For a venue to introduce the Beneteau 46.1, the latest model in the long-running Oceanis line, as well as a few other new sailboats to North America, the French builder chose Fort Adams, in Newport, Rhode Island, hosting two days of press and dealer sea trials just prior to the opening of the Newport International Boat Show last September. This was not your usual dog-and-pony presentation. Think instead Westminster Dog Show meets Kentucky Derby. And needless to say, the Pascal Conq-designed 46-footer was dressed to the nines for her debut.

While mainstream builders once used demo boats and long lists of factory-installed or aftermarket options to draw in customers, ­nowadays, new models arrive packed with extras in order to make a splash. In the case of the 46.1, the lengthy list of upgrades included Nordac cruising sails from North; electric Harken winches; a sporty bowsprit/anchor roller for the furling code zero; an in-mast furling mainsail; a cockpit arch to keep the mainsheet up and out of the way; and a full suite of B&G instruments. Oh, and I almost forgot: a swing-out barbecue and sink, built into the transom and adjacent to the fold-down swim platform.

To put it all in perspective, the base price of the 46.1 is right around $320,000. The boat we got to sail in Newport, and which CW‘s Boat of the Year judges inspected a few weeks later at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, carried a price tag of $520,000. That, if nothing else, demonstrates the wide range of factory customization that is now possible with a production boat.

I got to jump aboard the 46.1 in both locations, and up front, I’ll admit our test sails did not involve a hands-on inspection of the open-air galley described above. But what they did include were chances to experience a couple of quite enjoyable spells at the helm. On Chesapeake Bay, in about 10 knots of breeze with the 107 percent genoa unfurled, we tacked upwind at 7.6 knots. Cracked off to a reach, with the code zero set, our speed hovered right around 9 knots. On and off the wind, the twin wheels felt silky smooth, sheets were close at hand and there was plenty of room in the back of the cockpit to move from side to side. “On this boat, they’ve got twin rudders, and they certainly answered adequately,” noted judge Tim Murphy.

In the 46.1 for instance, the added volume is most evident in the forward owner’s cabin, where to either side of the island queen berth there is room at the foot of the bed to stand, and outboard of that, there’s still more room for two sets of shelves by the in-hull ports. The cabin also features two hanging lockers and separate shower and head compartments, one to port, the other to starboard.

The boat we visited had a three-cabin, two-head layout, which I thought would be quite usable for a couple who sails occasionally with friends or family aboard. A well-equipped and roomy L-shaped galley was to port at the foot of the companionway; opposite was the second head with an attached stall shower.

Forward to starboard was a large dining table with U-shaped seating, and opposite, a couch. In a nod to the manner in which many navigate these days, the interior design team at Nauta chose to forego the traditional nav station. Instead, just forward of the couch up against the bulkhead, there was a small desk sized for a laptop computer, and above it, a flat screen display.

For those with more frequent guests, there is also a three-cabin, three-head version of the 46.1, in which the galley is pushed farther forward into the saloon, replacing the couch to port. Charter owners, meanwhile, have the option of splitting the forward cabin into two en suite doubles, or even having five cabins and three heads. In this layout, double bunks replace the starboard head aft.

Topside, there are numerous options, too. First, consider the rig. The standard is a 66-foot-8-inch aluminum mast. A performance spar that’s 3-foot taller is available in aluminum or carbon fiber, and there is an Intracoastal Waterway-friendly 63-foot-6-inch stick as well.

Underwater, there are three possible keels: shoal (5 feet, 9 inches), deep (7 feet, 9 inches), both cast iron, or a cast iron and lead performance foil (8-foot-8-inch draft).

Other choices include a 57 hp (standard) or 80 hp Yanmar diesel; additional water or fuel tankage; a self-tacking jib or 107 percent genoa; and the aforementioned cockpit arch. And then there is a range of finish choices below and several possible equipment packages. Honestly, it’s a bit overwhelming to ponder.

To my mind, though, whoever checked off the boxes for the boat we sailed got it right. I found the cockpit to be both roomy and functional. I liked the wide sunbeds to either side of the companionway and the stout stainless-steel poles between the arch and cabin top that provided really good handholds when going below. A centerline drop-leaf table that can accommodate eight crew was set up with a refrigerator compartment forward and life-raft storage aft and under, a detail that caught the eye of ever-safety-conscious BOTY judge Alvah Simon. He noted it’s right where you’d want it to be, down low in the cockpit, where you could pull it out and deploy it overboard from the transom.

The wide side decks were easy to navigate — though the judges did wonder about the midship cleats being placed well aft — and we all liked the idea of raised bulwarks for better footing when heeled. Mostly though, it was a rewarding boat to sail, and that’s the whole point. Right?

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 specifications

Beneteau
410-990-0270
beneteau.com

Sea Trial

The post Boat Review: Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 appeared first on Cruising World.

There are two clear schools of thought when it comes to getting from here to there. For some, it’s all about the journey, preferably made on a seakindly vessel that can stoutly shoulder its way through anything Mother Nature might toss in the way. The happy and rested crew measures progress not by miles per day, but by number of books read, videos watched and sunsets savored.

And then there are the crews that want to get there. Fast. Among the many choices they have is a whole line of good-looking, contemporary performance cruisers from the Danish builder X-Yachts.

Last fall, the company brought a pair of new offerings to the U.S. Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland — their flagship rocket-yacht, the Xp 55, and a smaller but equally impressive sistership, the X49 — where they made quite an elegant splash tied up along the outermost row of docks. In fact, the X49 had a most impressive stateside arrival, as it was ultimately named our Best Full-Size Cruiser for 2019 in our annual Boat of the Year contest. More about that boat in a moment.

But first, let’s take a close look at the Xp 55, which was first launched in 2013; in 2017, the boat’s exterior was restyled and a new interior was introduced. It was the updated model that made its debut in North America.

OK, right up front, let me admit to having a thing for X-Yachts. Across the ranges, including the “Xc” series of straight-on cruising boats and this “Xp” line of high-performance racer/cruisers, the workmanship and building materials are top notch, the various designs are both eye-catching and quite practical. There are good sea berths for the crew underway. Counters have fiddles. Handholds abound. Hardware is well-placed. Sail control lines are led so that trimmers or the singlehanded skipper can reach them.

