Boat Show Preivew

As we head into the end of the Northern summer - the season when we all have been using our boats as often as possible - we inevitably look ahead at the fall boat show season when builders from around the country and the world will be introducing their new models for 2007.

It is always fun to look at new boats to see what the fashions and trends are going to be, especially so if you are in the market for a new boat. After a summer of sailing, we all have a better idea of what we want and need in a cruising boat. And we may have developed some idea about where we really hope to go in our boats when the time and the checkbook are right.

This fall we are previewing 30 new designs - from 25 to 68 feet - with an average length of 44 feet, two inches. It says something about the global market today that only seven of the new designs are built in North America with the remaining 23 coming to the U.S. from builders in Europe and South Africa. Franc continues to be the leading sailboat building nation, but Germany and Sweden are very much contenders.

So, as you walk the docks this season, you will see more Euro styling than ever; you will see more sailing performance built into the cruising designs; and you will see another generation of innovations that make sailing large cruising boats easier, safer and more comfortable.

Eastsail Yachts has been building traditional pocket cruisers near the New Hampshire coastline for a generation. This summer the company launched the New Moon 25, drawn by Yankee yacht designer Eliot Spalding. With a springy sheer, spoon bow and outboard rudder, the new boat looks salty and traditional.

The little cruiser is an evolution of the popular Offshore 25 and offers more room below, a large sail plan and outboard power instead of an inboard diesel. The net result is a small offshore-quality boat that will be easy to own, easy to maintain and will take her crew of one or two anywhere they might choose to sail.

The New Moon has a displacement of 6,800 pounds, a full keel and an attached rudder. The 9.9- horsepower outboard sits in a well just forward of the rudder so the propeller fits neatly in an aperture cut in the rudder's leading edge.

Down below, accommodations are necessarily simple but comfortable. The main cabin has full headroom - something you don't often see in a 25-footer. A V-berth forward, a long settee and a quarter berth make room for four adults. The cabin has a fold-down table, a small galley and an icebox. There is ample storage for provisions and tanks hold up to 50 gallons of freshwater.

A sweet little cruiser at a fair price, the New Moon 25 will appeal to traditionalists who want their sailing to be simple and safe.

At the other end of the design spectrum, J/Boats is bringing an updated version of the popular J/92 to the market. The new J/92s is a simple, stable 30-foot sprit boat that has an inboard diesel, an enclosed head and simple accommodations for coastal cruising.

A modern dual-purpose boat, the 92s is designed for fast sailing with a couple or family as crew. Yet the boat can be raced successfully, either one- design or under a rating rule. The 92s has a new keel and rudder design, and a new deck and cockpit layout for more comfort when cruising.

Down below, the interior is simple, efficient and will suit a couple or a family with small children. Forward there is a V- berth and an enclosed head. The cabin has settee berths on both sides and a compact galley on the port side. A cooler or a 12-volt portable refrigerator fits aft of the companionway.

Those who followed this year's Newport Bermuda Race will have seen that 44 J/Boats finished the race and 12 finished in the top three of their classes. The 30-foot J/92s may not be your first choice for offshore passagemaking - it is intended as a racer/cruiser for active families - but you know it comes from a company that builds offshore-quality boats that sail extremely well.

A more dedicated coastal cruiser comes to the U.S. this fall from German builder Bavaria. One of Europe's highest volume builders, Bavaria has mastered the science of production line assembly, which enables the company to build cruising boats at very attractive prices - despite the high euro, low dollar exchange rates.

The new Bavaria 30 Cruiser replaces the Bavaria 32. The design, which is 31 feet overall, has a heavier displacement than the 32, a taller rig and more innate stability. It sails and motors better, too.

The standard Bavaria hull is hand laminated, solid fiberglass below the water, with Kevlar reinforcing in the bow area. Above the waterline and in the deck, the sections are cored. All deck hardware is backed with an aluminum backing plate and chainplates are robust.

Bavaria uses well-known brands for deck gear and equipment, including Raymarine sailing instruments, Seldén spars, Furlex roller furling, Spinlock rope clutches and Lewmar ports and hatches.

Down below, the designers have managed to fit a lot of accommodations within the confines of the 10-foot, nine-inch beam. The forepeak has a full-size V- berth; a second double berth lies aft to port and has a door for privacy. The head is aft to starboard and is equipped with a shower.

