You have to hand it to the brand managers and designers at Jeanneau for constantly thinking outside the box. If fact, it seems at times that they don’t  know there is a box. The Sea Loft 480 proves the point. And it is informative that in the description of the boat on the Jeanneau website and brochure the concept of “cooking’ is an oft repeated theme. Sure, we all cook when we cruise, but they seem to be inferring that what’s going on here is instead cruising while actually cooking. And why not, the new design was created for families…

The new 800 from the Italian builder Ferretti carries the company’s unmistakable DNA – that unique Italian blend of style and power. At 80 feet, the hull is of a size that carries its lines including the flybridge sweetly and without any jarring visual angles.  The actual flybridge is almost invisible from off the boat. Like this generation of Ferretti yachts, the 800 has been dedicated to outdoor living at its best.  On the fore deck, the designers have included a spacious sunning area with wide sunbeds. Plus, there is a lounge and a dining table that will seat five…

This is a first for Cruising Odyssey. We have never reviewed a boat from the Finnish builder Grandezza even though they have been building boats for a generation and have dealers around the world. Simply put, they do not show boats at American shows and do not have an American distributor. So here we go. The newest boat in their line of sport cruisers from 25 to 37 feet is the 34 Outboard. This is the same hull used in the 34 inboard but by moving the propulsion aft useful interior spaces have been opened up. Built on Finland’s west…

Turkish builder Renda Yachts which is based in the beautiful coastal town of Marmaris, has set for itself a lofty goal: They intend to build yachts for owner operators that deliver mega-yacht style and finish. Their new Renda 62S has a very distinctive and aggressive look with an angular sheer, plumb bow, low black cabin and wide open transom. In a way, with its dark tinted windows, it looks like a boat for the villain of a Jame Bond novel complete with a giant laser to atomize his foes. With aluminum hulls and deck structures, the boats are light and…

The German builder Fjord was one of the earliest adopters of the aggressively modern styling, the straight sheer, plumb bow and large hull glazing that is so popular today, particularly in Europe. And, while the brand has many competitors in the Sport Cruising market, they certainly have not lost their edge. The new 490 Sport underlines that fact with a big black Sharpie. Driven by three 600-horsepower Mercury Verado outboards, the new design rides on a hull with a stepped, deep-V design. It will have a top end speed of over 40 knots and its ride through the chop will…

Twenty two years ago, Italian Olympic sailor and yacht designer Luca Satella had a vision for starting a boat building enterprise that would break all the old molds and disrupt the conventions of European yachting. The result was Bluegame Yachts. In partnership with naval architect Lou Codega, Bluegame created a series of day boats, express cruisers and motor yachts that were unlike anything on the market and, in way, set the stage for the modern trends in European yacht design. The new BG 64 that was launched this year carries all the DNA that has set Bluegame apart from the…

Yacht designer Doug Zurn and his team over the last 30 years have designed some of the most iconic power boats, express cruisers and motor yachts on the market. One of their key partnerships is with the venerable builder Hinckley Yachts of Portsmouth, Rhode Island which announced recently that they are introducing the new Zurn-designed Hinckely 41. The new boat follows on the successful launch in 2025 of the Hinckley 39, the company’s first family day boat and weekender with a forward cockpit. The 39 was an immediate hit and Hinckley took 25 orders before the first boat was launched.…