / C16
Total standard sail area     111 m² / 1,194 sq. ft.

Jeanneau America, Inc.
105 Eastern Ave.  Suite 202
Annapolis MD 21403

www.jeanneauamerica.com
410-280-9400

First sea trials aboard hull number one of a rockin’ new flagship  (published September 2016)

It’s not often that I get the scoop on a new design, much less one that is built across the Atlantic where European builders play their cards close to their vests. So, this summer, I felt privileged to be the first journalist to do a thorough walkthrough and test sail off the coast of France of the new Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62.

If you’ve noticed the extra long name, you’re paying attention. The 62 signals the beginning of a new line for the French builder, adding the word “Yacht” to the Oceanis name for models 60 feet and longer. Beneteau will also be offering more unique options with additional choices in layouts, amenities and finishes beyond what production builds generally provide.

The model is the work of Beneteau’s longtime design firm, Berret Racoupeau and the hull was drawn from scratch. She has a sleek low profile, a signature dark hull stripe that minimizes her freeboard and hides a dozen large hull ports and a rig so tall we could pick it out before we actually arrived in the harbor.

TOPSIDES
A massive stainless steel bowsprit dominates the foredeck. It holds the anchor well away from the plumb bow to minimize the inevitable hull dings when the anchor comes out of the water. It also serves as the attachment-point for the optional Code 0 (nearly 2,600 square feet) that will make the 62 fly downwind.

The tapered nine-tenths fractional rig supports 1,959 square feet of sail area between the 105-percent genoa and the in-mast furling main. The deck-stepped Sparcraft rig has triple aft-swept spreaders and all the lines are led aft to four electric Harken winches on the cockpit coaming near the helms. As on other Beneteau models, there is no traveler and the mainsheet connects to the composite cockpit arch. Walking back from the bow, I noticed eight retractable cleats that won’t snag sheets.

A forward crew cabin, accessible via the foredeck, is optional and includes a stainless steel ladder, over-under bunks, a sink and a head. Of course, most people will store fenders and lines here.

I was particularly impressed with the excellent lifelines. They are 30 inches high, which befits an offshore vessel, and their presence goes counter to the trend of keeping lifelines low to minimize the profile. I’m glad to see Beneteau departing from this aesthetic and choosing safety instead.

The working cockpit has twin helm stations on composite consoles port and starboard. The stations are comprehensively equipped with Carbonautica wheels, B&G Zeus 12-inch multifunction displays (upgradable to 16 inch NSO B&G displays), Quick bow and stern thruster toggles, remote windlass control, and switches to furl and unfurl the headsail. Our test boat had engine throttles at both stations, low and outboard. I’d prefer to have them on the consoles to avoid bending down when docking. Sightlines are good forward, especially when steering while seated on the side deck.

The entire aft deck serves as a sunpad and hides a galley module below. An electrically activated grill, sink and prep station levitate out of the transom, leaving the chef to stand between the wheels to prepare dinner. A 42-quart mini-fridge is at cockpit sole height next to the port wheel.

Serving meals will be easy as well. The social cockpit has a U-shaped settee on either side with two electric high-low tables and a path to the companionway in between. When lowered, the area turns into a lounge with double sunpads.

With the sunpad on the bow, the two pads alongside the companionway (under the dodger if there is one), the cockpit pads and the full beam sun lounge aft, 10 people can work on their tans simultaneously.

One thing that may need to be rethought is the liferaft compartment below the cockpit sole at the companionway. This is a non-draining locker that creates suction and lifting the lid is only for the very strong.

The electric swim platform aft is impressive and Beneteau really dialed it in for three reasons. First, there are staircases port and starboard that lead down to it from the cockpit. These are not mere ladders but real, easily maneuvered stairs. Second, the platform is enormous and this teak beach is a perfect playground with easy access to the tender or for staging dive gear. Finally, unlike others that lower to the waterline, this platform angles down at the aft end and below the water. This aids in launching and retrieving the tender and stowing it in the garage that is specifically designed to hold a Williams 2.85 jet tender. Other dinghies will also fit, especially if partially deflated.

Changes are being made to hull number one and she will arrive in the U.S. a bit modified. Each helm will gain larger sheet bags, a compass, a cup holder and a foot brace. A rail along the aft sunpad will also be added because when heeled, there was very little for you to hang onto when changing from one wheel to the other and with a 17-foor, six-inch beam, that’s a long way to go.

Alternately, if the optional composite hardtop is added over the cockpit, you could slide your hand along the aft end of this rigid Bimini when making the transition from wheel to wheel. I only saw the Bimini in drawings but it adds a bit of style as well as functionality. The black hardtop starts with a well-angled windshield forward and transitions to a Bimini top that attaches at the composite arch and has a soft retractable sunroof in the middle. It’s an all-weather roof that looks good and actually adds to the lines of the boat.

IMPRESSIVE INTERIOR
The interior shows the design acumen of Pierreangelo Adreani, who has collaborated with Beneteau on their powerboats since 2005. Adreani elevates the styling, always keeping ergonomics and industrialization top-of-mind. The 62 is his first sailboat for Beneteau and despite its luxe appeal, it still must fall within stipulated production times and budgets. Adreani adheres strictly to the new minimalist trends so the 62 is all about clean lines, smooth surfaces and hidden functionality, especially in the galley where the tools of the trade are almost completely camouflaged.

Six steps lead down from the cockpit at a 45-degree angle with handrails on both sides. To port is a very large dinette with settees so wide, they beckon to loungers. The electric high-low folding table in the middle is built of solid wood. To starboard is the straight-line galley, divided from the saloon by a console that holds a pop-up flatscreen TV and a bar.

Our test boat had a fully equipped galley with a microwave, three-burner stove-oven combination, top and side-loading refrigeration, icemaker, wine cooler, dishwasher and twin sinks. All are hidden by cabinetry so there was nothing but a large charcoal-colored (Beneteau calls this Deep Mink) Corian counter and white lacquered cabinets overhead. A sneak peek at hull number two in the factory showed an integrated rack below the galley sole to store provisions in the cool space of the bilge. Presumably, hull number one will have this feature retrofitted. Beneteau will be adding a continuous handrail along the entire galley counter as a handhold.

In the aft port corner of the saloon, is the forward-facing navigation desk with a third B&G plotter, a Schreiber digital bus panel and four USB plugs to charge personal electronics. The L-shaped desk is generously proportioned and I like that it is near the companionway for easy communication with the cockpit. One thing that Beneteau will still need to work out is the chair. There was no way to stay in the swiveling seat when on a port tack and there is no foot brace so I found myself pushing against the companionway steps to stay put. A fixed chair may not be an option either because access to the fuse panel is via a low cabinet behind the seat.

The master stateroom is forward, which is to be expected on an aft cockpit boat. The twist here is added privacy because you cannot see into it from the saloon, even with when the door is open. The small corridor that leads to it is offset to starboard where there is an optional washer/dryer combo and a large pantry. On the way in, I noticed the clever bookcase between the padded tower that hides the compression post of the mast and the forward bulkhead between the master and the saloon.

From this mini-foyer, you turn one more corner and you’re in a palatial master suite with a centerline bed, several hanging lockers and an en suite head with separate shower stall. Immediately inside the entrance to the right is an area that can be configured as a desk, a short sofa or a chest of drawers—owner’s choice.

Light and air are plentiful from two overhead opening hatches, and large rectangular hull windows, with blackout blinds for privacy. You can see out when lying in bed and that will eliminate midnight trips up to the deck to check your position at anchor.

With the raised cabintop, there is six feet and eleven inches of headroom at the foot of the bed and the whole room feels like a hotel suite. Owners will not feel shortchanged on stowage space, which includes room under the bunk. (Stronger gas shocks will be needed for one person to lift the mattress and keep it raised while reaching inside.)