The saloon has bench settees on both sides and a large mahogany table with drop leaves. The galley to port has a two- burner stove, a large stainless steel sink and a standard 12-volt refrigerator.

Bavaria pitches the 30 Cruiser as an entry-level cruising boat; it certainly fits a lot in a small package and will be a great boat for a couple or family to launch their sailing careers.

The new Bavaria 37, on the other hand, is a boat that is capable of more extensive cruising, whether on long coastal passages or island hopping to the Caribbean or Mexico.

With 12 feet, six inches of beam on a 32- foot waterline, the 37 has a lot of beam and a lot of initial stability. Displacing 12,650 pounds and with 4,180 pounds of ballast in the keel, the boat is moderately light for extended offshore work but has a robust and easy-to-use rig, so sailing under reduced mainsail and rolled-up genoa as the wind picks up will help the crew keep the 37 sailing easily and comfortably. Standard boom vang and backstay adjusters enable the crew to power-up or de-power sails as conditions dictate.

Like the rest of the Bavaria line, the 37 is equipped with well-known brands of gear, equipment and electronics. The decks are well laid out for sail handling. The cockpit is large enough for six adults to enjoy sundowners while at anchor, but small enough to be a good seagoing cockpit. The cockpit seats and after lockers offer plenty of deck storage.

Under the water, the 37 has a large, balanced spade rudder and a bulb-fin keel. The 37 is offered in shoal and deep-draft versions. For offshore work, the deep-draft model will provide an easier ride arrangements, with a large master cabin forward and quarter cabins with double berths aft. The saloon has an L-shaped settee and drop- leaf table to starboard with stowage beneath and behind the seat. The galley lies to port with ample counter space, lockers for provisions and stainless steel sinks. Navigators will like the nav table, which has room to mount assorted electronics.

The Bavaria 37 is a complete package right out of the box since the company provides so much gear and equipment in the standard package. Like its little sister, the 30 Cruiser, the Bavaria 37 is a good boat with a lot of cruising potential at a very fair price.

From roughly the same region of Europe as Bavaria, Delphia yachts - built in Poland, not Germany - made a splash in the U.S. last year with the introduction of the Delphia 37 and 40. What we observers noted first was the amount of boat that was being offered at what appeared to be very favorable pricing.

On second look we found that the Delphia boats are high-quality cruising machines of modern design that are built by expert production craftsmen who have been building boats in Poland for more than 15 years. Buyers of Delphia yachts just happen to benefit from a favorable cost base in Poland that allows the company and its dealers to pass on savings to consumers.

The Delphia 37 is a fin-keel, spade-rudder sloop with a 9/10 rig. Designed to sail well and close to the wind, the 37 is also a cruising boat that can be easily handled by a couple. With an 11- foot, nine-inch beam (moderately narrow), and an almost 50-percent ballast-to-displacement ratio (high), the hull has a lot of stability built in, yet will also be quite easily driven in a wide range of conditions.

The deck layout has all halyards and control lines running aft to winches in the cockpit on either side of the companionway so that the crew won't have to venture forward to adjust sails or tie in a reef. Four self-tailing winches are provided in the cockpit for handling both the rolling headsail and a larger downwind sail. The cockpit is large and comfortable and offers plenty of storage for deck gear, sails and cruising toys.

Down below, the 37 can be had with either two large cabins aft and a smaller V-berth forward, or a single aft cabin and a larger aft head. The two-cabin layout provides a lot more storage in the sail locker to port that replaces a sleeping cabin.

The saloon has a good seagoing galley to starboard and a large nav table to port. An L-shaped settee and table form a dinette to starboard with a bench settee to port. With the drop leaves on the table up, five or six adults can eat around the table.

The Delphia 37 is a very complete package that comes at a good price. Throughout the boat the builders have used top-of-the- line gear and equipment and finished the boat to a high degree of detail. Built for cruisers who are seeking a comfortable boat that sails well, the 37 will turn a lot more heads as the brand becomes better known.

Like its little sister, the Delphia 40 packs a lot of value in a hull and rig designed for cruisers who want better than average sailing qualities. Yet the design for the 40 also has added a lot of volume to the interior, which opens up the living spaces and leaves room for a lot of storage. If the 37 is an excellent coastal and near-offshore cruiser with a performance edge, the 40 is a passagemaker that has been designed and built to stand up to the rigors of the notorious North Sea.

