2005 Boat of the Year Winners Announced
A field of two dozen boats new to the
U.S. market, four distinguished judges, 10 days of evaluation, and
miles of taped conversations were the pillars of Cruising World's 2005 Boat of the Year contest held during the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis, Maryland, last October.
A nomination round in advance of the contest whittled a field of 41
entries down to 24 boats, which were then grouped into six categories
defined by size, price, design, and purpose. The categories included
three for production monohulls (under 40 feet, 40 to 45 feet, and over
45 feet), one for midsize performance cruisers, and two for cruising
multihulls (40 feet and under, and over 40 feet).
Of the 24
nominated boats, eight received awards: one from each of the six
categories, plus two special awards for Best Charter Boat and Best
Value, drawn from the entire field. Finally, two category winners
received the ultimate awards for Best Domestic Cruising Boat and the
Best Imported Cruising Boat of 2005.
Adhering to a tight
schedule and dodging heavy boat-show traffic, the judges climbed aboard
the nominated boats and measured angles and distances, scrutinized dark
corners, dived under floorboards, and squeezed into tight spots to get
the complete picture. Throughout the contest, they remained focused on
safe shorthanded sailing in a cruising (neither fully crewed nor
racing) context, even when they evaluated the more performance-oriented
boats. Before the dockside walk-through, the judges asked each builder
to define the target for which the boat was designed. Among other
questions, they asked each builder to categorize the boat as inshore,
coastal, near offshore (island-hopping), or true bluewater. The judges
used these and other yardsticks as they went about evaluating each
boat. If a boat's builder deemed it a "coastal cruiser," for example,
the judges were less demanding about finding good sea berths and
copious tankage; by contrast, a boat sold as a go-anywhere passagemaker
better have these, as well as good dinghy and life-raft stowage and a
host of other things.
"Do they start with a vision and build a
boat that goes with it, or do they start with a boat and try to find
customers for it?" veteran yacht designer, boatbuilder, and BOTY judge
Bill Lee asked. In the best boats, design was consistent with the
builder's marketing message; in those boats, construction, performance,
and equipment most closely matched their target audience and intended
use.
Of course, a vital question on any boat is its price, and
that can shift by as much as 40 percent depending on what's included
after the hull. For fair comparison, Bill worked out a sailaway price
based on a deal signed in October 2004 that included U.S. East Coast
delivery, basic electronics, refrigeration, 110-volt shore power,
electrical anchor windlass, bottom paint, commissioning, and working
sails. This required adding in some items or backing out others that
might be standard on some other boats. It's a bang-for-the-buck
equation; or, as Alvah Simon suggested: "If you spend a lot of money,
you expect to see a certain density of quality and good thinking that
adds up to good value."
Construction method and application
were on Steve Callahan's list of judging priorities. He considered
safety, market demands, and the execution of such important details as
the hull/deck joint. He also looked at performance and handling under
power, and found he's getting sold on Flex-O-Fold propellers, which
were used on many boats. "They're a bit less powerful in reverse than
solid props, but they don't walk as much, which is great for motoring
backward in a straight line."
Another question the judges
considered was "commercial viability," which includes production
volume, dealer structure, and manufacturer or dealer backup in the
United States. "If someone invests in a new boat, it's fair to ask, 'If
something happens, who'll be around to take care of it?'" said Tom
Prior, an avid cruiser and sometimes delivery skipper who earned his
place on the BOTY panel of judges by winning an essay contest announced
in Cruising World's January 2004 issue. Tom's perspective helped calibrate the panel's evaluation to serve the most important side, the consumer.
After the dockside inspection, the judges boarded each boat for a second
time to go sailing. They maneuvered under power and sail, deployed the
anchor, reefed the main, steered with the emergency tiller, and sailed
all round the compass. GPS and noise meters quantified the judges'
sensations, which had been honed by thousands of ocean miles and
decades of messing about in boats.
After each day of sailing,
the judges discussed and evaluated each boat individually, a process
that encouraged and produced several spirited exchanges. Within
categories, some of the judges' debates lasted hours. However, when all
was said and done, the votes for the two overall winners, imported and
domestic, were unanimous. Although vastly different in style and
purpose, each boat was found to be the clear frontrunner in its class
and a terrific execution of its stated design intent. In other words,
both boats did exactly what the manufacturers said they would do, and
they did it better than all their rivals.
Special Awards
Before we get to the overall winners and the categories, let's take a
look at the boats that won our awards for Best Charter Boat and Best
Value.