Two identical guest cabins with slightly varying en suite heads are aft. They could use a bit more ventilation as there are three small opening hatches and two of them, the overhead and the one in the transom, are hard to reach. A note on the transom hatches: Beneteau worked extra hard to be allowed to add these on an offshore vessel. With the cabin doors open, you can sit on the inner settee of the saloon and see all the way aft and out of the back of the boat via, what Beneteau calls, “ the light tunnels”. This gives the perception of length and space, which is impressive. I have to wonder however, once guests pile their luggage, clothes or possessions on that back counter, will the hatches disappear altogether or will anyone want to crawl back on all fours to open (or close) them?

You can shoehorn in a fourth cabin to starboard and lose one of the heads, but I can’t see North American boaters opting for this because this yacht’s interior is, first and foremost, about luxurious space, privacy and haute design.

Hull number one has a mahogany Alpi wood finish offset by numerous white fabrics, leather accents and grey painted hard surfaces. Hull number two has a different color scheme with light brushed oak wood surrounded by acres of white. Beneteau has brought over the luxurious touches from their Monte Carlo powerboat line so there are leather cabinetry pulls, lights tucked behind valences and padded surfaces for sound attenuation.

The amount of light in the saloon can’t be beat with overhead hatches, skylights and three large hull windows on either side in the saloon. Add a high-end sound system (Bose speakers below and Fusion on deck) and four-zone air conditioning by Dometic for all the comforts of home. What’s not to like.

PERFORMANCE
We had a blustery day once we came out of the river at Les Sables-d’Olonne. Out on the Atlantic, there was a small swell and a three to four foot chop that was mixing it up with 15-20 knots of wind.

At 55 degrees apparent wind angle (AWA) in 16 knots of true wind, we cruised along at eight knots and that jumped up to 10.2 knots when we eased off to a beam reach. Falling off brought us to 10.4 knots at 140 degrees AWA. Our test boat had laminate Incidence sails and there are various upgrades available.

At one point, a larger wave slapped the hull just forward of the beam, then rose up sharply and doused the cockpit, sending water pouring down the side decks. Yes, it may have been driver miscalculation and yes, that driver may have been me. Other than wet decks and crew, the boat barely noticed and just plowed ahead without stalling or shuddering.

The 62 moves well under power, cruising at eight and a half knots at 2000 rpm where she burns about three gallons per hour. A more economical cruise may be found at six and a half knots and 1400 rpm, burning just over a gallon per hour. Tankage includes 264 gallons of fuel in three tanks so this is a go-far boat even with the sails down.

With side thrusters she’s quite maneuverable and doesn’t feel intimidating despite the vast expanse of deck ahead. Access to the front of the Yanmar 160 HP diesel is via the companionway steps. There are also access panels on the side and a narrow door in the starboard aft cabin that provides good access to the 11.5 kW Onan genset and the back of the main engine.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The base price of the 62 is $890,000 and as tested it will be $1.2 million. Hull number one had a variety of standard and optional equipment and Beneteau is still working out details. Having a chance to explore and sail a new model alongside the team that created it is real treat. We got to try out and rethink features, angles and ergonomics that had previously only been seen on a prototype. The good news is that you too can check out hull number one of the Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62 because she will be making the rounds of fall and winter boat shows up and down the East Coast. And that’s the scoop.

BENETEAU OCEANIS YACHT 62

LOA:         62’ 7”
Beam:         17’ 6”
Draft:         7’ 7” shoal / 9’ 6” deep
Displacement:     53,271 lbs.
Sail Area:     1,959 sq. ft.
Fuel/Water:    264/280 gallons
Engine:        Yanmar 160 HP
Designer:    Berret Racoupeau/
Pierrangelo Andreani
Builder:     Groupe Beneteau

Price as tested $1,200,000
www.beneteau.com

In this modern gilded age, family cruising boats have grown and grown and grown  (published May 2016)

It has happened so gradually and so steadily over the last 15 years that you would hardly have noticed that the average size of a family cruising boat has increased to the point where 50 footers are common and 60 footers are becoming the new normal.  In the last three years, we have seen all of the high volume production builders introduce cruising boats 60 feet long and larger and most of the more limited run and semi custom builders are pushing the envelope even farther into the LOA stratosphere.

It might take a sociologist to explain the demand for 60 foot family cruising boats since any experienced cruiser will tell you that 60 feet is a whole lot of boat to be handled by an amateur crew let alone a couple or cruising family. Just imagine you and your partner trying to hump the mainsail of your 60-footer into the dinghy and off to the sailmaker for repairs. Of course, most of the boats in the super cruiser fleet have crew quarters, either wedged into the forepeak or tucked into an interior nook and cranny.  And, we imagine, most of the 60 foot and larger boats will live in marinas and boatyards most of the time when not actively cruising where service professionals are readily available.

Steve and Linda Dashew were early pioneers in the super cruiser field with their line of Deerfoot yachts that ranged from 60 to more than 80 feet overall and were designed specifically for couples and families who sailed without crew. In the 80s and 90s, this group was small and comprised of elite sailors who had both the wherewithal to purchase such boats and the experience to handle them.  Many of the Deerfoots were ketches for obvious reasons.

But today, the super cruisers are almost all sloops with very tall masts, large mainsails, and innovative headsail combinations. The technology that made Deerfoots possible has spread to the production line fleets. It is common to find bow and stern thrusters on these boats so docking is more manageable.  Manual winches have gone the way of the handy billy as electric or hydraulic winches manage halyards, control lines and sheets. On larger boats, captive reel winches are making sheet handling even easier.

Every task on a modern cruiser has been made effortless with technology and sail handling is probably the most obvious. If you can manage all sail maneuvers with two people who don’t have to leave the cockpit, except in a rare emergency, then you have created  a super cruiser that can in most cases be handled by a couple.  Roller furling, in-mast furling, self tacking headsails and roller furling or top down furling downwind sails  have changed the dynamic of sailing. That has made the 60-foot family cruiser a reality.

In the following pages, BWS takes a quick look in alphabetical order at a broad cross section of the boats that are now sailing in the 2016 super cruiser fleet.

Amel 64
French builder Amel builds about 12 new cruisers annually in either 55 or 64 foot models. The boats are luxury cruisers that come completely fitted out for cruising. Unlike most of their compatriots the 55 and 64 have ketch rigs with in-mast furling mainsails and cutter style headsail rigs. With the rig broken into these small packages and with all sails handled from the cockpit with hydraulic furling systems, the Amels are a breeze for a lone watchstander—half of a cruising couple—to manage.

The cruising systems on the Amels are as well thought out as you will find anywhere whether you are looking at the anchoring systems, energy systems, water making capability and tanks, or at the way the galley and storage is laid out. The newest versions of the 55 and 64 are much more luxurious and a lot less quirky than Amels from the past and compete in raw quality with any luxury cruiser in the fleet. www.amel.fr.

Beneteau Oceanis 60 & 62
Beneteau introduced their new Oceanis 60 to the U.S. market in 2015 and proved to themselves and their dealers that there is a demand for family cruisers of this LOA at a price well below the usual custom and semi-custom boats in the 60-plus fleet.  The 60 has a garage for the dinghy under the cockpit and crew’s quarters forward. It has a huge folding transom and a cockpit with twin wheels that can seat 10 people for sundowners.  Down below, the 60 has an interior styled by Nauta Designs that is Euro-modern and both bright and functional.  As you might imagine, Beneteau offers a variety of cabin layouts to suit your needs from an owner’s version to a layout that works for charter.

The 60 paved the way for the all new Oceanis 62 that will be introduced in 2016. The new design is billed by the company as the model for the Oceanis line of the future. With aggressively modern styling and a very streamlined hull and deck, the 62 is bound to turn heads as she sails by.  Look for a BWS boat test and more details as the 62 gets closer to being launched in the U.S. www.beneteauamerica.com.

Bavaria Cruiser 56
The German production builder Bavaria has revamped its whole line in the last five years with full bodied Farr Yacht designs that are more voluminous than earlier Bavaria designs and sail quite a lot better. The flagship of the Bavaria fleet is the Cruiser 56. The boat has all the modern design attributes we expect from a modern  Bavaria cruiser—the huge cockpit with twin wheels, the fold-down transom with a dinghy garage, well laid out sailing systems that allow the boat to be sailed and managed by a couple and a simple efficient rig with a roller furling headsail and either a slab reefed on in-mast furling main.