With a nearly 13- foot beam, the hull has a lot of initial stability and will not need to be reefed too early. At 18,000 pounds dis- placement and with a 35-percent ballast-to- displacement ratio, the boat should have an easy motion in a seaway and will be stiff when heading to windward. Like many fractional-rig boats, the 40 will be happiest with one reef in the main before you start to roll up the jib.

The deck layout is simple and efficient. With swept-back spreaders, double lower shrouds are unnecessary, which opens up the side decks. The dodger stows away neatly in a deck recess so that it is out of the way when not being used. The cockpit is large and has ample stowage. The stern platform has a wide enough area to really stand after a swim or when getting into the dinghy.

Down below the builders are offering a new interior layout this year that will appeal to offshore sailors. A large master cabin has been added aft and the aft head enlarged. The port aft cabin has been eliminated, which creates a lot more storage in the cockpit locker. Instead of an in-line galley, the new layout features an L-shaped galley that will work well at sea. And a new U-shaped dinette has been incorporated into the saloon Lined in light mahogany and finished to a high degree, the interior, which also has large overhea skylights, is open and airy.

For a couple looking for a boat on which to venture far and wide, the Delphia 40, particularly with the new cabin arrangement, is an attractive option.

The folks at J/Boats always march to the beat of their own drum, and they have thousands of sailors who hear that beat and follow. Last winter they launched the new J/124 that is designed to appeal to sailors who want something pure and simple in their boats. Bucking the trend to fit out a boat with every modern convenience possible from air conditioning to dishwashers and elaborate home entertainment centers, the concept behind the J/124 was to do away with all of the gadgets and get back to the essence of sailing and cruising: a couple's boat that sails very well, is comfortable if Spartan and is dead simple to keep.

Long and lean and very stable, the 124 will stand up to a breeze and will handle nicely under mainsail alone. Because of the narrow beam and efficient underwater appendages, pushed by a powerful rig, owners will be sailing while others are motoring and will get to their next landfall, or complete a distance course, well ahead of their compatriots. With the standard 100-percent jib, the boat will be a cinch to tack; a Hoyt jib-boom is also available to make the boat self-tacking. Hoist an asymmetrical spinnaker and the 124 will fly downwind while steering like a Porsche on a mountain road.

Down below, the layout evokes cruising boats of the past with a V- berth forward, two settees in the cabin and a double quarter berth aft. This is a place for friends to gather after of day of fun sailing to share a simple meal, swap sailing yarns and enjoy the peace of being on the water - and not the rumble of a generator.

As the Johnstones say in the 124 brochure: "The idea is to enjoy life, not be a slave to complex cruising systems." Whether you are heading off for the weekend, or sailing to a regatta, or bugging off to the Caribbean for the winter, the 124 will get you there swiftly and safely and will leave you a lot of maintenance-free time to enjoy the cool places you visit.

Part of Group Beneteau, Wauquiez builds elegant production cruising boats in the tradition of the company's founder Henri Wauquiez. Henri was something of an idealist and driven to build boats of the highest quality. Now that his company has been absorbed by Group Beneteau, those traditions are carried on but with the advantages of manufacturing and business expertise not available to the founder.

The new Wauquiez Centurion 40s is a good example of the builder's ethos - a fast, elegant and comfortable cruising boat - and is a direct development from the successful Centurion 45 introduced last year. Designed by Berret/Racoupeau, the boat has fairly short overhangs and a long waterline for its length. With only 12 feet, seven inches of beam, the hull is moderately narrow and will be easily driven in light airs and will stand up well to a blow with shortened sail. The standard draft is seven feet, seven inches but a shoal-draft keel is an option.

The design of the cabintop, cockpit and foredeck flow together visually and evoke modern aircraft design - simple, elegant and purposeful. The black windows on the cabin sides add to the chic look. Aft of the cockpit has been ergonomically designed to be as comfortable as possible. Aft, the swim platform folds into the transom when not in use - a feature that worked well on the 45.

Down below, the accommodation plan provides two large sleeping cabins, one in the forepeak and one in the starboard quarter. A large head with a separate shower stall fits in the port quarter where it will also serve as an excellent wet locker.

