70 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com Domestic Boatofthe Year Import Boat ofthe Year Catalina 425. manufactured inFlorida,themonohull foundcruising aboutafully we’re talking the letters “c-a-t” initsname;ofcourse, the DomesticBoatof Year invoked theyear’sas top Heck, import. even andelegantBalance thefast 526, Africa, cats builtinSouth named oneofseveral 88) page independent panelofjudges(see boatbuilding, anditsnameismultihulls. the samething: We’ve thefutureof seen industry, we maynowbeableto saymuch fastest-growing inthesailboat segment as the established cats arenowfirmly Springsteen.”and itsnameisBruce As said,“Ifamously sawrock’n’ roll’s future, singer’s ahugestar actbeforehewas critic whocaughtayoung New Jersey divisionstoseparate categorize them. manycatsthatittookthere were three so half oftheentriessailedinontwo hulls; dozen nomineesinthe2017contest, fully manycatamarans.Inso fact,ofthetwo ular design(opposite bottom). is thecompany’s second take onapop site top). The wholesomeCatalina 425 oriented couple’s boat(oppo cruising The Balance 526isaperformance-­ C related categories. theyear’s thepackas Leading top domesticand between theNorthern hemispheres: andSouthern thewholesome To thepoint,for2017, underscore our It remindedusofanoldstory. A music From persuasion, the2017 every afleetladenwithcatamarans of Catalina 425, inFlorida,andasublimeSouth built African-born import choicesimport were apairofchampionsthatevenedthescales multihulls and monohulls —in10dedicated andmonohulls size-andpurpose- multihulls Boat ofthe Year contest crowned winners ofworthy aslew — competition have we seen wecompetition seen have annual Boatofthe Year ofour history 22-year catamarans: Never inthe atamarans, catamarans, Year Story byHerb McCormick, Photos Black Billy by 2017 BOAT2017 OF THEYEAR catamaran, theBalance 526. - - sea trials,andtook placesea duringand dockside inspectionsand of separate competitive divisionsinthecontest. joining theDehlerinoneof most the Alerion 30, Sport ElanE4andJ/112E with aficionados ofperformance cruisers, Impression 45). agreatyearAnd itwas for Rassy 40MK (Elan Slovenia II)andeven Italy (Solaris50),Sweden (Hallberg- (X-Yachts (Dehler34), X4), Germany from Denmark field includedyachts Frenchthose products, theinternational Oceanis 62,Jeanneau 58). Along with (Beneteau andbigger tinued to getbigger boats con- the fleet,productioncruising sideof dozen yachtsonthemonohull it.Ofthe infact,theywere farfrom ever; (Gemini Freestyle). with anopenfloorplanfordaycharters 1190); andanotherFloridaproduct cat constructedin Vietnam (Seawind shoe” (Xquisite sporty X5); anincredibly one nauticalwriter likened to a“running Fly, Leopard45);acatwithlooksthat Nautitech(Bali 4.0Lounge,Bavaria 46 atthecharter tradecats aimeddirectly 42 and450S, Fountaine Pajot Lucia40); France catsfrom satile cruising (Lagoon MK II,Royal Cape Majestic 530);ver cats(St.Francis voyaging African 50 of stripes. SouthThere were full-fledged They cameinadizzying,dazzlingarray definitely thethemeof2017fleet. As always, thejudgingconsisted Cats weren’t thewholestory, how The Year oftheCats, however, was of the Cats - - Step rightupandcheck themout. mannerofshapes,sizesandstyles. in all boats cruising blendofwell-found diverse a and done,thechampionsrepresented said was forthecats,butwhenall season unique personality. It beena mighthave tition, the2017editiontook onitsown credentials andmore. the respectivemanufacturers,judges’ the entirefleet, for contact information 88 and89,you’ll findspecsandstatson theircompetition. from Then, onpages them winners, andexplorewhatseparated announce the the individualclasses, delvedeepinto we’ll the next16pages, Annapolis, Maryland, inOctober. Over after theannualU.S. Showin Sailboat 74 73 72 88 87 86 84 82 80 BestPerformance Cruiser 78 76

Like every Boatofthe Like every Year compe- Import Boatofthe Year Domestic Boatofthe Year Specs, Prices &More Judge’s Special Prize Most Innovative Over50Feet Cruiser Best Full-Size Under Cruiser Best Full-Size 50Feet Best Charter Boat MultihullBest Full-Size Over50Feet MultihullBest Full-Size Under 50Feet CIRCLE OFWINNERS 71 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 72 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com way, andboy, Ifeltthiswasn’t he wanted to changealongthe “So hehadagreatlistofthings 425,” saidjudge Tim Murphy. back loopwhenhetackledthe hadanamazingfeed- Douglas that heownedonehimself, 42-footer,previous andthefact award Year of the Boat Domestic why we’ve awardedthe2017 2016). That’sDecember “Born intheUSA,” park (see And heknocked itoutofthe 425.knowledge inthenew years andamalgamated that intheintervening he learned Now taken has Douglas all successful productionboat. 1,000 unitsofthehighly Catalina produced morethan saidanddone, was before all debuted 23years and ago, pany’s original42-footer his with Douglas designer Gerry to Catalinaitself Yachts thatpresented opportunity the inal. Butthatisprecisely after oftheorig- thesplash design acouple ofdecades swingatapopulara second N “With withthe hishistory . The com - Catalina 425.The gets thechance to take architect naval ot every to theCatalina Domestic Boatofthe Year 2017 20 Everybody’s All-American 425 . $315,000.” this boat,whichcomes inat detail, there’s alotofvaluein good. ically With detailafter was emphat the fitandfinish interior, warm-feeling very and duction boat,frankly. It a has like you were aboard apro completely revamped, comfortable saloonandinterior (below). were built. versionAmong thechangesonnew (above) are twinsteering wheelsanda tion, introduced 23years popularmodel,ofwhichmore ago, than1,000units wasawildly Douglas’second 42-footer forCatalina; thefirstThe Catalina 425 isdesignerGerry itera- - - opened upthecockpit nicely. gone to twinwheels.It’s really large steering wheel.Now he’s pedestal withanabnormally a center-mounted steering great redesign.His old42had thisisathat respect.Overall, boatin a traditionalcruising he continued. “Soit’s moreof drive, compared to saildrives,” we sailedthis year withashaft that respect. andquiteproperly goodin to easy getto,was labeled a nice jobwithit.Everything He thatgoaland did achieved vice access to thesystems. all wanted toexcellent ser have thathe designbriefwas sonal hisper said whendiscussing “One ofthethingsDouglas egory,” noted EdSherman. expensive boatsinitscat some ofthemore finish than “It’s boats oneofthefew “It of hadahigherlevel OVERALL WINNER Catalina - - - 425 the two majorawardsfor2017. Catalina 425took homeone of panelists, which iswhythe impressed.” very Iwas Overall, The engineaccess great. was were good. The openingports awesome. saloon table,really of sweet. abeautiful There was cockpit thatwere kind console cool, funlightsinthe some mers,” sheadded.