From zippy and minimal to stately and luxurious, we’ve put together this list of 5 of the best new sailboats for 2014 with the help of Sail Magazine, Cruising World and Sailing World.
Tiwal 3.2
[image]
Featured by Sailing World as a best innovative racing sailboat for 2014, the Tiwal 3.2 is “the first high-performance inflatable sailing dinghy,” according to the company’s website. The design allows for both high performance solo use and leisure sailing in pairs. According to Chuck Allen at Sailing World, “The thing was a blast…I couldn’t believe how well it sailed. You could have some serious fun with this, especially in big breeze.” The vessel retails for $6250 with the larger, 75 sq ft sail.
Catalina 275 Sport
[image]
The Catalina 275 Sport was highlighted as a top boat for 2014 by Sailing World, Crusing World, and Sail Magazine. It was labeled Best Recreational Racer by Sailing World, best in the Monohull 30–40 ft category for Sail Magazine and Best Pocket Cruiser by Cruising World. Catalina’s in-house designer, Gerry Douglas, said of the boat:
“This is a weekender, daysailer and club racer designed to be a fun and affordable first boat for a ‘Gen X’ sailor or a young family, or a comfortable, stylish and easy-to-sail boat for experienced sailors retiring from a bigger boat.” [source]
The craft retails for about $78K.
Dehler 38
[image]
Sailing World and Cruising World have both highlighted the Dehler 38 as a great sailing vessel. According to the judges at Sailing World, “…this 38-footer, built by Hanse Yachts in Germany, is the perfect crossover package for an owner looking for a boat with which he can do anything.” The Dehler 38 was picked as 2014’s Best Cruising Sailboat Under 38 Feet by Cruising World. You can make a Dehler 38 your own for about $220K. [source]
XP 44
The XP 44 is a great choice for those with a half a million dollar sailboat budget. X-Yachts have a cult following, especially in Europe, so it isn’t a surprise that they’ve delivered more than 51 XP 44s since the boat’s European launch in 2011. [source] Sailing World picked the XP 44 as their 2014 Boat of the Year and Sail Magazine also highlighted it as one of their Best Boats for 2014.
Dufour Grand Large 500
This boat got top reviews from Cruising World and Sail Magazine.
The summary for the Dufour 500 is as follows:
“The Dufour 500 was designed for customers who primarily cruise in coastal regions, but take an occasional extended offshore passage. While the primary design and construction considerations provide the stability, strength and capacities required for an offshore environment, many comfort amenities were conceived for the convenience of coastal cruising and onboard entertaining.” [source]
The Dufour Grand Large 500 will set you back about a cool half million. [source]
