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January 27, 2010Weta Trimaran Best DinghyThis trimaran blew the judge away with it's fun factor. A feature from our January/February 2010 issue
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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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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 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, 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, 2012RS VentureBest Recreational Dinghy
Photos by Walter Cooper
Pile in the kids, or the adults, because there’s plenty of room in the versatile little RS Venture, which is ideal for sailing programs and families alike. With this 16-footer, RS Sailboats, of the United Kingdom, offers a $14,000 dinghy with excellent performance and handling, and construction quality that will live up to the demands of club-sailing programs (especially if you add the optional bumpers).
RS’s experienced team of sailors and engineers sorted every little detail of this boat before bringing it to market—from the self-draining cockpit, to the optional weighted centerboard, masthead float, and simple sail-control systems—and the judges couldn’t find a single fault. It’s more than a recreational dinghy; it’s an excellent trainer, and has great potential for one-design racing, too.
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December 11, 2012Ker 40 by McConaghy BoatsBest Handicap Racer
Photos by Walter Cooper
The Ker 40 was designed strictly for IRC racing in overseas fleets (1.188), and in order to reduce the higher cost of a custom IRC build, McConaghy Boats offers the boat as a semi-custom option. The hull and deck are essentially fixed dimensions, but the interior and deck layout can be customized to suit the owner's racing agenda, including options for wheel versus tiller, and winch pedestal or not.
The judges sailed Catapult, built for East Coast owner Marc Glimcher, which has a schedule of primarily distance races, so the boat was set up to go offshore with nav station, berths, etc. The judges were most impressed with the quality of the build coming out of McConaghy's operation in China, as areas of clear coat interior exposed good attention to detail and finish. The boat, the judges said, was well balanced, and the high-aspect sailplan delivered plenty of power in the light-wind testing conditions. Base boat price is $318K.
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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 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.
