Back in the day, ­after Cruising World launched in the mid-1970s, a steady helping of rugged, well-built cruising boats—from a collection of British builders that included Westerly, Nicholson, Oyster, Contessa and many others—frequently appeared in these pages. Personally, I was most attracted to the Moody line, perhaps because one of its frequent naval architects, Angus Primrose, was a close friend of the magazine’s publisher and a regular contributor. Plus, having been founded by boatbuilder John Moody in the early 19th century, Moody struck me as the quintessential English shipyard.

Moody began to produce fiberglass sailboats in 1965, with Laurent Giles and Bill Dixon joining Primrose as the principal designers. During the next 30 years, Moody launched 39 models and knocked out more than 4,000 yachts, a notable run that concluded in 2005, when production ceased. 

In 2007, German marine conglomerate Hanse Yachts AG acquired the brand, and any concerns about the new landlords taking it all in a completely different direction were quickly put to rest when it named Dixon as the designer for all its new models.

Which brings us to the accomplished master’s latest creation, the inspired Moody DS41 (the initials stand for “deck saloon”). Excuse me while I gush, and please pardon the cliché, but the DS41 is solid proof that a seasoned dog like Dixon, who drew the lines for one of the more interesting new boats for 2023, still has some fancy tricks up his sleeve. Indeed, as a member of our most recent Boat of the Year judging panel, I joined my colleagues in unanimous agreement while naming the DS41 the year’s Best Full-Size Cruiser. 

Oyster may have been the company most responsible for the deck-saloon frenzy of this century’s early aughts, but Dixon has taken the concept to a fresh new level, borrowing elements from the contemporary catamaran craze to produce a monohull that shares several traits with modern cats. 

For starters, with its nearly 14-foot beam and walkaround deck, it’s a wide, accessible platform that’s easy to negotiate. Sliding patio doors open to a spacious cockpit with a retractable sun awning that can be open or shut depending on conditions. As with a cat, those doors, when opened, allow a seamless transition from the saloon to the great outdoors, essentially creating a single-level open floor plan on the main deck. Forward, a sun pad on the foredeck (with an adjustable headrest) converts to a bench seat. It’s hard to believe that this is all happening in a 41-foot footprint.

To my eye, it’s a quite good-looking vessel. At the pointy end, the plumb bow maximizes the waterline length and is home to a pair of headsails: a code-zero-type reacher on the forward stay and a self-tacking jib on the after one. A trio of hull windows rests under a substantial bulwark, capped by an impressive stainless-steel handrail. The low-slung coachroof has a wraparound window and is carried well aft in service of the aforementioned cockpit awning. The obligatory hard chines are barely noticeable with everything else going on, but they are responsible for the wide beam that’s carried well aft, as well as the generous interior volume. The twin wheels (with a pair of rudders) are positioned well aft and outboard, permitting easy egress between them to access the drop-down teak swim platform. (Did I mention that all this is contained within 41 feet?)

The saloon is well-thought-out, with a straight-line galley to port facing an L-shaped settee and dining table to starboard. Just forward of the galley is a navigation station that included, on our test boat, the optional autopilot and engine controls for inside steering and operation when the weather turns funky. It’s a wonderful feature that should be at the top of the list of additions for any owner. 

On the lower deck, there are a quartet of interior layouts, all of them two-stateroom configurations (this is a couple’s boat, I’d say, with room for occasional guests). The master stateroom forward is the centerpiece of all four accommodations plans, while the guest stateroom can be configured with twin berths or a double. A wide choice of colors for the hull and upholstery are available, and the interior furniture options include oak, teak, and mahogany.

My fellow Boat of the Year judge Ed Sherman was equally smitten by the details: “The boat was equipped with all high-end Victron electrical gear and done to a high standard. I particularly liked the nearly 1-inch-round handrail that takes the place of traditional lifelines around the entire deck. Because the engine is under the cockpit sole and pretty much isolated from the interior deckhouse, our sound test while motoring was among the quietest in our group at 60 decibels at 2,000 rpm while making 6.8 knots, and 66 decibels at 2,400 rpm while making 8.3 knots.”

Collectively, what blew us judges away was something unexpected: the stellar sailing performance. “I expected this boat to sail like a typical motorsailer, i.e., not so well,” Sherman wrote. “Boy, was I wrong.” 

