TARTAN 4400 • BWS’s 250-mile sea trial of the new Tartan 4400 proves that the boat is an elegant new player in the world of liveaboard cruisers

We had been looking forward to sailing the new Tartan 4400 from New York Harbor to Annapolis, Md., for several months. The new design had caught our attention two years ago when the preliminary drawings were released, and then in our February 2003 edition of BWS we ran an in-depth Design Forum based on the final detailed drawings. So we had an idea of what we had in store for this 250-mile run down the East Coast and looked forward eagerly to seeing if the extrapolations we had drawn from the two-dimensional drawings would prove to be true when we actually sailed the boat.

We met the 4400 at the docks of New York Sail Expo at Liberty Landing, directly across the Hudson River from the World Financial Center and the small marina notched into the Manhattan shore. It was a clear September morning with barely a breath of wind. The 4400 was jilling around off Liberty Landing when we arrived by ferry from the city so we had a good look at her lines and proportions.

At first glance, the dark green hull and crisp lines of the deck and raised saloon looked stylish and distinctive. Although we have seen a proliferation of raised deck saloon designs in the past few years, the 4400 was decidedly original. When we had inspected the drawings for the design review we had wondered how the large doghouse aft would appear in the flesh; to our eyes it looked just right. We took off from Liberty landing in a building sea breeze from the south-southwest and sailed close-hauled under the Verrazano Narrows bridge and on toward the Sandy Hook channel that would lead us seaward. In puffs of 18 knots or more, the 4400 was sure footed and stiff. When we slacked sheets and ran off eastward to round Sandy Hook, she picked up her skirts and flew.

Through the night the breeze continued to pipe at 15-plus knots from the west-northwest so we had a broad reach on a lumpy sea. We shaped a course fairly close to the New Jersey beaches to minimize the fetch and thus the chop that the northwester would kick up, but we still had square four-footers running after us that picked us up and shot us along with small bursts of speed. The autopilot had quit a few days earlier so we hand steered through the night and got a good feel for how the big balanced rudder felt in a range of conditions. This was of particular interest because the new 4400 has a truly broad transom—with fold down steps in the middle—and we wondered how all that buoyancy aft would affect the boat’s motion in a quartering sea. With a bit of mainsail rolled away and the full genoa, the boat handled beautifully requiring only fingertip adjustments at the wheel.

We were sailing with Jim and Heidi Egansperger. Jim is Tartan’s customer service coordinator and responsible for seeing that the new boat arrived at the Annapolis sailboat show in good order. He and Heidi had done a lot of sailing in the Great Lakes and along the northeast coast, including two stints of cruising aboard a J/44 in Newfoundland. Good hands and cheerful company, it was a pleasure to be on a short voyage with sailors who were completely at ease with the sea. No doubt part of that ease flowed from the confidence that the 4400 inspired as it surged at eight to 10 knots without breaking a sweat.

Jim fixed the evening meal, and we took turns at the helm while the others ate below at the big oval dinette. The galley, which is forward and down two steps from the raised saloon, is positioned right over the boat’s center of gravity and quite low in the boat so the motion was minimal. The twin sinks are positioned just off the centerline and drained well even when hard over on the starboard tack. Sitting at the dinette we could pass plates to and from the galley without getting up and could converse with whomever was still in the cockpit.

Through the night we stood rotating three-on, three-off watches so that we would always have two in the cockpit. Had we had the autopilot to tend the helm we would most likely have sailed with the more comfortable three-on, six-off system and a lone watchstander. At the helm for long stints, we found that we liked sitting to leeward and sighting down the leeward deck. Or we stood behind the wheel. With such a distinctive raised-deck section—not quite a doghouse and not quite a raised-deck saloon—we wondered at first if visibility would be impaired from behind the wheel. At five-feet, 11-inches, we had no problem seeing everything ahead us. Heidi, who is smaller, also reported that she could see most of what she needed to see but would have benefited from a box to stand on. (Tartan can supply a raised wedge and a higher helmsman’s seat for those who require them.)

We turned up Delaware Bay at sunrise and sailed and then motor-sailed into the dying northerly breeze to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. We turned into the canal exactly 24 hours from Liberty Landing, and after some fine work with the dividers Jim announced with pleasure that we had traveled exactly 208 miles with some assist from the ebbing tide in New York Harbor and a flooding tide up the Delaware. Rough calculations gave us an average speed of 7.8 knots—sailing and motorsailing.

Things were different the next day. We overnighted at Schaefer’s marina in the C&D Canal and then headed south toward Annapolis. The wind had flown the coop so we motored for six hours and then in a zephyr raised the big cruising chute and jibed slowly downstream for a few more hours until Annapolis was in sight. In the light air the 4400 gathered momentum and then glided along well making the best use of the long waterline and moderate displacement.

We arrived in Annapolis well rested, well fed and in very good time. The 4400 proved to be easy to sail and very comfortable to live-aboard with huge cabins, ample storage, a spacious galley, large heads and an open and appealing saloon.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

In recent years, Fairport Yachts Ltd., which builds the Tartan and C&C lines, has made a commitment to all-epoxy hull construction. Epoxy is not the easiest or least expensive material to use and requires a high degree of expertise to take the best advantage of the material. The hull and deck have NPG isophthalic gel coats to resist the ingress of water. The hull is cored with Corecell and the entire laminate is laid up in the “one-shot” vacuum bag process. The deck is cored with end-grain balsa wood to provide an extra degree of stiffness. With the lay up complete, the hull is baked at 145 degrees for 24 hours to cure the epoxy laminate. Once the engineering and interior furniture have been installed—with all furniture bonded to the hull—the deck is joined to the hull with 3M 5200 and stainless steel bolts sized and spaced to meet ABS Offshore requirements. For strength, durability and lightness, this advanced construction technique enables Tartan to offer owners a prorated 15-year guarantee against structural defects and osmotic blistering.

As we noted in our design review last February, the 4400’s overall design is of a modern cruiser with moderate to fast performance numbers. The ballast to displacement ratio of 38 percent is quite high among production cruisers indicating that the hull is stiff and capable of carrying full sail after others have reefed. To complement this, designer Tim Jackett has specified a relatively tall rig that provides the boat with a sail area to displacement ratio of 18. The mast is positioned just aft of station five so the boat can fly relatively smaller headsails and rely on the high roach main for power; this makes the boat easy to tack and handy when working upwind in tight quarters. The displacement-length ratio is 203, which today is just about in the middle of the fin-keel cruising fleet.

Designed for living aboard and long-haul sailing, the 4400 has been built with multiple watertight bulkheads and collision chambers beneath the forward anchor and sail lockers. The combination of a massively strong epoxy hull, three watertight compartments and the collision chambers inspires a huge amount of confidence as you bash through the waves along a coastline—New Jersey, in this case—known for its flotsam and jetsam.

LIVING ABOARD

We spent three days sailing the 4400 and two nights onboard. Jim and Heidi were settled in the after cabin, and I took the forward cabin. Both cabins have large double berths that are divided to allow the rigging of lee cloths. And both cabins have access to separate heads.

The 4400 is quite beamy and has a lot of interior volume. Yet the sleeping cabins are larger than you will find on many boats with 10 feet more waterline. The forward cabin has a lot of floor space and plenty of room for two adults to get dressed at the same time. The berth has large drawers beneath it, and we counted seven more drawers in the built-in “bureau” on the port side. Two cedar-lined closets provide ample space for even the most earnest clotheshorse. For light and ventilation there are two Bomar deck hatches and four opening ports. The forward head has a shower stall large enough for two good friends, a VacuFlush head and ample storage for personal toiletries.

The large U-shaped galley has plenty of counter space over the huge refrigerator compartment

The galley will make gourmets and sea cooks happy. The fridge/freezer has been broken into three compartments so that each space is compact and easy to cool. All the lids are securely hinged so even when we fell off waves they did not leap out of place. The fridge top counter is the main working space but additional counter space next to the three-burner Force 10 stove/oven and near the sinks means that two people can work together at mealtime. The counter and sinks are formed from a hard plastic laminate (very like Corian but not as heavy), so there are no seams to collect crumbs. The sinks, as noted above, are almost on centerline so they drain on both tacks and won’t flood if the boat slews sideways off a wave. The galley ventilates through two opening ports and a small deck hatch. All of the main freshwater pumps are beneath the sinks and can be maintained easily.

The chart table lies to starboard in the saloon and is the command center for all the boat’s major electrical and electronic systems. A curved pod over the table houses the main navigation screens while radios and sat-phone systems are mounted on a bulkhead outboard of the table. The compartments for electronics are hinged so access to the nether wiring is easy. Although we live in the days of electronic charting, the table is large enough for a ChartKit to lie flat or for a paper chart that has been folded once.

In the saloon, those seated at the chart table or nav station cannot see readily out of the large saloon windows. But a person five-feet, 10-inches or more can see 360 degrees while standing next to the chart table, so it is possible to maintain a watch belowdecks—with the radar on—in bad weather.

The aft cabin is huge by the standards of most 44-footers. It has a cathedral ceiling that must be eight feet from the sole, which makes it feel even larger, and is bright and airy—not something one usually says about quarter cabins. There is enough floor space for dressing and ample storage in six drawers and the large hanging locker. This is a guest cabin that could easily become the owner’s cabin for those who don’t like to sleep forward.

For living aboard, the accommo-dations plan in the 4400 works extremely well for a couple with occasional guests and offshore crew. Even better, at sea it works the way a proper cruising boat should, with handholds placed strategically, plenty of places to brace a hip to maintain balance and the storage you need for the gear that accumulates on a seagoing voyage. It should be noted, also, that all lockers, floorboards and hatches are fitted with positive latches so that nothing moves when the boat pitches or rolls sharply.

ENGINEERING

The engine room lies beneath the saloon floor. Access is via a large hatch that involves dismantling a section of the dinette. This seemed awkward at first, but once we got the hang of it the arrangement worked fine and provided excellent access to the engine, batteries, filters and all the other systems. The 75-horsepower turbo Yanmar has been fitted with a well-designed drip pan; the flexible coupling and dripless shaft seal keep the engine quiet and the engine room dry. The boat we sailed had a three-blade MaxProp that drove it at hull speed. There is space in the engine room for just about any device you may want to install.

To minimize thru-hull fittings—which are all Marelon and therefore immune to corrosion—the saltwater ingress flows through one seacock via a seachest to the engine, generator, watermaker, deck wash and so forth. With the flip of one readily accessible handle, the whole saltwater system can be shut down should a leak appear in any of the plumbing.

The boat we sailed was fitted with an extensive electrical system for both house 12-volt and dockside 110-volt systems as well as a modern battery charging and inverter system. The main 12-volt panel is in the after cabin while the 12-volt and 110-volt distribution panels are at the chart table. The inverter was installed under the navigator’s seat.

BWS THOUGHTS

We have to admit that the new Tartan 4400 lived up to our expectations and exceeded them in many ways. Tartan has been building boats for more than 40 years and we grew up sailing a Tartan 27 that 40 years later is still in our family. With a long tradition of building solid and well-conceived cruising boats, the 4400 carries with it a lot of tradition.

The boat is handsome and distinctive. The raised saloon and the broad transom will make her stand out in any crowded harbor, while the balanced rig and fine sailing characteristics will make her shine in any rally or cruising race.

The fit and finish of the boat—all cherry down below—have been executed well without cutting corners. Systems have been thought through carefully and then installed to withstand the rigors of the sea. The sleeping cabins will double as really comfortable floating bedrooms while the main saloon and galley offer commodious living and working spaces.

On deck, a lone watchstander can handle the boat from the cockpit. The side decks are wide enough to move about easily, and everywhere you will find something to hold on to. With a dodger rigged over the cockpit—and possibly a Bimini—the sailing crew will be safe and dry.

Finally, having an all epoxy hull, watertight bulkheads and collision chambers, the boat will endure hard sailing, long use and many miles of voyaging while keeping the crew safe and confident. After 250 miles of sailing and three days on board, we would be happy to sail the new Tartan 4400 anywhere.

TARTAN 4400
LOA 44’0” (13.4 m.)
LWL 37’6” (12.0 m.)
Beam 14’2” (4.37 m.)
Draft 5’6” (2.72 m.)
Displ. 24,000 lbs. (10,886 kg.)
Ballast 9,000 lbs. (3855 kg.)
Sail Area 943 sq. ft. (86.58 sq. m.)
SA/D 18.0
D/L 203
B/D 38%
Auxiliary 75-hp Yanmar (turbo)
Fuel 80 gals. (294 l.)
Water 200 gals. (727 l.)
Mast height 63’0” (19.2 m.)
Base Price $373,175

Tartan Yachts
1920 Fairport Nursery Rd.
Fairport Harbor, OH 44077
Ph: 440-354-3111

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TARTAN 34 •
There was a time, not so long ago, when boats in the mid-30-foot range were thought of as the “right” size, combining ease of handling with enough waterline to make quick passages. In 1967 the boatbuilding firm of Douglass & McLeod Plastics Corporation, makers of the Tartan line of sailboats, commissioned Olin Stephens to design what the company called a “high performance offshore cruising racing boat.” The company wanted a boat that would fill the marketing gap between their 27-footer (also designed by Stephens) and their Blackwatch 37, a Ted Hood design.

The result, the Tartan 34C (C for “classic”), was a success by any yardstick, with 525 boats built between 1967 and 1978. The T34C was introduced in December of 1967 and in the Southern Ocean Racing Conference’s 1968 race a T34C won her class. The boat has gone on to win numerous offshore races, including the Port Huron-Mackinac and the Marblehead-Halifax races, among many others. At least one circumnavigation and too many Atlantic and Pacific passages to list easily have been done by T34C sailors.

Commonly thought of as a sloop, there were 25 T34Cs built as yawls. After a fire in January 1971 destroyed all the T34C molds, new ones were “splashed” using a Tartan employee’s boat. The Tartan 34 had its design antecedents in S&S design number 1786, Deb, in 1964, now sailing as Sunstone and owned by Tom and Vicky Jackson, an English couple whose exploits as world cruisers are familiar to readers of this, and other, sailing magazines. Deb, 38 feet long, was followed two years later by design number 1873, the Deb 33-Class. The lines of both boats are strikingly similar to those of the T34C, design number 1904, in 1967.

The design certainly merits the appellation of “classic.” Blessed with a sheer that is just right, overhangs that fulfilled not only the CCA rules of the time (which tended to favor heavier, keel center-boarder boats) but also lent an air of grace to each end, the T34C is an attractive boat by most standards. The boat’s inherent good looks and its good sailing manners have made it the sort of boat that owners keep, cherish and restore.

The rig went through three changes in boom length in an effort to reduce the boat’s tendency to weather helm. The “E” measurement went from 13 feet, six inches to 12 feet to 10 feet, six inches over the years, but most owners report that the boat can be fine-tuned by adjusting the centerboard, a pivoting steel affair that weighs 65 pounds.

The cockpit, over nine feet long, is spacious and wide; with the factory-standard tiller lifted out of the way, there is ample room for entertaining or just quiet contemplation of a well-earned anchorage.

Going forward, the two-foot wide sidedecks inspire confidence, and the foredeck is roomy enough for sail handling, sunbathing or a small inflatable dinghy. Teak toerails provide good footing, with additional teak on the coachroof handrails and the cockpit coamings.

Down below is where the boat shows its vintage. The galley is small and the standard two-burner alcohol stove barely adequate for cans of Dinty Moore stew. With a beam of 10 feet, two inches, the hull is easily driven, but the price for that is a certain degree of coziness below. The saloon has a table that folds up against the forward bulkhead, and this opens up the area considerably. A small head is to port, with the keel-stepped mast offering a good handhold for users of the smallest room on the boat. The V-berth has, and needs, the insert for the big end, while the little end is truncated nicely, giving more foot room than you might expect. The chain locker is a simple affair, open to the V-berth.

There are three good sea berths, a quarter berth to port in the stern, and the settees, properly straight, offer a berth on port or starboard tack. The port settee has a slide-out panel under the cushions that produces a double bed for use in port, while still allowing room to go forward.

At the base of the companionway steps sits the engine, offset to starboard with the prop angled but placed in the center at the aft end of the keel. This was done to counteract prop walk, and the engine’s low, amidships placement adds to the boat’s stability and allows excellent access. The exhaust is routed through the bulkhead at the forward end of the quarter berth, where the standup chart table is located. The bulkhead extends to the overhead, and, in versions with the Atomic 4, the engine vent blower also runs within it.

With over 500 boats in the fleet, an active and knowledgeable owner’s association and factory support that is a model for the rest of the industry, the Tartan 34C is truly a classic. Prices for used T34Cs are stable, even appreciating, as more sailors learn of the qualities of this boat. In the words of its designer, “there is nothing outstanding or unusual about it; everything just seemed to work well.”

LOA 34’ 5”
LWL 25’
Beam 10’ 2”
Displ. 11,200 lbs.
Ballast 5,000 lbs.
Draft board up 3’ 11”
Draft board down 8’ 4”
Air draft 44’ 9”
Sail area
hulls 1-124 526.63 sq. ft.
hulls 125-200 500 sq. ft.
hulls 201-525 473.38 sq. ft.
yawl 535.94 sq. ft.
SA/D (E=13’ 6”) 16.83
D/L 320
Lbs/in. immersion 909
PHRF 183

Prices range from $10,000 for a 1970
with an Atomic 4 to a fully restored
and upgraded 1977 for $32,000

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TARTAN 3400 • The new Tartan 3400 combines high-tech construction and modern design with classic Tartan styling

The name Tartan has become synonymous with enduring cruising boats that combine satisfying sailing performance with top construction and comfortable, well thought out accommodations. In the company’s portfolio of boats that have become classics are the great Tartan 27, the Tartan 30, Tartan 33, Tartan 34, Tartan 37 and Tartan 40. And that is not to mention the current fleet of boats (3500, 3800, 4100 and 4400) that are all classics in the making.

