Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41DS •

The October afternoon we set off from the docks in Back Creek near Annapolis, we had aboard Jeanneau America president Paul Fenn and national sales manager Jeff Jorgenson plus BWS’s new online editor Andrew Cross. Good sailing hands all around. Andy took the helm as we dropped the mooring lines and expertly backed the 41DS out of the marina and into the channel, then spun it around and put the throttle down as we headed down creek and into the Chesapeake Bay.

Under power, the 41DS handles easily and well. With a sail drive powered by the standard 40hp diesel, the prop is well positioned to keep water pressure on the rudder, thus even at slow speeds the boat turns with assurance. Straight ahead, the boat will motor at 6.5 knots at a conservative 2000 rpms, yet will climb to her theoretical hull speed of 8.04 knots without much bother at 2800 rpms—just short of the maximum we noted given the fixed three bladed prop.

Out in the bay we rolled out the mainsail and then headed off to roll out the jib. As we did this we made use of the electric winch on the cabintop to haul out the main’s clew and then trimmed the main with the cool new reversing sheet winches built by Harken. The mainsail has been set up with a double-ended main sheet that tails to sheet winches at both helms (the 41 has twin wheels). This arrangement allows the helmsman to trim the main from either wheel, and the reversing winch action allows him to do so with the push of a button—in or out.

With battenless mainsail drawing, we next rolled out the 106 jib and sheeted it in. There is a story about the small size of the jib that has a lot to do with the action of the reversing sheet winches. In the not too distant future, you will be able to instruct your autopilot to tack. The instruments will change the helm appropriately and then ease the working, leeward sheet while the windward winch grinds in the new sheet as the boat’s bow passes through the eye of the wind. What you have is a self-tacking sloop with a slightly overlapping jib. This is new technology that Harken and the major electronics companies are working on in order to make sailing simpler and easier.

With the sails drawing, we hardened up onto the wind and trimmed for close-hauled sailing. The main was fairly flat, so we could crank it in to an impressive degree. The jib, with tight sheeting angles to the genoa cars on tracks on top of the cabin house, was a handsome blade sail that trimmed up well and gave the boat a remarkably close sailing angle of 40 degrees true wind. In the 10 to 12 knots of breeze, we were able to eek out nearly 7 knots upwind.

As we fell off the wind we could feel the 41 make use of her highly efficient hull despite the lack of sail area in the headsail. For cruising, sailors would want to add a fairly flat cut reacher on a roller to give the 41 some sporty speed and deeper angles off the wind.

The 41DS showed itself to be a handy cruiser that motors well and maneuvers easily in tight quarters and a fine sailing design that is intended to make performance cruising easier than ever. This boat can certainly be handled by a couple and is also a cinch for those who sail alone.

THE DESIGN
Philippe Briand did the basic hull design work when he drew the lines for the Jeanneau 409. The 41DS uses the same hull, keel and rudder as the 409 but has been given an entirely different deck and interior. The 409 was one of the most successful new designs in Jeanneau’s line in recent years and has earned the reputation of being a quick and capable racer-cruiser.

The distinctive features of the hull are the nearly plumb bow, the forward-raking stern profile with a modest swim platform, and the hard chines in the after sections of the hull, which expand interior volume in the after cabins and add a touch of hull stability when power reaching.

On deck, the cockpit of the 41DS makes you feel like you are on a 45-footer, with twin wheels, a handsome teak table and long bench seats. The stern platform has a telescoping swim ladder, a locker for masks and snorkels, and a hand shower. The cockpit has a teak floor and inlaid teak in the seats. The helming positions from both sides are comfortable, secure and close to all sheets and winches.

The raised deck design creates a very secure cockpit as the coamings rise to meet the curved angle of the cabintop and form one simple arch profile. When you climb out to go forward, a well-placed teak step gets you to deck level. Going forward, the sidestays run to chainplates at the cabinside so they are not in your way. The foredeck is large enough to carry an eight-foot RIB upside down when on passage.

All in all, the cockpit and deck layouts are the result of extensive design experience that puts safety and sailing qualities on level footing with style and comfort.

The 41DS’s non-dimensional design numbers are right in the middle of production cruisers, with a displacement-to-length ratio of 166, a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 17.2 and length-to-beam ratio of 2.77.

LIVING ABOARD
The 41DS comes in only one version, with a master cabin aft featuring a huge double berth, a large en suite head and a separate shower. We tested the headroom of the berth since it is tucked under the cockpit sole, and yes—a six-foot human can sit up without banging his or her head.

The forward guest cabin is only slightly less elegant and commodious, with a double V-berth and a second large head and shower.

The saloon has an L-shaped galley to starboard at the foot of the companionway stairs; the galley has twin stainless steel sinks with a unique sink cover that folds back to offer a useful place to store cups and so forth in bouncy weather. The fridge is huge and the propane stove more than adequate for two couples living and eating aboard.

The dinette will seat six around the table with four on the fixed seats and two on a portable bench. Across from the dinette is a bench settee with the chart table at its after end.

The boat is illuminated during the day via a host of opening hatches and windows and at night by arrays of flush-mounted LEDs and LED lamps at the berths and chart tables. The interior spaces feel huge and bright and will make anyone comfortable, whether sailing offshore or moored to a marina.

The fit and finish of the new generation of Jeanneaus continues to impress with attention to detail and the depth of the seamanship that informs decisions about where to put things and how to build them—enough to make any owner proud.

BWS THOUGHTS
BWS was the first magazine in North America to test the new 41DS and the first to publish a review based on a test. And we feel honored to be the first to say that the new Jeanneau takes sound production building efficiencies and methods and uses them to create a new boat that can fulfill the sailing desires of almost any cruising couple.

The 41DS is easy and fun to sail and fast to boot. The cockpit is as comfortable as any you will find in this size range, and the sailing systems are innovative. Down below, the somewhat traditional interior (by modern Euro standards) will appeal to the American market, as will the overall quality of the craftsmanship that goes into the boat.

Like the 409 in the racer-cruiser slot of the market, the new 41DS promises to offer her owners a ton of great cruising at a price that is a very good value both today and in the future, when you may want to move up to a larger boat.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 41DS
LOA40’6”
LWL36’0”
Beam13’0”
Draft6’9”
Draft (shoal)5’0”
Displ.17,330 lbs.
Sail area720 sq. ft.
Water50 gals.
Holding40 gals.
Fuel40 gals.
Engine400hp
SA/D17.2
DL166
LWL/Beam
2.77

Jeanneau America, Inc.
105 Eastern Ave. Suite 202
Annapolis, MD 21403
410-280-9400
www.jeanneau.com

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509 •

The trade winds were huffing and puffing the afternoon we got out on Miami’s Biscayne Bay to test sail the new Jeanneau 509, which made for fun and sometimes exciting sailing. The big Philippe Briand design was certainly up to every bit of it.

I had come aboard on the fly from another much smaller cruiser and was immediately taken with the stability and poise of the 509. As I took the helm, the crew aboard tightened the sheets so we could head up to close-hauled. With a flat cut in-mast furling mainsail and a 125 percent genoa, the 509 was not overpowered even as the breeze gusted to 18 knots or so. And because of her generous beam she sailed very flat and transformed wind energy almost directly into boat speed until we were sailing along happily at 8.5 knots upwind.

We threw the 509 through a few tacks to see how she behaved and can report that she carried her moderate displacement through the tacks well and maintained boat speed as we trimmed and then accelerated up to 8+ knots again in a few boat lengths. Philippe Briand certainly knows how to design slippery boats.

Cracking off to a broad reach we felt the 509’s real power. We were at 9 knots more often than not, which is getting close to hull speed in about 13 knots of apparent wind.

For the fun of it, we sailed the 509 back up the narrow channel to Miamarina and, having got our signals crossed, parked her for a moment on a sand bank. With the mainsail aback and the engine in full reverse we got her off again without fuss and discovered that the boat handles very well under power and in close quarters.

The 509 is a fine sailing boat that has a good turn of speed. She is easy to handle, and with roller furling sails can be got underway in a heartbeat and put to bed just as quickly.

COMFORT ABOARD
In the 1990s, Jeanneau came up with a design concept for their boats that has evolved ever since, but is still very much true to the philosophy that the boats, particularly the larger models, should be comfortable to live aboard, have excellent sailing characteristics and be convenient for the crew.

It starts with an open transom and swim platform aft, which makes a good boarding platform from the dinghy as well as a swim platform and an outdoor shower. In the current models such as the 509, the old sugar scoop design has given way to a square stern profile with a central panel that folds down to make a huge aft platform.

The helm is divided into two wheels, so the helmsman always has a good view forward and there is a clear passageway to the aft platform. This idea really developed when the boats grew a lot of beam aft, and in the 509—with a chine in the aft sections—the cockpit is wider than ever. This makes for more room in the cabins below and adds to the volume and comfort of the cockpit, where the crew will spend most of its time in summer weather. The cockpit table, with the chartplotter mounted neatly in its aft end, will seat eight for dinner and the whole cockpit area will be comfortable for 12 or more for sundowners.

Down below, the new 509 has four optional interiors—three with an in-line galley on the starboard side and one with an aft galley. And, you can have it with four double cabins or three double cabins. You can also add or subtract heads as your cruising style and family requires. The owner’s version has a large double cabin forward with an en suite head and shower stall. The two guest cabins are aft in the stern quarters, yet they are very spacious and comfortable because of the extra hull volume in the aft sections. The saloon has a U-shaped dinette with two freestanding chairs to complete the seating. Across from it is a bench settee that can convert into a shorter bench with a table at one end. The chart table is just aft of the dinette and faces aft.

Jeanneau has always finished its interiors with fine marine-grade woods, whether teak or other types. The new boats use a synthetic wood called Alpi that has a uniform color and grain and will not delaminate. The interior of the boat we sailed was a very warm honey-colored veneer offset by white overhead panels and attractive off-white overheads and hull liners. The net effect is of a boat with very good ventilation and tons of natural light in all of the living spaces.

Over the years, Jeanneau has built many boats with variations of this layout that have proven to be excellent cruising homes for couples and families. And, in our experience, the larger Jeanneaus are excellent sea boats with long legs for quick passage-making and reliable systems and rigging setups for safety and performance. Whether coastal cruising with nightly anchorages and easy daysails or passage-making, the overall design and execution of the new 509 will get you home better rested than when you left. And that makes for happy and safe cruising.

BWS THOUGHTS
As part of the enormous Groupe Beneteau, and now as a market leader in North America, Jeanneau has the ability to build boats that maximize the group’s economies of scale while keeping pricing at reasonable levels. This combination has made it hard for others to compete. In the end, sailors will benefit from this evolution.

It is now possible to buy a 50-foot cruising boat such as the 509 at a relatively fair price and know that you are getting a high quality, durable and safe boat that combines the latest in modern construction technology with the design brilliance of Philippe Briand and the in-house Jeanneau engineering team. Rest assured that with the 509, you can sail anywhere you want in comfort and style.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 509
LOA 50’5”
LWL 45’8”
Beam 15’8”
Draft (std.) 7’5”
Draft (shoal) 5’8”
Displ. 30,644 lbs.
Water 163 gals
Fuel 63 gals
Sail area 1,227 q. ft.
www.jeanneau.com

2012 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW: MONOHULLS •

While the design trends over the past few years have been dominated by the new crop of angular and voluminous cruisers from Europe, it is interesting to note that several quite traditional looking designs—large and small—are appearing from U.S. builders. The boats will surely stir up the American fondness for sweeping sheers and traditional transoms.

Among the more modern boats, the sugar-scoop transom long favored by cruisers seems to be fading away, being replaced by fold-down transoms that offer huge areas for sunning, swimming and tending the dinghy. And when folded up, the new look provides the designs with a pleasing, purposeful look.

This year, we continue to see innovation from designers, whether in the form of twin rudders, drop keels or cockpit arches. The state of sailboat design remains vibrant and intriguing. Here are 28 new boats to dream about owning and sailing into the sunset.

BAVARIA
Bavaria USA has spent the last 12 months launching a new company in North America. Their first office opened in Annapolis, MD, and their second is opening this fall in Mystic, CT. Bavaria USA sells their Farr-designed, German-built cruising boats factory direct, so you can order your new boat exactly as you want it and have it delivered in about eight weeks.

Last year, Bavaria launched their new Cruiser line. They put the 32, 36, 40 and 45 into a charter fleet in Annapolis and sold direct to customers. This year, they are bringing in a new Cruiser 50 and the classy Vision 46.

The 50, similar to the rest of the Cruiser line, is a roomy, easy-to-sail performance cruiser that will appeal to families who need a lot of space or couples who will be living aboard for long periods. BWS sailed the twin-wheel, twin-rudder 50 last year in Turkey and found it to be a remarkably good sailboat that is close-winded and slippery off the wind.

The new Vision 46, which debuted in Annapolis in July and will be shown at the Newport and Annapolis shows, is a raised deck saloon design with a sweet curved cabin house, a huge cockpit, a fine sailing hull, and a truly innovative approach to living and entertaining aboard. See our full review on page 70. www.bavariayachts.com

BENETEAU
Over the last three years, as the sailing market has been in a deep recession, Beneteau has taken the opportunity to reinvent the Oceanis line of cruising boats and to introduce a completely new line of cruisers under the Sense brand.

