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.

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.

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.

If you truly loved catamarans, if money were no object, if you wanted high performance but also wished for a boat that you could actually sail as a couple, if state-of-the-art carbon-fiber construction were something you could really understand and appreciate, what would you buy?

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the HH55.

Built in China to exacting standards, and created by the renowned multihull designers and partners Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin, the HH55 looks and feels like something conceived and launched in a future time and place, and deposited here in 2018 as if by time machine. Tellingly, the naval ­architects, Morrelli and ­Melvin, and one of the principal boatbuilders, New Zealander Paul Hakes, were all involved in the development and evolution of the original Gunboat brand. With the HH55, they’ve taken that concept and run with it.

The 55-footer certainly looks and feels like a next-generation Gunboat. The hulls maximize the waterline length and boast what might be called a reverse sheer line, and the bows, which look slick and pierce waves, are swept slightly aft. And there are definitely some overlapping features to a Gunboat, the most prominent being the forward steering station inside the central saloon (though you can also opt for twin wheels aft) that opens up to a forward cockpit where all the sheets, halyards and reefing lines live. It’s clean, functional and has withstood the test of modern times.

The materials and technology incorporated in the HH55 would not be out of place on Starship Enterprise. Carbon fiber is employed throughout in a sandwich laminate that incorporates infused epoxy resins and Core-Cell foam cores, which makes the boat lean and strong and also provides sound and heat insulation. Rod rigging is eschewed in favor of light, durable aramid fibers. The fractional spar and V-shaped boom are prepreg carbon that’s baked in an autoclave. A CZone digital control and monitoring system, linked to a B&G ­Hercules central processing unit, provides a seamless electrical interface among all electronic components and state-of-the-art autopilots and sailing instruments. It’s all powered by lithium-ion batteries.

In the interior layout, customization is both available and encouraged. On the model we tested, the owners suite spanned the length of the entire port hull, with a comfortable double berth aft and a large head with an enormous shower stall, forward. The starboard hull housed double cabins in the ends, with separate heads. The main cabin is airy and equipped with an ample galley, dedicated nav station and spacious dining area; sliding glass doors open up to create a vast, seamless space between the interior saloon and the outdoor aft cockpit, which features a second dining table, sun bed, wet bar and barbecue. Luxurious is the word that readily leaps to mind.

Not surprisingly, the bloody boat sails like a witch. The curved carbon daggerboards maximize the performance and control. The helm is as smooth and silky as can be. During our test sail on Chesapeake Bay, in about 11 knots of true wind, the HH55 slipped through the water like a hot knife through butter. During our Boat of the Year contest, only one boat surpassed the 55’s sailing prowess, its bigger, more powerful sister, the HH66 (see “Hook In and Hang On,” opposite).

Our BOTY judges were smitten by the yacht. Bill Bolin was impressed with the arrangement and functionality of the galley: “I thought it was exceptional. It’s U-shaped and very deep. The crew would be out of the way of the traffic patterns, with people moving around and going in and out of either hull or the staterooms or heads. It was very well thought out.” Ed Sherman said, “I like the way it’s laid out. The builders have demonstrated that they can build a cruising-­oriented boat that offers a good turn of speed and performance, but a couple can run it without outside assistance. It’s a really cool boat.”

Of course, with a price tag over $2.5 million, it better be. But for those well-heeled enough to afford it, it might just be a bargain. It’s hard to imagine more fun at any price.

Herb McCormick is CW’s executive editor.

The post HH55 Catamaran Review appeared first on Cruising World.

At a press event during the Miami International Boat Show last winter, the Lagoon 50 was described by a company spokeswoman as being “the most open-minded catamaran on the market.” That’s a statement that could be taken in a number of ways.

First, there are the ­multiple social areas encompassed by the boat’s 48-foot-5-inch LOA and 26-foot-7-inch beam. There are dining tables indoors and out, lounge areas astern and forward. Overhead, the flybridge offers more room to gather or get away. The crew could sunbathe on cushions that store in a locker built into the Bimini, or take a seat by the wheel and help out with the sailing, though, to be ­honest, with autopilot, a self-tacking jib and electric winches at your fingertips, it’s possible to keep things simple. Then again, roll out the optional genoa and sheet it home, and things can get sporty, real quick.

