Best Boats Nominees 2019

by SAIL editors
As we approach the upcoming fall boat shows, perhaps the best word to describe the boatbuilding industry’s latest crop of new designs is “consolidation.” Specifically, in recent months we’ve seen a number of innovations introduced in years past continue to work their way up and down the various different companies’ product lines.

Examples include Hanse’s composite T-Top; Jeanneau’s sloping sidedecks; the expansion of X-Yacht’s new “X” Range; the continued growth in lounging area space aboard today’s cruising multihulls; and the increasing use of twin rudders aboard cruising boats.

Which is not to say there’s nothing new out there; just look at the radical foils aboard Beneteau’s new Figaro 3. It’s also nice to see a number of builders, like Tartan, Island Packet, Wauquiez, Hylas and CW Hood, still keeping in touch with some of the tried-and-true aesthetic and design features of old: although don’t be fooled, these are still thoroughly modern boats in every sense of the word.

What follows is a list of all the boats that SAIL’s judges will be examining as part of this year’s “Best Boats” contest: click here.