As we said earlier, choosing the best cruising boats
required judging from the perspective of a couple or a family--a
shorthanded crew. But well-designed and -executed charter boats are a
bit different. They must accommodate several couples in nearly
identical comfort. Measured by that standard, the new Lagoon 440 had no peers.
Just how big can a 44-footer get? Our judges got one possible answer
looking down from the lofty flybridge of the 440, surveying the four
corners of the catamaran empire beneath them. With a payload capacity
of three tons, she won't set speed records, but she'll woo the comfort
crowd and charter companies. Alvah considered the Lagoon a possible
sabbatical cruiser for people who need a break from the rat race:
Knowing that it holds value adds to its commercial viability. He gave
high marks for nonskid, netting, ports, pushpits and pulpits,
lifelines, handhold positioning, the number (eight) and size of the
cleats, two anchor rollers, the workability of the anchoring system,
and the nav station's size and setup. Tom called the galley "commercial
grade" and was fascinated by the spacious interior, the accommodations,
heads, showers, and storage. "My wife would move into this boat,
permanently," he concluded his thoughts.
Bill noted that the
boat sailed in five knots of wind and that it tacked and jibed easily
under only the main. He liked the easy access to the large flybridge,
which he predicted would become a favorite hangout for leisure purposes
along with the forward and aft cockpits. Steve found that "motoring was
very smooth and responsive" and felt the boat had good ergonomics
throughout. Said Alvah, "The builder hit the market with a clean,
slick, well-engineered, well-built boat that's consistent in concept.
And you can have one hell of a party. It made me think of mai tais and
daiquiris." Lagoon said it has a backlog until 2006, with a few 440s
being put into charter over the next year at The Catamaran Company,
TMM, and Sunsail.
A second special award, one that's been given since the first Boat of the Year contest Cruising World
hosted in 1994, is for best value. So how much boat can you get for the
buck without trading away performance, quality, or comfort? The sweet
spot for this category was the topic of a long discussion before the
panel arrived at the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3--a
boat that comes in at $195,000, according to our contest formula, or
$220,000 kitted out. Steve found the 40.3 "a fun boat to sail that
handled very well and was very smooth under power. Reefed down, it had
very good balance, pretty good speed, and maneuverability." He also
liked the traditional shaft-drive engine and aluminum toerails for
outboard sheeting. Tom thought "this was a good boat and could be a
charter candidate. There's a lot of room in the aft cabin." Alvah's
safety check noted good nonskid, nine deck hatches, wide and smooth
chocks, stout cleats, and two anchor rollers. "I found it was a lot of
fun to sail, and I felt very comfortable," he remarked. "I think
there's a lot of value for that price." Another plus in the eyes of the
judges was the warranty: one year on all gear, and five years on
structure and osmosis damage. Jeanneau uses Harken hardware and other
widely recognized brand names, so gear can be serviced and exchanged
around the world.
The Overall Winners
This year, for the first time in the running of Cruising World's
Boat of the Year contest, judges were asked to award prizes to two
overall winners--one to a U.S.-built boat and one to an imported
vessel. Though the judges were instructed that each boat didn't have to
win its category (which had been a rule in past contests), as this
year's deliberations played out, the two winners did happen to be
unanimous winners in their categories.
When The Moorings
decided to replace its venerable 3800, the longtime charter company
contracted with speed merchants Morelli & Melvin, the designers of Cheyenne (née PlayStation) and the Gunboat 62 (winner of last year's BOTY innovation award), it was fair to expect radical changes. Enter the Moorings 4000, built by Robertson & Caine in Cape Town, South Africa, the winner of the 2005 Cruising World Best Import award.
The 4000's curved topsides, her huge, convex side ports, and a hardtop
bimini with sliding hatch signal that she was redone from the inverted
bell shape up. Co-designer Gino Morelli calls it a "tulip shape" that
features an outward step in the hulls, which is still rare in cats but
more common in trimarans. "It boosts the volume and livability inside
at very little cost," Steve said of the hull form. "And it has
structural advantages, almost like a chine ridge, which adds stiffness."
The 4000 is bigger and sails better than her predecessor; according to
Morelli, it's lighter by 4,000 pounds. The hulls also have a shallower
forefoot, rocker, and a mini keel designed to be exchanged without
hauling the boat. "It tacked really well with just the main in light
air," Steve said of the boat's maneuverability. Under power, she
managed about 7.5 knots at 2,500 rpm, and, thanks to her saildrives,
she did it quietly. Meant for the tropics, her design provides open
spaces, a large cockpit table, and an indoor/outdoor bar at the sliding
door of the saloon.