We tried a little of both in some breeze after the show. With a reef in the main and the self-tending jib trimmed home, coming about required turning the wheel and adjusting the traveler using the nearby ­electric Harken line drive.

Later, with the big (­optional) headsail set, well, I was happy to have a couple of extra sets of hands to help sort out steering, blowing one sheet and trimming the other, and keeping track of the high-aspect square-top main. For the record, ­beating in about 15 knots of breeze, the speedo ranged from 5.6 to 6.2 knots; with the genoa unfurled and on a reach, the GPS read 9 knots and change.

Open-minded could also refer to the range of layouts available. The cat we sailed featured an owners suite in the starboard hull with an island-style double berth aft, a head with separate shower in the bow and a walk-in dressing room inboard and just forward of the companionway to the saloon. Portside, there were cabins fore and aft with en-suite separate head and shower. Instead of a dressing room, there was a cavernous storage space inboard. If desired, the port heads could be reconfigured to create three single-stall heads with showers, and the storage space could be transformed into another double cabin. And if an owner chose to forgo a master suite, a six-cabin, six-head layout is also available, though to me, 12 crew even on a 50-footer seems tight.

All that room for variation below translated into abundant living space above. Stepping aboard from the optional fold-down swim and tender platform, a long couch spanned the transom, with storage on the port end and a barbecue on the other that can be spun around so you can cook either from the cockpit or transom stairs. A teak table was forward to port, located nearby the L-shaped galley just inside the saloon. With both its leaves open, the table seats 12. Opposite was a cushioned couch alongside a fridge, ice maker and sink.

Entering the saloon, you step into the cook’s domain, with L-shaped Corian counters to either side of the sliding glass door. To port, there was sink, cooktop, oven and microwave; to starboard sat a fridge, freezer and storage. Ahead, an island offered yet more locker and counter space, and it served as a transition to a raised living area that was a step higher than the rest of the bridgedeck. A full-size nav station was to starboard. Forward of that, a U-shaped couch wrapped around the front of the saloon. In the center, there was a clever table arrangement: Upright, it was for dining; tipped aft and lowered on its hinged legs, it rested against the island (which also housed a retractable flat-screen TV) and became a place to set cocktails or popcorn on movie night.

There was yet more seating on the foredeck, where ­another U-shaped couch (forward-­facing this time) surrounded another small table. The builder designed the center saloon window so it lowered to let in the breeze or so crew inside and out could converse.

The 50 comes standard with a pair of 57 hp Yanmars. The boat we sailed was powered with optional 80 hp Yanmars. The option list included a number of other upgrades, including an 11 kW Onan genset, which brought the price tag to just about 1.07 million euros (roughly $1.32 million, depending on currency fluctuations).

Lagoon has bigger boats in its range, but they’re designed with a captain and crew in mind. The 50 is meant for the owner and mates who’ve outgrown their 45-footer but still want to go off voyaging on their own, and can do so thanks to a networked plotter and autopilot, a bow thruster, a self-tacking jib and power winches. When it comes down to what’s possible, it pays to keep an open mind.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

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

Inspiration is not always intuitive. The first model in the seventh (and latest) generation of Beneteau’s Oceanis cruising yachts, the new 51.1, owes its distinctive hull form not to the world of luxury sailboats but to an all-carbon, hard-chined rocket ship, the Juan Kouyoumdjian-designed Rambler 88. The result is a distinctive, and I think good-looking, change to a product line that’s now entering its third decade. But while Rambler in race mode is a stripped-out shell that requires a full squad of race-hardened deck apes to sail, the creature comforts abound on the 51.1, from its plumb bow to the push-button fold-down swim-platform transom, and by design, it’s a sailboat that’s meant to be cruised by a couple, with occasional friends and family. Several seasons ago, Beneteau reintroduced chines as a design element, originally in its First line of racer-cruisers, then in several Sense models and more recently in the Oceanis range. The hard-edge look, quickly adopted by a host of other builders, is credited with providing (in varying degrees, depending on whom you talk to) style, form stability and interior volume.

