“The Superfoiler was one of the coolest boats of all time,” says Luke Parkinson, who’s sailed everything from F50s to offshore 100-footers. “It was a boat like no other. It always kept you on your toes. It was really hard to sail, but very rewarding when you got it right.”

The Superfoiler took elements of Sydney’s 18ft Skiff class and turbo-charged them on foils. An Australian roadshow-style circuit was launched in 2017 with fan zones, drone coverage, and live streaming, and attracted big names like Nathan Outteridge and Glenn Ashby, before the circuit was wound down in 2019.

“It was a three-person, fast foiling boat that you could reach pretty much 40 knots, and it had electronic rake control,” recalls Parkinson.

“You could have three people on trapezes. You had configurable tack and gybe functionality, and it was just really ahead of its time. The boat had a heavy weather main and an all-purpose main and two jibs as well – it was very versatile. It was just a boat to remember, a very special boat.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest boats.

‘The Superfoiler was really ahead of its time’. Photo: Andrea Francolini

Superfoiler stats rating

Top speed: 35+ knots
LOA: 7.97m/26ft 2in
Launched: 2017
Berths: 0
Price (New): €220,000
Adrenalin factor: 95%

Luke Parkinson

Luke Parkinson is flight controller for SailGP series champions Emirates GBR. After sailing a 49er, the Australian began offshore racing with ScallyWag. He won his first Volvo Ocean Race in 2015, and has done three America’s Cup campaigns – one with Artemis and two with Ben Ainslie’s INEOS crew, and was a cyclor-sailor in Barcelona.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post World’s coolest boats: The Superfoiler appeared first on Yachting World.

When activity levels drop, assumptions tend to fill the space. A softer economy should mean softer prices; fewer listings but perhaps more negotiating room. But for yachts in the 40-60ft bracket, the reverse is true. Supply is slimmer, values have held and, in many cases, strengthened.

Owners are hesitating to sell because replacing what they have is no longer straightforward, and many who might once have traded up or down are choosing instead to sit tight. The result is a quieter market that still behaves as a healthy one. Buyers are looking, brokers are fielding enquiries, but the flow of stock is slower and more selective.

In this environment, expectations need to adjust. This is not a distressed market and not an opportunistic one either. It is a narrower channel where clarity and preparation count for more than confidence.

No silly offers

“The myth dangerous to the buyer today is that we’re in some kind of buyers’ market brought on by an economic downturn,” says broker Alex Grabau. “We’re not, and most brokers will tell you stories of someone really wanting a boat, putting in a silly low offer, and it not working out well for them.”

That mismatch often spills into seller behaviour too. “The owner gets annoyed, gives an obvious ‘no’ at best, or just takes the boat off the market and keeps the boat,” he says. “People forget that sellers are often buyers. If they don’t see anything they want to move to, then why would they let go of the boat they’ve already got?”

Rising new boat prices have reinforced this. Many owners now see little sense in stepping sideways for a higher cost. The usual chain of upgrades has slowed, reducing the supply of well-kept yachts entering the market. Even owners who were previously quite active in the market are taking longer to decide, which contributes to the feeling of contraction from both sides.

A weak Swedish Kroner has made Swedish yachts, such as this Arcona 50, attractive to buyers with stronger currencies. Photo: Arcona Yachts

Pace, not price

Despite fewer listings, good yachts are still selling promptly. “We’re achieving pretty good prices,” Grabau says. “Even above asking, in some cases. The market is quieter, but good boats at the right money aren’t sitting.”

The ‘right money’ reflects a shift in how buyers approach the process. Expectations of distressed discounts generally come to nothing. Sellers of clean, properly documented yachts know that their boats are competing in a thin field, and buyers who turn up prepared are often the ones who secure the boat.

The quieter pace gives buyers more time to think but doesn’t translate into cheaper deals.

In an update on the state of the market as 2025 drew to a close, Sue Grant of Berthon commented: “In most cases in this market, yachts are selling on price – additional equipment makes a yacht easier to sell – but not worth more.”
She also noted that: “Badly presented yachts are sticking. There is choice in the marketplace and buyers are currently ‘project’ averse.”

Some of the most straightforward sales now happen before a yacht reaches the open market. This is simply timing: photography, paperwork checks and listing preparation can all take days or weeks. In that period, a broker with a clear brief from a buyer can match the yacht before it appears online.

Article continues below…

Relying solely on listing alerts puts buyers at the back of the queue. Buyers who keep in contact tend to join the process earlier and more realistically.

“Some of the best boats never even make it online,” Grabau says. “If we know exactly what you want, your timeline and your expectations, we can move quickly.”

Cross-border sales may have become more administrative since Brexit, but they haven’t stopped. “If it’s the right boat at the right price, paying VAT doesn’t automatically make it the wrong decision,” Grabau adds.

“We’ve sold UK VAT-paid boats to Europeans who’ve paid VAT again.

“Sometimes it still makes sense, and the boat ends up with dual VAT status, which can help later.”

More often, delays stem from missing documentation. Evidence of VAT status, CE compliance and a yacht’s location at the end of the transition period remain fundamental. These elements, not sentiment, are what derail sales.

Rising new yacht prices and new build times continue to make well spec’d recent models such as this Fountaine-Pajot Isla 40 appealing on the second-hand market. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Prep for success

For sellers, the basic principles remain unchanged. Yachts with clear information, good photographs and transparent history attract more interest. A buyer should be able to form an initial judgement from the listing alone. Anything less reduces enquiries. Proper preparation at the start – checking paperwork, gathering invoices, confirming VAT evidence – remains the single best way to avoid issues later on.

Grabau is clear on this: “Price on Application is something we push against. It puts buyers off.”

For buyers, the current environment rewards organisation rather than opportunism. Decisions on layout, length, displacement, VAT requirements and budget need to be made early. The more focused the brief, the more likely a broker can place the right boat before it reaches the market. Buyers who arrive with a realistic view of the market also usually have a much smoother experience, as there is less friction between expectation and reality.

The pace may feel slower, but when both sides are well prepared, transactions can move quickly. Buyers take more time to research; sellers take more time to compare. The resulting deals tend to be cleaner and more deliberate.
“Don’t assume the market is something it isn’t,” Grabau advises. “If you’re clear and sensible, you can still get exactly the boat you want.”

After two years of searching Julia Michard settled on a Hylas 54. Photo: Julia Michard

Case study – ‘We found our boat after a two year search’

Julia Michard and her husband spent two years travelling across Europe in search of a capable bluewater cruiser. Their search took them to Amsterdam, Palma, Italy, Dublin and northern Spain, and over time they viewed more than 25 yachts. Many of those looked competent in their listings but felt noticeably different once aboard.

“Some had leaks, some had heads that didn’t work, and a few had clearly been sitting untouched for a long time,” she says. “You stop taking photographs too seriously.”

VAT documentation became a repeated problem. Several yachts advertised as VAT-paid had no paperwork to support the status.

“People often believe what they’ve been told by a previous owner. But if the documents aren’t there, they aren’t there. You learn that quite quickly.”

As the search progressed, their real priorities emerged. Proper headroom for her taller husband, good interior light and a layout they could live with for years carried more weight than any item in a specification list.

The Michards’ long-term plan also shaped their thinking: seven years of extended cruising, beginning in the Mediterranean and crossing to the Caribbean the following year.

“We weren’t buying something for weekends. We needed a boat we could actually live on.”

Photo: Julia Michard

After countless viewings and a few encouraging near-misses, a 2005 Hylas 54 came into budget. They hadn’t considered Hylas models early on, assuming they were out of reach, but by this stage they had seen enough comparable yachts to recognise its condition and specification immediately.

A viewing and survey followed quickly.

“It actually moved faster than we expected after two years of looking,” Julia says. “But when the boat is right, it’s right.”

The long search made the decision straightforward rather than difficult. Each rejected yacht had clarified something, and by the time they found the right one, they understood exactly why it suited them – and exactly what they were buying it for.

What we learned

What two years searching for the right yacht teaches you…

• Photographs only ever tell part of the story. Wide-angle interiors and bright deck shots often disguise long periods of inactivity, while a plain listing can hide a well-kept yacht.
• VAT status must be evidenced, not assumed. Several yachts described as VAT-paid produced no documents at all. Asking early avoids wasted travel.
• A viewing that rules a yacht out is still useful. Travelling long distances only to reject a boat isn’t failure; each visit clarifies expectations about layout, condition and what ‘well maintained’ actually means.
• The feel of the interior matters more than specifications. Headroom, natural light and a layout that works day-to-day consistently proved more important than equipment lists.
• Yachts left standing for years usually cost more than they appear to. Two seasons ashore or green dust in the cockpit often indicate deeper issues.
• Priorities emerge over time. What seemed flexible or subjective at the start of the search – stowage, brightness below, simple practicality – became non-negotiable after a dozen viewings.
• When the right yacht appears, momentum helps. We knew what good looked like, so the viewing, survey and purchase moved quickly.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Is now a good time to buy (or sell) a used boat? appeared first on Yachting World.

Lorient is the Hollywood of ocean racing. Like the movie factory of Los Angeles, the Brittany port is a seemingly single-purpose town that draws dreamers. And just as Hollywood is La La Land, so Lorient attracts some of the most outlandish projects in sailing.

The La Ter river is dotted with small yachts bobbing on moorings, awaiting gentle adventures in the tiny creeks and sandy beaches of southern Morbihan. But the estuary’s north shore is different. This is home to the concrete wonderland of La Base, a former U-boat submarine base that is today’s epicentre of ocean racing. A walk around the pontoons here is a chance to window-shop the most extreme offshore technology.

Gitana’s team base is in prime position, a nearly 2,000m2 boat shed with Bond-lair-esque rolling walls to shutter its secrets. Since 2022 the work inside has been kept closed and confidential, but in early December the base was thrown open to unveil Gitana 18, the newest 100ft foiling trimaran.

The Y-foils cant on giant swinging arms

A passion for sailing

Gitana is the racing stable of the Rothschild family, a banking dynasty synonymous with generational wealth on an epic scale. Their passion for sailing has equally been handed down, and Gitana 18 marks 150 years of the family’s deep involvement in yachting, currently spearheaded by matriarch Ariane de Rothschild.

This history shapes the fundamental reason for building a new boat. Unlike most corporate sponsorships, Gitana 18 is not built to score column inches. She is not even entirely built to win. Gitana 17, the previous Ultim launched in 2017 and the first giant tri to take flight, has basically already won most things.

“What we’re doing here is really on another level, but it’s also going to be a risk,” explains project manager Sébastien Saison. “If we had wanted to be 100% sure that we’re going to win the next Route du Rhum in 2026 we would have gone safer. It would have just been a bit of an evolution. But we know that’s not the future.”

It was the opportunity to do something extraordinary that drove the project. “Otherwise we wouldn’t have had the chance to build a new boat.

The Y-foils also have two adjustable flaps

“Ariane de Rothschild was quite clear about it: if they invest, and if we are to do a new boat, it has to be disruptive. It has to be another level up,” recalls Saison.

“So it was part of the scope of work, to say ‘Okay, do a new boat, but show me you can do something really crazy.’ Obviously for a naval architect or an engineer, it’s always nice to hear! But we couldn’t have known at the beginning what we would have ended up with.”

So Gitana 18 isn’t just about collecting trophies. It’s about the creation of an epic. In pursuit of the two great achievements that eluded her predecessor – solo and crewed non-stop around the world records – it’s a boat built for experimentation on a grand scale. And that is why it looks quite so mad.

The 121ft mast can be bent underway using hydraulic rams around the spreaders

Full flight

The most obviously extraordinary things about Gitana 18 are the appendages. The goal of this boat is 100% air-time, flying across oceans at 40+ knots, and the resultant foils are phenomenal in both scale and shape.

While the previous generation Ultims have L-foils that plunge through their outer hulls before curving inwards, Gitana 18 sports giant T- or Y-foils on swinging arms that lift up between the crossbeams. Beneath the central hull is a huge ‘skate wing’ T-board. And most baffling of all are the rudders, which are like no other rudders seen before. They have a ‘U’ or A-frame shape with twin chords and a horizontal base plate.

The foils, which the team refer to as Y-foils, show a clear lineage from those on the AC75s, though Gitana’s will lift inwards to meet the Ultim maximum beam rule. Their wings span more than 5m, the bulb 2m long.

One key target is to enable the boat to take off earlier. Skipper Charles Caudrelier explained that the old Gitana needed to be sailing at around 22-24 knots to accelerate and take flight. These new foils could reduce that to less than 20 knots of boatspeed, in potentially as little as 10 knots of windspeed.

At the upper end of the range, cavitation is another problem they’ve worked to address. “When I reached 37 knots on Gitana 17, all the appendages started to cavitate. So that means lots of drag, and also lots of damage on the foils. They degrade very quickly. It’s a nightmare,” Caudrelier explained.

The radical A-frame rudders are deeper, thinner, but theoretically more resistant to deformation

“We pushed the limit with a second generation of foils up to 40-42 knots. But in surfing conditions sometimes you can’t stop the boat. You have a big wave, plus a gust, and you go to 45, 47 knots – and then all the boat vibrates, and you know you’re damaging them. You know that at the end of the race, you’ll have lost 10%, 20%, even 30% of the performance of the boat because of degradation. It starts to impact the paint. Then it goes through to the carbon. In the end, you can break the foil because you’ve lost skin on skin. At the end of the race around the planet, I was sailing at 70% of my performance in perfect conditions because the foil was completely destroyed.

“That’s also why we like canting foils because another problem before was that my windward foil was up, but it was hitting the water and damaged a lot in the elbow. By canting them, we can pull it up off the water and they’ll have no contact.

“We expect these foils to degrade much less. Then at the end of the race, we’ll still be at 100% – if we don’t meet a rock or a piece of wood. That’s a game changer.”

The in-house simulator was used to process vast amounts of data and help sailors visualise the boat’s behaviour

Minutely trimmed

The ‘skate wing’ T-board beneath the boat is now a massive, sculptural piece of metal (the team won’t disclose which one) which will be more resistant to this degradation. It is 30% bigger than the previous boat’s. The switch from carbon to metal is because, while metal is a little less efficient, it offers a better overall balance of stiffness against both torsion and bending.

The T-board version we were allowed to see (but not photograph) had a tattoo etched in the surface which will carry fibre optic sensors to measure how much this metal is contorting under the sea – just some of the 500 sensors Gitana 18 will carry (double the number on 17). Designer Guillaume Verdier described the boat as like a creature capable of telling its crew when it is in pain.

Cyril Dardashti, team manager; owner Ariane de Rothschild; and skipper Charles Caudrelier at Gitana 18’s grand unveiling. Photo: Marie Rouge/Gitana SA

The metal skate wing should also be more robust in case of collisions. The central bulb contains pinger technology to warn marine mammals of its approach.

The physics driving these foil shapes will require whoever is piloting to trim complex underwater interactions over multiple planes, often while sailing solo. This a very different prospect to a full-time flight controller minutely trimming the foils of an AC75 over a windward-leeward Cup course. The Y-foils alone can be canted, raked, and each wing has independently adjustable flaps on the trailing edges.

“You have to change the trim of the [foil] depending on sea state, because the sea state makes a big difference in speed,” explains Caudrelier. “So if the sea state is flat, the wing is horizontal. If the sea state is larger, we have to put it more vertical because it helps when the boat accelerates. The boat starts to fly higher because the foils lift more. Then part of the wing goes in the air, so the foils lift less.

“That is the game, which is very complicated.”

The grand unveiling. Photo: Marie Rouge/Gitana SA

The flexi-rig

Another tool at Caudrelier’s disposal will be the rig, shipped over from Southern Spars – the first the New Zealand builders have made for the Ultim class.

The 121ft spar is capable of impressive levels of flex. The problem, Caudrelier explains, is that when you are building speed and power to take off, particularly in lighter airs, you need camber in your rig. But when in flight mode you need it flattened off to depower.

The solution is a mast which can be bent, with the spreader angles flexing by up to 35° to create camber in the middle of the section. Rams control the power – one on each spreader – in a system which can be handled by a solo sailor, rather like cranking on the Cunningham on a dinghy or windsurfer rig.

Article continues below…

The ability to depower should also reduce the number of headsail changes or reefs required. “I can very quickly change the angle of the spreaders, then I can adapt my power to the wing and to the speed of the boat. That’s very, very fast,” notes Caudrelier.

Despite the intimidating forces involved, he says the rig is actually simple to handle. “But to do it on a canting wing mast, and such a big mast – that has never been done before. And how to manage it with only one guy on board? That took a lot of brain hours!”

Gitana 18 was moved under cover of darkness. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut/polaRYSE/Gitana SA

Radical Rudders

Control is what led to the creation of the outlandish rudders, the most unique feature of Gitana 18. To improve steerage when flying at faster speeds, high above the waves, the team wanted to lengthen the rudders. The problem is that the huge loads they are subjected to, means they can deform, twist and shear, leading to sudden loss of control.

The new U-shaped rudders do not rotate – instead they have trailing edge flaps on each vertical chord, which provide steerage like an aeroplane wing. Each rudder also has a horizontal elevator, which in turn has an adjustable flap to control trim. This rigid structure enables the rudders to be much deeper – at over 4m they are a metre longer than on Gitana 17 – and resistant to cavitation. They are also thinner hence, somewhat counterintuitively given their shape, there is no drag penalty.

But they’ve never been made before. There has been no tank testing and no scale models built – just a lot of CFD and data analysis, and enormous trust in the process.

The problem, Saison explains, is that when you are designing something that has never been done, there is no data to work from. “When we started designing those rudders, the software for designing them didn’t exist. The simulator didn’t understand them and physically couldn’t calculate them. So in the same time as we’ve invented those rudders, we had to invent a new code for the simulator. We had to invent a new programme to calculate the structure. Obviously, those programmes are not as well proven as the one for the foils. So that brings another little level of stress.”

Caudrelier is confident. “On a car, you can have a super engine, but in Formula 1 today sometimes you lose a race because of your tyres. You can have the best car, but if your tyres are not good, you cannot be very accurate and you have to reduce your speed. It was exactly the same on Gitana 17. Sometimes we felt the rudders were overloaded. We knew that if we didn’t reduce the load, we were going to damage them, or it’s going to twist and we’d lose control. More control means you can push harder.”

The boat was precision built at CDK Technoloiges in Lorient, with up to 80% made in an autoclave. Photo: G Le Corre/polaRYSE/Gitana SA

Visualisation

Because this rudder shape had never been tried before, even the most high-tech autopilots weren’t suitable. So, in an ambitious side quest, Gitana developed its own. This also helped keep a project of such complexity top secret, in a town where everybody works in the same industry.

One key weapon was their in-house simulator. Derived from the Team New Zealand America’s Cup sim, Gitana has now developed an offshore foiling simulator tool like no other. Over three years Caudrelier says they ‘sailed’ for thousands of hours on it, initially verifying the vast data accumulated from eight years of optimising Gitana 17, and focussing on improving how the simulator handled variances of sea state.

Caudrelier explained: “Over the last three years, the improvement in the sim has been huge – because we’ve had no boat, we’ve spent hours and hours ‘sailing’ the simulator and developing it. Now it’s really accurate.
“Before it was just numbers and no sensation, no feeling. Now we can really test the foils, rudder, everything, and give our feedback to the designer. It’s completely changed the way we work.”

200,000 man hours have gone into Gitana 18’s construction. Photo: G Le Corre/polaRYSE/Gitana SA

The autopilot was subject to some eight months of daily testing. “It works like a helmsman,” Caudrelier enthuses. “It understands how the boat works, can adjust the height of the flight, can visualise the boat in 3D and anticipate its movements. In terms of performance, it’s amazing what we can achieve with it.” The major limitations will be what the class rules permit in terms of automation.

The cockpit of this 100ft goliath share some features with the latest IMOCAs, particularly Charlie Dalin’s Vendée winning Macif. Like Dalin, Caudrelier requested his living space be behind the working cockpit area. The cockpit is also fully enclosed. But once inside, what strikes you most are the irregular-shaped portholes punched through the roof and sidewalls. Gitana 18 is the first new trimaran built to meet the latest Ultim rule on visibility, and their positioning was created with Caudrelier to enable him to maintain a lookout, and view sail trim.