With the Oceanis 45 and 41, the company developed the theme of sleek-hulled, low-cabin styling on hulls that have added beam and a slight chine aft to increase cockpit volume. The addition of a cockpit arch for mounting the mainsheet out of the cockpit adds to the distinct look and functionality of the new designs. This fall, Beneteau will introduce to the U.S. market the new Oceanis 48, which extends the brand and emphasizes modern styling and commodious living aboard. The 48’s cockpit has twin wheels and a centerline table with folding leaves and a pod on the aft end for the chartplotter. The stern folds down to make a wide swim platform. The new 48’s interior is a study in understated elegance. The boat comes standard with a mahogany-colored finish on the Alpi wood surfaces, offset by expanses of white overhead panels and light-colored fabrics. The aft cabin, aft galley configuration will make the 48 a fine sea boat.

The new Sense 55 follows on the heels of the Sense 50 and 43. The boat has a definite “wow” factor, as it is a true indoor-outdoor cruiser that offers many of the benefits of a cruising catamaran combined with the convenience, elegance and practicality of a monohull. Like its little sisters, the 55 redefines the living spaces into the outdoor “patio,” the living room-like saloon and the private sleeping quarters forward. The living spaces flow together smoothly, and huge windows and opening ports enhance ventilation, brightness below and communication between crew. The new boat has highly lacquered cabinet surfaces, finely finished built-in furniture, and a clean and elegant look on deck and below. See our full review in the August 2012 edition of BWS. www.beneteauusa.com

CATALINA
Catalina Yachts, once the largest sailboat builder in North America, if not the world, has seen its horizons narrowed during the recession. Nevertheless, over the last three years Gerry Douglas and Frank Butler have come up with four new boats that have set a new design trend for the company and given Catalina owners a reason to buy a new boat. It all started with the 445, which was an immediate success. The boat had a sleeker cabin top than previous models, a finely fitted out interior, and a sensible rig with roller furling on both the headsail and mainsail.

The 445 was followed by the 385 and the 355, and then last winter the company introduced the nifty little Catalina 315. The 31-footer was a hit right from the start as it filled a need for a capable small cruising boat at a reasonable price. We sailed the 315 in Florida last winter and came away thoroughly impressed with the boat’s sailing qualities, fine turn of speed and big-boat feel under a press of sail. Even better, we were stunned by the amount of living space—it felt like a 35-footer below deck. A great little cruiser, the Catalina 315 is a fine starter boat or a really fun cruiser for an experienced couple. See our review in the July 2012 issue of BWS. www.catalinayachts.com

COM-PAC
Com-Pac Yachts began building small cruisers and daysailers in 1974 and has led the way in building trailerable pocket cruisers for real people for almost 40 years. Their range includes beamy little cat boats, sleek daysailers and innovative cruisers to 35 feet.

This year the company launched the new Com-Pac 23 Pilothouse. The boat is 23 feet overall, but has been designed and fitted out to be a capable cruiser with three full-size berths, an enclosed head and an inboard diesel.

The 23 has a tabernacle mast that can be lowered easily. The boat’s beam is small enough to allow it to be trailered on any road. There are two helming stations—one in the cockpit and one in the pilothouse, both with engine controls. The saloon has a small dinette, galley, and plenty of storage for a week or two of cruising. The water tanks hold 20 gallons. The V-berth forward is surprisingly large, and two hanging lockers and cabinets have been provided for clothing.

With a 12 hp diesel to get you home when the wind dies and a true shallow draft for coastal gunkholing, the new Com-Pac 23 Pilothouse is the epitome of the perfect little pocket cruiser. www.com-pacyachts.com

DUFOUR
French builder Dufour has been building stylish modern cruising boats and racer-cruisers for almost 40 years under various owners and management teams. Now part of the Bavaria and Grand Soleil group, Dufour is redefining its position in the marketplace with two lines. Grand Large-branded designs are modern cruising boats with an emphasis on elegance, comfort and sailing convenience—even though the boats BWS has sailed are very fast, too. The Dufour 405 and 445 are two of the GL line, from 33 to 50 feet, that you will see at the fall shows. BWS sailed the 405 last year and found it to be a lot of fun and a very capable cruising boat. See the review in the September 2011 issue. And we sailed the 445 in Annapolis recently and will be running the review in an upcoming issue. The Performance line has been created to offer skippers a real shot at the silver whether racing around the buoys or in longer point-to-point races. The new 36P will make its debut at the fall boats shows in Newport and Annapolis and will no doubt turn a few heads. The hull is optimized for good sailing qualities with a high aspect rudder and a deep T-bulb keel. The tall rig gives it plenty of horsepower in light or heavy air, and the sailing or racing layout makes it easy for a crew to manage sheets and halyards. The cockpit lockers are removable to make sheet trimming easier. Down below, the boat is more “cruise” than “race” and has the finely finished feel that discerning owners—whether they’re cruisers or racers—prefer. Dufour has always stood for innovation, quality and fine sailing, and the new 36P fits that legend well. www.dufour-yachts.com

HAKE SEAWARD 46
Nick Hake at Hake Yachts has been building innovative retracting keel cruising boats for 30 years and has earned a reputation for coming up with original and practical solutions in the design and construction of shoal draft cruisers. The Seaward 26 and 32—the current models in his fleet—have proven to be both excellent thin-water cruising boats and fine sailboats. Late last year, Hake introduced a new flagship to the line. The Seaward 46RK is the retracting keel concept on steroids. The new boat is one of the most innovative designs to join the cruising fleet in many years. The boat has a retracting keel that offers seven-and-a-half feet of draft for upwind sailing and two-and-a-half feet when poking around the shallows or even running downwind. The two rudders are also retractable, so you can beach the boat without worry. The mast is deck-stepped in a tabernacle so it can be lowered easily and quickly if you need to get under a fixed bridge or haul out in a yard with overhead power lines. Hull number one was equipped with twin 54 hp auxiliary engines for reliability and speed. Down below, the chart table/pilot’s station is at the foot of the companionway and from there you have good visibility to both sides and forward. The accommodation plan has been set up for a cruising couple who have the occasional visit from friends and family. The boat holds 180 gallons each of water and fuel, so you have a wide cruising range. A perfect choice for the west coast of Florida, the Bahamas, the Chesapeake Bay and many other shoal cruising grounds, the new Seaward 46RK is a truly interesting and unique cruising boat. www.seawardyachts.com

HANSE
German builder Hanse Yachts has been pushing the design envelope as hard and far as any builder in the last few years. Their boats are designed to be both ultra-modern cruisers and commodious homes afloat. And, they are also set up to be easy to sail and very swift through the water. BWS reviewed the new Hanse 495 in the June 2012 edition and concluded that the boat and the company are on the leading edge of the sailing market. This fall, Hanse USA will bring three new boats to the shows that will certainly turn heads. The Hanse 385, 415 and 445 are all cut from the same modernist fabric. With self-tacking jibs and large, slab-reefed mainsails, the boats can be handled by one person. The cockpits are huge, with centerline tables that will seat up to eight for al fresco meals. Down below the styling is simple, elegant Euro-modern with an emphasis on lightness, open spaces and pleasing sightlines. Hanse specializes in building boats that are configured just how each owner wants them to be. On their website, you can select the model you are interested in and open the Hanse Configurator to view all of the cabin, color, rig and equipment options. If you press “send,” the choices you select will be sent to a dealer near you who will respond shortly with a price quote. Not only are the boats thoroughly modern, but the way you buy them is modern, too. www.hanseyachts.com

ISLAND PACKET
A new cruising boat from Island Packet is coming this fall, but at press time IPY’s owner, Bob Johnson, and VP of marketing, Bill Bolin, had their lips tightly sealed. The secret boat is in build, but we won’t know what it is until the fall. All we can say at this point is that IPY is going to bring their loyal fans a cruising boat that is new and a little different. Stay tuned. www.ipy.com

JEANNEAU
Jeanneau, a division of Group Beneteau, has been on a roll the last few years, and according to those who know these things, the company has gained significantly in market share in the U.S. The reasons for this success are many, but at the most basic level it is because the company consistently provides good cruising boats at fair value. They compete primarily with their sister company, Beneteau, and we have heard that the rivalry is spirited. The current Sun Odyssey models that have been so popular in the U.S. all have something to do with the number nine. We are not sure what this means, but the launch of the SO 409 was followed by the 439, the 379 and the 509. And next winter we will see the launch of the 469. The boats in the “9 Line” all have powerful hulls with a slight chine aft and sleek decks with many windows and hatches. The cockpits are large and well laid out for sailing as well as entertaining at the dock. Down below, you will find the styling to be somewhat traditional and the color schemes pleasantly evocative of teak and holly. BWS sailed the 509 in Florida not long ago and found it to be a fine ocean sailing yacht that embodies the Jeanneau philosophy of delivering quality and value in a package that is both comfortable to live aboard and fun to sail. Look for our review of the SO 509 in the upcoming October issue of BWS. Also new this fall is the Sun Odyssey 41 DS. A deck saloon design, the 41 has a raised deck and large cat’s-eye windows on both sides. The hull has a chine that runs almost all the way forward from the stern, which enhances interior volume, and a hint of added stability. Down below the 41DS offers a huge owner’s stateroom aft, a large guest cabin forward, and a roomy and sociable saloon with a large galley. The new 41DS packs a lot of cruising accommodations and style in a 41-foot hull. www.jeanneau.com

MOODY
Several years ago, the Moody brand was bought by Hanse in Germany and relaunched as a luxury yacht brand with an innovative 45-foot raised pilothouse cruising boat. Following that, the brand was supplemented with a more traditional-looking sloop design that evokes a North Sea or Scandinavian style. The Moody 41 will be on display at the fall boats shows. The boat has a traditional transom, which folds to make a swim platform, and a fairly plumb bow. The cockpit has twin wheel, a centerline table and a partial windshield as in a Hallberg Rassy or Najad. Down below, the 41 is fitted out in classic Bristol fashion with white bulkheads and highly varnished mahogany cabinets, drawers and details. It all looks very elegant, comfortable and delightfully traditional. The Moody 41 will make a fine world cruiser for a couple who wants modern design with a traditional touch. www.moodyboats.com

MORRIS
The new Morris 52 is the latest and largest M Yacht in the Morris line of classic-looking daysailers, weekenders and cruisers. The 52 has a sweeping sheer, long overhangs, a low-slung cabin and a large, deep cockpit. Her beam is modest by modern standards and her rig large enough to be really impressive. The sail plan offers a huge mainsail and a self-tacking jib. Unique among modern designs, the 52 has no bow or stern pulpit, so her lines look uncluttered and sweet. Down below the 52 has a bright interior that evokes centuries of classic sailboats and the sea. A standard layout would offer a large double cabin aft and a master suite forward with a comfortable saloon and small galley in between. The bulkheads and doors are raised panel joinery that is either painted white or varnished with the typical Morris deep shine. BWS sailed the 52 last summer, so look for the review in the October issue. www.morrisyachts.com

TARTAN and C&C
This fall at the big boat shows, you are bound to find a good collection of Tartans and C&Cs on display. Tartan now builds their classic American-style cruisers in sizes from 34 to 53 feet, and each is created with an epoxy hull, carbon spars and Cruise Control headsail rig. Under new ownership, Tartan and C&C seem to be finding a new lease on business life and have been able to introduce two all-new designs to their fleet this year. The Tartan Fantail 26 is a nifty little daysailer or weekender that has traditional lines above the water with a counter stern, pleasant sheer, fairly plumb bow and a short bowsprit. Below the water, the boat has a spade rudder and a high aspect bulbed fin keel. The rig will be self-tacking and in downwind conditions you can fly an asymmetrical chute from the sprit. The Fantail will have a small auxiliary engine and accommodations for a couple overnighting in simple style. The Fantail 26 was conceived to be available as a daysailer, a club sailboat and a weekender. www.tartanyachts.com The first new boat from Tartan and C&C not designed by Tim Jackett in many years, the new C&C 101 was drawn by Tom McNeill, who works as an in house designer at the company. A flashy little sprit boat, the 101 has a thoroughly modern and powerful hull with nearly 11 feet of beam and a six-foot, six-inch keel. The boat will be able to carry a lot of sail. No doubt the 101 will be a winner on the racecourse. Down below, the boat will have the simple but refined accommodations one expects from a C&C. For those looking for a true racer-cruiser in the small end of the fleet, the new C&C 101 will fit the bill. www.c-cyachts.com

2011 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW • BAVARIA CRUISER 32 •

The 32 has an in-mast furling mainsail and a small roller furling jib. The jib is only 108 percent of the fore-triangle and sheets inside the shrouds. With tight sheeting angles, the boat sails to windward like a dream and tacks inside 80 degrees. Off the wind, the 32 is very easily driven and offers excellent speeds when broad reaching.

Down below, the 32 is huge for a boat of this size. The master cabin has a large double berth tucked aft under the cockpit and a smaller double cabin forward for kids or guests. The benches in the saloon can double as berths, too. The galley is aft at the foot of the companionway ladder with the aft-facing chart table next to it. The L-shaped dinette will seat four for dinner.