Judge Mark Pillsbury seconded that sentiment: “The most surprising aspect of the Moody DS41 wasn’t the near-360-degree view from the saloon or the creative use of interior space. … No, it was the sailing performance, which had us clipping along at 8 knots in about 13 knots of breeze.” A nod here goes to the team at Quantum Sails, which delivered the superb inventory on our test boat. 

Truthfully, however, what sealed the deal for all of us was that the new owner of the Moody DS41 that we sailed was on board for our sea trials, and his joy was infectious. Jim Eisenhart is a vastly experienced California sailor who’d decided it was time to move over to the “dark side” and purchase a trawler for what may well be his last boat. But the combination of that inside steering station and easy, fantastic sailing was too hard to resist. 

And he was clearly quite pleased with his decision. As well he should be. The Moody DS41 speaks to the sailor in all of us.

Moody DS41 Specifications

The post Sailboat Review: Moody DS 41 appeared first on Cruising World.

Once upon a time, Moody Yachts was a very English company building boats in Great Britain (for nearly 200 years) that exemplified what we’d expect from a longtime British boatyard. In other words, their vessels were stout and robust, quite seaworthy and somewhat conservative, with straightforward interior layouts and accouterments. They weren’t necessarily flashy, but they certainly got the job done. Those days are long over. Now, Moodys are built in ­Germany by Hanse Yachts, which took over the brand a decade ago and has become one of the world’s most prodigious, prolific and sophisticated production boatbuilders. And nowhere is this change more evident than with a model introduced to the United States last fall, the Moody DS54, the initials standing for “deck saloon.” Interestingly, the hull of the Moody, with modifications, is the same one employed in a pair of larger Hanse offerings, the 575 and the 588, and was designed by the German naval architecture office Judel/Vrolijk, which is best known for high-performance raceboats, including America’s Cup winners. The interior was then fashioned by veteran Moody designer Bill Dixon of Dixon Yacht Design, making the DS54 a collaboration, of sorts. Even so, this is definitely not your grandpa’s Moody.

That’s evident from the boat’s powerful lines, with a straight stem forward, a long waterline and commanding topsides, dotted with six windows in the hull to each side. The pilothouse is relatively low and sleek, with an eyebrow overhanging the forward window. Teak decks are standard; the foredeck is low and flush (there are fitted cushions that make a cozy daybed), and leads to a solent setup with twin Furlex furlers on the bow. The double-spreader Seldén rig incorporates a self-tending staysail. There’s a substantial bulwark topped by a stainless-steel handrail, both of which make wandering up the side decks a safe and comfortable experience. All in all, it’s a quite handsome and imposing profile.

One of the signature features of the design is the spacious cockpit with a pair of long settees sandwiching a large, foldable table, all of which can be closed off in inclement weather with an overhead retractable soft Sunbrella Bimini; it can also be rolled back when the sun shines. There are twin wheels, each fronted by a set of large pods with engine and (bow and stern) thruster controls, sailing instruments, chart plotters and so on. Large and comfortable helmsmen’s seats are situated all the way aft. All sailing controls and running rigging are led aft to port and starboard Lewmar winches just forward of the Jefa Steering pedestals. The transom folds down hydraulically to create a substantial swim/­boarding platform. To top it off, there’s even a nifty retractable passerelle for Med mooring.

The cockpit and the main saloon are each situated on the same level and accessed through sliding glass doors, much like on a catamaran. There are several different accommodations plans from which to choose, including either a galley up in the saloon or one down a set of five stairs, out of the way of the central living space (our test boat included the latter). Either way, there’s a generous U-shaped settee to port with an adjacent dining table, and a spacious navigation station to starboard with all the tools (including autopilot controls) necessary to make it a tidy indoor steering station. The owners suite is forward; a double cabin is aft. There’s also a guest cabin in the middle of the boat (or two cabins if you opt for the galley-­­up arrangement).

Construction is top-notch, with a fiberglass layup that employs isophthalic gelcoat and vinylester resin with a ­balsa-core sandwich above the waterline. The keel is iron and is available in a shoal or deep-draft configuration. A state-of-the-art CZone ­digital switching and monitoring system is the hub of the electrical system, instruments, gauges and so forth.