Of all the boats from Tartan’s past, the original Tartan 34 has to stand out as a boat for the ages since it was in constant production for more than two decades and evolved through continuous improvement and refinement during that time. Nearly 1,000 34s are out there and remain the standard in well built mid-range family cruising boats.

It must have caused Tartan’s chief designer and CEO Tim Jackett some trepidation when he decided it was time to renew the 34 brand with a completely new design. The question had to be, could the new 3400 ever really replace the venerable 34?

The simple answer is yes. The new 3400 is a design and manufacturing effort that did not look to the past for inspiration but takes all of the best qualities embodied in the Tartan brand – classic styling, fine sailing performance and sensible accommodations – and filters them through a vision that is focused firmly on the future. And that, BWS believes, will be the secret to the new boat’s enduring success.

BWS had the opportunity to spend a day aboard a new 3400 and sailed extensively on Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. The weather was fine and the breeze pleasantly light so we did not have the chance to see how the boat performs in rough weather and bumpy seas. What we did find, however, was that the new 3400 is a rare pleasure to sail, easy to handle and as complete a package as you will find in a cruising boat of this size.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
The brief for the new 3400 was to create a boat that more than lives up to the Tartan name by providing her owners with a small cruiser that sails extremely well, makes few physical demands on the crew and makes the most of Tartan’s cutting edge boatbuilding technology.

The hull Jackett created for the 3400 has a 30-foot waterline and almost 12 feet of beam which translates into a boat that has a lot of interior volume for it size. The bow sections have been given a slight V-shape to prevent slamming when sailing to windward in a chop while the stern sections carry the beam well aft which enhances reaching and running power and overall boat speed.

The rudder is positioned well aft where it will have the most leverage and has been designed to be a moderate balanced spade that grips the water even when heeled over and provides the helmsman with a very sure, almost sports car feel on the wheel.

The boat has three keel options to suit a wide range of sailing and cruising conditions. The standard deep fin, drawing six and a half feet, will maximize performance. For those who frequent sailing grounds with a lot of shallows – Southern New England, the Chesapeake, Florida’s West Coast, the Bahamas, etc. – Tartan offers two shoal draft options.

The Tartan Beavertail keel draws just under five feet; a fin with a large ballasted tail (that looks like a beaver’s tail), the keel reduces draft while providing the efficiencies of a bulb keel that has a positive “endplate” effect.

For those in really shoal areas, Tartan offers the tried-and-true keel/centerboard option that draws just under four feet with the board up and seven feet with the board down. Tartan has been building keel/ centerboard cruisers for 40 years and has the technology mastered.

The interesting thing about the various keel options is that the keels are interchangeable. Move the boat from the Chesapeake to the Pacific Northwest and you can swap out the keel/centerboard for the deep fin. This versatility will appeal to sailors who have to move their cruising bases and will be a real boon for boats on the brokerage market later on.

The rig on the new 3400 combines sailing power with some very innovative thinking about sail handling and control. Both the main and boom are carbon fiber (Awlgripped white) and set up with a simple two-spreader rig. The full-battened main is large and powerful; the mainsheet runs from mid-boom and the cabintop traveler forward to the mast and then back to the cockpit.

An innovative “pocket boom,” which is V-shaped, makes lowering the big sail – with the aid of lazy jacks – extremely simple since the sail flakes itself in the boom and then can be covered with the in-boom sail cover. Before making the mooring or dropping the anchor, all you have to do is round up into the wind, let go the halyard and presto the main is down and under complete control.

The headsail system is equally innovative. The working 100- percent jib has been set up on a Harken roller-furling unit and a Harken track to be self-tacking. The sheet runs from the jib’s traveler up the front of the mast and then down to the deck and aft to the cockpit. To short tack the boat through a crowded harbor all you have to do is throw over the wheel, let the main and jib tack themselves and off you go on the new tack – no winch grinding required.

For reaching and downwind sailing, a reacher, also on a Harken roller, has been set up forward of the working jib. When it is time to fall off the wind all you have to do is roll up the jib, roll out the reacher and away you go with tons of horsepower flying in front of you. This system, called a Solent Rig in Europe, makes a lot of sense as it greatly simplifies sail handling while offering the right sails for every angle of wind. Tartan is unique among production builders (along with J/ Boats) for equipping their boats with carbon masts and booms as standard equipment. The decision to do so underscores the company’s efforts to lead the way with the best modern technology can offer. The weight savings in the mast translates into a stiffer boat that is less likely to roll or pitch in short seas. It also will be easier to tune and maintain than an aluminum spar.

The 3400′s non-dimensional numbers tell more about its design philosophy and performance capabilities. With a ballast-todisplacement ratio of 0.34, the boat will be stiff and stable but not a grouch in rolling conditions. The displacement-to-length ratio of 171.3 is in the performance range – light but not too light – indicating that the hull is light and easily driven. Lastly, the sail areato- displacement ratio of 18.8 places the boat in the performance end of the cruising spectrum, but indicates that the 3400 will be able to carry full sail up to about 20 knots apparent.

To achieve both the lightness in the hull and deck that enhances boat speed and to create a boat that is as strong and durable as possible, Tartan has adopted a standard building technique that it usually employed only in high-end custom yachts and one-off racing machines.

The hull laminates are a composite of unidirectional eglass, epoxy resin and Corecell coring that are laid up as a single unit and then infused with the epoxy to create a hull that has the highest glass-to-resin ratio possible – 65-percent glass to 35- percent resin. The finished hulls are then cured in an autoclave oven at 145 degrees for 24 hours to ensure that the epoxy has fully cured.

The resulting hulls are lighter, stronger and more durable than a standard polyester resin hull, which is why Tartan can offer a 15-year transferable warranty against delamination and blisters. The weight that has been saved in the hull can be moved into the keel to enhance stability and sailing performance.

The deck is formed in a similar process, although Baltec AL600 balsawood coring, which is stiffer than Corecell, is used to make the decks as stiff underfoot as possible.

An innovative design concept combined with cutting edge construction techniques makes the new 3400 (and the other current Tartan models) a performance cruiser that will last a long, long time and will require very little structural maintenance along the way.

ACCOMMODATIONS

One of the decisions Jackett and the Tartan team had to make when they set out to design the new 3400 was how to meet the needs of their likely customers. They came down on the side of the new boat as a “couple’s cruiser” that would be a comfortable coastal cruiser (with occasional offshore runs) and a fine daysailer with a boatload of friends.

The emphasis, therefore, was on making the interior as spacious as possible while providing the owners with a large double berth in the quarter cabin and a large head, with a separate shower stall.

The guest cabin forward has a V-berth that is small by most standards, due in part to the fineness of the bow. The V-berth is a true double berth but two tall people will find themselves locking toes in the night, which might be a good thing. The forward cabin has a lot of storage and hanging space.

The main cabin makes use of the boat’s ample beam by pushing the settee benches outboard as far as possible. The drop leaf table runs down the centerline and with the leaves in place will accommodate four adults for a meal.

The galley has a two-burner Force 10 stove, a large sink and an ample icebox. Counters are Granicote (like Corian), which is easy to clean and maintain. A microwave oven and refrigeration are available options.

Navigators will like working at the chart table. The seat is comfortable and the table’s surface is wide enough for a standard chart kit. Electronics can be flush mounted above the chart table. The main electric panels are above the chart table and to starboard.

Like most modern Tartans, polished cherry has been used through the boat for joinery and cabinets. Drawer fronts, doors and doorframes are solid wood, so they feel substantial and open and close with a satisfying thud. Door hardware and all latches are polished chrome and top-ofthe- line so you do not have to worry about a door, drawer or cabinet door flying open in a bouncy seaway.

Out of the box the 3400 is not set up as a passagemaker, but the boat is certainly capable of carrying her crew – most likely a couple – far and wide with the addition of tankage for extra fuel and water, an upgraded battery bank and charging system and all the sundry safety and navigational gear cruising boats require.

SAIL TRIALS
Our day aboard the 3400 turned out to be clear and pleasant with a sea breeze blowing up Narragansett Bay. We picked up the boat in Bristol Harbor, not far from the Herreshoff museum, and motored through the mooring field to open water. The boat responded easily and quickly under power and did not display much prop-walk as we backed and filled around the slips on departure. The saildrive unit is behind the keel so the propwash does not adversely affect the rudder.

The 27-horsepower Yanmar diesel pushes the boat well. At mid-revs (around 1,800 rpms) we chugged through flat water at six knots. At full revs (around 2,800 rpms) we got her up to seven and half knots or slightly above theoretical hull speed.

Engine noise in the cockpit was minimal, but we did not measure decibels at various rpms. Down below, the engine noise was slightly more pronounced, but we could talk at normal voice levels and did not find the engine a distraction. The insulation inside the engine box appears to be working well.

Hoisting the mainsail on the Harken Battcar system was easy, and we soon had the boat slipping along under main alone at five knots. The big main drives the boat well so close maneuvering under mainsail alone will be the best way to get through tight situations.

We rolled out the 100-percent jib, trimmed for close-haul sailing and headed down the bay at six knots with about 12 knots apparent wind flowing over the deck. Not bad.

Putting the 3400 through her paces, we tacked back and forth, spinning the 40-inch wheel and letting the self-tacking jib do all the work. The boat carried her way through the tacks nicely and then stood up to the new tack quickly. Like most fin-keelers, it helps to fall off a bit after a tack to gain speed before inching the bow up to close hauled.

After about an hour of playing with the set and trim of the sails up wind, we rolled in the jib, fell off to a beam reach and rolled out the reacher. Compared to the jib, the reacher appeared huge; immediately upon filling, the 3400 took off as though hooked to a team of horses.

We broad reached along for a while, watching the speedo move from six to well over seven knots. All the while the helm was incredibly balanced and light. The hull’s broad transom and full sections aft left a smooth wake behind us as the water rushing past the hull met little form resistance. The large rudder, on the rack-and-pinion steering system, truly provided fingertip steering and the ability to make minute and accurate course corrections.

The reacher on a Solent Rig such as this can be a bear to jibe since the space between the two roller-furling systems is small. The trick is to head the boat dead downwind, blanket the reacher behind the mainsail, haul on the new leeward sheet until the clew passes through the gap and then jibe the boat as you haul in the reacher’s sheet. This sounds difficult but once you get the hang of it, nothing could be easier. An autopilot helps a lot if you are doing this solo.

Tim Jackett set out to build a boat that is fun and easy to sail and BWS can confirm that the new 3400 fulfills these goals as well as any boat we have sailed recently.

BWS THOUGHTS
When Tartan introduced the first 34 to their line in the 1960s, a boat of this size was considered a normal or even large cruising boat. Many, in those days, happily went cruising in boats under 30 and survived quite well.

By today’s standards, the 3400 is a small cruiser and most modern sailors would consider it too small for extended sailing. The trend has been to ever larger boats with ever more numerous and complex systems designed to bring the comforts of home to sea with us. And part of that equation is that larger cruising boats can be difficult for couples of a certain age to sail.

Larger boats are all well and good. But there is a lot to say for simplicity and for going to sea in a boat that is easy to sail. Not only will you sail more if it is easy to do so, you will have more fun in the process.

The new 3400 is just the kind of boat veteran sailors will enjoy for weekending, coastal cruising, the occasional offshore passage and for daysailing with friends and family. And for more adventurous souls, the 3400 is packing all the quality, all the strength and all the seakindliness to carry her crew to the Caribbean, Mexico and beyond.

Can the new 3400 live up to the legendary status of the old 34? We are betting it can and may in time well surpass the old classic.

TARTAN 3400

LOA 34’5″
LWL 30’5″
Beam 11’11″
Deep 6’6″
Shoal 4’11″
Centerboard 3’11″/7’0″
Displacement 11,000 lbs.
Ballast 3,700 lbs.
Sail Area (100%) 620 sq. ft.
Water 60 gals.
Fuel 25 gals.
Air draft 55′
SA/D 18.8
D/L 171.3
B/D 0.34
Base Price $157,395

Tartan Yachts
1920 Fairport Nusrsery Rd.
Fairport Harbor, OH 44077
Ph: 440-357-7777
www.tartanyachts.com

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TARTAN 4300 • In the August issue of BWS, we ran a full design review of the new soon-to-be launched Tartan 4300. Hull number one is due to premiere at the Newport (R.I.) boat show in September.

The new boat has a number of unique and interesting features. The hull is pure Tartan and molded out of epoxy instead of polyester resins. The spars are carbon fiber laminates; the boom is a “pocket boom” design that literally captures the mainsail as it is lowered or reefed.

The sail plan shows a Solent rig with a reacher on the outer headstay and a 100-percent self-tacking jib on the inner stay. Although slightly more complicated and more expensive than a single headsail, the Solent rig really gives you great headsail options for a wide range of sailing conditions.

Down below, Tartan offers either a two-cabin or three-cabin version. The two-cabin arrangement has a large double berth aft and an even larger double in the master cabin forward. Both cabins have heads with separate shower stalls.

In the two-cabin version, the chart table has been moved aft of the galley to port and enlarged to the point that is becomes a really useful work station where you can set up a computer and printer and spread out your paperwork while navigating or tending to business.

BWS will be sailing the new 43 this fall and will report back with a full on-the-water test.

Specifications: LOA 43’1”; LWL 37’10”; Beam 13’6”; Draft 5’10” (shoal); Displacement 23,800 lbs.; Sail Area 994 sq. ft.

For more information log on to www.tartanyachts.com.

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TARTAN 4300 • Designed for fast, shorthanded cruising, the new Tartan 4300 offers an epoxy hull, carbon fiber spars and the quality to last a lifetime.

Tartan Yachts has been building high quality cruising boats in Ohio since the early 1960s when founder Charlie Britten launched the first Tartan 27, a Sparkman & Stephens design that set the standard for the company in the years that followed. One of the most venerable brands in American sailing, Tartan is one of a very few companies that remains afloat from the early days of production boat building. And, over the last 40-plus years, the company has set the standard for quality and innovation in the “American School” of production yacht design that remains in full force today. Even at first look, you will know the new 4300 is a Tartan and know that it was created to carry Tartan traditions forward.

The big news coming out of Tartan and C&C this year is that the company has been purchased by new owners and that the future for the builder and its associated regional dealers is brighter than it has been in years.

So, it was with a sense of anticipation that we joined the local Tartan dealer in Miami following the Miami Strictly Sail show to test sail the Tartan 4300 on Biscayne Bay. From the dock we were struck at once by the boat’s simple, clean lines, the handsome marriage of the deck house to the hull, wide side decks and the large mainsail and small fore triangle of the “Cruise Control Rig.” On deck there is just enough teak to make the boat look like a traditional yacht. Plus, a dark blue hull always gives a boat an elegant look.

We motored south into Biscayne Bay before hoisting the mainsail. The main in the tall Cruise Control Rig sits in a pocket boom that is wide enough for the full battened sail to flake itself and then get covered with a nifty sail cover. The mainsheet and halyard run aft to a cabin top winch next to the companionway, so hoisting the sail and then trimming it is simple.

The jib is even simpler. Rigged on a roller furling system, the jib is just under 100-percent of the fore triangle so it can be self tacking. The tack and clew are quite low to the deck so the sail offers maximum drive in a small package. The sheeting arrangement uses a curved track on the foredeck for the sheet car, which runs on ball bearings. As the jib is tacked the car rolls to leeward effortlessly as the sail luffs through the tack and then fills again. The jib sheet leads from the car up the mast about 15 feet when it runs through a turning sheave and back down inside the mast to the deck where it runs through another sheave and then through deck organizers aft to the sheet winch.

With the sails set we put the 4300 through a series of tacks in the fresh breeze that was blowing on Biscayne Bay. The big mainsail is handled through a four-part, mid-boom sheeting system that gives plenty of mechanical advantage when trimming. By trimming the sail for shape and then adjusting the traveler it was easy to get the helm to balance out and the boat sailing at its most advantageous heel angle.

Trimming the jib is almost a one-hand operation. Sailing upwind, the blade jib works very well and can be adjusted nicely with the sheet. The jib is fitted with a special clew piece that sports several attachment points. These are used to give the sail optimum leech tension and twist.

Upwind and beam reaching, the large main and small jib work like a charm and make the 4300 very easy for a couple or even a lone watch stander to handle the boat.

Off the wind, the small jib loses efficiency. So, when you want to broad reach or run downwind, you need to lead lazy sheets outboard of the stays and aft to a snatch block near the stern. These sheets will raise the sheeting angle and allow the jib sheet to be eased so the sail will remain full as the wind moves aft.

But the Cruise Control concept offers an even better solution to broad reaching and running with a blade jib. Instead of using the jib downwind, the boat has been designed to carry a roller furling reacher forward of the roller furling jib. This can be rigged on a free-standing roller furling system that attaches to the stem head fitting—Facnor, Harken, Profurl and others make these systems. For normal cruising conditions, you can leave the downwind sail deployed all the time and only stow it when you are leaving the boat for a while. Or, you can put it away every night, if you prefer.