But the boat's most remarkable feature was
sailing-related. "The sailhandling center by the helm should become an
industry standard," Bill noted. And Alvah loved the safety aspects: "By
bringing the sail controls all to one spot, you take a lot of the
stress out of handling the boat in rough conditions when sailing
shorthanded." Missing handholds and bad ergonomics, his pet peeves,
were pleasantly absent. "It felt safe moving around, and every time I
put out my hand, there was something to grab." Tom was pleased with the
interior arrangements and the engine-access hatch at the top of the
transom steps. "You can drop right in there and work around the edges."
The 4000 is offered with a four-cabin/two-head layout for charter or
with an owner's version that's sold as the Leopard 40. R & C expect
to have 30 boats built by the end of 2005. "I think it's so good
because it's a true second-generation boat," Bill said. "They started
with a list of everything that could be improved on the [older] boats,
then re-engineered from scratch. And they did a really good job with
it." Congratulations to Robertson & Caine and The Moorings.
Finally, from America--from Maine, in particular--came the one boat the judges liked the most, the Sabre 386, the Cruising World Domestic Boat of the Year.
Bentley Collins, Sabre's marketing manager, introduced it as "the best
possible performance cruiser, not heavy-duty bluewater, but looking for
owners who've sailed for 15 years or more. It's intended to appeal to
sailors who need to sail upwind properly." Designer Jim Taylor
successfully translated vision into appearance, detail, and
performance. "Sabre made a boat with slightly smaller volume, which
almost always results in a better sailing boat," said Bill.
With satisfaction, judges noted such details as good dorade vents,
heavy-duty rubrails, 27-inch lifelines on four-bolted stanchions,
gasketed and latchable lockers, and sturdy handrails. Steve found the
high quality of construction to his liking, especially Sabre's
conservative approach to the hull/deck joint, which is glassed over and
through-bolted every eight inches. He said, "The company is mixing
traditional aesthetics with modern gear--from the carbon rudder to
tweakers on the jib tracks, and it works really well." Below, Tom found
"great engine access front and rear, a stand-up shower, lots of room to
stow stuff, Oceanair all over the place, and cedar-lined lockers."
Bill defined three universal go-slow features that detract from any
boat's performance: shallow-draft keels, fixed three-bladed props, and
in-mast mainsail furling. He noted that even though the Sabre had two
of these--a four-foot-11-inch shoal keel and a fixed prop--her
functionality and looks were still matched by performance. A 10-knot
breeze pushed her to weather at a satisfying six knots in flat water
and let her flirt with seven knots on a beam reach. Safety guru Alvah,
not one to be easily impressed, offered this assessment: "I found a lot
of check marks on my list in the "very good" and "excellent" columns.
Sabre uses a lot of big plates and nice gear. It was missing the cleat
in the anchor locker, but for $20, you can fix that. The boat felt and
performed like a big boat, yet she's only 38 feet, so it's not
intimidating." Under power, the vessel behaved equally well, motoring
along just under seven knots at 2,500 rpm. Bill summed up their
impression of the Sabre 386: "She's a class act."
PRODUCTION CRUISERS UNDER 40 FEET
In the category that comes closest to what we might call an entry level
are four boats that range in size from 33 to 38 feet and in price from
$100,000 to $195,000. Of them, three are built in the United States
(the Beneteau 343 comes from Marion, South Carolina, though her
builder's corporate headquarters are in France); the Dufour 385 is
imported from La Rochelle, France.
The smallest boat in this category is the Hunter 33.
Billed as a boat that's fast and extremely responsive, one that's meant
to feel more like a sportboat than a cruiser, the 33 hit many of its
design objectives. Priced around $100,000, the 33 would be ideal for a
family who wants good value in a versatile coastal cruiser and
Wednesday-nighter, Alvah reckoned. Steve praised the 33's handling
characteristics under full sail and main alone or under power, where it
proved to be responsive and very maneuverable.
The Beneteau 343
follows a popular trend that increases interior space with a raised
coachroof and incorporates panoramic deck lights for more ambient light
down below. She looks and feels large for her size and offers
unrestricted visibility and movement without dodger or bimini. The test
boat had a full-batten main, a folding prop, and a six-foot-one-inch
deep-draft keel--in other words, none of Bill's three go-slow factors.
Consequently, she delivered six and a half knots of boat speed on a
beam reach in 10 knots true. The 343 also turned heads with a steering
column that swivels 90 degrees to clear the passage through the cockpit.
