Grand Soleil’s latest launch, the Grand Soleil 40, is something of a rarity in today’s market – a cruiser-racer with a comfortable three-cabin interior, yet the ability to excel on…
Boats
First look: Argo 54, a new 54m aluminium super-sloop
Harnessing the design talents of both Rob Doyle (superyachts) and Juan K (raceboats), this sloop promises to be an outstanding performer when she’s finally delivered in 2024. Part of the…
First look: Frers 59m – a fusion of classic looks and low freeboard
Nearly 20 years after delivering the famous Adèle, Vitters is nearing completion of a new 59m ketch – this time drawn by Germán Frers. The boat is again a fusion…
Linjett 39 review: Contemporary interpretation of a traditional design
How quickly will today’s new yachts date? A handful are surely destined to become design classics, but many will be quickly forgotten, becoming the floating equivalent of an ageing mass-market…
First look: Wally 101 – all-carbon flier
Full custom yachts don’t come much fleeter than the Wally 101, an all-carbon flier from Wally, which is based on the famous Wallycento box rule. The Wally 101 will displace…
First look: Swan 128 – second largest Swan ever
Unveiled at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, the Swan 128 is the second largest yacht ever for the Finnish yard and the largest in its current Maxi range. Construction is…
Beneteau First 36 review: Is this the best First yacht in years?
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,…
Excess 14 review: competitively priced performance catamaran
We’re sailing the Excess 14 upwind in 12-14 knots of true wind, with boat speed hovering between 7.4 and 8.0 knots. The helm feels positive and responsive, the boat tacks…
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…
Hanse 460 review: First in a new range
For some of us, sailing has always been about the functional and fundamental. We enjoy sailing for sailing’s sake. But today people want so much more from a boat and,…
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…
First look: Najad 450CC – next generation model
Najad’s Judel Vrolijk-designed 440 from 2005 was very well regarded at the time and later further improved to create the 450CC in 2016. Now the Swedish yard has launched a…
Solaris 50 review: fast, fun cruising
The drive to include all the features we now expect of new yachts, such as easy handling, big cockpits for al fresco dining and huge accommodation volumes, all too often…
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…
ClubSwan 80 review: full-on 80ft racer
As we slipped our lines from the dock in Porto Cervo I was trying to conceal my disappointment. After being present at the original launch of the design for the…