Sébastien Saison (left), Caudrelier (seated) and team discuss the finer details of construction mid-build. Photo: Eloi Stichelbaut/polaRYSE/Gitana SA

Anything goes

Gitana 18 was a year in conceptual development before build even began. The team adopted a ‘try anything’ approach, working with the most innovative and free-thinking designer of a generation in Guillaume Verdier. “The whole idea of the boat – and Guillaume loves working like that – is to say, don’t think about the problems now. Think about what would be the most crazy thing,” explains Saison. “The rudders are one example. If you say, ‘Oh, it’s going to be super complicated. How are we going to attach them to the boat?’ If you start thinking like that, you don’t do it.”

Verdier himself commented: “being so lucky to create such a work of art in a career is rare.”

While the project’s ambition was unlimited, that doesn’t mean the budget was, as Ariane de Rothschild explained: “When we work under tension and pressure is when we work better. So it’s very important to put in budget caps that are reasonable.”

Caudrelier (left) working in VR goggles to visualise the cockpit layout, sight lines etc.

But reasonable is relative. They will likely never disclose exactly how much this extraordinary project cost, but one team member did emphasise that their 30-person operation runs at quite a bit less than an America’s Cup campaign. Meanwhile the previous boat was listed for sale at €15million, so the answer likely lies somewhere in the very big space between €15million and €50million.

Far more important is what it can do. “The top speed, I think we’ll manage above 55 knots, which is a lot for a big boat. But that’s not what we’re looking for,” explains Saison. “What we’d like is to have average speeds above of 40 knots all the time.

“The around the world time is very hard to say because already on the previous boat, it was 35, 38 days. If you had perfect routing, I’m sure that the times would be just about 30 days now, but it’s never going to happen because of the weather. But if you can go at 40 knots average around the world, it would be 32 or 33 days.”

And that would be something truly extraordinary.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post The smartest boat ever built? 500 sensors, custom autopilots, and the future of foiling appeared first on Yachting World.

As the doors swung open at boot Düsseldorf 2026, the sailing halls were buzzing with a clear message: performance is back at the forefront of yacht design. This year’s premieres showcased a sophisticated shift toward dynamic sailing, blending high-speed hull forms with the luxury and ease of use demanded by modern cruisers.

From the world debut of Beneteau’s most ambitious First model to date, to the award-winning grit of German-built aluminium explorers and the refined agility of Dutch daysailers, the 2026 lineup offered something for everyone.

Beneteau First 60

After nearly half a century of First, this performance line of Beneteau continues to gather renewed momentum in its seventh generation with the launch of its largest model to date.

Seascape, the Slovenian sportsboat specialists that Beneteau acquired in 2018, has helped to transform the First brand.

It took the fun, fast and easy-to-sail qualities found in Seascape’s original 18-27ft Sam Manuard-designed range and applied them to the larger Firsts – readers will know just how impressed we were with the First 30 during our summer 2025 test.
Such is the transformation, co-founder Andraz Mihelin now heads up the entire First range. He sums up First as ‘the joy of dynamic sailing’ and says they are taking Beneteau into a new area of putting this enjoyment of sailing first.

This 60 is a big new launch in a tricky time for the production yacht market, the largest sailing yacht premiere due to be at boot Düsseldorf.

As well as the Slovenian influence, it sees the French giants once again using all-Italian design in Roberto Biscontini and Lorenzo Argento, who have worked on a number of Beneteau models in recent years. Biscontini brings his renowned wide, powerful hull shape, which will be styled inside and out by talented former Brenta designer Argento.

Few details had been released as we went to press – indeed these images were released under embargo at the time – so we will report back with more from the show in January. From what we have gleaned, however, the First 60 will have a performance cruising focus (as opposed to handicap racing ambitions).

The cockpit is divided into sailing, relaxing and dining zones, and it will sport a captive mainsheet to provide push-button control of the powerful mainsail. A performance version of this mainsail is available, which adds an extra 7m2 sail area if you take the taller carbon rig.

First 60 specifications

LOA: 18.95m 62ft 2in
Hull length: 17.60m 57ft 9in
LWL: 17.00m 55ft 9in
Beam: 5.30m 17ft 5in
Draught: 2.63m or 2.88m 8ft 8in or 9ft 5in
Displacement: 22,280kg 49,105lb

Pure 42

Aluminium explorer yachts continue to be more popular than ever – but also tend to be comprised of custom yachts for high latitudes, luxury yachts, or slower centreboard cruisers. So what about those seeking sailing performance in that mix too?
This time last year I was intrigued by a German startup brand at the Düsseldorf boat show, which promised much of this blend in a new and exciting niche of performance cruising, semi-custom, aluminium explorers. Since then I’ve been able to sail the first boat, and can confirm it is an exceptional design and build.

It offers spirited sailing, managed from the aft helms short-handed, combined with a very deep and protected cockpit and raised saloon. This is a yacht for all waters and particularly couples seeking enjoyable sailing and long periods aboard in comfort.

The Berckemeyer design is eye-catching and clever, featuring a hydraulically lifting keel for maximum shoal and deep draught benefits.

The layout reserves the entire aft section for stowage and machinery, but the accommodation doesn’t feel compromised. It includes a midships cabin, with berth below the raised saloon, and a customisable stowage or workbench area.

Pure 42 specifications

LOA: 13.80m 45ft 3in
Hull length: 12.90m 42ft 3in
LWL: 12.30m 40ft 4in
Beam: 4.20m 13ft 8in
Draught: 1.20 to 3.00m 4ft 0in to 9ft 9in
Displacement: 9,800kg 21,600lb

Saffier SE 28 Leopard

Here, kitty kitty! This new SE 28 from ever-busy Dutch builder Saffier looks both wild and inviting, and is boldly christened with a name that suggests it will offer a feisty experience afloat. In a year when the IJmuiden yard released its largest model to date – a SL 46 that sees it now offer a luxury cruising range –it’s also developed this new Leopard, which sits in the heart of the daysailers it’s renowned for.

It comes just five years after Saffier’s SE 27 Leisure launched and scooped a European Yacht of the Year award, proving how quickly hull shapes and ideas move forward. While the SE 27 will remain in Saffier’s range, this SE 28 presents a lot more yacht, thanks to its wider beam, higher freeboard and increased interior space. It’s also an evolution of what Saffier does best, including the ability for one person to sail it fuss-free from a large, ergonomic cockpit. Where Saffier found success with its two-year-old SE 24, thanks to flatter underwater sections that make it a blast to sail, you can see those lines now exaggerated further on this SE 28.

The yard also says this is its most versatile daysailer, as it offers plenty of choice to suit solo cruising to racing. Options include double wheels or tillers, electric or diesel propulsion, and a solar panel or foredeck hatch. It is also offered with Seldén’s latest performance hardware, including its new rewind winches. The prototype of this was demonstrated to us at the Saffier yard and seemed very intuitive, especially when easing a loaded sheet line.

Designed by Kees van de Stadt and Saffier founder Dennis Hennevanger, the SE 28 weighs 2,200kg and is trailable. Below decks is seated headroom only in a bright, smart space, which includes a double berth, settee berths, a fridge and an optional chemical toilet.

Saffier always has a stand-out stand at boot, and alongside the Leopard, it will also be presenting the SE 24 Lite, SE 33 Life, SC 8m Cabin and SC 6.5 Cruise.

Saffier SE 28 Leopard specifications

LOA: 9.20m 30ft 2in
Hull length: 8.40m 27ft 7in
Beam: 2.70m 8ft 10in
Draught: 1.30m or 1.07m; 4ft 2in or 5ft 7in
Displacement: 2,200kg 4,850lb
Price: €114.500 ex VAT. saffieryachts.com

Hallberg-Rassy 370

Düsseldorf will once again feature a world premiere for this renowned Swedish yard, this time of its 370. Now the second smallest model in its range, this is a size which the yard knows works, following its long production runs of the 372, the 37 and the 36 before that.

The modern Frers hull shape of the HR370, with its straight stem and wide stern sections, brings enhanced volume and powerful sailing. With twin wheels, two thrusters, two cabins, twin armchairs even, it packs the features in.

Hallberg-Rassy 370 specifications

LOA: 12.13m 39ft 10in
LWL: 10.59m 34ft 9in
Beam: 3.75m 12ft 4in
Draught: 2.00m 6ft 7in

J/7 daysailer

An easy-to-sail family dayboat is J-Boat’s promise with this attractive new 23ft J/7. For that you need simplicity in operation, cockpit space and stability, all of which this design seems to offer in abundance. It’s also light enough to trailer and has a single-point lift to aid launching. Tiller-steered with all controls kept easy and to hand of the helmsman, it features an end-boom mainsheet system.

Four adults can sit on one side of the long cockpit, while a swim platform extends space to the narrow hull when at rest.

J/7 daysailer specifications

LOA: 7.04m 23ft 11in
LWL: 6.35m 20ft 8in
Beam: 2.47m 8ft 11in
Draught: 1.16m 3ft 8in

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post The best of boot 2026: 5 new yachts redefining performance appeared first on Yachting World.

What would be your ideal tradewind sail setup? Keep things simple with a poled-out genoa, go more specialist with a Parasailor, or fly a combination of options?

We have just seen the conclusion of the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC), where hundreds of yachts set off across the pond, so it seems a good time to have learned of this promising new, versatile solution from OneSails. Its IFS Multi Tradewind Sail is based on the age-old ‘wing on/and wing’ or ‘twins’ headsail setup, but using modern asymmetric spinnaker technology rather than headsails/genoas to make it potentially easier to handle, more versatile and performance oriented.

It uses two gennakers connected at the centre, offering two sails in one piece of cloth with multiple functionality. Where it differs from previous designs like this, such as Elvstrom’s Blue Water Runner or North Sails’ TradeWind, is that OneSails has incorporated modern structured luff technology, or IFS (Integrated Furling Structure), which means it doesn’t need a heavy anti-torsion cable sewn in.

Nominated for a DAME award (full report on that next month), the IFS Multi Tradewind was developed by OneSails Palma, and we spoke with CEO Peter Bresnan following their successful first trials. Their new system was nicknamed the ‘Batman sail’ after the noticeably large black prototype was tested on a Privilege 510 and the video was shared on YouTube.

The clews can join and the sails set on the same side for reaching angles

The potential advantages look far-reaching. Principally, by incorporating two structured luff gennakers on a single furling unit, this setup offers the benefits of a reaching gennaker and a large downwind spinnaker, both of which can quickly be doused fuss-free (in theory) using a furler.

For reaching/sailing higher angles, the sails can be set on the same side by connecting both clews to the same sheet. This allows them to function as a gennaker for reaching angles up to 90° to the true wind. The IFS Multi Tradewind is also suitable for use on both monohulls and multihulls, and with or without spinnaker poles.

Structured luff benefits

The use of structured luff sails means heavy anti-torsion cables are not required, saving weight aloft. It also means the luff is soft and easy to manage, so the sails can be quickly dropped and stowed in a spinnaker bag when not in use.

Article continues below…

Downwind developments: The latest offwind sails for faster tradewind crossings

These can transform cruising yachts, giving them sufficient power to sail in light airs when previously crews would have been…

Tradewinds explained: Everything you need to know before sailing across the Atlantic

A transatlantic tradewind crossing from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean is on many a sailor’s bucket list. Endless sunny…

Bresnan explains there are more advantages to using IFS, and its high modulus lens, “which has such good shapeholding when using the sail at tighter reaching angles”.

The positive curvature of this luff creates a good entry angle for reaching. These fibres also resist deformation and stretch incredibly well, making the sail “very efficient at tighter reaching angles because the driving force is improved through better shapeholding of the luff.”

“The flying shape of the sail resembles more a genoa than a spinnaker on reaching angles,” adds Bresnan.

For those more intent on downwinding, there are additional benefits of the wing-on-wing Batman mode too, which include the larger, more powerful sail area it provides compared to twin headsails or a spinnaker. Indeed, this surface area is up to 35% larger than a symmetrical kite, says OneSails, and because the majority of this sail area is concentrated low down, it results in less rolling motion.

Large black prototype of the OneSail IFS Multi Tradewind Sail earned the nickname ‘Batman sail’

“It delivers greater thrust, improved stability, and reduced overall load on the upper section of the mast,” Bresnan adds.

During the Privilege trials they sailed at 7 knots in 15 knots dead downwind in Batman configuration (and 11 knots in 18-22 knots).

“One sail for all downwind angles – for an Atlantic crossing, I don’t think you can beat it,” Arnas Eimutis from One Sails Palma reported.

The P510 sail is 193m2 and costs €13,500 ex VAT. Contact: onesails.com/multi-trade-wind-sail

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post The ‘Batman sail’: Is OneSails’ new multi tradewind the ultimate all-in-one? appeared first on Yachting World.

Slovenian boatbuilder Elan has stunned many by announcing the development of ‘the ultimate bluewater cruiser’, designed by J&J and Guillaume Verdier. Starting with this new high-performance carbon epoxy 65-footer, the range includes a 73 and 80, and shows Elan now focusing on the premium sector.

The novel carbon fibre invitation we received was a clue, yet few were expecting such a markedly bold tack, and one that comes after a turbulent year for Elan. It’s a step change for a brand known for its family cruisers, made during a year when it ceased yacht production altogether.

The SixtyFive marks Elan’s move away from smaller family cruisers into the domain of prestige, lightweight and high performance cruising yachts. Photo: Elan Yachts

“Earlier this year, we made the very tough call to pull the emergency brake on Elan Marine,” CEO Jeffrey Tirman explained at a special press presentation during European Yacht of the Year trials in October. “We’re not planning on building family cruisers any more – we can’t compete on price, labour is too expensive.” It’s hard news for the many who’ve been long-term Elan supporters.

The Elan SixtyFive has Composite Prowess

Tirman described how they used the following months to analyse and focus on what Elan does well, pointing to how they have built boats for 80 years, 65 of which have involved composite construction. While renowned for its alpine skis, Elan is an expert in composites today, with repeatable industrial processes in place for partners such as Siemens offshore wind.

The company now aims to create the ultimate bluewater cruiser. The commissioning of Verdier for the naval architecture, who is arguably the world’s leading performance designer, gives the SixtyFive serious gravitas, while J&J are behind the concept and styling. Known for his IMOCA work, Verdier’s hand can be seen in the powerful rig, with a raked mast stepped well aft, and very rounded forward sections.

Photo: Elan Yachts

So, will this be a racing-inspired machine for professional sailors?

“The goal is to make something really easy to handle,” Verdier told us. The fixed spray dodger is another design trait taken from IMOCAs, to help enable those standing a watch on the SixtyFive to do so from a protected position. To make the yacht manageable and safe for cruising, it will use digital load monitoring and, crucially, a custom IMOCA-style autopilot.

The design team predicts the 65-footer should sail faster than the wind up to 11 knots true and be able to plane in 14-knots.

The Elan SixtyFive also reunites the yard with fellow Slovenians J&J, over 40 years after they designed the Elan 31. Co-founder Japec Jakopin spoke at length about the new design’s development, its DNA and place in the market. He explained how they’re using the essential knowledge gained from building 55 Shipmans.

Twin wheels – but an IMOCA-style autopilot will be able to do a lot of the driving. Photo: Elan Yachts

Jakopin referenced how the 20-year-old Shipman 63 weighed only 18 tonnes and could cruise in the mid-teens, yet today the average bluewater cruiser this size weighs 32 tonnes. By using vacuum-infused carbon-epoxy construction, a light displacement of nearly half that figure is predicted for the new Elan. Beam is also kept to a modest 5m to ensure it planes.

Easy living

The designers are promoting a yacht that’ll be easy to sail and live aboard, with just 1m in height difference when moving from cockpit to saloon. The forward owner’s suite has an opulent amount of space and includes a walk-in wardrobe, while the three or four guest cabins are all en suite. The 65 can also accommodate three crew.

Photo: Elan Yachts

Elan will start building when it receives two firm orders, says Tirman, who envisages being able to produce three to six yachts a year.

Article continues below…

Elan E6 review: Fun to sail with a nice, sporty feel

I’ve always looked forward to testing new models in Elan’s performance range. Historically they’ve offered an enticing blend of performance…

£608,342.00

Elan Impression 444 review: from the archive

The newly launched Elan Impression 444 is born from the 434, a design that made an impression itself when it…

Elan SixtyFive Specifications:

LOA: 21.35m 70ft 1in
LWL: 19.41m 63ft 8in
Beam: 4.99m 16ft 4in • Draught 3.5m 11ft 6in
Displacement (light): 17,000kg 37,478lb
Price: circa €3m
Contact details: elan-yachts.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post First look: Elan SixtyFive – is Elan’s new dawn the ultimate bluewater cruiser? appeared first on Yachting World.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ‘cruise’ aboard an Ultim in comfort? This audacious new project, which is already being built for an owner, could be the closest thing yet.

While the odd maxi cat has previously been retrofitted for minimalist fast cruising, this 100ft trimaran is designed from scratch to set a new bar of luxury performance sailing. The tri platform is also a more powerful, stable and safer one than a cat, its development team argues.

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

Anahita 100 is a project born in, and utilising the high-performance skills of, Brittany’s famed Sailing Valley. Designed by VPLP, it is being built at CDK in Lorient, led by Global Yacht Technology (GYT), a brand formed to help owners develop such projects. We were given a sneak peek of these renders by GYT’s co-founder Ulysse Harin, during the Cannes Yachting Festival in September.

“We wanted to create the fastest cruising multihull in the world,” Harin stated. To put that in context, imagine crossing the Atlantic in six days in comfort! Anahita will be 60% lighter than most yachts this size, and is predicted to sail at twice their speed. While capable of 40 knots, it is geared more for cruising at 20-25 knots. The central hull is designed not to lift, and it can’t capsize, we are told.

Today’s new age of reliable AI-enhanced pilots means an autopilot will be in control most of the time. The project team use Ultim (and IMOCA) solo racers as examples as they almost constantly rely on pilot control during circumnavigations.

Planned as a repeatable build, the Anahita 100 features superyacht quality interiors designed by Christophe Chedal Anglay

The Anahita 100 is race-inspired

“It’s not a racing boat, but it looks like one,” adds a man who really knows: Loïck Peyron. He also confirms CDK is the best yard for such a project, having built leading Ultims such as the Banque Populaires and SVR Lazartigue.

“This is a logical evolution of our work,” agrees Lucien Boyer, CDK Group’s CEO. He highlights their 40 years of winning ocean races, including producing six out of the top 10 IMOCAs in the last Vendée Globe.

“We know what it takes to make fast, reliable yachts. We believe this is a new approach, using a pro crew to provide owners with new adventures, those who want to go fast in a safe environment.”

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

This particular environment can run independently of fossil fuels, can anchor in shallower water than most 50ft monohulls, and offers 160m2 of trampoline area (or ‘marine garden’) and over 120m2 of living space.

The Christophe Chedal Anglay-designed interior is superyacht style, with all accommodation in the main hull, centred around the area of least pitching. Three or four double cabins are offered on the main deck, the former with the option for a vast owner’s suite forward. This looks set to create a new definition of a room with a view at speed. Crew quarters for four are situated on the lower deck, while the outriggers are only used for stowage.

Photo: Global Yacht Technology/VPLP Design

A hybrid build of prepreg and infused carbon with some glassfibre will result in a weight of just 34 tonnes. The main hull for the first boat is already infused, the 34m mast is being built by Lorima, and the roof by MerConcept.

Launch is expected during 2027, while the project team envisions a small, select series of these 100ft beasts sailing. And yes, we have firmly volunteered for sea trials!

Article continues below…

White Tip Yachts Cape-WT10: Performance trimaran with folding wings for towing

The Cape-WT10 is a 33ft foldable and trailable performance trimaran which can be cruised or raced offshore both short-handed or…

Have you ever seen rudders like that before? Radical top-secret Gitana 18 Ultim unveiled

When the Rothschilds and Gitana team unveil a new boat, they do it properly – and last night the huge…

Anahita 100 Specifications:

LOA: 31m 101ft 9in
Beam: 21m 68ft 11in
Displacement: 34,000kg 74,956lb
Draught: 2.00m 6ft 7in
Price: €27m

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Anahita 100 First Look: The ‘world’s fastest cruiser’ is in build appeared first on Yachting World.

