November 14, 2009
Regal Window Express 3360
I was looking forward to my test day with the Regal Window Express 3360 after seeing the photos. Finally, somebody has added some cabin windows to an express cruiser! Express cruisers are popular because they are good-looking, cost-effective and provide a lot of accommodation, but I'm a traditional guy and I like to see some windows in the cabin. It's summer and I'm out on the boat for heaven's sake! I want sunlight. Styling is always subjective but for my taste, Regal has done a brilliant job of making this boat both handsome and distinctive.
November 14, 2009
Luhrs’ Ovation 52
Any new 52-foot boat would be special but the introduction of a new brand is even more so. In early November, following the public launch at the Fort Lauderdale show, Canadian Yachting traveled to Miami to run hull number one of the brand new 52 Ovation. And yes, it is special.
November 14, 2009
Monterey 340 Sport Yacht
The brass at Monterey Boats in Williston Florida were no doubt bursting their buttons when they learned that they had just been awarded their 4th CSI award in as many years. Such recognition in the Sterndrive and Express Boat category speaks volumes about Monterey’s attention to quality and customer satisfaction.
November 14, 2009
Monaro 255
Monaro Marine will soon become a household name east of the Rockies now they have appointed Pat Sturgeon Yachts as their Ontario-based dealer. Monaro’s high quality, semi- production build philosophy has stood the test of time for this Richmond, BC builder of wonderful cruising boats that are built to take rough seas and heavy water.
November 14, 2009
Marquis 50LS
From the very first glimpse, the styling of the Marquis 50LS will draw the eye and stand out from the other yachts in the basin. The test boat had a metallic Brandywine paintjob that was stunning. Stepping onboard from the pier is best at the sides and onto the wide side decking. From a floating dock, step onto the swim platform. Either way, the expanse of real teak decking makes quite an impression.
November 14, 2009
Jeanneau Prestige 50S
The name Jeanneau might seem new to our powerboat readers but it's very familiar to the sailors in the group. Henri Jeanneau, who was fascinated by all things mechanical, including airplanes, automobiles and boats, founded Jeanneau in France in 1957. He built his first fibreglass powerboat in 1961 and launched his line of sailboats in 1964.
November 14, 2009
Formula 31 PC
Express cruisers have certainly been the dominant design on the Canadian power cruising scene for a long time now. From the smallest sizes at about 26 feet up to 60 feet or more, the express cruiser layout continues to attract buyers.
November 14, 2009
Cruisers 520 Sports Coupe
Showing considerable European styling inspiration, Cruisers Yachts has been one of the pioneers in evolving the express cruiser style into a closed roof, almost like a sedan. The 520 Sports Coupe is a new model for 2008 and we think they've hit the “sweet spot” for the high-end power yacht market.
November 14, 2009
Cruisers Yachts 420 Coupe
One of Cruisers Yachts newest designs, the 420 Coupe is a major step forward in this size range. Actually, it’s a step up too. First the obvious: this yacht features a hardtop that is enclosed on three sides by massive glass areas. Cruisers Yachts calls this its Coupe design. We have spent time aboard other Cruisers Coupe models and found them really comfortable.
November 14, 2009
Sea Ray 270 Sundancer
Sundancer is the model name given to express cruiser models made by Sea Ray and you might be surprised to learn that for 2008 there are 15 Sundancer models ranging from the 240 up to the flagship 60. In virtually any size and price range, Sea Ray has a boat for you but in 2008; however, there was no 270 Sundancer.
November 14, 2009
Sunfast 3200
It’s really all about sailing! Designed by France’s Daniel Andrieu, the Sunfast 3200 certainly is a head turner. This experienced and well-accomplished designer has won the hearts of many for this wide hulled 9.8 meter boat lofted to address the racing and performance cruising market. It’s perfect for single handling or racing with a team.