The DS54 impressed our Boat of the Year judging team. Said judge Ed Sherman: “This is part of that new genre of deck-saloon models where they’ve actually decided, ‘OK, we want people in the main saloon to be able to look out the windows and see the world around them versus looking through a skylight when you’re buried deep down in the bowels of the boat.’ That layout always annoyed me. It seemed totally illogical. But Moody has figured it out. It’s a nice all-round view up there.”

“I think it was the first of many times we heard the word lifestyle during our dockside inspections,” said judge Bill Bolin. “The company is very strong on the notion that this is a boat that caters to those who want to entertain on the boat, that are going to spend a lot of time in the cockpit, which they maximized. And with the deck saloon on the same level, you have a giant living space for playing, or entertaining, or whatever you want to do there. They did that very well.”

“There’s a good trend of opening up these side decks on new boats, and on the Moody, that was just exemplary,” said judge Tim Murphy. “Because it was a deck saloon, there was a rail inboard that was just beautiful, that took you up to the mast. You couldn’t ask for better, smoother handholds, with no edges. And then outboard you’ve got this true rail that goes all the way around the boat. There’s no other boat we’ve seen that has such secure side decks.”

Unfortunately, we tested the boat on a light-air day with the wind never touching more than 5 knots. Even so, the DS54’s performance was pretty stellar, making over 3 knots in little more breeze than that. I’d love to sail this boat in a bit of a blow. I’m generally not a fan of in-mast mainsails, but the one on the Moody, set on a Seldén spar, sported vertical battens and was a good-looking sail. I also like the solent rig, which is a very versatile option for long-range cruising, providing easily managed sails no matter the conditions, light or heavy.

All in all, for a boat with a price tag north of a million bucks, you’d certainly expect a first-class yacht that is a cut above your average cruiser. Moody has delivered on that promise, honoring an old name with a fresh new design that will take its owners far and wide in ample style.

Specifications

Moody DS54

Moody Yachts
978-239-6598
yachts.group/moody.gb

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For more information, visit www.moodyboats.com.

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Mojeka, a Moody 54 DS, is available for crewed charters throughout the Caribbean with Capt. Dave Buller and chef Emma White. The boat is based in Antigua in the first half of 2016, and in Grenada the second half. The sloop accommodates six guests in three staterooms.

Shaitan of Tortola, an 80-foot ketch designed by Ron Holland, can take 10 guests in four cabins. The boat is based in Bequia, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

For details, contact Select Yachts at www.selectyachts.com.

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Moody Aft Cockpit 41

On a blustery fall day on Chesapeake Bay after the close of last year’s U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, our Boat of the Year judges had the Moody Aft Cockpit 41 heeling smartly as it took the 15 knots of breeze just off the bow in stride. Compared to many of the sleek new performance cruisers we sailed that week, the Moody’s fit and finish seemed old fashioned — in a good way — with its long, low-slung trunk cabin and slightly overhung transom hinting at a lineage more akin to the classic plastics of yesteryear than its siblings in either the radical-looking Moody DS range or the minimalist Euro-style Hanses, all of which are built at the same yard in Greifswald, Germany.

But in fact, the 41 is a blend of old and new. Thoroughly modern are its nearly plumb bow, below-the-waterline hull form, cast-iron deep fin keel (shoal-draft lead-composite foil is available), and powerful sailing rig and self-tending jib (in-mast furling is optional, and was on the test boat). These all draw heavily from the work of the Hanse design team, which collaborated with longtime Moody designer Bill Dixon on this boat. Still, on deck and below, the look and feel of the 41 harken back to more traditional designs and to the days when the venerable Moody lineup of center-cockpit cruisers was built on England’s south coast.

While the BOTY team toiled on deck to size up the performance of what later in the week they’d deem to be the Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 feet, I stood below in the saloon, thoroughly enjoying the trappings of tradition: furniture situated in just the right places to provide handholds when and where needed; gleaming varnished mahogany woodwork set off by white panels and upholstery; light pouring in from overhead hatches and 10 inward-opening ports; fresh air from full-size dorades overhead; and devilish little details, such as the woven rattan insets on cupboard doors to keep storage areas well ventilated.

| |_Belowdecks, the saloon is quite traditional in both its layout and looks. The small table to port doubles as a nav station. _|

Later, when it was my turn to take command of the twin wheels, I found the Jefa steering to be silky smooth and the boat simple to handle as we tacked our way upwind with just a turn of the wheel. And as BOTY judge Tim Murphy noted, though the 41 has a fold-down swim platform and walk-through transom, when the platform’s raised, there’s a very secure feeling from having an actual coaming behind you; when steering, you don’t feel like you’re perched at the very aft end of the boat.