“It has also lights were LEDswith dim- excellent vehicleforthat. ment cruising. beanThis will their 50swithplansforretire- experienced sailingcouple in tures. The target market isan concerted focusonsafety fea- Carol a Hasse.“Therewas lent jobwiththisboat,”said superclean.” areall forth andso trical panel,glasswork theelec Behind thescenes, So too were Hasse’s fellow “I like the thefact thatall “Catalina didan excel- - history of multihull design design ofmultihull history momentinthe an important the Balance 526represents with thisone.In fact,Ithink Murphy. “I thinkhe’s nailedit built inChina,”said Tim and anearlierBalance model a DolphincatbuiltinBrazil boats inthecontest, including Feet 76)for2017. page (see MultihullFull-Size Over50 Year of the andBest Boat 526 theBalance end resultwas accommodations. The able and offer complete, comfort payload acruiser’s could carry —thatnonetheless sail well that two people could truly boat—one cruising light, fast balancing actincreatinga pany, Nexus Yachts, ledto a Paarman brosandtheircom - du between Berman, Toit, the cats. cruising and marketing oflong-range the lamination,construction coast oftheirhomeland—to thatsurgealongthe currents windsand the wildwaves, their deepunderstandingof that experience —along with surfboards andlater applied careers shapingandbuilding legends whobegantheir of South surfing African the Paarman brothers,atrio du Toitdesigner Anton and On theotherhand,you had catamarans. cruising selling conceptualizing, sailingand career into adecades-long knowledge, talentandpassion his youth, who parlayed his competitive Hobie sailorin aworld-class Phil Berman, one hand,you had American I “Phil has entered “Phil has other The ensuingcollaboration multihull heaven. Onthe heaven. multihull amatcht was madein Cruising World, Cruising Import ’s Balancing Act A Wondrous 2017 20 Import Boatofthe Year

- Finally, thatperfor we have needed aprofessionalcrew. most couples could you handle; morethan bred boat,butitwas their 62-footer, arealthorough- Then Gunboat cameinwith couple could take anywhere. catthatanexperienced aging nized: ahigh-­ marketplace thatPhilrecog- missinginthe something was people putonthem.Butthere designed fortheloadsthat fat boatsthatatfirst weren’t the beginning,therewere big, opment for20years now. In watching- catamarandevel and evolution. We’ve been that upinsuchawayhe heset around theworld, so mindfulofmigrating very also the shore-power side,hewas “On here,” saidEdSherman. arena in thestate-of-the-art we’re playing power plant,so to withalithium-ion gofull-on a high-endownerwhodecided it’s agood,lightstructure.” they’reusingcarbon.So areas, where thereareanyhigh-load but boat forthemostpart, carboninit.It’shas anE-glass boat. A lotofthestructure epoxy is avacuum-bagged nice,” hecontinued. “This very Sweet Spot,”June 2016). “In (see sailwell a can actually thatacouple mance cruiser “The Balance we sailedhad “The laminationwork is performance voy- - surroundings (below). isvastandcompelling mance roots (above). From ofthe themainsaloon,view Paarman brothers, theBalance 526boastsdeepperfor Anton du Toit andSouth surfinglegends the African A navalarchitect collaboration Berman, between Phil there are also 1,200watts’ there arealso the changeofanadaptor. But switchable with essentially alotofoptionsthatare has OVERALL WINNER Balance 526 winner. was. abig also And itwas and seaworthy.’” Indeed it happening. It’s designed well like ‘OK,thisthing istotally feelneat waysthatmadeusall withtheboatin insync all sailors, like us,and they were said Carol Hasse.“Theywere and howfunctionalitwas,” about howtheboatsailed enthusiastic were so Africa South brought theboatfrom concept oftheboat.” copper. It speaksto thewhole add upto alotofweight injust which onaboatlike thiscan wire gaugeandsuchinhalf, this enablesthemto cuttheir DC system instead of12volts; weight, theywent to a24-volt panels. ofsolar worth To save “The delivery crew thathad crew “The delivery - 73 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 74 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com the adversaries andcompetitors: two longtimeBOTYfrom battle between atrioofboats Feet 50 Full-Size Multihull Under the competition forBest now. Soit’s that nosurprise fordecades and construction of thehotbedscatdesign beenonenation, whichhas the­ from the fourcontestants hailing French affair, withthreeof adecidedly for 2017was 450 S 450 40 They doavinylester skin added. “It’s hull: aninfused fourcabins,” he manyas as four differentlayouts with units. year span,theybuilt200 the builder’s line.Overasix- 40 said Tim Murphy. “TheLucia cats,” 3,000boats,all some which timethey’vebuilt business for40years, during “Fountaine Pajot beenin has beginning withtheLucia 87). page (see suchwithaspecialawardit as critical success andhonored a itwas the judgesbelieved Fountaine Pajot andLagoon, between tional catswaged the battleofmoretradi anoutlierinSeawind was malist, T Sport 1190 Vietnam, theSeawind builtin 39-footer a sharp boatintheclass, fourth remiss notto mentionthe we’d analysis, category be That lefttheFrench cats, “The Luciacancome in Before divinginto the No DogsAmong No replaces theLipari41in Lagoon andtheLagoon Fountaine Pajot Lucia Pajot Fountaine cated catamaran classes cated catamaranclasses he firstofthreededi . . While themini ­performance-oriented 2017 boatof theyear 2017 camedownto a sailing-crazed These CatsThese 2017 20 42 - and - 40 - .

