When France's Groupe Beneteau purchased the Slovenian shipyard Seascape in 2018, it acquired designs, tooling and production facilities, along with a team of sailors who know how to build no-frills boats that are slippery and fast. And, yes, very fun to sail.
So much fun, in fact, that once Cruising World's Boat of the Year judges named winners for the formal 2023 categories, we chose to conjure up a judges' special recognition award for the First 36 as Best Sportboat. Our dilemma, you see, was that in the fleet of 17 sailboats we considered, there wasn't really anything quite like the First 36 in terms of size or performance. But, oh, what a ride we had.
With about 12 knots of breeze blowing up a moderate chop, right out of the chute we hoisted a full main, set the big kite and were off, pegging 10 knots SOG on a broad reach. Later, in a bit more breeze and with the reacher safely stowed, we pounded upwind at close to 8 knots under the jib and single-reefed main. Big sail, little jib-it didn't matter. The Jefa steering and twin rudders were buttery-smooth and totally in control.
Boat of the Year judge Herb McCormick noted: "This is a boat that was conceived working backward from the goal of a pure, unfettered sailing experience, and it fully delivers on that score.
Esta historia es de la edición June - July 2023 de Cruising World.
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Esta historia es de la edición June - July 2023 de Cruising World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Off Watch
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THE WESTERN WAY
Instead of buying a pricey custom canvas awning for my schooner, I made my own \"covered wagon.\"
HIDDEN GEM
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Last Man Standing
During the past four decades, the once-thriving business of American production sailboat manufacturing has nearly vanished, and dozens of companies and builders have fallen by the wayside. And then there's Tartan Yachts of northeast Ohio, which, in some aspects, is as vibrant as ever. Longtime Tartan stalwart Tim Jackett, a marine-industry lion in winter still making a stand, might be the central reason why
Boat of the Year 2024
With sweet, early autumn sailing conditions on Chesapeake Bay, a strong fleet of 19 contenders competed for top honors in our annual Boat of the Year competition. Once the spray had settled and the votes were tallied, the judges awarded prizes in seven categories for monohulls and multihulls. The overall winner? The surprising, innovative Jeanneau Yachts 55.
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This rich, steaming stew from the Pacific Northwest warms chilled sailors' bones and brings back a lifetime of memories.
Seamanship
George Eldridge first published the Eldridge Tide and Pilot Book in 75. Its new edition, published by the sixth generation of his family, is an impressive feat of continuity
Island Time
It's impossible to rank these favorite destinations by beauty. Instead, sailors should set a waypoint based on what they want to experience