Forward of the helm stations, 55-inch benches to either side of the cockpit will let the crew lounge, though probably not stretch out and nap. Still, the seat backs are comfortable. In place of a cockpit table on the boat we sailed, a stainless-steel grab rail provided a solid brace when heeling or moving about.

The Moody 41 was described to us as “a passagemaker for couples,” and in that respect the builder hit the design brief spot on. The boat we sailed had a generously sized owner’s stateroom forward with a roomy V-berth and en suite head. There was just one double cabin aft to starboard and a portside head with separate shower at the foot of the companionway, behind which was an enormous storage locker. Twin aft cabins are an option, as are split berths in the forward cabin. Throughout, there were multiple storage lockers for stowing gear on extended voyages. The L-shaped galley, with fridge, freezer, and propane stove and oven, was equipped and sized with the serious chef in mind.

At its yard in Germany, Hanse builds boats in two ways. The majority of Hanses and Dehler yachts are laid up on a production line where boats advance from workstation to workstation at set times during the day.

| |Full-size dorade vents are fit with protective stainless-steel rails that also work as strong handholds forward of the mast. The vents, a rarity on new sailboats these days, bring in welcome fresh air both at anchor and under way.|

In a nearby custom shop, Moodys, the largest Hanses and Fjord powerboats are built in single stations, with work teams assigned as required. The result, said a Moody representative, is that about 25 percent more man-hours are required to build the AC 41, compared to a similar-size Hanse. This increase is reflected in both the finish and the price, which for the boat we sailed was $360,000 (a similar-size Hanse would be closer to $260,000).

The 41’s hull is composed of a cored fiberglass laminate sandwich, with an outer layer of gelcoat backed up by a layer of vinylester resin; Corecell foam is used below the waterline and balsa above. Decks are also cored with balsa, and solid aluminum plates are inserted in the laminate wherever hardware is to be mounted. Lewmar winches and a Furlex headsail furler come standard. In addition to the self-tacking jib, the 41 also sports inboard stays and outboard genoa tracks designed to handle up to about a 140 percent genoa on an optional second furler.

The Moody AC 41 is driven by a 40-horsepower Volvo engine and saildrive, which the judges felt was slightly underpowered. That said, they found the boat quite maneuverable when motoring and stable in even the sharpest turns. An optional 55-horsepower engine is available.

Said judge Alvah Simon in summarizing his view of the AC 41: “Bill Dixon designed a nice liquid hull, which made for a very nice sail today.” I’d eagerly second that statement. The Moody 41 was pretty to look at and quite comfortable under way.

This article first appeared in the December 2013 issue of Cruising World.

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BOTY Moody

To the winners go the spoils. Cruising World editor Mark Pillsbury (left) presents a Boat of the Year award to Alan Baines of Berthon USA, which sell the German-built Moody range of sailboats in North America. The Moody 41 was named the 2013 Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 Feet.

Read more about the Moody 41.

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Every year, it seems, the collective fleet of new sailboats introduced into the marine marketplace takes on a distinct personality all of its own. Sometimes the roster tips heavily toward dual-purpose racer/cruisers whose selling point is versatility. Other years are distinguished by a long list of all-oceans voyagers meant to chase far horizons. For 2013, however, with one notable exception—it’s significant, and we’ll get to it in a moment—the “major trend” was actually the lack of any particular one.

When the Boat of the Year judging panel convened in Annapolis, Maryland, last October to begin deliberations during the annual U.S. Sailboat Show, the members encountered a field of two-dozen nominees that, in terms of size, price, and intent, was arguably as diverse as any that preceded it in the competition’s 20-year history.

Read on to see this year’s nine winners!

Best Inshore Cruiser

Catalina 315

Winning Details

• Truly expansive accommodations and interior for a 31-footer, with a forward cabin that rivals the staterooms in some of the larger boats in the 40-foot range.
• Outstanding value for the money: With a sailaway price tag of $145K, the Catalina 315 was the least expensive entry of the Inshore Cruiser contestants.
• Tremendous attention to seemingly small items: real mattresses in the cabins, generous lifelines and cockpit benches, excellent engine access, and on and on.