I was prettyhappy,”I was hecon Murphy. ­high-production boat,”said thisislikely toso bea built, were 280ofthose Cool,” June 2016).“There “Categorically quiver (see 421inthe ­ previous model thatreplaced thefresh a ­ was 42 Lagoon design.” new but thisisamarginally steeringwith thenew station, tweaks alongthe edgesto go bridge. beenmany There have - fly visibility butnotatrue cabin top, good you have so the oflook over up andsort a flybridge. You step halfway steeringtional bulkhead and ahybridbetween tradi- really a similarconfiguration. It’s steering; theLucia40had top abouttheThe sport isall 650ofthem. some sold have andinthetimesinceago, model,six yearsa flybridge 450,the Lagoon whichwas Murphy. “Theyintroduced top,’”‘S’ standsfor‘sport said S the450 two Lagoons, tested.” the othercatamaranswe’ve lines compared of to some and keep the trackofall definitely easier to handle felt fineandspritely. It was wind.She 10 knotsoftrue knots onabeamreachin confirmed that,making 7.7 mance boat,and ourtest sail builder claimsit’s aperfor we hoisted thesails. The confirmedonce only was before we sailedit,andthat would beastrongcontender cluded. “I felttheboat impressive. of theirlargermodels.It’s world: thedecksonsome inthe ofanyindustry part builds thelargestinjected noting thatFountaine Pajot injection-molded. It’s worth ­resin-infused. The decksare coat, andthentherestis On theotherhand, Next thefirstof upwas “Once we were underway, completely company’s . “The - - Best Full-Size MultihullBest Full-Size Under 50Feet in Lagoon’s top.” 450Sstandsfor“sport Fountaine Pajot’s Lucia 40once hauledthemail spinnaker wassetanddrawing. The “S” trio ofwell-executed designs. putthepriorityonperformance. The Seawind 1190Sport Clockwise from above left:In competitive ahighly class,theLagoon42triumphed over a Lagoon Lagoon WINNER 42 50 Feet 50 Full-Size Multihull Under judges namedit 2017’s Best which iswhytheevolution, felt like and arealdeparture theLagoon were cast, Furthermore, when thevotes the littlethingsstandout. excellent.” The Harken hardwareisalso forward. between thehulls able, andIliked thelifelines were comfort pulpit seats substantial to me. The bow and bigcleatsfeltabitmore toerailsHasse. “TheLagoon tough said call,” areally call, $18 perpound.“It’s atough thesame came inatbasically 42,bothofwhich Lagoon down to theLucia40and one thatultimatelycame a difficultdecision tomake, under sail.” you wantto reefitoryou’re is lessofahandfulwhen mainsail-­ means theboat’s alittleless power intherenow, andit alittlemore you have sail, so sailmaker. “It’s head abigger Carol Hasse,our resident jib,” said now aself-tacking nakers you mightfly, there’s there.” advantage feelsthere’s“Lagoon abig implications,” saidMurphy. aft, whichhadbigstructural themast move they didwas there. ments. Buttheydidn’t stop long laddersandcompart intuitive space by eliminating makingitamuchmore areas, date thefloorplanandliving a deliberate - effort to consoli EVOLUTION. TRUE ED A - REPRESENT LAGOON 42 THAT RECKONED THE JUDGES and inadditionto anyspin you expandthe foretriangle, that aft themast was moving With similar, two boatsso All thatleftthejudgeswith “One ofthepositives “One ofthemajorthings With made the42, Lagoon . driven, so themain driven, so THE 42 - -

- - 75 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 76 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com not so surprisingly,not so theyrep products.PerhapsAfrican Xquisite X5 Xquisite and II 50 MK Francis St. Catamarans Majestic 530 acknowledging that other noted Tim Murphy, while five cabinsand fiveheads,” throughout.” good nonskidAnd therewas functional. cabin top very was “The layout ofthedeckand tures amongthenominees. mindful ofthesafety fea- said Carol Hasse,always the othercats,probably,” — better thanall handholds the perimeter oftheyacht thewayaround all handholds summation. withthis judging panelagreed ties.” For the themostpart, and long-rangecapabili- with superiorspecifications up for]singlehandedsailing “safe,boat as stable,[andset sions. The company the billed ver 53-foot andfinally 50- 45-, siblings, including42-, intotime evolved ever-larger 40-footer, butonethatover a designedas ­originally 530 theMajestic the quartet was sion intheentirefleet. thestrongestdivi resented 526 Balance four­ all the 2017BOTY contest, 50 Feet category Over the a still- YetSouth Africa. and in models:Francetion ofnew in thedesignandconstruc become theworld leaders othersthathave all above rans, therearetwo nations W “The modelwe sailedhad “They hadstainless-steel The mostunusualcatin , builtinDurbanand Full-Size Multihull South Africa North from surprising twist,in­surprising cruising catama cruising hen itcomes to nominees —the 2017 boatof theyear 2017

, 2017 — were South Royal Cape Royal 20 - in in - - - - , went into theirexecution.” clear thatalotofman-hours cabins,it’sliving inthose good. very rior was As you’re fit andfinishoftheinte- layouts “The were available. inates thecabinetry. for all nice jobcreatinglam - really “AndEd Sherman. theydida pretty neatengineering,”said seaworthy.”very of theothercats,Ifoundthis Compared to halyard. some with there,like the spinnaker holds —thatIpreferto deal clutches, steps, mast hand- —there’smast awinch,rope dealwiththingsatthe ally manycats. so You could actu- aft, like rigging therunning all swim ladder. They didn’t lead niceaft coaming, andareally lockerboard storage inthe tanks. scuba There’s- apaddle you canfitinfive so arranged “The cockpit lockers are Hasse.this boat,”seconded him.” boat, Ibelieve of wind,andafter sailingthe the breezeinupto 10knots would sailthesamespeedas Lethbridge saidtheboat 7knots. makingnearly still windandto 8knotsoftrue We were sailinginabout7 sailswell. And theboatreally did withtheMK IIversion. whichhe infusinghulls, start first catamaranbuilders to oneoftheLethbridge was this boatalongtheway. withesting innovations But they’ve made some inter But they’vemadesome it’s notahigh-outputyard. builds fourboatsayear, so definitely alegend. His firm boatbuilding,” hesaid.