You might not appreciate it at first glance, but this could well be the best performance production yacht we’ll see for some time. This realisation creeps up on you slowly,…
Boat tests
Excess 14 review: competitively priced performance catamaran
We’re sailing the Excess 14 upwind in 12-14 knots of true wind, with boat speed hovering between 7.4 and 8.0 knots. The helm feels positive and responsive, the boat tacks…
Contest 49CS review: luxurious bluewater cruiser
Ahead of testing the Contest 49CS we had some miserable weather, certainly not the sort of conditions you’d ordinarily choose to go out in. It had been blowing 30 knots…
Hanse 460 review: First in a new range
For some of us, sailing has always been about the functional and fundamental. We enjoy sailing for sailing’s sake. But today people want so much more from a boat and,…
Solaris 50 review: fast, fun cruising
The drive to include all the features we now expect of new yachts, such as easy handling, big cockpits for al fresco dining and huge accommodation volumes, all too often…
Aura 51 review: space in abundance
Step aboard the wide transom steps of the Aura 51 and I’d challenge even the most stubborn traditionalist or monohull enthusiast not to be in awe of the space and…
Beneteau First 44 review
There’s a glassy calm, without a ripple on the water, yet we’re slipping along on the new Beneteau First 44 under Code 0 at four knots of boat speed. Of…
ClubSwan 80 review: full-on 80ft racer
As we slipped our lines from the dock in Porto Cervo I was trying to conceal my disappointment. After being present at the original launch of the design for the…
Oyster 495 review: an impressive smaller Oyster
Good things come to those who wait. After tirelessly chasing the breeze for over 100 miles, we found our just rewards. It was a hazy, moody morning as I rose…
Pilot Classic 47 review – timeless elegance
Pride of ownership is a tricky quality to quantify. To many yacht owners looks will play second fiddle to pragmatics – practicality, space and affordability all rank higher (hence the…
Nautitech 44 Open review: space and performance?
It’s been more than six years since the Nautitech yard in Rochefort launched an entirely new design, but this Nautitech 44 Open marks the company’s return to the forefront of…
Ovni 370 review – go-anywhere shoal draught cruising
With its distinctive range of bare aluminium lift-keel cruisers, Alubat’s Ovni brand has been synonymous with bluewater cruising since the 1970s. After a barren period it came out with a…
Solaris 40 review: appealing mix of style and performance
Helming your own yacht – or watching friends and family do so – ought to be one of the biggest pleasures of owning a boat. Along with promoting a clean,…
Beneteau First 27 review: sportsboat given the Beneteau treatment
The original version of the Sam Manuard-designed Seascape 27 (now branded as the Beneteau First 27 SE) has long been one of my favourite small yachts. In 2014 I sailed…
Jeanneau Yachts 60 review: different yachts in one
It’s not long since 60ft yachts were the preserve of custom or semi-custom yards that could go to great lengths to provide a small number of discerning clients with the…
J/45 tested: Fast cruiser with timeless appeal
We’re close-hauled, sailing the new J/45 at 7.5 knots and catching up with a modern 55-footer, but slowly falling into her lee. Winding on a little mainsheet tightens the leech,…
Boat test: X-56 The Xtra mile
Large cruising yachts are enormously appealing, but it’s imperative that they’re easy to tame in deteriorating weather. Yet if this is achieved through making the boat underpowered it will be…
Swan 58 tested: best of both worlds?
No other yard has been as consistently successful in producing iconic models as Nautor – historically Swans are invariably the very best yachts of their era and subsequently become design…
Hallberg-Rassy 50 tested: ultimate refinement
The Hallberg-Rassy 50, the latest from the renowned Swedish marque is a near masterpiece. German Frers has once again sprinkled his fairy dust over the design, conjuring up a modern…
JPK 39FC review: new sporty 40 cruiser
I have long held that bluewater cruising yachts, especially those under 40ft, have much to gain from the way today’s smaller short-handed offshore raceboats are designed and set up and…