2020 Boat of the Year Winners

Sailing World magazine has selected the top new performance sailboats from its annual Boat of the Year competition, awarding the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 as the 2020 Boat of the Year. The versatile 32-footer, built at Jeanneau’s facilities in Poland, is designed primarily for solo and doublehanded racing, a fast-growing segment of the sport.

“The days of long-distance races on boats requiring large crews is long past,” says Dave Reed, Sailing World’s editor and Boat of the Year director.

“The trend continues toward smaller boats requiring fewer crew, and the judges agreed—unanimously—that the Sun Fast 3300 is a boat that will excite experienced sailors who are keen to compete in shorthanded offshore races. There’s innovation and practicality throughout the boat, from its hull shape to the sailhandling and water-ballast systems to the simple and utilitarian interior.”

The Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 emerged as the judges’ top choice after a week of in-depth dockside inspections and sail tests on the waters in October off Annapolis, Maryland. From a field of 11 new designs, Sailing World’s independent Boat of the Year judges (all industry professionals) also selected four additional boats as award-worthy:

• J/99 (J Boats; Newport, R.I.) – Best Crossover
• F101 (Foiling World; Hampshire, UK) – Best Foiler
• Tiwal (Tiwal; Vannes, France) – Best Dinghy
• Eagle Class 53 (Fast Forward Composites; Bristol, R.I.) – Best Multihull