Like its siblings, the Xp 55 is the product of X-Yachts’ in-house design team under the direction of Niels Jeppesen. The hull is foam cored and vacuum-infused using epoxy resin, with carbon-fiber reinforcements in high-load areas. For the Xp line, the builder has replaced a steel grid system with a similarly strong but lighter carbon-fiber and epoxy structure to absorb rig and engine loads.

Notes CW‘s Boat of the Year judge Tim Murphy, “They’re really making efforts to get the weight out of this boat.” The result is a very sporty displacement-to-length ratio of 143. Meanwhile, the builder opted for a cast-iron foil with a lead bulb down deep where pounds benefit rather than hinder ­performance. Three keels are available: deep (10-foot-6-inch), standard (9-foot-4-inch) and shallow (8-foot-2-inch).

The Xp55 comes with a couple of rig options, both with standard rod rigging. An aluminum mast and boom are also standard, but the boat we saw in Annapolis sported a carbon-fiber spar and boom with in-boom furling. Those, along with a few other options, brought the sticker price of the boat to $1.4 ­million, up from a base price of about $870,000. Among the add-ons were teak side decks and cabin top; a carbon-fiber bowsprit and anchor roller; North 3Di racing sails; bow and stern thrusters and B&G electronics. With stays anchored on the sheer line, the wide deck and low-profile coach roof were easy to navigate noted BOTY judge Alvah Simon. He cited positive safety features, including the design of the companionway, easily handled weatherboard and a bridge deck height of 7 inches to prevent down flooding. Visibility from the twin wheels was good, he thought, though the seats at either wheel were somewhat low.

Under way, the cockpit forward of the twin helms was open and roomy for lounging guests or a working crew. At ­anchor, a teak table that’s stored in the cockpit sole could be raised for entertaining. A pair of adequately sized Harken Performance winches were located well within reach of either helm. The skipper could also quickly adjust jib-sheet leads using the line-­controlled cars on the fairlead tracks mounted inboard by the cabin sides. At the bow, a belowdecks Harken furler kept the pointy end clutter free; its drum could be easily reached by opening the hatch of the deep chain locker.

Down below, the accommodations were quite spacious. Rich teak furniture and a teak-and-holly sole — both standard — glowed in the natural light that poured in through overhead hatches, ports in the cabin top and windows in the hull. A Nordic oak and walnut sole interior is also available.

The boat we visited had the standard layout: twin aft cabins and an en suite owners’ cabin with an island queen berth far forward, behind a watertight bulkhead. To port, amidships in the saloon, a U-shaped couch outboard and an upholstered bench on the centerline surrounded a large folding teak table; a long settee (and good sea berth) was opposite. At the foot of the companionway, a large and well-equipped L-shaped galley was to port. To starboard sat a sizable head and stall shower, with a full-size nav station just forward of it.

The 55 comes with a large dinghy locker across the stern, closed off by an electrically operated swim platform. Because of the location of the garage, the double-ended mainsheet is anchored to a single block just forward of the helms. Under sail in 12 knot breeze and with little chop, the boat seemed a bit tender when hard on the wind, and there was a fair amount of weather helm that couldn’t be easily reduced by adjusting a traveler. Also, a new set of racing sails had just been bent on and a sailmaker was aboard and still playing with tuning. Still, the boat showed its get-up-and-go. Closehauled, the speed over the ground was 8.1 knots; cracked off to a reach (and with the strain on the wheel lessened considerably) the speedo jumped to 8.6 knots, a joyous thing.

For the sailor who enjoys immediate rewards for pulling on this and easing off that, the Xp55 delivers in spades. And fast sailing is fun sailing, no?

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

X-Yachts Xp 55 specifications

X-Yachts
860-536-7776
x-yachtsusa.com

The post Boat Review: X-Yachts’ Xp-55 appeared first on Cruising World.

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 319 had me at hello. Well, more accurately, it won me over soon after we’d hoisted sail last October off Annapolis, Maryland, during our Boat of the Year sea trials in a gusty 15- to 20-knot northerly on Chesapeake Bay. With a couple of reefs in the mainsail and a turn or two on the 85 percent self-tacking furling jib, the 32-footer put on a peppy display of get-up-and-go, easily knocking off a solid 6 knots hard on the wind. The 319 has a single wheel (a Lewmar number that folds inward when dockside to open up the cockpit) but twin rudders, and the helm was buttery smooth yet totally precise. What a joy it is to drive an extremely capable, compact little sloop in a fresh breeze.

Created by Jeanneau’s in-house design team and built in Poland at a new facility for the company, the 319 is a model of simplicity. That said, there are options galore, and you can really trick the boat out to your own liking depending on where and how you sail. For example, our test boat was equipped with an in-mast furling main, a swing keel and the aforementioned blade headsail. But you can also get one with a traditional stack-pack main, a fixed keel, an overlapping 110 percent jib and a dedicated, fixed ­bowsprit off which can be flown code-zero-style reaching sails. That’s a lot of choices!

RELATED: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410: Best Midsize Cruiser Over 38 Feet

“In recent years, we’ve watched a lot of production and semicustom builders go up and up in size,” said BOTY judge Tim Murphy. “I think they’ve been addressing the rising age and wealth of the sailors who buy their boats. One of the goals of this boat was to bring younger sailors into the market. But the Jeanneau representatives said they were surprised to find that there were also other longtime ­sailors, older sailors, downsizing to this boat. And I think that makes perfect sense.”

Down below, there is only one layout available, but it’s a fine, time-tested one (although the interior space will be slightly altered and opened up if you go with the fixed keel instead of the swing version, the trunk of which is ­incorporated into the central dining table). There are two double cabins in the opposite ends of the boat, with a particularly roomy berth aft to starboard. Given the size of the boat, an impressively large head is opposite, to port. A good-size galley and a real navigation desk are flanked to either side of the companionway, and just forward of those features is a pair of long settees with the folding dining table ­sandwiched between them.