The beauty of the mixed head sail rig is that the blade jib works really well going to windward. Then, when you want to reach off and run downwind, you simply roll up the jib, roll out the reacher and away you go. We were amazed at the power in the reacher and how much speed it added—almost two knots in 15 knots of breeze.

The 4300 is a very well balanced boat that tracks well but is lively in the puffs and accelerates well. We did not test the boat in anything more than a fresh chop and a good trade wind breeze, but we came away impressed with the high sailing angles—it tacked through 85 degrees—and with its overall pleasant manners.

BUILT TO LAST

Several years ago, Tartan chief designer and operating officer Tim Jackett led the company in a new direction by converting all spars in Tartan yachts to carbon fiber and by deciding to build all of the hulls with epoxy resin. The shift to high-tech composites helps Jackett create boats that are extremely stiff, light and durable—a combination that builds in speed potential, good sailing characteristics and the longevity an owner of a Tartan expects.

The hulls are built using the resin-infusion method, which allows the builder to meter accurately the amount of resin in the hull to achieve the optimum glass-to-resin ratio and a complete saturation of the glass fiber and core layup. The result is a structure that is similar to the hulls of custom grand prix racers and luxury performance yachts. That is why Tartan offers a 15-year, transferable hull warranty against blisters and structural failure.

The carbon fiber rigs are built by sister company Novis Composites, also in Ohio, which supplies all of the Tartan and C&C spars. Uncommon in production boats because of cost and technical complexity, carbon masts, booms and spinnaker poles reduce weight aloft which has a direct and dramatic effect on stability. On a 43-footer, using a carbon mast instead of an aluminum spar is equivalent to putting two, 200-pound crew on the windward rail.

Starting with the new 3400 last year, Tartan introduced the pocket boom designs that make hoisting and dousing the big mainsails much easier. The new booms are carbon fiber laminates that are very light, stiff and durable. The mainsail tacks down to the gooseneck at the mast and the clew attaches to the outhaul at the end of the boom. The boom is wide enough for the sail to lie neatly folded or flaked in the pocket. With lazy jacks rigged from the sides of the boom, the sail is very nearly self tending.

Building the boats with exotic composites helps Tartan add a lot of long-term value to the boats. From the design point of view, high tech construction also really adds to a boat’s ability to perform well in a wide range of conditions.

PERFORMANCE NUMBERS

The 4300 comes with two keel versions, a shoal keel with the Tartan Beavertail fin swept aft and a standard deep fin keel. The shoal draft version weighs in at about 23,500 pounds, which translates into a sail-area displacement ratio of 195. This is moderately light but well within the parameters of a good blue water sailing boat. The deep-draft version has an SA/D of 179, which is more on the performance end of the spectrum.

These relatively light performance ratios, which tell us that the boat has plenty of horsepower in the rig and a light, performance hull, will seem to some readers to be on the “racing” side of the racer-cruiser line. In truth, modern materials and construction techniques make it possible to build boats that have excellent performance numbers while still building in the stiffness and strength that long ocean use demands.

The ballast-to-displacement ratio in the shoal draft version is 36.8 percent. This is a comforting number and higher than you will find on most modern performance cruising boats where the average will be around 32. A higher B/D indicates higher stability.

The combination of a stiff hull, with moderate displacement and plenty of easily managed sail area results in a truly modern performance cruiser that will please her owners by sailing quickly, sailing easily and sailing upright.

LIVING ABOARD

As one of this country’s leading builders of racer cruisers over the last four decades, Tartan has established a style that is uniquely American and based on a harmony between tradition—the Bristol fashion of the Herreshoffs—and practical, modern design concepts. The interior of the new 4300 is a perfect example of that harmony.

The overall look and feel of the 4300 is of an elegant and proper yacht. The teak and holly soles are traditional and offer good nonskid. The bright white overhead panels detailed with varnished wood battens evoke Bristol traditions. And, the hand rubbed, solid wood cherry cabinets, raised panel doors and drawer fronts, give the boat a feel of genuine quality.

Yet the interior spaces are very bright for a boat finished in wood paneling. The saloon has large overhead hatches and six opening portholes. Note that the hatches and ports are stainless steel instead of aluminum. To enhance brightness, interior lighting has been maximized to offer both general illumination and spot lighting for reading, navigating and working in the galley.

The interior layout comes in two versions, one with the master cabin forward and two quarter cabins aft, or the second with the large master cabin aft and the guest cabin forward.

The two-cabin version offers truly huge spaces for a 43-footer. Both sleeping cabins have large double berths and their own en suite heads. And, both heads have separate shower stalls.

In the three-cabin version, the two aft cabins offer small double bunks—both of which will make great sea berths. The forward head remains the same here but the after head loses the shower stall to make room for the chart table. If you are cruising with two children or you will be entering offshore sailing events, the three-cabin version makes a lot of sense. If you will be spending a lot of time cruising with one other couple, then the two-cabin version offers the better plan. Plus, the two-cabin version has a chart table/office to port that will be the envy of even the owners of much larger cruising boats.

The saloon is a pleasant space that is arranged for comfort in port and safety at sea, which means that there are plenty of handholds always nearby, good places to brace a hip or knee while working with both hands, and small enough floor area so a crew member won’t be launched across the boat when it lurches or rolls suddenly.

The U-shaped galley has plenty of counter and storage space, two stainless steel sinks on the centerline, a three-burner stove/oven and good storage and pot lockers beneath the counter. The top-loading fridge/freezer has large, well insulated tops so you will have excellent access to the entire boxes yet won’t lose the cold through a side loading door.

The dinette to port is pleasantly rounded for comfort. But the corner cushions can come out to make a straight settee berth when at sea. The dinette will seat four comfortably and up to six with the large table leaf extended to the starboard settee.

The angles of the interior space are interesting and you always have a line of sight that includes portholes, hatches and fore and aft cabins.

BWS THOUGHTS

With the Cruise Control Rig, carbon spars, an epoxy hull and an elegant interior, the new Tartan 4300 offers her owners a cruising boat that sails extremely well and has long legs for offshore sailing.

The 15-year hull warranty underscores the builder’s commitment to quality and strength, while the attention to detail both on deck and below prove their dedication to comfortable, practical and elegant living afloat.

Tartan has been building fine cruising boats for more than 40 years. The new 4300 lives up to and in many ways surpasses the company’s long traditions. If you are looking for a finely built American yacht that is honest and sails like the wind, then the new 4300 should be on your short list. It is on ours.

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THIN WATER CRUISING BOATS •

BWS takes a look at the fleet of cruising monohulls drawing less than five feet

Pacific Seacraft 37

Blue water tends to be deep water and that is what lies between the land masses we live on and the islands or continents we want to visit. But, at home and in the new landfalls that make the cruising life so wonderful, the water often gets very thin. So the compromise all cruisers have to face is whether to sail with a deep draft and avoid thin water cruising or sail with a shallow draft and live with the slightly poorer windward sailing ability of shoal draft designs.

Many of America’s best cruising grounds have fairly thin water running through them. In the Northeast, the popular sailing regions around Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are all shallow and riddled with sand banks. Many of the boats designed for the region, and Long Island Sound as well, have always been centerboarders, whether they were drawn by Herreshoff, Ted Hood or Olin Stephens.

And shallow cruising waters extend right down the U.S. East Coast through Delaware and Chesapeake Bays, through the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and all the length of the Intracoastal Waterway right to the Florida Keys.

The Gulf Coast from Key West all the way to Corpus Christi, Texas, is sandy and shallow with narrow harbor entrances and extensive sandy shoals. Once you get to the West Coast, deep water runs right up to the coast in most areas. But head deep into San Francisco Bay or up the Sacramento River delta and the water thins out rapidly.

Once we leave North America it doesn’t necessarily get any deeper. The Bahamas are notoriously shallow, and if you want to get off the beaten track amongst the islands you need a true shoal draft cruiser. The water throughout the Caribbean is generally deep but there are lots of great anchorages around islands like Anguilla, Anegada and Barbuda where a shallow draft boat will get you close to the beach and out of the wind or swell.

In Europe, most of the coastal waters are deep with the exception of Holland and Germany. In the Med, you will find mostly deep water but again there are hundreds of great anchorages throughout the sea where less draft will really be to your benefit. And, if you want to use the European canal systems to cruise from the North Sea to the Med, shallow draft is a must.

Variations on the Theme

Designing a boat that combines shoal draft with reasonable or even good sailing performance is one of the challenges that yacht designers have been wrestling with for hundreds of years.

There are seven basic solutions to the shoal draft compromise and of these each offers different sailing characteristics. Multihulls are all shoal draft cruisers; some have small keels and some have daggerboards. But all of them draw less than five feet.

Bilge keelers are all shoal-draft boats with less than five feet of draft. But, none are available from builders in the United States, and the design style, once very popular in England and tidal regions of France, Holland and the North Sea have gone somewhat out of favor. That leaves us with five modern styles to consider.

Full shoal-draft keels

The classic shoal draft keel design was the full-length keel with a cutaway forefoot and an attached rudder. The long keel was easy to build in a wood plank-and-frame method, was strong, could withstand a grounding safely and could be dried out on its own bottom for painting or repairs. Although not the best for close winded sailing, the full keel design excels at reaching and running by offering an easy motion and good directional stability.

Today, Island Packet and Pacific Seacraft lead the fleet of full keel boat builders with very successful and capable ranges of boats.

Island Packet Estero

Island Packets are designed by founder Bob Johnson who spent 30 years perfecting what is now called the Full Foil Keel design. The full-length keel distributes the internal ballast in a full-length, foil-shaped keel that adds stability, directional stability, and improves the keel’s lift when sailing to windward. It is worth noting that all of Island Packet’s current models have less than five feet of draft, including the new 460, which is 46 feet overall. If there is one builder in North America who has fully embraced the virtues of shoal draft sailing it is Island Packet.

Pacific Seacraft designs have wine-glass sections that lower the boat’s center of gravity and make them stiff and weatherly. The 31, 34 and 37 all draw less than five feet. The full keel designs are traditional by modern standards yet have proven to be forgiving and capable at sea. Because the hull and keel are all one piece, Pacific Seacraft hulls have enormous integral strength so if the hull lands hard on an immovable object, like a rock ledge or coral reef, the keel will distribute the loads throughout the hull. World cruisers have long believed that shoal draft full keel designs like the Pacific Seacrafts and Island Packets are most suitable for any and all conditions.

Fixed Wing keels

Modern shoal draft fin keels began to evolve in the 1980s, particularly after Australia won the America’s Cup in 1983 with a revolutionary wing-keel design. Most if not all production builders of cruising boats offer shoal draft versions of their models with modern cruising fins with either wings or bulbs.

The principle is to gain the most lift possible with a NACA foil shaped keel that has as much weight concentrated in the wings or bulb as possible to lower the center of gravity. The wings or bulbs also provide an end-plate effect, which channels water flow evenly across the keel instead of allowing it to fall off at the bottom as it does on a standard fin keel.

In the early days of wing keels, builders worried that the wings might act as suction cups when the boats were run hard aground on mud banks. A lot of grounding tests were run with these early designs with positive results.

Catalina 37S

Catalina has made a significant commitment to shoal-draft, fin-keel designs and has five models over 35 feet that draw less than five feet. The keels that designer Gerry Douglas works with have swept back shapes with elliptical trailing edges and large aft fins. This shape provides a large amount of foil surface for lift and a low center of gravity. Catalina uses all-lead keels, so the density of the material enhances the designs’ innate stability.

Both Beneteau and Hunter have cruising designs between 33 and 37 feet that have drafts less than five feet. Beneteau uses a bulb designed with an aft swept foil keel. The bulb trails aft of the keel where it won’t collect seaweed or crab pot lines and where it will place the bulk of the casting’s weight directly below the boat’s center of gravity. The shoal-draft version of the new Beneteau 37 draws only four feet, seven inches but is still able to fly plenty of sail and has been noted as a fast, close winded cruiser.

Hunter 36

Hunter has developed its own brand of wing keel design for their shoal draft models that combines the efficiencies of NACA foils with the low center of gravity and end-plate effect of a wing keel. The Hunter 36 draws four feet, 11 inches while the smaller Hunter 33 draws only four feet, six inches. The Hunters come standard with roller furling mainsails and jibs, which are easy on the crew. The keel shapes and the depth of the centers of gravity both aid the boats upwind and provide an easy stable ride.

Sabre Yachts in Maine offers wing keels as an option to the deep performance keels they provide as standard equipment. The Sabre 386 has a shoal draft of only four feet, 10 inches. Designed by Jim Taylor, the shoal keels are advanced cruising fins with hydrodynamic wings that add stability and lift. Sabre builds classic high quality cruiser-racers that have proven to be both winners on the race course and excellent cruising boats. With the shoal draft option, the 386 can take her crew anywhere.

ComPac 35

ComPac Yachts in Florida has been building shoal draft small cruisers for years. Not long ago the builders introduced the new ComPac 35, which was designed as a couple’s cruiser with a shoal draft Scheel keel that is both offshore ready but capable of cruising thin water, too. The Scheel keel has a swept back bulb that lowers the center of gravity and creates minimum drag as water flows over the foil. Built on the west coast of Florida where cruising depths are often under five feet, the ComPac 35 is right in its element.

Hanse 350

Hanse from Germany has two boats in their cruising line that draw under five feet, the 320 and 350, and true to the company’s mission the keel design and configuration are tilted toward modern shapes and performance characteristics. The shoal keels are modified cruising fins with fairly deep chords and aft sweeping ballast bulbs. This design allows Hanse to enhance ballast-to-displacement ratios and performance upwind.

The fixed shoal keel solution to the designer’s problem of draft version performance is the simplest and least expensive to build. And, in the long run should require the least maintenance.

Keel-Centerboard Designs

When you think of classic New England builders, most of us think of names like Hinckley, Morris, Sabre, Tartan (actually Midwest), Bristol and Little Harbor. Because these builders and the designers behind them were creating boats for sailors who cruised and raced in New England in the summer and then headed south to Florida, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Caribbean in the winter, the boats had to have shallow drafts but they also had to perform well upwind and they had to be offshore capable.

Tartan 4100

Certainly over the years there have been issues with centerboards. They can bang annoyingly as the boat rolls. They can be lodged either up or down. And, they can actually fall out of the boat if a pin fails. But, these days, the problems once associated with centerboards have largely been subdued with innovative technology.

The only production builder offering modern keel-centerboard designs in 2009 is Tartan Yachts, which has three models, the 3400, 3700 and 4100, all of which draw less than five feet with their boards up. Tim Jackett designs the Tartans and has created a line of cruisers that carries on the classic Tartan traditions of quality, performance and comfort.

There are other keel-centerboard designs out there that can be had on a custom or semi-custom basis from builders like Shannon Yachts in Rhode Island.

Swing Keels

The option to add ballast to the centerboard gives a designer and builder the chance to create a truly shoal draft boat that will also sail upwind with the alacrity of a modern fin keeler.

In essence the swing keel is a cast foil keel that hinges inside the hull. When retracted the trailing edge of the keel fits into a slot in the bottom of the hull and the leading edge is parallel with the bottom of the boat. In the retracted position, and with the rudder(s) kicked up, a design of this type will sit nicely when dried out.

With the keel down, the foil is in place to provide lift as you sail to windward and the ballast in the keel is low where it adds stability.

The only production builder who offers cruising boats over 35 feet with swing keels is Southerly in England. The southerly line ranges from 35 to 57 feet and with the keels retracted all of the boats draw less than three feet—even the new Southerly 57RS (raised saloon).

Southerly 38

Southerly has been building swing keel boats for 20 years and has perfected the science of deploying and swinging heavy moveable ballast that is also a sailing foil.

Retracting keels

Retracting keels have become popular on mega yachts that need the depth of a deep keel for performance but need shallow drafts to enter normal ports. And, we have seen occasional custom cruisers equipped with retracting keels, since the principal is so attractive.

A retracting keel does just as you would imagine, it retracts into the boat when you want to sail in shoal-draft mode and is then lowered when you want the lift and stability of a full fin keel in deep water.

Because the keel is a ballast keel, the unit is heavy and requires a mechanism to raise and lower it in a controlled way. Muscle power can work on boats of up to 40 feet or so, but above that a powered winch is required, all of which adds complexity to the boat.

Hake 35

The only production builder in North America to offer a cruising boat with a retracting keel is Hake Yachts in Florida. The Hake 32 RK is a compact but capable cruising boat that can sail or power in as little as 20 inches of water but, with the keel lowered will draw a healthy six feet, six inches.

The 32RK was designed specifically for Southern Florida and Bahamian waters and has proven to be an excellent cruising solution that will work just about anywhere the water is thin.

Thin water cruising can be the most fun way to explore new islands and cruising grounds. So, if you have plans to venture over the horizon be sure to check the depths in the places you want to visit before you decide on the right boat to sail there.

