CATEGORIES

EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS

WELCOME TO THE YACHTING EDITORS' CHOICE AWARDS. Our staff has evaluated countless vessels, technology, gear and marine-related services during the past 12 months. We've discussed and debated. In the following pages, you'll see the companies, products and initiatives that came out on top of those debates. So, without further ado, here are Yachting's Editors' Choice Award winners for 2023.

NEXT GENERATION

THE 29-KNOT RIVIERA 78 MOTOR YACHT OFFERS LUXE LIVING ON THE INSIDE AND BLUEWATER CRUISING ON THE OUTSIDE.

A Whale of a Problem

Federal regulators trying to protect the animals want East Coast boaters to slow to 10 knots

Babka's Dog Haus

The day after Thanksgiving 2020, we adopted a 60 lb. dog from a shelter in Danbury, CT. She came with a plastic bag of turkey scraps and not a lot of info

COMMUNICATION, RELATIVELY SPEAKING

Calling relatives is important. I’m not talking about calling your parents (but you should do that too). I’m talking about monitoring and communicating your relative performance in a sailboat race

WINGING IT DOWN THE RUN

Sailing downwind on a boat that can go wing-on-wing opens up a lot of speed and tactical options for the downwind leg

SPI OUEST OR BUST

The progression to a big regatta requires a lot of small but essential steps before making the big leap

BILL'S BOOT CAMP

Basic training takes on a whole new meaning when the drills take place on the turquoise waters of the US Virgin Islands

IT'S A VIBE

The Melges 15 has something for every age, and for older sailors, it's a much-needed return to big-fleet dinghy racing

In the Old Man's Wake

THE SNIPE’S LONGEVITY IS A NOD TO THOSE WHO BUILT AND CONTINUE TO INVEST IN ITS FUTURE

BUDDY ON THE BIG SCREEN

A new movie about America's great sailor is a must-see, but be ready to take notes; there's a lot to learn from a lifetime of excellence on and off the racecourse

GENERATING GENERATIONS

Racing Transpac, from Los Angeles to Honolulu, is just as essential for some people as Thanksgiving gatherings. At 2,225 measured miles, a long race with an international component, Transpac is also intensely local. It’s a family thing

CLOSING HIS CIRCLES

American circumnavigator Joe Harris can't get enough of that offshore thing. Round and round he goes

BREAKING THROUGH THE BOTTLENECK

One local initiative proves that funneling dinghy sailors out of college sailing and into big-boat racing takes commitment from all sides

THIS IS GOING TO HURT

Everyone makes mistakes on the racecourse-that's how we get smarter and faster. But sometimes, as the saying goes, you just can't fix stupid

THESE BADGERS GO BIG

Collegiate offshore regattas provide inland teams the opportunity to develop big-boat skills and sail in premier offshore locations

Jacques Coon's Drift Boat Build

In the summer of 2018, I saw a Jason Cajune drift boat in the lobby of the Sage Lodge located near the Yellowstone River, in Montana's famed Paradise Valley

To the Brink and Back

The Ocean Race's brutal third leg-nearly 13,000 miles of hard racing at full-tilt-produced epic stories of people and perseverance

ENLIGHTENMENT FROM THE INSIDE

The top boat of this winter’s J/70 racing is sailing at a higher level with a greater sense of urgency

ELEGANCE of Simplicity

Beneteau's First 36 is designed from the bottom up for one purpose: to go sailing

SEA RAY - SLX 260 SURF

A luxury bowrider with a surfable wave that simultaneously pleases a family crew and a sports crowd.

GETTING STARTED

Can't get up? All watersports share certain starting skills that you can learn.

On Watch

Finding them took effort. Buying them took leaps of faith. Sailing them was well worth it all

MALIBU Wakesetter 26 LSV

Not just a 25 LSV with an extra foot added, the new 26 LSV offers higher gunwales for deeper seating of up to 18 and a more comfortable ride. New hullside geometry offers buyers a plethora of custom gelcoat options

THE PROJECT-BOAT DILEMMA

You can get what you want with a project boat or a turnkey vessel, but only if you take a hard look in the mirror first

CHARTER Life

YOUR GATEWAY TO THE ULTIMATE CRUISING VACATION

Sailor & Galley

As we cruise south from New England, we adjust our diet, enjoying crab cakes in Maryland, shrimp in the Carolinas, and the local catch in Florida and the Bahamas.

This Ol' Boat

Circumnavigators Behan and Jamie Gifford dispense encouraging yet sober advice to starry-eyed sailors

PURSUIT S 248 SPORT

Pursuit might call its new S 248 Sport an entry-level boat, but for everyone else, it’s next level.

SEAKEEPER RIDE SYSTEM

Ride automatically smooths out bumps and keeps your boat on an even keel.