Below decks the 56 has a four-cabin layout with the master suite forward, two large quarter cabins aft and a Pullman cabin with upper and lower berths tucked in to port.  A family with three or four kids would be happy living aboard. The saloon has a unique amid-ships galley –U-shaped—to starboard that will be a fine seagoing galley. The proper chart table lies just aft of that and is slightly raised. The dinette with its adjustable table to port seats six.  Bavaria has managed to retain a lot of traditional styling in this thoroughly modern cruiser so you feel at home at once when you climb down the companionway.  www.bavariayachts.com

Discovery 67
The Discovery line of British-built cruising boats has earned the reputation for offering some off the best blue water yachts in the world. The Ron Holland designs are stout seagoing vessels with unique raised deck saloons. The 67 is the company’s largest boat and was created specifically for adventurous couples and families who are headed over the horizon to landfalls far away.  Everything about the 67 is big and robust. The cockpit is large but well protected and has good handholds and foot braces so the crew will be safe and comfortable at sea. The sloop rig can be managed from the cockpit and with the Solent-style headsail arrangement—self-tacking jib inside a large reacher—you can add or decrease sail area at will, all with the press of buttons.

The Discovery difference lies with the way the raised saloon has been designed; you sit at either a U-shaped dinette or the chart table at deck level so you can always see out through the large saloon windows. The galley and forward cabins are down three steps going forward. The engine compartment and tanks lie under the raised saloon floor. The Discovery 67 is a truly luxury world cruiser that will offer her crew many 200-mile days offshore and a comfortable and safe ride in just about all weather. www.discoveryyachts.com.

Dufour 560
Dufour Yachts is one of the venerable boat building brands in France and accounts for a large percentage of boats sold in their home country. The Grand Large  560 is their flagship and the design evokes all that is modern and trendsetting about the French sailing scene. The sleek hull with hard chines aft evolved from the more radical Open 60 designs used in offshore events  like the Vendee Globe. With a low cabin that flows directly aft into the cockpit coaming, the boat looks fast—and is fast. It has a large rig with a performance, fully battened mainsail, a self-tacking jib and a large reacher mounted on the bow sprit.

Below decks the 560 has various cabin options but the basic boat has the master suite forward and quarter cabins aft. The saloon is laid out with the large dinette to port with the U-shaped galley forward of it.  This works very well and the galley is going to be great for the cook while underway. The dinette seats eight. A bench settee and the chart table lie to starboard.  The modern Dufours are trend-setting, high performance sailing machines that have elegant, spacious Euro-modern interiors and the 560 is the queen of the fleet.  www.dufour-yachts.com.

Euphoria 54, 68 & 84
A new player in the international cruising market, Euphoria Yachts in Turkey introduced their new Euphoria 54 in 2015 to rave reviews. The sleek, performance cruiser was designed by German Frers and looks magnificent.  Those who have sailed the boat rave about how easy it is to handle and how fast it is in all breezes and points of sail.  The 54 has a very low cabin top so it looks almost like a race boat or an Italian mega daysailer. But this is a proper cruising boat with plenty of living space and systems set up for a couple living aboard for the long haul.

Turkey has become a Mecca for custom yacht building and with the introduction of the Euphoria and Azuree lines, it is poised to become a player in the production market too.

The 54 is very interesting but the company has a 68 and an 84 on the drawing board that will be introduced in the future. The 64 will be a super cruiser for an experienced couple and promises to be great looking, a fine sailing machine and a thoroughbred passagemaker. The 84, on the other hand, will be a super cruising “yacht’ that will require a crew of two or three to run her properly.  Stand by for the  BWS reviews of all three boats as they become available to test. www.euphoriayachts.com.tr.

Grand Soleil 58
Grand Soleil has been building elegant, high quality cruising boats for two generations in Italy and as they have modernized their designs the company has increasingly leaned toward the performance side of the racer-cruiser concept. The new 58 that will be launched in 2016 is the big sister of the fleet and a boat that will shine making fast passages or racing in point to point events.  The boat is available in a stripped out version that will be a racing machine with some accommodations aft. But, for BWS’s audience the two owner’s versions will be more appealing and these offer simple but very adequate galleys, dinettes, chart tables and heads.

The 58’s sailing qualities will be what sells her to performance cruisers. Light, stiff and endowed with a powerful rig, the boat will cruise in the eight to 10 knot range under working sail and will scoot at speeds in the teens with downwind racing sails. The 58 is for the serious sailor who is seeking spirited sailing. www.grandsoleil.net.

Gunfleet 74
Founded by Richard Matthews who was the founder and long time CEO of Oyster Yachts, Gunfleet is a British builder of very fine, seaworthy blue water yachts.  Although relatively new to the scene, Gunfleet has already demonstrated that their boats are on par or better than just about any other luxury cruisers on the market.  The Gunfleet 43 and 58 are both Tony Castro designs and are both superb sailing boats with innovative accommodations for families out cruising.

The new flagship of the line, the Gunfleet 74, which will be  launched in the near future,  propels the company into the super cruiser category with style. While the 74 could be handled by a very experienced and younger couple, the boat was clearly designed to be run by a skipper and mate who would have their own living quarters forward of the galley which in turn is forward of the saloon.  The owner’s cabin aft is full hull width and all four cabins have en suite heads.  The Gunfleets are go anywhere, no compromise blue water boats for very discerning owners. www.gunfleetmarine.com.

Hallberg-Rassy 64
Swedish builder Hallberg-Rassy is known worldwide for the quality of their yachts, for the intergity of the company and for their insistence that things be done the HR Way. They build fine cruising boats from 31 to 64 feet with the HR 64 being their flagship.

Designed by German Frers, the 64 takes the HR ethos to a logical extreme in a boat that can be handled by an experienced couple. A center cockpit design with a large aft cabin under the after deck, the 64 has a sweet Frers hull and a sleek cabin top that is interrupted by the patented HR windshield that protects the cockpit. The rig is a simple cutter configuration, with roller furling on the genoa and staysail and in-mast reefing on the mainsail.  With all sheets, and control lines leading aft to the cockpit, one person (and the autopilot) can sail the boat by him or herself.

Down below the 64 offers a lot of comfort in a warm traditional interior that evokes generations of experience and tradition.  The saloon has a round dinette that will seat six. The galley is in the passageway that leads aft to the wonderful aft master cabin. Forward you can have two good guest cabins and customize the space to suit your cruising needs.

You see Hallberg-Rassys all over the world because they are true blue water boats that are built to last and persevere.  www.hallberg-rassy.com.

Hanse 675
In the high volume production side of the cruising market, Hanse has paved the way with their super cruisers with the voluminous 505 and 575, both of which have been built in large numbers. The 675 is another leap into the LOA stratosphere. The boat is massive with nearly full length waterline, an expansive beam and very high topsides. You could measure the living space in the 675 in square feet as you would a house and find that combining the cockpit and below decks areas you would be living in a very comfortable four bedroom, four bath bungalow—with an amazing water view.

The boat was designed for simple sailing by a couple so all sail controls, sheets and halyards lead aft to the cockpit. The boat comes with a self-tacking jib and it would be wise to have a reacher on a roller furling unit forward. In-mast reefing is the simplest if least efficient mainsail handling system.

The cockpit will seat 10 to 15 for sundowners and you can have 20 at a party below. Hanse provides so many options it is hard to put your finger on a standard arrangement plan but a four cabin plan with four heads makes sense, particularly if you will be having a couple running the boat for you…professionals. The 675 is a unique boat and a uniquely good value. www.hanseyachts.com.

Hylas 70
The Hylas 70 is one of the boats that has set the bar very high for a good combination of design integrity, quality of build and value.  But the boat had a rough start since the original deck and raised saloon design did not come out well. But the guys at Hylas went back to the drawing board and came up with a much prettier look and a better boat.

