While the first two days of the Annapolis boat show, 4-8 October, were blessed with temperatures in the 80s, even a sudden overnight swing to Autumn did not deter the crowds from swarming around the pontoons. With several new yachts at the show, it was plain to see that the boating industry in the US is still very much alive and kicking.

Many of the new yachts entered the market in the over-50ft category, but there were still plenty of smaller cruisers and racers to please every budget. Yachting World was there the sample America’s most wanted, and although we spent much of the show gazing longingly out over the Chesapeake, we still managed to see the crop of new designs. Whether it was the new racey Cape Fear 38 or the impressive Turner 56; the classic lines of the Crabber 30 Pilot Cutter or the modern profile of the Hunter 470 Helsen Signature, no stone was left unturned. Look out for our Annapolis show review in the December issue of Yachting World.