June 17, 2024
Jeanneau Yachts 55
Seemingly part sailboat and part spaceship, the new Jeanneau Yachts 55 just busted through the boundaries of traditional yacht design. I couldn’t take my eyes off the bubble hardtop that met me at the dock and I stepped aboard with trepidation. A few hours later, I was planning how to spend my not-yet-won lottery winnings.
February 13, 2024
A 2024 Sneak Peak at the Boats Highlighted by Canadian Dealers
We approached a group of Canadian boat dealers and asked them what boat they really love out of the ones highlighted at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis. So, let‘s look at our “box of chocolates” and enjoy the seven yummiest ones to savour over.
January 2, 2024
Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 – A sleek, good -looking delight to sail
We keep our own boat in a harbour that has a long waiting list for boats over 35 feet, so this little gem would definitely fit the bill and feels like a much bigger boat. True to the spirit of the 7th generation Oceanis line, the 34.1 is built in Poland and replaces the 35.1. It is 1,000 lbs lighter, 14 cm narrower and has 29% more sail area.
April 10, 2023
A Tale of Two Kitties
Catamarans are cool. In 1876, Nat Herreshoff, the renown yacht designer, built Amaryllis, a catamaran based on pictures he had seen of Polynesian sailing cats. He crushed it in his first regatta and won by a landslide against the traditional monohulls known as sandbaggers because they shifted bags of sand from side to side as ballast.
March 28, 2023
Dufour 37
Every few years, boat builders update their lines with refreshed designs and new features that eventually proliferate throughout their entire offering. Dufour Yachts is in mid-process of such an evolution as the builder changes up their line of sleek sailing cruisers.
February 21, 2023
Dream Boats: The GP70
A new high-end catamaran: the GP70. In the competitive luxury catamaran market, few companies offer high-performance platforms.
October 17, 2022
J/9: The Ultimate Day Sailor
When J/Boats set out to make their latest model, their thinking moved away from a boat that you had to tweak all the time, worry about having enough sandwiches to feed the crew, ensuring that you had big strong lads to do the heavy lifting and making certain that you had new sails for the big regattas.
June 15, 2022
Beneteau Oceanis 34.1
Boats have been in high demand for the past two years and there’s no sign of this easing. Sailboats, that can move with the power of the wind, have made an especially significant comeback probably because of the high prices of fuel.
June 2, 2022
Viko S35 – A sexy, affordable racer-cruiser
I am lucky to have the opportunity to helm many types of boats. I am even more lucky to sail boats on champagne fall days when many boats are either being hauled for the winter, or are already under shrink-wrap.
April 13, 2022
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380
Every few years, boat builders refresh their current offering and rename their models. The clear giveaway is usually a switch in the numbering system.
March 4, 2022
Fountaine Pajot Isla 40 – A floating Irish Island
The weather wasn’t cooperating for our test of the new Fountaine Pajot Isla 40. Rain, storm clouds and gusty winds greeted us when we arrived at the Outer Harbour Marina in Toronto, Ontario. But the ladies were game.
February 25, 2022
Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42
On a beautiful summer morning in July, I hopped aboard a new-owner delivery from the Outer Harbour Marina in Toronto to the Port Credit Harbour Marina in Mississauga, with the President of Navy Point Yacht Sales, Steve McPherson. I don’t know if I have ever referred to a boat as pretty, but this adjective fits the Fountaine Pajot Astrea 42 to a tee.
September 22, 2021
Beneteau Oceanis 40.1
Sailing seems to have become about size. More and more couples are buying big, perhaps thinking they can’t cruise on anything under 50 feet and I’ve seen relative newbies plunking down cash for a 60-footer.
September 22, 2021
Dufour 530
French sailboat builder, Dufour Yachts, has, for a long time now, marketed two lines: Performance and Grand Large – the first was speedy and the second swanky (read: comfort-laden).
July 20, 2021
Sun Odyssey 380: A highly anticipated renewal
The Sun Odyssey 380 will be making her North American Debut at the United States Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October.
May 25, 2021
Heyman 42’ – different, how?
This Heyman Yachts new offering offers a level of comfort matched by few, boats under 55 ft. Living on board the PPH (Pocket Pilot House) will be easy and relaxed like no other sailboat.
May 14, 2021
Dufour 430 Grand Large
Without the optional bow thruster, getting the new Dufour 430 out of the impossibly crowded docks at Vancouver’s Granville Island was a challenge, but long-time broker Richard Hargreaves got us out without mishap.
April 29, 2021
Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54
Beneteau saw an opportunity to add a little thrill to any cruising adventure, so they took the hull of the First 53 racer (introduced just last year), and with a few fashionable changes, created the Oceanis Yacht 54, the new entry-level of Beneteau’s swanky Oceanis Yacht line.
