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Beneteau 42CC The Center Cockpit Comeback That Didn’t Catch On… But Should Have video from Practical Sailor

Beneteau 42CC The Center Cockpit Comeback That Didn’t Catch On… But Should Have

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to center-cockpit cruising sailboats—and why they disappeared from mainstream production—today’s review takes you right into the heart of...
The Hidden Reason Your Headsail Isn’t Performing - Genoa Tracks Explained video from Practical Sailor

The Hidden Reason Your Headsail Isn’t Performing – Genoa Tracks Explained

If your headsail never seems to set quite right — the top luffs first, the foot is strapped tight, the boat won’t quite point,...
Common age-related issues to watch for during a pre-purchase survey include delamination in the balsa-cored decks and crazing around stanchion bases. The cockpit is deep and secure for offshore work, but the wheel pedestal’s position tight against the bridge deck can make viewing engine instruments difficult and complicates the installation of a modern chartplotter. Photo courtesy of YachtWorld.com

Alberg 37 Used Boat Review

Do you remember the August 1979 Fastnet Race when a worse-than-expected European windstorm wreaked havoc on the 303 yachts that started the biennial race?...
Cruising amenities like the bimini top and stern-mounted radar dome shown here add windage, which can hamper performance—especially when sailing to weather. However, for most cruisers, the comfort and utility these features provide are worth the slight penalty in boat speed.

Breaking Down Performance

When it comes to sailboats, performance is a relative term, especially when it comes to a crews concept of how the boat will be used. Racing sailors, cruisers, and daysailors each have very different perspectives on performance. For example, those facing a light-air, around-the-buoys race measure performance in terms of how well their speed through the water holds up against the decrease in true-wind speed. Cruisers, on the other hand, especially those crossing oceans, often define it as a measure of versatility under sail, not just how a boat copes with near calms or gales, but how it performs in everything in between.
Removing the frameless windows from a Hunter. The plexiglass fractured before releasing from the sealant. (Photo/ Bert Vermeer)

How to Replace Sailboat Plexiglass Windows: A DIY Guide

Many coastal cruising production sailboats designed during the heyday of the 70s and 80s emerged from the factory with plexiglass cabin windows. These larger-than-standard...

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