When it came to sailing the boat, the judges raved about its balanced feel. The wheel steering was smooth and tight, with one revolution lock-to-lock. "The steering was phenomenal," says Stewart. "The bearings, the quadrants, the alignment; everything helps keep the friction down."

His praise carried over to the overall quality of the boat. "It's outstanding, especially when compared to similarly sized [production] boats I've sailed," said Stewart. "It's night and day."

Allen agreed. "When we were steering and maneuvering the A35, it felt like a boat that a good driver can really take advantage of, especially in waves," he said. "One slight movement from the wheel and the boat moves, and it would be even be better with the [standard] tiller."

One of the outstanding features of the A35 is it's versatility. It's available with a single or twin-rudder configuration, and either a symmetric or asymmetric spinnaker system. With the A-sail layout, there's a cutout pre-built into the bow on centerline, which is sealed for buyers preferring a symmetric spinnaker setup.

The A35's cored decks are resin injected and there's no interior headliner, which means a stronger, lighter deck and a lower profile. Not to mention a boat that's a lot easier to clean after a long-distance race. The hand-laid hull is vacuum bagged and is foam cored from the waterline up. There's solid glass below the waterline.

The deck layout, even with the symmetric spinnaker setup-although the judges agreed that the sprit version would be easier to sail-is ergonomically perfect. The cockpit is comfortable and roomy, even packed with a full crew. The boat also looks great, with a low-profile deckhouse, which still provides excellent headroom below because there's no headliner). There's enough headroom for a 6'3" sailor such as myself.

The judges see this boat as an excellent crossover design, with the ability to be raced both inshore and well offshore, or cruised with the family. Its superb overall quality, ease of handling, performance, and pricing make the A35 a superior boat in its size. Go ahead and look around, there's not much that can match this package right now.

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Pros: Who would've thought a boat could sail so sweetly? Now we know. The finish is something rarely seen outside custom boatbuilding.

Cons: It took three years for this beauty to reach the United States.

Designer's mission accomplished?
Joubert/Nivelt was aiming to hit a sweet spot in the IRC rule and hit this one in the bull's-eye. The A35 comes with a proven record and more than 136 boats sailing in Europe.

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Archambault A35 Specs

LOA: 34'7"
Beam: 11'7"
Draft: 6'9"
DSPL: 9,810 lbs.
SA (u/d): 726 sq.ft./1,292 sq.ft.
Designer: Joubert/Nivelt
Price: $285,000
www.archambault-boats.ca

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Access SW's 2009 New Boat Showcase , including reviews and photos for Boat of the Year winners and dozens of new boats.