April 6, 2021
Boats: New to Canada – The Sailfish 276DC
The Sailfish 276DC the latest in the Sailfish’s versatile dual console line-up is coming to Canada. It’s available with a choice of twin outboards. One of the first things you see from the bow is the Signature thru hull anchor system – with a polished stainless steel bow roller and scuff plate, a standard feature on the 276DC.
February 9, 2021
Boats: Popular Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349
Some boats retain their popularity because they have hit a sweet spot with sailors. Introduced a few years ago, there are hundreds of these 349s around the world. The features and value make it popular – the current base price is listed at US$154,800.
January 18, 2021
Jeanneau Yachts 60
For many, the 2020 sailing year will be one to go down into the books as “different”. With delayed boat launches, cancellations of regattas, flotillas, rendezvous and boat shows, everything was in flux. As families found they couldn’t send kids off to camp and large gatherings were discouraged, other options began to take hold.
December 16, 2020
Sneak Peek: Dufour 430 Grand Large
Dufour Yachts was established in 1964, and today the La Rochelle-France based company counts itself among the biggest shipyards in the world. Currently, Dufour produces 11 sailboat models from 31 feet (9.67 m) to 63 feet (19.2 m).
November 23, 2020
Hanse 418
Optimized sailing performance and comfortable living – a sweet ride. The expression that came to mind immediately was “Sweet Ride” – and I wasn’t referring to the latest ride at the CNE, a chairlift, or a new Mercedes – it was the new Hanse 418, as it cleanly cut through the water in a gusty 15-20 knot breeze averaging 6-8 knots on Lake Ontario.
November 4, 2020
Sneak Peek: Jeanneau Yachts 60
For many, the 2020 sailing year will be one to go down into the books as “different”. With delayed boat launches, cancellations of regattas, flotillas, rendezvous and boat shows, everything was in flux. So, how does a boat reviewer do her job, well she gets creative!
October 21, 2020
The updated Beneteau First 27
The Sam-Manuard designed First 27 is a small but mighty long-range coastal cruiser that is also perfectly suited for day or sunset runs. The deck plan has been redesigned for greater comfort and the cockpit has new benches, lockers, and an optional dining table. A deck hatch has also been added to bring additional light into the salon.
September 22, 2020
Elan GT6 vies for 2021 Boat of the Year
Elan’s new flagship model, the 49ft Elan GT6, has been shortlisted for the international boating industry’s most prestigious awards – European Yacht Of The Year.
September 9, 2020
OCEANIS YACHT 54: Exclusive trim and great functionality
The Oceanis Yacht 54, younger sister of the Oceanis 62, embodies the innovation that has always been a hallmark of the Beneteau brand, while continuing to remain loyal to the Yacht range ethos: elegance, luxurious accommodations, and unrivaled performance.
June 10, 2020
Beneteau Oceanis 30.1
As boat builders clamber to create ever-bigger platforms for ever-more generous budgets, the entry-level cruiser has become an elusive animal. Sure, if you want to daysail, there are plenty of small open boats from which to choose, but if you want a freshly built pocket cruiser, you’re in for a long search.
April 14, 2020
Bavaria C45
With their new midsized model, Bavaria has zeroed in on a versatile design that ticks all the boxes: family friendly, flexible, fast and fun. Alliteration aside, you can hardly ask much more of one boat than that it satisfies on so many levels.
March 1, 2020
Beneteau First 53
With 24,000 boats produced in nearly 40 years, French builder Groupe Beneteau is reinventing their First range, which was introduced in 1977. Although the four other models in the current First lineup are under 30 feet, Beneteau dispensed with two-footitis and jumped right up to a yacht that’s 56’3” LOA.
February 27, 2020
Excess 12 and Excess 15
Catamarans have many advantages for cruising: more space, more speed, no heeling and a more comfortable motion. However, many experienced sailors find them less rewarding and engaging to sail than a monohull. That isn’t an inherent problem with multihulls, though.
December 27, 2019
Dufour 460 – Pure elegance
When one does an October yacht review on the Great Lakes you can never be sure of what kind of weather you will get…. and did we ever luck out! A beautiful sunny day with a high of 31 degrees and a perfect 8-10 knot breeze with light chop made for a champagne sailing day.
October 1, 2019
J99 – Offshore Shorthanded Speedster
It was a very cold and wet beginning to the summer and we never thought it would arrive in Southern Ontario. Doing a 100 miler race on Lake Ontario (billed as the COOLEST race on the lake) with my 8 layers of thermal clothing, woolen ski toque and ski mittens, along with a neck warmer kept me on the edge all night, just out of frostbite reach.
May 8, 2019
Olympic One-Person Sailing Dinghy Completes Name Change “ILCA Dinghy” Is New Face of World’s Most Popular Racing Boat
Austin, Texas, USA (25 April 2019) – In the wake of last month’s termination of its contract with its European builder, the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) announced today that, from 25 April 2019, all new, class-approved boats will be sold and raced under the “ILCA Dinghy” name.