It’s funny, you step aboard a lot of boats a good 10 feet longer and are hard-pressed to find a decent sea berth on any of them, but on the 319, there are three good ones (make that four if you don’t mind sleeping in the bow). And while you probably don’t want to take six folks on a cruise of any duration on the boat, you certainly can.

The team at Jeanneau is having a very good year, having earned multiple prizes in the 2019 BOTY contest (see “Hail to the Chiefs,” January/February 2019). Of their three new models, the 319 — the only one not honored — sort of slid under the radar. But perhaps that was an oversight. This is a neat little yacht, clearly envisioned and ­assembled by sailors who love sailing and kicking around on boats. It’s hard to lavish any more praise than that.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

The post Boat Review: Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 319 appeared first on Cruising World.

There are certain matters in life that are just sure things, where you go in realizing that professionals are involved and you’re in good hands. You walk into a theater for a Meryl Streep film, and you know the acting’s covered. You board a Qantas flight understanding there is zero chance it will fall from the skies. You cut into a steak at a Ruth’s Chris knowing that it is about to melt in your mouth. If only everything was this way.

In sailing, thankfully, there are lots of givens: Harken hardware, Edson steering, Raymarine electronics, LeisureFurl in-boom furling mainsails. Boats equipped with these brands have those items all figured out. And here’s one more nautical surety, as reliable as the sun rising in the east: When you step aboard a yacht designed by seasoned naval architect Tim Jackett, you do so with the realization that it’s been extremely well thought out, that there has been a reassuring attention to detail, that it will sail like a bloody witch, that it will do precisely what it was created to do.

Which brings us to the latest ­example of Jackett’s vision, the Tartan 395 (which, not coincidentally, is fitted out with all the gear previously mentioned).

Like many American builders, Tartan Yachts, which is based in Ohio, has had its share of ups and downs in recent times. But Jackett is now one of the principal owners, and judging from the introduction of its new 39-footer at last fall’s U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, the company has again found its footing.

As Boat of the Year judge Tim Murphy said after inspecting the yacht, “It’s really nice to see Tartan back again. This is an interesting boat. It really brings together some nice elements of craftsmanship. You step below, and the big deck cowls are bringing lots of good air through there, and it’s just very comfortable. And you sit down in the cabin with that light maple finish (cherry and teak are also available), and it just looks and feels good. You feel like some real craftsmen have put this interior together.”

One thing Jackett is loath to do is fix things that aren’t broken, and so the 395 boasts features that have proved tried and true on previous appealing designs. Chief among these is Tartan’s elegant and versatile CCR (cruise control rig) sail plan, composed of double headsails (a self-tacking jib on an inner stay, a code zero reacher on the outer), set off a light double-spreader carbon-fiber spar. This configuration is an effective, efficient way to shift gears quickly depending on changes in the breeze or on the point of sail.

Nor has Jackett fussed much with the lines of the boat; it has a handsome, traditional-looking profile, with a very gentle sheer line, a relatively long coachroof, and stout coamings framing a deep and cozy ­cockpit. If your taste slants more toward slab-sided, expansive Euro topsides and contemporary razor-sharp hull chines, look elsewhere. This right here is a homegrown product of ’Merica, son.

It’s also a well-constructed one. Several generations of Tartans have now been built in an infusion process employing modified epoxy resin (not polyester like so many of its competitors) in a laminate that is sandwiched around closed-cell foam coring in the hull and balsa core in the deck. Tartan eschews the iron ballast many builders use in favor of good old lead (there are three underbodies available, including an optional deep fin, the standard “beaver tail” fixed keel or a keel/centerboard). Thanks to the company owning its own autoclave, not only is the rig carbon, but so is the rudderstock. Bottom line? There’s no squelching on materials.

“The anchoring system was beautiful, with polished stainless-steel chain, a stainless-steel anchor and a big, beautiful windlass,” said BOTY judge Alvah Simon. “It’s a good old-fashioned interior layout that just works. The pushpit, pulpit, stanchions, lifelines and gates are all terrific. The deck hardware is of high quality and well-installed. The little things really add up on this boat.”

Moving on, there’s a whole lot happening in the cockpit. In addition to the two pedestals for the twin steering wheels, there’s a third pedestal of sorts just forward of and between the helms, where the engine and lights controls are housed, as well as the Raymarine chart plotter. Built into the transom is a fold-down step to access a modest swim and boarding platform. The idea with the dual wheels and the transom door is to create a natural ergonomic flow from the companionway to the stern, but to be honest, it’s pretty busy terrain.

During our sailing trials, I absolutely loved driving the boat — it sailed great, like all Jackett’s boats, especially when we eased sheets in a nice Chesapeake Bay norther and the boat trucked along at an effortless 7 knots. However, the seats at the wheel seemed low, and I never could get totally comfortable. That said, I quite liked the German-style mainsheet that was ­double-ended port and ­starboard to big winches ­within easy reach of the driver.

Down below, there’s a tidy double cabin aft to starboard; a generous shower stall and head is to port. The forward-facing navigation station and a good-size galley are stationed to port and starboard, respectively, of the companionway. Comfortable settees flank a central dining table in the main saloon; there’s a second double cabin all the way forward. Eight opening ports overhead in the cabin emit plenty of welcoming fresh air. The Tartan 395 is not quite as beamy as the competing boats in its size range in the 2019 BOTY fleet, but resting there and taking in the surroundings, things felt snug and secure. Two words, ultimately, came to mind.

Proper. Yachting.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

Tartan 395 Specifications

Tartan Yachts
440-392-2628
tartanyachts.com

Sea Trial

For a complete guide to ­Cruising World’s extensive online boat ­reviews and to request reprints from our older print archives of reviews, go to cruisingworld.com/sailboat-reviews.

The post Boat Review: Tartan 395 appeared first on Cruising World.