A great starter cruiser for a young family or a perfect downsize for an older couple who want to simplify their sailing life, the Bavaria Cruiser 32 offers great sailing qualities and a lot of living space below.

Specifications: LOA 32’9”; LWL 29’0”; Beam 11’3”; Draft 4’11”; Displ. 11,464 lbs.; Sail area 549 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BAVARIA CRUISER 36 • Like its little sister, the Bavaria Cruiser 36 feels much larger than its length might imply. In fact, this boat feels bigger when stepped aboard, when it is hit by a puff of wind, and when you go below into the cabin.

The 36 has the same style rig as the 32, with an in-mast furling mainsail and a small jib that sheets inside the shrouds. Because the headsail is small, the boat is easy for a couple to tack and the sail can often be trimmed without having to grind the sheet winch.

The cockpit has long bench seats and the backs are ergonomically shaped to give lumbar support for comfort. Like all of the Bavaria Cruiser fleet, the 36’s transom folds down to create a large platform aft for sunning, swimming, donning SCUBA gear or climbing into the dinghy.

The 36 comes in either a two-cabin, one-head layout or a three-cabin, one-head plan. The first will probably appeal to couples who sail with friends, while the latter will be a good layout for a family. The boat has only one head, but the compartment is large and has a partition that converts it into a shower.

The interesting thing about the new Bavaria line is that owners have a lot of options when they spec out their new boats. You can choose from three different wood styles, floor patterns and numerous fabrics and colors. Bavaria has the capacity to build 3,000 boats a year, but they build each to its owner’s own personal requirements.

The Cruiser 36 will make a great family cruising boat that is small enough to be affordable but large enough to really be a floating home away from home.

Specifications: LOA 37’1”; LWL 32’5”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’4”; Displ. 15,432 lbs.; Sail area 742 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

The BAVARIA CRUISER 40 takes the company’s theme of large interiors in boats that sail very well and really puts it to great use. The 40 comes with only one accommodation plan—a three-cabin, two-head layout that emphasizes comfort.

The 40’s rig is proportionally slightly taller and larger than that of the 36 and thus the boat has a bit more sail power. This boat will sail at 8 knots in 12 knots of wind, so you get the idea.

The cockpit is large and laid out for easy sailing and outdoor living. With twin wheels, you always have a good view forward while steering or maneuvering around a marina. Plus, twin wheels open the aft end of the cockpit so you have direct access to the huge aft platform that is formed when the transom is folded down.

The interior has the galley along the port side of the saloon with a dinette that seats six to starboard. There is a good-sized chart table aft of the dinette. With almost seven feet of headroom throughout the interior and plenty of overhead hatches and ports in the cabin sides and hull sides, the interior is flooded with natural light and extremely well-ventilated.

The 40 will be plenty of boat for many couples or families since the sleeping cabins are so large, the heads so roomy, and the dinette and cockpit table well-designed for meals in all weather. Plus, the 40 sails very well indeed.

Specifications: LOA 4’6”; LWL 35’3”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 5’5”; Displacement 19,135 lbs.; Sail area 883 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

Bavaria builds three larger Cruisers—the 45, 50 and 55—but of these, only the CRUISER 45 will be in the U.S. this year.

The 45 is a big boat for a 45-footer. In fact the transom and after sections of the hull are so wide that Farr Yacht Designs equipped the boat with twin rudders to go with the twin wheels in the cockpit. This configuration means that one rudder is always in the water and fully functioning even when the boat is heeled over and clawing to windward. Twin rudders also make the 45 sail as if it were on rails, with fingertip control at all times.

The 45 has the same simple and efficient rig as the smaller boats, which drives it well even in light breezes. The cockpit is huge and has a drop-leaf table that will seat eight adults for a meal. The chartplotter can be installed neatly on the after end of the table, so it can be seen from both helms. The transom on the 45 has an electric motor to raise and lower it so you don’t throw out your back hoisting it into place. The platform is large enough for several people to sunbathe.

Down below, the 45 can be arranged with either a three-cabin, three-head plan or a four-cabin, three-head layout. The galley runs along the saloon’s port side and offers an acre of counter space. To starboard, the dinette wraps around a handsome dining table that will also accommodate eight for dinner. The chart table just aft of the dinette faces aft and has a nifty folding seatback that is part of the dinette.

The 45 will be a good family cruiser or will fit very nicely into a charter fleet. The cabins are large and comfortable, the living spaces huge and airy, and the eating arrangements great for crowds. The Cruiser 45 is a true liveaboard yacht.

Specifications: LOA 46’10”; LWL 41’8”; Beam 14’3”; Draft 5’8”; Displ. 27,777 lbs.; Sail area 1,151 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BENETEAU OCEANIS 41 & 45 • This fall, Beneteau will unveil two new Oceanis models that carry on the Oceanis cruising traditions while incorporating some truly innovative design features to make the boats easier to sail and more comfortable to live aboard. The most notable feature in the new design is the high cockpit arch that anchors the main sheet and provides a rigid frame for a dodger and other cockpit enclosures. Both boats are truly set up for indoor-outdoor living, so the cockpits are huge and access up and down the companionway ladder is excellent.

The cockpits have twin wheels and an innovative folding transom system that fully encloses the cockpit when underway, then folds down electrically to form a swim platform when at anchor. Designed by Finot-Conq, the 41 and 45 have thoroughly modern rigs with the mast set fairly far aft and the headsail reduced to a slightly overlapping jib that sheets inboard of the side stays, which in turn have been moved outboard to the gunnel. With tight sheeting angles, the boats promise to be handy and close-winded while being easy to tack and jibe. For off-the-wind sailing, a reacher or asymmetrical chute will really add fun and power.

The Oceanis 41 has three accommodation plans to choose from. The two-cabin, one-head version offers a good quarter cabin aft and a large V-berth forward; this plan has a huge sail locker and storage area under the port cockpit seat. The three-cabin, one-head plan uses the sail locker space for a second aft cabin. The three-cabin, two-head version tucks a second head into the forward cabin, which replaces the small desk or vanity found in the other accommodation plans. In all three layouts, the after head has a separate shower stall. The saloon remains the same in all three versions, with the L-shaped galley aft to port and the dinette forward to starboard.

The Oceanis 45 is also offered with three optional accommodation plans. The two-cabin, two-head version has the same large storage area aft as seen in the 41. The three-cabin, two-head plan replaces the storage area aft with a second aft cabin. And, the three-cabin, three-head design equips each of the three cabins with its own en suite head; in this version, the shower stall in the aft head has been replaced with an expanded dinette storage compartment. Both of the new boats are being built in Beneteau’s plant in Marion, South Carolina, so they are truly American boats.

The new designs will be fast, weatherly and very comfortable to live aboard. And they offer the great value that Beneteau is known for worldwide.

Oceanis 41 specifications: LOA 41’9”; LWL 38’1”; Beam 13’9”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 18,386 lbs. Oceanis 45 specifications: LOA 45’5”; LWL 42’10”; Beam 14’9”; Draft 7’1”; Displ. 21,054 lbs.

For more information, call 843-629-5309 or visit www.beneteauusa.com.

HAKE SEAWARD 46 • An innovative design from Hake Yachts in Florida, the new Seaward 46 is a shoal draft cruiser that is capable of extended offshore sailing. With a ballasted retractable keel and retractable rudders, the 46 can cruise in less than three feet of water. Yet, with the keel and rudders fully deployed, the boat will draw over seven feet and will be a stiff and stable platform for blue water sailing.

The big sister to the Seaward 32 and 26, both of which are shoal draft cruisers with retractable keels, the 46 is a raised deck saloon design with a large aft cockpit. The boat can be configured with either a single 75-horsepower diesel or twin 54-horsepower engines. And there is a “fishing” option that fits a fighting chair and rod holders at the stern.

The 46 has a fairly narrow 13-foot beam and a small but handy rig with a 100 percent self-tacking jib, so it should be easily driven even in light airs. The 46 has been in the works for a while and has already stirred up a lot of interest since there are not many retracting keel cruisers on the market, with the exception of Southerly Yachts in England. Look for the boat at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. Specifications were not available at press time.

For more information, call 727-287-3200 or visit www.seawardyachts.com.

HALLBERG-RASSY 372 • The new German Frers-designed Hallberg Rassy 372 is another cruiser under 40-feet that will appeal to couples and young families. The 372 replaces the popular HR 37.

HR has built more than 8,000 cruising boats over the years, so it is well established as one of the world’s cruising yacht leaders. The new 372 is slightly longer, beamier and more streamlined below the water than the 37. The rig is more than a meter taller, and the sail plan has been configured to fly a large mainsail and a small headsail that will be easy to tack and trim. A self-tacking jib option is available. The three-spreader rig can be fine-tuned with the standard backstay adjuster, and the chainplates for the shrouds are far inboard, allowing tight sheeting angles and keeping side decks uncluttered.

The 372 has a clean deck layout. The furling drum for the genoa is mounted below decks, as is the anchor windlass at the bow. Down below, the 372 offers classic HR quality with a U-shaped, seagoing galley, bench settees and storage for gear, groceries and spares. The chart table is across from the galley, while the head and shower are behind it. The forward cabin sports a large double berth, a vanity, hanging and storage lockers, and bookshelves. The after cabin has a huge double berth and additional storage.

The 372 was voted European Boat of the Year in 2010. The new design is a fine example of the great work HR does and just how much you can fit into a sleek and speedy 37-foot hull.

The HR 372 will make a great voyaging boat for a couple who like to sail fast and want to bring their comforts with them to sea.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft (deep) 5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, contact Eastland Yachts in Essex, CT (860-767-8224), Free State Yachts in Deal, Maryland (410-867-9022), Swiftsure Yachts in Seattle, Washington (206-378-1110), or visit www.hallberg-rassy.com

HANSE 495 • This year, Hanse will introduce several new models, among them the stylish and innovative 495. A powerful modern cruising sloop, the 495 has a Judel-Vrolijk hull with a nearly plumb bow and squared-off transom. The hull’s sheer is fairly straight, so the boat’s profile makes it look purposeful and fast. Think of that long waterline.

On deck, the broad beam and low cabin house make the boat feel spacious. The cockpit is open aft, so the floor flows between the twin wheel back to the transom. The decks are uncluttered, and because the jib is a self-tacker on its own track, the chainplates and shrouds were moved outboard to allow unimpaired passages along the side decks. With teak decks and recessed hatches, a 495 will have a Wally Boat modern Euro look.

Down below, the 495 offers a large owner’s cabin forward with a centerline double berth and plenty of storage space. The head and shower are in separate compartments port and starboard. In the standard layout, twin quarter cabins aft have good headroom and plenty of lockers. Ventilation is via open deck hatches and ports that open into the cockpit. The aft cabins are served by a single head to port that has a nice big shower stall. The standard saloon plan has the galley along the port side and the large U-shaped dinette to starboard with a bench amidships to seat two more guests. The chart table is just aft of the dinette and close to the companionway. The styling evokes modern European furniture, with contrasting light and dark woods, sharp angles and expanses of open floor.

Hanse offers so many ways to customize your new boat that no two 495s will ever be the same. Fun to sail, comfortable down below, and a truly modern statement in cruising, the Hanse 495 will appeal to those who want the latest thinking and the ability to customize the look of their boat to a great extent.

Specifications: LOA 50’6”; LWL 44’5”; Beam 15’7”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 30,900 lbs.; Sail area 1,390 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit usa.hanseyachts.com or www.hanseyachts.com.

MOODY 45AC • Hanse Yachts in Germany bought the Moody brand several years ago and came out at once with a truly innovative deck saloon or pilothouse model that turned a lot of heads. Since then, the company has gone back to designer Bill Dixon for a more traditional aft cockpit luxury cruising boat to fit the Moody brand.

The Aft Cockpit 45 is a modern sloop with a tall fractional rig and a sweet, traditional-looking hull with balanced ends and a springy sheer. The full battened mainsail is standard, but in-boom furling could be added without degrading sailing performance. The jib is self-tacking and runs to a track athwart the forward cabintop, making upwind sailing a snap. The 45’s cockpit has twin wheels, a folding transom and a lovely varnished table with folding leaves. A low windshield wraps around the companionway, keeping spray out of the cockpit and providing a good base for a canvas dodger.

Down below, the furniture is finished in varnished mahogany around accents of white panels and trim, so the whole effect is of traditional Bristol Fashion neatly modernized. Raised panel doors and drawers, some with wicker inserts to enhance ventilation, add a classic touch. The seagoing galley is at the foot of the companionway to starboard, while the head and shower are to port. Aft, the 45 AC has twin quarter cabins while the master cabin is forward with its own en suite head and shower. The dinette amidships is huge, and across from it are two easy chairs on either side of a small table that doubles as the nav station.

Hanse has made a serious effort to offer Moody as a truly upscale brand that will appeal to sailors who want a well designed, fine sailing yacht that is finished to the highest degree. Specifications: LOA 45’0”; LWL 40’1”; Beam 13’8”; Drat 7’3”; Displ. 26,895 lbs. Sail area 1,205 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit www.hanseyachts.com.