The biggest in this class of production cruisers was the Dufour 385,
the midsize model in what Dufour calls its "three-digit" series, which
is the cruising heir of Dufour's former "Classic" line. The boat has an
exceptionally large cockpit and is the only boat in its class with twin
helms, another solution for opening the cockpit passage from the
transom to the companionway. The traveler was placed on the coachroof,
quite typical for cruisers, but at the expense of a dedicated dodger
coaming, which makes retrofits more difficult. The test boat came with
a furling main, a fixed prop, and a five-foot-nine-inch keel; still,
she happily delivered boat speeds of four and a half knots in a light
morning breeze.
The Hunter 38
surprised the judging panel on several counts: first, by meeting her
design objectives so well, and finally by performing so well under
power and sail. She was presented as a family boat that offers ease of
sailing for a couple or for new sailors, a cruising boat meant to
handle coastal and moderate offshore conditions. We tested the owner's
version, which intrigued Bill: "The aft cabin was very well done for a
38-foot boat. I liked the passageways on both sides because it really
helps the ventilation." Labeled through-hull fittings, clustered in one
area, big double stainless-steel sinks, settees that function as sea
berths, and an optional Bose sound system indicated how well Hunter is
tuned to the wants and needs of its clientele.
Above deck, the
38 garnered high marks for a well-conceived anchoring layout that
features a Simpson/Lawrence windlass, twin anchor rollers, and a cleat
for the anchor rode. "Chocks and cleats were fine, and the emergency
steering was very good; the [deck] flow was good; the handholds were
good," noted Alvah. Steve liked that "the boat was incredibly
maneuverable both under power and under sail." The traveler on top of
the bimini arch kept all sail controls close to the helm and out of the
cockpit. Some judges wished for larger overhead windows in the bimini
to improve visibility and sail trim. The three-point Bergstrom &
Ridder rig with a large main and a small blade jib made sailhandling
easy with a shorthanded crew.
The boat we sailed had all three
speed-inhibiting features--in-mast furling, a fixed three-bladed prop,
and a five-foot shoal keel--yet she hustled along at a steady six knots
on a beam reach in 10 knots of true wind. For several years, BOTY
judges have noted the growing influence of Hunter's in-house designer,
Glenn Henderson, and nowhere has his sailorly touch shown through more
clearly than in this boat. For these and other reasons, the Hunter 38 wins this year's award for Best Production Cruiser Under 40 Feet.
PRODUCTION CRUISERS 40 TO 45 FEET
The boats in this category range from $200,000 to $280,000. Three were
imported: the Bavaria 42 Cruiser from Germany, the Impression 434 from
the Elan yard in Slovenia, and the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40.3 from
France. The Catalina Morgan 440 was built in that company's Florida
yard.
The Impression 434 by Elan,
the first model of their cruising line, made its U.S. debut at
Annapolis. Like all other Elans, she was designed by Rob Humphreys. The
Impression was perhaps the most distinctively styled entry, featuring a
simple, comfortable, and bright interior that had good visibility to
the outside through panoramic deck lights and oval ports in the
topsides. Her high freeboard made for dry sailing; at 24,000 pounds,
she had the highest displacement in her class with a 202 Disp./L ratio.
The judges cited the three-bladed fixed prop, a five-foot-three-inch
bulb keel, and the roller-furling main as reasons why she took a tick
longer to accelerate out of tacks than she might have with a folding
prop and a standard main. Bill liked the large cockpit with dual
steering and the center-console table. His admiration of the large aft
cabin with dual access and standing headroom on the side was shared by
another judge, who must have remembered his wife's preferences as he
uttered sotto voce: "May she never see this."
The Bavaria 42 Cruiser,
another U.S. debutante, was presented as a coastal cruiser and
weekender for the "second-time owner," a boat for customers with
previous sailing experience. The judges noted styling and upholstery,
the two large head-and-shower compartments, and the dual-wheel cockpit
with a center-console table and GPS repeater screen. Steve pointed out
the well-sized tangs and swages on the standing rigging, while Bill
noted good engine access and the stylish opening ports. Forward
visibility through the dodger windows was good, but the smallish
overhead bimini windows obstructed the view of the sails from the helm.
The boat proved fast under power, hitting roughly eight knots at 2,500
rpm, but was a step short of its potential under sail with a
shallow-draft keel, a fixed prop, and a furling main.
Jeanneau's Sun Odyssey 40.3
solidly impressed all four judges. The company defined it as
near-offshore capable, e.g., for the Bahamas and the Caribbean. In a
breeze that was consistently over 20 knots, she was well behaved under
furled jib and main while maintaining swift progress on all points of
sail. Aggressive pricing, solid performance, and proper attention to
details made the SO 40.3 a strong category contender and the winner of
this year's Best Value award, drawn from the entire fleet.
