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December 11, 2012J/70: 2013 Boat of the YearPhotos by Walter Cooper
Given the immedate success of the J/70, with hundreds of boats sold before the first was built, it was a foregone conclusion that the J/70 would end up among the judges' favorites. With their latest sensation J/Boats has its first ramp-launchable sportboat and a polished set of class rules in place before the first big regatta (Quantum Key West) in January. The judges all agreed it delivered the excitement of a small sportboat, and the stiffness and handling of a bigger boat, which should appeal to a wide range of sailors.
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December 10, 2012Audi Melges 20: Miami Winter SeriesPhotos from the first event of the Miami Winter Series, Dec. 7-9, 2012.
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October 1, 2012Melges 32 World Championship 2012A record-breaking 33 Melges 32s representing eight countries race out of Newport, R.I., for the world championship through Sept. 29. Big breeze is forecasted, and a collision has already forced the retirement of one team. Photos: ©2012 JOY | International Melges 32 Class Association
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January 20, 2012Le Tigre Stalks the BreezeOn Day 4 of Quantum Key West 2012, the team on Glenn Darden and Reese Hillard's J/80 Le Tigre won Boat of the Day honors after posting three bullets in an elusive breeze.
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May 6, 2013Interview: Annapolis NOOD Overall WinnerWe catch up with Bennet Greenwald, who takes the overall title at the 2013 Sperry Top-Sider Annapolis NOOD after winning in the competitive J/70 fleet.
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December 13, 20122013 Boat of the Year: J/70J/Boats' new one-design sensation is lighting the sportboat scene ablaze. Quick, stiff, ramp-launchable, and priced right, the J/70 checked all the BOTY boxes as it sailed its way to the top of the judges' lists. Behold our 2013 Boat of the Year.
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December 11, 2012Bavaria B/OneBoat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
During dock inspections of the Bavaria Yachts-built B/One, the Boat of the Year judging panel was impressed with the superb quality of the build from Bavaria Yachts: tight, clean, and absolutely barren inside the boat. Inside is a white-painted cavern that can accept a drop in V-berth module. The layout is straight-forward—really, how else can you make a 20-foot sportboat any different with the control lines?
The B/One shares many similar design traits of the Farr 400; lots of volume from stern to rounded stem, and a nice chine return toward the transom. White, simple, and priced to move at $38,000, the judges wanted to love this boat and hoped it would give the J/70 a run for its money, but in the end, it didn’t blow them away. It felt sticky, they said, and the rudder (a rectangular, aluminum cassette foil) was stiff. “It had the responsiveness of a boat twice its size,” said judge Greg Stewart. But that said, it was very stable and would appeal to the sportboat buyer looking for something a little more forgiving.
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October 10, 2012Audi Melges 20: U.S. National ChampionshipMichael Kiss on Bacio won his third consecutive national title on San Francisco Bay. Photos: ©2012 JOY | International Audi Melges 20 Class Association
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January 23, 2012A Mixed Bag of EmotionsKey West Race Week served up highs and lows for us aboard the Melges 32 Warpath.