ISLAND PACKET 360 • Island Packet Yachts has been building seaworthy cruising boats for 30 years, and you will find them in the world’s best cruising grounds. With designer Bob Johnson’s Full Foil Keel, moderate sail area-to-displacement ratios, cutter rigs and self-tacking Hoyt Jib Boom Staysails, the line has a well earned reputation for easy motion in a seaway and high average speeds over the long haul. On IPY designs, you arrive at the end of the passage more rested than when you began.

This year, the company is adding to its line a 36-footer that is an evolution of the handsome and sweet sailing Estero.

The 360 is a salty and capable cruiser with a nice springy sheer, a short bowsprit that houses the anchors as well as the roller furling headsail, and a fairly low profile cabin that fits the hull neatly.

The cockpit has been designed for comfort and safety, so it is not overly large and will drain quickly if ever a wave came aboard at sea. All sailing sheets, halyards and control lines run aft, so you never have to leave the cockpit to add or reduce working sail.

The accommodation plan below offers a large double cabin aft with a neat V-style berth that allows you to swing your legs easily to the floor when getting up. This is a pleasant quarter cabin with ample ventilation, a hanging locker and plenty of space for clothes. The forward cabin has a traditional V-berth, hanging and storage lockers, and a private door to the large head. The saloon has the huge galley aft to starboard and an aft-facing chart table. The L-shaped dinette to port will seat four at the fold-down saloon table. Across to starboard, two swiveling easy chairs will make lounging, reading and watching TV just as comfortable as at home.

A great mid-size cruiser, the new IP 360 is a go-anywhere blue water yacht that will look after her crew as a proper yacht should.

Specifications: LOA 36’5”; LWL 31’6”; Beam 12’4”; Draft 4’0”; Displ. 19,300 lbs.; Sail area 831 sq. ft. For more information, call 888-724-5479 or visit www.ipy.com

HUNTER e33 • Hunter has long been a leader in offering sailors a wide range of boats, from sailing dinghies to 50-foot ocean cruisers. But the company may be best known for its mid-size cruisers, which offer expansive living spaces in boats that are easy to sail and handle.

The new e33 fits right into that mid-size segment and introduces an attractive new look for the Florida-based builder. With a sleek deck design and large cabin windows, the boat looks modern and fast. The hull has a wider transom than the earlier 33-footer and the bow has been given a narrower entry. The cockpit is large and comfortable for a boat of this size and has a neat fold-down transom that becomes a large swim platform. Hunter uses unique B&R rigs, with sharply swept back spreaders and no backstay. The main is quite large, while the headsail is small enough to be easy to tack. This rig is simple for a couple or even a singlehander to manage.

Over the last decade, Hunter has steadily refined their interior arrangements and the fit and finish of the joinery down below. The e33 has a large athwartships double berth in the after cabin that is tucked in under the cockpit and side deck on the starboard side. The forward cabin has a V-berth and plenty of storage for clothes, linens and towels. The galley has Corian counters, a large fridge and a two-burner stove with an oven below. The dinette to port will seat four easily. To starboard, the bench settee with be a good berth, or the middle section of the bench can be converted quickly to form a chart table. All of the boat’s instruments are accessible from the starboard settee.

A handsome addition to the Hunter line of sailboats, the new e33 offers a lot of accommodations in a cruising boat that will be easy to sail and comfortable for extended cruises.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft 4’6”/5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.huntermarine.com.

JEANNEAU 379 • The success of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 that was introduced at last year’s Annapolis show, with its hard chine aft, fold-down stern platform and simple but powerful sloop rig, primed the market for more Jeanneaus of the same style. So this year, Jeanneau is launching the Sun Odyssey 379 and Sun Odyssey 439.

The 379 has a modern hull style with a nearly plumb bow, a squared-off transom and a low slung coach roof. The sloop rig has been set up for ease of handling and good performance. The mainsail is a slab reefed full batten main with lazy jacks. The mainsheets run aft on both sides of the coach roof to the cockpit winches, so the helmsman can trim while steering. The cockpit has been laid out for efficient sail trim. With twin wheels, access to the fold-down swim platform is excellent.

Below decks, the 379 comes in a two- or three-cabin version, both with a large head and separate shower stall. In the two-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a huge sail and storage locker and a small wet locker adjoins the head. In the three-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a sleeping cabin and the head is moved forward. The L-shaped galley is useful, and the dinette forward seats six with the drop leaf raised.

Specifications: LOA 37’0”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’0”; Displ. 14,740 lbs.; Sail area 753 sq. ft.

The new JEANNEAU 439 has a larger, beamier Philippe Briand hull that will translate into greater cabin volume and stability. The bow sections have a bit more hollow for a narrow entry, which will improve the boat’s motion and windward ability.

Like its little sisters, the 439 is all about good sailing aboard a comfortable boat.
Twin wheels give the helmsman great visibility forward and open the cockpit to the large swim platform.

Down below, the 439 makes use of the extra beam to offer an unusual four-cabin, two-head layout with two double quarter cabins, a V-berth cabin forward, and an upper and lower cabin forward of the main bulkhead. In the three-cabin, two-head version, the forward cabin gets a large centerline double berth and a large vanity or desk. The saloon has the seagoing galley aft and to starboard, where it is convenient to the cockpit and large dinette.

The fit and finish of the 379 and 438 is bright and airy, and multiple hatches and ports provide natural light and excellent ventilation.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,736 lbs.; Sail area 1,004 sq. ft.

The 44 DECK SALOON (DS) Sun Odysseys are all about elegance, style and comfort. From the swim platform aft to the bow rollers forward, the 44DS embodies the latest in Euro styling. The Philippe Briand designed hull is similar to the 439, but there the similarity ends.

The deck saloon cabintop has a kind of Audi TT curve that flows for the full length of the cockpit and cabintop to the foredeck. The huge side windows are tinted black and set off by dark gray moldings that run along the edge of the cabin. The halyards, sheets and control lines from the mast run in conduits on the cabintop, and the two-ended mainsheet runs under the deck to winches aft by the twin wheels.

The 44DS has a huge aft cabin, with a queen-size double berth under the cockpit and bridgedecks. For added headroom, cockpit soles have been raised and a wide bridgedeck added. The cockpit has a large table with drop leaves and a built-in chart plotter. Down below, the furniture is more angular and the cabinets are lower with an “interior designer” feel, which is not surprising since the styling was done by Franck Darnet. The use of bright white and contrasting black counter and tabletops sets off the wood veneers, cabinets and bulkheads, and the sharp stainless steel latches and fittings are a statement in elegance.

Aside from the full width after stateroom, the 44DS has two guest cabins forward and a second head. One of the cabins has a V-berth, while the others have an upper and lower single berth. The saloon is a trendy modern living space with a large galley, U-shaped dinette and bench settee.

The 44DS will make a fine cruising boat for a couple or family who wants their leisure time to be as elegant and modern as can be.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,450 gals.; Sail area 835 sq. ft. For more information, call 410-280-9400 or visit www.jeanneau.com.

The new OYSTER 625, which has been nominated for 2012 Boat of the Year in Europe, is a Rob Humphries design that dramatically upgrades the already popular previous boats in the Oyster line, the 61 and 62.

A center cockpit desk saloon design, the 625 has a modern sheer line capped by the new style of wraparound deck saloon windows that Oyster has used so successfully in recent models. The standard rig will have an in-mast furling mainsail and a cutter rig forward. This gives you a lot of trim choices and allows you to shorten sail in rising weather without leaving the cockpit. A Solent headsail rig and in-boom mainsail furling are options.

Down below, the 625 offers a true master stateroom aft with a queen-size double and plenty of storage and comfortable amenities. An owner and spouse will really feel at home here. Forward, two guest cabins are shown in the standard accommodation plan—a Pullman double cabin to starboard and an upper and lower cabin to port. The forepeak has been reserved for a single crewmember, with access to one of the en suite heads that adjoin the forward cabins. The saloon is spacious and will be full of light. The dinette is huge and will seat eight. The galley is in the passageway aft to port and will be an excellent seagoing galley. The chart table at the base of the companionway is a proper navigation command central where you can mount all of your radios, sat phone, chartplotters and radar. Plus, the table is large enough to spread out an old paper chart.

The new Oyster 625 is a handsome, high quality ocean sailing yacht that will keep you safe at sea, get you home quickly, and provide you with elegance and comfort along the way.

Specifications: LOA 63’7”; LWL 56’7”; Beam 17’10”; Draft 9’2”; Displ. 73,854 lbs.; Sail area 2,538 sq. ft. For more information, call 401-846-7400 or visit www.oystermarine.com.

The SABRE 456 was launched late last year and has drawn a lot of attention from both Sabre owners and would-be Sabre owners.

The Jim Taylor design is an upgrade of the Sabre 452 that was introduced several years ago with a new keel, new rig and modernized interior.

On deck, the 456 has a large, secure cockpit with high seatbacks and a single large destroyer wheel. The main sheet runs to the traveler forward of the dodger so the cockpit is not cluttered. The chainplates for the shrouds are well inboard for close sheeting angles on the genoa and to make going forward easier.

Down below, the forward cabin offers a large centerline double berth and a large en suite head with a separate shower stall. The guest cabin aft has a large double berth and plenty of storage space. The 456’s galley is one of the largest and best laid out in any boat of this size. Since you tend to live in the kitchen, the saloon has the feel of a large, homey country kitchen. The drawer-style pull-out fridge is an innovation that we feel sure will catch on in other designs. Sabre has revamped their interior joinery style with a slightly Japanese flair to the doors and cabinets, making great use of the spaces available and adding light to the cabins. Because the 456 is built to order, Sabre can really work with an owner to customize the boat to his or her needs.

A fine offshore quality boat built in “Maine style,” the 456 will carry you across oceans or the bay swiftly and comfortably.

Specifications: LOA 45’6”; LWL 38’4”; Beam 14’1”; Draft 5’6”; Displ. 27,150 lbs.; Sail area 1,043 sq. ft. For more information, call 207-655-3831 or visit www.sabreyachts.com.

The new Tim Jackett-designed TARTAN 4000, which was introduced last winter, embodies a lot of the new thinking that has gone into the boats and the company since it was purchased by Steve Malbasa last year. The new company is all about delighting customers with great boats and great service.

The 4000 really speaks to that mission. The cockpit is large and secure, with twin wheels for easy access to the fold-down stern platform. The seats are contoured for optimum comfort around the stowable cockpit table or when sailing hard. Tartan used their patented Cruise Control Rig, which uses a fully battened mainsail with a double headsail rig that deploys an inner upwind jib and a larger reacher on the outer roller. The CCR offers the best in both upwind and downwind sailing without forcing you to fly a spinnaker or even leave the cockpit.

Tartan is unique in the market by offering carbon spars, booms and rudders as standard equipment. Equally unique are the epoxy-infused hull and decks that are tougher, lighter and virtually impervious to osmosis. Down below, the cherry interior has a large centerline double berth and en suite head in the forward cabin. The sofa-style saloon with a fold-down table will be comfortable for up to eight. The galley offers lots of counter space, a large fridge and double stainless steel sinks. Across from the galley, the chart table is a traditional nav station where the skipper or navigator will be in command of all of the ship’s systems.

A fine new entry to the 40-foot cruising fleet, the new Tartan 4000 will be a great couple’s boat and is built to be a family heirloom, albeit one that you could sail across the ocean.

Specifications: LOA 40’ 8”; LWL 36’4”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 7’6”; Displ. 20,104 lbs.; Sail area 893 sq. ft. For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

A semi-custom design that was spawned last year and launched late last spring, the new TARTAN 4700 expands upon themes introduced in the 4400 a few years ago.

On deck, the cockpit is huge and deep and will be very secure at sea. With twin wheels and a folding transom, the living space will feel vast while at anchor and with the platform lowered.

At sea, all buttoned up, you won’t mind running down the face of ocean rollers. The 4700 has Tartan’s Cruise Control Rig, so it is easy and efficient to sail upwind or off the wind and actually sails higher and faster than the 4400. The extra three feet add to the boat’s balance and waterline length, which translates into better performance all around.

Down below, a lot of attention has been given to making the boat a comfortable family home with good communal and private spaces. The large aft cabin is tucked under the cockpit, and the bridgedeck has been raised to provide full headroom across the cabin. The large aft head is next to it to starboard.

The 4700, like the 4400, has a raised dinette that offers good views through the deck saloon windows. And the chart table is raised as well, so you can easily stand watches inside the cabin with great visibility forward and to both sides. The engine room is beneath the raised saloon floor, where you have great access to the engineering systems. Forward, there is a large master cabin with an attached head and a third cabin with upper and lower bunks, which will appeal to children and their friends.

A fine new model in the Tartan line, the 4700 is a liveaboard, offshore quality yacht that offers all of the attributes of Tartans—epoxy hull and deck, carbon rig, carbon rudder, Beavertail shoal draft keel—in an exciting new package. Look for BWS’s full review and the new boat’s specifications in the October issue.