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life that are noteworthy and memorable, and for BOTY judge Tim Murphy, that was certainly the case with many of the features on the Catalina 315, CW‘s Best Inshore Cruiser for 2013. Take the boat’s forward stateroom.

“I think you’d consider this the prime cabin in the boat, and it’s better than the main cabin in many of the 40- and 44-footers that we’ve seen,” he said. “It’s a cabin in which two people can not only lie down comfortably but also sit up and read, with good light and with their backs against a solid bulkhead. That doesn’t happen in a shocking number of boats that are 10 or 15 feet bigger than this one. Then consider the full-on galley and the standing headroom throughout, and you realize this is a boat that’s really got all the comforts of home in a neat package.”

Judge Ed Sherman concurred: “The Catalina rose to the top of its class because of the creature comforts, and not just down below but also on deck and in the cockpit. This is just a great boat for a young couple, even one with a couple of kids. The quality of the systems installs is right there. It sailed pretty well. It’s just a good little coastal cruiser that has a lot going for it.”

“I’ll say this flat out—I admire Catalina designer Gerry Douglas because he has an approach that’s not just profit driven,” added Alvah Simon. “He has a sincere relationship with his customers, he takes a lot of pride in his boats, and I think he and his team just deliver a lot of bang for the buck.”

In many ways, the Catalina was a throwback to traditional values and conservative themes. There’s one helm station on the boat, not two. Douglas opted for a conventional shaft and strut for the auxiliary, rather than a saildrive, because he feels the setup is more reliable and less prone to potential warranty issues. “He wants to make sure any problems are minimized,” said Sherman. By taking care of those little things, Catalina maxed out a winner.

See photos of the Catalina 315 here.
Read more about Catalina Yachts here.

Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 Feet

Moody 41

Winning Details
+ A good all-around cruiser for extended voyaging or living aboard that sails well and has good visibility, storage, handholds, dodger, and propane tanks.
+ Handsome interior with nice touches including wicker cabinet façades and the choice of three optional wood finishes.

Since 2007, the longtime british brand known as Moody has been built in Germany by Hanse Yachts AG. And perhaps ironically so, for in 2013, it appeared that the top two midsize boats were the Hanse 415 and Moody’s latest launch, this 41-footer. But after weighing the relative merits of each, our judges unanimously determined that the Moody 41 was this year’s Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 Feet.

The primary reason may well have been that although the yard that creates them has changed, the British naval architect whose name is practically synonymous with Moody, Bill Dixon, has not. With the new 41, Dixon has retained the core values of strength, seaworthiness, and dependability that distinguished his earlier Moodys.

“The Hanse is a fine boat,” said Alvah Simon, “but I think that as a true cruising boat, the Moody is a better one. Under sail, it moved through the water quite nicely. I very much liked the traditional full-length trunk cabin. It created nice interior spaces that I feel are really going to appeal to a lot of sailors. And under power, when you’re turning or backing, it really handles well.”

“It looked elegant,” said Ed Sherman. “It costs more than the Hanse, but you could see the difference in the craftsmanship and assembly. I liked the gear choices and the way the boat was laid out. It’s beautifully equipped with a lot of the things I love to see on cruising boats, with lots of space for storage and good service access. I mean, I think they’ve done a magnificent job.”

“For me, one word comes to mind,” said Tim Murphy. “‘Integrity.’ Some boats lack it. This one doesn’t.”

See photos of the Moody 41 here.
Read more about the Moody brand here.

Best Full-Size Cruiser, 45 to 49 Feet

Bavaria Vision 46

Winning Details
+ Exceptional light and ventilation below, thanks to four opening coachroof hatches, a pair of overhead “skylights,” and a series of windows to port and starboard in the hull.
+ Noteworthy cockpit execution, with well-thought-out helm stations and winch placement, a clever daybed for lounging and relaxing, and an offset companionway.
+ The Bavaria Docking Control system, utilizing a joystick, a bow thruster forward, and a retractable thruster aft, is a nifty solution for close-quarters maneuvering.