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TARTAN 400 • The new Tartan 400 is an American-designed, American-built performance cruiser with a great pedigree and a bright future.Forty feet is one of the sweet spots in cruising boat design. There are more famous production boats at 40 than at just about any other length. Just think of the boats on the list: Hinckley Bermuda 40, Block Island 40, Bristol 40, Tartan 40, Valiant 40, Pacific Seacraft 40, Nordic 40, Sabre 402, Catalina 400, Baba 40, J/40, Freedom 40, Island Packet 40, Pearson 40, and the list goes on. The combined blue water miles racked up by 40s over the last generation would add up to millions.Even today, when giantism has swept the cruising fleets and it is common for couples to choose boats in the 50-foot range as their first cruiser, boats of 40 feet offer enough interior space, storage, sailing ability and speed to be practical, sensible cruising boats.So it is no surprise that Tim Jackett’s latest design—following in the wake of the elegant Tartan 53—is the new Tartan 400. This may be the signature boat for the new practical, sensible age that is following the busted boomtown bubble of the last decade.THE DESIGNThe new 400 is a masthead sloop with a Solent-style, double headsail rig that couples a self-tacking working jib with a roller furling reacher up front. Sailing to windward, the rig is self-tending through the tacks; off the wind, you roll up the jib and roll out as much reacher as you need. Dead downwind, you can either pole out the reacher or set a spinnaker. The slab-reefed mainsail is controlled with lazy jacks and rests when furled in an innovative pocket boom. This is a simple, efficient and easy rig to manage.The hull and deck designs have a classic Tartan look—not too racy, but hardly dowdy. The bow has a slight overhang and the stern rakes forward in harmony with the bow and sheer. The cabin top sits up above the deck line so the side ports are exposed to light and breeze; and, having the cabin top at this height means you can reach the handrails on it without doubling over or brace a knee when working with both hands.Under the water, the 400 can be had with three keel configurations. The deep seven-foot, six-inch fin version will be the racer-cruiser’s choice if the depth of local waters permits deep draft; the Tartan Beavertail winged keel at five-foot, 10-inch draft will be the most popular compromise keel for all around performance; and, the keel-centerboard option will appeal to gunkholers who habitually cruise in regions with extra thin water such as the Chesapeake Bay, Bahamas and Southern New England. All of the versions have high aspect, balanced spade rudders that are operated by twin wheels in the cockpit.Looking at the hull lines, the 400 has a moderate displacement hull shape with fairly narrow sections, a generous beam of 13 feet, and broad, powerful stern sections that will help the boat stand up to strong reaching breezes (and add volume to the interior for living and storage spaces).The deck layout follows the modern theme of a large, open cockpit with two wheels, a centerline table and a passage aft to the swim platform. The 400 was not given a sugar scoop stern, but instead has a neat folding aft platform that tucks away when under sail. The cockpit will seat six for a meal and can accommodate twice that many for sundowners. The mainsheet traveler has been positioned forward of the companionway, where it is out of the way of the crew but can be adjusted with control lines that lead aft on the cabin top. The mainsheet is shown leading forward to the boom vang and then down to a turning block and aft to a winch on the cabin top next to the companionway. A canvas dodger attaches to the cabin top aft of the main traveler and will provide protection for the crew in wet weather.The bow is equipped with double anchor rollers, so you will be able to easily deploy a second hook whenever the wind picks up during the night. The anchor locker and windlass will handle an all-chain rode plus a second chain-to-rope rode. The second anchor can be stowed in the locker as well.An evolutionary design, the 400 has a lot of qualities that have emerged in the modern Tartan line over the last few years that make it modern but not trendy and certain to be relevant for many years ahead—just like the Tartan 40 or 37.LIVING SPACESThe 400 has been created for couples who will often be cruising with other couples and occasionally entering point-to-point events with a larger crew. The boat has two good double cabins and a single large head with a separate shower stall.The master cabin forward has a center-line double that can be accessed from the sides so you don’t have to climb over your partner to slip out during the night. The plan shows two hanging lockers, a small bench sofa, and lockers and shelf space for clothing and personals.The after cabin has a double berth that you climb in from the forward end. There is a hanging locker and built-in cabinets for storage. The cabin has full headroom and ventilation from port holes that vent to the cockpit. This quarter cabin will be the best sea berth on the boat.For additional guests and crew, the bench seats in the saloon can be rigged as single berths; if you add lee cloths, both will make good sea berths when making offshore runs. The starboard bench is six feet long, but the forward backrest cushion can be removed to open up another 13 inches of length for taller crew. Since you rarely sleep forward of the mast at sea, the 400 has three good sea berths that will accommodate a crew of six on passage.The saloon has a modern, open layout. The G-shaped galley to port has a large fridge aft that is both top and front loading, a three-burner Force 10 stove and twin stainless steel sinks that are not far off the centerline so they will drain on both tacks. The galley is near the companionway and has an opening hatch and nearby opening ports so it will ventilate well. Cabinets are built in above the counters aft and outboard and below the sinks and counters.Across from the galley in its traditional position, Jackett has drawn in a proper forward-facing chart table with a table big enough for a paper chart, a seat wide enough for two and instrument cabinets that face aft so all the digital information you need is right in front of you. The electrical panel is outboard of the chart table, so all of the on-off lights are visible throughout the saloon. The 400 comes standard with a 12-volt and an inverter charger for 110-volt appliances. These controls are also in plain view.It is sensible to have only one head on a 40-foot boat. The trend these days is to build in en suite heads with each sleeping cabin, which is fine on charter boats, but wastes a lot of interior space aboard a cruising boat. The 400’s head has entry doors from the saloon and the forward cabin so the sink and vanity are quite small. But, the shower is huge, so you can save water by showering with a friend or swing a loofah around with abandon while singing shanties.The interior of the 400 is in varnished, hand-rubbed cherry and white laminates. Because of the many side ports and the six large deck hatches, the cabin will be woody, but bright and warm. The floors are traditional teak and holly. The recent Tartans all have the feel of finely finished custom furniture.Inside the confines of 40 feet overall and 13 feet of beam, Jackett has laid out living spaces that will stylishly suit a couple’s sailing lifestyle while providing all the room they need for guests and crew sailing offshore.THE BOATThe modern Tartans are different from almost all other production boats, and that difference lies in two words: epoxy and carbon. The boats are not the classic plastics of the past; they are built in the space age with space-age materials.The hulls are all epoxy and glass-fiber laminates with inert foam cores that are molded in one piece using the vacuum-infusion method. The result is the strongest, most durable hull possible.A normal fiberglass hull assembled with polyester and vinylester resins in a hand lay-up process will be 25% glass and 75% resin; the Tartan epoxy infusion systems creates hulls that are 65% glass and 35% epoxy resin. The result of using this method is a much higher strength to weight ratio than is possible with traditional lay-ups. Also, epoxy does not blister or become porous over time.While the hulls and decks are molded in epoxy and fiber glass, the masts and booms are molded from carbon fibers fused with epoxy. The masts are lighter and more durable than aluminum spars, while the new pocket booms Jackett designed are both much easier to use than oval booms and much lighter.By applying the latest in composite and custom building technologies to the production boat building process, Tartan (and C&C) has really advanced the ball for owners who value the performance, safety, longevity, and durability of epoxy hulls and carbon rigs.BWS THOUGHTSThe new Tartan 400 is a very appealing boat for cruisers looking for a practical, innovative boat for coastal and offshore cruising. The design is modern and promises to be fast. The boat is built with the latest materials and techniques. The rig is innovative and very practical for a couple or a singlehander—or for a racing crew headed offshore. And the layout and interior spaces are both elegant and well thought out for extended cruising. Tartan is a venerable American brand, so it is gratifying to see the company launch into the new economic age with a cruising boat that will be a signature of these less rambunctious times. When the new boat is launched this summer, BWS will put it through its paces offshore.Tartan 400LOA 40’7”LWL 36’4”Beam 13’0”Draft (fin) 7’5”Draft (wing) 5’10”Draft (k/cb) 4’8” (up)Displ. (stnd.) 20,104 lbs.Ballast (stnd.) 8,000 lbs.Sail Area (100%) 893 sq. ft.Sail Area (reacher) 814 sq. ft.Fuel 50 gals.Water 100 gals.Engine 55-hp. DieselBridge Clearance 64’1”SA/D 20.5D/L 172B/D 38%Designer Tim JackettTartan Yachts1920 S.R 535Painesville, OH 44077Ph: 440-354-6162www.Tartanyachts.com

TARTAN 5300 • I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Tartans. In 1963 or so, my parents and our neighbors in partnership bought an early Tartan 27—the classic S&S design that launched the company. For years, we cruised and raced the boat all over the Northeast as a family of five and thought nothing of staying aboard for a week at a time.

When my folks decided to move up in size, they sold the boat to another neighbor, who kept it for 30 years and cruised it all over New England. When he decided to sell, who should step up to buy the then-40-year-old boat but my nephew, who keeps it near Boston and sails it whenever he can…now with a new engine and new sails, but still the same 47-year-old cruiser. So the boat is still in the family.That says a lot about Tartan’s place in the American sailing scene. The boat building company, founded by Ohio native Charlie Britton in 1960, has always been focused primarily on solid, honest boats that appeal to families, whether they are cruising in a Tartan 37 or beating around the buoys in a Tartan Ten. While times change and designs evolve, that fundamental Tartan quality remains the same.In July, I had the chance to test sail the center-cockpit Tartan 5300 Luora, which belongs to Jeff and Linda Lennox. The boat is based in Mystic, CT, and I joined the Lennoxes, their two sons and the family dog for the first leg to Newport, RI of their summer cruise to Maine and back. Once again, I was aboard a Tartan heading off on a classic family cruise.Luora is hull number one of the Tim Jackett-designed 5300 line and built with a lot of Jeff and Linda’s input. This is only right since their previous boat was a Tartan 4100, on which they had cruised extensively. The standard 5300 is spec’d with a full battened main, the Tartan “pocket boom” and lazy jacks. Jeff and Linda had success with a Forespar Leisure Furl in-boom furling system on their 4100, so they opted for the same arrangement on the 5300. We set off from Mystic in a near flat calm with some coastal fog hanging over Long Island Sound. So we motored until we got past The Race, the mouth of the sound, where the wind began to build. Or at least we thought it was going to build, so we rolled out the mainsail and then rolled out the reacher to see what we could do.The 5300 has the Tartan Cruise Control Rig (CCR) that is now being used on all of the Tartan line. The standard rig has a fully battened main that furls in and out of the pocket boom and two headsails, the self-tacking jib that fits on an inner forestay, and the full reacher that flies from the masthead. This arrangement, which is called the Solent Rig in Europe, allows you to adjust your sail configuration easily, no matter what direction the winds blow. The reacher can be used for angles from close reaching to running, while the jib is great for very close reaching and beating to windward.With the reacher drawing nicely, Luora was able to sail at about half the speed of the wind or 4 knots in 8 knots of breeze. This is not bad for a large moderate displacement cruising boat.That morning, on the website sailflow.com, the forecast had been for the sea breeze to come up at 2p.m. Lo and behold, at 2:10, the 6 to 8 knots of breeze was suddenly 10 and then 12. We trimmed for reaching speed along our eastward course and the 5300 really began to move. In 12 knots, we were easily making 6.5 through the water. Nice.While the breeze held, we rolled in the reacher and rolled out the jib so we could see how she handled upwind. The 5300 settled in at 45 degrees from the true wind and tacked effortlessly through 90 degrees.Finally, the breeze died, so we rolled up the headsail and cranked up the engine. Under power on a flat sea, the 5300 cruised easily at 8 knots and was capable of powering at more than 9 knots if asked. The 5300 is a big boat that feels nimble underfoot and slippery through the water.The hull has a narrow entry that enhances upwind performance and broad after sections that provide a lot of interior volume and will make the boat stiff and powerful when reaching. With the Cruise Control Rig, the 5300 is a cinch for a couple to handle from the cockpit.TARTAN AT 50This year, Tartan celebrates the 50th anniversary of the company’s founding. The first Tartan 27 rolled off the production line in 1961, so next year will also be a 50th anniversary. Five decades of continuous sailboat production is no small feat in America, so the company and its core of boat builders is to be congratulated.2010 marks another milestone for Tartan and C&C, too. On July 30th, Steve Malbasa and his wife Stephanie purchased the company from the previous owner and immediately set out to position it for a successful future. Tim Jackett, who is the company’s president and chief designer, is also a partner in the new business and will stay on to run the day-to-day operations.In early August, I was able to spend a day in Ohio with Steve, Stephanie and Tim at their new factory in Painesville and out on the water sailing the Malbasas’ 4300. The plant is a huge step forward for the company. It is large, modern, clean and set up for highly efficient semi-custom boat building. As Tim noted, the move has allowed the company to shed some of its old habits and practices and given every individual in the company the chance to rethink and improve the way they do their jobs.This change in company culture is already having a positive effect throughout the industry as Tim and Steve set out to build the dealer network and expand the brands’ visibility in key sailing regions around the country. The Tartan and C&C brands are two of the most venerable in the country.In addition, the company owns Legacy Yachts, which has a line of premium motor yachts and cruisers, and Novis Composites, the in-house builder of carbon fiber spars, booms, poles and other parts for the boats.After a tour of the new factory with Tim and a visit to the old facility, which is in the process of a major face lift and where the hulls, decks and spars will be built, we met up with Steve and Stephanie aboard their 4300 for a late afternoon sail on Lake Erie. It was a lovely, warm day, so we hoisted the main, rolled out the reacher and flew out into the lake at 8 knots.Steve Malbasa is a retired sales management executive who discovered sailing later in life and has jumped right into the deep end with enormous enthusiasm. He brings a very clear vision to the company that focuses entirely on making the “customer experience” the very best it can be, and better every day. This is a sound formula for success and promises to drive the company forward for another 50 years.THE DIFFERENCEOver the years, Tim Jackett has consistently innovated the design, engineering and construction of Tartan and C&C boats. They are one of only a few companies that provides carbon fiber masts, booms and poles as standard equipment; the “pocket boom” is also a unique solution to handling large, fully battened mainsails. The Cruise Control Rig takes a sail handling system often found on large custom yachts—particularly in Europe—and adapts it to couples’ cruising boats. It makes a huge amount of sense.The hulls and decks of all of the boats are infused, foam-cored, epoxy and e-glass laminations that have superior strength-to-weight ratios and extremely high glass-to-resin ratios. Epoxy is more expensive than vinylester or polyester resin but provides a structure that is completely inert and impervious to osmotic blistering. The idea is to build boats that will last generations, like the old Tartan 27 now owned by my nephew.These days, Tartans are less pure production boats than they are semi-custom yachts for owners who expect to tailor the interiors spaces a bit to their needs. This is particularly true in the larger boats such as the 5300. The boats are not built on a production line; instead, each is hand crafted by a team that is responsible for the fit out from the bare hull and deck through launching. This personal involvement shows in the final product.THE 5300 DOWN BELOWJeff and Linda Lennox stepped up to the plate to build hull number one of the 5300 design and, as noted above, brought a wealth of experience and ideas with them. Luora is very much their boat. The original plans for the 5300 show a raised saloon with the engine room, tanks and batteries under the saloon floor, where they are near the boat’s center of gravity. The saloon plans show two curved settees with the port side doubling as the dining table.The Lennoxes opted for a different plan in which the dinette remains to port but the starboard side of the saloon has a raised inside helm with a forward facing bench seat to starboard; this allows you to sail or pilot the boat from inside the saloon with good visibility all around and all of your navigation instruments right in front of you. Just aft of this is a desk and seat, and aft of that is what Tim calls the “Great Chair.” Part of this custom interior was to maintain access from the saloon to the after head on the starboard side so it can be used as the “day head” and will double as a wet locker for foul weather gear.The rest of Luora is more or less the standard interior design. All the way forward, there is a large guest cabin with a centerline double berth and plenty of hanging and locker space for a couple who will be staying aboard for a while. Just aft to port is a double cabin with upper and lower berths. This will be a great kids’ cabin and will be comfortable at sea. The forward head, equipped with a full shower stall, is across from the double cabin. The truly huge master cabin all the way aft stretches the boat’s full beam. The centerline double is a full queen size—rare on a cruising boat. The cabin has two large hanging lockers and seats on both sides of the berth. The master head on the starboard side is huge and has a large shower stall.An alternative to the giant aft cabin is to move the head aft, thus reducing the width of the cabin. In the head’s place you can have a fourth cabin with upper and lower berths. This fourth cabin will be a wonderful place to sleep at sea and a good cabin for crew on long passages.The 5300’s galley lies in the passageway on the port side from the saloon to the aft cabin. The stove, storage lockers and fridges are outboard, while the double sinks are inboard and nearly on the centerline, where they will drain nicely on both tacks.Tartan has been using cherry in their interiors for several years. The bulkheads are cherry veneers over marine plywood while the drawers, doors and cabin faces are solid cherry. The woodwork is finished with a flat varnish that looks elegant.The 5300 feels like a bigger boat down below. The cabins are all large and well appointed, the heads are spacious, and the working spaces at the nav table, galley or inside steering station are all supplied with ample table or counter space.The boat is bright throughout and provided with excellent cross-ventilation through portholes and opening hatches. One could easily move aboard, as the Lennox family does, for extended periods of cruising in real comfort and style.BWS THOUGHTSThe 50th anniversary of the Tartan brand is reason enough to celebrate. The company is an American treasure. Now starting its second half-century under the new ownership of Steve and Stephanie Malbasa and Tim Jacket, there is reason to believe that the company will grow and prosper.The 5300 is the perfect flagship for the brand. It is a true family cruising boat in the Tartan tradition that incorporates many well thought out innovations and heirloom quality construction. As the year progresses, you will find new dealers in sailing centers around the country handling the line and a new optimism among Tartan owners that their boats will indeed be around for generations ahead.Tartan 5300LOA 53’0”LWL 46’6”Beam 16’2”Draft (keel) 6’8”Draft (K/CB) 5’6”/9’6”Displ. (K) 37,225 lbs.Displ. (K/CB) 38,225 lbs.Ballast (K) 13,000 lbs.Ballast (K/CB) 14,000 lbs.Fuel 125 gals.Water 250 gals.Sail Area 1,387 sq. ft.Mast height 80’0”Ballast/Displ. 35Displ./LWL 165Sail area/Displ. 20Tartan and C&C Yachts/Hanover MarinePainesville, OH 44077Ph: 440-392-2628Website: www.tartanyachts.com

2011 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW • BAVARIA CRUISER 32 • Last summer, Bavaria USA introduced four new models to the U.S. market. The smallest of the fleet is the Bavaria 32, which packs a lot in a fairly small package. Designed by Farr Yacht Design, who designed all of the new Bavaria models, the 32 has a voluminous hull that makes the interior feel like you are on a 36-footer. But the boat is also very slippery through the water and extremely close-winded for a cruising boat.