The 70 is a big boat—the cockpit, the foredeck, the rig, the saloon—all are spacious living spaces for a large group.  The master cabin aft is a very big suite with a large head and lots of storage. The main guest cabin forward would be a master cabin on lesser boats. The second guest cabin has a Pullman berth and lots of storage space. Finally, the crew’s cabin near the companionway will be good for a couple. Built in Taiwan, the fit and finish is classic Far Eastern teak, holly and varnish. www.hylasyachtsusa.com.

Jeanneau 64
Jeanneau introduced two super cruisers to the US market in 2015, the Jeanneau Yacht 54 and the Yacht 64. Jeanneau is a member of Group Beneteau and their larger boats are built in France. The 54 came out of the box at the Annapolis show and proved an instant success. It seems 54s must be the new 45!

But the new 64 is the super cruiser that really turns heads. Designed by Philippe Briand, like all  of the Jeanneaus, the boat has extremely attractive lines, a broad transom with hard chines and a dinghy garage under the cockpit.  The cockpit is suitably huge with long benches, a large table and all sailing sheets led aft to the twin helms. The mainsheet runs to the arch that is over the companionway so no lines foul the living spaces.

Down below there are several ways to set up the accommodation plan.  You can have the master suite aft under the cockpit or forward of the saloon. You can have twin cabins forward of the saloon and a crew’s cabin by the companionway. Or the crew can sleep in the forepeak.  Jeanneau is prepared to build a very custom, semi-custom yacht for you.

BWS has long been a fan of Briand designs and the 64 is a classic example of the designer’s ability to get it right —looks, performance, ergonomics and living spaces. www.jeanneau.com.

Oyster  625
For more than 30 years, Oyster Yachts have set the standard among high quality, owner operated blue water yachts. Founder Richard Matthews, himself an accomplished racing and cruising skipper, knew what was right in a good sea boat. Many Oysters have sailed around the world and many dozen have sailed across the Atlantic with the ARC.

Matthews sold the company and it is now run by two European investors, who are keen sailors. The trusted old brand is in good hands and the boats they are building live up to the legacy of the years.  The company now builds models from 47 to 118 feet. In the middle of the range you will find the 625, which Oyster aficionados consider one of the best Oysters ever built and one that a couple could easily manage on their own with help on passages.

The center cockpit, aft cabin raised deck saloon concept has dominated Oyster designs for a long time and the 625 is no exception. Designed by Rob Humphries, the 625 sails very well for a  medium displacement cruiser and is known to have great manners in rough conditions. The rig is simple but powerful and all sails run on either hydraulic or electric furling systems.  Sitting high in the center cockpit the crew stays dry, is at the center of the boat’s center of gravity and has excellent visibility forward.

Down below, the master cabin lies aft while the guest cabins are forward of the saloon. All three cabins have en suite heads.  The crew’s cabin is tucked under the side deck next to the companionway.  The saloon has a large dinette, a curved settee, the chart table and access to tanks and systems below the floor. The galley is in the passageway leading to the aft cabin.  Oysters are proper yachts and can take you anywhere your wanderlust drives you in style, comfort and safety. www.oysteryachts.com.

Swan 60
Nautor Swan has been building high quality performance yachts—racing and cruising—in Finland for almost 50 years and today continues to build on the long traditions of excellence that made the company of choice for the world’s elite sailors. Today they build yachts from 50 to 115 feet and each is a handcrafted work of boatbuilding art.

The new Swan 60 is a perfect choice to focus on the super cruiser market since it is a racer-cruiser in the classic sense while being a perfectly capable passagemaker and live aboard home for a couple or a family. Designed by German Frers, the sleek, low profile 60 evokes performance and luxury in much the way a Porche 911 does. You sense immediately that there were very few compromises made.

The 60 has an open cockpit that will appeal to racers and be comfortable for cruisers. The twin helms give great visibility forward and provide access to the fold  down stern platform.

Down below the 60 has a fairly conventional standard layout that can be customized to suit an owner’s needs. The master cabin is forward, there are two quarter cabins aft and the large saloon, galley and nav station lie amidships. For experienced sailors who demand the best and who will enjoy both racing and cruising, the new Swan 60 is a super cruiser that will bring home the silver. www.nautorswan.com.

Tartan 53
The only American-built boat in this survey of super cruisers, the Tartan 53 is also the smallest. Designed by Tim Jackett and built by Tartan Yachts in Ohio, the 53 is a center cockpit, aft cabin, raised deck saloon cruiser that offers a huge amount of volume and interior accommodations.

The center cockpit is large enough for the whole crew to gather and for al fresco meals. The sail plan is designed to give the widest options with roller furling mainsail, roller furling Solent or 100 percent jib and a roller furling reacher all set and ready to meet whatever conditions you face.

The interior comes in either a three or four cabin version and the saloon is fitted with a large dinette, a chart table and comfortable seats. The fit and finish of Tartan Yachts is legendary and very much in the American tradition of fine woodworking, solid doors and drawer fronts, stainless steel hardware and bright varnish everywhere.

Tartan Yachts is still one of the finest boat building operations in the world and in struggling times has continued to turn out solid cruising boats in the American model. Their 53 super cruiser competes with any vessel anywhere in this size range.  www.tartanyachts.com.

Hanse’s new addition is small but mighty  (published June 2016)

Hanse Yachts builds big impressive boats. The German manufacturer’s 67-foot flagship recently splashed in Europe and it is a muscle-bound speedster. But sometimes, it takes extra know-how to build small rather than big and the Germans have gotten it right at both ends with the introduction of the smallest sister in the fleet, the Hanse 315.

Like her siblings, the 315 is the product of the team, Judel/Vrojilk, the latter being the design force behind America’s Cup contender, Alinghi. With that pedigree and her vacuum-bagged, cored epoxy sandwich construction, this new pocket cruiser is a contender.

The Hanse 315 replaces the older 325 and with her self-tacking 98 percent  jib on a curved track ahead of the mast, she’s a joy to sail, even singlehanded. There is an option to add jib tracks on the side decks and a 105 percent overlapping jib but that will not increase the sail area by much and would take away from how easy she is to manage, so why opt for the extra cost? The deck-stepped Selden mast is tapered, has double aft-swept spreaders and carries Elvstrøm laminate sails. Below the waterline, you have a choice of two keel drafts: six foot one inches or four foot five inches with the deeper draft providing better upwind performance and the latter enabling you to sail the skinny waters off much of the East Coast.

  Twin carbon wheels, by the Danish company Jefa, open up the cockpit and provide good sightlines forward as well as a smooth flow from the companionway to the drop down transom (manual) which creates a nice swim platform. The twin backstays also help in keeping the stern clear of obstacles and are placed well so a tall helmsman can still stand at the wheel without hitting his head on the wires.

A B&G chartplotter and instruments are at the port wheel and twin Lewmar primary winches are easy to reach from either wheel. The rest of the lines are controlled by two winches and Spinlock rope clutches on the cabintop. U.S. boaters will want to add the optional side boarding gates (since we don’t tend to Med moor in North America) and possibly teak slatting in the cockpit to break up the expanse of white fiberglass. Cup holders would be nice since there aren’t any.

PERFORMANCE
Our five-ton test boat was equipped with a fuel-efficient 18 horsepower Volvo that powered the hull at 6.9 knots at 3,000 rpm. The standard engine is 12 horsepower but an upgrade will make all the difference when heading for home, upwind in deteriorating conditions.

We powered out onto the Chesapeake Bay where we were met with disappointingly light winds at first. But when puffs of eight to 12 knots apparent wind came through, the Hanse 315 picked up to 5.8 knots at 45 degrees and six knots at 60 degrees. Busy tidying lines and talking, we barely noticed that the boat was completely taking care of herself, tracking well and even missing crab pots that materialized in our path.

We tacked through 80 degrees and fell off onto a broad reach, keeping the speed of 5.3 knots at 120 degrees apparent wind angle. The large mainsail blocks the small jib when on a run so we changed to wing-on-wing where both sails had the chance to draw and keep our speed up.