“He’s of South catamaran African “He’s kindofthegodfather owner DuncanLethbridge. for company founderand effusiveinhispraise was Multihull in2006.Murphy named theBestCruising designwas Angelo Lavranos an earlieriteration ofthe the panel were familiarwith “Systemswise, it has some some ithas “Systemswise, “There’s alotto like about Some membersofthe St. Francis 50 MK II 50 MK Francis St. ; - Best Full-Size MultihullBest Full-Size Over 50Feet The catdidnotwinthis nominees.” we didn’t the withall see workmanship visiblethat ahighdegreeofThere was splashy indifferentkindsofsplashy to gettoo voluminousortoo thatwasn’t form a hull going To to dothat,you have sail between 10and12knots. boat thatcanconsistently beginning thathewanted a the builder decidedfrom — nobumpsorchines. The form quirks aboutthehull there arenogimmicksor about it.Oneofthemisthat There aremanydetailsIlike cat thatacouple cansailwell. think thisisaperformance thoughts aboutthecat:“I expanded onhisprevious tioned theaforemen was - running impressive.” into thisboatisreally, really detailsthatarebuilt seagoing after detail. The numberof There’s justdetailafter detail the otherwayaround,Ithink. is TheXquisiteforms. those theinteriordeveloped around speedsandthenparticular thatwould deliver forms hull The Balance designers chose instance, theBalance 526did. formance andspeedthat,for make theconcession to per to before-and-aft; theydidn’t theberths forall in thehulls nice. They’ve created volume it’sdown inthehulls, really space inthemain saloonor said. “Whenyou’re inthe than itisatadistance,” he aboard. “It’s onboard lovelier covered whenhestepped Murphyand comfort,as dis accurate.” and Ithinkthat’s of sort the mostlike shoe, arunning that it’s theboatthatlooks CharlesDoanewrote blogger boat,” saidMurphy. “Sailing little bitofastrange-looking 86).“It’s page the same(see a award-winning designjust egory, to butitproved bean Xquisite X5 Next theXquisite was The remainingboatinthe Yet thereisbeauty inutility . Murphy 526 Balance - - - . prizes. notonebut apairof deserved thisprettyboat withtwo hulls Feet 50 Full-Size Multihull Over away withthetitleofBest walked 73),butitalso page Boat ofthe Year award(see take 526 theImport Balance Not didthe agreed. only water, lovely.” really anditwas throughtheboat moving polines andjustwatched the tram- we satonthe forward arebeautiful.Underhulls sail, the marketplace. Ithinkthe glad thatthechoice existsin to theinterior, andI’mvery andthenwent form the hull it,butitstarted withlove Not goingto everybody’s honest andhonorablechoice. cats do. ButIthinkthat’s an fore-and-aft like manyother facingisland queenberths you can’t thespacious have it,” hecontinued. “It means to it. andstaytrue seaways, Murphy’s colleagues in“There arecompromises for2017. Clearly, a was developedcats. from arange cruising ofsmaller South legend DuncanLethbridge. African The Majestic 530 St. Francis from 50MKII isacomplete multihull cruising blogger likened shoe.one sailing itslooksto arunning The The Balance drew strictcompetition from the Xquisite X5; Balance 526, thebiggestwinnerof2017BOTY contest. Clockwise from above: Here comes thesleek andpowerful Balance 526 WINNER 77 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 78 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com of design puzzles,” observed of designpuzzles,”observed market comes withitsownset 45 46 Fly Nautitech 4.0 Lounge Bali Boat Charter designation ofBest of nomineesvyingforthe that for2017, thequartet charterers. Soit’s littlewonder manybareboat choice forso become thevehicleof have catamarans that contemporary ofthereasons are justafew platform.terrific party These all-around sunbathing. An of space forloungingand spacious staterooms. Plenty Q “A boatbuiltforthecharter Gemini Freestyle andGemini Comfortable and Comfortable sailing. uick andlevel were all cats:the were all Vacation Ride 2017 boatof theyear 2017 2017 20 The Ideal Bavaria , Bavaria Leopard , Leopard . judges had a challenging time time judges hadachallenging Catalina yachts, atfirstthe facility thatmanufactures Freestyle aroundthecoasts. resorts fungatheringsat promises the GeminiFreestyle, which — plusaday-charter boat, charter marketthe overnight themesfor these developed sailed threecatamaransthat out ofthesunandwind.” around theboat,bothinand spaces social tiple separate offermul- charter boatsalso in recent designs,thebest or fourcouples ormore. And equivalent amenitiesto three charter boatshouldprovide charter boatisdifferent. A others,asuccessful all over amenities to onestateroom by morevolumeand devoting orcouple intheboat person ship maygivepriorityto one aimed atprivate owner Tim Murphy. “Whileaboat Gemini theGemini Because In thisyear’s contest, we is built in the same isbuiltinthesame - bridgedeck saloonto weather. the either opensorcloses the aft endofthecabinhouse garage-door-style enclosureat space onthebridgedeck. A an indoor/outdoorgathering tures anopenfloorplanwith said Carol Hasse. creativeway,”space insome on thewater orsharinganopen to dointhewayofentertaining foranythingyou’dplatform like ways. “TheGeminiisagreat can beconfigured in countless spacious andinviting—that pontoon boat,butmuchmore deck layout —notunlike a around theconcept ofanopen- getting theircollective mind fea- Lounge 4.0 The Bali Best Charter Boat by anotherFrench builder, upper “working cockpit.” the cockpit” from “social thelowerthat separates aft lounging areaonaflybridge Fly 46 Robertson andCaine yard.” South Leopard from Africa’s byrepresented boatslike the strongly we’ve seen something in withthatopenfloorplan, charter market. They came boats theycould bringinto the company felttheyneeded years,” saidMurphy. “The Catana two withinthelast bydeveloped theFrench yard “This 46-footer is built isbuilt “This 46-footer NautitechThe Bavaria brand “The Baliisanew provides ahelmand provides the U.S. market, withlarger they’ve doneto appealto make thathappen.” operation andneededcatsto ponent intheirboatbuilding to expandthecharter com- Bavaria Yachts, whichwanted by firm theGerman chased couple pur ofyears itwas ago, Nautitech,” saidMurphy. “A Caine yard. 4.0LoungeisCatana’sThe Bali answer to adedicated charter boat. icated flybridge. TheLeopardfrom 45isanotherwinner the South African and Robertson countless ways. NautitechThe Bavaria provides 46Fly ahelmandloungingarea onaded- was theGeminiFreestyle, a37-foot catwithanopenfloor plan thatcanbe configured in Clockwise from farleft:Perhaps the most interesting andunusualboatinthisyear’s fleet “I was impressed withwhat “I impressed was Leopard 45 WINNER - you could see everywhere. you everywhere. And could see themainsaloon; ibility from greatvis Hasse. “Therewas doneinterior,”nicely said teak grates the lovely andthe surprised.” antly pleas was very fit andfinish,I “Insaid EdSherman. terms of lot ofthesystems theyputin,” air-conditioning unitsanda “I taken was withthejoinery, - - saloon througha translucent ering space, connected to the gath- category’s best forward themes. The boatofferedthe aforementioned charter-cat execution ofthe exemplary 45 Leopard we inspected thisyear, the better thanIthoughtitwould.” inlightair,even itsailedway But among the nominees But amongthenominees stood outforits 2017 fleet. Cat Charter thetop Best earned spotas 45 standard, theLeopard cuted to high anextremely boats atanygiventime. 