Every fall at the Annapolis Sailboat show, builders from around the world debut their new designs and models. For all of us who love sailing and new boats, this is an exciting time of year.
During the pandemic, sailboat builders have been hard at work building their lines and developing new designs to meet the unusual demands of this age of Covid-19. Lots of people decided in the last two years it was time to buy a boat. New monohulls, catamarans and trimarans are on display starting today and will be open to the sailing public right through Monday.
Several designs trends stand out this year. The monohulls are all getting beamier and many now have twin rudders. Plus, chines are getting popular because they add more interior volume and add stability when the boat heels. Bow sprits also are in vogue. Among the catamarans, flying bridges are becoming standard on the larger boats as are forward cockpits. Cats this year are coming very well equipped, so new owners don’t have to add a lot of aftermarket gear. In the trimaran category, the NEELs stand out as the tris with the most interior living space. And the folding tris from Dragonfly and Corsair all have chines now which really adds to the interior space, too.
To give you a feel for what’s on display, click here to read Blue Water Sailing’s Annual Boat Show Preview of 17 new cruising boats. Enjoy.