We noticed how light and responsive the helm was at all angles of sail. One finger on either of the two wheels kept everything under control to the point where we started to take note of the lovely afternoon, getting lost in enjoying the time aboard. The boat practically sailed herself which bodes well for singlehanders or distracted sailors keeping an eye on young kids. The self-tacking jib means there will not be any scrambling about in the cockpit when changing direction and the ease of sailing will likely translate to more frequent use, even for short afternoon jaunts about the harbor. And isn’t that what it’s all about?

Make no mistake however, the Hanse 315 is completely capable of extended coastal cruising and weekending with all necessary amenities including 60 gallons of fresh water and 26 gallons of fuel. It’s good to know that 31 feet will work just as well as 67 when it’s time to get away from the dock. The new model will suit new sailors just getting into the sport or seasoned salts looking to downsize and get out on the water more often with less hassle—and expense.

COMFORTABLE INTERIOR
The Hanse 315 won’t accommodate a crowd, but four will be comfortable in the two-cabin, single head layout. A large overhead opening hatch and a fixed port in the deck flood the saloon with light where a centerline table separates two straight settees. A small nav desk shares a seat with the portside bench so the ship’s business can have a dedicated space. The L-shaped galley to starboard has a single circular sink near the centerline, Waeco top-loading refrigeration and a two-burner Eno stove/oven combination along with plentiful black quartz countertops. All in all, this galley will work well for a chef on a weekend cruise.

As has become popular on other models, the bulkhead that separates the forward cabin from the saloon may be removed, leaving the whole boat feeling much larger and more open. With the bulkhead in place, the stateroom is private with a small luggage table to starboard. This cabin will work well for kids since the bed can also be split into two berths with shelves that fold out. The master stateroom and its large athwartships bed below the cockpit is aft and has lots of lounge space for two adults.

  The companionway steps are well angled whether you’re coming up or down. This is a surprising luxury on a small boat where ladders are more the norm. Moving about and popping below is easier especially when heeling. One sacrifice is in the head that has no separate shower stall. It is still roomy with a sink, a Jabsco manual toilet, some storage and adequate room to change clothes. The standard interior finish on this model is a satin mahogany with upgrades to either light Italian oak or warm American cherry and fabric finishes allow every owner to personalize the décor.

BWS THOUGHTS
The sail away package price for the Hanse 315 is $125,000, which includes most of what you’ll need above and beyond the $98,000 base. That’s a lot of boat for not a lot of money.

Ships have been built in Greifswald since the 1300s and the Hanse factory here has employed local craftsmen for the past 20 years. With that kind of history, that Hanse builds good boats is not surprising. That you can fit more than two 315s end-to-end in a 675 and that both models will work well for their intended purpose—now that’s a feat.

HANSE 315
Designer             Judel/Vrolijk
& Co.
LOA                31’ 6”
LWL             28’ 5”
Beam             11’ 0”
Draft (shoal/deep)  6’ 1” or
shoal at 4’ 5”
Sail Area (100%)     506 sq. ft.
Displacement          10,361 lbs.
Water                60 gallons
Fuel                26 gallons

www.hanseyachts.com

BWS‘s annual guide to great monohulls for coastal cruising, weekending and daysailing  (published June/July 2016)

BWS has always been published for sailors who sail over the ocean’s horizon as they head to new landfalls whether that is down the coast or to some foreign land. But, BWS is also for sailors who may have already been there and done that or who are still ramping up their skills and their cruising kitties and are coastal cruising in the meantime.

So, with our fondness for good quality and innovative small cruisers in mind, we offer our annual guide to boats under 35 feet in three separate categories.

COASTAL CRUISERS

BAVARIA
The smallest sailboat in the ever-growing Cruiser and Vision lines for German builder Bavaria, the Cruiser 33 design is several years old now but still represents a very capable small cruising boat at a very fair value.  Designed by Farr in Annapolis, the 33 has a voluminous hull that provides a lot of interior volume that will easily accommodate a family with young children or a couple who like to occasionally have grown children and friends join them. This is a 33-footer you could live on and is built to the high quality you would expect from German craftsmen. www.bavariayachts.com

Beneteau Oceanis 31

BENETEAU
Group Beneteau, based in France, but with boat building facilities in the U.S., Brazil and southern Europe is the world’s largest producer of recreational boats. The Beneteau brand grew out of the sailboat market and that market is still vital to the company’s profile and image. They have always built entry level cruisers, racers and daysailers. Today, the Beneteau Oceanis 31 and 35 (new last year), are offshore capable cruisers that can be easily managed by a couple or cruised by a family. The 35, like the 38 that was launched a couple of years ago, is a modular boat with a variety of interior plans from daysailer to full on liveaboard cruiser. Both boats evoke the Euro-modern styling that Beneteau has adopted in its latest range of Oceanis cruisers. The First 30 is a racer cruiser with the emphasis on racing. While it will make a fine weekender it is really best suited to longer point to point races of several days or more. A truly fun boat to sail, the First 30 is a Porsche among the fleet of family cars. www.beneteauamerica.com

Beneteau First 30

Catalina 315

CATALINA
Once America’s largest sailboat builder, Catalina has retrenched after the recession and is back building wholesome, good quality cruisers for families and couples. The little 315 is not so little when you climb aboard and has a sensibly proportioned cockpit that will seat six and an interior that a family of four will enjoy for summer cruises. The boat sails as well as any in this size range and is simple and easy to handle. The 355 is a significantly larger boat than the 315 and feels like a 40 footer of old. The fit and finish in the new Catalinas is among the very best in the production boat market, with solid wood doors and cabinet front, many useful drawers and the best stainless steel fittings. www.catalinayachts.com

Com-Pac 27

COM-PAC
This family owned company in Florida has been quietly and steadily building small, high quality cruising boats and daysailers for two generations. The Com-Pac 27 is their coastal cruiser and has all of the accommodation and sailing qualities you need to truly explore the coast far and wide. Built to a high standard and fitted out with top of the line hardware and equipment, the 27 is a little yacht. For a couple or a young family, the 27 will be either a great last cruiser or a perfect entry level boat at the start of a sailing career. The boat looks traditional and definitely evokes the best in American yacht style over the decades. www.com-pacyachts.com

Dehler 29

DEHLER
Although not yet a well known brand in the US, Dehler yachts are very popular in Europe and the Dehler 29 is a highly respected racer cruiser with large one-design fleets. A true dual purpose boat, the 29 not only is a lot of fun to sail it is also a fast family cruiser with two private cabins, a roomy saloon, a full head and a useful galley. Between regattas, the 29 is a fine little cruiser. Dehler builds modern boats that uphold the older European traditions of fine woodwork, varnished interiors and well thought-out storage lockers. www.dehler.com

Hanse 315

HANSE
The German invasion of North America—Bavaria, Dehler and Hanse—now accounts for a healthy percentage of new sailboat sales.  Hanse has seen steady growth in America in no small part because it builds and delivers roomy, modern cruisers at a very fair price. In the under 35 foot category of smaller cruisers, Hanse offers the roomy 345 and the brand new 315. The 345 is a well-appointed and designed family cruiser with a simple rig—self tacking jib—a large cockpit and room below  for two couples or a family of four.  The new 315 is just as well appointed and fitted out and delivers a huge amount of cruising comfort in a small and affordable package. The 315 was named European Sailboat of the Year last winter by a panel of expert sailing journalists.  www.hanseyachts.com

J 97E

J/BOATS
Last year, the letter E started appearing at the end of the usual numerical designations that J/Boats gives some of it boats.  The E stands for Elegance and Evolution in performance cruising design. The 97E is a good example of where the E is taking the company. The new 31-footer has all of the sailing qualities you expect from J Boats and has won its class in major regattas in the US and Europe.  So it is no couch potato. But it does have couches as well as standing headroom, two full cabins, an enclosed head, a seagoing galley and a large table with folding leaves. The interior is bright and open to the point that you feel like you are in a much larger boat. J Boats has been catering to dyed in the wool racers for years—900 J/70s have been delivered!—but with the E series they are offering up a line of boats that will appeal to dyed in the wool cruisers, too. Can you image teak decks on a J Boat under 50 feet? Well, now you can have them. www.jboats.com