For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

2010 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW •

BENETEAU FIRST 30

Beneteau has never been shy about new design ideas, so it should be no surprise that they turned to Juan Kouyoumdjian, who designed many of the speedsters in the current maxi and Volvo fleets, for the lines of the new “evolutionary” First 30. To stir things up, Beneteau asked Michel Desjoyeaux, winner of the Vendee Globe, to consult. The result is the new First 30, which looks like the offspring of a Volvo 70 and an Open 60, shrunk to 30 feet. The new boat has a plumb bow, broad beam all the way aft and hard chines molded into the aft sections of the boat, similar to bigger race boats. Twin rudders are necessary because of the beam aft and will make the boat drive like she’s on rails when surfing downwind behind her big chute. The 30 has a T-bulb deep keel for stability and a huge fractional rig that sports a boom that reaches all the way to the transom, where the main traveler is mounted. In the tradition of Beneteau First series boats, the new 30 has accommodations that make it a true cruiser-racer. The layout below decks shows a small V-berth forward and a large double berth tucked under the cockpit on the port side. The galley is adequate for a 30-footer, while the chart table is large and roomy. Two bench settees run fore and aft on either side of a central table with folding leaves. The 30 can sleep six in a pinch and will be comfortable for a family in cruising mode. If you like innovation, fun, performance and the influence of the big offshore pros, you will love the new First 30.Specifications: LOA 30’; LWL 29’; Beam 10’6”; Draft 6’6”. For more information, visit www.beneteauusa.com

ELECTRIC ALERION 33

As we reported in the August issue of BWS, Pearson Composites recently launched a new Alerion 33 equipped with a Mastervolt electric power train and no internal combustion engine. The motive behind this innovative new Alerion was the desire of an owner to be able to slip in and out of his dock without making a sound or polluting the waters around him with exhaust. The Mastervolt propulsion system is built around the company’s new high-performance Lithium-ion batteries, which use the same technology as the long life batteries in laptop computers and soon in all electric automobiles. The batteries are 15 percent more efficient and 70 percent lighter than wet cell batteries. The Alerion is an excellent boat for the Mastervolt system because it is so easily driven. Powered by Mastervolt’s 7.5-kilowatt saildrive system, the 33 will have a range of 15 to 20 nautical miles on battery power alone. For sailors who normally daysail, this is plenty of margin for safety. Underway, the Alerion with the Mastervolt system has better acceleration and stopping power than a normal diesel engine because full torque is available the moment the engine is put into gear. The Alerion 33 is also a fine barebones coastal cruiser with a simple but pleasant interior and basic accommodations, including a V-berth forward, an enclosed head, an ice box and counter for a countertop cooker, bench settees and basic storage. If you are looking for a truly green machine that makes use of great design and the latest in electric propulsion, the Alerion 33 with the Mastervolt electric drive system is the way to go.Specifications: LOA 33’0”; LWL 26’4”; Beam 9’3”; Draft 5’0”; Displacement 8,700 lbs.; Ballast 3,300 lbs.; Sail area 609 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.alerionexp.com

BENETEAU FIRST 35

The new Beneteau 35 follows in the wake of the First 50. The modern design combines the high performance of First series boats with the accommodations sailors expect in a dual-purpose racer-cruiser. The First 35 has a moderately light displacement hull with a nearly plumb bow, T-bulb keel, long waterline, full sections aft for power and a deep, high aspect balanced spade rudder. The tall fractional rig sports plenty of sail area for performance in light breezes. The cockpit has been laid out for racing crew manning the sheets and control lines but will also be comfortable for a cruising family. The huge wheel fits into a well in the cockpit floor so the helmsman can sit on the coaming to windward or leeward for better visibility steering upwind. The aft end of the cockpit is open and doubles as a swimming platform. Down below, living spaces are bright and airy, with two private cabins. The master cabin has a huge double berth aft under the cockpit. The guest cabin has a V-berth forward. The head is aft to starboard behind the neat chart table. The efficient galley has a two-burner stove, single sink on the centerline and icebox. The bench settees will make good sea berths; you will be able to seat six around the main table. The design of the new 35 is a real advancement from the well-proven 36.7 that has been the leader in this size range for a decade. The boat will be a lot of fun to sail, is built tough enough for offshore events and will make a comfortable, if spirited, cruiser.Specifications: LOA 35’7”; LWL 30’7”; Beam 11’11”; Draft 7’3” (std.) or 5’11” (shoal) Displ. 12,125 lbs; Ballast 3,681 lbs. (std.); Sail area 446 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.beneteauusa.com

CATALINA 355

The new 355 is the successful Catalina 455’s little sister. The new design from Gerry Douglas and the Catalina team has a modest beam, a fairly low freeboard and a nice tall rig. With a moderate displacement hull, a cruising fin keel and a well-balanced spade rudder, the boat promises to be easily driven under sail, close winded, easy to handle, with easy motion in a seaway. The new boat’s deep and secure cockpit has a single wheel, built-in table with folding leaves and an insulated icebox, and a folding seat aft for access to the stern platform. All control lines for the sails are led aft to line stoppers and winches on the cabin top so you can raise and reef the mainsail or roll up the jib from the cockpit. Down below, the forward cabin has a centerline double berth that will be easy to get in and out of and easy to make. The guest cabin is aft under the cockpit and has a large double berth positioned athwartships. The head is at the foot of the companionway ladder where it is convenient to both sleeping cabins and will work well as a wet locker for foul weather gear. The galley is huge and laid out for truly preparing meals either at anchor or underway. The dinette will seat the full crew. The new 355 has many well thought out details that come from the decades of building and sailing experience behind Catalina. A capable mid-size cruiser at a reasonable price, the 355 will no doubt become one of the company’s most popular and successful new boats to come along in a while. At press time, the 355’s specifications had not been published by the builder. For more information, visit www.catalinayachts.com

DUFOUR 40e

The new Dufour 40e is a trendsetting modern racer-cruiser that combines advanced design and engineering with luxurious but sensible cruising interior spaces. The hull has a modern look with a transom stern that folds down to make a large aft platform, a straight sheer, low cabin profile and a nearly plumb bow. Under the water the high aspect rudder and keel will give the boat a lot of lift while reducing wetted surface. The tall fractional rig has a large mainsail to drive the boat and smaller overlapping headsails for sailing fast upwind. The main traveler is aft on the cockpit sole just forward of the twin wheel and the double-ended mainsheet leads aft along the side decks to winches near the helmsman on either side of the cockpit. The rest of the mainsail control lines lead aft from the mast to winches and line stoppers on either side of the companionway hatch. On deck adjustable genoa cars facilitate accurate sail trim while the below decks roller furling drum on the genoa allows for deck-sweeping racing sails. Although the 40e is destined for regattas, the interior was conceived to house the crew in comfort and luxury. The boat can come with two or three sleeping cabins, with the master stateroom forward or aft under the cockpit. The L-shaped galley has plenty of counter and storage space with the convertible dinette forward of it. The head, chart table and bench settee fill the starboard side of the saloon. A handsome, elegant modern racer-cruiser, the Dufour 40e promises to give new meaning to the idea of performance in a dual purpose boat since she does both so well.Specifications: LOA 40;6”; LWL 35’4”; Beam 12’9”; Draft 6’6”; Displ. 17,525 lbs.; Sail area 947 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.dufour-yachts.com

RIVOLTA 43

Rivolta Yachts builds interesting motorboats with a distinctly Italian flare. Last year, father and son Piero and Renzo Rivolta embarked on a quest to built a sailboat that combines classic yacht style with a modern underbody and rig. They turned to Maine-based designers Stephens, Waring & White and the result was the stylish Rivolta 43 Vintage. Key to the new design was the desire for good sailing performance and shoal draft. The designers came up with an innovative solution by specifying twin rudders aft and a lifting T-bulb keel. The draft can be adjusted from six feet when sailing in deep water to three feet, six inches in the shallows. The fractional rig that drives the new 43 has a high, square-topped mainsail, a self-tacking jib-staysail, a roller furling reacher and the ability to fly an asymmetrical spinnaker from the small bowsprit. With the exception of the spinnaker, all sails can be handled from the cockpit. The 43 was designed to be cruised by a couple with occasional guests. The forward cabin has a nice centerline double berth and direct head access. The guest cabin lies aft and to port. The lifting keel is housed neatly inside the saloon table for easy access to the lifting gear. With bench seats on both sides, the table seats five. The galley is simple and near the companionway, which helps keep it ventilated. One of the most distinctive touches is the large lounging area on the after deck, which is similar to the sunning platforms on many Mediterranean speedboats. As a weekender or a boat for longer cruises, the new Rivolta 43 Vintage offers a compelling combination of classic good looks, sailing performance and shoal draft.Specifications: LOA 43’0”; LWL 34’0”; Beam 12’6”; Draft 3’6”/6’0”; Displ. 15,900 lbs.; Sail area 927 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.rivolta.com

DUFOUR 405 GRAND LARGE

Dufour’s Grand Large series has a huge following in Europe and worldwide because the boats are great floating homes while maintaining a high standard of sailing performance. The 405 Grand Large is the cruising sister ship to the 40e Performance. With a similar moderate displacement hull, dual wheels in the cockpit, and transom stern with folding swim platform, the boats look similar. But while the 40e has been set up for racing crews and line handling efficiency, the 405 is a cruising boat first. The mainsheet traveler is on the cabin top instead of in the cockpit, where it is out of the way, and the cockpit has a handsome table with drop leaves that will feed six friends. A double-ended mainsheet can be adjusted from both helm stations. In-mast or in-boom mainsail furling can be had as an option. Down below the 405 has a large master cabin forward and one or two guest cabins aft. In the three-cabin version, the galley is positioned Med style along the starboard side of the saloon. In the two-cabin version, the galley is an L-shaped space aft to starboard. The dinette to port will seat six comfortably and will double as a good sea berth on passage. The fit and finish of the 405 give the boat a warmth and elegance that underscore the boat’s overall quality. Plus, the use of white overheads and plenty of hatches adds to the brightness and airiness below. The 405 was voted European Boat of the Year by European yachting journalists—an award it deserves for its fine combination of cruising comfort, sailing performance and quality build.Specifications: LOA 39’11”; LWL 36’8”; Beam 13’4”; Draft 6’6”; Displ. 19,800 lbs.; Sail Area 861 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.dufour-yachts.com

HANSE 445

Introduced in Europe in early 2010, the Hanse 445 is another dramatic design step for the company that helped redefine “modern” in hull styling and interior décor. The 445 was conceived in modernist mode, with a high-sided hull that has large in-hull windows, a plumb bow, wide-open transom and a low truncated cabin top defined by a wraparound black-tinted window. Below the water, the Judel Vrolijk-designed hull has a minimum of wetted surface, a T-bulb keel and a large spade rudder. On deck, halyards and control lines from the mast run under-deck conduits aft to banks of line stoppers near the helmsman and not on the cabin top. Forward, the roller furling drum is hidden beneath the deck. The blade headsail is self-tacking and the sheet runs to a sliding track forward of the mast, then aft to the cockpit. The new Hanses sail quickly and are easy for a couple to handle. With the addition of a downwind sail, the boat will be a rocket on all points of sail. Down below, the interior is modern with open sight lines fore and aft, natural light, expanses of white laminate accented by wood doors, drawer fronts and moldings, and angular furniture. Hanse has a neat system for personalizing interiors on their website called the “Configurator.” The basic boat has a large walk-around double in the forward cabin, twin cabins aft, a large head forward and another head aft to port. The saloon has the galley aft to starboard with the dinette just forward of it and an L-shaped settee across to port. The new 445 is not your grandfather’s cruiser; it is a bold stab at the future and all the more interesting for that reason.Specifications: LOA 43’11”; LWL 40’4”; Beam14’4”; Draft 7’4”; Displ. 24,293; Sail area 1,180 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.hanseyachts.com

DUFOUR 45e

The new Dufour 45e Performance is the big sister to the 40e, and the two boats share many similarities. But at 45 feet, the 45e has enough space on deck and in the interior to make it seem much roomier. It’s amazing what five feet will do. On deck, the 45e is set up for efficient racing with the main traveler aft in the cockpit and the sheets led to winches that are easy to work during long tacking legs. But, in the cockpit, you will also find a handsome table with folding leaves and storage. The 45e has a massive triple spreader rig that hoists a big mainsail and an overlapping fractional genoa. No doubt the boat will be a fine light air performer with real legs when reefed down and charging in a fresh blow. Down below, the boat has a triple cabin layout with a large master cabin forward and twin double cabins aft. The berth in the forward cabin is on the centerline so you can board from either side. The forward cabin has its own head with a second head aft. If you need extra sleeping space, an upper-lower berth cabin can be squeezed in next to the master cabin forward. In the saloon, the L-shaped galley and dinette are to port while the bench settee, nav table and aft head lie to starboard. The layout is simple, sensible and makes good use of the 45’s considerable interior volume. A true oceangoing performance cruiser, the Dufour 45e will be a contender wherever she sails and will provide her owners and crew with above-average accommodations along the way.Specifications: LOA 45’9”; LWL 39’10”; Beam 14’10”; Draft 6’5”; Displ. 22,966; Sail area 1,217 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.dufour-yachts.com

