SAIL Best Boats Nominees 2013
SAIL Magazine has issued its 2013 nominees for its annual Best Boats list. They include new boats from domestic and foreign builders and were on display at the Newport International Boat show in September and the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October. Check out the editors' comments and links to the company websites for more information.
Bavaria
Cruiser 50
It’s been on the water for a year or so in
Europe, and now the Cruiser 50—big sister to the Cruiser 45 that won a 2012
Best Boats award—has made it to this side of the Pond. It’s a powerful offshore
boat with a choice of interior layouts to suit just about any cruising plans or
styles. The roomy hull is from Farr Yacht Design and performance should live up
to the name. bavariayachts.com
Bavaria
Vision 46
The first of a new line of cruisers from
German yard Bavaria, the Vision 46 embodies some fresh thinking in design and
layout. It’s aimed at couples who cruise with occasional guests and is more
opulently fitted out than the company’s Cruiser line. Comfort is a key
criterion: hence the padded recliners for the helmsman, and cockpit seats that
convert to a double berth. bavariayachts.com
Bavaria
B/One
Not content with having cranked out new cruising
boats at a ferocious pace for the last two years, Bavaria has diversified into
the realm of sport boats. The B/One is a zippy-looking 23-footer from Farr
Yacht Design. It’s intended to be both a potent one-design racing weapon and a
functional weekend cruiser. The keel and rudder retract for trailering, and all
interior furniture can be removed to minimize racing weight. bavariayachts.com
C&C
101
A new C&C is always a welcome sight, and
the 101 looks set to build on the marque’s reputation for fast sailing.
Designed by Tom McNeill, the 33-footer displaces less than 4 tons and carries a
carbon-fiber rig. She’s tiller-steered and has a huge cockpit that should prove
popular with both racing crew and daysailing guests. c-cyachts.com
Dufour
36P
European builders have been pushing the
performance cruiser concept hard over the last decade, and Dufour’s 36P is as
fine an example of the state of the art as you’ll find. Aggressive lines, a
retracting sprit and a tall rig promise excellent speed, while the deck and
cockpit layout are optimized for easy handling; belowdecks there’s a
comfortable cruising interior. dufour-yachts.com
Tartan Fantail
Tim Jackett’s latest design for Ohio’s Tartan Yachts is a 26ft daysailer that, in the best traditions of the breed, combines traditional good looks with up-to-the-minute thinking in hull design and sail-handling systems. A fractional rig with self-tacking jib and an extending sprit for an A-sail provides the motive power, and there’s room for six or more people to sit comfortably in the long cockpit. tartanyachts.com
Hanse
385
This lively 38-footer quickly shot to the top
of Hanse’s bestseller list upon its introduction in Europe last year. All the
ingredients that mark the German builder’s range of boats are present here:
twin wheels, plumb bow, a powerful yet easily handled sailplan and a
voluminous, bright interior. hanseyachts.com
Hanse
415
Like the other boats in Hanse’s new 5 series,
the 415 has more volume and better performance than its predecessor, the
immensely popular Hanse 400. It’s nearly 2ft longer on the waterline and with
increased beam aft there’s more interior space to play with. A long list of
options and alternatives allow owners to semi-customize the boat to suit
individual tastes. hanseyachts.com
Moody
AC41
Distinctive styling and sweet sailing
performance are two of the Moody line’s signature traits. This 41-footer
is the smallest in the Bill Dixon-designed range now being built at the Hanse
plant in Germany. White paneling and glossy wood trim feature strongly
belowdecks, and there’s a large choice of layouts, with up to three cabins and
two head compartments. moodyboats.com
Beneteau
Oceanis 48
The reasons for the popularity of Beneteau’s
revamped Oceanis line are plain to see in this roomy cruiser—user-friendliness
chief among them. The large cockpit is transformed into a play area by the
full-width drop-down transom. The accommodations plans are well thought out,
and sailing performance is pretty good too. beneteauusa.com
Seaward
46RK
This innovative cruiser was designed to be
right at home in the shoal waters of the U.S. East Coast. With the keel and
rudder retracted she’ll sail or motor in two feet of water; with her foils down
she’s capable of crossing an ocean. There’s plenty of fresh thinking in the
deck and interior layout too.