The dockside walk-through on the Catalina Morgan 440
and designer Gerry Douglas' briefing left no doubt that this boat was
explicitly designed and built for a particular market. "As cruising
couples mature," said Douglas, "they often anticipate spending longer
periods aboard and possibly doing some distance cruising when
retirement and lifestyle changes permit." In dozens of ways both large
and small, the 440 answered its brief. "The builder does a lot of
things to make its clients feel at home on the boat," Steve observed.
With 30 1/2-inch lifelines (among the highest in the fleet), handholds
on the coachroof, bulwarks along the deck, gas springs on the hatches,
lounge seats in the saloon, and an optional washer/dryer that vents
overboard, the Catalina Morgan 440 is, above all, a comfortable
sailboat. Alvah was impressed with hardware and ergonomics. "This was
one of the few boats that actually got it right, all the way forward on
deck, all the way forward below." He liked the Maxwell windlass with
vertical rode drum that can be rigged to hoist a dinghy onto the
foredeck. Tom was pleased with the large battery capacity and
maintenance access in the back of the boat. Her handling and sailing
performance in very light air was found to be better than expected,
with a full-batten main on a Leisure Furl system.
Other
highlights in the judges' notes included the sturdy capped rubrail, the
safe exit from the cockpit onto the side deck, room under the cabin
sole, and generous tankage. A 62-foot mast for the Intracoastal
Waterway and a four-foot-11-inch shoal keel for the Bahamas are more
proof for the close match of product and vision. In terms of defining a
particular target and meeting it thoroughly, Bill thought the 440 "was
a pretty bold thing to pull off." For all these reasons and more, the Catalina Morgan 440 earned the title Best Production Cruiser 40 to 45 Feet.
MIDSIZE PERFORMANCE CRUISERS
All builders like to consider their boats as performers. Still, there's
a class of boats--call them cruiser/ racers, call them performance
cruisers--that stands a notch above production cruisers, with more
emphasis on speed, precision handling, sail controls, and rig
adjustment. Because lighter boats are faster boats, performance
cruisers often employ the latest layup technology and deck gear, which
is reflected in their prices. Our Midsize Performance Cruiser class
features five boats that range in size from 37 to 45 feet and in price
from $240,000 to $335,000. Four were built abroad: the Finngulf 37 in
Finland, the X-40 in Denmark, the Saga 409 in Canada, and the Beneteau
First 44.7 exclusively in France (not South Carolina). The Sabre 386
was built in Maine.
The Finngulf 37
was the smallest and lightest boat in this class. The test sail was
conducted in a blustery 25-knot breeze and lumpy seas. With a reef
tucked in and a partially furled jib, the judges dialed in the comfort
zone and had plenty of fun doing it. Steve commended the boat's
handling under sail and power, even in a significant chop. Bill
emphasized the safety of a keel-stepped mast and liked the emergency
tools stowed under the top companionway step. Alvah, the man on the
pitching bow, also liked the performance, but he had difficulty
deploying the hook because of design conflicts with the furling gear.
The boat was shown with the double aft cabin, including a dedicated sea
berth, full-batten main, a folding prop, and the six-foot keel.
Delivered from Ontario on her own keel was the Saga 409,
a Tony Castro design that was noted for its many cruising-oriented
details: a pushpit that extends beyond the transition from cockpit to
sidedeck, 30 1/2-inch lifelines, good dinghy storage on the foredeck, a
keel-stepped mast, padeyes to attach jacklines, a folding cockpit table
with sturdy stainless-steel tubing, and a traveler arch. The Saga
received positive mentions for a well-organized fuel-storage locker in
the cockpit, a 10-inch sump, two usable sea berths in the saloon, and
an emergency grab bag in the life-raft locker. Areas to improve
included the installation of the large deck lights and a nav table
that's big enough to hold paper charts. The boat was shown with a
five-foot-10-inch shoal keel, a three-bladed Gori folding prop, and a
conventional full-batten main.
The Bruce Farr-designed Beneteau First 44.7
was the largest boat of the class, a prototypical cruiser/racer,
appealing to experienced sailors who may not want to race flat out but
still like to click off daily runs that are beyond the norm. The boat
we sailed was equipped with a folding prop, a full-batten main, and a
seven-foot-two-inch shoal-draft keel. Bill liked how Beneteau built a
sweet-sailing boat with an uncored hull. Steve found the boat was "easy
to handle with superb maneuverability," although he missed places to
hold on to or brace against under heel. Alvah praised the functionality
of the setup on this privately owned boat, but he would have preferred
lifelines higher than 24 inches. Tom pointed out backup foot pumps for
galley water and envisioned chartering the boat for some spirited
sailing. With a breeze in the low teens, the Beneteau First 44.7
delivered eight knots on a beam reach; sailing to weather, she tacked
through 60 degrees apparent.
