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Talking about design changes, we think that the day of the catamaran has really arrived. For its size and cost a catamaran design can provide remarkable accommodations and a stunning example of this is the new Lagoon 450.
Lagoon is part of the Beneteau Group, probably the world’s biggest builder of cruising catamarans. Designed by VPLP (Van Petegham Lauriot, Prevost Signature) naval architects. Catamaran designs can offer an expanse of flat decking and living areas both on deck and below, that monohull boats cannot match in the same length.
Another new design trend is expressed in the Jeanneau Sun fast 3600 designed by Daniel Andrieu. The Sun Fast 3600 benefits from the latest advances in vacuum-bagged resin infusion to ensure exceptional strength and rigidity while drastically reducing weight.
The lightweight, powerful hull with its hard chine, twin rudders and lead keel contributes to this new Sun Fast’s speed, balance and stability on all tacks. Perfectly adapted to solo, doublehanded, and crewed regattas, the Sun Fast 3600 is designed to compete in both inshore and offshore races.??Available with twin, composite tillers or wheel steering and choices in mainsheet management, the deck layout ensures easy handling through well thought-out ergonomics and optimized sailing functions.
Another interesting aspect of today's changing lifestyles is the desire to be able to have what you want, not necessarily what a designer thinks you ought to have. To best tailor their latest design to the individual buyer, Beneteau has just introduced their Oceanis 35 model which is available in three different configurations; Day Sailor, Weekender or Cruiser.
Buyers can choose the layout that best suits them. Almost everything is an option and they can modify the number of cabins, their partition or openness, the galley space and even details like the inclusion of a separate shower or helm seat.
After a week of overcast skies and no wind, I was pleasantly surprised and relieved to see the clouds lift, the sun come out, and the breeze come up for a beautiful sail off the shores of northern Lake Ontario on the functional, solid, and very reliable Delphia 31, showcased at North Lakes Yachting, Inc. in Mississauga, Ontario. Owner and president, Slavek Kroliklewicz joined me, along with photographer, Penny McLaren for stunning sail in lovely 8-10 knot breeze. Slavek is passionate about these boats because of their exquisite workmanship and attention to every detail, down to the stainless steel rather than plastic holding tanks, and use of finished marine plywood in their craftsmanship.
Two brothers, Piotr and Wojciech Kot launched their idea of building a boat in their garage.
I felt like I’d gone back in time to the War of 1812 when I arrived in the lovely village of Sacket’s Harbor, NY to review the new Jeanneau 349 with Navy Point Yacht Sales President, Steve McPherson. Unlike that fateful time when the British “sneak attack” on the Americans was bamboozled by the lack of wind, we had a beautiful sunny day with a nice southwest breeze.
Winning the 2014 Customer Choice award for the Best Monohull over 30’ at the Miami Boat Show (determined by the attendees) has certainly helped to set the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 up for success! With over 70 boats already sold and two in production every day, Jeanneau certainly thinks so too. This modern, high performance hull with its large, light interior, easy handling, and attractive price makes it a winner in my books too for this entry-level family cruiser.
Bernie Luttmer of Swan’s Yacht Sales, has finally had his brainchild come to life, and he tells me that he was just about ready to retire when the boat of his dreams came into production – the Catalina C275 Sport designed by Gerry Douglas! He wanted to promote a family friendly, affordable boat that was simple and easy for two people or a family to sail, race, or cruise for the weekend. With an 8’5” beam and displacement of 5,000 pounds, this fractional rig boat is fully trailerable and easy to store.
Modern graceful elegance is what Dufour’s Umberto Felci was trying to achieve when he designed the Grand’Large 410. The boat was a new design in 2012, and has been nominated for European Cruising Boat of the Year for 2013. The hull has a plumb bow, a broad beam and a hard chine which carries from the beam to the broad transom. The transom is lowered on a pulley to form an open transom for easy access to the dock or as a platform with a
Embodying the Cruising Sailor’s Wish List.The Bavaria Vision 42 is the product of collaboration between Farr Yacht Design USA as the naval architect, and Design Unlimited responsible for design and layout. Bavaria wanted a yacht for the owner / cruiser. The 42 Vision incorporates elegance, technology and attention to detail in its design. Comfortable cruising is the objective of this boat.
The Beneteau Oceanis 38 claims more flexibility than seen before on this size of boat and a new way of looking at below decks, giving the boat an airy loft than a traditional cabin arrangement. 
From the first glance the wide open decks large cockpit and overall look and feel of this boat are pleasing. It’s well laid out and from the helm its great visibility and ease of moving forward on deck are well done.
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Over the years Canadian Yachting has had the pleasure of doing several boat review articles on new Neptunus models and we are familiar with the qualities that Neptunus is famous for. They have all been exceptional yachts, but this is the one I would most want to own myself. It’s a personal choice and a matter of taste as to whether you would prefer to have a sedan express model or a flybridge but in my opinion, the flybridge layout offers some wonderful attributes.
We met with Neptunus Managing Director Jan Willem De Jong this past fall to take the new Neptunus 650F out in Lake Ontario.
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A perfect sunset off St. John with St. Thomas views for backdrop.
Clearing Pillsbury Sound, surrounded by voluptuous emerald mountains as the ferry sliced through royal blue waters, I was struck by the unspoiled ambiance of St. John, the island gliding past our starboard beam and the irresistible charm of a village called Cruz Bay visible from our quarter stern.
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Decide on a crewed or bareboat charter
A crewed charter means you have a captain who manages the boat and maybe a chef or mate as well. Crewed charters ensure a safe and comfortable vacation with most everything done for you. The chefs are usually outstanding so if you’re a foodie, you’ll be in heaven and you may be able to pick up new recipes too. Larger crewed yachts may also have a mate who works with the captain and will do things like getting toys (kayaks, SUPs, snorkel gear, etc.) ready for you to use so you do very little work.
Marine Products
Marine Electronics – Staying Connected in 2023
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The world of marine electronics is just on fire in terms of development. You can almost name any function that you could dream up and somebody is offering it. We are just heading into the traditional boat show season and this year there is a big difference from past years.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, most boating enthusiasts have not had any in-person boat show exposure to the new products since 2019 or 2020. That means that there are almost three years of new products to catch up on. It's going to be an exciting year in 2023!
News
On November 15th 2022, Mercury Marine, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), introduced the industry’s first ever V10 outboard with the official launch of its all-new 5.7L 350 and 400hp Verado® outboard engines.
Consistent with the award-winning Verado brand, the new V10 engines are the quietest and smoothest in their class running 45 percent quieter than a leading competitor at cruise. In addition to NVH, the new Verado’s are not only compatible with the latest Mercury SmartCraft® technologies but will also be offered with an optional dual-mode 48V/12V alternator to seamlessly pair with Navico Group’s Fathom® e-power system, an integrated lithium-ion auxiliary power management system, providing boaters the opportunity to eliminate an onboard generator system.
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