seawardyachts.com
J/70
Already looking like a big hit, this boat was
introduced in the spring to widespread acclaim. It’s simple to handle,
trailerable, fast, rock-steady at speed and you can sleep aboard—what more
could you ask of a 23ft sport boat? jboats.com
Nautitech 441
This good-looking cat from France comes with
steering wheels located aft on each hull, in which case it’s called the 442, or
with a single helm station in the cockpit (441). It has all the hallmarks of a
comfortable, quicker-than-average production cat. Finish quality is good, and
the boat has excellent manners under sail. nautitech.fr
Beneteau
Sense 55
The Sense 55 supercedes the 50 as the new
flagship in Beneteau’s Sense line of monohulls with catamaran-style
accommodations. A super-wide cockpit leading straight into a spacious saloon
with sightlines running the length of the boat make this a great craft for
socializing and family cruising. A powerful rig and a 75hp Yanmar engine
(Beneteau’s joystick-controlled Dock & Go system is optional) provide lots
of motive force, and twin rudders will keep her on track. beneteauusa.com
Beneteau
Sense 46
Here’s a brand new mid-size addition to
Beneteau’s ever-growing fleet of super-wide “monomaran” cruising machines. Like
her other Sense sisters, the 46 has a very horizontal layout and a nearly
uni-level cockpit and saloon. Two spacious staterooms forward and two separate
heads round out her light, airy interior. The open stern and fold-down transom
provide easy access to the water. Twin helms and twin rudders provide
unparalleled control. beneteauusa.com
Fountaine
Pajot Sanya 57
This French cruising catamaran offers an
abundance of space and comfort with a choice of a five- or six-cabin
accommodations plan (not counting crew’s quarters!) and scads of lounging space
on deck. The efficient raised helm layout offers maximum visibility while
maintaining an attractive low profile. A balanced sailplan featuring a large
square-headed mainsail provides lots of get up and go. fountaine-pajot.com
Fountaine
Pajot Helia 44
Cruisers who prefer to do their sailing on
board cats will find plenty to like in this latest offering from the renowned
French builder. Designer Berret Racoupeau has managed to fit split-level
lounging and social spaces into a low-slung hull-and-cabin profile that is both
sleek and comfortable. Belowdecks there’s room enough for both a family and
guests in a layout that features four staterooms and four heads. fountaine-pajot.com
Catalina
315
Catalina has successfully downsized its
award-winning “5” series family-cruising concept without sacrificing any of its
practical functionality. The new 315 combines good sailing manners with
comfortable accommodations and a number of intelligent design features, like a
watertight collision bulkhead up forward, superior rig support and excellent
systems access. This boat should enhance Catalina’s reputation as a leading
builder of domestic cruising boats. catalinayachts.com
Jeanneau
Sun Odyssey 41DS
Fans of Jeanneau’s successful contemporary
deck-saloon designs can now look forward to slipping into something a bit
smaller if they like. This new Sun Odyssey 41DS wears its distinctive
blister-shaped coachroof well and offers comfortable cruising accommodations.
Owners should appreciate the surprisingly large aft master stateroom, as well
as the generous aft head. Guests will revel in the forward cabin with its
ensuite head. Crew will appreciate the wide cockpit and twin wheels. jeanneau.com
Jeanneau
Sun Odyssey 509
This new flagship in Jeanneau’s
well-respected Sun Odyssey line has a traditional three-stateroom layout with
an especially well thought out galley and saloon. The versatile sailplan allows
you to fly your choice of a big genoa, a small overlapping jib or a straight
self-tacking jib. The hard-chined hull and tall rig should make for some stiff,
spirited performance. The double-ended German mainsheet makes the boat easy to
sail shorthanded. jeanneau.com
Jeanneau
Sun Odyssey 469
Jeanneau is going from strength to strength
with yet another user-friendly family cruiser in its successful Sun Odyssey
line. Slotting neatly in the middle of the model range, the 469 boasts an
efficient deck layout, a versatile rig and a voluminous interior with clean
Euro-styling. As with all new Sun Odyssey boats, the 469 can be ordered with
360 Docking, which combines a pivoting saildrive leg and a bowthruster with an
integrated joystick control to make close-quarters maneuvering a snap. jeanneau.com
Neel
45
Here’s an intriguing trimaran that manages to
fit catamaran-sized living accommodations into a three-hull format. With two
full-size double staterooms in the solid bridgedeck, plus a small one forward,
plus four single berths in the amas, the Neel 45 can sleep up to 10 people. And
thanks to the super-fine bows and big roachy mainsail, she sails like a witch.