For 2013, Bavaria Yachts brought a pair of new boats to the marketplace, including the Vision 46, the first in a new series of very contemporary, forward-thinking cruising boats. In layout and execution, it’s meant to be the ultimate “couple’s” cruiser, easy to sail and operate and possessing lavish appointments and accoutrements at anchor or dockside. The BOTY judges believed Bavaria, in collaboration with Farr Yacht Design, more than met its stated objective, and they named the Vision 46 the year’s Best Full-Size Cruiser, 45 to 49 Feet.

Right off the bat, the 46-footer received high marks from the judges for its easily driven hull and notable sailing characteristics. “It felt right,” said Alvah Simon, as the boat registered speeds in the mid-7-knot range in just 10 to 12 knots of breeze. “I thought it performed pretty well, given the conditions for our sea trials.”

The boat also drew favorable reviews under power. One of the new trends in cruising boats are software-driven engine controls; Bavaria’s system employs a set of joystick-controlled thrusters fore and aft. “I found it very intuitive,” said Tim Murphy. “And they’ve done a good job of providing a simple manual override in case of emergency,” said Sherman.

Over the last several years, Bavaria has completely revamped the lines, and Sherman, who’s very familiar with the brand, believes the evolution has been significant. “As far as the overall quality and fit and finish, it just keeps getting better and better,” he said. The proof is this winning design.

See photos of the Bavaria Vision 46 here.
Read more about Bavaria Yachts here.

Best Multihull Under 45 Feet

Nautitech 441

Winning Details
+ Fine layout for offshore work, with numerous touches that will promote safe sailing, including an abundance of handrails above and below deck and good visibility.
+ Long-range voyaging capability, with a rig set up for transoceanic adventures, such as a powerful sail plan with square-topped main and full battens.
+ Extremely sound structurally; very good performer under power; also available in a twin-helm version (the Nautitech 442) with aft, outboard steering stations with tillers.

One of the toughest classes for this year’s BOTY panel to sort out was the smaller of the two multihull divisions, but when all was said and done, the judges came up with a clear-cut winner, largely due to its established builder’s long-term presence in the marketplace. As a proven all-oceans voyager, the choice for Best Multihull Under 45 Feet, was the Nautitech 441.

“This is a French-built boat and I think the build quality may have surpassed the other boats in this group, which is saying something,” said Ed Sherman. “Down below it’s a very quiet boat. We sailed it on a windy day with a lot going on and yet down below there was no creaking, groaning, or cracking noises whatsoever. Even under power, we registered some of the lowest decibel readings for our entire fleet of boats.

“Two other things I noted,” he continued. “First, we were moving along quite quickly today in heavy air and there were good handholds everywhere, there were no issues there. And there was sort of an eyelid over the wraparound window parameter around the cabin top, and underneath the fiberglass is all nice and smooth and finished off, with no shard potential. They’ve done a really nice job.”

“I sort of come in as the cheapskate judge and my mantra is always value, value, and more value,” said Alvah Simon. “And I can’t help but think that in this class, even though it isn’t the cheapest boat, that the Nautitech offers more value for money. In terms of overall quality, long-term maintenance, and even longevity for its owner, I have to go with the 441.”

See photos of the Nautitech 441 here.
Read more about Nautitech catamarans here.

Best Full-Size Multihull

Leopard 48

Winning Details
+ Quality construction from South African builder Robertson and Caine—with over 1,000 cats to its credit, the company is one of the world’s best multihull manufacturers.
+ A fine combination of excellent sailing performance with a stellar accommodation plan and layout, particularly the inviting, comfortable forward cockpit.
+ Plenty of attention to design details, including the rigid overhead bimini, generous scuppers, and the very effective raised helm station with at-hand sail and engine controls.

On the heels of last year’s sweet 44-footer, which won its class and was named Import Boat of the Year, Leopard Catamarans has followed up with another strong effort: The Leopard 48 has earned the prize as CW’s Best Full-Size Multihull for 2013.

Leading the praise for this latest South African partnership of naval architect Alex Simonis and the Cape Town-based builder Robertson and Caine was BOTY judge Ed Sherman: “I loved this boat,” he said. “As far as the service access is concerned, I can’t recall being on a boat where they’d actually engineered the ease of access to all the systems as nicely as this one. Every single panel where there was electrics or machinery that will ultimately require service had these quick-release threaded knobs that you undo and you’re there. Beyond that, once you get into these service areas, all the equipment was first class, and the degree of workmanship was very high. And everything was labeled. Terrific.”

