The Grand Banks 54 was launched in 2021 in the U.S. and until late last year had not been tested by yachting journalists in the U.K. Although delayed, the pros who took their first look at the 54  came away with big smiles on their faces. The 54 is now the smallest of the new next generation of the Grand Banks line. This venerable brand, which can be named the founder of the trawler cruising concept 50 years ago, has been completely reimagined in the last decade. The company, now known as the GB Marine Group, is based in Malaysia…

This February at the Miami International Boat Show, Beneteau will introduce their new Swift Trawler 37 Fly to the North American audience. For over a decade, the Swift Trawler brand has carved out a unique niche as truly efficient performance cruising boats. The Swift concept is to give owners all the space and comfort and style of a trawler yacht and the efficient running that you expect from a trawler with the speed and performance of an express cruiser. The new 37 Fly does all of that in spades. The design is a bit more rakish that her sister ships…

The Back Cove 41, with more than 100 hulls delivered so far, has to be one of the most popular mid-range family cruisers to come out of Maine.  With its jaunty sheer, flared bows, attractive cabin with large windows, the 41 is a true Doowneast classic. But even a classic can benefit from a few significant upgrades and tweaks. Thus, the birth of the Back Cove 412, which takes all the great qualities from the first generation and makes them better. First generation 41s are remarkably versatile and many have plied the Intracoastal Waterway, crossed the stream to the Bahamas…

The Northwest Yachts brand has been around for quite a while but when the pandemic hit and their factory in China closed, owner Peter Whiting, who owns Seattle Yachts, moth-balled the line. Following the pandemic, the boat market was strong and the opportunity arose for Whiting to re-launch Northwest and renew its offerings. He turned to legendary trawler and motor yacht designer Steve Seaton who drew three models from 52 to 58 feet. The 55 that was introduced at this year’s Seattle Boat Show. It is hull number one and makes a solid statement about where Whiting and Northwest are…

At boot Dusseldorf in January, YOT power cats, a subsidiary of Catana Catamarans, will introduce their 41-foot sport cruiser with the all-new Mercury Verado V12, 600-horsepower outboards. While the YOT 41was launched at boot 2025, the new version is a technological breakthrough that will set a new standard in performance and maneuverability. The YOT 41 is an open plan cat with comfortable cabins with ensuite heads in each hull. The salon has a full hard top and opens onto the vast cockpit. On both sides of the cockpit, the bulwarks fold down to make balconies that double the area’s acreage.…

Nord Star, a family-owned builder of express cruisers and offshore yachts from 28 to 49 feet, has been building boats in Finland since the 1920s. To date they have launched over 4,000 fiberglass hulls and have a well-earned reputation for offering a wide range of options and customizations. The Nord Star 49 is the company’s flagship and demonstrates the builder’s commitment to an elegant combination of comfort, pilot house styling and performance. In the comfort department, the 49 is a three-cabin, two-head family cruiser with berths for up to seven. All three berths use the boat’s full beam. The salon…

The lines of the new Santasevera 42 Sport, likes those of her 36 and 52-foot sister ships, are aggressive and modern yet somehow evoke the purposeful look of a traditional Mediterranean, plumb-bowed lobster boat. That is by intent since the designers started with a lobster boat in mind and then let their design imaginations run wild. Everything about the 42 Sport coupe could be called shapely. The hull is full forward a quite rounded sections. These are then given faux lapstrakes that give dimension to the high sides. The sheer has a slight reverse curve that melds very neatly with…

And now for something completely different, an all-aluminum workboat style cruiser from Sweden designed and built for “camper cruising.”  Camper cruising is a thing in Scandinavia and cold weather vacationing is also a thing since the summers are short and the winters long. Such is the origin of the new Ockelbo 25 Cab from this purveyor of aluminum sport boats. The brand’s boats are built by the aluminum boat specialists at Anytec.  The new boat is actually a multi-purpose sport boat with a cabin and the horsepower to top out at 45 knots. It comes with remarkably few amenities. There…

The Nordhavn 71, which was introduced in 2023, was designed for adventurous couples who want the look and feel of the builder’s larger yachts yet wants to cruise without a professional crew. As an owner-operator cruising boat, the layouts and systems have been created for ease of movement about the boat, ease of mooring and anchoring and ease of maintenance. At the Ft. Lauderdale International Boats at the end of October, I met with  Jim and Eric Leishman. Jim is Nordhavn’s Director of Design and Eric handles sales and customer relations.  We got talking about the Nordhavn 71 of which…