The best yachts of 2026, the European Yacht of the Year winners, were announced this evening, Saturday 17 January 2026. The awards have become the ideal way to kickstart the world’s largest indoor boatshow, with a flagship opening ceremony comprising the European Yacht of the Year awards held at boot Düsseldorf.

There is currently a bumper collection of interesting new yachts, 21 of which we shortlisted and trialled during the autumn to find the best yachts of 2026 for the European Yacht of the Year awards.

This is particularly positive given the post-Covid slump and murmurings of marine economic downturns. As we can see from the following collection of new production yachts, the reaction to that in design and build terms is overwhelmingly positive. The result is that we ended up with one of the largest shortlists of EYOTY potentials in nearly a quarter of a century of doing these European Yacht of the Year awards.

Every new production yacht is considered before we shortlist the most interesting and deserving models for testing. Each nominee is then tested by all 12 jury members, each an authority on boat testing from leading sailing titles across Europe. Out of the 21 nominees shortlisted and tested, five European Yacht of the Year award winners and one special mention were announced.

We will feature a full breakdown and review of all yachts in Yachting World March.

Best Family Cruising yacht 2026

Nominees: Beneteau Oceanis 52; Dufour 48; Excess 13; Fountaine Pajot 41; Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 415; Lagoon 38; Leopard 46

Winner: Excess 13

This is the Excess we’ve been waiting for since the brand launched, the one that fulfils its promise. And that starts with the Lombard design, which is more responsive than past models, but includes the yard’s attention to weight, structure and stiffness, which ensures it not only sails well but has a good motion through waves.

The Excess 13

The Excess 13 is rewarding to sail, even through big waves, all while offering more space than others in its category. It successfully blends performance with voluminous accommodation, making it attractive for manageable family cruising.

For a full report, see our February 2026 issue.

Jury comments

“Fulfils the brand promise better than any other model of the young French yard so far: good sailing characteristics and minimalist design with a high comfort factor,” Roland Regnemer, AUT.

“Finally, a cruising catamaran that brings some true excitement to an otherwise rather uninspired part of the market that measures progress in square meters of living and deck space rather than sail area… an obvious winner,” Jochen Rieker, GER.

The Boréal 56

Best Bluewater Cruiser 2026

Nominees: Boreal 56, Kraken 58, Pure 42, Stem 50

This is an exciting category of nominees and a true sign of the cruising times. These yachts are built to go further with more speed and comfort as more sailors look to explore the increasingly rare remote parts of our planet. It comprises three aluminium cruisers from three different nations showing different if modern design nous, and one glassfibre production yacht that is built robustly enough to rival a metal boat.

The Pure 42

Winner: Pure 42

What happens when you cross premium build quality, aluminium construction, and modern hull design? In Pure’s case, you arrive at a fascinating contemporary performance bluewater cruiser that’s right on cue. No thought nor expense is spared on this, a new German yards’ first production design. It’s a Pure fast cruising yacht complete with a lifting T-keel on which it can dry out – it also offers superb crew protection, light and views, stowage galore, comfort and formidable quality.

Not only has Pure developed its own niche, adding performance to the aluminium bluewater explorer sector, but it has designed and built this yacht brilliantly. The Pure 42 offers sailing enjoyment from a deep protected cockpit and saloon, together with shoal draught versatility and the stowage and mechanical access cruisers yearn for.
This is a Pure cruiser indeed.

Full report in Yachting World March and April 2026.

Jury comments

“Through big swells she is sturdy, with the soft movements expected from a true blue water cruiser. Both the watch and the crew will be safe and get the rest needed on a long voyage. When the wind is lighter, she offers performance and sailing sensation more inspiring than her rough looks promise,” Pasi Nuutinen, FIN.

“Great team, crazy attention to detail, unique boat. They have first revamped a somewhat rusty commercial shipyard North of Kiel into a glass-walled wonderland for artisans, complete with laser-cutter for sheet metal, bending bench, veneer press and a paint shop worthy of a high-end classic car clinic. This approach shows in the Pure 42, a meticulously engineered and built a boat that opens up an excitingly new niche in aluminium go-anywhere-yachts, adding quite some performance to the so far mainly sturdy blue water cruisers,” Jochen Rieker, GER. 

The XR-41

Best Performance Cruiser 2026

Nominees: Beneteau First 30, Dragonfly 36, JPK 1050, XR 41

What an impressive lineup! Some very different yet utterly brilliant designs recently launched in the performance sector –  those with a need for speed and the cash to splash are living in fortunate times! Again, this collection of go-faster yachts we nominated proved particularly difficult to agree a category for and whether to make that race-focussed or not.

The JPK 1050 and XR 41 are similar in that they are true modern cruiser-racers (the former more racer), which have already more than proved what they were designed and conceived to do.

And with the Dragonfly 36 and First 30 launching in the same year, the performance sector is on fire, with both deserved winners for very different reasons – and yet they share the commendable trait of putting the joy back into sailing.

Dragonfly 36

Winner (Performance Multihull): Dragonfly 36

This is the jewel in the crown of this family yard’s three generations and six decades of building. Despite the complexities of physics involved in a folding trimaran, this was the boat that ventured out in a gale to prove its build quality.

A feat of design and engineering that is without compare in the production yacht world, the Dragonfly offers a new level of stable speed sailing, all contained in 4.5 tonnes of pure, unadulterated fun.

Full report here and full video review here

Jury comments 

“The Wildest test of the year, the Dragonfly 36 is incredibly fast, solidly built, and well thought out. A rare example of speed and comfort combined,” Axel Nissen-Lie, NOR

“She combines the brand’s well-known trimaran performance with a new level of refinement, balance, and real-world usability. Under sail she delivers exhilarating speed without drama: reaching at 25 knots under Code 0 in full control, and upwind performance that feels almost unreal for a cruising multihull, consistently pushing 9–10 knots like a TGV on rails. What truly sets the Dragonfly 36 apart, however, is how convincingly she pairs that performance with comfort. This is not a compromise boat, but a synthesis of speed, safety, and liveability. This is a yacht that advances sailing,”  Morten Brandt-Rasmussen, DEN

Beneteau First 30

Winner (Performance Monohull): First 30

The First offers fast, easy, planing fun, pure and simple, albeit not as easy to achieve as it sounds. But Beneteau and Seascape managed it… providing genuine planing performance on a yacht that’s easy to cruise and all within their targeted €100,000 price.

That latter point should be stressed. Unfortunately, very few new boats are built today with this sort of budget cap in mind. The First offers so much while still respecting that price and hopefully other yards will follow suit.

Full review link here and video here

Jury comments 

“Accessible and fun. The new First 30 wins in the Performance Category but would also be perfect for a hypothetical Young Yachting Category. A small boat, easy to handle and with an excellent quality/price ratio. If we add the price/performance ratio, she is definitely on the top step of the podium,” Alberto Mariotti, ITA.

“She sails unbelievably smooth and fast, upwind through steep waves as well as downwind in big breeze. She handles and surfs like a dinghy, easily in the double digits. Both Beneteau and the building yard Seascape did some challenging product development and production in making such a value-for-money product available for a wide audience,” Marinus van Sijdenborgh de Jong, NED

The Saffier SL 46

Best Luxury Cruiser 2026

Nominees: CNB 62; Saffier SL 46; Wauquiez 55; Vaan R5

An example of pure refinement of a proven design, a new take on push button ease and performance from leading daysailer specialists, a smorgasbord of design ideas for a pilothouse centre cockpiter, and a catamaran made from recycled street signs – this category has it all!

So how to pick a winner? The CNB 62, Saffier SL 46 Med and Vaan R5 readers should already know well, as we have featured fuller reviews of them in Yachting World, but not even the jury knew what to expect of the Wauquiez on the water – only that it was a very different new design.

The Wauquiez 55

Winner: Wauquiez 55 

A novel, daring design, even, and one of the most talked about new yachts since we filmed a walkthrough from its Düsseldorf premiere last year. The Lombard shape melds some old ideas with so many new ones, featuring reverse sheer, tumblehome, a dry reverse stem, near full-length portholes, and a glazed pilothouse that protects the centre cockpit. The result is a unique blend of North Sea centre cockpit protection with a Med-style deck and interior.

And despite many people’s dubious predictions, I can now confirm it’s definitely a sailing yacht! With the space and layout on deck and below that only really compares to a catamaran, most people, including us, scratch their heads and wonder how it can possibly perform at sea. But perform it does. And all with the ability of doing so shorthanded and from complete protection.

See the video tour here

Jury Comments

“The build is surprisingly strong and doesn’t flex much even if you throw her against some steep 2.5 m waves upwind. Balance and rudder feedback proved quite good for a luxury yacht this size, and she did show significant temperament both in light and stronger breeze,” Jochen Rieker, GER.

“The sailing capabilities are unprecedented for a hardcore bluewater cruiser: the Wauquiez feels smaller than she is, has a subtleness in the way she responds, is a pleasure to helm and sails quite fast. A clear winner,” Marinus van Sijdenborgh de Jong, NED.

The Tortue 147

Best Specialist Yacht 2026

Nominees: Tortue 147; WOY 26

What else could you call a category that comprises the most extraordinary yacht I think I’ve ever boarded in the Tortue 147, and a sublime wooden art form in the shape of a daysailing/racing weapon?

The WOY 26

Special Mention: Woy 26

This stunning design could only be born from a sailor’s passion – in this case, Jan Brügge and his desire passion to show wood still has its place in modern boatbuilding. The Woy 26 proves you can blend timber with the latest materials and infusion techniques to create not only a more sustainable product, but quite simply the best looking new yacht afloat!

Kudos to Martin Menzner of Berckemeyer Yacht Design. It’s somehow contemporary yet timeless, with a flat run, planing hull with reverse stem, open transom and lifting T-keel.

Looks aside, the construction is a story in itself, and one we will tell. But in short, this is a sublime, sporty yet manageable daysailer or racer. The Woy 26 shows that wood rules – it’s the past and the future!  We could not fail to salute this design.

Jury Comments

“If Stradivari had built boats, the Woy 26 would probably have been the result. It also performed brilliantly during our tests in strong winds and waves,” Roland Regnemer, AUT.

“Sailing the Woy 26 is a dream as well, as you can hit 15 knots and more with the gennaker flying. Even with 20 to 25 knots of wind, you feel you would never lose control, thanks to the well-balanced design and the twin rudders,” Sébastien Mainguet, FRA.

“In a nutshell, Woy may have just presented the most enjoyable daysailer – ever” 

Jochen Rieker, GER

THE FULL EYOTY REPORT WILL FEATURE IN YACHTING WORLD MARCH 2026

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Best Yachts of 2026: The European Yacht of the Year 2026 Winners appeared first on Yachting World.

Imagine you’ve just bought your dream yacht, but it’s floating thousands of miles away. Getting it delivered to its new berth often involves arranging taxes, registration and insurance, and possibly refitting. Hiring a delivery skipper can help you with all of these things, not just sailing it.

I was recently a delivery skipper for a new owner who needed a VAT-free bargain yacht in Finland sailed over to the Republic of Ireland, once a Jersey flag registration was obtained. There are well-trodden delivery paths, for example a thriving trade takes new or refitted Hallberg-Rassys from Ellos in Sweden to all points south, and Lagoon Catamarans out from their base in Bordeaux, France.

A newly-acquired yacht might not need anything retrofitted, but a delivery skipper will require some necessities for an ocean passage. The capacity of a yacht’s watermaker or solar power arrays will need to be assessed for ocean deliveries. A time-sensitive voyage may well tip the power equation heavily in favour of engine use, so delivery skippers will route in favour of refuelling stops and budget for both refilling tanks and adding fuel cans lashed on deck.

Finding a delivery skipper you can trust is key. Photo: Professional Yacht Delivieries

Who to use?

There are pros and cons to choosing an individual skipper or a yacht delivery company.  PYD (Professional Yacht Deliveries), one of the UK’s largest firms, has dozens of skippers on its books. Operations director Peter Kloezeman says that for a transatlantic crossing they’d allocate an experienced skipper who “will usually have completed the crossing several times.”

Falmouth-based firm Halcyon Yacht Delivery is another major UK operator. Managing director Peter Green acknowledges that one-man-band delivery outfits can be cheaper options, but cautions, “If the [freelancer] has to cancel the job you could be left in the lurch.”

He recalls one yacht that was stuck in Spain when its booked skipper failed to show up. “The big advantage of choosing an individual skipper is you know who will be delivering your boat,” says Mark Treacher, who leads his own delivery outfit. “You can check out their feedback,” he adds. “As well as their experience in the waters you need your boat moved in.”

Article continues below…

What does seven figures buy you in today’s yacht market?

Just how much yacht you get for a million pounds (or euros) is a more complex question than it first…

When should you upgrade your yacht and when should you sell it

A well-found GRP hull can, as environmentalists are right to highlight, have a long life. But taking the decision to…

Treacher asserts that working with an individual can help develop a connection between a vessel’s owner and a delivery skipper. An owner, he says, “can feel more assured that [their] boat will be in safe hands if [they] know exactly who is delivering the boat.”

I asked Treacher what would happen on a delivery should the skipper become incapacitated for whatever reason? “Most skippers I know have a network of skipper’s friends they can call upon,” he explains. “As delivery skippers are generally freelance it would be possible to find [one] you could trust to complete the job.

“It’s often the case that a delivery skipper not attached to a company will develop a very small team of crew who work together very often… it’s common that the first mate is both qualified and experienced to complete the delivery,” he says, adding that is how he operates. By contrast skippers working for big companies may take on different crews for each trip, with varying levels of experience.

In fair weather delivery crews can get a move on, but if conditions deteriorate, it might delay the passage. Time estimates should take reasonable delays into account. Photo: Duncan McKenzie/PYD

Ocean knowledge

Logistically, transferring a larger vessel across an ocean is far more challenging than, say, hopping a 30-footer down the Channel. There’s more money at stake, and as delivery skipper Rollo Goodman notes: “If anything goes wrong then the repercussions are much higher. It calls for a certain professionalism and operational knowledge.”

Checking in and out with Customs, according to a specific flag registry, always requires up-to-the-minute intel. In the immediate aftermath of Brexit, my contacts in Brittany and good French helped smooth many deliveries.

As a delivery skipper, I’m confident about the Dover Strait – the world’s busiest waterway. But I’d be clueless about the world’s second busiest waterway, so don’t hire me to pilot the Strait of Malacca. But when it comes to big boat deliveries, the required ‘local knowledge’ can cover a vast area.

Eddie O’Malley, who runs Captain O’Malley Deliveries across the Indian Ocean, has world-class expertise on everything from the best pilots in the Suez Canal, to reefs in the Red Sea, to no-go areas like Eritrea and Yemen, as well as experience of weather patterns and paper charts that lack crucial details.

Team leader Rollo Goodman, whose outfit Ethos Captains is a flexible and highly reputable service, spoke to me while taking a 54ft yacht from Mallorca to Preveza. He said this trip was a good example of the complexities of the job.  Liftout slots in Greece for the yacht had needed to coincide with estimated times of arrival.

Peter Green of Halcyon Yachts. Photo: Halcyon Yachts

The delivery was delayed at first because Goodman arrived in Spain to discover the boat’s batteries were dead, so he initially had to spend the time in the marina recharging the batteries. Maintenance bookings need to be synchronised as much as possible with delivery schedules.

Goodman’s firm sets a different pay rate for maintenance and preparatory work. This reflects the fact that the demands for this work are different from the job of delivering a boat across an ocean.  While with a smaller yacht there might be a skipper and a single volunteer, for a longer ocean passage on a larger yacht the delivery skipper may recruit and be responsible for up to five paid crew, which brings its own complications.

“The balance is [on] not spending too much money but getting competent crew,” Goodman says. “You need leadership qualities to manage a team. You’ve got to be able to evaluate their skills when you hire them.” Flexibility in a delivery skipper’s schedule is vital, with many reasons such as weather windows or flight times for crew changeovers requiring a shift of plans.

A departure day may change as much as four times before a vessel finally slips her lines. A skipper’s experience will show through in making those decisions. “You’ve got to be able to think on the spot,” says Goodman. A big boat delivery skipper should not ‘wait to be told’.

A yacht delivery can provide a good opportunity for crew to learn from knowledgeable skippers. Photo: Professional Yacht Delivieries

What to have on board

Instruction manuals and full specification documents are most useful for brand new yachts – after all, no skipper can claim to have model-specific experience if the boat is fresh out of the yard. In addition to registration and VAT-paid documents, radio licenses and insurance for the passage, Mark Treacher says he insists on a letter of authorisation from the owner to confirm the appointment of the skipper.

Delivery skippers also require safety kit and spares. “A delivery should never be carried out without an in-date serviced liferaft applicable for the passage,” points out Treacher. “If the boat does not have one, they can be hired.” There is scope for misunderstanding, as I’ve discovered from my own experience.

For example, owners may tick the ‘autohelm’ box on an inventory, only for the skipper to discover their only backup is a disused tiller bar with corroded sockets. ‘Autohelm in good working condition’ would be a far better description on the checklist.

Making a plan

Rollo Goodman says having a plan for an ocean passage is not good enough: you’ve got to have five or six. For an autohelm, by way of example, Goodman will require a spare system with electronic parts that he would be able to install in its entirety while underway, or a hydrovane windvane gear with essential spare parts aboard.

Goodman goes through his plans meticulously. On one trip, he says: “We had plan A, Plan B, Plan C, Plan D… and we actually got down to D.” Preparing these plans involves carefully thought-out sequences in case of different scenarios. Making procedural lists of step-by-step actions also prevents any panic that might otherwise spread among the crew when the situation is changing rapidly.

Skippers should make a checklist to ensure all necessary gear is present on board (or not), and note its general condition. Photo: Professional Yacht Delivieries

An ocean delivery also requires the owner to spend more money on backup equipment. “It is wiser to go out and buy an extra satphone, than to not have it and suffer the consequence,” Goodman points out. But unlike a cruising passage, deliveries do come with an element of time pressure. “If you can’t sail at over five knots, then the engine comes on,” he adds.

Typically, for a delivery from the Caribbean to the UK, if there’s not a need to stop in the Azores, the delivery crew will usually ‘crack on’. Having said that, both skipper and owner do have to be reasonable. Taking a boat from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, Goodman explains, “You will never not stop in Gibraltar.”

It’s an obvious pit-stop for all yacht crews. The pace is something to bear in mind if you’re considering going along. “Owners are welcome to join a delivery,” says PYD’s Pete Kloezeman, “although the delivery crew will routinely sail 24 hours a day with only brief stops as necessary.” Mark Treacher adds the skipper must ensure that if the owner does not have enough experience then other crewmembers are brought along as well.

A learning experience

Some delivery firms offer an RYA course to the owner if their delivery skipper is a qualified instructor, though balancing the need to complete a delivery to a certain time frame and the demands of training can be difficult. One good compromise is to recommend the owner joins the delivery at a later stage.

If it’s  an ocean crossing passage then that could be an island stopover. It’s also worth bearing in mind that weeks at sea may give you plenty of opportunity to practise with a sextant, but it’s no good for learning how to park in a tricky marina berth.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post How a the right delivery skipper protects your yacht (and how to choose one) appeared first on Yachting World.

Choosing the best sailing watch is hard enough, but when it comes to choosing the right marine smartwatch, it can feel like navigating a storm. With a sea of options and a constant stream of hardware updates – like the recent arrival of the Garmin Quatix 8 – how do you find the perfect fit for your helm?

Whether you’re a seasoned racer, a weekend cruiser, or an all-around watersports enthusiast, your wrist-worn tech needs to be as rugged and capable as your vessel. In this newly updated guide for 2026, we’ve overhauled our lineup to reflect the latest testing, including the voice-controlled Garmin Quatix 8 and specialised dive tools like the Descent MK3i.

Garmin remains the global leader in wearable technology, engineering gear that performs flawlessly in the toughest conditions. Below, we’ll show you which model delivers the most essential open-water features—from sail racing assistance and boat data streaming to the new frontier of hands-free voice commands—to ensure you’re always connected, safe, and on course.