Old or new? Either one could be used to describe the British-built Discovery 58. On the one hand, it’s a design that’s been around awhile, one that evolved from the Ron Holland Discovery 57 that was launched in 2012. On the other, the revamped and updated model just made its debut here in the States at last fall’s U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. And its current builder, the Discovery Yachts Group, is a new company that incorporates a couple of England’s venerable sailing brands — Discovery and Southerly Yachts — as well as Bluewater Yachts’ cruising catamaran and Britannia Yachts, a line of “modern classics” that is still on the drawing boards.

Either way you choose to look at it, though, the Discovery 58 we visited last fall during our Boat of the Year testing is intended for bluewater sailing, with solid bulwarks from stem to sugar-scoop stern, a versatile solent rig, a deep and accessible chain locker and a stylish and comfortable liveaboard deck-saloon interior. In other words, if you’ve got a rough patch of water to cross, this boat would be a worthy contender for the journey.

Let’s start on deck, where a dodger on the boat we sailed protects the forward end of the center cockpit, companionway and a portion of the two long settees that flank a sturdy drop-leaf teak table equipped with stainless-steel handholds at either end. Aft of the lounging space, an owner has a choice of either a single wheel or twin helms, which we found on the boat we visited. Besides composite wheels, both pedestals sported chart plotters. To port were sailing instruments and switches to control electrical equipment on deck, while engine and thruster controls were located to starboard.

Solid stainless-steel rails, 30 inches high, surrounded the transom up to the wheels; from there forward, double lifelines ran to the bow pulpit and impressed BOTY judge Bill Bolin, who noted the security they offer, and also their rarity on other offshore-capable boats we visited. “We didn’t see enough of those, in my opinion,” he told his colleagues. Bolin approved too of the Discovery’s wide teak side decks and split stays (uppers led outboard; lowers to the side of the cabin house), which kept the pathway forward clear.

On the foredeck, a Seldén sprit was mounted in one of the two beefy anchor rollers, awaiting downwind sails. Just aft were Reckmann hydraulic furlers for the genoa and self-tacking jib. A traveler spanning the width of the aft cabin top, Andersen electric winches and an electric in-mast furling Seldén spar (a conventional main with slab reefing is an option) completed the sailhandling systems. Sails were from North.

At its yard in Southampton, Discovery infuses its Divinycell-cored fiberglass hulls and decks using vinylester resin, adding Kevlar cloth in high-stress areas, such as around the keel. Bulkheads, including two watertight forward ones, are bonded in place. An owner can choose either a deep (7-foot-8-inch) lead keel or a shoal-draft (6-foot-5-inch) foil.

The boat is powered by a 150 hp Yanmar diesel, with shaft drive. Underway, even at full throttle, BOTY judge Ed Sherman found the 50 db sound level down below to be among the lowest of the boats we tested. By comparison, some of the 2018 fleet had ratings approaching 70 db. Sherman attributed the quiet down below to thick sound insulation in the engine room (yes, the boat has a walk-in engine room below the center cockpit). But BOTY judge Tim Murphy noted the engine was set up with a split exhaust system that sent exhaust gas off in one hose and cooling water in another, eliminating splashing and typical exhaust noise.

The 58’s deck-saloon design provides a lot of interior living space — and great views thanks to the saloon’s raised sole and large ports to either side and forward. An added benefit is space below for tankage, keeping weight low and in the center of the vessel.

Stepping down from the companionway, there’s a raised table surrounded by a U-shaped couch outboard and bench on the centerline. A raised navigation desk sits opposite, giving the skipper clean sight lines both forward and athwartships. The desk includes space for a pop-up plotter and other instrumentation, along with radio gear. Adding engine and autopilot controls would transform the area into a true pilothouse.

The builder allows for considerable customization. On the boat we visited, the owner chose to forgo a settee forward of the nav station, opting instead for a large flat area where charts could be spread out, with storage behind. There is also a layout available that moves the nav station forward so another cabin with bunks can be added by the foot of the companionway.

Forward of the main ­bulkhead and three steps down, there was a cabin with bunks to port and a head and shower opposite. The forward cabin sported a queen-size island berth and a couple of hanging lockers.

A well-executed galley and pass-through to the owners cabin was on port, aft of the saloon and another three steps down. A sink and ample counter space was located on the centerline, and a five-burner gimballed propane stove and oven flanked by more counter and storage space was outboard. A fridge, freezer, dishwasher and microwave promised to keep the chef in the crew happy.

The 58’s aft cabin was stunning. Light poured in through large ports in the hull and hatches overhead. A forward-facing island queen berth was on the centerline; in its own sizable compartment to starboard and forward were the head and shower.

To keep the lights on, the boat we visited had a 7 kW Cummins Onan generator aboard, as well as a bank of three solar panels mounted on a rack over the stainless-steel dinghy davits on the stern.

Other nice touches included a pair of teak seats on either side of the bow and stern pulpits, and life-raft storage incorporated into the lifeline railing. All told, the boat, fitted out with a slew of options, carried a price tag of $1.8 million.

Unfortunately, the fickle Chesapeake Bay breeze took the day off when it came time for a test sail aboard the 58. It was disappointing to miss the chance to experiment with the sail combinations made possible by the twin-headsail rig, not to mention the ease of handling the big Discovery with winches and furlers controlled by the touch of a button. After all, that’s what the boat was built for.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

Discovery 58 Specifications

Discovery Yachts Group
410-639-2777
discoveryyachtsgroup.com

SEA TRIAL

The post Discovery 58 Review appeared first on Cruising World.

To my eye, perhaps the cleanest-looking yacht to be introduced in 2018 was the Hanse 588, the second-largest offering from the German builder in a line that now encompasses a range of boats from 31 to 69 feet. Look, I enjoy a clipper bow and sweeping sheer line as much as any traditionalist, but lately I’ve derived as much optical pleasure from the lines of all-business performance cruisers like the 588. Perhaps it’s because function follows form, and a yacht like this — with features that include a straight bow and stern, ample topsides, wide beam, maximum waterline, minimalist deck jewelry and razor-sharp sheer — is nothing if not a flat-out sailing machine. You can just see it.