450 responsible forservicing parent company, Tui Marine, is maintain. They needto be;the ­ all 4500 andtheSunsail454— theMoorings— brandedas el’s unitsdestinedforcharter With 60­ withtheLeopard 45.case boat. That’s the certainly ates agoodprivate owner’s cre- good charter boat also worked bestinthisboat. tion aroundtwo power winches at thehelm,butorganiza- comes to asinglework station category, rigging running all dling. As onotherboatsinthe - that meanssimplersailhan the mainandjib. For sailors, ratiosof balancing theaspect aft, themast Simonis moved loads. For sailingperformance, ­ would have bulkhead transverse a solid Inof thehulls. earlier designs, deck andaroundtheinsides stringers crossingthebridge- out the­ much­ so ofcreating tural challenge thestruc Simonis described Feet Designer category). Alex 526 intheMultihulls Over50 (topped by theBalance only through theLeopardisterrific ward instead ofaft. Visibility can focustheirattention for people sittingatthedinette that on traditionalcats,so is flipped180degrees,unlike The layout ofthemainsaloon Lexan. door of1/2-inch-thick OAT. B OWNER’S FINE PRIVATE A ­CREATES TER BOAT GREAT CHAR- ATING A CASES, IN SOME With detailafter detailexe- creatinga In cases, some service items to areeasy service network of structural network ofstructural openness, pointing openness, pointing percent ofthismod- carried those those carried intheBOTY CRE-

- - 79 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 80 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com Joy ofSailing not really aboutlong-term not really So that’s thefocus here;it’s it’s adelightfulboat to sail. this boatisthesailing,and spreaders. onThe emphasis carbon rigandswept-back Murphy. “It’s offeredwith a to theweight init,”said Tim attention theypaidclose so thewaythrough,ester all hull well.” works very thepackage kudos because noted “I EdSherman. giveit batteries thejuice,” providing U.S. market, withlithium-ion that’s to new the relatively Oceanvolt electricengine think it’s anaestheticgem.” andkeel.performance hull I Hasse. “[The Alerion a has] lines ofthisbrand,”saidCarol withthe always beeninlove “I have reasons. eye forseveral caught thejudges’collective 30 Sport Alerion 30 Sport (Alerion E4 34 (Dehler in France (J/112E withnomineesbuilt cruisers, collection ofniftycoastal It aninternational also was thesimplejoy ofsailing. sons: crafted forthepurestofrea- fun, compact boats thatwere theboxes tick all forfast, between 30and36feet,that ranging different vessels, a bumpercropoffourvery of’17producedBut theclass suited to daysails. pleasant andideally vacation cruises, the racecourse, laidoutfor boats thatarecompetitive on sail- performance-­oriented fleet includesagroupof I “This is an infused vinyl- “This isaninfused “It’s powered withan We’ll beginwiththe the Boatof Year yeart’s that notevery ) andtheUnited States Crafted forthe 2017 boatof theyear 2017 Elan (Elan ), Slovenia 2017 20 ), Germany ), Germany , which ). TRIUMPHED. DEHLER 34 CRUISER, RACER AND BETWEEN ING AMIX OF FIND- IN TERMS looks beautifulon thewater boat to sail,”saidMurphy. “It gance”). asweet “Thiswas manufacturer, stands for“ele- the J/112E the nextboatincategory, going downbelow.” when secure made itvery on thecompanionway ladder did thedecks. The handholds and hadgoodnonskidonit,as The teak cockpit feltwarm Hasse. “It hadanice backrest. quite comfortable,” said forward.” whole lotofintheStates going of alinewe’re a going to see think thisisthebeginning Elan.I now andisrunning years. He’s livinginEurope ran Hunter Marine formany tion boatbuildingworld who guyintheproduc a legendary Peterson istheirdirector. He’s alotmoreofthem.Johnto see back, andIthinkwe’re going Butthey’recomingdownturn. States untiltheeconomic intheUnitedbig presence boats,” hesaid.“Theyhada They buildskisandthey been inbusinessfor70years. torical perspective.“Elan has itshis marized theboatfrom interior.cruising Murphy sum- comes complete withafull and twinrudders has E4 Elan pleasurable.” is very experience ofsailingthisboat description. That said,the ender, whichisanapt cruising. itaweek They call The Elan sailed well, as did as The Elansailedwell, “I foundthecockpit seating Unlike the Alerion, the (the“E,” saysthe THE - - - ­interior, andonce underway, dation plan. There’s anice agreataccommoAnd ithas inreal­ its sizeandalso it’s muchlessexpensivefor which is$26.55perpound.So “Compare thatto theJ/112E, placement,” he added. pound inrelationto itsdis breaks downat$17.09 per Dehler, whichcosts $215,000, shape themainsail,”hesaid. you canreally so cockpit sole sheeting anchoredonthe aft andend-boom traveler real sailcontrols, with the boatsthatgiveyou has class category.Cruiser “Thisentire nominees inthePerformance with respectto theother Murphy considered theboat 34 the Dehler fingertip control.” ings anddrivetheboatwith can sitoutboardonthecoam- and whenyou’re steering, you it’s up. set It’s gotabigwheel, I like theergonomicsofhow class. nice. really The helmwas ment-to-length ratiointhe thelightesthas displace- thelightest boatand also expensive perpound.It’s andthemost in thecategory it’s themostexpensiveboat “Atof theclass. $300,000, Boat incontext withtherest it.” you see and makes you go‘Ah!’ when “Within thiscategory, the was least butfarfrom Last Murphy puttheJ/ also Best Performance Cruiser . Once again, . Once again, dollars. dollars. - - win-win situation. ­execution, you ita mightcall expensive entrant)andterrific of $215,000, 2017’s itwas least great value(atasailawayprice Cruiser Performance theyear’s 34 Best the Dehler With that,thepanelnamed sailing, itjusthititsmark.” and aboatthatyou can take accommodations cruising between find anice crossover to trying terms ofthecategory rized theDehler:“I thinkin judging team whenhesumma- Murphy spoke fortheentire mast.” ­carbon-fiber andwiththe sail package performance bothintheir on the factthattheyfocused Oh mygoodness! And Ilike less; theywere like butter. twin wheelswere justeffort that boat,”saidHasse.