The U-shaped galley to starboard will be a pleasure to use at sea or in port and is equipped with large double sinks, a large refrigerator and a two-burner stove with an oven. Plenty of counter space will allow the cook to flourish.

The décor of the 40s is elegant and comfortable. The interior is finished in light-grained teak with matching veneers and white accents. The dinette will sit six around the varnished teak table.

The Wauquiez line is established as one of the design and style leaders in Europe, and with a growing presence in the U.S. should turn many heads at the fall shows.

Another unique introduction from a French builder this fall is the Ovni 395 built by Alubat Yachts on France's Atlantic Coast. Designed by Philippe Briand, the 395 is a hard-chined aluminum hull cruiser that has a lifting keel and kick-up rudder. With only a one-foot, 11-inch draft when the centerboard is raised, the boat can be beached and will sit happily on its own bottom.

Utilitarian on the outside - the aluminum hull is left unpainted - the boat is elegant on the inside. The chine aluminum hull is welded of 5083 H 111 plate in an argon-helium environment. Alubat has been building metal boats for 25 years, their craftsmen have perfected production line welding.

A pure cruising boat, the 395 is designed to be sailed by a couple. All lines lead aft to the cockpit, which is comfortable but not overly large. The stern arch comes standard and doubles as davits for a 10-foot dinghy.

Down below, the interior is finished in varnished oak, which lends the space a warm honey- colored ambience. Alubat offers semi-custom interiors so an owner may fiddle with the design to meet special needs. The basic layout offers a V-berth forward and two quarter cabins. The saloon has a dinette to port, a good seagoing galley and a large chart table.

BWS sailed the Ovni 395 on the Chesapeake Bay and came away impressed with the boat's ocean-going capabilities. If you are looking for a passagemaker that can withstand a collision, take the ground easily and will make good miles on passage, the 395 provides a unique cruising solution.

NEW BOATS 41 TO 50 FEET

In the past few years interest in motorsailers for extended cruising has seen a renaissance as sailors moving up in age and some new cruisers contemplate the pleasures of a truly comfortable doghouse from which to watch the world go by.

The new Island Packet SP Cruiser, at 41 feet overall, arrived on the market this summer and has already turned a lot of heads. Designer and Island Packet founder Bob Johnson created the SP Cruiser to provide trawler-like comfort and motoring capabilities with a sailing rig that will push the boat along nicely when the wind is right.

The hull design, with a traditional IP bow and a new "trawler" stern, has a full keel and attached rudder. The transom is broader than you will see on a sailboat to enhance motoring performance; it also provides an excellent swim platform aft accessed via a door in the transom.

Forward of the deckhouse, a large outside seating area has been molded into the deck, with high coamings to keep deck wash and spray off the sunbathers. Two can recline here or up to six can sit to enjoy the sunset.

Aesthetically, the deckhouse fits onto the hull pleasantly as it evokes motorsailers of yore. Inside, the main helm is on the centerline with a swiveling captain's chair and all instruments in full view forward of the wheel. A large deck hatch over the helmsman provides ventilation and light and allows the person at the wheel to keep an eye on mainsail trim. The L-shaped dinette in the deckhouse will inevitably be the spot where the crew spends the most time since it offers a 360- degree view. On passage, the settee is long enough to be a good sea berth for the off-watch.

The galley lies three steps down from the deckhouse. To port there is an expansive counter with a huge fridge beneath and the two-burner propane stove and oven forward. The galley sinks are positioned on the centerline in an island with ample storage beneath. The chart table to starboard will double as an onboard office and communications center.

The guest cabin to starboard has twin berths and plenty of space for hanging gear. The engine room is under the centerline berth so access to the filters, strainers and so forth will be excellent.

The master cabin forward sports a large walk-around double berth, two hanging lockers and plenty of drawer space. The head lies between the chart table and the forward cabin and has a separate shower stall.

Powered by a 100- horsepower diesel and carrying 215 gallons of fuel, the SP Cruiser has a range under power of 1,000 miles (700 miles at seven knots). With shoal draft and a 55-foot-tall mast, the boat will be at home in the Intracoastal Waterway while still being capable of making a comfortable offshore run to the Caribbean or Mexico.

