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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, 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, 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 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, 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, 2012SeaRail 19Boat of the Year Nominee
Photos by Walter Cooper
The SeaRail 19 is a pint-sized trimaran imported from Vietnam, built by a former Corsair Trimaran employee with imput from noted multihull designer Nigel Irens. The test boat was delivered straight from U.S. Customs, so its U.S. distributor, Bob Gleason, a multihull veteran, was on the water sorting it out before its test time. As we approached Gleason, he looked concerned and suggested the boat not be tested. “The [leeward] float is really burying, and there’s a lot of flexing in the forward beam,” he said. “I don’t think we should go through with this: The boat’s just not ready.”
“Nonsense,” BOTY judge Chuck Allen responded before rolling onto the SeaRail’s trampoline like a Navy SEAL. Off the two of them went, with the screacher deployed, reaching across the bay at a high rate of speed. Gleason was right, though. The other judges looked on as the leeward ama submerged every time a gust filled the sails. After an hour and a half of hard sailing, however, the boat was perfectly intact and the judges were pleasantly surprised. “It was easy to sail, had a high fun factor to it,” said Rich. “If they cleaned up the construction and got the buoyancy right, they’d have something worth talking about. It’s almost there.”
The standard pricing was quoted at $28,000.
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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 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 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.
