Jimmy Cornell is one of the most experienced offshore sailors on the planet and author of several of the tomes that every offshore sailor carries aboard his boat. He has built and sailed around the world on several boats of his own and has been closely associated with hundreds of cruisers—and their boats—during the many rallies he has run.
So, when he takes the opportunity to opine on what he has found to be successful in modern cruising boats and how to think about what you may need in a boat, it is worthwhile to stop and listen. He recently published an excellent article on the subject in Yachting World magazine that you can read here.