Launched in Denmark last spring, the X-40
made her first U.S. appearance at the Annapolis show. Billed by X-Yachts
as a performance cruiser with bluewater creds, the X-40 is the smaller
sibling of the X-43 and X-46. Like her sisters, she's built in
polyester sandwich with a galvanized-steel grid laminated into the hull
to absorb rig and keel forces. The interior, featuring matched grain
throughout most of its wood surfaces, is several notches above the
standard fare. Bill and Steve found evidence of X-Yachts' racing
heritage in the Admiral's Cup mainsheet system, the single-hoist
attachment point in the structural grid, and control lines that are
partially hidden on the cabin top. Alvah took issue with some of the
light gear on the boat and the 24-inch lifelines, which he considered
in need of an upgrade for bluewater sailing. The X-40 also proved that
a performance cruiser can have a remarkably neat and practical stowable
dodger.
The Sabre 386 rose to
the top of her class, which was packed with strong contenders, on her
way toward winning the overall award. On the merits of
consistency, quality, and the fulfillment of her promise as a boat with
solid performance on all points of sail, she won her category hands
down. From recessed genoa tracks to water filters under the sink and
cedar lining in the lockers, the attention to detail was exemplary. The
386 shuns ephemeral styling trends for a classic look. Yet maintenance
shouldn't take on classic proportions because time at the helm takes
priority over time at the yard. "Retaining traditional, well-proven
construction and aesthetics while incorporating modern elements, Sabre
has achieved terrific balance," Steve concluded.
PRODUCTION CRUISERS 45 TO 50 FEET
In the category of the fleet's largest cruisers, we sailed four boats
ranging in price from $365,000 to $630,000. Three of the boats are
imports: the Dehler 47 from Germany, the Grand Soleil 50 from Italy,
and the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 Deck Saloon from France. The sole
domestic boat in this category, the Island Packet 445, was built in
Largo, Florida. Two of the boats, the Grand Soleil and the Dehler,
could have been classed as "performance cruisers" if enough boats had
entered this particular class and size range.
The new Grand Soleil 50
was an "out-of the box" entry, sailing for the first time here on the
day of the test. In the day's fading light, the largest boat of the
contest displayed Italian grace--uncluttered, teaked out, and sporting
a beautiful new suit of UK Sailmakers Tape Drive sails. Steve loved the
motion of the boat and its expansive decks that could easily
accommodate dodger and inflatable, but he missed foot braces in the
cockpit and convenient bilge access. "The deck flow was the best of all
boats," commented Alvah, though he would've preferred to see a safer
pulpit and lifelines higher than 24 inches. Bill called her "fun to
sail and pretty." As a boat for experienced owners, the GS 50 hinted at
good cruising speed, doing close to seven knots in a dying breeze with
a six-foot-eight-inch shoal keel and a fixed three-bladed prop.
The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49 Deck Saloon
is the smaller sibling of the Vitorrio Garroni-styled 54-footer that was
introduced last year. Available in two different layouts, each with a
cabin that can convert from one large to two small spaces, the version
we sailed came with the owner's stateroom aft and two convertible
cabins forward. Tom liked the optional generator's installation down
low and the watertight collision bulkhead aft of the anchor locker.
Alvah found lots of good gear and ideas throughout but wished for
better ergonomics at the workstations. Molded toerails and
stainless-steel rails around the dorade vents provided safety and a
nice touch. However, rubrails and overhead handholds in the cabin were
conspicuously absent. Despite a five-foot-seven-inch shoal keel and the
roller-furling main, this Sun Odyssey sailed at more than eight knots
on a beam reach in 15 to 20 knots true.
The Island Packet 445
was presented as a boat that emphasized cruising in comfort and safety
to the Bahamas and beyond. The boat continues the Island Packet style
and design philosophy that's found such a solid following, and it
builds on the center-cockpit ideas that Island Packet first explored in
2002 with its 485. Coincidentally, the 445 was also the only
center-cockpit boat in this year's test. Staggering headroom, and
near-commercial-size tankage under the cabin sole (260 gallons for
water, 160 gallons for fuel, 55 gallons for waste) plus a bulletproof
rig with a Hoyt staysail boom and lots of solid gear indicate that
designer Bob Johnson intended this boat to venture far afield. The
judges liked the quality of construction material and many of the
boat's details that suggest a steady evolution. Particularly remarkable
are Island Packet's warranties: three years stem-to-stern, and 10 years
on the hull.
