Sailing Magazine - Boat Test https://sailingmagazine.net/articles.sec-119-1-boat-test.html Thu, 25 Apr 24 00:00:00 -0400 en hourly 1 Beneteau First 36 - Beneteau’s latest midsize racer-cruiser gets the mix right https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2556-beneteau-first-36.html The Beneteau First series has a long history and proud pedigree. Launched in the late 1970s, Beneteau First designs have collected wins all over the globe. Over time, the design ethos wavered a bit, b...]]> Jeanneau Yachts 55 - Jeanneau keeps pushing the boat design envelope with its breakthrough open-air deck saloon cruiser https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2544-jeanneau-yachts-55.html The Annapolis Sailboat Show is the place to catch all the newest models making their debuts, but there’s always one boat that creates a bigger buzz than the rest. Last October the Jeanneau Yachts 55...]]> Seductive simplicity - This performance cruising catamaran takes aim at monohull sailors with its simple elegance and sprightly performance https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2532-seductive-simplicity.html The Excess 14 was in high demand for test sails following the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. It was easy to see why as the boat swung by my pickup point at the end of the South Annapolis Yacht Ce...]]> X 4.3 Pure Performance - The redesign of X-Boat’s most popular performance cruiser has speed for fast passages in a sleek, modern package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2466-x-43-pure-performance.html The completely redesigned X43 sails off Newport, Rhode Island.Billy Black photo When a boatbuilding company takes on the task of redesigning its most popular model, it probably has a good idea of what...]]> J/45 - This classic cruiser’s DNA comes from the company that redefined the racer-cruiser https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2456-j_45.html  On a perfect fall day on Chesapeake Bay, the brand-new J/45 effortlessly sliced through a two-foot chop under jib and main. This new flagship cruiser from the company that has defined American r...]]> Beneteau Oceanis 40.1 - Beneteau’s latest family cruiser offers all the bells and whistles for fast and comfortable sailing https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2426-beneteau-oceanis-401.html Bert Jabin’s Yacht Yard in Annapolis, Maryland’s Back Creek, was abuzz as I walked down the docks to get my first ride aboard the new Beneteau Oceanis 40.1. The week following the U.S. Sailboat Sh...]]> Sun Odyssey 380 - The latest midsized cruiser from Jeanneau packs in great performance, cruising comforts and the latest innovations that make sailing easier https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2410-sun-odyssey-380.html Tradition has it that a cruising boat should be heavy and slow to keep sailors safe and comfortable. But with advances in technology and design, boatbuilders have discovered that lightweight equals li...]]> Hylas 57 - This powerful offshore cruiser has all the bells and whistles that allow shorthanded sailing in comfort https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2388-hylas-57.html The new Bill Dixon-designed Hylas 57 has been making waves since its debut at the 2021 fall boat shows with its good looks and innovative shorthanded sailing systems. The 57 is a departure from the mo...]]> Kinetic 54 - An elegant and powerful bluewater cruising catamaran with high-tech systems that make it comfortable for doublehanded sailing https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2371-kinetic-54.html When Bob Hayward, a successful American real estate developer, film studio co-founder and farmer, couldn’t find the perfect cruising catamaran, he had one built at Phil Harvey’s South African boat...]]> Leopard 42 - This new cruising cat has all the luxury features and speed performance of its bigger sisters in a compact, easy-to-handle package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2325-leopard-42.html Full disclosure: I love Leopard Catamarans. I’ve “owned” several, admittedly only for a week at a time on bareboat charters, but that was enough to find them fun to sail, easy to maintain and ve...]]> Seawind 1600 - This bluewater cruising catamaran can take you on fast passages in style and comfort https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2284-seawind-1600.html Sailors shopping for a new cruising catamaran should start their search at the Miami International Boat Show, where all the latest models are on display. Making its U.S. debut in 2020 was the 52-foot ...]]> Catalina 545 - Ingenuity and craftsmanship come together to give Catalina’s flagship the ability to cross oceans in comfort https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2230-catalina-545.html The beefy integral bowsprit features stainless fittings and a Selden roller furling unit.Catalina owners are an enthusiastic bunch, and when they said they were yearning for a big offshore cruiser, ...]]> X4.0 - The new ‘baby’ of the X-Yachts fleet is a 40-footer that is a real looker and a great performer https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2214-x40.html It was a mile-long trek in 90-degree heat from the front gate of the Miami International Boat Show past countless fishing gear booths and outboard powerboats to the far southeast corner of the docks w...]]> Beneteau First 53 - Beneteau brings back its First line of racer-cruisers with the launch of the powerful and beautiful flagship https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2189-beneteau-first-53.html In the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s, Beneteau First cruiser-racers were winning regattas across the world. The popularity of multipurpose boats waned over the decades, with racing and cruising ...]]> Dufour 390 Grand Large - This latest midsize cruiser from France packs big boat features in an easy-to-handle and stylish package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2169-dufour-390-grand-large.html The drop-down transom reveals a large swim platform with an integral telescoping swim ladder, a dedicated life raft locker, grill and sink. The capricious winds of Chesapeake Bay got the best of ...]]> Beauty and brawn - The latest French-designed, American-built cruiser has plenty of power in a stylish package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2100-beauty-and-brawn.html Beneteau has long had the ability to put the go-fast into sailboats, with many of the boats in its First line winning offshore and inshore races. It even launched the foiling Figaro 3. Cushy comforts ...]]> Packing a big punch - The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 319 is a new entry-level cruiser that packs all the best of a big cruiser in an affordable package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2074-packing-a-big-punch.html The test boat came with the standard stainless steel bow roller, but the 319 is available with an optional sprit to fly an asymmetrical spinnaker or code zero. The new Sun Odyssey 319 sails into ...]]> Made for the sea - The Hylas 48 is a robust offshore passagemaker tricked out with creature comforts, sophisticated systems and a seakindly nature https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2055-made-for-the-sea.html It’s not every day that you sail with a Boston terrier as a bo’sun, which made it a nice surprise when Bikini peeked her head out of the cockpit as I boarded the brand-new Hylas 48 at Mears Marina...]]> A sailor’s cat - With indoor-outdoor living spaces, the new Seawind 1260 is a cruising cat that offers speed and seaworthiness https://sailingmagazine.net/article-2013-a-sailor%25E2%2580%2599s-cat.html Afresh trade breeze was gusting across Florida’s Biscayne Bay and we unfurled the screecher to make the most of it. The sail filled and the Seawind 1260 picked up the pace as we headed toward Miami....]]> Comfort revolution - Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 449: Taking ergonomics to the next level with walkaround side decks and an innovative interior packed into a powerful hull, this new cruiser is challenging the status quo https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1971-comfort-revolution.html You can’t ask for better weather conditions for a boat test. It was 85 degrees with an east-northeast 18-knot wind blowing across Biscayne Bay as I walked out the Key Biscayne Yacht Club docks. All ...]]> Powerful passagemaker - With sleek, modern looks this cruiser is kitted out for long voyages at a quick pace https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1831-powerful-passagemaker.html