The 32 has an in-mast furling mainsail and a small roller furling jib. The jib is only 108 percent of the fore-triangle and sheets inside the shrouds. With tight sheeting angles, the boat sails to windward like a dream and tacks inside 80 degrees. Off the wind, the 32 is very easily driven and offers excellent speeds when broad reaching.

Down below, the 32 is huge for a boat of this size. The master cabin has a large double berth tucked aft under the cockpit and a smaller double cabin forward for kids or guests. The benches in the saloon can double as berths, too. The galley is aft at the foot of the companionway ladder with the aft-facing chart table next to it. The L-shaped dinette will seat four for dinner.

A great starter cruiser for a young family or a perfect downsize for an older couple who want to simplify their sailing life, the Bavaria Cruiser 32 offers great sailing qualities and a lot of living space below.

Specifications: LOA 32’9”; LWL 29’0”; Beam 11’3”; Draft 4’11”; Displ. 11,464 lbs.; Sail area 549 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BAVARIA CRUISER 36 • Like its little sister, the Bavaria Cruiser 36 feels much larger than its length might imply. In fact, this boat feels bigger when stepped aboard, when it is hit by a puff of wind, and when you go below into the cabin.

The 36 has the same style rig as the 32, with an in-mast furling mainsail and a small jib that sheets inside the shrouds. Because the headsail is small, the boat is easy for a couple to tack and the sail can often be trimmed without having to grind the sheet winch.

The cockpit has long bench seats and the backs are ergonomically shaped to give lumbar support for comfort. Like all of the Bavaria Cruiser fleet, the 36’s transom folds down to create a large platform aft for sunning, swimming, donning SCUBA gear or climbing into the dinghy.

The 36 comes in either a two-cabin, one-head layout or a three-cabin, one-head plan. The first will probably appeal to couples who sail with friends, while the latter will be a good layout for a family. The boat has only one head, but the compartment is large and has a partition that converts it into a shower.

The interesting thing about the new Bavaria line is that owners have a lot of options when they spec out their new boats. You can choose from three different wood styles, floor patterns and numerous fabrics and colors. Bavaria has the capacity to build 3,000 boats a year, but they build each to its owner’s own personal requirements.

The Cruiser 36 will make a great family cruising boat that is small enough to be affordable but large enough to really be a floating home away from home.

Specifications: LOA 37’1”; LWL 32’5”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’4”; Displ. 15,432 lbs.; Sail area 742 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

The BAVARIA CRUISER 40 takes the company’s theme of large interiors in boats that sail very well and really puts it to great use. The 40 comes with only one accommodation plan—a three-cabin, two-head layout that emphasizes comfort.

The 40’s rig is proportionally slightly taller and larger than that of the 36 and thus the boat has a bit more sail power. This boat will sail at 8 knots in 12 knots of wind, so you get the idea.

The cockpit is large and laid out for easy sailing and outdoor living. With twin wheels, you always have a good view forward while steering or maneuvering around a marina. Plus, twin wheels open the aft end of the cockpit so you have direct access to the huge aft platform that is formed when the transom is folded down.

The interior has the galley along the port side of the saloon with a dinette that seats six to starboard. There is a good-sized chart table aft of the dinette. With almost seven feet of headroom throughout the interior and plenty of overhead hatches and ports in the cabin sides and hull sides, the interior is flooded with natural light and extremely well-ventilated.

The 40 will be plenty of boat for many couples or families since the sleeping cabins are so large, the heads so roomy, and the dinette and cockpit table well-designed for meals in all weather. Plus, the 40 sails very well indeed.

Specifications: LOA 4’6”; LWL 35’3”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 5’5”; Displacement 19,135 lbs.; Sail area 883 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

Bavaria builds three larger Cruisers—the 45, 50 and 55—but of these, only the CRUISER 45 will be in the U.S. this year.

The 45 is a big boat for a 45-footer. In fact the transom and after sections of the hull are so wide that Farr Yacht Designs equipped the boat with twin rudders to go with the twin wheels in the cockpit. This configuration means that one rudder is always in the water and fully functioning even when the boat is heeled over and clawing to windward. Twin rudders also make the 45 sail as if it were on rails, with fingertip control at all times.

The 45 has the same simple and efficient rig as the smaller boats, which drives it well even in light breezes. The cockpit is huge and has a drop-leaf table that will seat eight adults for a meal. The chartplotter can be installed neatly on the after end of the table, so it can be seen from both helms. The transom on the 45 has an electric motor to raise and lower it so you don’t throw out your back hoisting it into place. The platform is large enough for several people to sunbathe.

Down below, the 45 can be arranged with either a three-cabin, three-head plan or a four-cabin, three-head layout. The galley runs along the saloon’s port side and offers an acre of counter space. To starboard, the dinette wraps around a handsome dining table that will also accommodate eight for dinner. The chart table just aft of the dinette faces aft and has a nifty folding seatback that is part of the dinette.

The 45 will be a good family cruiser or will fit very nicely into a charter fleet. The cabins are large and comfortable, the living spaces huge and airy, and the eating arrangements great for crowds. The Cruiser 45 is a true liveaboard yacht.

Specifications: LOA 46’10”; LWL 41’8”; Beam 14’3”; Draft 5’8”; Displ. 27,777 lbs.; Sail area 1,151 sq. ft. For more information, call 855-222-1120 or visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BENETEAU OCEANIS 41 & 45 • This fall, Beneteau will unveil two new Oceanis models that carry on the Oceanis cruising traditions while incorporating some truly innovative design features to make the boats easier to sail and more comfortable to live aboard. The most notable feature in the new design is the high cockpit arch that anchors the main sheet and provides a rigid frame for a dodger and other cockpit enclosures. Both boats are truly set up for indoor-outdoor living, so the cockpits are huge and access up and down the companionway ladder is excellent.

The cockpits have twin wheels and an innovative folding transom system that fully encloses the cockpit when underway, then folds down electrically to form a swim platform when at anchor. Designed by Finot-Conq, the 41 and 45 have thoroughly modern rigs with the mast set fairly far aft and the headsail reduced to a slightly overlapping jib that sheets inboard of the side stays, which in turn have been moved outboard to the gunnel. With tight sheeting angles, the boats promise to be handy and close-winded while being easy to tack and jibe. For off-the-wind sailing, a reacher or asymmetrical chute will really add fun and power.

The Oceanis 41 has three accommodation plans to choose from. The two-cabin, one-head version offers a good quarter cabin aft and a large V-berth forward; this plan has a huge sail locker and storage area under the port cockpit seat. The three-cabin, one-head plan uses the sail locker space for a second aft cabin. The three-cabin, two-head version tucks a second head into the forward cabin, which replaces the small desk or vanity found in the other accommodation plans. In all three layouts, the after head has a separate shower stall. The saloon remains the same in all three versions, with the L-shaped galley aft to port and the dinette forward to starboard.

The Oceanis 45 is also offered with three optional accommodation plans. The two-cabin, two-head version has the same large storage area aft as seen in the 41. The three-cabin, two-head plan replaces the storage area aft with a second aft cabin. And, the three-cabin, three-head design equips each of the three cabins with its own en suite head; in this version, the shower stall in the aft head has been replaced with an expanded dinette storage compartment. Both of the new boats are being built in Beneteau’s plant in Marion, South Carolina, so they are truly American boats.

The new designs will be fast, weatherly and very comfortable to live aboard. And they offer the great value that Beneteau is known for worldwide.

Oceanis 41 specifications: LOA 41’9”; LWL 38’1”; Beam 13’9”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 18,386 lbs. Oceanis 45 specifications: LOA 45’5”; LWL 42’10”; Beam 14’9”; Draft 7’1”; Displ. 21,054 lbs.

For more information, call 843-629-5309 or visit www.beneteauusa.com.

HAKE SEAWARD 46 • An innovative design from Hake Yachts in Florida, the new Seaward 46 is a shoal draft cruiser that is capable of extended offshore sailing. With a ballasted retractable keel and retractable rudders, the 46 can cruise in less than three feet of water. Yet, with the keel and rudders fully deployed, the boat will draw over seven feet and will be a stiff and stable platform for blue water sailing.

The big sister to the Seaward 32 and 26, both of which are shoal draft cruisers with retractable keels, the 46 is a raised deck saloon design with a large aft cockpit. The boat can be configured with either a single 75-horsepower diesel or twin 54-horsepower engines. And there is a “fishing” option that fits a fighting chair and rod holders at the stern.

The 46 has a fairly narrow 13-foot beam and a small but handy rig with a 100 percent self-tacking jib, so it should be easily driven even in light airs. The 46 has been in the works for a while and has already stirred up a lot of interest since there are not many retracting keel cruisers on the market, with the exception of Southerly Yachts in England. Look for the boat at the Annapolis Sailboat Show in October. Specifications were not available at press time.

For more information, call 727-287-3200 or visit www.seawardyachts.com.

HALLBERG-RASSY 372 • The new German Frers-designed Hallberg Rassy 372 is another cruiser under 40-feet that will appeal to couples and young families. The 372 replaces the popular HR 37.

HR has built more than 8,000 cruising boats over the years, so it is well established as one of the world’s cruising yacht leaders. The new 372 is slightly longer, beamier and more streamlined below the water than the 37. The rig is more than a meter taller, and the sail plan has been configured to fly a large mainsail and a small headsail that will be easy to tack and trim. A self-tacking jib option is available. The three-spreader rig can be fine-tuned with the standard backstay adjuster, and the chainplates for the shrouds are far inboard, allowing tight sheeting angles and keeping side decks uncluttered.

The 372 has a clean deck layout. The furling drum for the genoa is mounted below decks, as is the anchor windlass at the bow. Down below, the 372 offers classic HR quality with a U-shaped, seagoing galley, bench settees and storage for gear, groceries and spares. The chart table is across from the galley, while the head and shower are behind it. The forward cabin sports a large double berth, a vanity, hanging and storage lockers, and bookshelves. The after cabin has a huge double berth and additional storage.

The 372 was voted European Boat of the Year in 2010. The new design is a fine example of the great work HR does and just how much you can fit into a sleek and speedy 37-foot hull.

The HR 372 will make a great voyaging boat for a couple who like to sail fast and want to bring their comforts with them to sea.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft (deep) 5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, contact Eastland Yachts in Essex, CT (860-767-8224), Free State Yachts in Deal, Maryland (410-867-9022), Swiftsure Yachts in Seattle, Washington (206-378-1110), or visit www.hallberg-rassy.com

HANSE 495 • This year, Hanse will introduce several new models, among them the stylish and innovative 495. A powerful modern cruising sloop, the 495 has a Judel-Vrolijk hull with a nearly plumb bow and squared-off transom. The hull’s sheer is fairly straight, so the boat’s profile makes it look purposeful and fast. Think of that long waterline.

On deck, the broad beam and low cabin house make the boat feel spacious. The cockpit is open aft, so the floor flows between the twin wheel back to the transom. The decks are uncluttered, and because the jib is a self-tacker on its own track, the chainplates and shrouds were moved outboard to allow unimpaired passages along the side decks. With teak decks and recessed hatches, a 495 will have a Wally Boat modern Euro look.

Down below, the 495 offers a large owner’s cabin forward with a centerline double berth and plenty of storage space. The head and shower are in separate compartments port and starboard. In the standard layout, twin quarter cabins aft have good headroom and plenty of lockers. Ventilation is via open deck hatches and ports that open into the cockpit. The aft cabins are served by a single head to port that has a nice big shower stall. The standard saloon plan has the galley along the port side and the large U-shaped dinette to starboard with a bench amidships to seat two more guests. The chart table is just aft of the dinette and close to the companionway. The styling evokes modern European furniture, with contrasting light and dark woods, sharp angles and expanses of open floor.

Hanse offers so many ways to customize your new boat that no two 495s will ever be the same. Fun to sail, comfortable down below, and a truly modern statement in cruising, the Hanse 495 will appeal to those who want the latest thinking and the ability to customize the look of their boat to a great extent.

Specifications: LOA 50’6”; LWL 44’5”; Beam 15’7”; Draft 6’9”; Displ. 30,900 lbs.; Sail area 1,390 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit usa.hanseyachts.com or www.hanseyachts.com.

MOODY 45AC • Hanse Yachts in Germany bought the Moody brand several years ago and came out at once with a truly innovative deck saloon or pilothouse model that turned a lot of heads. Since then, the company has gone back to designer Bill Dixon for a more traditional aft cockpit luxury cruising boat to fit the Moody brand.

The Aft Cockpit 45 is a modern sloop with a tall fractional rig and a sweet, traditional-looking hull with balanced ends and a springy sheer. The full battened mainsail is standard, but in-boom furling could be added without degrading sailing performance. The jib is self-tacking and runs to a track athwart the forward cabintop, making upwind sailing a snap. The 45’s cockpit has twin wheels, a folding transom and a lovely varnished table with folding leaves. A low windshield wraps around the companionway, keeping spray out of the cockpit and providing a good base for a canvas dodger.

Down below, the furniture is finished in varnished mahogany around accents of white panels and trim, so the whole effect is of traditional Bristol Fashion neatly modernized. Raised panel doors and drawers, some with wicker inserts to enhance ventilation, add a classic touch. The seagoing galley is at the foot of the companionway to starboard, while the head and shower are to port. Aft, the 45 AC has twin quarter cabins while the master cabin is forward with its own en suite head and shower. The dinette amidships is huge, and across from it are two easy chairs on either side of a small table that doubles as the nav station.

Hanse has made a serious effort to offer Moody as a truly upscale brand that will appeal to sailors who want a well designed, fine sailing yacht that is finished to the highest degree. Specifications: LOA 45’0”; LWL 40’1”; Beam 13’8”; Drat 7’3”; Displ. 26,895 lbs. Sail area 1,205 sq. ft. For more information, call 978-903-0380 or visit www.hanseyachts.com.

ISLAND PACKET 360 • Island Packet Yachts has been building seaworthy cruising boats for 30 years, and you will find them in the world’s best cruising grounds. With designer Bob Johnson’s Full Foil Keel, moderate sail area-to-displacement ratios, cutter rigs and self-tacking Hoyt Jib Boom Staysails, the line has a well earned reputation for easy motion in a seaway and high average speeds over the long haul. On IPY designs, you arrive at the end of the passage more rested than when you began.

This year, the company is adding to its line a 36-footer that is an evolution of the handsome and sweet sailing Estero.

The 360 is a salty and capable cruiser with a nice springy sheer, a short bowsprit that houses the anchors as well as the roller furling headsail, and a fairly low profile cabin that fits the hull neatly.

The cockpit has been designed for comfort and safety, so it is not overly large and will drain quickly if ever a wave came aboard at sea. All sailing sheets, halyards and control lines run aft, so you never have to leave the cockpit to add or reduce working sail.

The accommodation plan below offers a large double cabin aft with a neat V-style berth that allows you to swing your legs easily to the floor when getting up. This is a pleasant quarter cabin with ample ventilation, a hanging locker and plenty of space for clothes. The forward cabin has a traditional V-berth, hanging and storage lockers, and a private door to the large head. The saloon has the huge galley aft to starboard and an aft-facing chart table. The L-shaped dinette to port will seat four at the fold-down saloon table. Across to starboard, two swiveling easy chairs will make lounging, reading and watching TV just as comfortable as at home.

A great mid-size cruiser, the new IP 360 is a go-anywhere blue water yacht that will look after her crew as a proper yacht should.

Specifications: LOA 36’5”; LWL 31’6”; Beam 12’4”; Draft 4’0”; Displ. 19,300 lbs.; Sail area 831 sq. ft. For more information, call 888-724-5479 or visit www.ipy.com

HUNTER e33 • Hunter has long been a leader in offering sailors a wide range of boats, from sailing dinghies to 50-foot ocean cruisers. But the company may be best known for its mid-size cruisers, which offer expansive living spaces in boats that are easy to sail and handle.

The new e33 fits right into that mid-size segment and introduces an attractive new look for the Florida-based builder. With a sleek deck design and large cabin windows, the boat looks modern and fast. The hull has a wider transom than the earlier 33-footer and the bow has been given a narrower entry. The cockpit is large and comfortable for a boat of this size and has a neat fold-down transom that becomes a large swim platform. Hunter uses unique B&R rigs, with sharply swept back spreaders and no backstay. The main is quite large, while the headsail is small enough to be easy to tack. This rig is simple for a couple or even a singlehander to manage.

