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Boat of the Year NomineePhotos by Walter CooperThe 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.

Best DaysailerPhotos by Walter CooperThe 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.Read more about the S&S 30 here.

Boat of the Year NomineePhotos by Walter CooperAfter 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.

Best Recreational DinghyPhotos by Walter CooperPile 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.Read more about the RS Venture here.