 At first glance, the 54 is an impressive boat. Its contemporary look is apparent in the plumb bow and a nearly flat sheer, and the raised bulwark reduces the visual height of the cabinhouse but accentuates the high freeboard. Overall, this gives the boat a strong modern look. 

]]> Superyacht Style https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1809-superyacht-style.html The Jeanneau 64—the French builder’s new flagship built in its state-of-the-art facility—and I go way back. I happened to be visiting the plant in late 2013 when the very first 64 was making its way down the production line. ...]]> Ready to Rumble - Cleverly designed and easy to sail, this cruising cat is set for adventure https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1796-ready-to-rumble.html The Miami Boat Show is a catamaran sailor’s fantasy venue. Leading multihull manufacturers from around the world display not just their latest models, but in many cases their full range of boats. There’s no denying that spacious cruising cats with their mix of outdoor and indoor living spaces are ideal for tropical waters and the palm-tree-lined Miami setting is apropos. Every year we review a...]]> Good vibrations - Beneteau’s newest 41-footer redefines the cruiser-racer concept with a harmony of elegant styling, bold hull design and an easy-to-sail rig https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1778-good-vibrations.html

Beneteau introduced its latest model at the Strictly Sail Miami boat show in February, and while the sleek Oceanis 41.1 had a steady stream of admirers, dreamers and serious buyers, I confess it left me feeling just a bit nostalgic.

]]> A modern thoroughbred - This German cruiser, a result of fresh thinking along with expert design and construction, is ready for the open ocean https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1678-a-modern-thoroughbred.html

Hanse thinks big. The German company, one of the world’s premier production builders, currently produces five models larger than 40 feet, and its new flagship, the 675, is nearly 70 feet. A recent test of the 575 found a collage of modern design, fresh thinking and exhilarating performance.

]]> High-caliber cruising - The Gunboat 55 takes cruising to a higher level of innovation, speed and elegance https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1651-high-caliber-cruising.html The Gunboat 55 makes a powerful impact, but it is easy to get the wrong impression of this intriguing new model from Peter Johnstone and the crew at Gunboat International. Sure, the shapely hulls and stealthy deck lines cause necks to crane at boat shows. And it’s a Nigel Irens design so t...]]> Boat Test: J/88 - The latest midsized racer-cruiser from J/Boats offers exhilarating performance in a family-friendly package https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1606-boat-test-j_88.html I have been fortunate to sail most models in the J/Boat family and I confess, I like them all. The new J/88 is an ideal blend of what makes the J/Boat brand so enduring. ...]]> Bavaria Cruiser 46 - This German-built cruiser, with its blend of fresh thinking and solid engineering, can take a family to new horizons https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1579-bavaria-cruiser-46.html The new Cruiser 46 from German boatbuilder Bavaria Yachts is poised to shake up the big-boat cruising market on this side of the Atlantic. A sleek Farr design packed with fresh thinking and sound engineering, the Cruiser 46 is a terrific value. It is hard to fathom that a boat of this size and quality, and fully outfitt...]]> C&C 30 - The new 30-foot rocketship continues C&C's racing focus with high performance born of high tech https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1560-cc-30.html If you’ve ever imagined steering a rocketship but had your dreams dampened because you’re not a NASA astronaut, I have good news for you. The new C&C 30 one-design race boat provides fast acceleration, light-air performance and so much exhilaration you’ll be convinced this is exactly how it feels to hurtle through space as the hull planes across the water. And it doesn’t take long to g...]]> Beneteau Oceanis 38 - Beneteau’s new 38-footer gives buyers options to customize a boat that comes with sparkling performance and stylish design https://sailingmagazine.net/article-1494-beneteau-oceanis-38.html There was a time when only the largest production boats were customizable. But why should only owners of big boats get what they really want in an affordable production boat? Beneteau recognized owners’ desires to have the boat they want, without much compromise, regardless of its size, and in doing so have managed to create a 38-foot boat that sails and feels like a much bigger boat....]]>