Over the last decade, Hunter has steadily refined their interior arrangements and the fit and finish of the joinery down below. The e33 has a large athwartships double berth in the after cabin that is tucked in under the cockpit and side deck on the starboard side. The forward cabin has a V-berth and plenty of storage for clothes, linens and towels. The galley has Corian counters, a large fridge and a two-burner stove with an oven below. The dinette to port will seat four easily. To starboard, the bench settee with be a good berth, or the middle section of the bench can be converted quickly to form a chart table. All of the boat’s instruments are accessible from the starboard settee.

A handsome addition to the Hunter line of sailboats, the new e33 offers a lot of accommodations in a cruising boat that will be easy to sail and comfortable for extended cruises.

Specifications: LOA 33’6”; LWL 29’5”; Beam 11’6”; Draft 4’6”/5’6”; Displ. 12,400 lbs.; Sail area 625 sq. ft. For more information, visit www.huntermarine.com.

JEANNEAU 379 • The success of the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 that was introduced at last year’s Annapolis show, with its hard chine aft, fold-down stern platform and simple but powerful sloop rig, primed the market for more Jeanneaus of the same style. So this year, Jeanneau is launching the Sun Odyssey 379 and Sun Odyssey 439.

The 379 has a modern hull style with a nearly plumb bow, a squared-off transom and a low slung coach roof. The sloop rig has been set up for ease of handling and good performance. The mainsail is a slab reefed full batten main with lazy jacks. The mainsheets run aft on both sides of the coach roof to the cockpit winches, so the helmsman can trim while steering. The cockpit has been laid out for efficient sail trim. With twin wheels, access to the fold-down swim platform is excellent.

Below decks, the 379 comes in a two- or three-cabin version, both with a large head and separate shower stall. In the two-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a huge sail and storage locker and a small wet locker adjoins the head. In the three-cabin version, the port quarter becomes a sleeping cabin and the head is moved forward. The L-shaped galley is useful, and the dinette forward seats six with the drop leaf raised.

Specifications: LOA 37’0”; Beam 12’0”; Draft 5’0”; Displ. 14,740 lbs.; Sail area 753 sq. ft.

The new JEANNEAU 439 has a larger, beamier Philippe Briand hull that will translate into greater cabin volume and stability. The bow sections have a bit more hollow for a narrow entry, which will improve the boat’s motion and windward ability.

Like its little sisters, the 439 is all about good sailing aboard a comfortable boat.
Twin wheels give the helmsman great visibility forward and open the cockpit to the large swim platform.

Down below, the 439 makes use of the extra beam to offer an unusual four-cabin, two-head layout with two double quarter cabins, a V-berth cabin forward, and an upper and lower cabin forward of the main bulkhead. In the three-cabin, two-head version, the forward cabin gets a large centerline double berth and a large vanity or desk. The saloon has the seagoing galley aft and to starboard, where it is convenient to the cockpit and large dinette.

The fit and finish of the 379 and 438 is bright and airy, and multiple hatches and ports provide natural light and excellent ventilation.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,736 lbs.; Sail area 1,004 sq. ft.

The 44 DECK SALOON (DS) Sun Odysseys are all about elegance, style and comfort. From the swim platform aft to the bow rollers forward, the 44DS embodies the latest in Euro styling. The Philippe Briand designed hull is similar to the 439, but there the similarity ends.

The deck saloon cabintop has a kind of Audi TT curve that flows for the full length of the cockpit and cabintop to the foredeck. The huge side windows are tinted black and set off by dark gray moldings that run along the edge of the cabin. The halyards, sheets and control lines from the mast run in conduits on the cabintop, and the two-ended mainsheet runs under the deck to winches aft by the twin wheels.

The 44DS has a huge aft cabin, with a queen-size double berth under the cockpit and bridgedecks. For added headroom, cockpit soles have been raised and a wide bridgedeck added. The cockpit has a large table with drop leaves and a built-in chart plotter. Down below, the furniture is more angular and the cabinets are lower with an “interior designer” feel, which is not surprising since the styling was done by Franck Darnet. The use of bright white and contrasting black counter and tabletops sets off the wood veneers, cabinets and bulkheads, and the sharp stainless steel latches and fittings are a statement in elegance.

Aside from the full width after stateroom, the 44DS has two guest cabins forward and a second head. One of the cabins has a V-berth, while the others have an upper and lower single berth. The saloon is a trendy modern living space with a large galley, U-shaped dinette and bench settee.

The 44DS will make a fine cruising boat for a couple or family who wants their leisure time to be as elegant and modern as can be.

Specifications: LOA 44’0”; Beam 14’0”; Draft 7’0”; Displ. 21,450 gals.; Sail area 835 sq. ft. For more information, call 410-280-9400 or visit www.jeanneau.com.

The new OYSTER 625, which has been nominated for 2012 Boat of the Year in Europe, is a Rob Humphries design that dramatically upgrades the already popular previous boats in the Oyster line, the 61 and 62.

A center cockpit desk saloon design, the 625 has a modern sheer line capped by the new style of wraparound deck saloon windows that Oyster has used so successfully in recent models. The standard rig will have an in-mast furling mainsail and a cutter rig forward. This gives you a lot of trim choices and allows you to shorten sail in rising weather without leaving the cockpit. A Solent headsail rig and in-boom mainsail furling are options.

Down below, the 625 offers a true master stateroom aft with a queen-size double and plenty of storage and comfortable amenities. An owner and spouse will really feel at home here. Forward, two guest cabins are shown in the standard accommodation plan—a Pullman double cabin to starboard and an upper and lower cabin to port. The forepeak has been reserved for a single crewmember, with access to one of the en suite heads that adjoin the forward cabins. The saloon is spacious and will be full of light. The dinette is huge and will seat eight. The galley is in the passageway aft to port and will be an excellent seagoing galley. The chart table at the base of the companionway is a proper navigation command central where you can mount all of your radios, sat phone, chartplotters and radar. Plus, the table is large enough to spread out an old paper chart.

The new Oyster 625 is a handsome, high quality ocean sailing yacht that will keep you safe at sea, get you home quickly, and provide you with elegance and comfort along the way.

Specifications: LOA 63’7”; LWL 56’7”; Beam 17’10”; Draft 9’2”; Displ. 73,854 lbs.; Sail area 2,538 sq. ft. For more information, call 401-846-7400 or visit www.oystermarine.com.

The SABRE 456 was launched late last year and has drawn a lot of attention from both Sabre owners and would-be Sabre owners.

The Jim Taylor design is an upgrade of the Sabre 452 that was introduced several years ago with a new keel, new rig and modernized interior.

On deck, the 456 has a large, secure cockpit with high seatbacks and a single large destroyer wheel. The main sheet runs to the traveler forward of the dodger so the cockpit is not cluttered. The chainplates for the shrouds are well inboard for close sheeting angles on the genoa and to make going forward easier.

Down below, the forward cabin offers a large centerline double berth and a large en suite head with a separate shower stall. The guest cabin aft has a large double berth and plenty of storage space. The 456’s galley is one of the largest and best laid out in any boat of this size. Since you tend to live in the kitchen, the saloon has the feel of a large, homey country kitchen. The drawer-style pull-out fridge is an innovation that we feel sure will catch on in other designs. Sabre has revamped their interior joinery style with a slightly Japanese flair to the doors and cabinets, making great use of the spaces available and adding light to the cabins. Because the 456 is built to order, Sabre can really work with an owner to customize the boat to his or her needs.

A fine offshore quality boat built in “Maine style,” the 456 will carry you across oceans or the bay swiftly and comfortably.

Specifications: LOA 45’6”; LWL 38’4”; Beam 14’1”; Draft 5’6”; Displ. 27,150 lbs.; Sail area 1,043 sq. ft. For more information, call 207-655-3831 or visit www.sabreyachts.com.

The new Tim Jackett-designed TARTAN 4000, which was introduced last winter, embodies a lot of the new thinking that has gone into the boats and the company since it was purchased by Steve Malbasa last year. The new company is all about delighting customers with great boats and great service.

The 4000 really speaks to that mission. The cockpit is large and secure, with twin wheels for easy access to the fold-down stern platform. The seats are contoured for optimum comfort around the stowable cockpit table or when sailing hard. Tartan used their patented Cruise Control Rig, which uses a fully battened mainsail with a double headsail rig that deploys an inner upwind jib and a larger reacher on the outer roller. The CCR offers the best in both upwind and downwind sailing without forcing you to fly a spinnaker or even leave the cockpit.

Tartan is unique in the market by offering carbon spars, booms and rudders as standard equipment. Equally unique are the epoxy-infused hull and decks that are tougher, lighter and virtually impervious to osmosis. Down below, the cherry interior has a large centerline double berth and en suite head in the forward cabin. The sofa-style saloon with a fold-down table will be comfortable for up to eight. The galley offers lots of counter space, a large fridge and double stainless steel sinks. Across from the galley, the chart table is a traditional nav station where the skipper or navigator will be in command of all of the ship’s systems.

A fine new entry to the 40-foot cruising fleet, the new Tartan 4000 will be a great couple’s boat and is built to be a family heirloom, albeit one that you could sail across the ocean.

Specifications: LOA 40’ 8”; LWL 36’4”; Beam 13’0”; Draft 7’6”; Displ. 20,104 lbs.; Sail area 893 sq. ft. For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

A semi-custom design that was spawned last year and launched late last spring, the new TARTAN 4700 expands upon themes introduced in the 4400 a few years ago.

On deck, the cockpit is huge and deep and will be very secure at sea. With twin wheels and a folding transom, the living space will feel vast while at anchor and with the platform lowered.

At sea, all buttoned up, you won’t mind running down the face of ocean rollers. The 4700 has Tartan’s Cruise Control Rig, so it is easy and efficient to sail upwind or off the wind and actually sails higher and faster than the 4400. The extra three feet add to the boat’s balance and waterline length, which translates into better performance all around.

Down below, a lot of attention has been given to making the boat a comfortable family home with good communal and private spaces. The large aft cabin is tucked under the cockpit, and the bridgedeck has been raised to provide full headroom across the cabin. The large aft head is next to it to starboard.

The 4700, like the 4400, has a raised dinette that offers good views through the deck saloon windows. And the chart table is raised as well, so you can easily stand watches inside the cabin with great visibility forward and to both sides. The engine room is beneath the raised saloon floor, where you have great access to the engineering systems. Forward, there is a large master cabin with an attached head and a third cabin with upper and lower bunks, which will appeal to children and their friends.

A fine new model in the Tartan line, the 4700 is a liveaboard, offshore quality yacht that offers all of the attributes of Tartans—epoxy hull and deck, carbon rig, carbon rudder, Beavertail shoal draft keel—in an exciting new package. Look for BWS’s full review and the new boat’s specifications in the October issue.

For more information, call 440-357-7777 or visit www.tartanyachts.com.

Tartan 4700 • For 50 years, Tartan has been building high quality production cruising and performance cruising boats in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio that have set a worldwide standard for integrity and design quality. But until this year, the company was never known as a custom or semi-custom builder. Out of their innovative efforts, a new model has been introduced into the Tartan family of cruisers.

Last fall, a customer from Long Island Sound approached new Tartan dealer McMichael Yachts in his search for the perfect family boat. He had been looking at the Tartan 5300, which he thought was too large for his needs, and he liked the Tartan 4400, but felt it was too small. What to do?

McMichael’s sales manager threw the question to Tartan’s design chief Tim Jackett and new owner Steve Malbasa, who came back with a solution. Expand the 4400 by three feet to accommodate a larger after cabin, add an upper and lower cabin forward next to the master cabin, and build a really tall rig that will spread enough canvas to perform well in the light summer airs commonly found on Long Island Sound.

And so the new 4700 was born. Amazingly, Tartan was able to deliver the new boat six months later, just in time for the 2011 summer cruising season. Meanwhile, Tartan was also developing the new 4000 for this year’s launch and starting a new racer-cruiser for their sister company C&C—all of which means a lot of creative activity in the midst of the current recession.

SEA TRIALS

BWS had the opportunity to test sail the new 4700 in June. The afternoon was sharp and clear and the sea breeze was filling in nicely as the land around Mamaroneck, New York, heated up in the midday sun.

We motored out into the sound, giving the boat a bit of a run through under power. The engine is mounted below the raised saloon floor and the room is well insulated, so we could barely hear the motor from the cockpit. With a folding prop on the shaft, the boat powered up nicely and slipped along at a comfortable 8 knots at cruising revs. The boat has a single wheel with a rack and pinion steering system, so the feel of the rudder under power is positive.

The boat we were sailing, Glory, has a Leisure Furl in-boom mainsail system instead of the standard Tartan pocket boom. We powered clear of the channel and headed into the wind. The big mainsail rolled out neatly with the halyard on an electric winch and looked great with full and half-length battens. Falling off onto starboard tack, we rolled out the self-tacking jib and sheeted it home. The big 47-footer put her shoulder down and gradually gained speed until we were sailing at 7+ knots in the 10 to 12-knot breeze. The helm still felt positive and the balance was very good.

We made a few tacks without having to trim at all and then fell off the breeze, rolled up the jib and rolled out the flat cut reacher. Tartan calls this headsail arrangement with a self-tacking jib and a reacher their Cruise Control Rig.

Off the wind with the reacher drawing, the 4700 really gathered her skirts and began to fly. As mentioned, the rig is tall—almost as tall as that on the 5300—so with full main and full reacher, we were spreading a lot of canvas. But even so, the 4700 didn’t lose her footing in the puffs and stood up very nicely, transforming wind pressure into boat speed.

The boat is easy to sail from the cockpit, so a cruising couple who are comfortable handling an in-boom roller furling mainsail will find the boat fast, weatherly and a real pleasure to sail. For those who want simplicity to rule, the pocket boom system with lazy jacks will also work very well.

LIVING ABOARD

The owner of the new 4700 sails with his wife and children and often with the children’s friends as well. The boat needed to accommodate at least six sleeping and six on a single berth so they could all watch a movie together.

The configuration that Tim Jackett and the owner came up with is a modification of the 4400. The after cabin in the 4700 now runs the full width of the boat and has full headroom across the forward end of the big double berth. There is a large TV mounted in the bulkhead so the family can all lounge on the big berth. The aft head has been positioned at the level of the raised saloon and has a full shower stall.

To fit in the two cabins forward, the master stateroom has been slightly reduced in size and the forward head shifted forward into the cabin and made a bit smaller. There is no shower forward. The smaller second cabin forward has upper and lower bunk berths, which have proven very popular with the kids.

The galley on the 4700 is very similar to that on the 4400, which is to say that it is an amazing seagoing galley for a boat of this size. The top-loading fridge and freezer are under the main counter. The four-burner stove is outboard. The twin sinks are nearly on the centerline, where they will drain well on both tacks. Under the sinks, you have access to the fresh water manifolds and other systems that need to be handy.

The raised saloon is somewhat unique among boats of this style since you can sit in the dinette and actually see through the large windows all around you. The dinette is oval and four or five can sit comfortably around the table. With the addition of two folding chairs, six can dine together.

The chart table to starboard has a proper table that will hold a ChartKit and ample vertical surfaces for mounting radar, chartplotter, radios and more. This will be the 4700’s command central with the added advantage that you can see forward and to both sides while seated—a valued feature when making cold or rainy passages.

The 4700 has a lovely finish down below with solid stock cherry doors, cabinet fronts and drawers, all with elegant raised-panel styling. The bulkheads are cherry veneers, while the overheads and the inside of the cabin sides are an off-white laminate. The combination of varnished cherry, meticulous joinery, white laminate and large windows creates a living space that is warm, homey and bright.

For living aboard over a weekend or a year, the 4700 has the space, the light and the atmosphere to make life extremely comfortable.

CONSTRUCTION & ENGINEERING

Among production boat builders, Tartan sets themselves apart by using exotic materials and building techniques to create hulls and decks that are lighter and stiffer than average. The hulls are foam-cored, epoxy-infused laminates that offer superior strength-to-weight ratios. The vacuum bag technique enables the company to build with very high glass-to-resin ratios, which makes the hulls light and extremely strong. The insides of the hulls are painted with epoxy to completely seal the laminate. Because of this building method, Tartan offers a 15-year hull warranty against structural or blister damage.

The decks are epoxy and E-glass structures with end-grain balsa coring for stiffness and strength. Like the hulls, the decks are vacuum bag-infused laminates. All stress areas, such as under winches or high load deck fittings, are solid laminate and supported with backing plates. When you walk on deck, you never feel the flat areas flexing; down below, the balsa core acts as sound and heat insulation, too.

The 4700 can be built with either Tartan’s shoal draft Beavertail keel or a traditional keel-centerboard configuration. In either case, the keels are high quality lead castings that are faired and sealed with an epoxy overcoat. The rudder is a high aspect cruising spade with a carbon fiber rudderpost and a rack and pinion gearing system.

Tartan uses Forespar’s Marelon thru-hull fittings and seacocks, so you never have to grease them and they will never fail due to corrosion. The rudder hangs are high-density synthetic bearings and the post is sealed with a Gator rudderpost seal.

The 4700’s rig, like all of the rigs in the Tartan line, comes standard with a carbon fiber mast and unique carbon fiber pocket boom; the use of carbon fiber reduces weight aloft significantly, thus reducing the boat’s tendency to pitch and roll. Plus, lighter weight adds to sailing performance. The Leisure Furl boom on Glory was added as a labor saving option.

The Cruise Control Rig on the new 4700 has Harken electric roller furling systems on the jib and reacher so we were able to deploy, reef and furl the sails with buttons on the binnacle at the helm. Very convenient.