And then there’s this: At first glimpse, it looks rather simple. But on closer inspection, it’s anything but. And I also find broad appeal in that dichotomy. But make no mistake: For all of its ultramodern Euro styling, this is a well-constructed, systems-rich, state-of-the-art vessel, with a host of elements that will make sailing and cruising safer, and more efficient and fun.

Let’s start with the sail plan and rig, a triple-spreader Seldén aluminum spar with no traveler and a self-tending jib. Straightforward, right? Well, not so fast. The ­mainsheet is actually a German-style setup that’s double ended and led aft, port and starboard, to cockpit winches adjacent to the helmsman. The main itself on the boat

I sailed is a powerful, fully battened number stashed on an optimal in-boom FurlerBoom furler. The ­aforementioned jib is unwound from a Furlex manually controlled furling unit, and the code zero genoa riding shotgun in the twin headsail configuration is set off a Reckmann electric furler. All sails are built using composite-­laminate sailcloth by Elvström. In other words, like everything else, they’re high tech.

There are twin wheels, each led to the quadrant independently of each other. Stashed below the cockpit, accessed via the transom’s drop-down boarding gate/swim platform when lowered, is a Williams jet-drive tender (I am not making this up), which answers the always intriguing dinghy question (both the type and its storage) in a major way. There are thrusters in the bow and the stern, both retractable, very handy items when pivoting or docking a boat this big. Are you recognizing a recurring theme here? With the Hanse 588, on multiple levels, what you don’t see is what you get.

A raised bulwark rims and ­accentuates the flush deck, which can be specified as real teak (an ­option) or synthetic teak, with a choice of eight different finishes. On our test boat, the sight lines from the dual helms were fabulous, thanks largely to the low coachroof and the absence of a dodger or Bimini. (A fiberglass “T-top” hardtop that covers the cockpit is optional, as is the sort of windscreen seen on many Scandinavian cruising boats.) There are six windows on each side of the hull; the company says it used the largest ones possible that do not ­compromise structural integrity. The windows serve dual purposes, emitting plenty of light into the interior and offering great views while breaking up the expansive hull from a visual perspective.

The boat is well put together, with balsa core employed in the topsides of the hull and deck in a laminate rich in polyester resin and coated with vinylester as a hedge against osmosis (the layup is solid glass below the waterline). The chainplates are reinforced with carbon in high-load areas, and the vacuum-bagged bulkheads are cored for a combination of lightness and strength before they are tabbed into the deck, floors and hull. The iron keel (there are three different sizes and drafts available, ranging from a shallow L-shaped model that draws 7 feet 5 inches to a deep, T-shaped version drawing 9 feet 4 inches) is anchored to keel plates embedded in the integrated floor grid.

Down below, there are literally dozens of choices to make with regard to upholstery colors and fabrics, carpeting, and woods for flooring and furniture, which gives owners an incredible amount of leeway to personalize the interior to their own liking. Our test boat’s ­furnishings were finished in cherry, which was quite pleasing. Likewise, with the floor plan, there are multiple layouts for accommodations from which to choose. The boat we inspected had the single spacious owners cabin forward, with an island berth and a single roomy head (this space can also be two cabins and two heads); a crew’s quarters in the bow (which can also be a gargantuan sail locker); and a big head to port at the foot of the companionway (this can also be a workroom or another sleeping cabin). There were also twin double cabins aft with en-suite heads. The central saloon of our test boat featured large settees to port and starboard, with the U-shaped galley also to starboard. A straight-line galley with an incorporated central island is also available.

Alas, the day of our sea trials on Chesapeake Bay last fall, in conjunction with the 2018 Boat of the Year contest, dawned ­absolutely windless, and we were unable to conduct a test sail. But the boat performed more than admirably under power, registering better than 9 knots at 2,150 rpm. And, in terms of decibel level, it was one of the fleet’s quietest boats, a fact that was not lost on BOTY judge Ed Sherman.

“One of the factors that I have always used to help me sort out a very broad-based quality issue is how noisy the boat is when you’re motoring along,” Sherman said. “All that’s indicative of all these parts — doors that don’t fit right, floorboards that move — that can induce harmonics that go through the whole boat when you’re under power. And here, we have a boat that’s right down there with the highest quality and most expensive yachts in terms of the noise level down below. I guarantee that’s a derivative of the efforts that have been taken in designing and executing all the assembled components in the interior. For Hanse, the tolerances are getting tighter. Whatever they’re doing, it’s really working.”

Yes, Mr. Sherman. It ­certainly is.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

HANSE 588 Specifications

Hanse Yachts
978-239-6598
hanseyachts.com

The post Hanse 588 Review appeared first on Cruising World.

Sparkman & Stephens. Ron Holland. Germán Frers. In the storied history of Nautor’s Swan, one of the world’s most established and respected brands of production cruising boats, with the exception of several race boats in the Club Swan line, the company has employed the services of precisely three naval architects, legends all. Since the 1980s, though, the principal designer has been Frers, and during that time, the company has perhaps become best known for its line of “maxi” yachts, ranging from a relatively modest 60-footer to the whopping Swan 132.

And I thought my first ­memorable Swan experience, decades ago, on the very cool S&S-designed 44, was one sweet ride.

With the launching last year of the new Swan 54, however, both the builder and the creator have returned to their roots (Frers’ first Swan, in 1981, was the 51). However, if you’re looking for an example of how designs have evolved over the past few decades, consider the initial, very different, appearances of the 51 and the 54.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the deck layout. The 51 was a veritable winch farm (there were at least a dozen of them, scattered hither and yon from the mast to the wheel); the 54’s spanking clean decks are completely uncluttered (there are but four electric winches, gracing the cockpit coaming, and even the running rigging is stashed in conduits beneath the deck). As with many big early Swans, on the 51, there’s not one dedicated cockpit but two, one for the sail handlers (and the companionway) and the other for the driver. The 54 has but a single expansive one. And of course, the 54 has twin wheels, a ubiquitous feature on today’s contemporary cruisers, and an unimaginable one in the early 1980s.