Best Garmin sailing watches at a glance

• Best Garmin marine-specific smartwatch: Garmin Quatix 8
• Best Garmin watch for premium luxury design: Garmin MARQ Captain
• Best Garmin watch for robust multi-sport action: Garmin Fenix 7 Solar
• Best for professional diving and life on deck: Garmin Descent MK3i

What makes a good Garmin watch for the open water?

Garmin watches are renowned in the fitness world for being top-of-the-line wearables, but for sailors, the requirements are more specialised. Whether you leave port on a catamaran, cruiser, or racing dinghy, we believe the best Garmin watch must offer three things: reliable GPS navigation, extended battery life, and seamless marine integration.

While most smartwatches handle messages and heart rate, the models we’ve selected move into the realm of professional navigation. We look for features that matter when the wind picks up: multiple-start sequence options for racers, anchor drag alarms for cruisers, and, with the latest 2026 releases, the ability to control your chartplotter or autopilot without ever letting go of the helm.

Best Garmin Watch for sailing

Garmin Quatix 8 – Best Garmin Sailing Watch

Tested by Toby Hodges

Specifications: Facia sizes: 47mm (standard) | Display: 1.4-inch (35.56mm) sunlight-readable color AMOLED touchscreen with sapphire crystal lens | Battery Life: Up to 16 days in smartwatch mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Advanced monitoring, heart rate, Pulse Ox, sleep scores, and activity tracking | Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo support, TopoActive maps, Bluechart compatibility, barometer, altimeter, and compass | Sports Modes: Preloaded profiles including rowing, surfing, wingfoiling, swimming, and golf (43,000+ courses) | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications, Garmin Pay, music storage, and built-in microphone/speaker for phone calls | Marine Features: Remote plotter control, autopilot control, Fusion audio control, trolling motor integration, anchor alarm, and tides | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters (10ATM) and dive-rated to 40 meters.

Reasons to buy: Hands-free marine functionality including voice commands and phone calls | Incredible versatility for both high-end sailing and multi-sport lifestyles | Robust, premium build with titanium bezel and sapphire glass | Dimmable LED torch is surprisingly useful for night sailing
Reasons to avoid: Significant financial investment at £950 | Substantial, chunky profile may feel too large for smaller wrists | Learning curve for menu navigation can be steep for new users

The latest generation of this marine smartwatch turns the “Knight Rider” dream into a reality by adding a built-in microphone and speaker. This allows you to answer calls directly from your wrist or use voice commands to control your Garmin plotters and send hands-free messages while on deck.

If you are a Garmin Quatix 7 user, the major changes for the Garmin Quatix 8 centre on hardware versatility and deeper integration. Beyond the voice features, the Quatix 8 is now dive-rated to 40 meters, making it a more viable tool for underwater exploration. It also expands its remote-control reach to include Garmin trolling motors, which is a game-changer for kayak anglers who need hands-free propulsion.

The Quatix 8 continues to use the crisp AMOLED display introduced in the previous generation, ensuring high visibility in bright sunlight. While the battery life remains impressive at 16 days, it is a vital tool for those who want to see their boat data, such as depth or wind speed, streamed directly to their wrist.

One of the best parts of the upgrade is the data education on offer. I found it pretty surprising to see that a session of sailing a Laser in big waves actually burned more calories than a hill run. However, be prepared for a bit of a learning curve; even after a year, I still occasionally hot the wrong button and return to the home screen by accident during critical race starts.

Garmin Quatix 7

Tested by Jayne Toyne

Specifications: Facia sizes: 47mm / 51mm | Display: 1.4-inch sunlight-readable color AMOLED display with touchscreen and sapphire glass | Battery Life: Up to 16 days in smartwatch powersave mode and up to 36 hours in GPS mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Advanced health monitoring, heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, sleep tracking, and body battery | Navigation: Marine features including GPS, GLONASS, and Galileo support, barometer, altimeter, and compass | Sports Modes: Preloaded with various sports profiles including rowing, paddleboarding, and swimming | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and compatibility with both Android and iOS devices | Marine Features: Boat data, sail racing assistance, anchor alarm, fishing calendar, tides, and more | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters.

Reasons to buy: Large easy-to-read face | Incredible versatility for an array of lifestyle activity | Includes a dedicated MOB button
Reasons to avoid: The battery life isn’t as good as the Quatix 6 | Bright facia which can be distracting | Touchscreen is pointless without the additional kit it interfaces with

Debating on upgrading to the Garmin Quatix 7? The next-gen sailing smartwatch includes improvements to strengthen integration with onboard electronics. For instance, the touchscreen model on this watch can be used to control MFD displays, Fusion audio systems and Garmin autopilots.

But if you’re a Quatix 6 user, here are the major changes for the Quatix 7 over the Garmin Quatix 6. The main difference is the display it’s bigger and brighter and touchscreen.

If you found darkness or difficulty seeing the Quatix 6 screen, this has been addressed with a much brighter lit-up option. Whilst this might appease a large number of wearers, it can be harsh for some especially if you’re a frequent night sailor like me.  The obvious compromise to this is that the battery life takes a hit if you want an always on display. To eek out the battery life, then you’ll need to switch the display to on demand motion controlled.

The Quatix 7 has integrated more functionality into the Garmin app on the phone, so it’s easier to make changes to the user functionality of various apps within the watch, rather than having to fiddle about doing them on screen as with the earlier Quatix watches.

The Quatix 7 is undoubtedly one of the best watches for sailors and boaters currently on the market. I love mine and feel undressed without it.

Garmin Fenix 7

Specifications: Display: 1.4-inch sunlight-readable display | Battery Life: Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, and built-in GPS | Sports Modes: Over 120 preloaded sports profiles | Mapping: Full-color, preloaded topographic maps | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications and Garmin Pay | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters | Compatibility: Works with both Android and iOS devices

Reasons to Buy: Extensive Sports Tracking with a large selection of sports modes | Topographic Maps: Navigate with detailed maps | Offline Music Storage: Store and listen to music without needing your phone
Reasons to Avoid: The premium features come at a premium cost | It might be overwhelming for those not needing advanced features

The Garmin Fenix 7 is an absolute beast of a smartwatch, catering to adventurers, athletes, and those who demand the very best in terms of features, durability, and performance.

If you’re willing to invest, it’s absolutely a top-tier choice and one of the best waterproof Garmin Watches you can buy.

The Garmin Fenix 7 is a premium multisport GPS smartwatch that sets the bar high with its rugged build and a plethora of advanced features. Designed for outdoor enthusiasts and fitness fanatics, this smartwatch is a true powerhouse, though it comes at a premium price.

Though it isn’t marketed as a sailing watch, it will do the job almost as a well as the Quatix 7 but handle other sports really well too. So if you are into your fitness you might consider this over the Quatix models.

Garmin Descent MK3i

Tested by Katy Stickland

Specifications: Display: 1.4-inch AMOLED color display with sapphire crystal lens | Battery Life: Up to 25 days in smartwatch mode (Up to 66 hours in dive mode) | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, Dive Readiness Tool, and built-in GPS | Sports Modes: Over 100 preloaded sports profiles (including dive modes: single-gas, multi-gas, gauge, Apnea, CCR) | Mapping: Full-color, preloaded topographic maps and DiveView color maps | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications and Garmin Pay | Water Resistance: Up to 200 meters (20 ATM) | Compatibility: Works with both Android and iOS devices

Reasons to Buy: Very clear screen display (even underwater) | Exceptional battery life | Extensive dive functions which would suit most recreational divers’ needs, along with lifestyle and fitness smart watch functions
Reasons to Avoid: Expensive (especially if you are not a regular scuba diver, but a great buy for professional divers) | Initial set-up could be difficult for those who are not tech-savvy

For years, I scuba dived and taught diving all over the world with my trusty Suunto Mosquito dive computer and apart from a battery change, it never let me down, until it did when it sank into the deep when the watch clasp and lanyard it was attached to both failed at the same time (it does happen!).

So I was eager to try the new Garmin Descent MK3i which is not only a dive computer but also a smart watch too, with a huge array of lifestyle activity and healthy wellbeing customisable settings to suit individual needs.

There are so many options that the setup took a while for me, with a bit of headscratching and referring to the manual along the way, but that is to be expected with any new tech. The watch is not too bulky on the wrist and is comfortable to wear, even over a thickish wetsuit, and it is easy enough to attach a lanyard as backup in case the strap fails. I tested the watch while diving in the Red Sea in Egypt with two friends.

The Garmin Descent MK3i has everything you could possibly need as a recreational scuba diver – gas mix setting (nitrox and trimix) so you can set the mix you are diving with to get the right no decompression time, 3-AXIS compass, LED flashlight, which includes a strobe, which is useful for an emergency or attracting attention on the surface, as well as GPS to mark your entry and exit points and dive planner (no decompression limit and gas deco).

The numbers can be made bigger, so you can easily read your depth, no decompression time etc, and the sapphire crystal AMOLED screen is bright, crisp and clear underwater. The dive function button is more prominent than the rest of the watch buttons, so it is easy to locate.

Garmin MARQ Captain – Best Garmin watch for premium luxury design

Tested by Hugo Andreae

Specifications: Facia Size: 46mm | Display: 1.2-inch (30.4 mm) diameter, 240 x 240 pixels, sunlight-visible, transflective memory-in-pixel (MIP) display | Lens Material: Domed sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating | Case Material: Titanium with a ceramic or DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) coating | Bezel Material: Titanium, ceramic, or DLC-coated titanium | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters (10 ATM) | Battery Life: Up to 12 days in smartwatch mode, up to 28 hours in GPS mode, and up to 48 hours in UltraTrac mode | Navigation: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, barometric altimeter, and compass | Health and Fitness Features: Heart rate monitoring, Pulse Ox, Body Battery, stress tracking, sleep tracking, and more | Sailing Features: SailAssist, tack assist, virtual starting line, and race countdown timer | Smart Notifications: Receive smart notifications from your connected smartphone | Music: Store and play music on the watch, and sync playlists from music streaming services | Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and ANT+ | Strap Material: Interchangeable, compatible with QuickFit bands

Reasons to buy: The watch has weather and tidal data | Good OB and GPS functions and streams boat data to your wrist
Reasons to avoid: The full extent of capabilities is governed by the onboard technology it’s connected to and it has a premium price

The MARQ Captain sailing watch comes packed with marine-relevant features that are ideal for the open water.

Functions include weather and tidal data for your home port, a regatta timer to pinpoint starting times, a ‘tack assist’ function to determine whether you’re on the lift or a header, a man overboard button and GPS.

If you’re searching for a top-quality Garmin watch and value luxury quality, don’t let the price tag put you off. The full extent of its capabilities is governed by the onboard technology it’s connected to. Still, possibilities include streaming boat data directly to your wrist wherever you are on the boat and controlling products from the Garmin-owned Fusion range of audio systems.

Essentially this lovely smart time piece packs all of the premium features possibly available from Garmin and encased it in a beautifully presented box, with premium quality wrist straps and a really smart watch body. If I had the money I’d buy this as a gift for my dad as I know he would love it (and he’d be able to keep track of his fitness and health monitoring too).

Garmin Instinct Solar – Best budget Garmin watch for multi sport action

Tested by Jayne Toyne

Specifications: Facia Size: 40mm / 45mm / 50mm | Display: 0.9 x 0.9 inches (23 x 23 mm), monochrome | Lens Material: Chemically strengthened glass | Bezel Material: Fiber-reinforced polymer with metal rear cover | Case Material: Fiber-reinforced polymer | Water Resistance: Rated to 100 meters (10 ATM), making it suitable for swimming | Battery Life: Up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to an additional week with solar models

Reasons to buy: GPS positioning on charts | Barometric pressure and compass | Smartphone connectivity | Single charge lasts 14 days
Reasons to avoid: We’ve classed as a budget option, but it might also been a bit pricey still for those on a tight budget

Back in February 2022, Garmin’s all-round time piece which is known as their ‘outdoors watch’ was released. Since then, Instinct 2 has continued to be a top choice for sailors across the world thanks to features like GPS positioning on charts, barometric pressure and a compass.

It has smartphone connectivity, receives emails and texts, and can control music via a phone. This watch also has an inbuilt thermometer, heart rate monitor, and is available in no fewer than 20 different styles and colours.

If you’re a racing sailor, pay close attention to the multiple start sequence options.

Garmin Epix

Specifications: Display: A 1.3-inch, sunlight-readable color touchscreen with a resolution of 260 x 260 pixels | Battery Life: Up to 14 days in smartwatch mode and up to 24 hours in GPS mode | Health and Fitness Tracking: Comprehensive health monitoring, including heart rate, sleep tracking, Pulse Ox, and a Body Battery feature | Navigation: Preloaded topographic maps, turn-by-turn navigation, and a barometric altimeter | Sports Modes: It offers over 41,000 preloaded golf courses, skiing maps, and a variety of other sports profiles | Music Playback: Store and play music directly from the watch or stream from music services | Smartphone Integration: Smart notifications, Garmin Pay for contactless payments, and compatibility with both Android and iOS devices | Water Resistance: Up to 100 meters

Reasons to Buy: Preloaded topographic maps and turn-by-turn navigation | Offers comprehensive health tracking, sleep analysis, and body battery insights, helping you maintain your well-being | Store and play music directly from the watch, eliminating the need for a smartphone during workouts or hikes
Reasons to Avoid: It’s on the higher end of the price spectrum, making it an investment | Its array of features might overwhelm those looking for a simpler, everyday smartwatch

If you’re confused about the differences between the top Garmin watches, Quatix, Fenix and Epix… then you’re not alone. I’ve compared the top three watches side by side to get a better understanding of what kind of person they are designed for.
Essentially the Fenix and Epix are virtually the same watch but with slightly different screen options. The Epix has a red screen option for better night vision preservation and the fenix 7 has memory in pixel screen meaning you have the option of an always on display without killing the battery.

Both have the same sports tracking and health and fitness features. The Quatix is very much geared towards the pure boating person with its dedicated man overboard button and marine first focus on onboard features.

If you see a great deal on either the Fenix 7 or Epix, then know you are getting pretty much the same watch with very tiny, subtle differences in the screen.

FAQ: Do I Need My Phone for My Watch to Acquire GPS?

No, all of the above Garmin watches have built in GPS. They do not require the internet to work, nor a phone. They can work independently, tracking your activities or personal metrics. They store this information onbaord until you upload to a suitable other deivce.
For best results you should sync your watch to a smart phone from time to time. Especially if you want to download your activities to other apps such as Strava.

The post The Best Garmin Watch for Sailing: 2026’s top options tested appeared first on Yachting World.

“I did my last Olympic campaign on the 49erFX in Rio, 2016. Actually, that was the first Olympic Games where the 49er was also a women’s class, so we were a bit the pioneers of that era,” recalls Clapcich, who finished fifth at Rio representing Italy with Giulia Conti.

The 49er was introduced as a women’s skiff class, with the FX rig giving lighter crews a shorter mast and reduced sail plan on the 49er platform.

“The boat is really amazing. It’s a double-handed boat with a double trapeze, and extremely physical. The physical preparation is a massive key to be able to sail the boat at the best of its performance,” says Clapcich.

“Overall, I really enjoyed that year sailing with Giulia in the 49er. I really enjoy pushing myself in the gym, and pushing the boat on the water, always trying to make perfect manoeuvres around the course.

“It’s never easy. The level of the class was really high. It’s a really special boat.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest boats.

Photo: Sailing Energy

49er FX stats rating

Top speed: 25 knots
LOA: 4.99m/16ft 4½in
Launched: 2012
Berths: 0
Price: €30-35,000
Adrenalin factor: 85%

Francesca Clapcich

Francesca Clapcich is an Italian sailor who twice competed at the Olympic Games, in the Laser Radial in 2012, and 49erFX in 2016. She sailed for the US team American Magic in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup in 2024, and won the 2022/23 The Ocean Race with 11th Hour Racing. She is now campaigning for the 2028 Vendée Globe.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post World’s coolest boats: 49er FX dinghy appeared first on Yachting World.

Just how much yacht you get for a million pounds (or euros) is a more complex question than it first appears. Over the past five years manufacturers have faced rising costs across the board, particularly in raw materials. At the same time, demand has continued to increase for larger yachts with more internal volume, with many buyers going bigger earlier on their yacht ownership journey.

Where once seven figures was reserved for flagship models only, a surprising number of new higher spec cruisers now tip into that price bracket.

Production builders like Hanse and Bavaria have managed to build large for under the £1m mark, largely due to the economies of scale they build at, but more luxurious and slower-built yachts are now firmly north of £1m over 50ft LOA.

At the same time, the Multihull sector continues to grow, with performance orientated models starting to carve their own market.

Compounding all of this, the global economic climate has countered the post-Covid new build boom, making some of the best prospects above £1 million to be found on the used market. In many cases those £1m yachts that were bought in the boom, often lightly used, are those coming to market now.

The ARC multihull fleet has been growing year on year. Photo: James Mitchell/World Cruising Club

One hull or two?

A million-or-more budget puts buyers firmly into the 50ft-plus, lightly used, quality Monohull market, but it’s also a figure where many start to consider more than one hull. Whether mono- or multihull, yachts at such a price point tend to be more complex, with most owners seeking at least some expert advice.

Spike Abram founded Rapide Yacht Group as an independent brokerage specialising in performance yachts, with a focus on Multihulls. Having formerly worked as a Gunboat 68 captain and a project manager he recognised an emerging market with a new generation of performance Catamarans that were very well suited to cruising, along with those willing to pay over £1million for them.

“I spent some time as a broker for Gunboat, but was interested in the growing performance multihull market more widely. An increasing number of buyers were seeing performance multihulls for the cruising style that they offered, in a way that’s only really quite recent – very fast passage making combined with a very high level of comfort just not possible on a monohull until you are over 80ft, yet still being surprisingly accessible to sailors that aren’t super experienced.

Article continues below…

How to buy a yacht for under £100,000

Between £50,000 and £100,000 might mark the point at which boat buying gets ‘serious’. And while nobody is claiming that…

When should you upgrade your yacht and when should you sell it

A well-found GRP hull can, as environmentalists are right to highlight, have a long life. But taking the decision to…

“What was missing for them was a good level of advice; something we have made our number one priority. Gunboats developed a reputation for having friendly owners who wanted to sail fast, but often needed a professional skipper due to the level of performance. But one rung down from that, there’s a happy medium that most ‘owner drivers’ can handle with a little coaching,” explains Abram.

The idea of a broker as advisor isn’t new, but Abram wanted to think slightly differently about how that related to selling yachts. “Being a Gunboat fan and someone who was selling them was great, but being restricted to one brand I eventually found didn’t suit me.

“Clients now come to me and if I can point them in the direction of one of our great listings, that’s fantastic. But if we haven’t got a boat that’s suitable for them, I’ll explain that and happily point them somewhere else and help them with that process.

“Clients do come back, and you might make a great deal a few years down the line because you served them first and foremost with what was right for them at that time.”

Spike Abram set up Rapide brokerage after seeing a gap in the market for those looking for performance catamarans

Capital improvement

The investment to maintain the value of a yacht over £1m in price can be layered with complexity and constant decision making. Is it a smart idea to re-power? Put on a new deck? Upgrade the electrics?

When Abram has sold performance multihulls he has encouraged owners to think three years ahead about improvements, making a clear and realistic plan. “If you know what you are looking for you can tell a lot about a boat by its history.

“Are there structured maintenance records? If so, it’s likely maintenance has been a serious consideration for the previous owner, rather than an afterthought.

“Making an improvement plan for when you take ownership over years one, two and three will make the finances more predictable and ownership less fraught with surprises. With a high value performance yacht you really want to be planning ahead for the real world.”

Yachts from low volume boatyards – such as this Saare 47 – can have a seven figure price tag, but are likely to hold residual value well. Photo: Paul Wyeth/YM

Mission Critical

While buying over £1m is a lot of money, buying the right boat for the mission might be worth the extra cash; particularly when buying used. Those embarking on a bluewater cruising adventure like the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) are often taking a sabbatical where buying bigger can enable a more inclusive adventure with more crew.