The engineering systems are all assembled with ease of maintenance and sound insulation in mind. The engine room lies beneath the raised saloon floor, so you fold up the floor and climb down into the space to work on the engine and genset. The compartment is well insulated with lead-foam insulation.

A lot of equipment that might be an option on another boat comes standard on the 4700. The alternator has been upgraded to 100 amps and supplied with a smart charger. The battery bank, which can be expanded, starts at 480 amp hours with two 8D house batteries. A Mastervolt sine wave inverter allows you to run all of your 110-volt appliances, such as a microwave oven.

The plumbing system includes two marine heads and two 24-gallon holding tanks with Y-valves for overboard discharge at sea. With 200 gallons of fresh water in the tanks, a watermaker is not a necessity. And the 10-gallon hot water heater provides ample hot water for everyone to have quick “navy style” showers.

As we poked around the 4700’s engineering spaces, we were impressed at how neat and seamanlike all of the installations are and how well Tartan’s craftsmen have finished all of the hidden spaces.

For those who want a boat with reliable long-term systems that are installed so you can easily perform routine maintenance, the 4700 is a shining example of how to do it right.

BWS THOUGHTS

We sailed the Tartan 4400 offshore from Newport, RI to Annapolis, MD several years ago and were impressed by the boat’s sea-keeping qualities and high average speed on a long haul.

No doubt, the 4700, with its extra tall rig, will offer even better performance. And, with a longer waterline it will be less liable to pitch in a seaway. The 4700’s transom looks right on the boat and adds just enough to the lines to really enhance the hull’s overall look. Plus, the extra length adds to the spaciousness of the cockpit and after swim platform. The

Tartan 4700 is a great family cruising boat that has been built to last and equipped to serve her owners well for generations. The new boat fulfills the demands of Tartan’s 50-year legacy extremely well by combining design integrity with high quality construction and a dedication to delivering the best solutions for cruising sailors.

Tartan 4700
LOA 47’0”
LWL 39’0”
Beam 14’1”
Draft 6’3”
Ballast 9,750 lbs.
Displacement 28,000 lbs
Sail area 1,038 sq. ft
Water 200 gals.
Fuel 80 gals.
Holding 48 gals
Engine 100 hp. Diesel
Sail area/Displ. 18.09
Ballast/Displ. 35
Displ./Length 210

Tartan Yachts
One High Tech Ave.
Painesville, OH 44077
Ph: 440-357-7777
Website: www.tartanyachts.com

2012 BOAT SHOW PREVIEW: MONOHULLS • This fall and winter across the country, boat builders will be rolling out their latest models at national and regional boat shows. Once again, Blue Water Sailing is happy to bring you a preview of the monohulls that will grace the shows. Check out the new fleet of multihulls in the August edition of Multihulls Quarterly.

While the design trends over the past few years have been dominated by the new crop of angular and voluminous cruisers from Europe, it is interesting to note that several quite traditional looking designs—large and small—are appearing from U.S. builders. The boats will surely stir up the American fondness for sweeping sheers and traditional transoms.

Among the more modern boats, the sugar-scoop transom long favored by cruisers seems to be fading away, being replaced by fold-down transoms that offer huge areas for sunning, swimming and tending the dinghy. And when folded up, the new look provides the designs with a pleasing, purposeful look.

This year, we continue to see innovation from designers, whether in the form of twin rudders, drop keels or cockpit arches. The state of sailboat design remains vibrant and intriguing. Here are 28 new boats to dream about owning and sailing into the sunset.

BAVARIA
Bavaria USA has spent the last 12 months launching a new company in North America. Their first office opened in Annapolis, MD, and their second is opening this fall in Mystic, CT. Bavaria USA sells their Farr-designed, German-built cruising boats factory direct, so you can order your new boat exactly as you want it and have it delivered in about eight weeks.

Last year, Bavaria launched their new Cruiser line. They put the 32, 36, 40 and 45 into a charter fleet in Annapolis and sold direct to customers. This year, they are bringing in a new Cruiser 50 and the classy Vision 46.

The 50, similar to the rest of the Cruiser line, is a roomy, easy-to-sail performance cruiser that will appeal to families who need a lot of space or couples who will be living aboard for long periods. BWS sailed the twin-wheel, twin-rudder 50 last year in Turkey and found it to be a remarkably good sailboat that is close-winded and slippery off the wind.

The new Vision 46, which debuted in Annapolis in July and will be shown at the Newport and Annapolis shows, is a raised deck saloon design with a sweet curved cabin house, a huge cockpit, a fine sailing hull, and a truly innovative approach to living and entertaining aboard. See our full review on page 70. www.bavariayachts.com

BENETEAU
Over the last three years, as the sailing market has been in a deep recession, Beneteau has taken the opportunity to reinvent the Oceanis line of cruising boats and to introduce a completely new line of cruisers under the Sense brand.

With the Oceanis 45 and 41, the company developed the theme of sleek-hulled, low-cabin styling on hulls that have added beam and a slight chine aft to increase cockpit volume. The addition of a cockpit arch for mounting the mainsheet out of the cockpit adds to the distinct look and functionality of the new designs. This fall, Beneteau will introduce to the U.S. market the new Oceanis 48, which extends the brand and emphasizes modern styling and commodious living aboard. The 48’s cockpit has twin wheels and a centerline table with folding leaves and a pod on the aft end for the chartplotter. The stern folds down to make a wide swim platform. The new 48’s interior is a study in understated elegance. The boat comes standard with a mahogany-colored finish on the Alpi wood surfaces, offset by expanses of white overhead panels and light-colored fabrics. The aft cabin, aft galley configuration will make the 48 a fine sea boat.

The new Sense 55 follows on the heels of the Sense 50 and 43. The boat has a definite “wow” factor, as it is a true indoor-outdoor cruiser that offers many of the benefits of a cruising catamaran combined with the convenience, elegance and practicality of a monohull. Like its little sisters, the 55 redefines the living spaces into the outdoor “patio,” the living room-like saloon and the private sleeping quarters forward. The living spaces flow together smoothly, and huge windows and opening ports enhance ventilation, brightness below and communication between crew. The new boat has highly lacquered cabinet surfaces, finely finished built-in furniture, and a clean and elegant look on deck and below. See our full review in the August 2012 edition of BWS. www.beneteauusa.com

CATALINA
Catalina Yachts, once the largest sailboat builder in North America, if not the world, has seen its horizons narrowed during the recession. Nevertheless, over the last three years Gerry Douglas and Frank Butler have come up with four new boats that have set a new design trend for the company and given Catalina owners a reason to buy a new boat. It all started with the 445, which was an immediate success. The boat had a sleeker cabin top than previous models, a finely fitted out interior, and a sensible rig with roller furling on both the headsail and mainsail.

The 445 was followed by the 385 and the 355, and then last winter the company introduced the nifty little Catalina 315. The 31-footer was a hit right from the start as it filled a need for a capable small cruising boat at a reasonable price. We sailed the 315 in Florida last winter and came away thoroughly impressed with the boat’s sailing qualities, fine turn of speed and big-boat feel under a press of sail. Even better, we were stunned by the amount of living space—it felt like a 35-footer below deck. A great little cruiser, the Catalina 315 is a fine starter boat or a really fun cruiser for an experienced couple. See our review in the July 2012 issue of BWS. www.catalinayachts.com

COM-PAC
Com-Pac Yachts began building small cruisers and daysailers in 1974 and has led the way in building trailerable pocket cruisers for real people for almost 40 years. Their range includes beamy little cat boats, sleek daysailers and innovative cruisers to 35 feet.

This year the company launched the new Com-Pac 23 Pilothouse. The boat is 23 feet overall, but has been designed and fitted out to be a capable cruiser with three full-size berths, an enclosed head and an inboard diesel.

The 23 has a tabernacle mast that can be lowered easily. The boat’s beam is small enough to allow it to be trailered on any road. There are two helming stations—one in the cockpit and one in the pilothouse, both with engine controls. The saloon has a small dinette, galley, and plenty of storage for a week or two of cruising. The water tanks hold 20 gallons. The V-berth forward is surprisingly large, and two hanging lockers and cabinets have been provided for clothing.

With a 12 hp diesel to get you home when the wind dies and a true shallow draft for coastal gunkholing, the new Com-Pac 23 Pilothouse is the epitome of the perfect little pocket cruiser. www.com-pacyachts.com

DUFOUR
French builder Dufour has been building stylish modern cruising boats and racer-cruisers for almost 40 years under various owners and management teams. Now part of the Bavaria and Grand Soleil group, Dufour is redefining its position in the marketplace with two lines. Grand Large-branded designs are modern cruising boats with an emphasis on elegance, comfort and sailing convenience—even though the boats BWS has sailed are very fast, too. The Dufour 405 and 445 are two of the GL line, from 33 to 50 feet, that you will see at the fall shows. BWS sailed the 405 last year and found it to be a lot of fun and a very capable cruising boat. See the review in the September 2011 issue. And we sailed the 445 in Annapolis recently and will be running the review in an upcoming issue. The Performance line has been created to offer skippers a real shot at the silver whether racing around the buoys or in longer point-to-point races. The new 36P will make its debut at the fall boats shows in Newport and Annapolis and will no doubt turn a few heads. The hull is optimized for good sailing qualities with a high aspect rudder and a deep T-bulb keel. The tall rig gives it plenty of horsepower in light or heavy air, and the sailing or racing layout makes it easy for a crew to manage sheets and halyards. The cockpit lockers are removable to make sheet trimming easier. Down below, the boat is more “cruise” than “race” and has the finely finished feel that discerning owners—whether they’re cruisers or racers—prefer. Dufour has always stood for innovation, quality and fine sailing, and the new 36P fits that legend well. www.dufour-yachts.com

HAKE SEAWARD 46
Nick Hake at Hake Yachts has been building innovative retracting keel cruising boats for 30 years and has earned a reputation for coming up with original and practical solutions in the design and construction of shoal draft cruisers. The Seaward 26 and 32—the current models in his fleet—have proven to be both excellent thin-water cruising boats and fine sailboats. Late last year, Hake introduced a new flagship to the line. The Seaward 46RK is the retracting keel concept on steroids. The new boat is one of the most innovative designs to join the cruising fleet in many years. The boat has a retracting keel that offers seven-and-a-half feet of draft for upwind sailing and two-and-a-half feet when poking around the shallows or even running downwind. The two rudders are also retractable, so you can beach the boat without worry. The mast is deck-stepped in a tabernacle so it can be lowered easily and quickly if you need to get under a fixed bridge or haul out in a yard with overhead power lines. Hull number one was equipped with twin 54 hp auxiliary engines for reliability and speed. Down below, the chart table/pilot’s station is at the foot of the companionway and from there you have good visibility to both sides and forward. The accommodation plan has been set up for a cruising couple who have the occasional visit from friends and family. The boat holds 180 gallons each of water and fuel, so you have a wide cruising range. A perfect choice for the west coast of Florida, the Bahamas, the Chesapeake Bay and many other shoal cruising grounds, the new Seaward 46RK is a truly interesting and unique cruising boat. www.seawardyachts.com

HANSE
German builder Hanse Yachts has been pushing the design envelope as hard and far as any builder in the last few years. Their boats are designed to be both ultra-modern cruisers and commodious homes afloat. And, they are also set up to be easy to sail and very swift through the water. BWS reviewed the new Hanse 495 in the June 2012 edition and concluded that the boat and the company are on the leading edge of the sailing market. This fall, Hanse USA will bring three new boats to the shows that will certainly turn heads. The Hanse 385, 415 and 445 are all cut from the same modernist fabric. With self-tacking jibs and large, slab-reefed mainsails, the boats can be handled by one person. The cockpits are huge, with centerline tables that will seat up to eight for al fresco meals. Down below the styling is simple, elegant Euro-modern with an emphasis on lightness, open spaces and pleasing sightlines. Hanse specializes in building boats that are configured just how each owner wants them to be. On their website, you can select the model you are interested in and open the Hanse Configurator to view all of the cabin, color, rig and equipment options. If you press “send,” the choices you select will be sent to a dealer near you who will respond shortly with a price quote. Not only are the boats thoroughly modern, but the way you buy them is modern, too. www.hanseyachts.com

ISLAND PACKET
A new cruising boat from Island Packet is coming this fall, but at press time IPY’s owner, Bob Johnson, and VP of marketing, Bill Bolin, had their lips tightly sealed. The secret boat is in build, but we won’t know what it is until the fall. All we can say at this point is that IPY is going to bring their loyal fans a cruising boat that is new and a little different. Stay tuned. www.ipy.com

JEANNEAU
Jeanneau, a division of Group Beneteau, has been on a roll the last few years, and according to those who know these things, the company has gained significantly in market share in the U.S. The reasons for this success are many, but at the most basic level it is because the company consistently provides good cruising boats at fair value. They compete primarily with their sister company, Beneteau, and we have heard that the rivalry is spirited. The current Sun Odyssey models that have been so popular in the U.S. all have something to do with the number nine. We are not sure what this means, but the launch of the SO 409 was followed by the 439, the 379 and the 509. And next winter we will see the launch of the 469. The boats in the “9 Line” all have powerful hulls with a slight chine aft and sleek decks with many windows and hatches. The cockpits are large and well laid out for sailing as well as entertaining at the dock. Down below, you will find the styling to be somewhat traditional and the color schemes pleasantly evocative of teak and holly. BWS sailed the 509 in Florida not long ago and found it to be a fine ocean sailing yacht that embodies the Jeanneau philosophy of delivering quality and value in a package that is both comfortable to live aboard and fun to sail. Look for our review of the SO 509 in the upcoming October issue of BWS. Also new this fall is the Sun Odyssey 41 DS. A deck saloon design, the 41 has a raised deck and large cat’s-eye windows on both sides. The hull has a chine that runs almost all the way forward from the stern, which enhances interior volume, and a hint of added stability. Down below the 41DS offers a huge owner’s stateroom aft, a large guest cabin forward, and a roomy and sociable saloon with a large galley. The new 41DS packs a lot of cruising accommodations and style in a 41-foot hull. www.jeanneau.com

MOODY
Several years ago, the Moody brand was bought by Hanse in Germany and relaunched as a luxury yacht brand with an innovative 45-foot raised pilothouse cruising boat. Following that, the brand was supplemented with a more traditional-looking sloop design that evokes a North Sea or Scandinavian style. The Moody 41 will be on display at the fall boats shows. The boat has a traditional transom, which folds to make a swim platform, and a fairly plumb bow. The cockpit has twin wheel, a centerline table and a partial windshield as in a Hallberg Rassy or Najad. Down below, the 41 is fitted out in classic Bristol fashion with white bulkheads and highly varnished mahogany cabinets, drawers and details. It all looks very elegant, comfortable and delightfully traditional. The Moody 41 will make a fine world cruiser for a couple who wants modern design with a traditional touch. www.moodyboats.com

MORRIS
The new Morris 52 is the latest and largest M Yacht in the Morris line of classic-looking daysailers, weekenders and cruisers. The 52 has a sweeping sheer, long overhangs, a low-slung cabin and a large, deep cockpit. Her beam is modest by modern standards and her rig large enough to be really impressive. The sail plan offers a huge mainsail and a self-tacking jib. Unique among modern designs, the 52 has no bow or stern pulpit, so her lines look uncluttered and sweet. Down below the 52 has a bright interior that evokes centuries of classic sailboats and the sea. A standard layout would offer a large double cabin aft and a master suite forward with a comfortable saloon and small galley in between. The bulkheads and doors are raised panel joinery that is either painted white or varnished with the typical Morris deep shine. BWS sailed the 52 last summer, so look for the review in the October issue. www.morrisyachts.com

TARTAN and C&C
This fall at the big boat shows, you are bound to find a good collection of Tartans and C&Cs on display. Tartan now builds their classic American-style cruisers in sizes from 34 to 53 feet, and each is created with an epoxy hull, carbon spars and Cruise Control headsail rig. Under new ownership, Tartan and C&C seem to be finding a new lease on business life and have been able to introduce two all-new designs to their fleet this year. The Tartan Fantail 26 is a nifty little daysailer or weekender that has traditional lines above the water with a counter stern, pleasant sheer, fairly plumb bow and a short bowsprit. Below the water, the boat has a spade rudder and a high aspect bulbed fin keel. The rig will be self-tacking and in downwind conditions you can fly an asymmetrical chute from the sprit. The Fantail will have a small auxiliary engine and accommodations for a couple overnighting in simple style. The Fantail 26 was conceived to be available as a daysailer, a club sailboat and a weekender. www.tartanyachts.com The first new boat from Tartan and C&C not designed by Tim Jackett in many years, the new C&C 101 was drawn by Tom McNeill, who works as an in house designer at the company. A flashy little sprit boat, the 101 has a thoroughly modern and powerful hull with nearly 11 feet of beam and a six-foot, six-inch keel. The boat will be able to carry a lot of sail. No doubt the 101 will be a winner on the racecourse. Down below, the boat will have the simple but refined accommodations one expects from a C&C. For those looking for a true racer-cruiser in the small end of the fleet, the new C&C 101 will fit the bill. www.c-cyachts.com

2013 Boat Show Preview • The fall and winter boat show season is on the horizon and with that comes excitement from not only boat builders, but boat buyers as well. As always, BWS is happy to give you a rundown on what to expect as you tour this year’s shows. For a preview of the newest multihulls, see the August 2013 issue of Multihulls Quarterly.