Maine boatbuilder Morris Yachts introduced their M36 two years ago, and the new daysailer/ weekender was such a success that the company is now introducing a big sister in the form of the Morris M42. Designed by Sparkman & Stephens, the M42 is an elegant cruiser with traditional looks above the water - sweeping sheer, long overhangs, narrow beam - and a thoroughly modern bulb-fin keel and spade rudder below the water.

The M42 is for sailors who want elegance, simplicity and cruising comfort in a boat that evokes the past but makes the best use of modern design technology and boatbuilding skills and the latest in rig and sail handling expertise. To simplify sail handling, all halyards, control lines and the main and jib sheets are led below the side decks and emerge at winch pods on either side of the helmsman. The only sheets you will see on deck are for the downwind sails. The spars and spinnaker pole are carbon fiber and the jib is designed to be self-tacking.

While the M42 fits into the "daysailer" or "weekender" class of boats that have become popular in recent years, the new boat has real cruising accommodations below decks and full headroom in the main cabin. Those who want to venture off on a longer cruise aboard will find that the boat has all the storage, tankage and amenities they need. Still the M42 is not a floating condo; simplicity and elegance are the dominant themes.

Below there is a large, well-appointed galley, a useful chart table, settee berths port and starboard and a large centerline table with folding leaves. The forward cabin has a V-berth or can be fitted with a centerline double berth. Plenty of storage can be found beneath the berths and in the ample lockers throughout.

The cabin is finished in traditional Bristol fashion with white bulkheads and varnished mahogany trim. The galley and head have Corian counters. Hatches overhead are supplied with screens and shades.

Morris Yachts has been building semi-custom cruising boats to a very high standard since 1972. The new M42, of which five are already in the building process, promises to perpetuate that tradition and will be a pure pleasure for her owners both to sail and to look at as they row ashore.

Wauquiez Yachts has two Pilot Saloon models that are available this year in the U.S., the new Wauquiez PS 41 and the PS 47 that was introduced last year. The PS 41 evolved from the successful PS 40 and incorporates many ergonomic details and refinements gleaned from more the 130 Wauquiez owners.

As the little sister to the PS 47 - Wauquiez's flagship - the PS 41 has all of the innovations that made the larger boat so successful. The boat's sweeping lines mark it as a uniquely stylish cruising boat in the Euro style, sporting a blister deckhouse and cat's-eye portlights.

The ample cockpit is set up for comfortable lounging but is also fully functional and allows a single watchstander to trim the main and headsail, adjust control lines and shorten sail without having to go on deck. The transom platform, as in the 47, folds neatly into the

transom when not in use and can be deployed easily when at anchor. The galley and dinette under the raised pilot saloon offer excellent views either while standing in the galley or seated in the dinette - which is designed to accommodate four adults.

The 41 has two large sleeping cabins, each with its own head. The master cabin aft has a large centerline double berth, a large hanging locker and plenty of locker and drawer space for clothes. The forward cabin has a slightly smaller double berth and plenty of stowage.

Built to the traditionally high standards of Wauquiez, the PS 41 combines excellent sailing qualities with a large and unique living space belowdecks. For a couple who wants to spend a lot of time aboard and will be venturing off with friends or married children, the new design will serve well.

Lagoon Catamarans, which is part of Group Beneteau, remains a leader in production cruising catamaran design and construction. The company has supplied hundreds of boats to charter fleets around the world and hundreds of private owners are out there cruising and living aboard their commodious floating homes.

Never shy to develop innovative ideas, this year Lagoon is introducing the new Lagoon 420 with an energy efficient diesel- electric propulsion system. The big cat comes with either three or four sleeping cabins and separate heads. The owner's version, which will appeal to many cruisers, has a study or office in the starboard hull.

The saloon is huge and has a big galley, a useful chart table and a dinette that will seat eight. The saloon opens onto the back porch where the crew will doubtless spend most of their time while cruising.

The 420 is designed to be simple to sail. The main sheet leads right to the helmsman and the genoa sheets can be trimmed from either side of the cockpit. The main is a large, high roach full-battened sail that will drive the boat well. The genoa, fitted on a roller-furling system, can be reefed or furled from the cockpit.