Jeanneau 349

JEANNEAU
Jeanneau—a part of the Beneteau Group—is now one of the largest sailboat builders delivering boats in North America and giving their sister company, Beneteau, a run for the money. They have the big boat part of the market well covered but they are not neglecting the entry level, either. The 349 that was introduced two years ago is a cracking little cruiser that sails circles around some larger boats and has the living and cruising accommodations of a 38 footer. The 33i is a smaller version but offers a lot of cruising capability in a very attractive and affordable package. These two Jeanneaus make great all around entry level boats. And they are built to a very high standard of quality. www.jeanneau.com

Marlow Hunter 31

MARLOW HUNTER
After failing during the recession and being acquired by David Marlow who builds luxury motor yachts, Hunter Yachts—now known as Marlow Hunter—has been steadily reinventing itself and its line of cruising boats. The all new MH 31 is a fully fitted out coastal cruiser that has a unique hull design—similar to the 37 and 40—and a simple rig that is easy for a lone sailor or couple to handle. With a lot of beam aft, the 31 has a good-sized cockpit with a stainless steel arch over it to carry the mainsheet. Down below there is a large cabin aft, a guest cabin forward and an enclosed head aft.  The team at MH have steadily upgraded the finish work on the boats so the new 31 has a more yacht-like feel than Hunters of old. www.marlow-hunter.com

Schock 29

SCHOCK
Two years ago Matt Rutherford sailed a Schock Harbor 29 from California to Japan as he documented the pollution collecting in what is known as the North Pacific gyre. So, he proved along the way that the new 29 is an ocean-quality mini-cruiser. The boat has everything you need to move aboard and sail away. As part of the Harbor series, Shcock also builds the Harbor 25 which is a solid little pocket rocket for weekending and summer cruises.  The boats are built in California and have developed wide followings around the country.  All of the boats are built with Hoyt Jib-booms that make the headsails self tacking. www.wdschock.com

Seaward 26R & 32R

SEAWARD
The Seaward brand, built by Hake Yachts, is owned and managed by Ted Gelov who is a successful businessman from the Midwest.  His company recently completed taking over Island Packet Yachts and Blue Jacket Yachts in Florida where the Seaward line is being built. The Seaward 26R and 32 R are lifting keel designs that have proven very popular among those who sail the shallow waters of the Bahamas, Florida, the Chesapeake and elsewhere. The 26 has a roomy cockpit for four adults and can accommodate four people in the V-berth and settees below. The 26 is really a great couple’s boat. The 32 is more of a long range cruiser and can easily take you across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas and be your floating home for a winter of island cruising.  The craftsmen at Island Packet are doing a fine job building high quality Seawards that compare in quality to any boat in the under 35-foot range. www.seawardyachts.com

Tartan 115

TARTAN
Long one of America’s premier boat builders, Tartan was hit hard by the recession and has downsized and regouped under new ownership.  Today Tartan is the only production builder in the country to build all epoxy yachts with all carbon fiber spars.  The boats are very high quality—heirloom quality—and thus cost a bit more than competition coming from Europe or elsewhere.  In the under 35 foot range, Tartan offers the 101, 115 and 3400. The 101 and 115 are pure racer cruisers that have proven to be successful around the race course and capable coastal cruisers. The 3400 is a fine example of Tartan’s best work reduced to 34 feet. The boat sails sweetly, it has a large cockpit and the interior has the warm comfort you expect from a Tartan yacht.  www.tartanyachts.com

WEEKENDERS

Beneteau First 25

BENETEAU
The Beneteau First 25 is a sweet sailing weekender that will be a lot of fun to race in PHRF events or club regattas. With a tall rig and plenty of sail area, the little speedster will scoot when the breeze is fresh.  The boat can be rigged with a Code Zero and an asymmetrical spinnaker. The cockpit is set up for competitive sailing and a crew of up to four. Powered by an outboard, the motor hangs on a stern bracket where it can be tilted up and out of the water. Down below there is a small galley with a portable burner and a sink. The two bench settees can double as single berths and there is a V-berth forward of the enclosed head. A young couple or a group of friends could have a whale of a time sailing, cruising and racing the First 25. www.beneteauamerica.com

Catalina 275

CATALINA
The relatively new Catalina 275 is a real design departure for head designer Gerry Douglas. The 275 is a sport boat that doubles as a fun family weekender. It has a large sailing rig with a self-tacking jib and a bow sprit can be added to make flying the downwind sails more fun. It has an almost plumb bow and a wide open transom. The beam has been kept within the limits of trailering the boat behind a family car. The accommodation layout is basic but comfortable and four adults can sit in the saloon and enjoy a meal after a day of sailing. The enclosed head will be appreciated by all. The new look of the 275 is going to spark new larger sport cruiser boats from Catalina but this handy 27-footer may be all the boat you need. www.catalinayachts.com

Com-Pac 23

COM-PAC
The Com-Pac 23 has been around for a while and should be included in any list of enduring small cruiser designs. Hundreds have been bought and sailed all over America. Trailerable, seaworthy and attractive, the 23 is a true little yacht. When Com-Pac came out with the 23 Pilothouse, they offered some of their older patrons a design that would allow them to sail under cover and enjoy a great waterfront view whether under sail or swinging at anchor.  The cockpit is still big enough for sitting out in the sun. But when the rain comes, you can slip into the pilothouse and continue on your way. These are great little boats. www.com-pacyachts.com

J88

J/BOATS
The J/88 and 95 are two special little cruisers that are designed to sail fast and win around the buoys while also offering their owners something more, enough space below to stay aboard for the weekend. The 88 is really a daysailer and regatta racer that at 29 feet will provide a lot of fun and silver. If you are inclined to stay aboard, of course you can but you will be camping.  The 95 is a step up in accommodations and offer the unique quality of being a shoal draft cruiser. The boat is fitted with a shoal draft fin keel with a bulb that has a deep centerboard inside it. When sailing hard, you have all the performance of a deep keel, yet when slipping into a shallow anchorage, you can go where few other boats of this size could go. The twin rudders offer great steering and add to the shoal draft performance. Both the 88 and the 95 are sweet boats that sail particularly well. www.jboats.com

Precision 23

PRECISION
For the last 38 years, Precision Yachts has been quietly building great little daysailers and pocket cruisers in Florida. The Precision 23 is a trailerable family cruiser that harkens back to the days when you didn’t have to spend a fortune to have a perfectly good cruising trailer-sailer.  The cockpit will be comfortable for four adults and the accommodations are designed to have two sleeping forward in the V berth and two on the bench settees in the main cabin.  Since it only displaces 2,500 pounds and a trailer will weigh around 1,000 pounds you will be able to haul your little cruiser to the best sailing grounds in America. The basic boat is under $40,000. With a trailer, outboard and upgraded sails, you will still be under $50,000.  www.precisionboatworks.com

Seascape 27

SEASCAPE
Conceived by Slovenian mini-transat sailors and designed and built in Slovenia, the Seascape 27 brings all of the exciting performance of the Open class boats –Mini 6.5s, Class 40s and IMOCA 60s—to the recreational sailing public. The 27 is a boat that can break away and start planing in a good breeze and will regularly sail at double digit speeds off the wind. It has a folding keel, a tall fractional rig, a bowsprit and twin high performance rudders. The boat can be singlehanded or you can really make her fly with a crew of three. Oh, and there are pretty nice accommodations below for taking your partner and mates on a fun cruising weekend. Speed leads and the Seascape is definitely a leader.  www.thinkseascape.com

Sparkman & Stephens 30

SPARKMAN & STEPHENS
The Sparkman & Stevens 30, conceived by Bluenose Yacht’s principal Glenn Walters, is a classic looking weekender or daysailer. The design is based upon a 30-foot yacht named Babe that was designed by the legendary Olin Stephens in 1935 and used as a coastal racer and weekend cruiser. In those days, coastal racing included events like the 150-mile Florida to Nassau Race. The new 30 has a powerful rig and a thoroughly modern underbody; it sails amazingly well. The accommodations are sufficient for a couple weekending or perhaps a family with young children for a few days. This year, Walters has launched the all new S&S Open 30 which has a much bigger cockpit and a small cuddy cabin. The Open 30 is a daysailer that does everything well. The boats are very pretty and evoke the whole history of yachting in the American style. www.bluenoseyachts.com