“The the qualityofassembly.” that’s anindicator of really always agoodthing. To me, monics goingon,andthat’s orweird har rattling parts wasn’t alotofvibrationor quietdownbelow.was There during ourmotoring tests, it “Andsail it,”saidSherman. me whenwe hadachance to gory. impressive.” That was at thebestvalueincate- said itwould do, anditdoesso think itdoeswhatthebuilder delightful.SoI the helmwas When all was saidanddone, was When all enjoyed“I sailing really litupfor “This boatreally . With - - sel withplenty ofget-up-and-go. 30.Sport ves Like J/Boats,theJ/112Eisasuperb sailing all to findprettierlines thanthose that comprise the Alerion andacomplete interior.twin rudders cruising It’s hard 34 wasthefleet’s leastexpensive boat. TheElanE4boasts Clockwise from above: At acost of$215,000, theDehler Dehler Dehler WINNER 34 - 81 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 82 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com X Marks the Winning Spot M work cutoutforthem. hadtheir the judgescertainly thebest, deciding whichwas class. biggest When it cameto constituted thefleet’s single X4 andX-Yachts II MK 45 Large 425 competitors —theCatalina Year contest, wherefivestrong inthe2017Boatof case 50 feet. the certainly That was between 40and somewhere boatslies spot forcruising As noted, the previously Hallberg-Rassy 40 , Hallberg-Rassy Dufour 460 , Dufour sizewise, thesweet sizewise, that any sailorsbelieve Elan Impression Impression , Elan 2017 boatof theyear 2017 2017 20 Grand Grand

— fish-cleaning platform. They’re platform. fish-cleaning sinkand the stern withagrill, in galley apop-up They have interesting innovations. some living aboard. And thereare butnotforlong-term sages with theabilityto make pas cruising, andsocial cruising a boatintended forcoastal for The designwritcalled ofthem. theme amongall 560, andthere’s adefinite includes theDufour500and that ofaseries boat ispart judging team. the from praise drew also 460 yacht, theDufour the company entered alarger for 2016. Cruiser This year namedBestMidsize 382 was in theBOTY competition; its foundmuchsuccess also has The French builderDufour 425 Catalina smitten duly bypanel was the Tim Murphy said:“The (see page 72). page (see , which - Best Full-Size Cruiser Under Cruiser Best Full-Size 50Feet nearly adecade,withmore nearly that’s beeninproduction for version ofapopular 40-footer anupdated really version was that theMKyacht, itwas II theSwedish-built against he said.If astrike therewas I would mostlike to livein,” this isbarnonetheonethat the fitandfinishdownbelow, “Asthat assessment. faras seaworthy.” attuned to whatisreally the fleetthatismorehighly safety gear. There’s noboatin amazing amountofstandard they shouldbe. There’s an where areexactly and fiddles she said.“Thehandholds down belowisexquisite,” II 40 MK ored oftheHallberg-Rassy tion, Carolenam- Hasse was competitors, too.” good valuecompared to its proper bimini.It’s afairly a you cockpit, canhave so the coachroof, notinthe mainsheet controls upon deck-stepped; andwiththe whiletheothersaremast, akeel-steppedrudders; a singlerudder, nottwin performance lines,with from the They’re different designer Rob Humphreys. by therenowned British designedboats inthisline,all said Murphy. “Therearefour boats,”dedicated cruising while theImpressions are performance-oriented, “Elan’s EandSlinesare 45-foot happening aboardthe things goingonhere.” sides. There arealotofgood extreme featuresoff to the oftheothershave some boatinthisgrouping; middle nice to sail.It’s kindofthe worked. prettydarn And itwas It unusual,butitreally was thewayforward. all the galley boatby putting of acruising inverted thetraditionallayout think. Downbelow, they’ve aiming atawholelifestyle,I Good things were also Good thingswere also Murphy concurred with Speaking ofthecompeti - Elan Impression Elan . “The joinery . “Thejoinery . in thiscategory,” hecon theboats ofall structure the boatcould belifted by grid concept, andthe factthat thesteel high.Iloved is very level said. “Theconstruction deeper. “It’s aquietboat,”he less helm.” boatto sail,aneffort lovely nice sailingboat.” clear they’d kept itareally trials,itwas during oursea mance boatsdo. And yet perfor than theirfull-on comfort viding morecruising hittheirmarkofpro largely the boat.Ithinkthey’ve attention to theweight of boats outof. They paidstrict the bestresinyou canbuild built withepoxy, whichis incredible stiffness. It’s also of theboat.It givestheboat steel inthebilge gridframe tinued. “It’s agalvanized said Murphy. which iscruising-oriented,” oriented, andtheir Xc series, performance- directly is very company’s which Xp series, “It’sclass. inbetween the thefinalboatin was manufactured inDenmark, built. than 150unitsalready Ed Sherman dugalittle Ed Sherman “ItHasse agreed: a was “It thebest Ibelieve, has, X-Yachts X4 The 41-footX-Yachts - - - , - another finesailer. Hallberg-Rassy 40 MKII, 45-foot cruiser. So too isthe Impression isafull-fledged inSlovenia,Built theElan longtime French builder. another finecraftfrom the Dufour 460Grand Large is The stiffness. incredible thatprovidesin thebilge vanized steel gridframe X-Yachts X4 features agal- in Denmark,the41-foot Clockwise from right:Made Feet Under 50 Cruiser Full-Size X4 X-Yachts by namingthe agreed readily Sherman’stallied, colleagues tile boat.” and yankitup. justhookthatoneeyeliterally they weight balance, because integrity ofthebuildand the trademark. It speaksto the much an X-Yachts signature andispretty oftheframe part one singleeye that’s actually cruiser/racer. It’s versa avery racer, like butIalso a itas opinion, it’s moretoward the In my racer orthecruiser? it leanon?More toward the which sideofthefence does balance out,”headded,“is When thefinalvotes were “The thingwe needto . Best theyear’s Best X-Yachts X4 WINNER - 83 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 84 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com F Solaris 50 Solaris a thirdbuiltinItaly, the of Group Beneteau —with builders arebothsubsidiaries 58 and theJeanneau Yacht 62 — theBeneteau in productionboatbuilding pair ofmajorFrench players of whichwere offered by a contenders,three worthy two side oftheequationfeatured sea trials on the new flagship flagship trialsonthenew sea judges were unableto conduct the oftheevent, the history owner, forthefirsttimein York to deliveritto itsnew tasked to sailtheboatto New uling issueswiththecrew itcameto pass. so determining thewinner, and would playkeyluxury rolesin the matters ofstyleand noquestionthatthere was respective nationsoforigin, size oftheyachtsandtheir BOTY program.Given the first-time nomineeinthe Unfortunately,- dueto sched category on the monohull category or 2017, thebig-boat 2017 boatof theyear 2017 , which was a whichwas 2017 20 Maximum Length, , whose , whose Utmost Style

