We were on board Contest’s first new 67CS, a sensational new 67ft semi-custom model, and the first Contest designed by Judel/Vrolijk in the yard’s near 60-year history. We were sailing…
Boat tests
Dramatic Contest 67CS video: showing the new Judel-Vrolijk design with soul
Dutch yard Contest commissioned Judel/Vrolijk for the first time to design its new 67CS. This is a size on the increase for owners who like to get places quickly and…
The jaw-dropping X6 from X-Yachts – a super-stylish step up for this Danish builder
The X6 is a bold design: a muscular, small superyacht blessed with powerful lines; a yacht that will place most others of her size firmly in the shade. The flagship…
Oyster 675 video – footage from our trials aboard Oyster’s brand new first 675
When it comes to series-building large cruising yachts, Oyster Yachts is the undisputed world leader. In the 60ft size range alone it has, over its 40-year heritage, produced a 61,…
Azuree 41 video – footage from our trials aboard Sirena Marine’s versatile new performance cruiser
Over the last decade Sirena Marine has established itself as Turkey’s leading production boat builder. But its learning curve has been a steep one, matched by improvements in quality and…
Contest 42CS video – our overnight cruise and test aboard this Dutch-built premium cruiser
As this Contest 42CS video shows, our cruise was the ideal way to appreciate how this model is blessed with the pedigree of over half a century of builds. Contest…
Video: we test the decidedly luxurious new Jeanneau 54 in a gale off Cannes
One look at the deck configuration would lead most people to presume the Jeanneau 54 is a hedonists’ yacht, one for the sun worshippers anchored in warm climes. Indeed my…
Video: Hanse 315 – we test Hanse’s new baby and find it packs serious punch
The Hanse 315 is an example of a large firm concentrating the best of its products into a more compact, feature-rich yet user-friendly version. We found in our test –…
Video: we test the Grand Soleil 46LC, Cantiere del Pardo’s formidable first cruising yacht
A cruising yacht means different things to different sailors. LC stands for Long Cruise and there are many clues that this Italian brand is targeting warm weather cruising with the…
Video: We sail the new Discovery 58 offshore to explore the features of a bluewater cruising yacht
If you were to go long distance cruising, what would be the primary features you would look for in a yacht? I would wager that both looks and reward on…
Solaris 50 video – showing our Adriatic test of this trendsetting new Italian performance cruiser
Production yachts are rarely referred to as trendsetters. Like a mainstream saloon car, their primary goal is to offer maximum potential value, rather than seek admiring glances. Solaris may change…
The Gunboat 55 Video – full footage of our test aboard the coolest new fast cat available
The Gunboat 55 takes cool to a whole new level. She is a curvaceous yet fiery, muscular yet elegant design, drawn by the godfather of lightweight multihulls, Nigel Irens. And…
VX One: could this be a modern keelboat class to match the popularity of Flying 15?
I’ll come straight out with it: there are some boats that hit the spot from the outset and for me the VX One is on that list. In fact, I’ll…
Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 on test – a multi-purpose cruiser-racer
For all the meticulous market analysis and detailed planning behind a new production boat launch, sometimes even the big players can get caught unawares and stumble upon a recipe for…
Pogo 30 on test – pocket performer with cruising aspirations
Let me come clean: the Pogo 30 is the most enjoyable boat I have ever sailed. I’ve certainly never returned from a boat test so excited or pumped before. Nor…
Rustler 37 boat test – Just your cup of tea?
They say the key to the perfect cup of tea is to use a good old-fashioned teapot. It brews the leaves properly and provides an altogether different tasting cuppa, more…
Broadblue Rapier 550 boat test – Are you ready for a 54ft catamaran that steers like a car?
Marty McFly, Michael J Fox’s lead character in the 1980s film Back to the Future, breaks into a wild electric guitar solo while playing a Chuck Berry number during a…
Italia 15.98 boat test – a cool performer
From supercars and pointy shoes to novel pasta shapes, Italian design is lauded the world over. But it can lack practicality – there’s no room for the kids in a…
Boreal 52 boat test – The sailor’s off-roader
If ‘off-road’ or ‘off-piste’ were categories in sailing, the Boréal 52 would be among the top contenders. From the brushed aluminium topsides to the no-nonsense, multi-layered protection offered by the…
Wauquiez Centurion 57 boat test – a cruiser at heart
Nowhere is the north/south European divide more evident than in cruising yacht design. The cold North Sea and Baltic types tend to favour function first. For us it’s all about…