“Resale values after initial depreciation on more expensive quality yachts can be better as yachts are produced in fewer numbers, so that can be factored into your search,” adds Abram.

The ARC last year saw more multihulls than ever before and a number of yachts over 70ft bought specifically to take on a bluewater sabbatical. “If you make a plan, ownership like this can be for a period of time to have your adventure, then the yacht is sold. When you’re on board it’s great value!” Abram says.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post What does seven figures buy you in today’s yacht market? appeared first on Yachting World.

‘RB3’ was the hull name of INEOS Britannia, the AC75 the British America’s Cup team sailed in the 37th America’s Cup Match against Emirates Team New Zealand after winning the Louis Vuitton Cup Challengers Series – the best British performance in over 90 years.

Dylan Fletcher shared America’s Cup helming duties with team boss Sir Ben Ainslie.

“My coolest yacht would have to be either Shamrock IV or RB3,” he explains, “The two most successful British challenges of the Cup.

“RB3 certainly means the most to me, given it was my first time sailing a Cup boat and it was such an epic experience.

“Sailing RB3 was breathtaking. A huge leap from the AC40 into an incredible piece of engineering that is very rewarding to sail, hugely technical, that requires finesse to maximise the performance. Finally fulfilling a dream to helm a British America’s Cup was something else.”

Make sure you check out our full list of Coolest Yachts.

AC75 ‘RB3’ stats rating

Top speed: 55.6 knots
LOA: 23m/75ft
Launched: 2024
Berths: 0
Price: €10+million (boat only)
Adrenalin factor: 98%

Dylan Fletcher

Dylan Fletcher was co-helmsman for the British America’s Cup team in AC37, taking the port wheel of the AC75 through the Challengers series and Cup Match. He currently helms the Emirates GBR SailGP team’s F50, and is a former Olympic gold medallist and world champion in the 49er and an International Moth world champion.

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post World’s coolest yachts: AC75 ‘RB3’ appeared first on Yachting World.

The world of high-performance cruising catamarans is currently undergoing a radical evolution. For decades, the segment was strictly defined by speed and lightweight, minimalist construction. Now, technological advancement, and a new focus on sustainability is driving builders to reinterpret what a fast multihull can be.

From the legendary Gunboat launching a radical new ‘Gran Turismo’ line designed for comfort over ultimate pace, to the eco-conscious innovations of Windelo and the superyacht-quality ambition of the new Dutch builder Holld, the focus is shifting.

This year’s yachting festivals provided a clear snapshot of this dynamic new market, showcasing performance cats that put volume, lifestyle, and ecological efficiency squarely alongside speed. With new models like the voluminous Gunboat Fusion 80 and the versatile Leopard 52 offering owners more luxury, livability, and operational flexibility than ever before, the defining lines of the performance multihull are being redrawn. Get ready to explore the exciting new generation of cruising catamarans that are built not just to sail fast, but to live well.

Gunboat Fusion 80

First, a Gunboat with a flybridge, and now a new line of voluminous flybridge cruisers…

Gunboat was/is the reference point in performance cruising cats. It didn’t just set the bar, it invented it. As Gunboat models evolved and were increasingly turbocharged, they became more elite cruiser-racers.

To see the now french-owned brand move into a new high volume market sector will no doubt raise many eyebrows, but together with design partners including VPLP and Christophe Chedal-Anglais, Gunboat has done its homework.

“We’ve led the fast cruising market for 25 years, but now owners have been asking for more,” marketing director Rodolphe Cadoret announced at the unveiling of this Fusion line in Cannes. “It’s time to bring something else to the market.”

That something else is a ‘Gran Turismo’ range that puts an emphasis on the lifestyle experience – intriguing, especially as Gunboat already has a 72ft flybridge model (No.5 in build).

Managing partner Benoit Lebizay confirmed the 72 fly was a “shy move towards this area… and see that the market is not only ready to accept this, but now demands it.”

So Fusion extends Gunboat into the realm of more comfort. “We want to focus on sailing early [from 6 knots], but top speeds are not important. The 72 is already too fast for some owners for a flybridge cat. To get to double digits quickly is capturing that essence,” Lebizay continued.

The Gunboat Fusion 80 will not need to keep such an eye on paring down to save weight – but will still be around 20 tonnes lighter than big cats of a similar size

The development team picked a figure in the middle of the weight sector – meaning 50-55 tonnes fully loaded, rather than the 32 tonnes of the GB72, or the 75 tonnes loaded figure of other cruising cats this size.

Construction will be in infused composite rather than Gunboat’s typical super light pre-preg carbon cats. “We can afford to not use honeycomb furniture and can offer more perceived quality,” Lebizay added. As a comparison, the 10m2 master cabin on the 72 is 19m2 on the Fusion 80. As well as this vast suite with its direct sea access, other key features include the large flybridge and forward cockpit with steps that lower to the sea.

Sensing people’s loyalty to the original Gunboat ethos, Lebizay compared the move to the automotive sector, explaining how the example they used internally is Porsche’s Cayenne model (a crossover SUV introduced over 20 years ago) – the german manufacturer took on that brand risk, yet succeeded in extending it into a new segment.

The first Fusion is an 80, pitched at the biggest expected growth area. “Gunboat is always going to be in the crewed boat area of 70-80ft… the idea is to do a range of Fusion because we want to combine two things that have been antagonistic – performance at one end and comfort at the other. This brings them together at the next level.”

Gunboat Fusion 80 specifications

LOA: 24.00m 78ft 9in
LWL: 23.95m 78ft 6in
Beam: 11.07m 36ft 3in
Draught: 2.20m-4.06m 7ft 2in-13ft 3in
Sail area (upwind): 295m2 3,175ft2
Price from: €13.5m ex VAT

Windelo 58 & 62

Think back over the explosion of performance cruising Catamarans in recent years, and a brand that sticks out for good reasons is Windelo. This Canet-en-Roussillon startup yard formed in 2019 with a focus on innovation, particularly with regard to using more sustainable materials and systems.

As well as its thorough research into and use of basalt fibre, recycled foam, green energies and electric hydrogenerating drives, these Christophe Barreau designs are also refreshingly different. Not only do they use a garage-style door aft to promote a vast and seamless indoor/outdoor space with a formidable amount of glazing and surround views, the forward helm and cockpit layout help set them apart.

I really came to appreciate the benefits of handling the original Windelo 50 from this position, one of the least pitching by the mast base. Minimal leads are needed for the lines, which aids short-handing, and the cockpit and helms are in easy social connection to those you’re sailing with. Therefore, while Windelo is currently building sports versions of its 55, it makes sense to see it maintaining the majority of these design features and material choices for its new range of 60ft cruisers, the 58 and 62. Both are conceived for private ownership or for use with a skipper/small crew.

The greenest motive power is the wind, so the new Windelo models are designed to sail in very light breeze.

Although powered by green energy, the most ecological measure is to sail as much as possible, hence these new models are designed to sail in as little as four knots of wind, thanks to lightweight fine hulls, lifting boards, and powerful rigs. “We wanted boats that offer more space, more comfort, and more autonomy — without compromising performance or sustainability,” designer Christophe Barreau explains.

The interiors have received an uplift in quality, thanks to a new partnership with automotive design specialists Stellantis. Both models offer up to five cabins (four of which are en suite on the 58) and the option for crew cabin access direct from the cockpit.

Windelo 58 specifications

LOA: 17.68m 58ft 0in
Beam: 9.48m 31ft 1in
Draught: 1.35m-3.00m 4ft 5in-9ft 9in
Displacement: 18 tonnes
Price: €2,100,000

Windelo 62 specifciations

LOA: 18.88m 62ft 0in
Beam: 9.48m 31ft 1in
Draught: 1.35m-3.00m 4ft 5in-9ft 10in
Displacement: 22 tonnes
Price: €2,550,000

Holld 74

We introduced this new dutch brand in our October issue, and then had the chance to meet the team and designer behind it at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September. The founders of the Zwartsluis yard have known and worked together for many years doing specialist composite work for neighbouring superyacht builders such as Vitters, Royal Huisman and Feadship. They’ve set themselves up as the only dutch carbon Multihull manufacturers, specialising in superyacht quality. Holld offers performance cruising catamarans that can be sailed with small crews.

“We want to bring our superyacht quality into high-performance cruising catamarans that can be short-handed,” says Holld’s Anneke Harms. The 74 is an Elliot Thorne design being built on spec with an expected launch at the end of next year. Aimed at owners downsizing from superyachts who don’t want big crews, 74 is the maximum you can handle with a small crew, Holld argues.

Stub keels are preferred over daggerboards as they’re easier and more practical, without taking interior space, for a small trade-off in performance. That said, the design could accommodate boards if an owner so desired.

These semi-custom cats are highly advanced technical builds, hybrid-ready, and with modular interiors. They use one-shot infusion in negative moulds, with all parts in infusion too, and the yard has an ‘obsessive focus on precision’.

Holld 74 specifications

LOA: 22.50m 73ft 20in
LWL: 22.00m 72ft 2in
Beam: 10.20m 33ft 6in
Draught: 1.45m 4ft 9in
Displacement: 23.95 tonnes

Leopard 52

Cannes marked the world premiere for the Leopard 52, a three- to six-cabin model, with multiple layout options to offer the most versatile appeal, whether for the owner-operator liveaboard or as a dream charter boat.

Leopard, The Moorings and Sunsail, together with their long-term builders Robertson & Caine and designers Simonis Voogd, make for a team not lacking in experience and feedback, having built 246 of the previous 50ft model. Impressively, the base price of this new replacement remains the same.

This 52 is not only ‘bigger everywhere’ but is designed to also deliver improved sailing performance over its recent smaller sistership 46. And despite the vessel’s size, it’s already proved it can sail in just light single figure breezes. Fine bows, stepped hulls, deep keels and a tall mast with optional square-top main (17% extra upwind sail area) all help contribute to this performance.

New Leopard 52 is ‘bigger and better’ than ever – but is priced the same as the previous model

The show boat had the hybrid electric JOOOL power set up installed (€170,000 extra), which is capable of regenerating power under sail, while 57hp diesels come as standard.

The indoor/outdoor configuration will draw appeal, as will the number of different relaxation spaces, including Leopard’s trademark forward cockpit. The wide range of layout possibilities helps it suit private, bareboat or crewed charter use. The port hull in particular is clever as it can be chosen with a VIP or crew cabin with private aft entrance, or with a huge utility cabin fore, aft or both that liveaboards will cherish, while every cabin can have its own en suite.

Leopard 52 specifications

LOA: 15.75m 51ft 8in
LWL: 15.31m 50ft 3in
Beam: 8.16m 26ft 9in
Draught: 1.45m 4ft 9in
Displacement: 20.52 tonnes
Price: €899,000 ex VAT

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Bigger and better? Meet the high-performance multihulls appeared first on Yachting World.

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals. And every year I’m reminded of just how much tat there is on the market. These might not be the cheapest options out there, but they are made by companies I know and trust and are well built.

If none of these are for you, one of the key things to look out for in an inflatable board is recommended inflation pressures. 15PSI is the minimum I’d suggest and anything that can take up to 20PSI will perform better (as it’s more rigid) and also tends to denote a higher build quality.

Paddleboarding became huge during the covid pandemic for a couple of reasons. Firstly, technology had moved on such that inflatable paddleboards were suddenly almost as good as rigid boards (but much easer to store and transports). Secondly, everyone was looking for a way to get out the house but away from other people.

If, like me, you took up paddleboarding around that time you probably either have a board gathering dust in the garage (like many of my friends) or you’ve may have caught the bug and still be getting out on the water regularly. If you are in that second camp, then now is a great time to pick up a Cyber Monday paddleboard bargain – and maybe consider replacing that covid-purchased board because it’s now actually six years old!

There are relatively few good paddleboard options this year, though I’ve picked out a few of the best deals below. But in summary Bluefin are offering many deals on their boards and Red also have deals across a whole range of their boards.

Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals US

Red 13’2″ Voyager MSL Inflatable Paddle Board Package – Was $1,749.00, Now $1,349.00
The Voyager from Red is a really great bit of kit and is well worth considering if you are looking for an upgrade over a more standard board. The slight ‘v’ in the bow allows the board to cut through waves better, whole the length and relatively narrow width make it glide further for ever stroke.
If you’ve only ever paddled a standard board, having something like this will be a revelation (note, though that you will want some experience as it is harder to stand on and manoeuvre than a standard board.

View Deal

Red 10’8 Activ MSL Inflatable Yoga Paddle Board Package – Was $949.00, Now $849.00
I’ll be honest paddleboard yoga is not something I’m that into. But clearly there are enough people out there for it to be worth Red making a bespoke board for just such a purpose. It looks to be (as you’d imaging) very stable, but that probably comes at the cost of performance. But that’s rather the point…

View Deal

Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals UK

Red 9’4″ Snapper MSL Kids Inflatable Paddle Board – Was £749.00, Now £549.95
Red is the absolute market leader in the inflatable paddleboard world. Their products are consitently high quality and the have always delivered a top-notch performance (and customer service). This smaller board, designed for children is a great deal.

View Deal

Bluefin up to 50% off site-wide
Let’s not beat about the bush, Bluefin always have a Cyber Monday offer on and this year is no bigger than previous years, so you can probably argue that you should never buy a Bluefin board at any other time of the year.
But if you don’t want to pay Red paddle prices, Bluefin offers great board kits, with everything you need to start paddle boarding for sub-£500 about as you’ll find any quality board. I’ve had a Bluefin Cruise on test for years now and it’s still going strong (though I have upgraded components like the paddle and pump).

View Deal

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board) appeared first on Yachting World.

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport. Sure, the latest Garmin Quatix deal is nice to have and is tangentially relevant, and there are often watersports and boat-adjacent deals that are worth grabbing. But in my five years of writing about Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this is the first time I’ve seen a brand offering a discount on actual sails.

And the brand in question is not just some slightly random sail manufacturer, it’s one of the biggest sail makers in the world, North Sails. The loft is offering a range of deals and have anything from 10% to 30% off many of their One-Design sails.

If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with sails like the Melges 20 3Di Jib at 30% off (making it a c.$700 saving for US racers).

But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat.

So what are you still doing reading? Head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

Quick links

If you’re not after sails this year or your class is not featured in the North Sails Cyber Monday discount there are other deals around for boat enthusiast – although, as mentioned these are rarely specific to sailing (other than the West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, you may want to check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

The post Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails! appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands and niche retailers once again this year as we sort the great deals from the… less great deals.

Let’s not beat about the bush here, Cyber Monday has gone from being a weekend of genuinely impressive offers, to several weeks of so-called sales where prices are artificially slashed, or companies offload old stock.

But even though this is the case, there are still plenty of genuinely good deals out there to grab – you just need to sort through a lot more rubbish to find them.

Our team spends the weeks building up to Cyber Monday, and the weekend itself, price checking and monitoring all deal pricing to make sure they’re genuine deals using a variety of tools.

We do a huge amount of gear testing ourselves, led by our experienced editorial teams, so we know a good Cyber Monday boating deal when we see one.

Major marine retailers such as Gael Force Marine, West Marine and Helly Hansen have been running some very attractive offers and have historically had the best Cyber Monday Deals for sailors that we could find. But we will also trawl through big brands like Amazon, Walmart and Decathlon to pick out some of the best Cyber Monday boating deals there too.

So far for Cyber Monday 2025 we’ve already found some genuinely good sailing specific deals from a range of big brands (see our lists below)

If you’re feeling a bit icky from Cyber Monday’s all out late-stage capitalism vibe, head over to Finistere who are running a ‘Blue Friday’ where $2.50 (or £2) from every purchase made in-store and online will go to ocean partners, Surfers Against Sewage and Surfrider Foundation.

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)
Best Cyber Monday Paddleboard deals
Best Red equipment Cyber Monday deals
Best Cyber Monday chandlery deals from Gaelforce Marine

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Quick links

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday boating deals US

North Sails One-Design Sails deals up to 30% off a range of one-design sails
If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with sails like the Melges 20 3Di Jib at 30% off (making it a c.$700 saving for US racers.
But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat. So what are you still doing reading, head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

View Deal

Musto HPX PRO SERIES DRY SMOCK – 50% off – Was $1000,, Now $500
Volvo Ocean Race sailors were wearing this in the Southern Ocean– it’s pretty legit, and at a full 50% off, this Gore-Tex smock is a steal. Pro performance for (literally) half the price. Cyber Monday shopping for sailors doesn’t get much better than this.

View Deal

Red 13’2″ Voyager MSL Inflatable Paddle Board Package – Was $1,749.00, Now $1,349.00
The Voyager from Red is a really great bit of kit and is well worth considering if you are looking for an upgrade over a more standard board. The slight ‘v’ in the bow allows the board to cut through waves better, whole the length and relatively narrow width make it glide further for ever stroke.
If you’ve only ever paddled a standard board, having something like this will be a revelation (note, though that you will want some experience as it is harder to stand on and manoeuvre than a standard board.

View Deal

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro – Was $999 now $549.99 from Dick’s Sporting Goods
If you’re desperate to pick up a discounted Garmin Fenix then this is the best Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7 deal I’ve found so far.
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.

View Deal

 

Best Cyber Monday boating deals UK

Garmin Quatix 7 – Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re getting almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Garmin GPSMAP 1223xsv Chartplotter – Was £2800, Now £2500 
This higher-end chartplotter has a broad range of functions and will integrate seamlessly into your marine system. I’ve even seen this one for under £2300 from places like Marine Superstore– it’s a great one to make the most of Gael Force’s awesome price-match policy.

View Deal

North Sails One-Design Sails deals up to 30% off a range of one-design sails
If you’re a young 420 sailor, you can grab 10% off most of North Sails’ 420 stock, which is a pretty handy little saving. But bigger savings can be found elsewhere, with many sails as much as 30% off.
But there’s not really much point in me going through all the best or worst deals here. You’ll obviously only want to buy for your own class of boat. So what are you still doing reading, head over to North Sails and check if you class has a discount…

View Deal

Garmin Epix Gen 2 – Was £739.99 now £369.99, from H. Samuel
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.
But this Cyber Monday week, if you’re hunting for a deal on the Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7, you need to pause and look closely at the Garmin Epix Gen 2
For the vast majority of users who love high-end Garmin features but want a screen that pops with colour and clarity for daily use and detailed mapping, the Epix Gen 2 is the superior experience.

View Deal

Men’s Musto MPX Gore-Tex PRO Offshore Jacket 2.0 – Was £800, Now £600 
We’ve recommended this jacket before, even at full price. With a full third off the price, this Gore-Tex Pro offshore jacket is more worth it than ever. It’s also the very same one worn by British sailor Sam Davies during the 2020-21 Vendee Globe. Weighted to balance comfort and ultimate protection, this steal has loads of practical features to keep you not only safe, but comfortable. Three colour options, including black, a classic red, and a very elegant blue.

View Deal

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.

View Deal

Bluefin up to 50% off site-wide
Let’s not beat about the bush, Bluefin always have a Cyber Monday offer on and this year is no bigger than previous years, so you can probably argue that you should never buy a Bluefin board at any other time of the year.
But if you don’t want to pay Red paddle prices, Bluefin offers great board kits, with everything you need to start paddle boarding for sub-£500 about as you’ll find any quality board. I’ve had a Bluefin Cruise on test for years now and it’s still going strong (though I have upgraded components like the paddle and pump).

View Deal

When is Cyber Monday 2025?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are globally recognised as the retail calendar’s premier savings event, marking the moment merchants worldwide dramatically lower prices on gear, accessories, and electronics to kickstart the holiday shopping season. It’s the optimal time to secure those essential boating deals.

The event’s date shifts annually, yet it consistently docks on the Friday following the US Thanksgiving holiday. In 2025, be ready for the rush on Friday, November 28th, with Cyber Monday taking place Mopnday 1 December.

While it began as a traditional in-store frenzy across the United States, Cyber Monday has overwhelmingly charted a course online. Major global players like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target now fiercely compete with dedicated marine sites to offer deep discounts on everything from navigation electronics to sailing gear.

