Sailboat Reviews

When I received a message about surveying a 1989 Freedom 45CC, I knew there was something unique about this sailboat, but I couldn’t remember...

The Bristol 39 and Bristol 40 are basically the same boat, even though the specifications state that the Bristol 40 is nearly a foot longer than the Bristol 39. If you like traditional yachts, you'll find the Bristol 40 appealing. The boat has the long overhangs, lovely sheerline, low freeboard, narrow cabin trunk, undistorted hull shape, and narrow beam we associate with the beautiful yachts of the past. The trade-off for these traditional good looks is a boat with a small interior compared to today's 40-footers.

2025 has not been a good year for U.S. sailboat manufacturing. Com Pac Yachts closed its doors in May and, as explained in this...

This Sparkman & Stephens classic, built for a dozen years in fiberglass (and built to take it), has kept its value and a fervent following.

Hunter's newest midsize offering combines performance and the company's historic attention to comfort. It's faster on paper than comparable boats, and priced to sell.

The Catalina 250 is one of a group of relatively lightweight, shallow-draft trailerable cruising boats that appeared in the mid-1990s, utilizing water ballast to provide stability. These boats notably the C-250, the Hunter 26, and the MacGregor 26 all are of very modern design, are relatively inexpensive, and feature workmanship and materials of generally serviceable but by no means superior quality. Their sailing qualities and accommodation plans make them suitable for daysailing and casual overnighting, rather than for serious cruising.

The S2 9.2 is not a fast boat by contemporary standards. In most areas, the 9.2 carries a PHRF rating of 180 seconds per mile (six seconds slower for the shoal-keel), which is six seconds per mile slower than a Pearson 30 and 12 to 15 seconds slower than the popular Catalina 30 with a tall rig. In contrast, the 9.2's racing-oriented sister, the S2 9.1, a 30-footer, rates 50 seconds per mile faster.

Small, expensive, and proven salty enough to cross oceans, this hip-pocket cruiser is best suited to couples who want a getaway vehicle that's easy to sail and laid out correctly down below.

As my son and I eased my 30-ft. sloop up to the dock at our winter yard in Mamaroneck, NY, a gentleman came racing...

When Walker Bay 8 and 10 dinghies were still in production, they were unabashedly placed, by both manufacturer and ship's store, as items to...