“I also enjoyed sailing it,” he continued. “But it performs well under power, too. At max cruising speed, we were making over 9 knots. And it was one of the quietest boats we tested. To me, that’s indicative of the overall quality of construction, because they thought about the things that would reduce vibration and rattles and addressed them accordingly.”

Alvah Simon also found much to like. “The ergonomics worked very well,” he said. “The forward cockpit door struck me as beautiful. It was so convenient and so simple. It just works. And with it, they’ve created a beautiful lounging platform forward. All of my notes, whether they address the storage, the transom, the seats—they all say ‘good.’” Taken together, such praise adds up to a great boat.

See photos of the Leopard 48 here.
Read more about Leopard Catamarans here.

Best Bluewater Cruiser

Oyster 625

Winning Details
+ Here’s a state-of-the-art example of no-holds-barred, completely uncompromised modern yacht construction and design.
+ Sparkling sailing performance, lavish accommodations, sensational craftsmanship: The list of wonderful features is endless.

With the class winners selected, the judges were still faced with a nagging quandary. Two of the boats they’d inspected were unquestionably among the best introduced for 2013. Yet they were both outliers that, unlike the other nominees, didn’t fit into neat and tidy classifications. Therefore, the judges decided to honor these vessels with special awards. The first was the Oyster 625, which the panel unanimously felt was the Best Bluewater Cruiser for 2013.

The nearly 64-foot Oyster was originally slotted in with a trio of boats in the Full-Size Cruiser group; however, it was soon apparent that in terms of size, systems, construction, purpose, and potential, it was truly in a class of its own. Of course, with a price tag over $3 million, it should’ve been. But that fact didn’t preclude the judges from recognizing, and rewarding, the overall excellence of the Rob Humphreys design.

“When we step aboard a boat, we always ask the builder to describe it, and when we heard ‘a serious world-cruising boat,’ that was no exaggeration,” said Tim Murphy.

“If you have the money, in this case it will buy you a lovely, powerful, elegant, classic, highly technical yet somehow approachable very big boat,” said Alvah Simon. “You can get boats of this size and complexity that are intimidating, yet I stepped aboard the 625 and felt that an experienced couple could jump on it and in a few hours sail it safely. You can drive it and you can dock it because it all worked. We pressed the boat hard when we sailed it, but once we found the groove, we learned what a 70,000-pound yacht with a big rig can really do. It felt beautiful to be sailing at 9 knots with that kind of power and ease of motion. I mean, what else is there to say?”

See photos of the Oyster 625 here.
Read more about Oyster here.

Most Innovative

Neel 45

Winning Details
+ Truly unique and successful approach to interior space, with a very good nav station, cavernous centralized engine room, and outward-facing berths in the ama cabins.
+ Fantastic sailing performance, perhaps the best for 2013 models, with easily driven hulls, a versatile and manageable sail plan, and consistent double-digit speed potential.
+ Cool details, including an excellent emergency tiller, highly effective nonskid, simple but clever dinghy davits, and sloping decks with ample walkways that work well.

The second of this year’s special awards goes to the Neel 45, the only production trimaran introduced for 2013, which the judges felt was easily the Most Innovative of all the entries. For many years, builder Eric Bruneel was the managing director of Fountaine Pajot, and in that capacity he oversaw the construction of roughly 2,000 catamarans. He’s also an accomplished solo transoceanic trimaran racer, so it perhaps goes without saying that he knows more than a little about multihulls. So when he started his own company, he had a specific vision of what he wanted to accomplish.

Tim Murphy, for one, believes he succeeded in his quest. “I truly believe this is a breakthrough boat,” said Murphy. “Under sail, it behaves differently. It looks different. You live differently in it. It solves problems that had previously not been solved. Bruneel said it’s a 10-knot boat, that it trucks along at 10 knots on coastal cruises or on passage, which translates into 240-mile days. We saw that.

“And the thing is,” he continued, “it’s not just the speed itself. It’s the kind of speed. It’s beautiful speed. The way the boat moves, it kind of has this floating motion. You feel relaxed. I believe you’d feel rested after a passage at 10 knots on this boat.

“Look, it’s not perfect,’” he concluded. “The aesthetics aren’t for everyone, and there are some production details that need to be addressed. But you can think of boatbuilding as an art, and there are a handful of boats this year that expressed that artistry. Bruneel is kind of an artist. He gets the business, and design, and how his boat will be used. There’s a lot of art in his boat.”