The UK, spotting the significant sales potential, joined the phenomenon around 2014, with retailers like John Lewis, Argos, and Currys embracing the spectacle. This discount day has since evolved into a true global fixture, eagerly anticipated by sailors and shoppers in countries across Asia, South America, Europe, and Australia.

The post The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday is here and there are a LOT of sites still offering a LOT of Cyber Monday Waterproof Garmin watch deals. I’ve gone through as many deals as possible and picked out these top options for sailors and watersports enthusiasts.

For the discerning sailor, deep-sea diver, or outdoors enthusiast, a rugged, waterproof Garmin Smartwatch watch is an indispensable piece of kit. Beyond tracking your fitness and health, these premium multisport smartwatches—especially the flagship Garmin Fenix, the vibrant Garmin Epix, and the marine-specialist Garmin Quatix series—offer unparalleled navigation, battery life, and durability in the harshest environments.

This year’s deals on the Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) and Garmin Fenix 7X Pro are particularly compelling. For our water-loving readers, the highly specialized Garmin Quatix 7 is also seeing a rare, deep discount, giving you marine-specific features like boat data streaming and the invaluable SailAssist at an outstanding price.

Don’t miss your chance to secure one of these fully waterproof, multi-talented smartwatches at its lowest price of the year.

US Garmin Quick Links

• Garmin Fenix 7X Pro: was $999.99 now $549.99 at Dick’s Sporting Goods

UK Garmin Quick Links

• Garmin Fenix 8: was £819 now £599 at Very
• Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2): was £870 now £369.99 at H. Samuel
• Garmin Quatix 7: was  £869 now £465, from First Class Watches

Best US Cyber Monday Garmin Deals

Garmin Fenix 7X Pro – Was $999 now £549.99 from Dick’s Sporting Goods
If you’re desperate to pick up a discounted Garmin Fenix then this is the best Cyber Monday Garmin Fenix 7 deal I’ve found so far.
For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known for its rugged build, huge feature set, and truly exceptional battery life, thanks in part to its transflective memory-in-pixel (MiP) display.

View Deal

Best UK Cyber Monday Garmin Deals

Garmin Fenix 8 – Was £819 now £599, from Very
The latest iteration of the Garmin Fenix does everything that the Fenix 7 does and also has an upgraded AMOLED Display, meaning it is brighter and easier to use than previous iterations.
The old Garmin Epix has the same AMOLED display, which is great to use, but the Epix has slightly less battery life than the Fenix. This new Fenix has slightly less battery life than the old Fenix 7, but more than the Epix. It’s all a bit horses-for-courses,  but the Fenix 8 does represent the best compromise on both screen and battery life.

View Deal

Garmin Quatix 7 – Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re getting almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Garmin Epix Pro (Gen 2) – Was £870 now £369.99, from First Class Watches
This Cyber Monday week, if you’re hunting for a deal on the Garmin Fenix 7, you need to pause and look closely at the Garmin Epix Gen 2
The truth is, the Epix and Fenix 7 are almost identical twins beneath the surface. The only real difference is the Fenix has better battery life, but that is because it has a slightly duller MiP instead of AMOLED display screen (and you still get 16 days of battery on the Epic)

View Deal

The post Huge Savings on the Best Cyber Monday Waterproof Garmin Watches for Sailors and Outdoor Pros appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

If you have (or have been meaning to get) an inflatable tender, you won’t want to miss these Cyber Monday deals on electric trolling motors from Walmart.

They’ll make you cleaner, quieter, and less obtrusive presence on the water while saving you some dollars.

First things first: trolling motors vs electric outboard motors

Cyber Monday isn’t the time to  get back into the petrol vs electric motor debate, but you should know that there are two electric options on the market.

Trolling motors with separate batteries (so called because they were mainly used as auxiliary slow-speed power for anglers) and integral-battery motors (built for dinghy propulsion).

These are probably the two you’ll be looking at if you’re thinking about changing to an electric outboard.

Trolling motors are cheap and simple, so they’re still popular for low-speed applications. However they do require a separate 12V battery.

Electric outboards with integral batteries are more sophisticated units, designed to give you greater speed and a wider range of power, though on any 3-4m boat the hull speed will be the main thing that limits your speed.

These will often include displays showing speed, range at a given speed, and percentage of battery capacity remaining, but these features come with a higher price tag.

Trolling motor deals from Walmart

Naipo Electric Freshwater Trolling Outboard Motor with 55 Lbs Thrust, 8 Speeds – Was $329.99, Now $162.99 
Almost 50% off! This model has a 8-speed control system, adjustable design, a telescopic handle, and a LED battery monitor. This trolling motor is quiet even at full speeds.

View Deal

Naipo Electric Freshwater Trolling Outboard Motor with 68 Lbs Thrust, 8 Speeds – Was $409.99, Now $195.99
Same features, just more powerful at 68 lbs thrust. Still a steal.

View Deal

Low-budget saltwater option – Watersnake Venom 34/30 Saltwater Transom Mount Trolling Motor – Was $187.99, Now $98.16
This option has a 34 lbs thrust, but at almost 50% it comes in under a $100, and it’s the only one specifically designed for saltwater use.

View Deal

Deluxe freshwater option – Lowrance Ghost Freshwater 50 lb Trolling Motor with 47 inch Shaft – Was $3,499, Now $3,199
This higher end option from trusted brand Lowrance has $300 shaved off the price. It has a 50lb thrust, and comes with loads of extra features including Lowrance sonar options and waypoint anchoring, and advanced steering control.

View Deal

More Marine deals from Walmart:

• Marine Speakers – There are lots of Cyber Monday deals on Marine Speakers from Walmart, but this one from Clarion Marine is particularly good (was $449.97, Now $300)

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board)

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand…

Last Chance! Finisterre turned Black Friday “Blue” with donations to ocean protection on every purchase until Dec 2 (and a special collab with the RNLI)

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. For the fifth consecutive year, homegrown outdoor…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

The post Power up your tender with Walmart’s Cyber Monday deals on electric trolling motors appeared first on Yachting World.

Cyber Monday Walmart boating deals are here and there’s a great opportunity to pick up some discounted gear, including paddleboards. I like Walmart’s offering for people on a budget who want to get some huge bargains.

However, it can feel overwhelming and like a timewaster to scroll through to get the deals. And who wants to use up their precious lunch breaks or free time to feel stressed over working out price drops. So, to save you from having to avoid doing the things you love, I’ve done the Cyber Monday Walmart trawling for you.

And, as paddleboards in particular are usually so expensive, it’s worth taking a look in case you spot something you really want.

Click on the links below to learn more about these bargains.

Best Cyber Monday Walmart Deals US

Bifanuo Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board with Accessories and Backpack Paddle Boards for Adults – Was $110.50, now $89.49
This is a classic Cyber Monday bundle bargain, including a paddleboard, paddle, and pump. This means it’s ideal for beginners and improvers, who want to give paddleboarding a go without splashing out on expensive equipment.
Although I haven’t tested it, out of 1868 user reviews on Walmart, it has a 4.2 star rating.
It has a non-slip deck that can handle up to 350lbs, so many people could take their pets or friends on their paddling journeys with them.

View Deal

Lifetime Recruit 6.5ft Youth Sit-on Kayak – Was $239.99, now $139.99
With Christmas coming up, this sit-on kayak would make a great present for an adventure-loving little one. I like that it’s light enough for a child to carry themselves, so they can develop their independence while exercising.
Walmart says the kayak’s material has UV-protection so it’s likely to last. This feature will prevent cracking and the colour fading over time.
Click ‘View Deal’ to learn more.

View Deal

Lifetime Envoy 10.5ft Tandem Kayak – Was $749.99, now $599.99
Dreamy days on the water with your partner or friend would be possible with this tandem kayak from Lifetime. Sometimes kayaking alone can be lonely, so it’s lovely to see that this tandem option has a Cyber Monday Walmart deal.
I can imagine giggling with a friend on this blue kayak. And I like that there are supportive backrests to help with your posture on the water. You can also adjust the footrests to accommodate paddlers of different heights and keep them comfortable.
Amazingly, there are storage compartments below the deck for stowing small items. There’s also UV protection, so it’s likely to last. Handily, there are self-bailing scupper holes in the cockpit area so you can drain water out if it’s getting too soggy.

View Deal

O’Neill Women’s Epic 4/3mm Full Wetsuit – Was $244.95, now $195.96
Since 1952, O’Neill has claimed its place as a quality brand for watersports lovers. So, this full-length wetsuit is an excellent opportunity to pick up a Cyber Monday Walmart bargain for going out on the water.
Wetsuits can be notoriously expensive, so this $49 discount is a healthy saving. I like that it has a back zip so you can get it on and off easily without the zip getting in the way.
It even solves the ‘where am I going to put my keys?’ problem, with an external pocket with a loop. So, with this wetsuit, you won’t have to leave your keys hidden on the beach with a kind enough stranger or loved one.
As it’s full-length, you can wear this on chillier days for anything from paddleboarding to wave-carving surfing.
Click ‘View Deal’ to see this wetsuit for yourself.

View Deal

O’Neill Men’s Epic 3/2mm Full Wetsuit – Was $234.95, now $196.89
This O’Neill Men’s 3/2mm full wetsuit has a 5-star rating on Walmart. I can see why.
You can see O’Neill’s experience in making high-quality wetsuits here. For example, there’s a handy long tab on the back zip that makes it easy to get it on and off.
To keep you warm and prevent water bubbles from getting inside, it’s got a double-seal neck.
One customer, Sally, said they experienced ’49-degree water, and this suit kept me warm.’ It sounds like a good option for wearing in the Fall and Spring.

View Deal

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Walmart deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Best Cyber Monday boating deals for having fun doing watersports appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

For the fifth consecutive year, homegrown outdoor brand Finisterre is turning Black Friday… Blue.

Over “Blue” Friday, £2 / $2.50 from every Finisterre purchase goes to one their ocean partners to help protect the oceans and to help people of all kinds enjoy them. The donation-scheme runs through Cyber Monday, into 02 Dec.

Since starting Blue Friday, Finisterre has raised over £50,000 for ocean access and conservation. In partnership with Surfers Against Sewage, Surfrider Foundation, and others, these donations have gone towards everything from adaptive swimsuits to ocean protection swimming lessons for kids with disabilities.

Pretty awesome, if you ask me. And it gets better.

As it turns out, Finisterre has a special collaboration with our beloved RNLI.

Not only do its limited edition items have a great marine heritage feel and functional design, but 10% of every purchase goes towards funding this important institution. If there’s anything I’d personally pick up this Black– sorry, Blue– Friday, it’d be items from this collection.

It’s great stuff for a great cause, one particularly near and dear to our sailor hearts.

Finisterre + the RNLI: double up on your donations

With every purchase of a piece from this amazing collab between Finisterre and the RNLI, an extra 10% of proceeds goes to supporting the organisation.

Any one of these items would make for a perfect holiday gift for a sailor, and all together they would be an incredible package (that colour-coordinated beanie/sock combo?!).

Here’s what’s in the Finisterre/RNLI collab, and how much you’ll end up donating overall if you purchase on Blue Friday.

Women’s RNLI Polperro Jumper – £150 – £17.00 donated
Inspired by the traditional Gansey jumpers from Cornwall’s South Coast and the designs worn by sailors for centuries, this navy staple is perfect for me– sorry, you…With a relaxed fit and just the right amount of detail, it’s sure to keep you warm (and looking slick) on or off the water. It also uses 20% recycled yarn, and has the RNLI collab branding. Honestly one of the best heritage-inspired fisherman’s sweater offerings I’ve seen out there. You can’t really see the details from the image, so be sure to click through.

View Deal

Men’s RNLI Polperro Jumper – £150 – £17.00 donated  
Same gorgeous jumper, but for the boys. Same awesome donation.

View Deal

RNLI Tipped Fisherman Beanie – £35 – £5.50 donated 
If you’re looking for an early holiday gift for (or from) a sailor, this is it. Made from extra-fine Merino wool, this beanie is warm, breathable, and naturally antibacterial. It uses the traditional fisherman’s rib stitch and familiar colours, and will keep you warm in all kinds of weather.

View Deal

RNLI Bosun Sock – £22 – £4.20 donated
The Bosun socks are soft and sturdy and will fit well into wellies, hiking shoes, and other boots. If you’re gearing up for your winter layup, this is definitely one to wear around the boatyard. They’re also 3 for 2, and have OVER A THOUSAND 5 star reviews… there must be magic in these socks, because people really, really seem to love them. I’ll probably pick up a pair (or three) myself.

View Deal

Discounted items from Finisterre made for sailors

Beyond the RNLI collection, Finisterre makes a lot of really cool, great quality items. Here’s what looks good from the sale section:

Men’s Clipper Cargo Short – Was £80, Now £48 
I’m always looking for the right pair of comfy, lightweight shorts to wear onboard. They have to be movement friendly, extremely durable, and have plenty of pockets to fit the bill. These seem like they tick all the boxes, and at 40% off make for a bargain. You can also get the long version for 50% off right now.

View Deal

Women’s Croft Smock – Was £110, Now £55 
Finisterre’s take on the sailor smock is a pretty great one. I wear my classic version from St. James all the time, especially in the mid-season, but if I had one criticism, it’s that it’s cut too lean around the waist. This one seems to be a bit roomier, and I think that’s an improvement on this iconic style. This version of the sailor smock is a perfect updated classic, cute and functional– and 50% off.

View Deal

Women’s Shetland Fair Isle Jumper – Was £250, Now £187 
Finisterre’s sweaters are so nice, but not in everyone’s price range. This 100% Shetland Wool jumper is a little more affordable, and delightful. If you’ve been looking for an investment piece to help you face the winter season, Blue Friday is as good an excuse as any.

View Deal

Other Finisterre items for sailors

I like basically every one of Finisterre’s fishermen-inspired knitwear  (especially this funky ocean-minded THRILLS NOT SPILLS chunky sweater— so fun).

They also have plenty of outdoor-friendly gear.

It’s worth having a look through their selection of changing robes, both in terry cloth and more serious stuff for cold water swimming, which you could complement with a handy changing mat.

And don’t even get me started on the wetsuits, which are also available for rental.

The idea is to make ocean-going more acceptable worldwide (yep, it’s global). You can try before you buy, or rent to figure out which product works best for you. Pretty awesome, and a great step towards reducing unnecessary consumption.

Plus, don’t miss these sailor-friendly pieces:

Men’s Shipyard Insulated Gilet – £175 
This workwear staple inspired by old US Navy deck jackets will keep you warm all winter. It may look fashionable, but this piece is all business; super-durable materials, reinforced seams, and 100% recycled REPREVE® insulation. It’s all in the name– wear this around the boatyard during your winter layup, or under a waterproof shell.

View Deal

Drift 20L Waterproof Tote Bag – £95 
This heavy-duty tote is made from 100% recycled polyamide fabric and has welded seams. It’s roomy and extra durable, and a perfect catch-all to take onboard, to the beach, or to the shipyard.

View Deal

Mako Packing Cubes – £50 
Packing cubes may seem like a rogue option, but if there’s one thing all sailors have in common it’s that they’re always thinking about space, and how to take up less of it onboard. These lightweight, water-resistant packing cubes in a range of sizes will help you keep your gear and clothing items organised while you’re living in close quarters.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

 

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

The best Cyber Monday stand up paddleboard deals (and how to find a quality board)

Every year when Black Friday and Cyber Monday roll around I go on the hunt for good Cyber Monday stand…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

 

The post Last Chance! Finisterre turned Black Friday “Blue” with donations to ocean protection on every purchase until Dec 2 (and a special collab with the RNLI) appeared first on Yachting World.

Whether you like it or not, Cyber Monday can deliver some incredible deals for watersports. However, it’s sometimes hard to tell whether a discount is real or a retailer is trying to get a shady profit. Frustratingly, falling for a false saving can leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday RED Equipment deals, I’ve done the scrolling for you. RED is renowned for its high-quality paddleboards, and this sale doesn’t disappoint. If you’re not a SUP fan, there are some other options, too.

Click on the links below to learn more about these bargains.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday RED Equipment Deals UK

Women’s RED Equipment Active Jacket – Was £119.95, now £39.95
What a bargain! You can easily pack this jacket into its own little bag, making it very lightweight.
Although I haven’t tested it, it looks like an ideal jacket for spring and summer, protecting you from the occasional shower.
The reviews are great with one customer, Mrs Linda R., saying, ‘The active jacket is comfortable, waterproof, breathable and soft to touch. Just made for paddle boarding with added flexibility. It is by far the best jacket on the market for this amazing sport.’
Sounds like a great versatile jacket for multiple watersports.

View Deal

Ultimate Ultra-lightweight SUP Paddle (Fixed) – Was £339.95, now £199.95
One for the paddleboarders: Here’s almost £200 off an ultra-lightweight paddle. I haven’t tried it but it has a carbon blade, shaft, and t-top handle, which keeps the weight down.
RED is renowned in the paddleboarding world for producing great-quality equipment and our Test Editor has vouched for that.
Goren G gave it a five-star review saying, ‘The extra reduced weight with the fixed paddle will help on the long races. The new handle felt really good, firm grip.’ Sounds like it is as lightweight as RED says.

View Deal

22’0″ Dragoon MSL Inflateable Paddle Board Package – Was £1999, now £1199
A huge discount for a massive paddleboard package- how good would this be with friends?
The deal includes a 22’0″ Dragoon paddle board, Titan 2 pump, race fin, XL wrap, 8ft coiled leash, repair kit, and water-resistant phone case.
You can fit four people on this paddleboard, partly due to its Monocoque Structural Laminate (MSL®). Why not take a look?

View Deal

Men’s Pursuit Waterproof Lightweight Changing Jacket – Was £209.95, now £159.95
This men’s long jacket looks like a stylish item to change into after being in the water. It would save you the awkward towel-shuffle as you get into dry clothes. And, it’s waterproof, too. So you can keep droplets off your dry outfit.
I really like the olive colour as it’s likely to suit multiple skin tones and is a bit more vibrant than the typical black option.

View Deal

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post I love these Cyber Monday RED Equipment deals for sailors: A paddleboard package?! appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

Chandlery-shopping makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. The sheer amount and variety of thing available means that everywhere I turn (or click), I seem to stumble across something. I. Definitely. Absolutely. Need.

If you’re anything like me, this breadth of offering also means that chandleries can make for stressful Cyber Monday shopping destinations.

But don’t let the volume scare you– here at Yachting World, we’ve put in the time to comb through everything (and I mean, everything) on offer from trusted UK Chandler Gael Force Marine to pick out the most interesting deals.

We can’t hit every base (we have no way to know if you’re specifically looking for a deal on electric extension cable, although this one is pretty great…), so we’ve rounded up some bigger-ticket items you don’t want to miss, as well as some standard safety equipment.

Sure, some of these discounts may not seem like much on one-off purchases, but if you’re looking to do a refresh on your onboard safety equipment or kit out a new boat you stand to make some pretty big bulk savings.

A lot of these are items that you’ll need to pick up at some point anyways; you might as well get them for less.

Don’t forget to sign up to Gael Force’s mailing list for another 5% off, while you’re at it, and (in case you didn’t know) Gael Force has a pretty awesome price-match policy, so if you find the item you’re browsing somewhere else for less, they’ll do their best to match it!

More Gael Force deals on big-ticket items

Garmin GPSMAP 1223xsv Chartplotter – Was £2800, Now £2500 
This higher-end chartplotter has a broad range of functions and will integrate seamlessly into your marine system. I’ve even seen this one for under £2300 from places like Marine Superstore– it’s a great one to make the most of Gael Force’s awesome price-match policy.

View Deal

Honda 10hp 4-Stroke Outboard Engine – Was £2600, Now £2350
Honda’s outboards are time old and trusted. This 4-Stroke is compact, ultra-portable, and easy to handle. Plus, it comes with a handy 6-year warranty (did we mention the neat £250 discount?).

View Deal

 Basic safety equipment deals from Gael Force Marine

Icom IC-M73EURO Handheld VHF Radio – Was £310.99, Now £250.00
We’ve tested and recommended plenty of Icom handheld radios, so we know this brand is worth is. This 20% discount is your chance to pick one up, whether it’s an item you’re missing or you just want a spare.

