You might not appreciate it at first glance, but this could well be the best performance production yacht we’ll see for some time. This realisation creeps up on you slowly,…
Toby Hodges
Best performance yachts: Our pick of the top options
The European Yacht of the Year awards is the most thorough and impartial awards programme – the winners here are widely considered the best yachts of the year. As such…
The best new boat accessories of 2023
When it comes to picking the best boat accessories of any year, the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS) is the place to be, where many brands launch their latest gadgets…
Contest 49CS review: luxurious bluewater cruiser
Ahead of testing the Contest 49CS we had some miserable weather, certainly not the sort of conditions you’d ordinarily choose to go out in. It had been blowing 30 knots…
First look: Swan 55 new model from respected brand
Why bring out a Swan 55 when you only launched a Swan 58 last year? Because they’re different boats aimed at different types of sailors and owners, says Nautor. Both…
First look: Hanse 510 – decidedly different style
Hanse’s second model from the board of the Berret-Racoupeau design studio, the Hanse 510, sets the German yard firmly on a course towards a completely new range with a decidedly…
Best yacht 2023: European yacht of the year winners
The European Yacht of the Year programme is a highlight of my year as it gives us jury members the opportunity to assemble our shortlist of the best nominees, seatrial…
Boot Düsseldorf 2023: Top new yachts making their debut
One of the worlds most exciting boat shows comes round every January and often features a host of new yacht launches ready for the year ahead. Boot Düsseldorf this year…
First look: Outremer 52
Grand Large Yachting has pooled serious knowledge, design and build experience to create what it deems to be an ideal family-sized fast catamaran for world voyaging. The Outremer 52 combines…
First look: New ClubSwan 41
Almost throughout Nautor Swan’s history its yachts have been popular and at times extremely successful choices for offshore racing. The Swan 45 that sold more than 50 boats between 2001…
Aura 51 review: space in abundance
Step aboard the wide transom steps of the Aura 51 and I’d challenge even the most stubborn traditionalist or monohull enthusiast not to be in awe of the space and…
First look: RM 1380 – largest new yacht from the French marque
I like RM 1380 and I’m clearly not alone in appreciating these (typically) brightly coloured plywood epoxy fast cruisers – with over 500 hulls launched during the La Rochelle yard’s…
First look: RP56 Vasara
Were you in the position to order a one-off cruiser racer to the highest spec, it would make sense to involve one of the most successful design and build combination…
First look: NEO 570c
If you design and build a boat to look this wickedly fast, you better hope it performs. And it seems Shaun Carkeek and Neo Yachts have done everything they can…
First look: Tison 48 Elida – wooden stunner
The stunning Tison 48 design combines engineered timber construction with high-tech materials including strategic use of carbon. Designer Thomas Tison, a structural engineer with an America’s Cup and aerospace background,…
First look: WING 100 – one of the world’s largest megayachts
A dream team of superyacht heavyweights have collaborated to produce this ambitious future-proofed megayacht sailing concept, one which, if built, would rank in the top five largest sailing yachts in…
Best waterproof bag: 8 drybags tested
Once a novelty, then a go-to item for dinghy sailors, a drybag is now a must have for all sailors and watersports enthusiasts. After all, why would you not keep…
The world’s most radical yacht? Onboard Flying Nikka
You might understandably mistake this futuristic craft for another America’s Cup foiler. Yet, although the aesthetics may look similar, Flying Nikka is a very different animal to the AC75s which…
First look: A tour of the new ClubSwan 80
Due to make her eagerly awaited regatta debut at the Maxi Worlds in early September, the first new ClubSwan 80 My Song launched from Persico Marine in Italy earlier this…
First look: Dykstra/Baltic 117 Perseverance
It would seem that I’m not alone in finding Dykstra’s modern classic designs stunning, especially its pilot cutter-inspired models. The 117ft Perseverance scooped Sailing Yacht of the Year at the…