WELLCRAFT 355

Its enclosed pilothouse, big cockpit, walk-around layout and deep-V hull make this boat ready for adventure.

Alchemy was the mythical medieval belief that you could turn a base metal, such as lead, into something rare, such as gold. And that's exactly what Wellcraft has done with the introduction of its new 355.

As a former Wellcraft Scarab owner, I can vouch that no Wellcraft was ever made of lead, but this boat has served notice that the new Wellcraft is pure gold.

First, it is so striking in appearance that you don't need thong-clad babes aboard to get attention at the local sandbar. You'll draw eyes like iron filings to magnets, even with Aunt Edna in her flowered one-piece. Mosey up to the local waterfront pub, with three big Yammies or Mercs burbling on the transom, and you own the place.

Part of this fascination is the bow, which Wellcraft calls a plumb bow. This clearly draws on the Euro influence of builders such as Axopar. This boat is a modern classic, though, carving its own place among bows from Rybovich to Trumpy that once set the standard for what the pointy end should look like.

I spent an evening across a bottle of fine pinot grigio at the debut of the 355, talking to Chris Critchett of Michael Peters Yacht Design, which conjured the 355's lines. Peters has a reputation for not just fast boats, but also fast, solid boats that track well and ride softly. Critchett explained to me that a great amount of time went into designing the 355's bow section, with its cutaway forefoot that seems cribbed from Coast Guard icebreakers. But it wasn't until our on-water testing that I was completely convinced.