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Perry on Design
2017 July 1 - 12:00 am

Safe and sporty design for shorthanded cruising

I’m familiar with the company C-Yacht and I am familiar with the designer of this clean-looking, Dutch-built design from the Gerard Dykstra design office. Dykstra is responsible for some very beauti
Perry on Design
2017 July 1 - 12:00 am

A fresh new look from a leading builder of offshore cruising yachts

Over the years the Amel series of boats have achieved cultlike status as offshore cruising boats. I respect the attention to detail and unique approaches to various areas of design but I have never been much of a fan. It came down to styling. I thought they were bland and uninteresting boats to look at. The new Amel 50 changes that. While there is no mention of a designer in the material I have, it’s clear that this Amel was designed by someone with a good eye for aesthetics and a good understanding for what the cruising market is after today.
Perry on Design
2017 June 1 - 12:00 am

This gem offers elegance and style in the most distinctive of packages

Oyster has made a name for itself as the premier builder of large semicustom cruising yachts. The designs produced in conjunction with Rob Humphreys are always superb and fit and finish is always top notch. The Oyster style has slowly evolved to keep the look of the boats very current. In short, these are ultimate boats in the world of semicustom.
Perry on Design
2017 June 1 - 12:00 am

This hybrid power-sailboat may be just the answer in a midsized cruiser

The headline on the press release for the new custom Tartan 37-foot model states, “Imagine a different cruising experience.” I think you have to. This is a very different kind of boat. It’s a bit of a hermaphrodite—half powerboat and half sailboat. Generally this is the kiss of death, but designer Tim Jackett appears to have come up with a design that can avoid that fate.
Perry on Design
2017 June 1 - 12:00 am

A long-range cruiser that comes with an American esthetic for classic appeal

I like this new Island Packet designed by Bob Johnson. I particularly like the profile of the cabintrunk. It reminds me of the Aldens and Albergs of the early 1960s. While there is a well-established Euro (call it modern) look to many of today’s production boats, I still think there are a lot of sailors in the United States who appreciate the classic American aesthetic to yacht styling and proportions. I like to think that. 
Perry on Design
2017 May 1 - 12:00 am

Small family fun from Chuck Paine

For some odd reason these days I seem to be attracted to “grandpa boats.”  This new Chuck Paine designed 18-footer looks like just the ticket for me to have some fun with my grandkids, Violet and Drake. In fact it’s perfect in every way.
Perry on Design
2017 May 1 - 12:00 am

This innovative aluminum design comes from an unlikely source

I am not sure where to start telling you about my friend Steve’s skills. He has so many. I’ll just say Steve is a craftsman who can build anything. He built his own plane, he’s a commercial pilot, then designed his own floats and retractable landing gear to turn the plane into an amphibian. He inherited an aluminum 34-footer that he modified significantly after teaching himself to weld aluminum. So when Steve said he was going to design a new boat for his next project I was not surprised. The surprise was this is a boat I could own with pride.
Perry on Design
2017 May 1 - 12:00 am

Artwork afloat in an unlikely medium

Now for some contrast. For me, yacht design has always been an art and a science. You pick a target for the objective elements like boat speed and handling characteristics. Maybe you throw in some obj
Perry on Design
2017 April 12 - 12:00 am

This carbon fiber cruiser contains a bevy of performance features

The new Arcona 465 is built in Sweden and designed by Arcona’s head designer Stefan Quiberg. I like pretty much everything about this boat. The target was a high-performance racer/cruiser optimized
Perry on Design
2017 April 1 - 12:00 am

Customize this beauty to make a personal dream yacht

Owning this beauty is possible. Some people might have to buy a lottery ticket but you might just win. In which case your venerable Catalina 27 might begin to look a little on the small side. Don’t fret. Baltic has the answer for you in this impressive Judel/Vrolijk designed 67-footer.
Perry on Design
2017 April 1 - 12:00 am