With the 51.1, Beneteau general manager Gianguido Girotti and the designers at Berret Racoupeau have taken the whole chines concept to an extreme — on the 51.1, they literally run from bow to stern — an idea, Girotti says, that came from observing the lines of Rambler, arguably one of the fastest boats in the world.

In theory, carrying the chines the length of the hull allows for a fine entry, decreased wetted surface and greater buoyancy, which translates into a faster and more powerful hull form in the case of Rambler, and not by coincidence, more interior space for luxury living in the 51.1.

This is a big boat. The cockpit is the equivalent of what you might find on a 55-footer, says Girotti, and down below, well, just take note that in the forward cabin, besides the separate head and shower compartments and a pair of hanging lockers, the island queen berth has room to walk on either side of it and port and starboard nightstands and couches too!

Stepping aboard to have a look, the first question that came to mind was “How will this boat sail?” It turns out the 51.1 moves along quite well.

In a little more than 10 knots of breeze, the speed on the GPS read 7.4 knots upwind under main and 90 percent self-tacking jib. And it held that pace when we bore off to a reach and rolled out a code zero set on the boat’s composite bowsprit.

“Twin rudder, spins quite fast,” I jotted in my notes as I tacked the boat back and forth a couple of times without lifting even a finger to adjust either the main or jib sheets, both of which were led to winches near the twin wheels.

If I had to gripe about something, it would be the full bimini that covered the cockpit and made it difficult to see the sails, particularly the main. There’s an obvious solution, of course, which would be just to take it down.

The 51.1 comes standard with in-mast furling, the aforementioned self-tacking headsail and a 7-foot-7-inch iron keel. From there, there are options for a 105 percent genoa, code zero, asymmetric spinnaker, shoal keel (6 feet 1 inch) or a Performance package that adds about 5 feet to the standard 70-foot-1-inch mast and includes a deep iron keel (9 feet 2 inches) with a lead bulb.

Beneteau vacuum-­infuses its hulls, which, like the decks, are balsa-cored. A layer of vinylester resin protects the hull from blistering. The boat can be ordered either with a German-style ­double-ended mainsheet system, as on the boat we sailed, or with a cockpit arch on which blocks for the mainsheet are mounted. I’d opt for the former, which gives you better control over sail shape.

For the record, a base boat sells for right around $600,000, but a long list of options — including up to five cabins and three heads, not to mention finishes, fabrics, teak decking, air conditioning and Dock & Go rotating saildrive package — can add considerably to the bill. The boat we sailed carried a price tag of $630,000. It was powered with the optional 110 hp Yanmar, with shaft drive. An 80 hp Yanmar and saildrive are standard.

Wide side decks on the 51.1 are appreciated when moving about. Lower stays are brought inside to the cabin top and outers attach to the hull, which means you don’t have to wiggle around either when heading forward. In the cockpit, there are large cushioned lounging areas to either side of the companionway that would make fine berths with the dodger up at night, or sun beds with it down during the day. I found the cockpit seats to be quite comfortable thanks to the cushioned coamings. They flank a sizable drop-leaf table that has a fridge beneath it forward and room for a life raft in a compartment aft.

Like other recent Beneteaus, the companionway below is more like a staircase, with good handrails to either side. The boat we sailed was fitted with two aft cabins, each with hanging lockers and their own head and shower.

A well-equipped galley is forward to port, followed by what the builder calls the “owners area” — essentially a combination nav station and desk with an interesting seat that morphs into an athwartships recliner. Opposite all of this is a gigantic table surrounded by U-shaped seating that, all told, will seat 14.

The boat shown last fall at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, had brushed-oak woodwork offset by white fabric-covered panels. Ports in the hull and cabin top let in loads of light, and overhead hatches promised good ventilation in the owners cabin and saloon.