View Deal

Trem Tubular Radar Reflector- Was £44.49, Now £25
Exactly what you think it is, but 44% off. Sounds pretty good to me.

View Deal

Deals on emergency safety equipment you should probably have already

• THE GRAB BAG – Ocean Safety ISO9650 SOLAS B Top Up Grab Bag – Was £436.49, Now £370.00 – this grab bag brings your liferaft equipment up to SOLAS B specification when used in conjunction with ISO liferafts.
• THE PLB – Ocean Signal rescueME PLB1 – Was £392.99, Now £325.00 – a personal locator beacon that allows you to alert global emergency services at no charge with just the touch of a button.
• LIFTING STROP – Ocean Safety Helicopter Lifting Strop – Was £120.49, Now £105.00 – helicopter lifting strop is pretty self explanatory. You hope you never need it, but need to have one in case you do.
• FLARES – Ocean Signal rescueME Electronic Distress Flare EDF1 – Was £165.99, Now £145.00
• FLARES – Hansson Ikaros Inshore Flare Pack – Was £99.49, Now £65.00
• FIRE BLANKET – f – FX Fire Blanket – was £27.99, Now £18
• FIRE EXTINGUISHER – FX Refillable Dry Powder Fire Extinguisher FX4000DP – Was £105.99, Now £55

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boaters

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boaters?

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. If you’re a US reader, you’re likely…

I love these Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals for sailors – it’s a great opportunity to update your wardrobe

Love it or hate it, Cyber Monday can save you huge amounts in the lead up to Christmas. However, sometimes…

Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

The post Pick up big-ticket items and safety essentials with these Cyber Monday deals from UK chandlery Gael Force Marine appeared first on Yachting World.

The weather’s turned, and if you’re anything like me, you’re reaching for your warmest coat before leaving home. Without a cosy jacket to wear, you’re likely to start shivering just walking down the garden path. And chattering teeth aren’t a very festive addition to the Christmas period!

So, to save you from shivering outside this winter, I’ve found a Cyber Monday bargain: the ideal Helly Hansen Men’s Sailing Jacket.

If you’re heading out sailing in this weather or want to prepare for when there’s more sunshine, our tester Rupert Holmes has tried it out and vouches for its cosy credentials.

The jacket has handy adjustable elastic to stop water from creeping up inside. Photo: Helly Hansen

It’s also sometimes hard to tell whether a discount is a bargain or a retailer is cheekily deceiving us. Frustratingly, falling for a false deal can leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals, I’ve done the legwork for you. Our editors have been testing Helly Hansen products for years so they know what they’re looking for.

Click on the link below to learn more about this product.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Deals UK

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.
On the waterproof credentials, Holmes added, ‘he adjustable high visibility hood has an effective peak to divert water clear of your face and neck, even in extreme conditions.’ Sounds like an excellent option for protecting your face from driving rain on deck.

View Deal

If you’re after a specific Cyber Monday boating deal check out our guides to:

Best Cyber Monday Musto deals
Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals
Best Cyber Monday Garmin Deals
Best Cyber Monday REI deal (US only)

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post This Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Men’s Sailing Jacket deal is a bargain – we’ve tested it so we know it’s worth the money appeared first on Yachting World.

Love it or hate it, Cyber Monday can save you huge amounts in the lead up to Christmas. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell whether a discount is a bargain or a retailer is cheekily deceiving us. Going for a deal that’s not a saving can be frustrating and leave you with less money for the festive period.

So, to save you spending your spare time trawling through Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals, I’ve sifted through naff discounts and written the best bargains. Our editors have been testing Helly Hansen products for years. They’ve even got information about the deals in this article so you can make a sound decision on your purchases.

Click on the links below to learn more about these products.

Quick links

If you’re not after Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals this year, there are other deals around for boat enthusiasts. Although these are rarely specific to sailing, there are two exceptions: West Marine chandlery Deals in the US and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

But still, check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Best Cyber Monday Helly Hansen Deals UK

Men’s Ægir Race Sailing Jacket 2.0 – Was £725, now £543.75
What a discount! This jacket is for sailors to wear while covering many miles at sea. Our tester, Rupert Holmes, tried out the first Race Sailing Jacket and wrote,
‘The Helly Hansen Ægir Race Jacket is the outcome of extensive work with professional racing teams who know what works best in extreme conditions, including Thomas Colville, Pip Hare and Joan Mulloy.
‘The result is a very high specification full-length offshore jacket that’s still surprisingly lightweight, streamlined and comfortable to wear.’
Notable details include chest-level hand-warmer pockets lined with thin fleece, which provide enough warmth. And they’re not so thick that they’ll absorb much water, meaning they won’t take ages to dry.

View Deal

Men’s Skagen Offshore Sailing Jacket – Was £375, now £281.25
I’ve found an incredible opportunity to update staples in your sailing wardrobe.
Our tester Rupert Holmes also reviewed the Helly Hansen Men’s Skagen Offshore Sailing Jacket, finding, ‘it shares ergonomics and features with the brand’s top specification Ægir collection that sells for two or three times the price.’
And to wear, it has a strong cosy factor too, ‘The high fleece-lined collar includes an effective storm flap with fleece fabric under the chin that maximises comfort and minimises chafe.
For when seas get particularly rough, Rupert added, ‘There’s also a two-way main zip, with Velcro fastened storm flap, plus plenty of reinforcement in high wear areas around the elbows and lower back.’
Holmes said that even though the jacket is thick, ‘articulated arms and shoulders facilitate ease of movement.’

View Deal

Women’s Crest Watermoc Shoes – Was £45, now £33.75
If you love watersports, these Helly Hansen Crest Watermoc Shoes for women are versatile, water-friendly slippers. You can easily pop these on to go paddleboarding, kayaking or simply chilling out on deck.
Our tested Patrick Kinsella said these shoes are ‘ideal for casual paddling adventures on sit-on-top kayaks and stand-up paddleboards during calm summer days, and general beach activities.’
He added that to wear, ‘they feel very comfortable’.  And for those concerned about Cyber Monday’s environmental impact, the designers used recycled materials for these slip-on shoes.

View Deal

Women’s Maridalen Fleece Pullover – Was £85, now £43
I love this fleece for multiple reasons. It has a great colour palette that should go with many items you already have in your wardrobe.
Even though I haven’t tested it, it looks cosy as you can button it up to the neck. And it’s thin enough to wear under a larger offshore jacket as an extra layer to keep warm.
Click the link to check it out.

View Deal

Men’s Pier 4.0 Salopette – Was £200, now £150
Ordinarily, sailing salopettes are super expensive, so this £50 discount means this is your chance to save some money. I love salopettes because they keep you dry in stormy weather.
And although I haven’t tried these specific ones, I’ve worn other Helly Hansen salopettes sailing and really appreciated their shape.
For protecting your body on deck, there’s reinforced fabric for the knees and seat.
So, this salopette is likely to hold up against many sailing trips.

View Deal

The post I love these Cyber Monday Helly Hansen deals for sailors – it’s a great opportunity to update your wardrobe appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired and out-of-stock deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

If you’re a US reader, you’re likely to already be familiar with trusted outdoor-titan REI.

We’ve combed through their seemingly endless Cyber Monday deals on watersports gear and more so you don’t have to.

Here are our top picks for deals on the items you’ll want onboard, or on the water.

50% Helly Hansen Women’s boating shoes

Helly Hansen – Supalight Medley Shoes – Women’s – Was $110, Now $63.73
Super light, water-repellent, and 50% off, these Helly Hansen women’s boating shoes are a steal. They’re great on deck or around water (and built with recycled materials).

View Deal

Decent discounts on YETI Soft Coolers

We’ve called YETI products our best cooler on test and the best cooling kit for sailors. Our tech editors love them, and the public seems to agree.

Right now, some models are 19% off from REI in one (actually quite lovely) colour, a pale blue-grey called ‘Big Sky Blue’.

While it’s not a mind-blowing price drop, these really are top-quality items, and the extra savings are a good excuse to pick one up if you’ve been eyeing one for boat trips or long beach days.

These soft-shell options are particularly good to keep on board, as they’re so easily stoweable.

YETI Hopper M30 2.0 Soft Cooler – Was $350, Now $280.93 
28 litre capacity, your roomiest option.

View Deal

YETI Hopper M15 Tote Soft Cooler – Was $300, Now $240
17 litre capacity  (that’s still 32 cans!)

View Deal

50% off these PFDS for watersports

Before you shop, don’t forget to check out our guide to how to choose the best lifejacket or PFD.

Kokatat – Leviathan PFD – Was $179, Now $88.83 
For kayaking and fishing and beyond, this vest has loads of handy pockets for all the tools and spare parts you may need.

View Deal

Kokatat- Neptune PFD – Was $209, Now $103.83 
Good for paddlers of all kind, and designed to be particularly comfy, with foam panels and adjustable straps.

View Deal

Mustang Survival – Solaris PFD – Was $110, Now $43.83 
A classic high-back PFD vest, meant for kayaking but good for paddleboarding and short boat trips, too, from trusted brand water-sport Mustang Survival.

View Deal

These PFDs from the brand NRS are 25% off, too:

• NRS Vector PFD – $224.73 instead of $299.95
• NRS Raku PFD – $134.73 instead of $179.95

Paddleboarding kit deals for boaters

After you check out these offers from REI, don’t miss our Black Friday guide to paddleboards. 

SUP Board Travel Pack – Was $159.95, Now $119.73 
If you have a paddleboard already but need a space-saving solution, this bag is it. It can carry your folded inflatable paddle board, a 3-piece paddle, as well as other accessories (or help you stow them away)

View Deal

30% off – WULF Aero Inflatable Paddle Board with Paddle – Was $559, Now $389.99 
This combo kit is a great one-stop-shop if you want to bring paddleboarding into your life onboard. It also comes with a 3-piece (that means it’s collapsible!) paddle, the center fin, a repair kit, a hand pump, a travel bag, and a coiled leash, so you have everything you need to get started.

View Deal

50% off – ‘Uhane 2-Piece Adjustable Stand Up Paddle – Was $235, Now $116.93
This stand-up paddle is adjustable (read: you can make it smaller to stow it away), and works for a range of paddler-sizes. It’s a great option to keep onboard if you want a one-size-fits all solution.

View Deal

50% off – Catalyst ST Canoe Paddle – $Was 184.95, $Now 91.83 
Ok, ok, I’ve mostly included this one because it’s such a beauty. Sure, it’s not collapsable, but as far as paddles go this is the nicest it gets. This one made of recycled wood has a warm, old-school charm, and will look great next to teak interiors. If any sailors in your life are even remotely into watersports, this would also make a top-tier gift item.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals for boating

There are plenty of other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK for boat-specific savings.

Don’t miss these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: US Chandlery Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery deals
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
• Musto: British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

Looking for more Cyber Monday deals for boating?

MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

The post REI’s best Cyber Monday deals for US sailors and watersport enthusiasts: discounts on YETI coolers, PFDs, and more appeared first on Yachting World.

The restoration of an iconic racer, one that was so ground-breaking it helped create a whole genre of yachts, is no small undertaking. But that’s exactly what inadvertent owner Tina Roberts ploughed into headfirst with the two-year refit of Ragtime, the original ultra-light displacement boat from the land of the long white cloud.

Designed and built single-handedly by New Zealander John Spencer for industrialist and racing driver Sir Tom Clark in 1963/64, Ragtime was launched as Infidel and was reputedly the largest hard chine plywood keelboat in the world.

Infidel immediately upset the racing establishment, beating the Tercel brothers’ 60-footer Ranger, which had won nearly every race it sailed over three decades.

So comprehensive were Infidel’s victories that it was reportedly banned from competing in regattas in New Zealand. It was also barred from entering the 1967 Sydney-Hobart Race because it was deemed too light and not seaworthy enough for the notoriously treacherous 630-mile race.

Under spinnaker, Ragtime’s low freeboard becomes evident. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

California dreaming

With nowhere to turn Infidel wound up where many wayward souls are welcomed: California. A pair of businessmen in Newport Beach purchased the yacht for $25,000 in 1969 and renamed it Ragtime.

The yacht changed owners again in 1971 and, 10 years after her launch, benchmarked the performance of the ultra-light displacement genre by defeating the 73-footer Windward Passage in the epic 1973 Transpac Race, winning the Barn Door Trophy for first-to-finish by a mere 4m 31s over the 2,225-mile course. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, that’s an interesting boat. That’s cool,’” recalls California yacht designer Alan Andrews of his first sighting of Ragtime in the early 1970s.

“Ragtime was a big boat, most of the racing at the time was in 30- to 40-footers. She was clearly very fast, at least downwind, with the hard chines as well.”

The plywood-built hull features hard chines that run its entire length. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

Ragtime is a simple but eye-catching yacht design, with a sheerline that drops noticeably from bow to stern. The hull is constructed from marine plywood; the cabin house, which stands tall of the sheerline, of kauri wood, and when launched it displaced 10 tons. The original LOA of 61ft 8in was determined in large part because that was the amount of floor space in Spencer’s shop, yet still the bow and stern hung outside the sliding doors on either end of the shed.

The boat hull features hard chines running the waterline length of 50ft 8in. In its original form Ragtime lacked an engine and was tiller steered, two features that were changed after she reached American shores.

Article continues below…

Extraordinary Boats: JV43 Red 2 – a full-throated racer with an adventurous cruising side

Compared with the multihulls and centre cockpit cruising yachts dwarfing them in Las Palmas, Mathias and Katharina Müller von Blumencron’s…

Extraordinary Boats: The Three Quarter Tonner ‘Impeccable’

As a trained fine furniture maker and lifelong sailor, Ben Gray’s search criteria for a restoration project to which he…

A reluctant refit

Since arriving in the US, Ragtime has had no fewer than 10 owners (individuals, syndicates and universities). Tina Roberts became the current owner in 2021, upon the passing of her partner Chris Welsh who was actually Ragtime’s longest owner.

Welsh was part of a group that bought the yacht at auction for $125,000 in 2003 before becoming sole owner two years later. Welsh and Roberts met in 2009, as kindred spirits and adrenaline junkies. When Welsh passed unexpectedly in March 2021, aged 58, he left Ragtime to Roberts.

Welsh had accumulated parts that he intended to use in a refit of Ragtime. He purchased a spare TP52 offshore mast in Europe and had it shipped to California. He found a marinised Smart car engine in Germany and also shipped it home.

Welsh intended to lighten Ragtime and make her easier to sail in his planned refit, but Roberts had great apprehension about undertaking the project on her own. “My first thought shortly after he passed away was: this is not my project.

Tina Roberts has spent around $1.5m on Ragtime. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

This was his project, and I don’t know what to do,” says the 54-year-old Roberts. “I had some really good friends who said I should sell the boat, get rid of it, sell the pieces and parts and move on. And I thought that was probably a good idea, but i wanted to wait and find out where life landed.”

Roberts spent the better part of a year clearing up Welsh’s estate, which besides tidying up his business affairs also included offloading cars and planes and submersibles. As she was going through his personal files she found a trove of Ragtime memorabilia that Welsh had collected, including clippings of Infidel’s launch from the New Zealand Herald and Seaspray magazine. She became more endeared to the yacht as she started to understand the life that Ragtime had led.

In 2022 Tina Roberts called designer Alan Andrews, who has drawn a slew of light-displacement boats, and asked if he’d be interested in taking on the project. Andrews had worked on Ragtime for previous owners and also knew Chris Welsh well, having been a sailing instructor to him in his youth.

Roberts had a vision of Andrews being the project manager, but Andrews didn’t want to be involved if Roberts wasn’t leading the way. “I hung up the call with Alan very frustrated,” says Roberts.

“Then I thought about it a little bit and decided that I knew what Chris’s vision was and I began to really understand who Ragtime was. I became really interested in the historical side of it. So, I called Alan back and said ‘Let’s do the project’.”

The rebuilt cockpit retains its previous woodwork and coamings, to preserve its historical appearance, though light weight, high-speed winches have been added. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

20-year project

Roberts, who previously owned food processing companies in the Pacific Northwest, set a budget of $1 million to $1.2 million, a sum that she didn’t expect to reach.

But after completely stripping and rebuilding the interior, rebuilding the centre cockpit, wrapping the hull in carbon fibre and fabricating new chainplates to support the new mast, which also needed modifications to fit the hull and new carbon-fibre rigging, she estimates that she spent more than $1.5 million.

“Throughout a project like this you have many decisions to make,” Roberts says. “My mantra for the decision-making process was, is this for the next two years or next 20 years?

“If you make decisions for the next two years, the boat will never survive; it’s a 60-year-old boat built of plywood. So, I had to make decisions about what the next 20 years for the boat would look like because every time you have to go back and modify something else, it’s very expensive. So, I wanted to do it right the first time and ensure she has longevity.”

Bow locker with its original showgirl decal. The stem-fitting and deck were rebuilt during the refit to strengthen the load-bearing areas. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

“Chris had a dream and a vision of what he wanted to do with the boat, and largely, the refit has been along those lines, except that it’s probably a bit more elegant,” says Andrews. “Tina didn’t take shortcuts. When she was presented with options for how things could be done, in nearly every case she did what was best for the boat.”

Andrews’ participation was important because he’d been involved in previous modifications to the yacht, including keel projects in the 1980s and working with Welsh in the 2000s. He noted how Ragtime’s hull construction was two layers of 3/8in marine plywood with the joints butted – not scarfed – over the middle span of the panel they lay upon. The interior structure included bulkheads, frames and longitudinal stringers.

“The interesting thing was the original bulkheads in the boat are hollow bulkheads with wood truss structure inside. So, there was quite some thought that went in the boat,” Andrews says. “Tina wanted to keep the spirit of Ragtime going, so when we added a few ring frames up forward they were done with plywood frames and laminated carbon and mahogany caps on them.”

Ragtime’s keel remains unchanged, though new rudder bearings and a new steering quadrant were installed. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

Carbon wrap

Perhaps the biggest modernisation was wrapping the hull in two layers of carbon-fibre, a decision made squarely with the boat’s life expectancy in mind. While the plywood hull showed very little degradation given its 60-year age, there were some areas near the bow where a couple of veneers had deteriorated and there was some rot around some of the original chainplate fasteners.

Previous keel modifications had added carbon-fibre around the bottom in the keel area, but wrapping the hull in carbon stiffened the boat (it always had a problem with headstay sag) and helped to distribute the loads more evenly across the sections of plywood. “We chose to use carbon-fibre instead of glassfibre because carbon works much better with wood,” explains Andrews.

Shroud chainplates are high-strength duplex 2205 stainless steel and allow the thickness outside the hull to be minimised. Custom fasteners without slots and fairing ‘ramps’ minimise drag
when heeled. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

“Another thing that occurred with the boat over time was at the chine log, where the bottom panel meets the topsides. There’s an overlap there, a piece of wood and the glue joint on that is what keeps the topsides from separating from the bottom. “Crack repairs under previous ownership were evidenced by wider pieces of wood laminated inside,” Andrews continues.

“By wrapping carbon over the boat, we were effectively able to overlap on the outside of this joint, increasing the bonding area by patching over the joint and better distributing the loads.”

This section of the boat needed to take more load concentration because of the new TP52 mast. The height of the TP52 mast was similar to Ragtime’s previous mast, at least when measured from the spinnaker height to the deck.

But the previous mast had inline spreaders and a cap shroud with fore and aft lowers, meaning three attachment points for the shrouds, spreading their load over about 4½ft. The new TP52 rig has swept back spreaders with all shrouds attaching at the same point, but a point that is wider than Ragtime. The TP52 rig was designed for a 14ft beam while Ragtime’s beam is 11ft 8.5in.

Keeping the chainplates in the original location, just inboard of the hull and stringers, would’ve led to much narrower spreaders and increased compression loads. So, the chainplates were moved aft to match the spreader sweep angle and attached on the outside of the hull just below the sheerline.

The mast step was rebuilt to fit the new mast, while the updated nav station now includes B&G instruments and Starlink communication. Photo: Steve Jost Photography

The new rig makes the boat easier to handle, as it can now sail upwind with a 100% jib and full, square-head mainsail instead of the previous large overlapping genoa with a 1960s-era triangular mainsail.