The king of the trimarans serves up 3 versions of a new model

At rare times certain designers can be considered dominant in their genre. Think Doug Peterson in the early IOR days and Bruce Farr in later IOR days. This dominance seldom went outside that genre. You could argue that in Bruce Farr’s case. But when it comes to trailerable, folding trimarans for the past 25 years, maybe longer, Ian Farrier has totally dominated the scene. You think folding tri and you think Ian Farrier. It’s automatic. This has given Ian many years to slowly evolve a near-perfect product. I say “near perfect” because I’m sure Ian has more tricks to come and I don’t want to sound like I’m limiting his creativity. Are these good boats? Numbers don’t lie, not in this case. If that’s not enough for you I have sailed my buddy’s turbo F-27 several times and I can assure you that it is a most enjoyable and at times exciting ride. If you want to sail flat and fast you can’t beat one of Ian’s trimarans.
Perry on Design
2017 March 1 - 12:00 am

As extreme as its name, this cutting-edge design is meant for speed

I think I’ll just quote from the Reichel-Pugh press release here: “A high-performance design for inshore and offshore racing. The briefing to the Reichel-Pugh team was to develop a flat-out racer that delivers the thrill of a high-performance design as well as the ability to capture podium positions.” 
Perry on Design
2017 March 1 - 12:00 am

Comfort and performance with key features for cruising in style

 The new Lagoon 42 catamaran, also from the Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost design team, makes a huge contrast to the two sportboats. This design is purely designed for comfort. 
Perry on Design
2017 March 1 - 12:00 am

This foiling monohull is coming to the masses

Boy, things in the world of yacht design are moving fast, literally and figuratively. Beneteau, working with the design team of Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost, is producing what they call the first foiling production monohull.
Perry on Design
2017 February 1 - 12:00 am

Carbon construction sets this classy catamaran apart

This is the new Hudson Marine cat built in Xiamen, China. Xiamen is where my Flying Tiger boats were built. It is quite the yacht building center now. This new cat is aimed at high performance with an all carbon fiber build, deep daggerboards and a huge rig. Schedule
Perry on Design
2017 February 1 - 12:00 am

Choose your rig and choose your adventure with this compact package

I like the term “pocket cruiser” but I have seen it applied to boats as long as 30 feet LOA. The new Sage 15, designed by Jerry Montgomery, would hardly belong in a group of 30-footers, so Sage is calling its new model a “micro cruiser.” I think that works. Schedule
Perry on Design
2017 February 1 - 12:00 am

This attractive cruiser is full of unique features above and belowdecks

 Here is a new boat from Elan, the first in the Gran Turismo series. The designer is Rob Humphreys, with some help from the Elan factory design team. In most cases you can read this as Humphreys did the hull, appendage and rig design, while the factory did the deck and interior. I quite like the look of the boat. The proportions are pleasant.Schedule
Perry on Design
2017 January 1 - 12:00 am

With an emphasis on performance, this trailersailer should be equally nimble and simple

 The new 24 is based upon the work done with the 18- and 27-foot Seascapes. Initial stability is high with a very broad stern and a chine. The L/B is 2.94 and the D/L is 63.36. As far as I can tell the LOA is the DWL as it doesn’t look like there are any overhangs on this boat. It is 100% sailing length. Schedule
Perry on Design
2017 January 1 - 12:00 am

There are plenty of options to customize this aluminum cruiser

 I’m not sure why but right now there is a real interest in aluminum  production or semi-production yachts built in Europe. I like aluminum construction. It is, maybe even including wood, the prettiest of all the materials during the build stage with a shiny, smooth aluminum surface to all the structure. In some cases it is pure yacht eye candy. But aluminum has practical advantages too. ScheduleSchedule
Perry on Design
2017 January 1 - 12:00 am

Features abound in a spacious 26-foot package

 Here is a boat from a company in Florida that is very new to me. It’s a good-looking boat that would make a nice dual-purpose boat for a small family.Schedule

Perry on Design

  • This folding trimaran for fun cruising offers plenty of options

  • The redesign of a popular 50-foot cruiser offers better performance and more comfort

  • Retro style but modern performance are the trademarks of this new cruiser

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