The saloon offers wraparound views of the world outside, and the systems space
below the cabin sole is both large and easily accessed. neel-trimarans.com
Sig
45
This high-performance cat is both a souped-up
racing machine, with a carbon/epoxy hull and a rotating carbon rig, and a
stylish family cruiser. The narrow hulls, canted daggerboards and open
bridgedeck layout speak of speed; the simple, but well-appointed interior looks
both attractive and comfortable. One-design class rules (not to mention a
gorgeous teak deck) promise to make this a unique racer-cruiser multihull. lebreton-yachts.com
Harbor
30
There are still plenty of sailors who want
small, simple cruising boats, and they’re the Harbor 30’s target audience. The
Steve Schock design is moderate in all respects, and should therefore be a
fine, well-rounded sailing boat that has no surprises in store for its crew.
Four can sleep below in comfort, enjoying such essential conveniences as an
enclosed head and full galley. wdschock.co
Sage
17
New pocket cruisers are few and far between
these days, so it’s always good to see designs like the Sage 17 cropping up.
From the pen of trailer-sailer guru Jerry Montgomery, the Sage 17 is built in
the hills of Colorado. It’s a pretty, seamanlike little thing that’s sure to
draw admiring looks way out of proportion to its size. sagemarine.us
Motive
25R
You couldn’t look at this carbon-fiber
trimaran and not think “I want one!” Designed by Wurmfeld and Persak and built
in Massachusetts, the Motive 25R will be equally at home blasting around a
racecourse or taking a group of family and friends out for a daysail. It’s a
tribute to the big ocean-crossing trimarans that have been breaking records
these past few years and shares many of the same design features. motivetrimarans.com
Seawind
950
Here’s a big little cat from Australia with
plenty of cruising potential. The 30ft Seawind 950 packs a lot of accommodation
into a small footprint, and looks like a great option for a couple or young
family. It can be ordered with fixed keels or daggerboards for better windward
performance. seawindcats.com
Leopard
58
The biggest boat yet from this South African
builder makes its world debut this fall. It offers all the accommodations a
cruising family could conceivably need, with three levels of living space. A
plethora of options includes a six-cabin charter layout, and there are three
distinct outdoor living spaces. The sailplan features a self-tacking jib, a
rarity on a catamaran but one that makes sense on a boat of these proportions. leopardcatamarans.com
SeaRail
19
The SeaRail 19 is an affordable, lightweight,
trailerable trimaran built to accommodate to a wide range of sailors and uses,
including day sailing, sail camping and racing. The boat can be quickly folded
and unfolded for trailering and launching, and offers blistering speed afloat
with the help of an optional furling spinnaker. searail19.com
Rivolta
Vintage 43
Don’t let the Rivolta Vintage 43’s
traditional lines fool you. With its square-top main, furling A-sail,
retractable bulb keel and infused/cored E-glass hull, the boat is very much a
product of the 21st century,
providing a combination of performance under sail and shoal draft for thin-water
cruising. rivoltayachts.com
Tofinou
8
Designed by naval architects Joubert and
Nivelt, the Tofinou 8 combines classic lines topsides with a modern rig and a
high-aspect rudder and bulb keel below, making it both nimble and easy to
handle under sail. Oh, and it’s also drop-dead gorgeous. classic-boats.com
XP
38
The new XP 38 from X-Yachts follows in the
footsteps of the XP 44. A high ballast ratio and generous sailplan promise
excellent performance, while multiple rig and keel options allow owners to
tailor the boat to their particular sailing needs. x-yachts.com
S&S
30
Based on one of the late, great Olin
Stephens’s favorite designs, the S&S30 is a thoroughbred daysailer that
just oozes class. There’s a large cockpit and adequate accommodation for
a weekend cruise for a couple. Classic lines above the waterline and finely
sculpted foils below promise a pleasing blend of form and function. bluenoseyachts.com
First
20
Beneteau’s lively little First 211
trailer-sailer was a huge hit when it was launched in 1998, and it has remained
popular through several iterations. The latest is the First 20, with an
all-new rig boasting a square-topped mainsail that should give its already
sprightly performance some extra sizzle. beneteau.com