Designed by Judel/Vrolijk & Co., the new Dehler 47
has a performance pedigree and, as the judges found, solid cruise
appeal. By company definition, the boat is a performance cruiser
leaning toward comfort and luxury. Down below, Tom found lots of
lockers, nice seats with stowage underneath, and a wet locker right at
the bottom of the companionway. With its drop-down transom flap and
zip-away dodger, the boat intrigued the designer in Bill Lee. "I
thought it sailed very nicely. It was a mix of good racing and cruising
ideas." Steve felt right at home in the cockpit. "It was easy to deal
with the traveler and mainsail and all the basic sail controls on the
boat. Under power, it performed extremely well."
Dehler uses a
monocoque construction technique: hull and deck are joined and
laminated while still in their molds, and all systems, tanks, and
machinery go in through the hatch afterward--a boon for the owner who
keeps the boat long enough to oversee refits later. Alvah commended the
quality of workmanship throughout the boat, pointing out such details
as the sliding hatch and the captive Lexan boards in the companionway.
But he was wary of the hydraulic hideaway anchor, a $9,500 option. "I
found that a bit complex. There are no rollers, no chocks, and no way
to anchor the boat unless that works," he said. The $630,000 price tag
makes the Dehler 47 a boat for upscale clients who love to sail. Steve
summed up his impressions: "I think it's a big version of a boat that
would appeal to me. Sails nicely and handles very well." His colleagues agreed and awarded the Dehler 47 the prize for Best Production Cruiser 45 to 50 feet.
MULTIHULLS 40 FEET AND UNDER
In the smaller of our two multihull categories, we had a remarkably
close contest: all three entrants were catamarans between 38 and 40
feet, all are priced between $300,000 and $320,000, and all were built
in South Africa.
The Admiral 38
was defined as an owner's boat, "a semicustom vessel for retirement
cruising." It was the only entry with a rotisserie oven. Her bridgedeck
saloon was very bright, due to gargantuan skylights in the cabin top.
This arrangement moved the jib tracks to the side deck, which increased
sheeting angles. The traveler was mounted on the targa wing to reduce
cockpit clutter; however, the controls had to be cranked like a winch
to move the car, which made it difficult to blow the main quickly.
Admiral Yachts said it builds roughly a dozen boats a year and has a
backlog until 2006.
The Maxim 380
was presented by Bill Hirst, its U.S. distributor, as a cruiser for
"mere mortals," one that was originally designed for charter in the
Voyage Yachts fleet but is now being developed for private owners.
Indeed, this Alex Simonis-designed cat shares many traits with other
Voyage models. The 380 got the judges' attention for some unusual
details. It had a four-burner stove, a rare occurrence in this year's
contest. The customary davits were replaced by a derrick that
telescoped out of the boom's aft end, so a RIB could be lifted onto the
chocks on the aft platform. Alvah liked the reefing arrangement, the
double halyard, the windlass, and the anchor roller. Steve found the
Maxim 380 easy to maneuver under power. As with the Admiral, the judges
took issue with the cumbersome traveler control that had to be cranked
both ways. Maxim Yachts says it builds up to 12 boats annually and
hopes to sell two units of this model per year in the United States
market.
The runaway winner in
this class was the Moorings 4000, the boat that was most consistent
with its design objective and did so many things so well. Bill
applauded the fact that she wasn't a stretched makeover of the old 3800
but designed and engineered from scratch. Gino Morrelli and Pete Melvin
have used their experience in the performance-multihull game to come up
with a bigger yet leaner boat that will perform well even when loaded
with a full complement of crew and gear. Not only is the boat a
staggering two tons lighter than the 3800; her weight distribution is
better, too. The hook is deployed on a bridle, directly from the anchor
locker, which cleans up the foredeck, reduces weight, and increases
safety. The rockered hull shape promotes maneuverability and is flared
out above the waterline to increase interior space. Saloon and cockpit
are linked by an extendable bar, emphasizing the boat's purpose as a
tropical party platform.
But most important, the 4000 set a new
standard for functionality and safe shorthanded sailing with a helm
station that put all sail controls within arm's reach of the skipper.
Restricted visibility under the bimini, the judges' recurring complaint
on other boats, was addressed with a sliding hatch so the driver can
clearly see the sail trim. Alvah found "good workmanship and good
ergonomics throughout, good workstations, and good safety features."
