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December 18, 2012J/70 Announced as 2013 Boat of the YearIt's official: J/Boats' J/70 claims Sailing World Magazine's 2013 Boat of the Year Award
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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 13, 20122013 Boat of the Year: J/70The j/70 nailed its design brief: a fun, reasonably priced, and ramp-launchable sportboat. Six months after prototype testing, hull numbers were into triple digits.
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December 13, 2012MC38 One Design: Best Grand-Prix One-DesignThe light, powerful, and well-priced MC38 One Design takes the prize for the Best Grand-Prix One-Design.
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December 13, 2012Ker 40: Best Handicap RacerJason Ker, master of IRC-winning designs, teams up with McConaghy Boats to deliver a no-excuses, semi-custom raceboat that's dialed in for offshore sprints and buoy racing triumphs.
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December 13, 2012Sparkman & Stephens 30: Best DaysailerThe simplistic and graceful Sparkman & Stephens 30 is perfect for casual sailing, beer can racing, and much more.
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December 13, 2012Dufour 36 PerformanceDufour’s approach to its new performance range gives them a high-quality crossover that was quick, responsive, and easy to sail. The judges loved its light helm, racing-oriented deck layout, and the price.
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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, 2012X-Yachts Xp 38Boat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
Travel around Europe, and X-Yachts are a staple of all the major handicap races. There’s no denying that X-Yachts make fast, great sailing boats, and the Xp 38 continues the tradition, only better. Their updated crossovers now have robust carbon keel grids (instead of metal), and the hull shape of the Xp 38, said Greg Stewart, was very stiff, quick, and easily driven. From off the boat, it’s racy looking, with a low-profile cabin top, angular hull features, and flared topsides, Stewart added, so it will appeal to an owner looking for a more crossover-type aggressive design.
The judges noted the construction quality was very high, perhaps even the best of the entire BOTY fleet, and the interior is a purposeful three-cabin layout, with the head aft, on the starboard side. X Yachts owners tend to be racers first, so the cockpit is open, clean, and set up for efficient manuevers with twin steering pedestals located outboard to provide a good line of sight on the telltales.
Of the three crossovers in the competition, however, the Xp 38 came with a considerably higher price tag ($365K). “Build-wise, the thing is incredible,” said Chuck Allen. “We couldn’t find a single area of the boat with any flaws.” But under sail it was “so, so,” he added. “I think a carbon rig and a full race crew on the rail, would have made a big difference in how it felt.”
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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.