Yet it’s in the ends of the new boat that we see the greatest changes and innovations, and they’re striking. Forward, the self-launching anchor is beyond nifty, and coupled with the gargantuan sail locker, that’s one interesting bow. Aft, the boarding platform created when the wide, electrically controlled transom is lowered is nothing less than a sweet private sun deck (take that, pinched sterns of yore!). Both of these features are superbly executed.

Actually, the same could be said of the entire vessel. Like every bulletproof yacht ever constructed in the rugged Finnish town of Pietarsaari, the 54 is built like a veritable brick outhouse. Closed-cell foam is employed throughout the cored, vinylester-sandwich layup: in the hull, the structural bulkheads and the teak deck. Watertight bulkheads separate the lazarette and forepeak from the central interior space. Our test boat was equipped with the fixed deep (8 feet 1 inch), standard lead keel and a single rudder, though a “variable draft” daggerboard version with twin rudders is also available for those seeking more range, in skinnier waters, from their prospective cruising grounds (it draws 4 feet 6 ­inches with the board down).

Related: Nautor’s ClubSwan 50

The oak interior is handsome and well finished. There are three sleeping cabins: the master stateroom all the way forward, with an expansive island berth; a guest cabin just forward of the beam, to port, which may offer the coziest sea berths on passage; and another cabin to port, aft of the companionway, which can be ­specified as a double or with two single berths. An aft utility cabin to starboard is an ideal space for a workbench, the generator and even a washing machine, though the room could also be set up as a crew cabin, as it was on our test boat. The central dining area is to port; to starboard lies the L-shaped galley, loads of ­counter space and a forward-facing navigation table. A pair of heads on opposite sides of the boat flanks the forward and aft sides of the central saloon, respectively. All in all, it’s a straightforward but very efficient use of space.

Back topside, there’s a rather ingenious dodger built right into the cockpit coaming, which is easily raised or stashed when needed (you’d want to lose it when club racing, and this would be a grand boat on which to do Caribbean events like the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta and Antigua Sailing Week). The sloop rig features a double-spreader carbon Seldén spar and a split hydraulic backstay; a pair of pad eyes on the bow are set up for the tacks of asymmetric spinnakers. There’s no traveler for the double-­ended mainsheet, led to a pair of winches just forward of the helmsman. All other sheets and reefing lines are led below deck to another set of cockpit winches and a suite of attendant control clutches. A handy couple will have no worries taming this steed.

Sadly, on the day we took the 54 for a spin on Chesapeake Bay, we did not have the breeze necessary to put the boat through its proper paces. With a wimpy 3 knots of early morning autumn winds, we managed a couple of gasping knots of boat speed both on and off the zephyrs. It was disappointing because we had no doubt the boat would get up and gallop in any sort of reasonable blow. Under power, we were a bit surprised that the 110 hp Yanmar (on a traditional straight-line shaft — no saildrive) didn’t pack a bit more punch, yielding under 9 knots when opened up. It was the only question mark in my notebook at day’s end.

In other words, I was pretty darn smitten with the Swan 54. It not only joins the legacy of a proud and prosperous enterprise, it more than holds its own.

Herb McCormick is CW’s ­executive editor.

SWAN 54 Specifications

Nautor’s Swan USA
401-846-1090
nautorswan.com

Sea Trial

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The post Boat Review: Swan 54 appeared first on Cruising World.

Most boats are nouns; the Maine Cat 38 is a verb — a boat that can be understood only in motion, and preferably under sail with a good breeze blowing.

Last March, I sailed the Maine Cat 38 Tamarack, hull number four, in the Sea of Abaco, Bahamas, with my parents, my college-age daughter and her friend. Meanwhile, one of 2018’s several historic winter storms was blowing through New England and the Canadian Maritimes, sending massive swells down our way and contributing to a squash zone of isobars on our local weather map. In the Abacos, that meant 20-foot seas offshore, rages in the cuts between cays and sustained winds edging toward 30 knots all week. Already on the Monday we flew in, Marsh Harbour’s supermarket shelves were empty of milk and fresh produce; for the next five days, the Bahamian mail boats were forbidden to leave the safety of their docks in Nassau. For us aboard Tamarack, the weather forced us to do all of our sailing inside the Sea of Abaco. But even in this usually protected sound, we encountered seas of 8 to 10 feet, sometimes breaking.

In those conditions, the Maine Cat 38 behaved like no other boat, monohull or multihull, that I’ve ever sailed. “This boat just gets up and frolics,” is how Sue Murphy, my mom, described sailing it.

Dick Vermeulen founded Maine Cat in 1993. Since then, his team of a dozen craftsmen in Midcoast Maine has launched some 140 sail- and powerboats, including 63 30-foot and 24 41-foot sailboats. Recently, Vermeulen created the Maine Cat 38 to return to simpler roots — a boat with no genset, no air conditioning, no microwave oven and just one head; a boat that a single person would be willing to take out sailing, with or without crew. And Vermeulen set himself one other goal: “This boat has to be the fastest cruising cat out there, or I’ve failed at everything I’ve done.” (For details about the genesis of the 38’s design, see “Birth of a Cat,” CW, July 2017.)

For our gang, mere speed wasn’t the priority. Yet the qualitative experience of sailing a boat whose creator took such care to keep the weight out was a revelation to all of us. Tom Murphy, my dad, has worked as a yacht broker for more than 30 years and has made hundreds of coastal and offshore yacht deliveries, often harrowing ones. “The way this boat lifted in 8-foot seas,” he said, “I mean, you’d see a roller coming in, and you’d tense up and steer into it and wait to take the sleigh ride down the back side and bury the bows — and that just never happened. Instead, you’d get up on top of a wave, and it would feel like the wave was flat, and you would just sort of come down with it. No pitch, no roll, no burying the bows or the stern.” Like me, he’d never experienced a boat that felt like this.

Vermeulen is a mechanical engineer by training. The effect he created in this boat is the result of a single-minded commitment to keeping weight out of it, both in the initial build and in the systems that go aboard. He determined that in order to achieve the speeds he was after, he needed 12-to-1 length-to-beam ratios in the hulls. A consequence of that choice is that you can’t then add all the weight of the luxury items you’d find on a typical production catamaran. Narrow hulls lack the buoyancy to carry heavy equipment or big tankage. Unlike similar-size models from high-production builders, the MC 38 isn’t intended to sleep more than five people; there’s just one marine head fitted in one of the hulls; and propulsion is not from twin diesels but from a pair of 9.9hp outboard motors. The galley stove has three burners but no oven. Cabin spaces are ­separated by drapes, not doors.