Steve summarized the panel's impression of the Moorings 4000: "It's a
very good execution."
MULTIHULLS OVER 40 FEET
In the final category, we sailed four catamarans that ranged from 41 to
46 feet and from $355,000 to $425,000. Three of the boats are imports
(the Aeroyacht H42 and the Lagoon 440 are from France, and the Dolphin
460 is from Brazil). The Maine Cat 41 comes from Bremen, Maine.
With its simple tiller steering, the Aeroyacht H42
instantly put the judges in touch with the fun of multihull sailing.
Once comfortably lodged in the molded driver seats of this production
cat, they were in no hurry to leave because they liked the small-boat
feeling. The H42's retractable daggerboards are slightly canted inwards
for improved lift. Built in polyester sandwich at Edel's facilities in
Normandy, France, the boat is offered with five different interior
layouts. However, the panel thought the boat's finish didn't quite
measure up to the top standard, an observation that may be offset by
the boat's attractive price. The Aeroyacht H42 is rated Category 1A
Offshore and backed by a five-year structural and three-year osmosis
warranty.
The Dolphin 460
was the biggest cat in this contest. Her U.S. importer, Phil Berman,
defined the boat as a luxury performance cruiser. Built of Divinycell
PVC foam and fiberglass vacuum-bagged in polyester resin, this Dolphin
is the first one in the builder's nine-year history that's been adapted
particularly with U.S. standards in mind. More traditional in design
than the Maine Cat, the Dolphin garnered points for its protected stern
steps, which promote easy boarding from a dinghy on the hull's inboard
side; a mainsheet system that effectively eliminates a traveler; and a
standard set of North 3DL sails that are worthy of the boat's option of
a rotating carbon mast (built in the yard's own autoclave). The owner's
version we sailed had a "home office" in the starboard hull, and the
autopilot's remote could be connected at the saloon table for fully
protected steering with excellent visibility.
When the judges stepped on the Lagoon 440
for the dockside walk-through, they realized that this is quite possibly
the largest 44-footer they've been on. She was defined as a "20/20
boat," optimized for operation between 20 degrees north latitude and 20
degrees south. Designed both for private owners who love to sail with
lots of friends and for the charter trade, she features a spacious
flybridge, multiple cockpits, and a gigantic interior. "They put a lot
of boat on the water with consistent construction quality from stem to
stern," Alvah said. The Lagoon 440 was a strong runner-up in its
category and walked away with the prize for the 2005 fleet's best
charter boat.
The most passionately discussed nominee was the Maine Cat 41.
Dick Vermeulen, designer and builder, defined the boat as one that
allows owners "to cruise farther offshore, in greater comfort, and with
a larger payload-carrying capacity" than that allowed by the Maine Cat
30, of which some 54 have been built since 1997. "Our owners typically
cruise for several months of the year and range from Maine to the
Caribbean," he said. "They require a simple boat with a totally
protected helm that shows excellent performance on all points of sail."
The panel loved Vermeulen's vision of a convertible catamaran with a
hard top and soft sides, to say nothing of the boat's exceptional
craftsmanship and performance. In the blink of an eye, the zippered
roll-down curtains change the bridgedeck from an open patio into an
enclosed cockpit and vice versa. "The midship wheel inside is an
interesting solution to the steering problem," remarked Bill, referring
to common designs that range from bulkhead-mounted helm stations to
those found at the exposed aft end of some boats. The Maine Cat's helm
is situated centrally in the cockpit, with horizontal 360-degree
visibility. Steve found "so much that is right, really high-class
modern construction, and first-class equipment. It handles extremely
well." Alvah commended stainless-steel work, four-bolted stanchion
bases, and handholds. "It was well made, comfortable, and easy to sail,
and there were very good workstations, all logically separated.
Everything was labeled, and it all worked well." Tom loved the spacious
galley in the port hull. "Very easy to work, a lot of storage,
eye-level refrigerator, four-burner stove, microwave, two sinks, both
really deep and square. Like being at home."
Other notable
features included a self-tacking jib and solar panels (440 watts) on
the hardtop. A few items the judges wished they'd seen were a dedicated
life-raft locker, an emergency steering system, and better drainage
from the cockpit. And all judges wished for the better visibility of
the top-notch sails from under the bimini. But
all of these items can be addressed, and given the boat's exemplary
design and execution, the judges enthusiastically named the Maine Cat
41 the Best Multihull Over 40 Feet.
Dieter Loibner is Cruising World's newest associate editor.