from Beneteau from be comfortable for overnight be comfortable forovernight daybed, thoughitwould also leg thatdropsdowninto a table that’s onatelescoping board. There’s abigcockpit asinkandcutting the grill, open upacover andthere’s in thecockpit you aft, so Dufour 460, there’s abarbecue designed space. As withthe porate. ­ well- This isatruly tothis sizearestarting incor aft, whichmanyboats garage’ we noticed the‘dinghy was thefirstthing the stern, so tinued. “We cameaboardfrom style to thisboat,”hecon - couple ofyears. thelast over been revamping Yacht line,whichthey’ve ofBeneteau’s ispart 62-footer ($38 perpound). This per pound)andtheSolaris between theJeanneau ($16 ($24) it’s aboutinthemiddle though incost perpound comes inat$1.3million, Murphy. “TheBeneteau said at $1.2million,” Tim $750,000, andtheSolaris, the Jeanneau, whichcost Annapolis boatshow. side inspectionsduringthe on theirextensive dock erations, then,were based “There’s and alotofsplash “We compared itto . Their delib . Their - - - Best Full-Size Cruiser Over 50feet Cruiser Best Full-Size fleet was theSolaris fleet was and generator.” AC converted withaninverter 110and230 as well as service, and24-voltyou’ve gotboth 12- going to sailaroundtheworld, “IfSherman. you areindeed things electrically,” addedEd along nicely, too.” are great.Under sail,itmoved and theampleloungingseats cockpit, thetable isbeautiful, In secure. the it, you feltvery liked once you because were in down into thegalley, whichI anoption. had thatas You step standard, whereotherboats had abigdoublebowroller downbelow.great fiddles They my top tables. chart There are toerail inthefleet,andoneof Hasse. “It hadmyfavorite about thisboat,”saidCarol family. alotto “There was like or withalargeextended acouplesailing as withfriends whetherthey’re cruisers, 58 rior options,theJeanneau laidout.” and well spacious ward cabinisvery togalley starboard. The for —in-line the longestI’veseen long—maybe big,very a very sleeping. Downbelowthere’s offers something for all something forall offers The newcomer to the good “They didsome With five differentinte- 50 , and - was gorgeous,justbeau was sailing theboat,helm the Riviera. When we were onMediterranean luxury like expressionof aworthy formance boat,anditfeels think inthecockpit, too,” said intheinteriorcertainly andI strict definition ofthe word, inthe the mostrealluxury the docket. sailing andisland-hoppingon ofcompetitivemeasure racing circuit,withanequal Caribbean forthewinter an idealrideto sailto the the otherhand,would be would excel. The Solaris,on times atwhichbothyachts French andItalian nominees. differences between the to lifestylesandtheinherent drifted yachts, thediscussion found thistriooffully over It rightthere.” was to thewind. that sailedcloser noboatinthefleet “There was about that,”saidSherman. mean, there’s noquestion feeling.” lessly, lovely anabsolutely was effort through thewater so tiful. Beingonboard,moving outstanding look.It’s aper ofsparkling,really this sort together theycontributed to thepaintjob; andalso itself out. thedesignThere was factor. This boatjust jumped arealwowthe docktherewas saidMurphy.dynamic,” “At exudes style,bothstaticand lounging atanchorbeingpas and both passagemaking with traditional cruising, forwould beideal platforms the Beneteau andJeanneau lutely fantastic.” dinghy, justabso anditwas “It answered thehelmlike a andsailmaking. of voyaging ment considering heryears said Hasse —quite astate- to itwas drive,” how easy andyethow powerful itwas throughthewater,moved had justinterms ofhowit sailing experiences I’veever one ofthemostdelightful quite animpression.“It was undersail,itleft especially “This isaboatthatjust “I thinktheBeneteau offers noquestionthatThere was As thejudgesdeliberated “The boatsailedgreat.I - - - - -

COURTESY OF BENETEAU/GUIDO CANTINI (LEFT) 50 Feet 50 Over Cruiser Full-Size Best 50 the Solaris which iswhytheyawarded enoughtowas tipthescales, of sailing-madjudges,that the water.” through of theboatmoving thesensation therewas luxury fleet thanwiththeSolaris. The sailing experience inthewhole think we hadabetter pure Murphy. “Thatsaid,Idon’t Beneteau 62. a rideassmooththe to search to widely find ences go, onewould have experi sailing as luxury ing performance. As far delivered sail sparkling the 58,anotheryacht that Jeanneau’s latest modelis acquitted itselfadmirably. ability,its terrific sailing the BOTY fleetand,with 50 wasanewcomer to inItaly,Built theSolaris Clockwise from above: In theend,withateam . thebannerfor Solaris WINNER - - 50 85 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com 86 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com T praises: “Thefit and finish praises: simpatico.Phoenix ishighly ship between thecouple and proof (anditis),therelation- If thefinished productisany years ago. of businessseveral Catamarans, whichwent out employeesformer ofDean ofmany a firm composed brand, builtby Phoenix, and marketing the Xquisite that knowledgeinlaunching cats. They applied muchof a thingortwo about cruising Leopard,know twin-hulled ­circled theglobeaboarda time fortheshow’s opening. forinspectionjustin it ready had it,andamazingly re-rigged Annapolis, commissioned and team deliveredtheboatto his wife,Sara,andtheir Xquisite’s TamasHamor, Over thenext72hours, oftheshow.before thestart days freighter threeshort Port ofBaltimoreaboarda the Africa, inthe X5 arrived Phoenix Marine inSouth forcompletiondeadline at Boat Innovative theMost theprizeas earning unanimously the Xquisite X5 with ahappy ending, with and shouldbe.It’s atale also can multihulls what modern their owncatinto avisionof aboard circum­navigating learned translating lessons sailors andentrepreneurs,of dreams,ofyouthful of chasing intriguing catamaran.It’s atale interesting thisspecial, as as Annapolis boatshow)isatleast atthe (and howitarrived BOTY contest, cameto be advanced yachtinthe2017 andtechnically fascinating Ed Sherman sangtheboat’sEd Sherman The Hamors, having Having justbeaten the Xquisite X5 Xquisite ofhowthe he story 2017 boatof theyear 2017 An Intriguing XFactor 2017 20 , the most , themost for2017.

