9 Top Sailboats for 2013
The 2013 Boat of the Year awards represent a wide spectrum of winning designs. Meet this year's nine winners! Boat of the Year from our January 2013 issue.
Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 Feet
Moody 41
Winning Details
+ A good all-around cruiser for extended voyaging or living aboard that sails well and has good visibility, storage, handholds, dodger, and propane tanks.
+ Handsome interior with nice touches including wicker cabinet façades and the choice of three optional wood finishes.
Since 2007, the longtime british brand known as Moody has been built in Germany by Hanse Yachts AG. And perhaps ironically so, for in 2013, it appeared that the top two midsize boats were the Hanse 415 and Moody’s latest launch, this 41-footer. But after weighing the relative merits of each, our judges unanimously determined that the Moody 41 was this year’s Best Midsize Cruiser, 40 to 44 Feet.
The primary reason may well have been that although the yard that creates them has changed, the British naval architect whose name is practically synonymous with Moody, Bill Dixon, has not. With the new 41, Dixon has retained the core values of strength, seaworthiness, and dependability that distinguished his earlier Moodys.
“The Hanse is a fine boat,” said Alvah Simon, “but I think that as a true cruising boat, the Moody is a better one. Under sail, it moved through the water quite nicely. I very much liked the traditional full-length trunk cabin. It created nice interior spaces that I feel are really going to appeal to a lot of sailors. And under power, when you’re turning or backing, it really handles well.”
“It looked elegant,” said Ed Sherman. “It costs more than the Hanse, but you could see the difference in the craftsmanship and assembly. I liked the gear choices and the way the boat was laid out. It’s beautifully equipped with a lot of the things I love to see on cruising boats, with lots of space for storage and good service access. I mean, I think they’ve done a magnificent job.”
“For me, one word comes to mind,” said Tim Murphy. “‘Integrity.’ Some boats lack it. This one doesn’t.”
See photos of the Moody 41 here.
Read more about the Moody brand here.
