The new foiling catamaran design is the result of Persico’s strategy to translate knowledge the yard gains from its work in aerospace, IMOCA 60 and America’s Cup spheres into very…
Boats
First look: Tison 12m Mediterranean daysailer
The Tison 12m is a stunning ultra-light daysailer that is intended to strip sailing back to its simplest fundamentals, though with top quality materials and deck hardware being employed. The…
Outremer 52 review: Exclusive 200-mile test
They seem preternatural, our navlight giving the dolphins an oily reflection as they launch like dark green torpedoes in unison with our surfs. The fizzing noise when they clear the…
First look: ClubSwan 43 – first UK-built Swan
One design classes used to provide top-level racing for huge numbers, as anyone who raced Lightwave 395s, Sigma 38s or X-99s in the late 1980s, or J/109s and even J/111s…
First look: Grand Soleil 65 – new big cruiser from GS
The Grand Soleil 65 is offered in both LC (long cruise) and performance variants. Externally key differences are in the coachroof and the shorter coamings of the performance boat. However,…
First look: Bestevaer 36 – downsized pilothouse cruiser
In a world in which yachts are constantly becoming larger, this Dutch brand is bucking the trend, with the smallest-ever model in its 20-year history. It’s intended to offer performance…
Lagoon 51 review: surprisingly fun to sail
It’s a light wind early autumn day in the Mediterranean and we’ve been sailing the Lagoon 51 alternately under Code 0 and genoa at boat speeds occasionally touching 8 knots…
Elan E6 review: Fun to sail with a nice, sporty feel
I’ve always looked forward to testing new models in Elan’s performance range. Historically they’ve offered an enticing blend of performance and comfort, with every example I’ve sailed in the last…
First look: Gunboat’s GB80 and GB70
In the seven years since Grand Large Yachting purchased cult catamaran brand Gunboat and brought it to a new headquarters in the south of France, it has steadily increased its…
First look: Reichel-Pugh 44m – luxury fast sloop
Bearing the snappy moniker ‘Project 3093’ from builder Vitters, this 145ft design by Reichel-Pugh, the Reichel-Pugh 44m is a fast cruising sloop. Construction on her aluminium hull began in 2022…
Grand Soleil 40 review: A rare-breed cruiser / racer
Grand Soleil’s latest launch, the Grand Soleil 40, is something of a rarity in today’s market – a cruiser-racer with a comfortable three-cabin interior, yet the ability to excel on…
First look: Argo 54, a new 54m aluminium super-sloop
Harnessing the design talents of both Rob Doyle (superyachts) and Juan K (raceboats), this sloop promises to be an outstanding performer when she’s finally delivered in 2024. Part of the…
First look: Frers 59m – a fusion of classic looks and low freeboard
Nearly 20 years after delivering the famous Adèle, Vitters is nearing completion of a new 59m ketch – this time drawn by Germán Frers. The boat is again a fusion…
Linjett 39 review: Contemporary interpretation of a traditional design
How quickly will today’s new yachts date? A handful are surely destined to become design classics, but many will be quickly forgotten, becoming the floating equivalent of an ageing mass-market…
First look: Wally 101 – all-carbon flier
Full custom yachts don’t come much fleeter than the Wally 101, an all-carbon flier from Wally, which is based on the famous Wallycento box rule. The Wally 101 will displace…
First look: Swan 128 – second largest Swan ever
Unveiled at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, the Swan 128 is the second largest yacht ever for the Finnish yard and the largest in its current Maxi range. Construction is…
Beneteau First 36 review: Is this the best First yacht in years?
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,…
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,…