Sailboats 36-40ft

Born as bluewater cruising boats, the Shannon 37 and Shannon 38 are a few of the designs that made Shannon Yachts a formidable semi-custom boatbuilder. Both boats, traditional designs by Walter Schultz, have relatively heavy displacements and long keels. This makes for comfortable offshore sailing, while their multiple sailplan options make short-handed voyaging possible. This Practical Sailor boat review includes a look at two Shannons: Hull No. 1 of the Shannon 38, owned by circumnavigators Bob Burns and Judi Nester, who completed a 14-year circumnavigation aboard their boat 30 years after it first splashed down in Narragansett Bay, R.I.; and a Shannon 37, Silk, owned by well-known bluewater voyagers Beth Leonard and Evans Starzinger, who finished a three-year circumnavigation aboard Silk. Testers found that the Shannons compare favorably to other full-bodied cruisers, including the Pacific Seacraft, the Cabo Rico 38, and Tayana 37.

The Sydney 36CR reflects the agony and the ecstasy of modern handicap racing. Her designers aim was a durable, sexy, race-ready boat with hassle-free operation and cruiser accommodations. In Practical Sailor testers opinions, the 36CR addresses a very small niche market. Sailed hard and well, it can win races in most places and fleets. But thats not unique. It offers limited, yet realistic cruising, which expands its use. But how close to the top can you expect to get with a 12-year-old design optimized for Antipodean breezes? And is the 36CR enough of a cruiser to make it the dual-purpose boat of your dreams?

Take an International 110, stretch it out to 39 feet, give it a cambered deck, raised pilothouse, and the interior comforts of a couples cruising boat, and youll have a snapshot of what Container Yachts Far Harbour 39 looks-and in many respects-sails like. If you want a cruising boat that can be boxed and shipped, then the Far Harbour 39 box boat is worth considering. If youre not planning to use your boat this way, then save your $250,000 for a boat that has fewer compromises for the sake of shipping dimensions.

The nimble C&C 115 offers good value for the racing sailor.

Treading the fine line between racing and cruising.

A well-built center-cockpit model from Scandinavia offers offshore potential and some nice frills— at a hefty price.

An established European builder offers a strong offshore performer with good looks, a few interesting twists, and only one or two minor flaws.

Known for strong construction and fast sailboats, Wauquiez presents a well-conceived cruiser-racer with comfort enough to match its performance.

This Belgian-built sloop offers style and comfort—as well as a nice turn of speed—in an 'unsinkable' package, but its high freeboard and low lifelines give us pause.

The new Corsair is a fast cruising platform, light and bright belowdecks, but with a bit less elbow room than you'd find on a 36-foot monohull, and pricy. For many, these are worthy trade-offs.