Most Innovative conditioning, lights,sailing …tanks,air itor everything iPad onwhichyou can mon- got awirelesscontrol onan you’ve They’ve applieditso fiveor10 thelast years. over evolved Zealand andhas created inNeworiginally Power Products linethatwas which isaBEP/Mastervolt/ using theCZonesystem, craft-gradequality. They’re isair intentsall and purposes triple redundancy, whichfor of digitaltechnology, with one ofthebestapplications he continued, “they’vegot to thedesignofthisboat. thatreal-worldall experience — andsucceeded —to apply that better.’ And they’vetried we canmake thisbetter and andsaid,‘OK, they’ve learned They’ve taken everything lot ofpracticalexperience. showed itto a us,whohave enhanced by thecouple who Africa. The boatisfurther of thebestcraftsmen inSouth they were ableto gathersome it’s to unbelievable methat background ofthecompany, ­question. Consideringthe is justexceptional, without “In terms ofthesystems,” - extra-wide, extra-cozy fore-and-aft(below). berths boat’s ample, voluminous thestaterooms forms, hull offer hard-earned knowledgeandexperience (above). With the aboard acatamaran, the Xquisite X5 benefitedfrom their Founded by acouple whohadalready circumnavigated trolled setup. trolled That’s unlike con- manually toover afused, just switch thewholething youthe staterooms, can so accessiblethat arereadily in system manualoverrides has boat. If thatfails,theCZone ment that’s onthe installed equip Garmin navigation a wiredinterface viathe just wonderful. It’s everything. instruments, “If there’s afailure,there’s Xquisite X5 WINNER - of innovation. —X5, amodel—andmarvel on thebookof Xquisite to admire.something systemsstate-of-the-art is well.” the water very underway, shewent through it.Ontopworth ofthat,once to thesystem. Butit’s really which addsconsiderable cost thecircuits,they diditforall only.circuitry Onthisboat, to take mission-critical over up where thebackupsareset withdigitalswitching,seen oftheotherboatsI’ve some And that’s thefinalchapter A with finesailingvessel unlike anyother, inthe afloorplanwhich boasts Freestyle and theGemini Performance class, Cruiser accommodations inthe electric engineandcamping 30 Sport States: theAlerion boats builtintheUnited nominees, includingtwo year therewere threesuch andagain. them again This returning to find themselves during theirdeliberations, conceived thatthepanelists, clever,so unusualandwell Yet outliersare ofthese some holes. round pegsinsquare attempting tosometimes put categorized, ifitmeans even boatmustbe such, every contest, andas ofcourse, characterization. It’s a boats thatdefyeasy critiquing find themselves D , astylishdaysailerwithan contest, thejudges BOTYuring every Too Cool to Be OVERALL WINNER 2017 20 Forgotten Boat Name Judge’s Prize Special , SINCERE.” SIMPLE BUT JUDGE. SAID ONE DIATELY,” BOAT IMME- LIKED THE“I light displacement-to-length a performance (theboathas the designbriefbeganwith lighter,” said Tim Murphy. “So to make it considerably ny’s 1160. carbon They’ve used ofthecompadevelopment - Prize Special to honoritwiththeJudge’s decided they unanimously able outboardmotors, that powered by twinretract high-performance cruiser 1190 Seawind with theinteresting 39-foot taken so was In fact,thejury and renderedthemsmitten. thejudges’attentiondrew Year oftheCats —thattruly catamaran, naturally, inthis Charter Boatdivision. “Built in Vietnam, it’s a athirdboat— But itwas for2017. , a , Sport “IT’S - cat delivered unexpected performance (below). sailing of theSeawind(above). line Even airs, inlight the39-foot The 1190Sport’s raised cockpit doorisasignature feature boat,” saidCarol Hasse.“I head thatopensupthewhole cockpit door/bulk raised conceptually, withaunique tofor peoplewholove sail.” it’s funboat goingto beavery it’s beachable.Ithink easily of outboardsthattipup, so apair andithas in cartridges, are therudders daggerboards, It moves. boat thatreally has 2 knotsofboatspeed.Soit’s a madefarbetterbut still than in lessthan3knotsofbreeze of 23.2). We sailedthisboat area-to-displacement ratio ratio of136andapowerful sail “I really like“I really theSeawind Seawind WINNER - 1190 tive editor. Herb McCormick isCW ’s execu- a lotoffun.” boat,” hesaid,“would justbe quick, compact cruiser. “This matter whensummingupthe ofthe heart got to thevery bulkhead.” thatconvertible was great, as tain. The dual helmswere andmain to easy service so drive sive seawater, unlike asail andlower outofcorro raise board enginesthatyou can fact thatit’s powered by out the good.Iloved thing was whistles, butaccess to every or“There were no extrabells ting itout,”hecontinued. fast. Itfast. beajoy to would really makingtheboatgopoint was the focalpoint. The focal not standards,was multihull movement. The cockpit, by liked of ticularly theease tropics. Under sail,Ipar that would inthe livewell think it’s definitely aboat coastal cruiser. it: It awesome would beafast, real. And IthinkCarol nailed simple, butit’s sincere. It’s lookingat.It’sbe seriously this isoneoftheboatsI’d were considering amultihull, the boatimmediately. If I forcoastalcruising.” have All Sherman thataside, “They didanice jobfit Ed Sherman said:“IEd Sherman liked Sport configuration. They’re ­configuration. ------87 january/february 2017 cruisingworld.com