November 2, 2009
Precision 23
As a trailer boat sailor – one of life’s guilty pleasures is casting off from the dock early in the season, against the backdrop of the busy boatyard – heading out to sail while those left on land await the arrival of the crane – “a couple of weeks from now”. So while the boat yard in Port Dover Ontario bustled with the pre-season rituals of washing, waxing, sanding, painting and resealing – we set off to test sail the Precision 23, a friendly uncomplicated and seaworthy performer.
November 2, 2009
PDQ 36
PDQ Yachts was founded in 1987, when the present malaise of the Canadian pleasure boat building industry was gaining momentum. Nonetheless, the optimistic PDQ team were determined to bring into production a “modern, commodious, performance catamaran of impeccable quality.” All principles are keen sailors and multi-hull enthusiasts. They include president and director Harvey Griggs, an engineer with a doctorate degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Alan Slater, a manufacturing consultant who has been designing one-of catamarans for 20 years; and vice-president Simon Slater, with ten years prior experience in the marine industry. They are backed by a board of directors with experience in law, finance, accounting, technology, manufacturing and marketing.
November 2, 2009
PDQ 32
Boatbuilder Simon Slater and his designer-father, Alan, are making a significant impact on the multihull industry. In fact, the Canadian boatbuilding industry is noticing a substantial contribution from multihulls that wouldn’t even have Been considered possible 15 years ago. Last month I toured through the PDQ plant and was treated to a sight I haven’t seen in Canada for quite a while-a real production line firing boats out the door to waiting customers! Not only were all the PDQ 32s (and their big sisters, the 36s) sold, but the shop is booked solid for the next six months.
November 2, 2009
Ontario 32
Oakville’s Ontario Yachts was founded by Dick and Maria Kneulman. Although he worked as a boat builder before emigrating from the Netherlands in 1951, Kneulman started a construction company when he first moved to Canada. But by 1961 Dick was building boats-mostly kayaks and dinghies. After only a few years in the business, Ontario Yachts established a reputation for high-quality workmanship and soon Kneulman’s Snipes were sought after by North America’s top one-design racing sailors. Next, Dick established a world-wide market for his dinghy, 6 Metre and Dragon masts.
November 2, 2009
Odin 820
There are many reviews for the Odin 820, a 28’ motor sailor that includes the comparisons to others like her in the market place. This is not one of them. All that good stuff can be found on the website www.odin-marine.com. Me, I’m a traditional keel boater. I love getting a thoroughbred boat well-tuned with the rail down, going as fast as we can with all the excitement of pushing the boat to her limits. Seeing the water creaming down the hull of a go fast sailboat gives me as much of a thrill at 60 as it did at 20.
November 2, 2009
Nonsuch 30
Nonsuch, as reported by Brian Shelley, means “without rival” (Without Rival, by Brian Shelley and Mary Beaucock Fryer, 1995. Wishbone Publishing Co. Willowdale). The class was named after the Nonsuch of the Hudson’s Bay Company that first sailed in 1968. That vessel was named after Baroness Nonsuch of Nonsuch Park, Surrey, England, who was the mother of King Charles II’s two natural sons. The Baroness also bore the illegitimate daughter of John Churchill, who was the First Duke of Malborough, and became governor of the Hudson’s Bay company in 1685.
November 2, 2009
Niagara 35
The Niagara 35 is neither traditional cruiser (the fin keel and spade rudder are modern), nor modern racer/cruiser (the fin keel and spade rudder are too traditional). Indeed, it notable sheer further confuses the matter. The Niagara’s high topsides compare to contemporary designs but its coach house hints at the traditional shapes and trim of older designs.
November 2, 2009
Sirius 28
If the Sirius 28 was a racehorse, it would be described as having good breeding. Its designer, Hubert Van de stadt, has in his stable the smaller Sirius 22, a restyling of his Sirius 21, which has proven to be a tough, able, small cruiser. This talent for design runs in the family. Hubert is the nephew of the well-known European designer E. G. Van de Stadt, who has a long and impressive list of outstanding designs, including the lines of the famous 72-foot South African ketch Stormvogel. The Sirius 28’s builders also inspire confidence. Vandestadt and McGruer Ltd. of Owen Sound ahs been building boats since the mid-’60s and in spite of such setbacks as major fire and a long industry recession, it has managed to survive and grow…
November 2, 2009
Nelson Marek 36
Built initially by Martin Yachts in Vancouver for IMS (International Measurement System) and ultimately for one design racing, the Nelson/Marek 36 is a design with focus. Until a fleet is established, however, racing under the IMS rule will have to be endured, as the real goal is to race identical boat against identical boat to test the talents of skippers and crews.