SABRE 456

This fall, Sabre Yachts will introduce the new 456. The 45-foot sloop, which started life a decade ago as the 452—a highly regarded cruiser-racer with modern classic lines and distinctive “Maine quality”—joins the company’s other modern classic cruisers, the 426 and 486. BWS reviewed the 452 after a 400-mile sea trial and came away thoroughly impressed. The reinvented 456 has a new keel, new rig and modernized interior. On deck, the 456 has a large, secure cockpit with high seatbacks so you feel protected from the elements. The mainsheet runs through a traveler on the cabin top so the cockpit remains uncluttered. Side decks are wide and shrouds are positioned well inboard, so going to the foredeck is not an obstacle course. Down below, the forward cabin offers a large centerline double berth instead of the traditional V-berths and the forward head has the addition of a shower stall. The guest cabin aft has a large double berth and plenty of dressing room. Engine access is through panels in the after cabin and under the companionway stairs. The 452’s galley was one of the best in this size range and Sabre has improved on it by adding a nifty drawer-style fridge that can be opened on any tack and will never disgorge its contents in a seaway. The chart table has been downsized to reflect the fact that modern navigators are more likely to be pushing buttons than plotting courses on paper charts. The dinette and bench settee will seat a crowd for meals and double as good sea berths. The new 456 is a great size for a cruising couple and will be a capable coastal cruiser and a fine and speedy offshore passagemaker. We’re glad to see her back in the cruising fleet.Specifications: LOA 45’6”; LWL 38’4”; Beam 14’1”; Draft 5’6”; Displ. 27.150 lbs.; Sail area 1,043 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.sabreyachts.com

BENETEAU OCEANIS 50

Last winter we got the chance to take the then-brand-new Beneteau Oceanis 50 for a test sail off Miami in a spanking good northerly breeze and found the new design to be stiff, weatherly, easy to handle in a breeze and fast. (See the BWS review in the April 2010 issue.) The first thing you notice about the 50 is the cockpit arch that anchors the mainsheet and provides a rigid and permanent spot for a dodger. This keeps the cockpit clear of spaghetti sheets but does eliminate a traveler, so you have to use the vang to tighten the leech. Forward, the chain plates are nicely inboard and the side decks are clear and you get good tight sheeting angles for upwind sailing. The cockpit is huge and comfortable with twin wheels, a large table and the chartplotter mounted on a pivoting pod on the table’s aft end. There were seven of us aboard during our sail and we all fit into the cockpit with room to spare. The interior was designed by Nauta Designs and has a definite Euro look with clean white bulkheads and mahogany-colored Alpi furniture. There are three private sleeping cabins: two aft and the master cabin forward with a centerline double berth. The L-shaped galley is huge and has plenty of locker space. The chart table to starboard doubles as a desk or game table where two people can sit facing each other. The dinette to port seats six comfortably. A trendsetting modern cruising boat, the new 50 is equipped with all LED lighting as standard equipment. Innovation, quality and value are the hallmarks of this handsome addition to the Oceanis line.Specifications: LOA 49’6”; LWL 43’8”; Beam 14’9”; Draft 5’9”; Displ. 28,660. For more information, visit www.beneteauusa.com

HUNTER 50

The Hunter 50, which follows on the heels of the successful Hunter 49 and center cockpit 50, is an aft cockpit fractionally rigged sloop designed for couples and families who want a boat that is easy to handle and roomy enough for comfortable living. Hunter has long been an innovator in the realm of making sailing as simple and efficient as possible. The B&R rigs used on the 50 and other cruisers have a large in-mast furling mainsail combined with a small, easily tacked jib also on roller furling. The mainsheet runs to a traveler on top of the cockpit arch, where it is readily at hand but not underfoot; the traveler control lines are on the arch as well. The 50 can be set up with a cutter stay and a staysail so you have additional sail area when the wind goes light or you can roll up the genoa and deeply reef the main for blustery conditions. The interior volume of the 50 is remarkable. The saloon makes full use of the boat’s nearly 15 feet of beam and six-and-a-half feet of head room. The dinette will handily seat six. The galley offers modern conveniences, plenty of counter space and ample storage for supplies and necessities. The forward cabin sports a large centerline double berth and a head worthy of the name bathroom. The two guest cabins aft have large double berths and plenty of storage and hanging space. Over the past decade, Hunter has made great strides in fit and finish. They use top-of-the-line hardware, hatches, and rigging and have developed cherry interiors that rival any production boat on the market. For those looking for a production-built cruising boat that offers huge bang for the buck, the new Hunter 50 should be on the short list.Specifications: LOA 49’11”; LWL 43’10”; Beam 14’9”; Draft 5’6”; Displ. 32,813 lbs.; Sail area 1,277 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.huntermarine.com

BENETEAU SENSE 50

This fall Beneteau will roll out a new line of cruising boats under the Sense brand name. The first boat, the Sense 50, is bound to cause a real stir. The Sense 40 will soon follow. Beneteau’s idea was to build a boat that was more comfortable, harmonious and modern in all aspects than anything else on the market. The result is a new type of hull with a narrow bow, broad beam and distinct chines molded into the after sections of the hull. This configuration gives the boat a lot of initial stability so it will not tend to heel much beyond 10 degrees or so. The boat has been conceived with three separate living areas—the patio, the living room and the sleeping quarters. The patio comprises all of the aft outdoor spaces in the cockpit and the afterdeck, where there are twin steering wheels—each with a nice double seat—a dinette and a comfortable bench seat. The cockpit arch carries the mainsheet and anchors the spray dodger. Down only three steps from the cockpit, you enter the living room, which has a large, wraparound couch and an adjustable surface that converts from coffee table to dining area. A desk is built into the couch arrangement and the galley takes up the starboard side of the cabin. With windows all around, this is indoor-outdoor living at its best. The sleeping quarters lie forward with two heads, a small private office and two large double cabins. The office can be converted to a double cabin, too. The new Sense 50 might be the offspring of an Open 60 mated with a modern cruising catamaran and is one of the most interesting new monohulls to come along in a generation.Specifications: LOA 49’2”; Beam 15’11”; Draft 6’10”/5’6” (shoal); Displ. 31,195 lbs.; Sail area 1,313 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.beneteau.com

JEANNEAU 53

The new 53 footer from Jeanneau follows in the wake, first, of the amazing Jeanneau 54 that has been one of the most popular cruising boats in this size range for the last six years, and second, the new Jeanneau 57 that was launched to rave reviews last year. That’s a lot of tradition to live up to, but the new 53 does so with aplomb. The new look of the larger Jeanneaus includes a sharper, nearly plumb bow, fairly high topsides, a low slung, raised saloon and a handsome transom with a swim platform. Under the water, she sports a bulbed fin keel and a large spade rudder. The cockpit is huge, with twin wheels and a handsome teak table that will seat six for meals. The simple fractional sloop rig comes with a large, slab-reefed mainsail and a smaller, roller furling, overlapping jib. Down below, the layout shows options for three or four sleeping cabins. You can have a large master forward and twin guest cabins aft, or you can reverse it and have the large master suite aft and twin guest cabins forward. Or, you can have twin cabins both fore and aft. In each variation, the cabins all have en suite heads. The saloon has the large galley to port with a wraparound counter and the dinette to starboard. The nav station is large enough to double as an office desk and communications center. The success of the Jeanneau 54 augers well for the future of the new 53 since the company has learned a lot about what really works in a production boat of this size and how to make it the best possible value for owners.Specifications: LOA 52’8”; LWL 45’9”; Beam 15’7”; Draft 7’5”; Displ. 32,926 lbs.; Sail area 1,300 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.jeanneau.com

NAJAD 570

The flagship of the Najad fleet, the new 570 is a center cockpit, raised saloon luxury yacht with a tall, powerful sloop rig. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk, the Swedish-built boat has a modern, moderate-displacement hull with a bulbed fin keel and a high aspect spade rudder. The in-mast furling mainsail and genoa can be operated from the cockpit with electric winches so the boat, despite its size and power, can be sailed safely by an experienced couple. All of the Najads are sweet sailing boats and the 570 is no exception. The 570’s decks are clean and open and will be very safe at sea. The cockpit has twin wheels for enhanced visibility and mobility, long bench seats with ergonomically comfortable backs and a handsome teak table with drop-down leaves. Down below, the 570 is truly a luxury yacht in the finest Scandinavian tradition with finely finished hardwoods and light-colored fabrics and trim. The dinette with wraparound sofa seats to port and the large nav station is to starboard. The galley is in the passageway that leads to the after cabin; it will be an excellent place to cook at sea or in port. The forward cabin will be the master suite with a large walkaround double berth and private head. The 570 carries with it all of the heritage of Najad yachts and the long yacht building traditions of Orust Island, where Hallberg-Rassy and Malo yachts are also built. For luxury and pure blue water capability, the Najad 570 is a fleet leader.Specifications: LOA 57’6”; LWL 54’4”; Beam 16’7”; Draft 6’11”; Displ. 52,000 lbs.; Sail area 1,600 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.najad.com

OYSTER 575

The latest Oyster from the board of Rob Humphries, the 575 further extends the builder’s role as a leader in luxury yacht design and construction for blue water sailors. The 575 has a powerful hull with a narrow entry, long water line and full sections aft. Under the water she has either a cruising fin keel or the newly optional keel centerboard configuration and a robust balanced spade rudder. The deck layout is the recognizable center cockpit, raised deck saloon style that Oyster has made so popular. The afterdeck is enormous because of the broad transom and houses large and deep lazarette lockers. Forward, the decks are uncluttered and fitted with well-placed handholds. The tall cutter rig provides a lot of power and the ability to shorten sail extensively from the cockpit. The 575 is a semi-custom boat, so owners may alter the accommodation plan to a certain extent. In the standard layout, the master suite is aft and has a double berth, extensive storage and hanging spaces, a desk-vanity and an en suite head with a shower stall. The galley is in the port passageway aft from the saloon and a small crew’s cabin lies off the starboard passageway aft. Two guest cabins are all the way forward where they share a head. The saloon has a conventional chart table and curved settee along the starboard side and a huge dinette to port. The interior décor has the feel of a true luxury yacht where no expense has been spared. Oysters have a well-earned reputation for being premier sea boats and enduring yachts.Specifications: LOA 57’6”; LWL 51’6”; Beam 16’5”; Draft 8’10”; Displ. 61,728 lbs.; Sail area 2,091 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.oystermarine.com

BENETEAU OCEANIS 58

Beneteau’s flagship, the new Oceanis 58, is a completely new style of Beneteau that incorporates many ideas from custom super yachts while never losing sight of the essential qualities that make Beneteaus so distinctive. From the large after deck swimming platform to the expansive cockpit with its beautiful teak table to the distinctive cockpit arch for the mainsheet, the designers have brought a host of innovative ideas to the new design. The simple sloop rig, with in-mast furling for the main and roller furling for the genoa is simple, robust and easy for a couple to handle. The deck layout shows wide side decks and good working spaces forward when setting a spinnaker or anchoring. Down below, the interior of the 58 is truly special. With design input from Nauta Design, Beneteau has created a totally modern, Euro-style interior with white bulkheads, white overhead liners and handsome mahogany-colored Alpi wood furniture. The owner’s version has the master cabin forward with a double berth, extensive storage room and an en suite head. The guest cabins are aft on either side of the companionway, each with its own head. The dinette dominates the saloon since it has a huge table and a wraparound seating arrangement that will accommodate eight or more adults. The nav table is just aft and the huge galley is across from it to port. The volume of the interior is amazing and you will find sailing with six or more people entirely comfortable and possible. The Beneteau 58 is a luxury production yacht that delivers sailing ease and fun during the day and stylish and roomy accommodations as the sun sets. Plus, the boat is a great value.Specifications: LOA 57’9”; LWL 49’3”; Beam 16’4”; Draft 6’11”; Displ. 47,399 lbs.; Sail area 1,791 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.beneteauusa.com

Jeanneau has an answer to the recession: Go forward boldly and creatively. As one of the world’s largest builders of cruising and racing monohulls, and as a key subsidiary of Group Beneteau, Jeanneau has had a lot of success with their larger performance and deck saloon cruisers, especially the 49i and 54DS. The new 57, which will be introduced later this year, will become the builder’s flagship and will be the leading indicator of what is in store for the Jeanneau line in the years ahead.

The 57 has a distinctive look, with a nearly plumb bow and forward raking transom. The cabin top is a hybrid of a standard cabin and the deck saloon motif that has been so popular lately. The cabin is low so the helmsman will be able to see over it easily. The cabin tapers into the deck forward, which opens up a huge amount of foredeck space for lounging while at anchor, for handling downwind sails when at sea and for stowing an extra dinghy.

The reason we say “extra” dinghy is because the primary tender, probably a 10 or 12-foot RIB, will live in its own garage built into the boat’s transom. An electric motor raises and lowers the transom, creating a large boarding platform. Rollers for the RIB’s keel have been installed so you can drive the dinghy up onto the platform before winching it home into the garage. Like all garages, this huge and useful storage space is destined to fill up with all sorts of cruising gear and water toys.

The cockpit over the garage is divided into four spaces, the sunning deck aft, the twin helms, the seating cockpit around the large table and the forward seating area close to the companionway that will be protected by a dodger in wet and windy weather.

Down below the modern interior is finished in light, varnished Alpi teak with off-white overhead moldings and light colored fabrics. The saloon is slightly raised so the generator and tanks can be built in beneath it and to afford you nearly 360-degree views through the large windows. Access to the genset is via two large trap doors that are raised and lowered pneumatically.

