The huge marine exhibition and boat show that is running this week in Dusseldorf, Germany may be the largest indoor boat show in the world. As this is the beginning of the year and the first boat show, builders from all over Europe choose this time and place to introduce their new designs to the world.
While there are dozens of sailboats on display, we’ll focus here on the new designs that we think will make good family cruising boats or racer-cruisers.
Contest 63 CS
The new large cruiser, pictured above, from this well-respected Dutch builder is, we think, the largest sailboat in the show. It certainly looks massive out of the water and is probably right at the top end of what a cruising couple or family can manage. Still, it is a handsome Judel Vrolijk design that has all the grace and style of the recent Contest yachts and a luxurious interior. For Scandinavian-style and superb performance, the Contest 63 CS has few peers.
Dragonfly 36
We are fans of performance cruising trimarans and think the new Dragonfly 36 is one of the best of the bunch. The smaller sister to the Dragonfly 40 that was launched three years ago, the 36 comes in at a size and a price that will make it extremely attractive for sailors who want a cruising boat that will sail upright at 15 knots or more. The new 36 has fun written all over it. Plus, it has a roomy, comfortable interior.
Grand Soleil Blue
Italian builder Grand Soleil is known for it’s high quality, luxury performance cruisers. With the introduction of the Blue, they now can claim to be the only builder to build a boat with materials that are completely recyclable. From the type of resin used in the hull and deck to the interior bulkheads and fabrics, once the Blue has reached the end of its useful life, all of the boat’s parts will be reused in completely different applications. In the meantime, it is a handsome and sporty racer-cruiser that will be fun for the family,
J/40
J/Boats long ago mastered the craft of designing and building performance cruisers that are fast enough to compete aggressively on the race course. The J/40 replaces the original 40-footer with a classic J/Boats hull designed by Al Johnstone. While the hull is not as voluminous as some of the new boats coming from the large production builders, the new J/40 looks sleek, fast and just right.
KM Bestevaer 54
The Dutch builder KM is an aluminum yacht builder known for their sturdy high-latitude explorer yachts. The new KM Bestevaer 54 on display is just such a yacht with a fairly modern Dystra-designed, centerboard and twin rudder hull. The boat has a small cockpit and a large dog house where the crew can manage the sails in bad weather. This is not a boat for everyone, but it does draw crowds of admirers.
Solalris 55
As we have noted before, the Italian builder Solaris is celebrating its 50th anniversary and is doing so with the introduction of the new Solaris 55. Sleek and modern, the new 55 is also a roomy and elegant liveaboard home. Note the huge hull windows. These fill the cabins and salon with natural light that gives the oak interior a warm and homey glow.
XR-41
While the new XR-41 is a dyed-in-the-wool racer, it still has that special X-Yachts quality of combining a very livable interior with spirited sailing performance. The 41 takes the Danish builder back to its performance roots and does so with style.