The significant innovation in the new Lagoon 420 is the hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system. Lagoon has been refining this system for two years and has had a test system aboard a cat in the Caribbean for over a year that is being managed by the Catamaran Company.

The propulsion system depends upon two high power electric motors that draw energy from the large battery bank. When the battery bank begins to lose amperage, the diesel generator automatically starts and provides the amps the motors require. This system is remarkably efficient. The electric motors are virtually main- tenance free over many thousands of hours of use. The single generator replaces two diesel auxiliary engines so engine headaches are reduced. Moreover, because generators run at constant rpms and constant loads, the engines can operate for many thousands of hours before any major maintenance will be required. A generator runs more quietly than auxiliary engines and uses less fuel.

This is the hybrid power system of the future, and Lagoon and the Catamaran Company are paving the way.

The new Lagoon 420 will make a commodious floating home that can cross oceans and will take her crew in deep waters and shoal with style - and very little diesel.

From Najad Yachts in Sweden, the new Najad 440 AC offers coastal and world girdling sailors a cruising boat that combines a sleek, fast Judel/Vrolijk design with the proven quality and style of one of Sweden's top builders.

The 440 has two configurations - aft cockpit (AC) and center cockpit (CC). The aft cockpit design will be on display in the U.S. this year.

Najad is known for building moderately conservative cruising boats that sail extremely well. While not purpose built for competition, Najads regularly acquit themselves well in the cruising divisions of regattas around the world. In the open ocean, the boats really thrive and can knock off fast, safe passages that leave their crews more rested than when they set off.

The 440 AC has a sleek modern look but just enough teak and tradition to make any old salt happy. The sloop rig is supplied by Seldén, and the roller furling on the headsail is by Furlex.

Control lines and halyards run aft to the cockpit so a lone watch-stander can trim and reduce sail without climbing onto the foredeck. The cockpit is large and comfortable with seat backs that fit a person's back nicely.

Down below, the 440 has the master cabin forward and two quarter cabins aft. Two heads are standard, and the forward head has a separate shower stall. Six adults can cruise comfortably and with an unusual amount of privacy for a boat of this size.

The saloon has an L-shaped seagoing galley to port, a large C- shaped dinette just forward and a large navigator's station and chart table to starboard. The interior is finished with a light African mahogany that gives the space a pleasant "yacht" feel. Joinery is exceptional as is the varnish finish.

A modern cruising boat with all the amenities a couple or family could ask for, the 440 AC is also a fine sailing sloop that will make good passages and can win a regatta when called upon.

Etap yachts stand alone among the builders of cruising boats because the company is the only builder whose boats are certified by the E.U. as "unsinkable." In fact, Etaps, including the new Etap 46, are designed to sail home even with a hole a yard square below the waterline. None of us plan to hole our boats, but wouldn't it be comforting to know that all would be well if a container did cross our bow?

The new Etap 46 that will debut in the U.S. this fall embraces a thoroughly modern Euro style. In fact, Italian designer and style maven Stile Bertone played an important role in defining the 46's "look."

The sail plan has been designed to be handled by a couple. Genoa sheets lead aft to large self-tailing winches near the helmsman. The main sheet runs to an electric winch that sits on a pedestal in the middle to the cockpit. The sail plan shows a large in-mast furling main and small genoa that will be easy to tack.

The 46DS (for deck saloon) has an open airy interior that features a raised dinette to port from which you can sit and watch the world go by. By raising the dinette, the builders have created enough space beneath it for a large double cabin. The large master cabin aft has a centerline double berth, ample storage and an en suite head with separate shower stall. The guest cabin forward has a double berth, enough storage for clothes, gear and spare parts and its own head.

Innovative, unsinkable, comfortable and easy to sail - that is the essence of the new Etap 46.

Hanse Yachts from Germany is on a roll and will be introducing two entirely new designs this year and two completely reworked designs from proven hulls.

The new Hanse 430, designed by Judel/Vrolijk embodies all of the innovation that has become the Hanse trademark - from the plumb bow and long waterline hull, to the fractional cruising rig, to the wide and varied options an owner has for interior accommodations.

At nearly 24,000 pounds displacement, the 430 is not an ultra- light machine, despite its racy looks. A moderate cruising sloop, the boat also has an incredibly long waterline and a powerful rig, so it will have an easy motion and will at the same time be able to maintain high average speeds.