“I want this on the record: Sailing this boat was the happiest sailing experience I had this entire contest.” -Tim Murphy

See photos of the Neel 45 here.
Read more about Neel Trimarans here.

Domestic Boat of the Year, and Best Performance Cruiser, 30 to 39 feet

C&C 101

Winning Details
+ Terrific construction technique and materials, including a resin-infused epoxy/foam hull, balsa-cored deck, carbon-fiber rig, solid-teak cabin sole, and cherry interior.
+ True dual-purpose racer/cruiser with outstanding sailing qualities and high-performance potential along with simple but fine amenities for coastal cruising.
+ Versatile cockpit layout with open “floor plan” for racing, and first-class Harken hardware package, along with plenty of room for daysailing with a posse of friends.

Prior to this year’s Boat of the Year testing in Annapolis, Maryland, one of the judges posed this open-ended question to no one in particular: “Where is the next generation of designers and builders going to come from?” Two weeks later, at the close of the competition, they had at least a partial answer. With his very first effort, young naval architect Tom McNeill knocked it out of the park: His C&C 101, built in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, is both the Best Performance Cruiser, 30 to 39 Feet, as well as CW‘s Domestic Boat of the Year.

“First of all, that was one stable hull,” said Alvah Simon. “I put these boats into hard turns to see what happens, and the C&C was just rock solid. Tacking and jibing are effortless. I thought that cockpit was extremely simple, and I just really enjoyed sailing this one.”

Ed Sherman agreed: “Of the three boats in this group, I liked sailing the C&C the most. As a racer/cruiser, it more than passes muster, and the entry-level pricing, at $175,000, was the least expensive in its class. Taken together, in terms of cost and performance, that’s a tough combination to beat.”

The solid construction, utilizing isophthalic gelcoat, a closed-cell foam core in the hull, resin-infused epoxy, and an internal structural grid, helped seal the deal.
“And the carbon-fiber rig is standard, which I think is great value,” said Murphy. The conclusion? With the C&C 101, youth was served.

“This 33-footer is so stable, so quick, so responsive, and so much fun to sail. They’re really on to something here.” -Alvah Simon

See photos of the C&C 101 here.
Read more about C&C Yachts here.

For full specs click here

Import Boat of the Year, and Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 50 feet

Beneteau Sense 55

Winning Details
+ Conceptually, interior space with compartments for machinery and systems aft and living quarters forward neatly defines the Sense layout and philosophy.
+ An optional aft arch with dedicated spots for solar-panel and wind-generator installations provides a nifty arrangement for onboard power management.
+ Traditional mainsail with full battens and a nonoverlapping headsail that is easily tacked and jibed provide stellar sailing performance.

When the boat of the year judges stepped aboard this flagship in Beneteau‘s Sense range, they also stepped away from some of their preconceived notions about what constitutes a state-of-the-art contemporary cruising boat. But once they divested themselves of such hard and fast thinking, they came to truly appreciate the fresh ideas in this Berret-Racoupeau design. After that, they were converts, which they proved by making the Sense 55 the year’s Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 50 Feet, as well as 2013’s Import Boat of the Year.

Tim Murphy led the charge. “In the way they’ve laid out this boat, I really feel they’re onto something new,” he said. “And I don’t mean new for the sake of novelty or as a gimmick, but this 55-footer represents, embodies, and invites a different kind of living aboard a boat. It’s not traditional, but you have three great cabins that aren’t even really cabins … they’re really nice little apartments. I just found this whole approach to be very successful.”

Ed Sherman found other features alluring. “The optional aft arch with solar panels and dual wind generators was very cool,” he said.

“It was a nice arrangement, very well done. It has a significant amount of charging capacity, which really enhanced it in terms of offshore passagemaking capability. That was pretty neat; I liked it a lot.”

“This boat is a break from tradition,” concluded Alvah Simon. “You sort of need to get over our attachment to the spit-and-polish British view of sailing, as opposed to the French adventurer. It’s definitely new. Get used to it.”

See photos of the Beneteau Sense 55 here.
To read more Cruising World reviews of Beneteau sailboats, click here. To visit Beneteau America’s website, click here.

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Moody 45 DS

Moody 45 DS

Moody 45 DS

Moody 45 DS

Moody 45 DS

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