The galley to port is a proper kitchen with acres of counter space and plenty of storage lockers for long term living aboard. The nav station to starboard is close to the companionway and fitted out with table storage for charts and nav tools and cabinet spaces for mounting instruments and radios.

The dinette seats six and, like the settee across from it, will be an excellent sea berth. Beneath and behind the dinette and settee you will find plenty of storage spaces for supplies and spare parts.

There are several options available for the aft and forward cabins. For owners who will be living aboard, the owner’s aft cabin arrangement makes a lot of sense, since this is the largest and most private sleeping cabin on the boat complete with its own head, shower stall, hanging lockers, drawers and a small sofa settee. With this arrangement, the forward cabin space can be divided into two double cabins, or left open with a Pullman berth to starboard and a single berth to port.

If you decide to have the owner’s cabin forward, the aft cabin space can be had as two quarter cabins. These cabins each have twin berths with a space between them but can be cunningly slid together to make double bunks.

In the forepeak, you can have a crew cabin or the large area can be left open for storing sails, deck and docking gear and more water toys.

The new Jeanneau 57 promises to be a stunning new addition to the company’s line. And, with a 50-foot waterline, the new boat is going to be capable of extremely fast passages. When the first boat rolls down the ways, BWS will look forward to running extensive sea trials for a longer review.

JEANNEAU 57
LOA 58’0”

LWL 50’2”
Beam 16’4”
Displ. 42,990 (light)
Draft 8’2” (std.)
Ballast 13,448 lbs. (std.)
Draft 6’10” (opt.)
Ballast 14,330 (opt.)
Water 256 gals.
Fuel 111 gals.

Jeanneau America
Annapolis, MD
410-280-9400
www.jeanneau.com

Jenneau 44i •

It was our sixth and last day in the B.V.I. aboard the brand new Jeanneau/Sunsail 44i, which was hull number one in the Caribbean.  We had stopped in Soper’s Hole for lunch and had a few hours before we had to have the boat back to the base in Road Town, so we took the time to go for one last sail in Sir Francis Drake Channel. We raised the main and rolled out the genoa just off West End and began beating into the easterly trade winds. It was lovely afternoon with a fairly flat sea and a pleasant 15 knots of wind right on our nose.

What made the sail even more fun was the Swan 48 that emerged from Soper’s a few minutes after us. They too raised and trimmed sail and began to pursue us. We had a brand new, untuned boat rigged for chartering. They had a grand prix racer with laminated sails. But like us, the 48 was sailed by a couple.

So, it was to our infinite glee that the 44i put her shoulder down and started to really chew up the miles to windward. We were sailing at just over 40 degrees to the true wind and making 7 to 7.2 knots. Behind us the Swan trimmed up nicely and began to reel us in but it was a slow process. They were a little higher and a little faster, but we were going just fine. By the time we had tacked as far as Peter Island, we could lay the entrance to Road Town so we made our final tack. We thought we would cross the 48 but knew it would be close. Luffing the genoa trim as we tacked ensured that we wouldn’t cross ahead of the 48 so the Swan—on port tack—had to dip behind our stern. As we passed, we shared big waves and big smiles.

There is something very special about two good boats sailing well together, competing a little, honing the sail trim, and we were pleased to be on one of the two out there.

That last day’s sail served to cement in our minds the essential quality of the new Philippe Briand-designed 44i—here was a cruising boat that even experienced, competitive sailors will enjoy. For a week it had shown us all it could do. On our first day out, we jibed our way dead downwind from Road Town to the Bight at Norman’s Island at a good 6 to 7 knots.
The next day we bashed 21 miles to windward in a rising breeze all the way to the Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound, Virgin Gorda. We made five long tacks and covered the distance in less than four hours. Despite the larger rollers coming into the channel between Cooper Island and Virgin Gorda, we had very little water on deck and virtually no spray in the cockpit.
And then we spent a couple of days wending our way westward to Guana Island and Jost Van Dyke, always with the wind over our shoulders and always cruising at 6 knots or better. Given a fair breeze of 15 knots, the 44i really skips along.

Under power the boat handled easily and will go 8 knots if need be. The boat we sailed was fitted with a large, three-bladed fixed prop, so it had a pretty ferocious prop wash that tended to unbalance the spade rudder and created some hefty prop walk in reverse. But, a folding two or three blade prop, which is the right kind of prop for this design, would reduce drag while under sail and ameliorate the vices of the big fixed wheel.
Over six days of cruising and after sailing the 44i through a 60-mile circumnavigation of Tortola we were impressed with the design of the 44i and very enthusiastic about the quality and value that Jeanneau builds into their boats.

Design & Construction
In 2007, Jeanneau commemorated the company’s 50th anniversary and celebrated the fact that in those five decades the company has become one of the leading innovators in cruising boat design and construction. Over those years as well, Jeanneau has built many race winners and many high tech offshore boats for events such as the Route du Rhum, Transat, Mini Transat, Transat Jaques Vabre and even round the world races.

The technical know how and advanced construction techniques that go into the 44i and the rest of the present-day line of racing and cruising boats all flow from the innovations that set the company apart from the fleet of production builders.

The 44i was designed by Frenchman Philippe Briand who has been working with Jeanneau for 30 years. The design brief for the 44i was to create a performance cruising boat that is easy for a couple to cruise but quick enough to be useful in offshore events and around the buoys.
The hull form Briand designed has a full transom married to a fairly fine bow. The U-shaped hull form at the bow carries all the way aft so the run is very fair and true. With a 14-foot, four-inch beam and a 37-foot, six-inch waterline, the 44i has a beam-to-length ratio of 38 percent, which is moderate by modern standards. This type of hull form has plenty of initial stability and likes to be sailed fairly upright. We found that it responded well to a single reef when the apparent wind built to more than 20 knots.

The boat’s stability and big boat feel underfoot comes from the placement of the bulb on the keel. The 44i’s draft is six-feet, eight inches. That’s deep by charter boat standards and even quite deep by general cruising boat standards. With the ballast bulb that low, the boat has a lot of righting moment that adds plenty of ultimate stability to the hull.

The boat has a displacement of 21,892 pounds and a displacement-to-length ratio of 185. For a 44-footer, these numbers indicate that it is a fairly light design that will be easily driven. The ballast-to-displacement ratio of 30 percent is right in the middle of the field of modern cruisers.

What sets the 44i apart is the shape and configuration of the keel and rudder. The keel is a moderate fin that has an aft-sweeping bulb of lead at its bottom. The bulb carries the bulk of the ballast and provides noticeable stability. It also acts as an end plate to the foil shape of the keel, which enhances the keel’s lift as it moves through the water. This is part of the reason the boat sails so nicely to windward.

The high aspect spade rudder is quite large and deep. It provides a truly good bite on the water and a sense of confidence and authority at the helm. We had puffy conditions on the second day’s beat up the channel but never felt the boat round up in the gusts, nor did the rudder lose its grip as the 44i heeled hard over. Instead, with the mainsail trimmed for balance the boat sailed as if on rails and was easy to steer.

The simple sloop rig with a slab reefed mainsail and a roller furling genoa on a twin spreader mast was simplicity itself. The main can be controlled with a Harken traveler that runs the width of the cabin top, so it is easy to power up or de-power the big sail. The boat we sailed had two sets of single line reefing rigged, which we used several times. Like all single line systems, the sail could be reefed from the cockpit, but you need plenty of winch power to crank the clew line down tightly. Sailing upwind in a breeze, we found that the 44i sailed more upright and faster with one reef tied in as the apparent breeze got above 20 knots.

The 125-percent roller furling genoa was a good cruising sail and small enough for one person to handle both sheets during a tack. The sheet runs through adjustable cars on the side decks, so it was simple to move the cars forward and aft for different wind strengths and sailing angles. The sheeting angles are tight, which is the second half of the equation that makes the 44i close winded.

With a sail area-to-displacement ratio of 17.9, the 44i in cruising mode is not over canvassed but equipped with enough horsepower to sail nicely and easily in a wide range of conditions. For those who want maximum performance for their boats, the 44i can also be built with a deeper keel and a taller performance rig.

As part of Group Beneteau, Jeanneau has access to the most advanced design and construction technology. The design and engineering of the 44i were developed using Catia 3D CAD software, which allows the designers in Briand’s office and the engineers at Jeanneau to model out and spec every piece of the boat before the first layer of gel coat is laid down.

The molds for the hull and deck are constructed using a five-axial robotic shaping tool that literally sculpts the shapes that are fed to it though the CAD software. Once the molds for a new design have been built, the hull, deck and interior parts can be produced. Jeanneau has developed an advanced injection molding system called the Prisma Process, which allows the hull and deck to be molded in a vacuum between two mold forms. The technique reduces styrene emissions and creates a finished part that is fair and smooth on both sides. And, the parts—hull and deck—are both lighter and stronger than hand-laminated boats.

The 44i has a structural grid that is laminated into the hull on which the furniture is tabbed into place. The grid breaks the bilge into numerous smaller lockers all of which are connected with limber holes that lead to the small bilge sump on top of the keel. There was a little rain water in the bilge when we got aboard but we never had a problem with it sloshing into lockers and the bilge pump removed it in about five seconds.

The engine sits on mounting frames that are integral to the interior grid. The soft engine mounts under the Yanmar diesel produced no vibration at cruising speeds and helped to keep the engine remarkably quiet. The shaft runs aft through a small skeg molded into the hull and a bronze strut so it is well supported and also protected by two cutlass bearings.

The production line on which the 44i is built looks more like a automobile factory than an old-style boat shop. Robots handle many of the cutting and drilling chores while technicians install preassembled gear, equipment and furniture. The Prima Process, advanced CAD tools and modern robotic manufacturing all combine to streamline and perfect the boat building process and allow Jeanneau and other modern builders to create advanced sailing yachts that are also very solid values for your money.

Living Aboard

We had six nights aboard the 44i, so we had a good opportunity to really experience how it served as a cruising home. There were only two of us to inhabit the four sleeping cabins so we rattled around a bit. And since we were in the B.V.I. and always anchored or moored next to a great restaurant, we did not do a lot of elaborate cooking.

The charter version of the 44i has twin aft cabins, two aft heads, twin forward cabins and a spacious saloon with the galley along the port side and the dinette to starboard. There are two other owner’s versions that convert the forward cabins into either a large master stateroom with a centerline double berth or huge V-berth. In the four-cabin version and the V-berth version, small fold-up berths are available for children.

We slept in the starboard after cabin and found it comfortable and roomy. Ventilation via the overhead deck hatch and two opening ports into the cockpit was adequate when the trade wind was blowing. But the cabin did become warm and airless without the breeze. The Hella fan at the foot of the berth helped on windless nights. One hot night we slept in the forward cabins with the overhead hatches open and felt the benefit of the breeze all night.

The in-line galley is a design feature that originated in the charter fleets because it clears space aft for a second large aft cabin and a second aft head. In-line galleys work well when moored or sailing downwind but are hard to use when the boat is heeled over. If the galley is on the downhill side, the sinks can flood and the cook is always leaning over the hot stove. When it is on the uphill side, the cook has to hang on with one hand.

The 44i solves these issues to a large extent by placing a firm back and rail on the amidships seat at the dinette. The cook can lean against and hang on to it while the boat heels. Also, rails in front of the stove and along the counter front provide secure hand holds and protection from the stove.
Throughout the 44i, storage is beneath the berths and under the large settee of the dinette. The centerline seat will be home for most of the galley stores while spare parts and long term stores will find homes under the settee and under the forward berths.

On deck storage is good. The two lazarettes are voluminous and the seat lockers are big enough for a lot of deck gear despite the sleeping cabins beneath them. The anchor locker in the forepeak is deep enough for two complete rodes plus a spare anchor and rode.

In the saloon, the outboard cabinets above the galley and behind the dinette are large enough for some provision storage and can also be used for mounting radios and home entertainment units.

Since we were sailing for only a week, we did not bring a lot of personal gear with us, so we found the storage in the after cabins to be more than adequate. And we found the locker space available around the galley ample for the supplies we brought aboard. The wine locker in the middle of the dinette’s table holds four bottles.

The heads on the 44i we sailed were compact and had hand-held shower units integrated into the sinks. In the tropics we tend to shower on the swim platform but we did shower in the heads in port once and found the system to work fine.

With 163 gallons of fresh water aboard we barely made a dent in our supply during the week. Had we been sailing with two or three other couples, that story might be different. The holding tanks for the heads are large and positioned above the waterline, which allows them to self-drain overboard when you are out at sea. You just have to remember to close the seacocks when you enter a harbor.

The interior finish of the 44i is warm and inviting. The woodwork is simple but of good quality. Bulkheads and the flat panels of the furniture are made of Alpi wood from Italy in a pattern known as FineTeak. The wood-grained laminate is more durable than real teak and does not require cutting down endangered stands of teak trees.

The overheads are fabric covered panels that can be removed to work on wiring or deck fittings. The underside of the decks and the cockpit moldings are as smooth and finished as the outside. This is the result of the injection system used while constructing the parts. Overall, the quality of the fiberglass work is very high throughout.

Spacious, light and attractive, the interior of the 44i offers a lot of accommodation in the 44-foot envelope. For a family of four or five, the four-cabin version will work well for chartering and coastal cruising. For couples or families living aboard for a while, the three-cabin version will work better.