November 2, 2009
Mirage 275
It was right in the middle of hot, muggy weather in July when we would have given anything (except our air conditioners) to be out on the water. We had been riding a seesaw with the weather all week waiting for the perfect time to test the new Mirage 275 in Whitby, Ontario.
November 2, 2009
Mirage 26/27
Love and Anarchy, Mirage 26 hull #51, was launched June 3, 1978 for a new sailor, Diane Wait, who had previously sailed “two or three times with friends.” “I went to the Toronto International Boat Show to find a boat I could handle,” remembers Wait. “I also wanted a boat I would be content to sail indefinitely. I didn’t want to be looking to trade up for something two feet longer in a few years.” She went to the show three times that year, looking at boats in this size range over and over again. On the third visit she left a deposit on the Mirage 26.
November 2, 2009
Mirage 25
It is difficult indeed to find a boat under 27 or 28 feet in length that provides civilized cruising comfort for two to four people. We are happy to report that the Mirage 25 is a surprising and successful example of a “livable” boat with an overall length (excluding the bow pulpit and outboard rudder) a few inches over 25 feet. Up to four adults could cheerfully weekend aboard, and with a few minor modifications a couple could cruise comfortably for indefinite periods.
November 2, 2009
Martin 242
There is something about the look of the Martin 242 that makes it stand out in the gaggle of 24-footers you find in most marinas today. It’s difficult for it to hide. The tall fractional rig, with its huge main, is a dead giveaway. This is not your ordinary weekender. There is something about its knuckled forefront and wide, slightly racked transom that suggests speed and power.
November 2, 2009
Tanzer 22
Quebec’s Tanzer Industries Ltd. launched the first Johann Tanzer-designed Tanzer 22 in 1970. The launch was well-timed, for the ensuing decade brought unprecedented growth to the sport of sailing. This small sailboat surfed into the leaders of the fleet of vessels in this size range which builders turned out in great numbers to satisfy the demand for introductory ballasted boats. Most of the 2,270 units built were constructed in Dorion, Que. The boat was also produced in Edenton., N.C., (270 units) and in Arlington, Wa. (167 units). Offered in fin keel and keel centreboard configurations, only about 200 centreboards were built as they were not competitive in racing fleets. In 1985 Tanzer gave the Tanzer 22 a “facelift”…
November 2, 2009
Martin 16
“Since my accident sailing was a very distant thought and only provided me with many great memories as I was lying in my bed at the hospital. Being on the water again was one of the most exciting things that has happened to me since my accident.” This is a quote from CY test-pilot Danny McCoy at the helm of the Martin 16, a sport-boat for sailors with mobility impairments.
November 2, 2009
Kirby 25
Skipper Jim Matthew is nice enough on land. He smiles, issues pleasantries with an English accent and talks about racing. On the water his whimsical Kirby 25 appears with big red lips on a white spinnaker. But don’t be fooled. The name of the boat is Poch Ma Hon, Gaelic for “kiss my ass.” And the sight of this boat frays the nerves of other Kirby sailors from the Barrie Yacht Club in Barrie, Ontario.
November 2, 2009
Jeanneau 39DS
Canadian Yachting has done a lot of reviews of European boats of late but because of timing we have missed the Jeanneau boat line and have yet to review it. The builder is well-known and well-established and has been building boats for over 50 years. The line is well represented in Canada with Ontario-based Angus Yachts, Quebec’s Marina Gagnon and Fraser Yachts in BC.
