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December 13, 2012Dufour 36 Performance: Best CrossoverWhen Dufour Yachts said they were going to revamp their line of performance cruisers, they weren't kidding. With the Dufour 36 Performance they deliver on their promise: It's a fast, fun, and impeccably built crossover—for less than $250K. Race it. Cruise it. Enjoy the ride.
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December 11, 2012Tofinou 8mBoat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
Imported from France, the Tofinou 8M, was a looker at the dock, thanks to the sharpness of its metallic paint and teak deck, but on the water, the judges quickly dismissed it because excessive friction in every control line, and a combative helm took the fun out of sailing it.
“The thing was a workout,” said Tom Rich, explaining that the practice of hiding ropes by leading them under deck from the mast to the jammer banks in the cockpit introduced too many 90-degree turns. The boat could’ve benefited from a top-down roller-furling spinnaker or sock system, added Chuck Allen, because a spinnaker launch from a turtle in the cockpit would likely fill with water before the tack reached the outboard end of the sprit.
As a daysailer, they deemed, it was too challenging to sail, and with winch pods dividing the cockpit seating, there was nowhere to stretch out and take a nap. The interior, too, was cramped.
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December 11, 2012Tartan FantailBoat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
After inspecting the Tartan Fantail at the dock, and being impressed with its construction quality, the judges had high expectations. And when winds kicked into the high-teens, just in time for its test sail, they were especially eager to see what this radical-looking daysailer could do. As is often the case, however, strong winds quickly reveal a boat’s weakest points. “The rudder had a ton of helm,” said judge Greg Stewart, “and most of the sheets were pretty tough to pull.”
To be fair, the boat was a late entry, and had been fast-tracked out of the factory to make it to the boatshow. It hadn’t been sailed, the rig wasn’t tuned, and the systems were not yet sorted, but based on its aethetics and build quality, it's off to a good start.
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December 11, 2012Sparkman & Stephens 30Best Daysailer
Photos by Walter Cooper
The ultimate daysailing experience is different for everyone. For some of us, it might just be an afternoon spin around the bay, or a twilight sail with the family or significant other.
For the BOTY judges, however, the ultimate daysailing experience should include the ability to just keep going—to let a day turn into two or more. The Sparkman & Stephens 30 is just the boat for that. Olin Stephens never drew a bad boat, and this remake of his 1930s pocket-sized ocean-racer, is a testament to his original vision of a simple, but quick and exciting experience under sail.
A collaboration between Rhode Island yacht broker Bluenose Yacht Sales and C&C Fiberglass Components (which builds the J/70), the S&S 30 has excellent construction and quite a few clever adaptations to Stephen’s original. The cockpit is long and open, the interior comfortable and bright.
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December 11, 2012Harbor 30Boat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
The Harbor 30, from California's W.D. Schock, turned out to be a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing. The model our judges sailed was somewhat of a "de-tuned" version, sans optional asymmetric spinnaker and other features one might add for beer can racing. It wasn't quite finished at the factory, either, said the dealer, because it had to be rushed to the U.S. Sailboat Show, and the judges picked up on a few interior finish details that might otherwise be sorted at commissioning.
They were ready to dismiss it at the dock, but once they trimmed the sails and put the bow down, they were all impressed with how well it sailed. "Easy, and surprisingly, quick," is how BOTY judge Chuck Allen put it after his turn on the helm. It's a pretty boat for for some casual weekend cruising, and set up well for shorthanded and family sailing.
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December 11, 2012Dufour 36 PerformanceBest Crossover
Photos by Walter Cooper
For an owner seeking a sharp-looking raceboat to take off on for the weekend, the Dufour 36 Performance, selected as the Boat of the Year's Best Crossover, has everything to make that a reality: The cockpit is set up for racing, and even with an aluminum rig package, the boat was lively and quick. The interior, and even some of the more subtle cruising details, are so well thought out that you quickly forget you're sailing a dual-purpose boat.
There were several strong candidates in the Crossover category, but the Dufour 36 had all the right traits: excellent build, great speed and handling, and a respectable price tag for the quality ($225K). Most definitely, the best value of the fleet, the judges agreed.
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December 11, 2012C&C 101Boat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
The C&C 101 is billed as a return to C&C’s racing roots, and for this they tapped young in-house designer Tom McNeill. Teased by dying winds and a shortened test sail, the judges sailed the boat on two separate days so as to give it a fair test.
Short-tacking up the shoreline of the Naval Academy, the boat accelerated quickly out of the tacks, and was responsive on the helm to subtle course changes, characteristics the judges liked. The build quality and interior were positives as well, but there numerous issues of which the judges were critical, including the mainsheet system, which was difficult to trim, and the cockpit ergonomics, which while wide, and open, were not comfortable (the floor being too low, for example).
The judging panel from our sister publication, Cruising World, however, found no such issues and were most impressed with its entry-level pricing—$175K—bestowing the boat with their Domestic Boat of the Year award.
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November 13, 2012Extreme Family Voyaging, the Anasazi Girl WayFor James Burwick, Somira Sao, and their two young children, 200-mile days on the Open 40 Anasazi Girl are just part of the everyday routine.
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November 7, 2012Vendée Globe Preview 2012The “Everest of the Seas” kicks off on Nov. 10 from Les Sables d’Olonne, France. Here’s what you need to know about this grueling ocean race.
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November 7, 2012The Faces of the Vendée GlobeThese 20 sailors will set off on Nov. 10 to sail around the world alone in the grueling Vendée Globe.
Click here to learn more about the Vendee Globe.
Click here to view photos from the start of the race.