Abovedecks and below, the 51.1 offers multiple spaces for enjoying days and nights on the water, which is right in line with all the other models in the time-tested Oceanis range.

Specifications
Beneteau 51.1

Beneteau
410-990-0270
beneteau.com

Sea Trial

The post Beneteau 51.1 Boat Review 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

The post Moody DS 54 Boat Review appeared first on Cruising World.

Blue skies, 12 knots of breeze and a long ocean swell washing toward Miami’s famed South Beach delivered perfect conditions for a thoroughly enjoyable sea trial aboard Privilège Marine’s latest bluewater cruiser. I expect, though, even in driving rain and double the breeze, the new Series 6 cat would have fared just fine.

As it was, under full main and genoa, we danced along at a little better than 8 knots close on the wind, and then added a knot when we cracked off to a reach and eased the headsail and traveler. I could easily do both by myself while sitting atop the flybridge. Sheets, electric winches and control buttons were all within reach, a very well-planned layout for a shorthanded crew.

The 64-foot Series 6 was designed by longtime Privilège collaborator and naval architect Marc Lombard, with an interior by Franck Darnet Design. The result is a cat that’s slippery through the water and packed stem-to-stern with luxurious details. Many of those come included in the boat’s $2,115,000 base price, and others can be added to make the vessel truly your own. The model we tested had loads of them, as the $2,816,000 price tag indicates.

Boarding from astern onto wide swim platforms, five steps take you to the wide aft teak deck where the dinghy’s stored. Davits come standard, but on the boat we sailed the owner had requested a crane instead. Take two more steps up and you’re in the cockpit, where raised, cushioned lounges sit outboard but still under the flybridge/bimini, framing a teak dining table to starboard and a fore-and-aft settee to port.

Just forward, stairs on either side of the cabin house led to the flybridge. There, another teak table was surrounded by a U-shaped bench. Forward were twin helms (a single wheel to port is standard), both with canvas biminis for shade. A windscreen and instrument panels gave the front of the flybridge the feel of a sports car’s dashboard.

A carbon rig and V-shaped composite boom in which the flat-topped main was stored come standard with the Series 6. For headsails, this boat carried a genoa and staysail, both set on electric furlers, and for off the wind, a screecher on a continuous-line furler tacked to the aluminum bowsprit.

Deck details speak to safety at sea: Hatches were flush, so there was nothing to trip on. Solid raised bulwarks prevented a foot from sliding overboard, as did the excellent ­nonskid. A solid stainless-steel, waist-high rail ran the length of each hull, with two wire lifelines beneath; three lifelines spanned the bow.

Just inside the saloon, the nav station faced aft to port and included a large touch-screen display that could be used to control all the extensive onboard systems. L-shaped couches were forward; to starboard, the oak dining table (mirroring the rest of the interior’s woodwork) sat eight.

The boat at the Strictly Sail Miami show had its galley down in the starboard hull, where ports let in lots of light and overhead hatches could open for ventilation. Forward, there was a guest cabin with a double berth and en suite head and shower. Entering the aft guest cabin, a head was outboard and a shower stall sat inboard. I found the shower to be tight, something the builder plans to address in subsequent boats. An athwartship, outward-facing berth was all the way aft and could be lifted to gain access to the engine room beneath. The boat we sailed had twin 180-horsepower Yanmars; 110 horsepower is standard.

The aft cabin layout is usually mirrored in the port hull, though on this boat the bunk had been repositioned for the owner to accommodate a piano. Amidships, at the foot of the stairs, a washer and dryer were concealed behind locker doors. Forward, the owners suite was nothing short of stunning. It was entered through an office area with storage inboard. The en suite head and shower were far forward; in between, the cabin proper spanned nearly the width of the boat, with the bed set in the body of the amidships nacelle, suspended over the water.

Privilège’s roots go back to the mid-1980s, and over the years, the company has proved adept at building big, long-legged cruising cats. With the Series 6, that reputation has become a little more polished.

Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.

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