Think about it relative to houses, and it makes more sense. After all, who would choose to put their kitchens and living rooms in the cellar or basement? Especially if…
Boat tests
Garcia Exploration 60 review: We crossed the Atlantic to test this adventure cruiser
The frenetic activity of the Caribbean season had already slowed by the end of April in Anse du Marin, where Albius IV waited on the pontoon. The commanding new Garcia…
YYachts Y8 Calabash review: Sailing this semi-custom, designer cruiser
This new generation YYachts Y8 is the Griefswald yard’s third version of this 80ft size. The original, which helped launch the brand in 2015, was a Lorenzo Argento and David…
Swan 88 review: At the very top of this semi-custom yacht scene
Swan’s CEO Giovanni Pomatti describes this as ‘an extraordinary year’, which sees the revered yard launch three new models including this Swan 88. As a clue to the scale of…
CNB 78 One Review: ‘It was beautiful sailing… an engaging experience’
Sailing the CNB 78 One contrasts a little over 10 years ago when we had a memorable sail trial on the original CNB 76, a two-day return voyage from Palma.…
Dufour 44 review: More space but maintaining performance
What makes the perfect saloon for a cruising yacht? Ask anyone of a certain age and they’re likely to start with safety aspects – snug, with at least a couple…
ClubSwan 43 First Look: A Spicy and Seriously Appealing Cruiser-Racer
What does a genuine cruiser-racer look like today? Spicy and seriously appealing if we take Swan’s latest model as an example. Granted, the dark brown water surrounding the ClubSwan 43…
Grand Soleil 65LC review: One of the most stunning new designs
Granted, the sight of Grand Soleil’s president Gigi Servidati sailing the beautiful Grand Soleil 65LC off Portofino arm in arm with his partner, tanned and clad in white linen, screams…
Pegasus 50 review: the best 50ft yacht you haven’t heard of?
Three towering masts pierce the skyline off Trieste, where the impounded Sailing Yacht A lies forlorn at anchor like a crippled leviathan. The Russian-owned Philippe Starck design makes a fittingly…
RM 1380 review: an enticing alternative to the mainstream
I’ve admired the innovative range of fast yet comfortable cruisers from RM Yachts for many years – their combination of spacious, attractive and brightly lit interiors, planing performance and well…
Bestevaer 36 review: Start exploring closer to home
With renowned designer Gerard Dykstra approaching 80 years old, he was looking for a boat for himself that would fit a somewhat different use to his previous yachts. Yet at…
Shogun 43 review: High velocity cruising
How many crewmembers of high tech racing yachts have wondered whether the boat could be tweaked and tamed to create a super-fast cruising machine that’s enormous fun to sail? I…
Exclusive 2 day sail on the largest Hallberg-Rassy ever built: Hallberg-Rassy 69 review
It was proper cold. An honest cold that cuts straight through us soft southerners, unused as we are to minus double digit temperatures. The docks were covered with gnarled ice,…
Bavaria C46 review: More accommodation and better performance?
It’s often thought that yachts with wide forward sections inevitably slam uncomfortably in head seas. But that’s not always the case as, when the boat heels, the hull’s immersed section…
Jeanneau Yachts 55 review: Thinking outside the box
Boatbuilders rarely have the courage to launch a model that represents a radically different way of thinking. Instead, most new yachts are simply variations on established themes with incremental improvements…
HH44 review: Taking fast multihull cruising to another level
A fast, fun catamaran that is safe and comfortable may once have been a pipe dream, but is now perhaps the biggest growth market in yachting. However, creating a performance…
XC47 review: is this the best bluewater cruiser ever?
We’re close-hauled in 7-10 knots of true wind, making 6-6.5 knots of boat speed, with the helm beautifully balanced and only a degree or two of weather helm. A gentle…
Cure 55 first look: Ultimate performance catamaran?
The Cure 55 extremely lightweight Australian model is intended as the ultimate performance cruising multihull, combining spacious and well appointed accommodation with the ability to cross oceans at speed, even…
Sun Fast 30OD review: breaking the mould
The best racing I’ve ever done, whether inshore or offshore, has been in one-design fleets. However, in the offshore realm it’s been two decades since the last successful one-design class…
First look: CNB 78 – stunning bluewater cruiser
As Nicolas Claris’ photos show, CNB has produced a sympathetic replacement to the popular 76 to mark its first yacht since its change of ownership from Groupe Beneteau to Solaris.…