This year’s crop of new boats on the boat show landscape seems to be dominated by a central theme combining equal parts performance and comfort. In that regard boat designers and builders are meeting the demands of modern boat buyers by producing comfortable yet innovative yachts that also sail to an unprecedented performance standard.

That means you’ll see plenty of designs with plumb bows and sterns that maximize water length for speed and offer massive living spaces down below; rigs that are easy to use yet powerful in all wind conditions; and builders offering a plethora of ways to customize a boat for your specific needs. Here are 19 boat builders that will grab your attention as you walk the docks.

BAVARIA
Bavaria Yachts will be at this year’s shows in full force with their new Vision 42 and their line of Cruiser Series boats, which range from 33 to 56 feet. Following close on the success of the Vision 46, the Vision 42 is a boat for cruisers, by cruisers. Bavaria began the Vision design by consulting cruisers from around the world to find out what they wanted in a boat. Along with British Boutique firm, Design Unlimited, Farr Yacht Design took over from there and what they’ve come up with is a cruiser that will make fast passages and be a comfortable live aboard as well. The two-cabin layout is available with one or two heads and the owner can customize all of the wood and upholstery. For more info visit www.bavariayachts.com.

BENETEAU
Beneteau always shows up with an impressive line of boats and this year will be no different. They will be debuting their new Oceanis 38 and will have a stable of other models including the Oceanis 34 to 55 and their popular Sense models. The much-anticipated Oceanis 38 will be debuting at all the major shows this fall and the buzz centers around the boat’s three unique layout options and adaptability. Available as a Daysailer, Weekender or Cruiser, the 38’s interior and exterior layouts can be suited for any sailor’s needs as owners are able to add or remove design elements as they see fit. For more information visit www.beneteauusa.com.

BLUE JACKET 40
The Blue Jacket 40 will be making its fall boat show debut this year with much fanfare. Designed by Tim Jackett, formerly of C&C and Tartan, and Island Packet’s founder and chief designer, Bob Johnson, the new Blue Jacket 40 has already garnered much attention in its relatively short lifespan. As you can imagine, the boat’s unique design offers elements of the IP line, but with a performance twist. BWS had a chance to sail hull number two in Florida and to say we came away impressed would be an understatement (for the full review see BWS, Nov. 2012). This quality performance cruiser will be an excellent choice for a couple or small family and is definitely worth a look. For more information visit www.bluejacketyachts.com.

C&C
Fun, and fast, the C&C 101 will be making an appearance at this years shows and for those who think the boat is a purpose-built racer, guess again. Sure, at first glance from the dock the 101 may seem like a pure racer but it will make for a great daysailer and has enough interior space and amenities to make for an able weekender as well. Built as a racer/cruiser the 101 is a perfect balance of both worlds. With a carbon fiber rig and large asymmetrical chute tacked to an extending bowsprit the boat will surely get you where you want to go quickly. Once there though, a comfortable interior with a two-burner stove, proper marine head and room to sleep the whole crew won’t make you feel as though you are camping out. For more information visit www.c-cyachts.com.

CATALINA
It is always interesting to see what Catalina is up to and this year they will be debuting their new 275 Sport at the Annapolis boat show and bringing along a host of cruising boats from 31 to 44 feet. The 275 Sport (see BWS’ design review in the August 2013 issue) is a uniquely designed pocket cruiser with a bit of a performance edge. Designed by Catalina’s Gerry Douglas, the 275 was conceived to be simple to maintain and fun to cruise while also being capable of racing around the buoys. This may be the perfect boat for newer sailors or those looking to move down a size. From there, Catalina’s cruising range will excite with the popular 315 that debuted 18 months ago, up to their Ocean series 385 and award winning 445. For more information visit www.catalinayachts.com.

DEHLER
This sporty, European-styled cruiser by Dehler Yachts will certainly turn heads come boat show time. The 38 Competition is a true performance cruiser that would be fun on charter, as a full-time cruiser or as a family racer. Designed by Judel/Vrolijk & Co the 38 has dual carbon fiber helms with a full, cockpit length traveler just forward to allow for easy trimming and shaping of the mainsail. The boat has a near plumb bow and stern with a fold down transom to effectively maximize waterline length and boat speed. Down below is a standard three-cabin layout with galley to starboard and head to port. If a performance cruiser is what you are after this fall, take a look at the new Dehler 38 Competition. For more information visit www.dehler.com.

DUFOUR
Dufour will be on hand this fall as well with their Grand Large and Performance series yachts. The sleek Performance series, including the 40e and 45e, are performance cruisers that have a racing inspired deck layout but with modern, purposeful interiors. Dufour’s Grand Large series boats are more cruiser-centric and designed for comfort both on deck and below. The 41 and 50 are new to the Dufour fleet and every part of these boats has been designed with a focus on functionality. Take for instance the navigation table that can be used for passagemaking, then stowed away into a comfortable sofa when at anchor or while entertaining. For more information visit www.dufour-yachts.com.

HANSE
Hanse Yachts is another builder showing up with multiple models this fall. With on opportunity to step aboard a 34 to 49 footer you’ll be able to inspect nearly all of Hanse’s lineup. The Hanse fleet is designed by the famous Judel/Vrolijk & Co and they strive to build the fastest most comfortable boats in this size and class. Hanse is a builder that has a styling all their own but they let you customize the color of your yacht’s joinery, upholstery, exterior canvas and hull. For more information visit us.hanseyachts.com.

ISLAND PACKET
Island Packet is always a familiar boat show face and this year will be no different as they present models ranging from 36 to 46 feet. IP set the benchmark by building boats for serious cruising sailors and they are always looking to improve. Good at incorporating owner input into their designs, the newest Island Packets are not only built to an extremely high standard, but they are comfortable at sea, more liveable than ever and have features that true cruisers are looking for; such as a Full Foil Keel® and cutter rig with Hoyt jib boom. For more information visit www.ipy.com.

JEANNEAU
At last year’s Annapolis boat show the line to get on a Jeanneau was long, and for good reason; the boat builder puts on an impressive display and this years lineup looks to be much the same as they are set to showcase models from 39 to 50 feet. Of particular interest will be the new Sun Odyssey 469 and Sun Odyssey 41DS. Designed by Philippe Briand, the 469 has a pedigree that is uniquely Jeanneau with clean lines and a moderate freeboard. BWS had a chance to sail the 469 in February off Miami Beach (for the full review see the August 2013 issue of BWS) and can attest to the boat’s sailing ability and comfort in a big breeze. For more information visit www.jeanneau.com.

J/BOATS
This iconic boat builder will be showcasing their line of racers and cruisers this fall and there will be much to see. Launched just last year the J70 took off on a run that saw huge fleets showing up at key events such as Key West Race Week and Charleston Race Week. Not to be missed is the versatile J111. Equal parts racer, cruiser, daysailer and weekender, this 36-foot one-design beauty will have you winning races one weekend and cruising islands the next. For more information visit www.jboats.com.

HUNTER
Hunter is back in the boat show mix with new models that range from 27 to 50 feet. This year, in celebration of their 40th anniversary, Hunter has debuted their sleek new 40-footer and it will be front and center at many shows. With hard chines, swim platform, hardtop and hand crafted interior, this new Hunter is a clear design departure for the boat builder and is worth a look. For a full review of the new Hunter 40 see the April issue of BWS. For more information visit www.marlow-hunter.com.

MORRIS YACHTS
What would a boat show be without a few Morris’ to give the docks that good ole’ Maine feeling? Morris has so much to choose from but their new M46 is a real looker.

Designed in partnership with the venerable Sparkman & Stephens, the M46 is a unique design that can have you sailing to windward with the best of them or relaxing at anchor with your feet in the water from the boat’s innovative stern platform. For more information visit www.morrisyachts.com.

MOODY
Moody’s new fleet, including the 41 and 45DS, have a distinctive look that will definitely catch your eye as you browse the docks this fall. The 45DS is a clear departure from Moody’s of the past and that is exactly what they went for with this new design. A plumb bow and stern, raised decksaloon with large expansive windows, and dual helms, gives this new Moody an ultra modern look that is sure to make a splash. For more information visit www.moodyboats.com.

PASSPORT
If you are looking for a luxury yacht that can take you anywhere your sailing heart desires, then this year’s lineup of Passports will be worth your time. The Passport Vista 545’s center cockpit, raised deck house and massive interior are going to tug at your sailing heartstrings, but it is the boat’s high tech composite hull and deck, along with Solent rigged headsails and an in-mast furling main that will have you wanting to get her out for a test sail. For more information visit passportyachts.com.

RUSTLER
The Rustler 36’s traditional styling and offshore capable design and build will be on display this fall and should not be overlooked. While the 36’s long, deep keel and stern hung rudder harken back to designs of the past, this boat is every bit a modern blue water cruiser that is bound to be surefooted in a blow and easy to sail shorthanded or by yourself.

Add to that a beautiful interior that can be customized by the owner and you have boat that will truly meet your needs. For more information visit www.rustleryachts.com.

SEAWARD
Planning on sailing in shallow water but looking for a boat that can take you over the horizon? You’ll definitely want to take a close look at Hake Yachts Seaward 26RK, 32RK and 46RK. The flagship of the fleet, the 46RK, is a true blue water boat with a powerful yet forgiving rig, comfortable living and sailing spaces and did I mention the seven foot keel that can be raised to give the boat a minimum draft of only two feet five inches? For more information visit www.seawardyachts.com.

S&S 30
The S&S 30 is the newest incarnation of an old classic: Babe. Originally designed by S&S for the 1935 Miami to Nassau race, Babe was far ahead of her time and so deserved to be revived in beautiful fashion. Though the S&S 30’s initial intention was for a racer, the new 30 is also a pure pocket cruiser or daysailer.

We got a chance to sail the boat in a fair breeze and it was an absolute pleasure to handle (for a full review see the March 2013 issue of BWS). For more information visit www.ss-30.com.


Tartan
Tartan is synonymous with quality sailboats and that is exactly what you will find from them at this year’s boat shows. With a line of boats ranging from the Fantail to the 5300, Tartan is always looking for innovation and progression in boat building and design.

One of those progressions is Tartan’s unique ability to highly personalize their boats to a customer’s desires; and so it goes with the Tartan 4700. Filling the gap between the 4400 and 5300 the Tim Jackett designed 4700 has a raised deck saloon, three-cabin layout, a Solent style headsail rig with reacher and jib, and a carbon fiber pocketboom. For more information visit www.tartanyachts.com.

Whether you are looking for your first boat or down-sizing from a larger cruising boat, there are plenty of pocket cruising boats out there that span the spectrum from traditional to the ultra-modern. In the following gallery, you’ll see that small is indeed beautiful.

BAVARIA
Designed by Farr and built in Germany, the Bavaria 33 is one of the largest 33 footers ever created. Whether you are in the cockpit or down below you would swear  you were aboard a 36 footer. Sensible German engineering has created a fine and sturdy coastal cruiser for a couple, a young family or an experienced sailor who wants a simpler sailing life.  The boat will drink eight, feed six and sleep four in comfort.  www.bavariayachts.com

BENETEAU
Among a host of designs built by Beneteau are a handful of smaller boats that make great cruisers and race-cruisers. The Oceanis 31 is a roomy weekender while the brand new Oceanis 35 is a modern concept boat that you can design to your personal needs. The First 25 is a mini-speedster with accommodations while the First 30 is a radical machine that will take all the silver at regattas while providing living space for the crew. www.beneteauamerica.com

CATALINA
American as apple pie, Catalina has been building sensible smaller cruising boats for 50 years. The new 275 is a break from tradition and offers a fun performance package in a weekender that you and the kids will enjoy. The 315 is a proper little cruising boat that sails exceptionally well and has an interior of a much larger boat. And the 355 doubles down on that theme with fine performance qualities and an interior that is a true floating home. www.catalinayachts.com

COM-PAC
Builders of a range of smaller sloops and cat boats, Com-Pac has three pocket cruisers that really stand out. The Com-Pac 23/IV is the fourth generation of this popular, trailerable cruiser; it just keeps getting better. The 23 Pilothouse adds a jaunty cabin from which you can steer the boat or get out of the rain in bad weather.  The Com-Pac 27 is a solid little cruiser that can take you far and wide with an enclosed head, shower and six feet of headroom. www.com-pacyachts.com

DEHLER

Dehler has been under the wing of Hanse Yachts in Germany since 2010 but has rigorously maintained their market position as a leader in luxury performance racer-cruisers. The Dehler 29 is a popular one-design class in Europe and has proven to be a fast comfortable cruiser with a finely finished interior and two private sleeping cabins, a large head and a full saloon and galley. The Dehler 32 stretches this design style out three more feet with added interior volume and long waterline.  For those who want to race actively and enjoy cruising between regattas, the Dehlers are a great choice. www.dehler.com

EASTSAIL ALL WEATHER 23
Built in Maine, in true Maine style, the new All Weather 23 provides a raised-doghouse cabin on their traditional full keel hull. The cockpit is large and the interior remarkably spacious. With her cutter rig, bowsprit and saucy lines, the All Weather will stand out in any anchorage, while keeping her crew warm and dry. www.eastsail.com

HANSE
One of Germany’s largest boat builders, Hanse has two interesting and stylish Judel-Vrolijk-designed cruisers in the under-36 foot category. The Hanse 325 has a well thought-out cockpit for cruising and a simple, efficient self-tacking rig; below there are two sleeping cabins and a comfortable saloon and galley.  The larger sister, the Hanse 345, has a similar layout but can be configured with two larger cabins aft.  The 345 has the feel on deck and down below of a much larger boat. Both boats have bright, light, Euro-modern interiors. www.hanseyachts.com

J/BOATS
Leaders in the racer-cruiser segment of the market and specialists in fast daysailers and one-designs, J/Boats also markets two pocket cruisers that will appeal to the non-racing set. But don’t be fooled, they are still great sailing boats. The J/95 is a shoal-draft centerboard design with twin rudders that is a shallow water gunkholer with accommodations for four adults—perfect for Southern New England, Chesapeake Bay and the Bahamas. The all-new J/97E is part of the new E series that emphasizes elegance and evolution in performance sailing. With accommodations for six and a handsome interior, the 97E is a proper yacht in a small, J/Boat package. www.jboats.com

JEANNEAU
Jeanneau has really pushed the big-boat cruising envelope with five boats in their current line over 50 feet. But, the smaller boats have not been neglected. The Sun Odyssey 33i is a modern family cruiser with a ton of interior volume, great accommodations and larger cockpit. A family of four fits aboard nicely. The new 349 has proven to be a huge success and is both a spirited sailing boat and a fine cruising home. The 349 is as quick and pretty as any cruiser in this size range. www.jeanneau.com

PRECISION
This small boat builder in Florida has been quietly building fun, safe trailerable cruising boats for the last 37 years. The Precision 21 is a simple, easy to sail boat that makes a  good starter boat and a  fine weekender. The Precision 23 has a large enough cockpit and accommodations below to be a solid family cruiser for weekends or longer getaways. Plus, both boats can be hauled behind a standard family SUV. www.precisionboatworks.com

SCHOCK
W.D. Schock is a well known West Coast builder of capable, fast pocket rockets that are fun to race and even more fun to cruise. The Schock Harbor 25 is a classic daysailer-weekender with berths for four, a head and a small galley. The Schock Harbor 30 Plus is a bigger version that has the new “Plus” interior with fine trim, a proper galley and plenty of space for four adults. You could live aboard for weeks at a time. The brand new Schock Harbor 29 is the boat Matt  Rutherford sailed from California to Japan on his Pacific Ocean eco-cruise so you know it is blue water capable.  All of the boats have inboard engines and Hoyt Jib Booms. www.wdschock.com

SEASCAPE 27
Developed in Slovenia by a band of Mini-Trans-At sailors, the Seascape 27 is a finely tuned, completely modern racer-cruiser with a square-top mainsail,  retractable keel and twin rudders that will plane at up to 20 knots. For the pure joy of sailing, this boat has almost no mono-hull peers. But it is also a capable pocket cruiser with berths for four adults, an ice box, head and folding table.  If fast sailing, offshore racing and point-to-point cruising are your things, the Seascape 27 is for you. www.thinkseascape.com

SEAWARD
Profiled in this issue (page 52), Seaward will celebrate its 40th year in business in 2016. Builder of two smaller cruisers, in addition to their 46, the company is known for innovative retracting keels, high quality and excellent value.  The Seaward 26RK has a cockpit for four and an open interior that is airy and bright; it will sleep four in the V-berth and settees. The 32RK is a proper cruising boat with a forward cabin, a large quarter berth and a dinette that will seat four for dinner and, when folded down, sleep two for the night.  For weeks along the coast or even a month in the Bahamas, the 32RK is a performance cruiser with a real difference. www.seawardyachts.com

TARTAN
In the last two years, Tartan has regrouped and solidified their position as a builder of high quality racer-cruisers in the smaller range and blue water cruisers in the larger range. The Tartan 101 started out as a C&C 101 but has been restyled with fine Tartan joinery, large quarter berths, a handsome galley and saloon and a good forward cabin. A proven performer the 101 is a modern classic. The Tartan 115 followed a similar path and now has all of the lovely Tartan woodwork and finish below decks. On deck it is still a quick and capable racer that has earned more than her share of silver. The Tartan 3400 was designed as a pure shorthanded cruising boats for a couple or small family and carries the traditional Tartan pedigree. A true small yacht that will turn heads, the 3400 does everything well.  Tartans are built with epoxy hulls, cherry interiors and all carbon masts and booms.
www.tartanyachts.com