The construction of the hull and deck is different from that of the high-­production cat builders too. Typically, builders achieve complex curves in sandwich construction by using core that’s scored in slices called kerfs. When you bend a panel of scored foam, the kerfs open up; in the final composite part, the kerfs fill with resin. In a technique Vermeulen saw at Maine builders Hodgdon Yachts and Lyman-Morse, then developed with Gurit Composites, his team “thermoforms” Core-Cell foam in the shape of the final hull; this is unsliced foam, with no kerfs. His team heats the Core-Cell to 165 degrees Fahrenheit in an infrared oven, then infuses the fiberglass and core with vinylester resin. The result is a uniform part, with uniform physical properties. And the weight? “It’s ridiculous,” Vermeulen said. “When we built the first 38 hull, with three bulkheads in it, but 38 feet long, 6 feet wide and 6 feet of depth, it weighed 426 pounds. I could lift the hull out of the cradles.”

“It takes us a little longer to build hulls,” Vermeulen said, “but it’s just bomber.”

The boat we sailed was in charter service, managed by Abaco Multihull Charters based in Hope Town. It was fitted with good-quality cruising sails, but no screacher or full-on performance sails. Our reaching speeds were typically in the 9- and 10-knot range. We put the first reef in at 20 knots; second reef at 25. It tacked easily with both main and roller-furling headsail and both daggerboards down, but struggled to tack under main alone, as most cats will.

Motoring out of Hope Town Harbor into 25 knots and a steep 3-foot chop at 80 percent throttle with the twin 9.9 horsepower outboards, we made just over 3 knots of boat speed and heard the motors cavitate on every third wave or so. In those conditions, the boat felt underpowered. By contrast, in flat water we easily achieved motoring speeds of 6 and 7 knots.

“You probably know the little auxiliary engines on the MC 38 are by design,” Vermeulen said when I described our experience. “When I hear that sailors on other boats are under power 50 percent of the time, I cringe. If I make the engines small enough, MC 38 owners are going to sail all the time. With a screacher or code zero, the MC 38 will sail at 5 knots in 5 knots of true wind. Who needs motors except to dock or drop the hook? The way sailing should be!”

The experience I most enjoyed on the MC 38 was going forward under sail onto the trampolines as we reached past Tahiti Beach under double-reefed main. I lay face-down and watched the hulls move through uncommonly disturbed water. The 38’s leeward hull didn’t dig in; the windward hull didn’t lift out. No wave ever slammed the bridgedeck. The steep chop seldom even reached the longitudinal chine 12 inches above the waterline on each hull.

The Maine Cat 38 is a boat that positively dances through the waves.

CW editor-at-large Tim Murphy is a longtime Boat of the Year judge.

The post Maine Cat 38 Catamaran Review appeared first on Cruising World.

Sitting at the wheel and tweaking the sails of the new Leopard 50 on a breezy afternoon off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, last winter was pretty darned enjoyable. But then again, so was lounging around on the flybridge a few steps removed from the helm station, ­watching someone else do all the work.

In fact, strolling about the boat and taking in the expansive views from numerous vantage points, I quickly concluded there are any number of ways to enjoy the newest catamaran from Robertson and Caine. And that’s the whole idea, since the South African builder sells all of its boats into the Moorings and Sunsail charter fleets, and to private owners under the Leopard Catamaran brand. To be successful, a boat like the 50 has to have a little something for everyone, as they say.

Robertson and Caine first introduced the idea of a forward cockpit and watertight door in the front of the saloon with the Morrelli & Melvin-designed Leopard 44, which was named CW‘s Best Multihull and Import Boat of the Year in 2012. Alex Simonis and Simonis Voogd Yacht Design then took over at the drafting table, and the concept evolved over the course of three more models, including the award-winning Leopard 48, which the 50 replaces. It will be sold for charter as the Moorings 5000.

With each iteration, the melding of inside and outside space has increased, interior design has been refined and exterior styling has been sharpened. On the 50, the great outdoors literally pours into the saloon and sleeping cabins thanks to hull ports and overhead hatches and large windows around the house, and a flybridge option has been added to give sailors yet one more place to gather or get away from it all.

The 50 is also offered with a number of different layouts (more on those in a minute), and breaks the cabins-of-equal-size tradition when it comes to the charter market. The boat introduced at the Miami International Boat Show last winter was the four-cabin version — often the most popular for vacationers — but with a twist. Three couples get spacious en-suite accommodations, while one gets treated like true owners, with a master suite that takes up nearly two-thirds of the starboard hull and has its own companionway just inside the sliding door to the saloon. Forward, in that hull, the berth is athwartships, with a head and shower in the forepeak.

Other possibilities include a single cabin to port with storage or a workshop forward, or three en-suite cabins to starboard, bringing the total number of cabins to five. In any of the versions, crew accommodations are available far forward in the port hull.

Exterior options include either a large lifting swim/dinghy platform or traditional davits. The 50P (for performance) model features a raised helm station and overhead solid Bimini. The 50L (for lounge) sports a similar helm arrangement, but adds a flybridge with a U-shaped couch, table and tanning beds located atop the cockpit Bimini. It is reached via stairs from the starboard side deck. I measured head clearance under the boom at 6 feet 8 inches, which, in most cases, would be more than adequate to avoid accidents under way.

What is truly stunning about the 50 is the sense of openness, whether seated in the cockpit looking forward through the house, or in the saloon itself, where you’re surrounded by walls of glass and an overhead skylight that spans nearly the length of the room.

Designer Simonis said with each new model, the design brief calls for more visibility, which means fewer solid structural elements. To achieve that goal on the 50, both in the saloon and in the cabins below, carbon-infused ring frames were used in place of solid wood or composite bulkheads. Even the frame around the watertight forward door seemingly disappears in the design.