Notable in the sail plan is the self-tacking 100-percent headsail that will make short tacking the boat a cinch. Add a genniker or spinnaker and you will have a sailing machine that really flies.

Hanse interiors are not like any other builder's offerings. The furniture is of light woods with a high finish. The dinettes, settees, berths and lockers are angular and minimalist/modern. Down below you almost feel you are in a luxury condo in an ultramodern European building. At boat shows you hear a lot of "Wows" when people first climb belowdecks.

A large volume builder, Hanse also has built a well-earned reputation for excellent engineering, construction techniques and finish work. The 430, like her sister ships, is a sea boat with long legs and plenty of interior volume to carry the water, fuel and stores you need for passagemaking.

Also this year Hanse will introduce the new Hanse 630, which is not like any 60-plus production cruiser you have seen. Taking the concept of long waterlines and powerful, easy-to- handle rigs to a new dimension, the 630 promises to sail at very high average speeds while providing her owners with extraordinary modern accommodations below.

This new boat will appeal to cruising sailors and offshore racers who want a custom boat but do not want to pay vast sums to get it.

The Hanse 470 and Hanse 540, which will be at the U.S. boat shows this fall are designs that have evolved from the 461 and 531. New decks and interiors and a wide variety of options all combine in these large, fast cruisers to make each owner's version unique and personalized.

If you haven't yet been aboard one of the new Hanse cruising boats, be prepared for a Wow.

Another new offshore cruiser from Bavaria in Germany is the Bavaria 46. A moderate-dis- placement, fractional-rig sloop, the 46 combines a conservative fin-keel, spade- rudder underbody with a very full and beamy hull. The net result is a sloop that has a lot of initial stability and plenty of interior volume. With 14-feet, three-inches of maximum beam that is then carried well aft, the 46 will have a lot of power on a reach and has tons of space below deck for large quarter cabins.

The simple sloop rig has options for in-mast or standard furling mainsails. With a boat of this size, many owners will opt for the in-mast mainsail so they will be able to reef and furl the sail from the cockpit. A 130-percent overlapping genoa is standard, and this can be fitted on a Furlex roller-furling system. All lines and sheets run aft to the cockpit where a crewmember can effect trim and sail reductions.

Down below you will find three or four large sleeping cabins, depending on the layout, and a huge saloon with the galley along the port side and a dinette for eight to starboard. Two heads are specified and both have their own shower stalls. Like her smaller sisters, the Bavaria 46 is finished below deck in African mahogany.

A lot of boat at a very good value, the new Bavaria 46 will make a fine family cruising boat. And with the four-cabin version available, you may find quite a lot of the 46s in charter fleets around the world.

Beneteau has two new cruising boats in the 40- to 50- foot range this year with the introduction of the Beneteau 46 and Beneteau 49. Plus a new Beneteau First 50 will be on the scene later in the year. The 46 and the 49 represent a new generation of family cruising boats with enough sail power and advanced keels and rudders to make them worthy contenders in offshore cruising events and rallies.

The 49 is the first to be launched into the U.S. market and has all the hallmarks of a new standard of performance, style and comfort for the Beneteau line. Berret/Racoupeau drew the new boat's lines and styled her topside and decks. The aggressive sheer and low blister cabintop with unique side windows give the boat an instantly recognizable look. Famed Italian designer Nauta Yachts consulted on the interior design; the result is a thoroughly modern interior - three sleeping cabins and a large saloon - that evokes the latest thinking in elegant Euro styling.

BWS will take a much closer look at the Beneteau 49 and 46 in the October issue.

There is no question that cruising catamarans have carved out a sizeable niche in the cruising market and for good reason. The new St. Francis 50, built in South Africa, is a good example of why big cats are so popular and why families are choosing to move aboard and sail away in them. The key elements are living space, stability and performance.

The St. Francis 50 was designed by Angelo Lavranos to extend the line of popular cats from the same builder. A luxury cruiser, the 50 is first and foremost a capable passage- maker. Many of the St. Francis– built boats have taken their crews on extended world cruises.

Like many cruising cats of this size, the 50 will turn in very respectable daily runs but is not designed to break the sound barrier nor rattle her crew by flying a hull.

