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Now here are some very different boats to ponder as you wait for June 21, the official start of summer, and for the magical day sometime this month when the kids finish school and you can perhaps have a weekend of peace and quite on the water: without soccer, Brownies, T-ball or Little League.

Jeanneau hopes to make a big splash this season with the launch of its new flagship, a 57-footer from the design office of Philippe Briande, with styling by Vittorio Garroni as well as the Jeanneau design team. Drawings and a photo from the early June launch would indicate that this is a sleek and luxurious addition to the fleet.

Lets start at the transom, where a garage door gives access to storage for a good-sized inflatable and doubles as a swim platform. For those tying stern-to, there's a retractable passerelle that takes you aboard and into the multi-level cockpit with areas for lounging, dining, and sailing.

The new Jeanneau 57

For the sailing part of it, the skipper can count on electric furlers and winches to tame the high-aspect, triple-spreader rig and keep the crew rested and ready to party in harbor.

Below deck, the 57 can sport several accommodation plans, all of which promise comfortable passages and a lavish setting in which to entertain.

Another entry in the big-boat arena is the Bavaria Cruiser 55, launched in Palma, Mallorca, in late April. The boat is a result of the new collaboration between Bavaria, BMW Group DesignworksUSA, and Farr Yacht Design. It features a plumb bow and long water line, and a fold-down transom door for dingy storage and swimming. Below deck, the styling is unmistakably modern and a break from past Bavaria interiors. The woodwork is light colored, set off by white panels and coach roof. I'm intrigued by the design and finish, and look forward to perhaps getting a peek at the boat during the fall shows--if one is imported to the States by then.
 
There's the rub, of course. With American buyers on furlough and no euro-dollar incentive to offer a bargain, many of the European builders are keeping their latest and greatest all to themselves.

The Hood 32 daysailer

Next on my little list of pre-summer boats to ponder is the new G58, a semi-custom performance sailboat designed by German Frers Naval Architechs and built by Goetz Custom Technologies, which brought Puma's il mostro to life. The G58 is being built from prepreg carbon fiber material, and the builder is suggesting that speeds of well over 15 knots will be possible. The racy exterior will envelop swank quarters below that include an owner's and two guest cabins, and a main saloon with entertainment and navigation centers. The boat is expected to be on the water and sailing at about this time next year.

And just in case daysailing is how you plan to while away your summer, this spring Marblehead, Massachusetts builder Chris Hood unveiled his plans for the new Ben Stoddard-designed Hood 32, a thoroughly modern and traditional-looking boat that looks, quite frankly, like it will be a heck of a lot of fun to sail. I've not yet heard about a launch date, but as of last month, construction was about to begin and owner number one's check had cleared.

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