November 2, 2009
J 22
We opened our 1984 Lake Ontario sailing season in early April with a test ride on a J/22 the new, small planning keelboat from J Boats, Inc. of Newport, RI. We discovered a fun, spritely yacht packed with performance. Launched in the United States for the 1983 season, the J/22 has been an instant success, with more than 360 boats sold south of the border in less than a year.
November 2, 2009
Ideal 18
Canada’s Conneticuit-based yacht designer Bruce Kirby has long been known for the singlehanded Laser. Of course, he has designed numerous boats in the two decades that have passed since the famous dinghy made its debut, and one of the most recent is the Ideal 18. Although this new design is a keelboat, with a crew of two, the basic philosophy behind it is true to the little boat that made Kirby a household name — in nautical households.
November 2, 2009
Hunter 336
Have you dreamt of shutting down your office computer, casting off your docklines and cruising to a sunny southern sea? Hunter Marine’s skipper Warren Luhrs had a similar dream and left his successful boat building business in the mid-’80s to indulge in his passion for offshore racing. But as Luhrs zipped around Cape Horn on Hunter’s Child during his record-breaking 80-day sail from New York to San Francisco in 1988, the good-ship Hunter Marine began to flounder in deep water.
November 2, 2009
Thunderbird
Myth: Thunderbirds are wood. Reality: Thunderbirds are built in both wood and fibreglass. Myth: Plywood is a pain.Reality: Yes it is, but if you’ve got the time it’s a great way to save money. More second hand Thunderbirds would probably be purchased if there were more used fibreglass Thunderbirds on the market. While the used plywood Thunderbirds out there represent incredible value in terms of boat-for-the-buck, dealing with the joys of wood are not for everyone. So we will take a three-step approach to analyzing the definitive affordable boat; we’ll look at design considerations, wood boats and fibreglass boats. A design sponsored by the forestry industry. The Thunderbird embodies family sailing. Its origins are in a competition sponsored by…
November 2, 2009
Hunter 29.5
When I select boats for my column each issue, I try to gather those which have a distinctly Canadian flavour, either in design, construction or ownership. Even though the Canadian content of the new Hunter 29.5 could be considered small, I have to admit a personal interest—the head of the design team is fellow Canadian, good friend (and occasional CY contributor) Rob Mazza.
November 2, 2009
Hanse 315
It was a perfect day for boat testing and not so great for picture taking, but we always like the chance to go sailing when we can demonstrate to ourselves the full attributes of any boat. They say the devil is in the details and the Hanse 315 did not disappoint. The 315 is the smallest in the new generation of the Hanse line and Hanse continues to impress setting trends and showing great innovativeness.
November 2, 2009
Halman 21
One of the first boats I considered buying during my search for the perfect “”starter”” many sailing years ago was the traditional “”North Sea Double-Ender,”” a design similar to the Halman 21. To me, it possessed the quintessential qualities necessary for the perfect offshore vessel – transom-hung steering, long keel, curving sheer, an almost plumb entry, and powerfully built.
November 2, 2009
Grampian 26
It was one of the nicest sails I have had in my home waters. The sun was shining and the wind was easterly at Trade Wind strength, force 3 to 4. We motored out the opening in the breakwall near Toronto’s Western Gap and set the mainsail and the roller-furling genoa in the lee of Ontario Place. Then we close-reached for an hour into Lake Ontario at a steady six knots.
November 2, 2009
Gozzard 36
The H.T. Gozzard 36 bears no resemblance to the old-fashioned cutters, with their widow-maker bowsprits and running backstays. There are no running backstays in sight, and her bowsprit is a nice, wide platform that conveniently stows the anchor and provides a wonderful spot for dolphin watching.
November 2, 2009
Express 35
The Express 35 represents an impressive blend of sailing performance and elegant cruising comfort. There is sufficient room in its overall length for a posh interior without compromising the appearance or the sailing ability of the hull shape. The abundance of carefully fitted stowage units and many other thoughtful details all contribute to making the 35 a yacht an owner can be justly proud of.