Accommodations below offer a huge, roomy saloon with a dinette that will seat eight. The galley has acres of counter space and the nav station can double as a work desk and chart table.

Four double cabins, two in each hull, will make the crew comfortable. Between them in each hull lies a full head with shower. The quality built into the 50 can be seen in the details from the engine systems installations to fine cabinetry. South Africa has evolved into a leading boatbuilding nation and you can see why in the St. Francis 50.

50 FEET AND UP

It is unusual for a boatbuilding company to build only one model at a time, but Amel is not your usual builder of cruising boats. After five years of building the Amel Super Maramu 53 Millennium, the French builder last year introduced a new 54-foot version known simply as the Amel 54.

The 54 is an evolution from the earlier boat rather than a revolution. The new 54 has a sensible balanced ketch rig, a well protected center cockpit with the steering station protected by the hard dodger and faux teak decks just like her predecessor. In fact, many details will be familiar to those who know the 53.

But throughout the boat every system, every detail of construction and every item of gear and equipment has been thoroughly reexamined and upgraded wherever possible. The net result is a new Amel that is as technologically sophisticated as possible yet still true to pure cruising.

BWS will be giving the new 54 a thorough sea trial in September and will come back with a full report (written as always in collaboration with J.F. Potter) on the new boat.

The new Hallberg-Rassy 54 will premiere at the annual HR open house in August and BWS plans to be there. The new design follows on the heels of the successful HR 62, launched in the U.S. last year, a boat that BWS sailed to the Caribbean and reported on. The 54 is a luxury cruiser with a moderate- displacement hull, cruising fin keel and spade rudder. Her lines are fair and long, so the boat will move sweetly through the water and will resist pitching head seas while having plenty of power to carry sail when reaching. Under sail or power, the 54 should have no trouble moving through the water at close to hull speed.

The center cockpit has been given special design care to make the backrests comfortable, the leg spaces ample but secure when heeled, and the forward windshield large enough to deflect wind and spray. The cockpit lockers are large and wide enough for easy access. The swim platform folds up and down from the transom with remote push-button controls.

The 54, like most HRs, has been designed for a couple or two couples cruising together. Two master staterooms are provided, the owner's cabin aft and the guest cabin forward. Anticipating the need for spare berths, a third cabin with a V-berth is included forward. Both master cabins have en suite heads and showers.

The saloon is spacious, bright and airy. The dinette to starboard will seat six easily while the two armchairs and table to port will be good for lounging and watching movies on the home entertainment center's 21-inch flat screen. The galley and nav stations offer plenty of working space.

The 54 is a liveaboard, ocean- crossing passagemaker. As such, HR has included a washing machine and dishwasher in the options list so those aboard can treat their floating home like a real second home instead of a rustic cabin in the woods. A high capacity watermaker will have to be part of this scenario.

BWS will sail the new 54 in Sweden and will report further in a future issue.

Spanish boatbuilder Northwind, based in Barcelona, has a long history of building custom and semi-custom cruising boats. The Northwind 68 is the latest semi- custom cruiser to be launched from their yard. The big sloop was designed and built to offer her owners fine sailing qualities and a luxurious floating home.

Two cock- pits have been devised so that the helmsman and perhaps a sailing mate can sit aft at the wheel and control the lines. The forward cockpit is for guests and those not on duty.

The rig is large and set up with hydraulic controls on the main and genoa reefing systems. Push a button to roll out or roll in the sails.

Down below the saloon is huge and offers seating around a large table and a unique chart table with bench seats on either side. The galley is the size of a kitchen in a small apartment and equipped with all of the modern conveniences. Sleeping cabins can be arranged to meet an owner's requirements but are based around a large master cabin aft and two guest cabins forward. Each has its own head and shower.

Northwind has a reputation for installing very high-end systems and gear. The engine room is fitted out like that of a much larger yacht and will be a pleasure to work in.

The fit and finish throughout the boat is first class with pleasant mixtures of hardwoods, veneers and high-end fixtures. The satin and gloss varnished surfaces have mirror finishes and the depth of the varnish hints at the dozen coats that have been applied and then hand rubbed.

Northwind has a well-earned reputation in Europe for building the finest semi-custom yachts. The 68 will appeal to families who are looking for a unique and capable cruising boat that is well suited to living aboard for long periods in complete comfort.