TARTAN
Three years ago, Tartan Yachts introduced their little 24-foot Fantail. It was designed by Tim Jackett and came in three versions, club racer, family daysailer or weekend cruiser.  The hull has a lovely traditional look that lets you know that this is a Tartan and that it is an instant classic. The little Fantail sails very nicely and really gets going under a spinnaker off the wind. The club racer and daysailer models are just as their names imply, designed to race with a crew of four or to putz around the bay with your friends. The cruiser has a little cuddy cabin with two berths, a place for a portable head and a rudimentary galley. www.tartanyachts.com

DAYSAILERS

Beneteau First 22

BENETEAU
The First 22 came on the scene three years ago in a big announcement between Beneteau America and the American Sailing Association (ASA). The two companies were partnering in the design and marketing of a one-design that would become the new training boat for ASA sailing schools. The 22 was based on the First 20 and the original designers, Finot-Conq, stretched the hull and created a new simpler rig that would be good for beginners and more experienced sailors alike. The First 22 is gaining in popularity and the boat offers a great value for those looking for a well built, safe daysailer. www.beneteauamerica.com

Marlow Hunter 22

MARLOW HUNTER
The Marlow Hunter 22 has been around for years but remains one of those basic daysailers that is hard to beat for functionality, sailing qualities and price. The boat is rated for five adults so you can take the whole family out for an afternoon. It is set up like a simple dinghy and is easy to handle. With a mini outboard on the stern you will always be able to get home when the wind dies. And with a little cuddy cabin, you have a place that offers a little privacy and a V-berth for naps. www.marlow-hunter.com

Schock Harbor 20

SCHOCK
The Harbor 20 is one of those boats that has been building a cult following for years. Without a lot of fanfare and promotion, the little 20 footer, with its ample rig and self-tacking Hoyt jib boom, has seen one design fleets sprouting up all over the place. Why? Because the boat is good for older sailors who want to sit in a deeper cockpit, want to be able to race as a couple or two buddies, and want the performance of a sweet modern hull and a fin keel. It’s hard to find the best of both worlds—but Schock has achieved this in the Harbor 20. www.wdschock.com

The new 76-foot cruising sloop from France’s CNB in Bordeaux, provides superb sailing performance in a luxury yacht that will turn heads  (published August 2016)

Newport, Rhode Island is no stranger to luxury sailing yachts. All summer long super cruisers and mega yachts come and go without causing much fuss among the locals. But in June, a new 76 foot racer cruiser had jaded old salts stopping on the dock with mouths open or swiveling their heads as they sailed by. The boat was the new CNB 76, recently minted in Bordeaux, France and then sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and then on to Newport. According to her owner, this CNB 76, Sapphire, had sailed some 13,000 miles in her first year. To us, she looked brand new.

The 76 is a Philippe Briand design and has all the hallmarks of his recent performance-cruiser designs. Briand happens to be one of BWS’s favorite designers because his boats have the wonderful blend of modern technology with an ineluctable elegance that is hard to describe but is very much apparent as soon as your eyes focus on it.

THE DESIGN
The 76 has a nearly plumb bow that looks purposeful and modern and extends the waterline as much as possible to increase speed potential. The sheer line is fairly straight but has a slight spring to it as it runs from amidships to the bow.  It is subtle but eye catching. The stern is very broad and the after sections of the hull are imbued with a chine that will add to initial stability when the boat is power reaching. The transom folds down to open up a large dinghy garage. The stern platform folds down to form a ramp on which the dinghy can be launched or retrieved.  The garage has been designed to accept a Williams jet drive dinghy or a standard RIB with a modified transom.

Under the water, the 76 has a 10 foot, cast iron fin keel with a bulb. The twin rudders are set well apart and quite far aft so the leeward one will always have a good connection to the water and the boat will sail as if on rails in most conditions. The only hitch with twin rudders like this is the lack of control when backing under power; you need more speed than you might think. But a little practice makes this characteristic a non-issue.

The 76 is a yacht by anyone’s standard but the concept was to make it simple for a crew of three or four to sail and cruise. In fact, an experienced couple could handle the 76 in most conditions and with bow and stern thrusters will be able to maneuver it around the docks without too much hassle.

The boat’s hull sections start with a fine entry forward and then an expanding beam as you go aft until you get to the maximum beam at the cockpit. With a flat underwater profile, the boat will slip through and over the water with ease and is sure to have very high average sailing speeds, particularly off the wind.

The rig on Sapphire stands 112 feet off the water and flies a large fully battened traditional mainsail with three reef points all set to be tied in. Her owners are very experienced cruisers and have set up the rig so sail can be shortened easily and often without the mechanical liabilities you might find with an in-boom or in-mast furling system. That said, the 76 can be fitted with an in-mast mainsail or a new, CNB developed in-boom furling system.

The cockpit has been designed to accommodate those who are sailing the boat and those who are lounging without having the two parties on top of each other. The twin helms have redundant engine controls, sailing instruments and chartplotters. The sheets are handled with twin electric winches on each side, so you can always leave a working sheet on its own winch and not secured only by a rope clutch.

The forward area of the cockpit has an U-shaped dinette with a large table to port and a bench settee to starboard. The table in the dinette can be lowered and a folding cushion can be added to transform the area into a large sunning bed.

A high performance hull and rig combined with a functional performance cockpit says a lot about the sailing pedigree of the new 76. The large lounge, wide open foredecks, low profile cabin top and uncluttered deck layout elevates the concept into a stunning and comfortable floating home.

SAIL TRIAL
Sapphire was moored to a dock in central Newport and we had on board that summer Friday afternoon four top crew from the CNB factory, the local dealer, the boat’s new professional skipper, a stewardess and the boat’s owner. The skipper got the engine going and engaged the bow and stern thrusters as we dropped the mooring lines and retrieved the fenders. The 76 crabbed sideways and  when the skipper put the engine in forward we slid effortlessly out of the confines of the marina and into open water.  Interestingly, the engine room is so well insulated that you can barely hear the motor even at cruising revs.

Newport Harbor was buzzing with afternoon traffic and Sapphire got her share of admiring looks as we motored into clear water and turned head to wind to raise the mainsail. The main is a big sail and it would be hard to raise without an electric winch. Instead of leading all halyards back to the cockpit, CNB made the decision to have four winches installed on the deck, two on each side of the mast, so a crewmember can raise and lower sails without filling the cockpit with line.

With the sail up and drawing and the 90 percent jib rolled out, we headed out East Passage in the freshening easterly breeze. The boat has a very solid groove once you get the sails set right and the helm is so light that you can take your hands off the wheel for minutes at a time. The bite of the twin rudders give the impression that the 76 is running on rails.

Just ahead of us as we turned toward the open sea was a new Gunboat 55 under full sail. This is one of the fastest cruising cats anywhere so we noted with real pleasure that the 76 was faster and  sailed closer to the wind than the Gunboat. In the 12 to 14 knots of breeze, Sapphire sailed at 28 degrees to the apparent wind and was making 10 to 11 knots over the bottom and seemed to just claw her way to windward in much the way a maxi racing boat does. But she did it without any fuss or bother.  One person on the wheel and one managing trim with the electric sheet winches. That’s it, done.

Just outside the entrance to Narragansett Bay, we put the 76 through a tack, which was effortless due to the self tacking jib and then fell off and ran back into the bay.  On a broad reach, our speed slowed to eight knots and had we been going anywhere we would have rolled up the jib and rolled out the much larger genoa that is fitted to the head stay. Both sails are controlled with hydraulic Reckmann roller furling systems that you operate with push buttons at the helms.  Sapphire also carries an asymmetric spinnaker in a spinnaker sock and, according to the owner, they will be adding two more downwind sails—a Code Zero and a larger chute—for racing.