The updated cockpit allows more room for the crew, but also access to the engine compartment, which was required to fit the engine Welsh had sourced – a Mercedes Benz OM660, a 0.8lt turbocharged diesel made for use in Smart cars. It weighs approximately 250lb/113kg, which is about 300lb/136kg lighter than the previous Yanmar engine that produced similar horsepower.

Lasting legacy

“The refit’s fantastic for the boat and an ode to all the sailors who’ve raced on her,” says Roberts. “We run into people all the time in California, Hawaii, Australia or New Zealand where if you bring up the boat’s name there’s a reply, ‘Oh, I sailed on Ragtime once.’ “That’s the tradition that we want to continue.

We want the boat to continue to be relevant, because she has so much history and so many stories to tell. It’s really important to continue that legacy.”

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post Extraordinary boats: Ragtime – the 60-year-old yacht that launched a genre is back on the water appeared first on Yachting World.

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025.

Cyber Monday doesn’t always have the most going on for sailors (except when it’s the sails themselves that get discounted, in the unprecedented Cyber Monday deal we found for you from North Sails), but every once in a while an opportunity comes up to pick up dream-kit for less.

This year, with deals from iconic sailing brands Musto and Helly Hansen, you can do just that. Don’t miss these spotlight deals from the racer-recommended (and a Yachting World favourite) brand MUSTO, and check out our sister guide to Helly Hansen’s Cyber Monday deals.

‘I wore this to race around the world solo’ is as good an endorsement for foul weather gear as it gets, and that’s more or less what Vendee Globe skipper Sam Davies, and plenty of her colleagues, have to say about MUSTO gear. No less than 11 skippers in the 2024/25 Vendee were proud MUSTO ambassadors, including titans Jérémie Beyou and Vendee record-breaker Charlie Dalin.

Throughout our gear tests, our Tech Editors haven’t had a hard time seeing why. They, too, have recommended the very items below, time and again.

The British manufacturer lab-tests its products to make sure they can withstand the world’s most hostile environments, and MUSTO’s offshore kit uses GORE-TEX technology, which makes them durable, water-repellent, windproof, and breathable as they stand up to the elements.

If you’ve been eyeing a full set, now’s your chance.

Here are the best discounts in the US and the UK.

MUSTO US: 25% sitewide Cyber Monday discounts

For US readers, MUSTO US is doing a 25% off sitewide discount on everything ranging from gloves to long johns to foulies, and up to 60% off on selected items.

Check out these deal highlights:

50% off – Was $1000, Now $500 – HPX PRO SERIES DRY SMOCK 
Volvo Ocean Race sailors were wearing this in the Southern Ocean– it’s pretty legit, and at a full 50% off, this Gore-Tex smock is a steal. Pro performance for (literally) half the price. Cyber Monday shopping for sailors doesn’t get much better than this.

View Deal

60% off the WOMEN’S BR1 CHANNEL JACKET – was $325, now $130 
MUSTO slashed 60% off this versatile waterproof jacket with a classic cut. It’s not quite as heavy duty as the offshore range and all the Gore-Tex, but it’s great quality for its price point, especially with this reduction. This jacket is sure to keep you dry and cozy in spray and showers while you’re sailing.

View Deal

MEN’S MUSTO 64 CHANNEL JACKET – was $300, now $165 
I’m a sucker for the heritage look, so I love the retro feel of this Channel Jacket. It’s styled after MUSTO’s 64 Archive Collection, but still packs all the performance of modern sailing kit. This jacket will keep you warm and dry on or offshore, and right now it’s almost 50% off.

View Deal

25% off MUSTO US Jackets

• MEN’S BR2 OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 for $322.50 instead of $430
• MEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE JACKET for $637 instead of $850
• MEN’S BR1 CHANNEL JACKET for $243.75 instead of $325
• MEN’S BR3 SPORT SMOCK for $401 instead of $535

25% off salopettes from MUSTO US

• WOMEN’S BR2 OFFSHORE TROUSER 2.0 for $240 instead of $320
• WOMEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE TROUSER for $487.50 instead of $650
• WOMEN’S BR1 CHANNEL TROUSER for $265 instead of $198.75
• MEN’S BR1 CHANNEL TROUSER for $198.75 instead of $265
• MEN’S BR3 SPORT SALOPETTE for $363.75 instead of $485
• MEN’S BR3 PERTEX OFFSHORE TROUSER for 487 instead of $650

UK Cyber Monday: discounts on the MPX Gore-Tex Pro Offshore Jackets

MENS – Was £800, Now £600 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 
We’ve recommended this jacket before, even at full price. With a full third off the price, this Gore-Tex Pro offshore jacket is more worth it than ever. It’s also the very same one worn by British sailor Sam Davies during the 2020-21 Vendee Globe. Weighted to balance comfort and ultimate protection, this steal has loads of practical features to keep you not only safe, but comfortable. Three colour options, including black, a classic red, and a very elegant blue.

View Deal

Was £800, Now £600 – WOMEN’S MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE JACKET 2.0 
Same jacket, same impressive £200 markdown, Vendée approved.

View Deal

Was £650, Now £487.50 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO RACE OFFSHORE SMOCK 2.0
This smock is a variation of the same line. It’ll keep you warm day and night and offers the very highest level of waterproofing and breathability. Features include a chest pocket, a packaway hood and a versatile mid-heigh collar.

View Deal

UK Cyber Monday: discounts on MUSTO trousers

Was £1,000, Now £750 – MEN’S HPX GORE-TEX PRO OCEAN TROUSER 
It doesn’t take a math whiz to see how good of a deal this one is– the website calls these the ‘most demanded trousers in sailing’, and we’re inclined to agree. This kit is top of the list for Musto’s ambassadors and a true classic for dependable reputation and durability.

View Deal

Was £600, Now £450 – WOMEN’S MPX GORE-TEX PRO OFFSHORE TROUSER 2.0 
Designed for shorter offshore racing, but just as durable. These salopettes protect you from the elements, and have been designed to be extra durable where you need it both.

View Deal

UK Cyber Monday: discounts on more MUSTO Gore-Tex Jackets

MEN’S – Was £650, Now £487.50 – MPX GORE-TEX PRO RACE JACKET 2.0 
This pick is great for lighter offshore racing, and shorter stints. It combines great quality materials with design for ease of movement, without giving up an ounce of weather protection and is still a steal.

View Deal

WOMEN’S – WAS £440 NOW £330 – LPX GORE-TEX JACKET
£100 quid off a versatile GORE-TEX outer shell doesn’t hurt. This one’s designed for inshore sailing, with adjustable cuffs, a detachable hood, and cozy brushed tricot inside the collar.

View Deal

Quick links to more Cyber Monday deals

If you’re not after a set of foulies this year, there are other great deals around for boat enthusiasts. Some are specific to sailing: check out West Marine chandlery Deals if you’re in the US, and the Gael Force chandlery deals in the UK.

You may also want to check out these other Cyber Monday boating deals options…

• Amazon: The home of Cyber Monday deals
• West Marine: Deals page
• Decathlon: Watersports deal page
• Bass Pro Shop: Boating deals page
• Walmart: Watersports page
• Gael Force Marine: UK Chandlery
• Helly Hansen: Outdoor clothing giant’s deals
  Musto: The British sailing clothing manufacturer’s deals

Looking for Cyber Monday deals for boating?

 

The best Cyber Monday Sailing and Boating Deals in 2025: The best bargains we’ve found this year

Cyber Monday is here and we’re picking out the best Cyber Monday boating deals available from across the big brands…

Cyber Monday sails deal: North Sails has just dropped an unprecedented up to 30% off many One-Design sails!

If you’re a sailor, Cyber Monday often means diddly squat in terms of deals that relate directly to our sport.…

Cyber Monday deals: this drop-stitch kayak from Decathlon is £500 off and perfect for curious sailors

All expired deals have been removed as of 01 December 2025. Drop-stitch kayaks are a middle ground between the performance…

Price Drop! Get the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO (our ‘Best Sailing Watch 2025’) for under £500!

Stop the boats! If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to grab the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO, now is…

Why this Black Friday bargain Garmin Epix deal should be considered by anyone looking for a Garmin Fenix 7 Black Friday deal

For years, the Garmin Fenix has been the undisputed king of premium multisport GPS watches. It’s an absolute beast, known…

 

The post MUSTO cuts a mean Cyber Monday bargain: check out these discounts from the brand offshore racing legends swear by appeared first on Yachting World.

Got a need for speed? The last year has delivered an explosive fleet of new performance yachts designed for one thing: getting there first.

Designers are leveraging every ounce of technology, from prepreg carbon fiber construction to optimised IRC/ORC configurations, resulting in some of the most dynamic and competitive yachts we’ve seen in years.

Whether you’re looking for a double-handed weapon or a grand-prix dominating maxi, the options are faster and sharper than ever before.

We dive into the cutting edge: Discover the Neo 620 Roma, a carbon-fiber mini-maxi built for fast cruising with the weight of a pure racer, and its lighter, competition-focused cousin, the 460 Competizione.

See how the radical Wallyrocket 71 stepped onto the global stage and instantly redefined the Maxi 72 class by taking the Rolex IMA Grand Prix World Championship.

Plus, check out the new wave of sportsboats, from the featherlight, trailable Melges 19 to the pure one-design thrill of the KiSS 25.

These yachts aren’t just built to sail—they’re built to win.

Neo 620 Roma (& 460 Competizione)

This rocketship is the second Carkeek design for Italian carbon cognoscenti Neo Yachts.

The Neo 620 is its new flagship, which will muscle into the competitive mini-maxi arena.

It’s an evolution of the 570 we featured a couple of years ago (check out the video tour), and continues to sport Carkeek’s distinctive chamfered topsides, which run into a reverse sheerline, a stealth bomber-style shape first seen on racing machines such as Ràn.

The 620 has various layout options, primarily adding a third heads compartment compared to its smaller sister, and providing the option for a convertible fourth cabin space, which can be used as a nav station, for dining or sleeping – all while keeping weight to a mere 13.5 tonnes (nearly half of which is ballast in a deep keel).

Neo manages this wizardry by building the 620 in prepreg carbon fibre, fitted with a high-modulus carbon rig.

Cariboni hydraulics aid high-speed control, while it can sport a single or twin rudders, has space for a 3m tender, and includes 400lt tanks for both fuel and water.

Founded by competitive sailor and sailmaker Paolo Semeraro, Neo has now built 30 custom or semi-custom high-performance yachts since 2018.

The ‘Roma’ branding is Neo’s fast cruising line, which reflects the possibility for the wood veneered interior to be removable.

So these yachts suit those wanting to compete at high-level events with the lightest-weight boat, yet do so while protecting the timber finish and maintaining resale value.

460 Competizione (Race)

Where Roma signifies a cruiser racer or Gran Turismo theme, ‘Competizione’ is Neo’s pure racer line, and the Bari yard has just sold the first 460 in this guise to a German team.

Designed by Ceccarelli as an offshore double-handed or crewed racer, which can compete in Group 1 of the Admiral’s Cup class, it is available with single or dual rudders, water ballast options and an electric retractable pod.

It also displaces only 200kg more than the 430, so weights in at just 6.2 tonnes, yet adds a second compartment inside.

Semeraro reasons: “There are no production competitive racing boats in the 45-46ft range, the only competitive boats racing are a bunch of very old Ker 46s.”

With this 460 he explains that the moulds and hull mould of the 460 Roma.

“A new owner can enter a no-compromise racing program without having to support the full costs of a prototype,” thinks Semeraro.

And with the next Admiral’s Cup already planned for 2027, teams will already be needing to get their new steeds in place.

“Our target was to produce an all-round boat, not too light, not too specific for reaching in strong wind etc, but a boat that can win and can be used in many configurations, including inshore, offshore and double-handed.”

Both versions of the 460 are in build, plus a 520 Roma – all due for launch next year.

Neo 620 Roma (& 460 Competizione) specifications

LOA: 18.59m 61ft 0in
Beam: 5.30m 17ft 5in
Draught: 4.50m 14ft 9in
Displacement: 13,500kg 29,762lb
Price – 620 Roma: €2.1m ex VAT
Price – 460 Competizione: €750,000 ex VAT
Contact: neoyachts.com

KiSS 25

Here’s one for the thrill-seekers.

We’ve seen a real appetite for smaller, high-performance racing yachts of late, with sailors moving from the 50s and Fast 40s to the likes of the Cape 31.

Now comes a new Danish brand with this contemporary one-design sportsboat designed to light up in international racing circuits.

KiSS (Keep it Simple Sailor) Yachting promises to bring a new level of speed and precision, using vacuum-infused carbon-built craft.

It’s partnered with Neo Yachts (opposite), which specialises in carbon craft.

So despite the 2.5m beam, the 25 weighs a featherlight 750kg!

Couple that with a square-top main and a 66m2 gennaker (or a Code 0) and it’s easy to imagine that skimming dish-flat shape flying downwind.

Features include a removable rudder to ease trailering and a retrieval system for the A-sail – set off a 1.8m retractable bowsprit.

The 25 is designed for three to five crew, and unrestricted hiking is encouraged.

KiSS promises race-ready craft, including CNC-machined appendages, Cyclops smart sensors, Pauger carbon rigging, and Harken deck gear as standard.

With guardrails added, it also meets ORC and IRC requirements.

KiSS 25 specifications

LOA (inc bowsprit): 9.43m 30ft 11in
Hull length: 7.63m 25ft 0in
Beam: 2.50m 8ft 2in
Draught: 1.8m 5ft 11in
Displacement: 750kg 1,653lb
Sail area (upwind): 35.5m2 382ft2
Sail area (downwind): 101.9m2 1,096ft2
Price: €119,450 ex sails, ex VAT
Contact: kiss-yachting.com

Wallyrocket 71

Wally launches a second rocket. If the name and look seem familiar, it’s because we ran plenty of coverage of the first Wallyrocket 51 earlier this year, following its eagerly awaited launch and build-up to the Admiral’s Cup and Rolex Fastnet Race.

Yet just as we began featuring the first rocket, Wally announced this larger sistership, with both yachts launching in the same season.

Both are Botin Partners designs, and where the 51 is conceived to take on the TP52s and smash races on handicap, the 71 has the equally herculean task of becoming the ‘world’s most successful maxi’.

Compared with its main Maxi 72 rivals then (most of which have been extended), the Wallyrocket 71 is two tonnes lighter, with over 30% more water ballast (2.7 tonnes of it) for the same sail area, which brings advantages both in the light and going downwind.

It can clock upwind speeds of 10.5-11 knots, while matching or exceeding true winds going the other way.

“We started from a blank sheet of paper, asking how we could beat the most competitive Maxi 72s on corrected time,” Botin’s Adolfo Carrau explains.

“When they were designed, it was to a box rule, so many parameters were already set.

Now, as everyone is **optimising** their boats under IRC rules, there is a lot more freedom.”

Giovanni Lombardi Stronati commissioned the build of the first 71, Django 7X, at King Marine in Valencia.

It is already being campaigned by his Italian Django team, which represented the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) at the Admiral’s Cup with the first 51.

Once again, this team is galvanised by the affable Vasco Vascotto, who holds more world titles than any other sailor.

Django 7X’s first major regatta was the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in September, hosted by the team’s club YCCS, where it took on the likes of seasoned competitors such as Bella Mente, Vesper, Jolt and Jethou – and beat them all, to claim the first Rolex IMA Grand Prix World Championship.

Quite the proof of concept!

Wallyrocket 71 specifications

LOA: 21.44m 70ft 4in
Beam: 5.55m 18ft 3in
Draught: 4.90m 16ft 1in
Displacement: 12,500kg 27,558lb
Sail area (upwind): 305m2 3,283ft2
Sail area (downwind): 630m2 6,781ft2
Contact: wally.com

First 36SE

Having gone big on the new First 30 last month, we’ll keep this preview concise.

The First 36, which launched three years ago, has received the Seascape Edition turbo charge treatment and is now available as an SE model.

This transforms the Sam Manuard design into what Beneteau calls ‘the ultimate planing racer’, with reduced weight (400kg less than the standard model) for more sail power.

Carbon is used in the structure, hull tweaks have shaved off 3m2 of wetted surface, and wheels are replaced with a tiller.

It’s also **optimised** for ORC racing with input from ORC guru Maurizio Cossutti and Pure Design helping Manuard and the experienced Seascape team tweak the model.

Actions speak louder than words, and in July a customised 36SE finished the Transpac in 2nd place overall, finishing behind the 88ft Lucky, and nine hours ahead of its nearest competitor – despite being the smallest yacht in the fleet and the only one sailed double-handed.

Also, a freshly-launched first production version of the 36SE recently finished on the podium of the 4th ORC Double-Handed World Championship.

First 36SE specifications

LOA: 11.98m 39ft 4in
Beam: 3.80m 12ft 6in
Draught: 1.95m 6ft 5in
Displacement: 4,400kg 2,359lb
Price: €295,370 ex VAT
Contact: beneteau.com

Melges 19

The YW office is hoping we see one of these in European waters soon – after a look at the first images and videos we’re itching for a sail.

The Reichel Pugh design should plane in as little as 10 knots and is designed to suit and reward all levels of sailors.

The third-generation family-run Wisconsin yard has an international reputation for its sportsboat racing classes and says this should bring that renowned level of fast, fun sailing together with class support.

A spacious cockpit suits a combined crew weight of 220-243kg for racing, and the simple kick-up rudder and daggerboard design suits beach and trailer sailing.

“The Melges 19 is built for speed, simplicity, and sailing with family and friends,” says multiple Melges world champion, Harry Melges III.

Melges 19 specifications

LOA: 5.79m 19ft 0in
Beam: 1.98m 6ft 5in
Draught: 1.37m 4ft 6in
Displacement: 179kg 395lb
Price: US$34,500 inc sails, ex tax
Contact: melges.com

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams.

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Note: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

The post 6 race-ready new yachts: Performance designs built for speed appeared first on Yachting World.

Stop the boats! If you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to grab the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO, now is your chance. We’ve spotted a phenomenal deal on what we feel is the best smart watch for sailing! The non-PRO version of this watch is available elsewhere for a similar price. But the PRO is a much more feature heavy version and this is a real bargain.

Was £869 now £465, from First Class Watches
This is an incredible price for a premium marine and multisport smartwatch that our tester described as “utterly brilliant” and a piece of kit you “won’t want to take off.”
There is a clear reason this is being deeply discounted, it has now been superseded by the Garmin Quatix 8, but we have one of those on test at the moment and the differences are pretty small, so you’re gettign almost the same watch for a lot less money!

View Deal

Why You Need the Quatix 7 PRO

The Quatix 7 PRO isn’t just for sailors; it’s a versatile powerhouse that excels on the water and in everyday life. Our review highlights why this high-end watch is worth every penny—especially at this price:

• Marine Integration: This model strengthens integration with onboard electronics. Use the touchscreen to control MFD displays, Fusion audio systems, and Garmin autopilots right from your wrist.
• Premium Display: High-end models, like the one featuring the Sapphire lens, boast a new ultra-clear AMOLED touchscreen, making information easy to read, even in bright sunlight.
• Built-in LED Torch: A new, practical feature that adds a red and white mini-torch for convenience in low-light situations.
• Multisport & Wellbeing Master: From sailing, rowing, swimming, and running to detailed heart rate and sleep pattern monitoring, it handles an array of lifestyle and fitness activities.
• Essential Sailing Tools: Includes built-in features to look up tides, sunrise/sunset times, Barometer, and Storm alerts. Plus, the MOB (Man Overboard) alert button provides a crucial safety net.
• Seamless Data Sync: Outputs directly to fitness apps like Strava and myfitnesspal.
• Practical Everyday Features: Offers contactless payments (via intermediary apps like Curve in the UK) and even a handy “pin drop” function to remember where you parked your car!
• The verdict is clear: while normally an “expensive bit of kit,” the reviewers call it “the best sailing smart watch for all round functionality.”

The post Price Drop! Get the Garmin Quatix 7 PRO (our ‘Best Sailing Watch 2025’) for under £500! appeared first on Yachting World.