Author George Day

Offshore Yachts, one of America’s oldest and most respected boat builders, has launched a new series of modern cruisers under the CE series label from 65 to 72 feet.  For the first time, the Newport Beach, California, builder has partnered with a European design firm for the naval architecture of the new CE series. Baracuda Yacht Design, based in Spain, worked closely with the Offshore team to create a more modern and slightly European looking styling that also will improve fuel efficiency and seakeeping qualities. The new CE 65 has all of the Offshore DNA, based on a boat building…

The new Glacier 48 from the Latvian builder Glacier Yachts is an intriguing new design from the offices of Guido de Groot.  This all-aluminum build has a purposeful, expedition-yacht look from the bow. But as your eyes sweep aft you pick out a lot of subtle and interesting details that show how versatile this design can be. The 48 has a central saloon with open side decks running forward on both sides. These are contained by high bulwarks and there are sturdy handrails so you and your guests will feel secure moving forward to moor or anchor the boat or…

YOT Catamarans, based in France, is a new brand in the power cruising market. It launched the business last year with an attractive, modern 36-foot cruising cat designed by Slovenian design wizards JnJ Yacht Design. The cats are built in France by the famous Catana yard, which is known for its high-quality performance sailing cats. Catana also builds the Bali line of charter cats. The brief behind the design of the YOT 36 takes two concepts seriously, efficient performance and spacious indoor-outdoor living. On the performance side of the equation, it is worthwhile pointing out that power cats are inherently…

Now here’s something a little out of the ordinary for Cruising Odyssey, a 130-foot steel expedition yacht from the Hong Kong builder Cheoy Lee, also known as CL Yachts. The yacht, which will be built of steel instead of the company’s usual composite yacht-build method, will have transoceanic range so it will be capable of expeditions from the Arctic to the Antarctic and all points in between. While we are used to thinking of CL Yachts as builders of private yachts in the 65 to 90-foot range, this much larger yacht is not a stretch for the 150-year-old family-owned boat…

Azimut, one of Italy’s largest and most prestigious boat builders, has launch the Seadeck series of boats that are designed to reconnect boaters to the sea, build and cruise more sustainably and offer a slower and gentler lifestyle afloat. The Seadeck 6 is a 57-foot family cruiser powered by three Volvo IPS Drives 500s (380 hp.) that can be upgraded to the 480-hp. model. The expected top end speed will be 33 knots with a fast cruising speed of 24 knots. Azimut reports that technical efficiencies in. the power train and hull design will reduce the boat’s carbon emission by…

Based in Helsinki, Finland, XO Yachts recently introduced their new, aluminum-hulled EXPLR 44 for adventurous cruisers. The 44 has many interesting design features beginning the walk-around decks and high bulwarks, the enclosed pilot house and the 1350-horsepower delivered by the outboards. XO Yachts EXPLR 44 has a lot of current, Finish-design aspects that we have seen in Axopar and Saxdor express cruisers. The bows is plumb, the sheer straight and angled upward and the hull carries a hard chine all the way aft. The look is almost military in its severity. But the real story here is the EPLR 44,…

The Fairline Targa 40 debuted at the Dusseldorf boat show last January to quite a lot of acclaim. And, it is easy to see why. The design is aggressively modern with a full-figured bow section that provides a lot of interior volume. The bow is almost plumb at the top, but then curves neatly aft and flares to deflect spray. The glazing in the topsides are embedded in a wide, curved black band that mirrors the shapes of the cabin top and the cockpit’s wind screen and hard top. It’s quite interesting looking and attractive. It seems Fairline, a venerable…