Even though there were nine of us aboard, the cockpit never felt crowded and the ergonomics worked very well. The working crew managed everything aft and at the mast while the lounging crew made good use of the dinette and settee.

We did not have the dodger or Bimini set up as we sailed. These are stowed in unique compartments built into the coamings and cabin top so they are neatly tucked away and invisible when not in use. When you want protection from wind, sun or rain, the dodger folds out quickly and the Bimini can be set up by one person.

The 76 is truly a cruising boat for sailors who love to sail and who want stellar performance and fast passage making capabilities.

LIVING ABOARD
Back inside the bay we rolled up the jib and dowsed the main into its lazy jacks and large pocket boom. It was time to drop the hook and explore the 76’s accommodations. Deploying the anchor is a trick in itself. The bow roller and anchor stow neatly upside down in the anchor locker at the bow. To anchor, you open the locker, press a button on the control wand and the roller and anchor rise up and flip over into position. You then lock the roller into position with a massive stainless steel bolt. While something of a contraption, this is a very neat and innovative anchoring system that keeps the foredeck and bow very clean and uncluttered.

The 76 is a production boat that has a range of options that can be applied buy owners. But it is not a custom boat so CNB has the ability to build them in series and pass on the benefits to owners in terms of a price much lower than for a custom project.  CNB is owned by Group Beneteau so they can tap into their parent company’s huge economies of scale.

The boat is arranged around the central saloon that has a large dinette to port and two easy chairs to starboard that can swivel to form a two cushion settee. The kitchen-size galley lies aft under the cockpit and is set up with three fridges and ample working space. It even has a small counter with two bar stools and a large wine cooler. The after double cabin to port is the skipper’s cabin that has two single berths that can be joined to form a large double and its own en suite head and shower.  For crews quarters, this is the best you will find on a boat of this size.

The master cabin is all the way forward and has a centerline double that faces forward instead of aft.  To protect the occupant’s privacy, the bunk had a high headboard that cuts off the view down the center hallway. The master head is huge. Just aft there are two guest cabins each with its own head. The starboard cabin has bunkbeds and the lower bed can be extended sideways to form a double berth. The port cabin has the same arrangement as the after cabin with twin berths that can be slid together to make a queen.

The 76 is filled with natural light from the windows in the hull, the many deck hatches and the wrap around windows in the saloon. Unlike most deck saloon designs, you can see out of the cabin windows in the saloon while seated at the dinette. Very cool.

The engine room lies beneath the saloon floor and is vast. Access is via two large folding floor panels or through a hatchway under the galley stairs. In Sapphire’s engine room we found the 180 horsepower Volvo diesel, a large genset, a watermaker and access to all of the mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems.

Owners have choices of colors, fabrics, veneers and finish so they can spec a boat to fit their needs. The 76 is a kind of ultimate family cruising boat for sailors of means who want not only a great floating home but also a yacht that sails very well and is capable of making fast, safe and comfortable passages offshore.

CNB 76

LOA        76’0”
LWL        72’2”
Beam        20’2”
Draft        9’10”
Air draft        112’0”
Displ.        99,200 lbs.
Ballast        33, 100 lbs.
Sail area        3,272 sq. ft.
Water        410 gals.
Fuel        675 gals.
Engine        Volvo 180-hp.

CNB
Bordeaux Cedex, France
www.cnb.fr
cnb@cnb.fr • 33-(0)5 57 80 85 50

In the U.S.
Bluenose Yachts
Newport, RI
www.bluenoseyachts.com
bluenoseyachts@gmail.com
877-695-6538

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

And now for something completely different…The new Freestyle 37 from Gemini catamarans is a multipurpose boat for daysailing, limited coastal cruising and even serious partying. The 37 has a huge cockpit that is covered with a Bimini top that can be configured in a number of different ways. It can be set up with bench seats for commercial sightseeing or with a bar and stools for floating cocktails or with a comfortable lounge arrangement for family and friends. The 37 has a small cabin that will sleep two and an enclosed head. www.geminicatamarans.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

The all new Marlow Hunter 47 offers her owners an aft cockpit, raised-deck saloon configuration that optimizes living space and comfort at sea. With the standard B & R rig and small headsail, the 47 will be easy to sail and should be fast off the wind. The accommodations offer a great master cabin forward with a huge head and lots of storage. An interesting new entry in the mid-40s fleet of monohulls, the Marlow Hunter 47 represents a lot of modern thinking and quality fit and finish at a good value. www.marlow-hunter.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

Jeanneau continues to expand their franchise in North America and as part of the Beneteau Group they have become one of the really dominate brands in sailing and cruising. This year Jeanneau is launching their new 51 and 58 under the new Jeanneau Yachts banner. The 51 is a little sister to the highly sucessful 54 that was launched last year; the boat offers many of the features of the 54 in a slightly smaller and less expensive package. For a couple or a family who want to cruise far and wide in comfort, the 51 will be a great boat.

The new Jeanneau 58 is a true yacht that can be configured with crew’s quarters and all of the comforts of home. An aft-cockpit, aft master cabin design, the 58 can be configured in a number of different ways with the three-head, three cabin version probably being the most suitable for the American market. Add the skipper’s cabin and you could have a pro onboard for passagemaking or even regular cruising. www.jeanneauamerica.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

Seascape is a Slovenian company that was founded by passionate small boat sailors and Mini-transat veterans —they sail 6.5 meter boats across the Atlantic 0cean! The team developed the Seascape 18 using principles developed for the Mini-6.5 boats but tailored for coastal racing and weekending for two. More than 300 have been sold. They developed the Seascape 27 next, which takes the design ideas in the 18 and expands upon them. These boats will get up and plane and can achieve speeds of up to 18 knots. A 27 won its class in last year’s Chicago-Mac race. They also can cruise a family of four and can be trailered behind a family SUV. The new 24 is the missing link between the two earlier boats and benefits from all of the experience earned thus far. A swing keel, trailerable racer cruiser that can plane, the 24 will sail rings around other 24 footers and will put a smile on any serious sailor’s face. www.thinkseascape.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

This will be the second year that the Outremer 51 will be on display at the fall shows and we include it here because it represents the new direction Outremer is taking with their designs. BWS has sailed the 51 offshore and can vouch for the boat’s stellar sailing performance, quality of build and comfort. The 51 has a huge cockpit with a raised steering station to starboard. The saloon and cockpit flow together as one open space so you can dine either in the saloon or outside under the fixed hardtop. Each hull has two sleeping cabins and a head. A leader in performance catamaran cruising, Outremer offers boats that are for sailors who love to sail. www.catamaran-outremer.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

Among luxury, larger monohulls for long range cruising, the Oyster brand is one of the most famous and respected. The 625 that will be on display this fall, is a perfect example of what the modern Oyster line is all about. It is a large, moderate displacement sloop that can easily cross oceans while providing her owners, guests and crew a truly sumptuous yachting experience. The 625, like almost all Oysters, is a center cockpit, raised deck-saloon design with a huge aft master cabin and guest cabins forward. The fit and finish of modern Oysters, after 40 years of continuous build in England and elsewhere, ranks at the top with other fine yachts. For many cruisers, an Oyster is the ultimate blue water yacht. www.oysteryachts.com

(published September 2016-boat show preview)

The Passport 545 is a much decorated cruising boat with Cruising World’s Boat of the Year and Sail’s Best Boats awards to its credit. The boat started life as a center cockpit aft cabin design that was an immediate success. It was followed by the 545 aft cockpit design that generated a lot of interest and excitement at the 2016 Annapolis show. Passport yachts are thoroughly modern cruising boats with all of the amenities and gear that sophisticated cruisers require.

But, they are still built with the old school care and close attention to detail that really elevated the brand to the top of the fleet. The 545 is an ultimate boat for an experienced cruising couple who know what they are doing and know the difference between all of the brands out there. There is little wonder that there are couples cruising their Passports all over the world. www.passportyachts.com