The aft end of the saloon opens wide, with sliding doors. In the cockpit, there’s a large table and U-shaped couch to port, and a cushioned settee opposite beneath the helm station.

A second forward-facing dining area is just inside the saloon to port. The table folds and can be lowered for cocktails, or it can open wide to accommodate a dinner crowd. A navigation desk is forward to port, just ahead of the companionway leading to the cabins below. Stainless handrails by the stairs have a clean look, and the dark nonskid steps have stainless nosing, which makes them quite visible.

The galley takes up much of the starboard side of the bridgedeck. A U-shaped ­counter and sink, with refrigeration under, look out onto the forward cockpit, cushioned lounging area and trampolines between the hulls. Just aft of the forward starboard companionway sits a second counter area with stove and oven, and two more drawers of ­refrigeration/freezer space.

A boat fit out like hull number one, which we sailed following the Miami show, sells for right around $1 million; the base price of the 50, delivered to the East Coast of the U.S., is $850,000 (the Moorings charter version, at $899,000, comes fully equipped for rental).

The Leopard in Miami sported a square-top main (a conventional mainsail is also offered) and an overlapping genoa. Combined, they provided plenty of power to push us through choppy offshore seas. On a beam reach in 15 or so knots of wind, the GPS showed us loping along at a steady 9 knots; 10.4 knots in one puff was my personal best for the day. Off the wind, I’d expect most owners would take advantage of the sprit option and fly a code zero or some other downwind sail.

Sailhandling was made simple by having all control lines led to three beefy winches close at hand to the wheel — something that will be appreciated by charterers and cruising couples alike. Still, there was ample room for a second crew to stand by and lend a hand.

In Leopard mode, the new 50 would be a comfortable home, capable of ticking off a good day’s run. As the Moorings 5000, well, let the parties begin.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

The post Leopard 50 Catamaran Review appeared first on Cruising World.

Conditions in Miami’s Government Cut were nearly perfect for testing the new Lagoon 40’s waterproof hatches. With a stiff onshore wind blowing straight down the channel to meet a brisk outgoing current, the cat’s bows plowed repeatedly into seriously steep waves, sending green water up and over the cabin top and raised helm, soaking Lagoon’s managing director, Yann Masselot, who happened to be at the wheel. Beneath the Bimini, though, sitting at the teak cockpit dining table and enjoying the splendid view — ahead through wraparound windows and astern across the wide-open transom — the ride was thoroughly dry and comfortable, as it should be on a catamaran capable of long-range cruising.

The 40 replaces a 39-footer in the Lagoon range as well as the popular Lagoon 400, which is being phased out after a 10-year run. Like its big sister, the Lagoon 50, it bears the look of a new generation of catamarans from the French builder.

Both boats were designed by a longtime Lagoon collaborator, naval architectural firm Van Peteghem-Lauriot Prévost, with exterior styling by Patrick Le Quément and an interior by Nauta Design. They made their North American debut last winter at the Miami International Boat Show.

This latest breed of Lagoons still carries the brand’s vertical saloon windows, but its cabin roofs and Biminis have evolved and now seem to float atop the house. Larger ports are embedded in the hulls, bringing loads of light into the living space within, and the masts have been located farther aft (reflecting lessons VPLP has learned from its racing multihulls). The new sail plan translates into larger headsails and higher-aspect-­ratio square-topped mains for increased power.

Once in open water, we cut the engines and sailed first with a full main and the self-tacking jib set. The breeze wavered between 15 and 20 knots and moved us along closehauled at 7 knots through boisterous chop. On a broad reach and with the (optional) genoa unfurled, I saw 7.8 to 8 knots on the GPS, which jumped to 9 on occasion as we took off surfing. Good stuff.

I found the raised helm station on the 40 to be quite user friendly. You could reach it from both the cockpit and the side deck, and from the two-person seat, visibility was good on all four corners of the boat. An overhead canvas Bimini provided protection from the elements, but was fitted with roll-up flaps and windows so you could see the sails overhead. Winches were within reach, and with all lines led to the helm, trimming and tacking shorthanded was straightforward.

Lagoon these days infuses its balsa-cored hulls (solid fiberglass below the waterline), bridgedecks and decks with polyester resin and a layer of anti-osmotic resin to prevent blistering.

Interior furniture on the 40 is made from a walnut-colored Alpi; the dark woodwork and leather accents on things like stainless handrails contrast smartly with light-colored fabrics that cover cabin sides and ceilings.

The boat we sailed had a single owners cabin in the port hull. Its queen-size berth was aft and a head and separate shower forward, with storage spaces and a desk in between. There were cabins fore and aft in the starboard hull, each with queen-size bunks and hanging lockers. They shared a large head and separate shower amidships. The 40 also comes in a four-cabin layout, with either two or four heads.

Upstairs in the saloon, a large dining table is forward to starboard and has an L-shaped couch around it. The nav station is to port; its bench can be moved to add more seats at the table for guests. The galley, also L-shaped, is to port and aft, a convenient location when the sliding saloon door is open because the cockpit table is adjacent to it. Across the cockpit, there’s a lounging area under the helm station; another cushioned, forward-facing bench spans the bridgedeck from transom to transom.

The new design reflects a change in CE regulations that require engine rooms to have hatches that open from the safety of the cockpit. Previously, on most cats, hatches were lifted while standing on the transom or transom steps. In a following sea of any size, the benefit is obvious.

The 40 comes standard with two 29 hp Yanmar ­diesels. Delivered at the factory in France, the base price is just under $330,000. The boat we sailed had optional 45 hp Yanmars and saildrives. The power upgrade, plus a host of other options, brought the sticker price up to just over $540,000.

Forty feet is an attractive size for cruising families and charterers who want to enjoy no-heel sailing and the living space a multihull provides. The length makes the boat easy enough for a shorthanded crew to handle and maintain, but large enough for bluewater passages. The Lagoon 400 had a good 10-year run of it. As its replacement, the 40 should enjoy more of the same, but with a fresh new look.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

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