BWS thoughts
The Jeanneau 44i may be the best sailing new charter boat we have sailed in a long while. It is handy around the docks, sails close to the wind, reaches off with gusto and can be handled easily by a couple or a singlehander.
The design has a lot of integrity and the construction has been undertaken with blue water sailing in mind. Once fitted out for ocean sailing, we would not hesitate to sail the 44i across an ocean or race it in an offshore event.
Jeanneau has a long history of building stylish, high-quality boats. The 44i is a Briand design and carries the designer’s unmistakable elegance of line and proportion and is one of the prettiest production fiberglass sloops we have seen in a long time. Très Rapide! Très Jolie!

Sunsail/Jeanneau 44i

LOA 43’11”
LWL 37’6”
Beam 14’4”
Draft (standard) 6’8”
Draft (shoal) 5’4”
Draft (perform) 7’6”
Displacement 21,892 lbs.
Ballast 6,512 lbs.
Sail area (standard) 875 sq. ft.
Sail area (perform) 980 sq. ft.
SA/D 17.9
D/L 185
B/L 38%
Water 163 gals.
Fuel 63 gals.
Designer Philippe Briand

Jeanneau America
105 Eastern Ave Ste 202
Annapolis, MD 21403
(410) 280-9400
www.jeanneauamerica.com

Sunsail
93 North Park Place Blvd.
Clearwater, FL 33759
(800) 817-0807
www.sunsail.com

Jenneau Sun Odyssey 36i

Like the successful Sun Odyssey 39i, the new 36-footer has a unique injection-molded deck that enables the builder to create very high quality work that is finely finished both inside and out.

The styling of the new 36i is sleek and purposeful. The cockpit provides a comfortable area for up to six adults. The boat has a single large destroyer wheel so you can easily sit to windward or leeward to steer.

Down below the interior is finished in a warm, traditional teak with a teak and holly sole. The overhead is molded white and accented with varnished teak strips. The interior comes in two versions, one with two aft cabins and the other with only one. The single aft-cabin version has much larger head with a separate shower and a ton of storage space in the port quarter.

The galley to starboard is compact but has plenty of counter space, twin sinks and a large refer box. The nav station has been integrated into the port settee so it can double as a table for games or projects. The U-shaped dinette will seat four comfortably. The forward cabin has a good-sized Vberth with a hatch above it for ventilation.

A compact cruiser that offers a lot of space for living and very good sailing characteristics, the new Sun Odyssey 36i will be a real head-turner, particularly as it sails by you.

Specifications: LOA 35’11”; LWL 32’3”; Beam 11’9”; Draft (std.) 6’4”; Displacement 12,566; Sail area (std.) 686 sq. ft.

For more information log on to www.jeanneauamerica.com.

Jenneau Sun Odyssey 39DS •

The 39DS is equipped with roller main and headsail so it is a snap to control all sheets and control lines from the cockpit. You only have to go onto the foredeck to set the spinnaker or drop the anchor.

Down below the 39DS has one of the largest aft double cabins you will find in a boat under 40 feet. The berth is situated sideways with the foot under the cockpit and is huge. Ample storage and hanging lockers will make this a comfort-able home away from home. The guest cabin forward is also spacious and has a big V-berth. The head and shower are aft next to the companionway.

The saloon has a large U-shaped galley, a full-size chart table and a dinette that will seat four. The settee to port will double as a good sea berth when making overnight passages.

Like her sister ships, the 39DS has a varnished teak interior that is warm and traditional. The finish of the joinery is very good and top quality hardware has been used throughout.

A cruiser’s cruising boat, the Sun Odyssey 39DS makes many of the amenities found in the 54 available to those on a smaller budget in a distinctive and stylish package.

Specifications: LOA 38’11”; LWL 35’2”; Beam 12’9”; Draft 6’6”; Displacement 17,355 lbs.; Sail Area 725 sq. ft.

For more information log on to www.jeanneauamerica.com.

Jenneau Sun Odyssey 42i •

The new 42i, like her smaller sister ship the 36i, is just such a dual-purpose boat. In 42 feet Jeanneau has been able to create a sailing platform that has ocean going capabilities and accommodations that will serve those who will be living aboard for weeks or even months at a time.

The performance package offered by the builder has more sail area, high-tech sails, Dyform rigging, adjustable backstay and genoa cars, a deeper high aspect keel and a folding propeller. If you want a turbo charged cruising boat, the performance package on the 42i will do the job for you.

But even without the added horsepower, the 42i promises to be a fine sailing boat that will be easy for a couple to manage. With twin wheels in the cockpit and all sail control lines led aft, you will find sail trim, reefing and furling can for the most part be handled from the cockpit.

Down below, two accommodations plans are offered. A three-cabin version has twin quarter cabins and a V-berth forward while the two-cabin version has one quarter cabin, a larger aft head with stand alone shower and extra storage in the port cockpit locker.

The saloon has a large dinette, a bench settee that will be a good sea berth and an excellent galley with acres of counter space. The interior is finished in teak and white and offers a teak and holly sole. The ambience is comfortable and bright. For those with ambitions for speed on and off the racecourse, the 42i will serve their purposes and, in the bargain, will be a highly capable offshore passagemaker.

Specification: LOA 42’2”; LWL 38’1”; Beam 13’6”; Draft (std.) 6’11”; Displacement 18,540 lbs.; Sail Area 877 sq. ft.

For more information log on to www.jeanneauamerica.com.

Designed by Daniel Andrieu, the Sun Fast 3200 has many elements that are common on much larger race boats such as twin rudders, a plumb bow and a keel bulb. This boat was definitely designed for speed. Her narrow entry will slice through the waves and the wide transom provides form stability, especially when reaching.

Unlike her Spartan, purely racing sisters, the Sun Fast 3200 actually has a comfortable cabin that maximizes the available space. There are two double cabins aft, a full galley to starboard and nav station to port, settee with centerline table and an enclosed head forward. No doubt this boat will be just as comfortable racing around the buoys as cruising for a weekend with friends. This boat is so new, that at press time, the specifications were not available.

The Sun Fast 3200 is already making waves in the European racing scene, however. The next Transquadra in 2008, which is a shorthanded transatlantic race for sailors over 40, will have an entire class for these boats. We are sure this will be the first of many for this streamlined, sporty boat.

For more information, log on to www.sunfast3200.com

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Jenneau 49 •

The new Performance 49, which is being introduced this year with a taller rig, slab reefing main, foil furling headsail, a full spinnaker package and deeper high performance keel, should sail higher and faster and generally improve upon the cruising rig’s dance steps. (The Performance Package is an option, which adds about $20,000 to the base price.)

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The foundation of the Jeanneau 49′s performance lies in the collaboration between the builder, which is a member of Group Beneteau, and naval architect Philippe Briand. Briand is not well known in the U.S. but is renowned in Europe as an innovator and a designer of elegant and fast boats—racing or cruising. The choice of Briand to design the 49 and other Jeanneaus underscores the company’s commitment to building boats that truly sail well.

The 49 has a sleek and powerful sheer, fairly short overhangs, a nearly plumb bow and a long waterline. Jeanneau has had a lot of success with their 54DS (deck saloon) and 49DS models. The 49 was created to offer a boat that was sleek looking, with a low-profile coach roof, trim moldings, a large but low-profile cockpit and an overall streamlined appearance.

Her beam is 14 feet, three inches—similar to the Hunter 49 and Beneteau 49—so there is plenty of interior volume for accommodations and storage. Briand has brought the lines of the hull in at the bow and stern which gives the 49 good balance upwind and the ability to steer straight when power reaching and running.

The large high-aspect spade rudder and new performance keel will add to the boat’s windward ability and make it nimble and quick through tacks. They also will give the boat more stability and thus the ability to carry more sail. The rudder is fiberglass with a stainless steel ruder post and a welded stainless steel web inside the rudder’s laminate. The rudder hangs on robust self-aligning rudder bearings and is controlled by an adjustable chain-wire-quadrant steering system that connects both wheels to the quadrant.

The new performance rig equips the boat will a taller mast and a longer boom. Flying a standard performance mainsail with a well curved roach and a 150-percent genoa, the boat will carry over 1,300 square feet of working sail—enough to get it going well in the light stuff and ample for pleasing performance when the wind picks up.

Built in France and shipped to the U.S., the 49 does not have a high-tech ultralight hull. The hull is hand-laid fiberglass without a core that is reinforced with Kevlar in the forward sections and around areas of high loading, such as the rudder post. The deck is cored for stiffness, lightness and insulating properties. Such construction techniques have long and proven records and provide their owners with hulls that will last many years and with-stand the rigors of heavy blue-water sailing.

An interior grid forms the forward and lateral stringers on which the bulkheads, tanks and engine are mounted and where the keel bolts are secured. The bulkheads are laminated to the hull and deck, and the deck is fastened to the hull with high strength adhesive and through-bolts.

The 49 Performance was drawn by a master yacht designer who gave the boat sleek, fast lines and the ability to sail well in a wide range of wind and sea conditions. The design was then engineered and constructed by a firm that has built many thousands of cruising boats and has perfected the techniques to create a hull and deck, rudder and keel that are strong, durable and safe. And the 49 will be fast as well.

LIVING ABROAD
Several accommodations plans are available for the 49 that can offer either three or four sleeping cabins and three or four heads. The 49 is a big boat with a lot of volume, so even the four cabin arrangement provides ample storage and hanging space for crew sailing aboard.

If the boat is going to be used for offshore events or regattas in the Caribbean, then the four-cabin layout makes sense since it enables eight sleeping berths to be left made up at all times. Both the quarter cabins will be good sea berths. And the upper and lower berths in the split fore cabins will also be good berths at sea even though they are forward of the mast.

The saloon has the chart table to starboard at the foot of the companionway. On all but the four-cabin models, the chart table is huge and more of a floating office than a simple nav station. On the four-cabin version, the nav station is smaller and more compact.

The 49 has an in-line galley along the port side of the saloon that has acres of counter space, a huge fridge, big sinks and a lot of storage. For preparing meals in port, at anchor or in level-sailing conditions, an in-line gal-ley works well. We all tend to congregate in the kitchen anyway, so why not make the whole saloon a floating kitchen with a large comfortable dinette on the starboard side?

The downside to an in-line galley such as this is that it is less convenient for preparing meals and washing up when heeled hard on either tack since the cabin is wide and there are few corners against which to brace yourself so that you can cook using both hands. Also, on the starboard tack, the sinks will not drain efficiently and may even burp seawater into the cabin.

To our minds, only sailors who are planning on spending a lot of time at sea should worry much about an in-line galley. Most of us do not spend a lot of time at sea and even those of us who cruise offshore are cooking evening meals at sea about five percent of the time.

The 49 has tanks for 150 gallons of water and 63 gallons of diesel. For coastal cruising or even offshore runs, this is a good supply. Yet owners who will be venturing really far and wide may want to shift one water tank to diesel and install a watermaker.

A couple with children, those who like to sail with friends and those who will be bringing aboard crew for sailing events will find the 49′s interior comfortable and commodious. Finished in teak with a light colored overhead, plenty of opening ports and a traditional teak-and-holly sole, the 49 feels traditional and will make a very pleasant home afloat.

BWS THOUGHTS
As we have noted, the Jeanneau 49 Performance sails well and will be competitive and fun in distance races, offshore events or even around the buoys. The Briand design is sweet and slips through the water like a thoroughbred. The boat’s look is sleek, modern, simple and functional.

Jeanneau already has a range of deck-saloon cruising boats that have proven to be trendsetters and very popular. The 49 seems almost to be a paean to great racer/cruisers of the past—boats that were developed for the old CCA rule or the first few years of the IMS—that were true sea boats that sailed fast and had good manners in heavy weather as well as light winds. It reminds us of durable designs like the Olin Stephens–designed Swans of the 1970s and the Frers-designed Beneteau First series boats of the 1980s.

With the Jeanneau 49 Performance, the company has emphasized sailing qualities but not at the expense of comfort. And they have maintained a high level of production quality while still offering a big capable cruising boat at a very fair value. For those who like to sail and like a boat that really sails well, just trim her carefully, sit to leeward and feel her walk to windward like a pro.

LOA 48’3”
LWL 42’3”
Beam 14’8”
Draft (deep) 7’8”
Ballast (deep) 8,025 lbs.
Displacement (shoal) 27,888 lbs.
Sail Area 1,310 sq. ft
Fuel 63 gals.
Water 185 gals.
Auxiliary (diesel) 75 horsepower
Sail Area/Displ. 22.79
Displ./Length 165
Length/Beam 2.86
Base Price $318,200

Designed for both private ownership and the charter fleets, Jeanneau offers a variety of layouts for their voluminous interiors, with a 14-foot, four-inch beam on the 45 and 13 and a half feet on the 42DS. On the 45, the galley can be in-line on the port side or L-shaped to starboard, and the forward and aft cabins have optional removable bulkheads that turn two cabins into one. The curved saloon settee accommodates extra bodies and can be used as a sea berth on passage. With options in draft as well, the new Sun Odysseys will appeal to those looking for excellent value and the ability to tailor their cruising machine.

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