Four basic elements of yacht design Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 WE ALL HAVE TO FACE THE FACT that there is no such thing as the perfect sailing yacht, with the possible exception of the one you just bought...
Three of the most brilliant stars of 20th-century yachting Issue 52: Jan/Feb 2007 WHAT CAN ANYONE SAY ABOUT A LEGEND? FINISTERRE: length overall: 38 feet 6 inches; length waterline: 27 feet 6 inches; ...
A comparison of Allegra and three rivals Issue 51 : Nov/Dec 2006 These four small yachts have all proved to be very capable bluewater cruisers with many long ocean passages to their credit. Several of...
Comparing 30-footers: Ted’s “Brewernalysis” Issue 53 : Mar/Apr 2007 Initially, I was thoroughly confused about the Islander 30 Mk II and the Islander Bahama 30, but I finally determined that the Mk II...
It’s versatile, efficient, and above all, handsome Issue 54 : May/Jun 2007 The schooner rig is considered to be distinctively North American. There is even a stale old story of how the name came to be...
Examining the pros and cons of four different boats Issue 55 : Jul/Aug 2007 This is a very unusual comparison, as these four boats have all been owned by Warren Milberg at different times. It would be...
Four family-sailers Issue 58 : Jan/Feb 2008 In the September 2006 issue of Good Old Boat, I reviewed four other boats in the 28-foot/29-foot size range: the Ranger 28, Ranger 29, Islander 28, and Sabr...
A famous designer tells how yachts have changed Issue 61: July/Aug 2008 In honor of Good Old Boat’s 10th anniversary, I thought it would be interesting to look back over the changes in small-boat desi...
Comparisons with the competition Issue 59 : Mar/Apr 2008 For this comparison I’ve selected four examples of fast light- and ultra-light-displacement yachts from some of North America’s top designers. ...
Comparing three popular centerboard cruiser/racers Issue 60 : May/Jun 2008 These three yachts were designed as cruiser/racers under the influence of the Cruising Club of America rule. The Olin Stephen...
A comparative review of a Cuthbertson classic Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 I’m greatly indebted to my friend and mentor, George Cuthbertson, for giving me my start in the sailboat business more than 50 ye...
A noted designer tells what makes a boat seakindly Issue 62 : Sept/Oct 2008 In all the books I have studied about yacht design and the sea, there has been very little written about seakindliness. Many...
An inexpensive and economical cruiser/racer Issue 63 : Nov/Dec 2008 After the success of the revolutionary fin-hull/spade-rudder Cal 40 in 1963, it was inevitable that Bill Lapworth would create simil...
She’s just as fit for bluewater cruising as for club racing Issue 64 : Jan/Feb 2009 Olin Stephens pioneered the fast keel/centerboard (k/cb) ocean racer in the 1950s, beginning with the famous Finiste...
Compact craft with offshore ambitions Issue 65 : Mar/Apr 2009 The three boats in this group — the Pacific Seacraft 25, the Bristol 24, and the Francis 26 — represent very different approaches to desig...
A look at three long-waterline cruiser/racers Issue 68 : Sept/Oct 2009 I had some difficulty finding two designs to compare to the very-long-waterline Tartan 33, actually a 34 by almost any standards ...
Comparing the Ericson Cruising 31 with two close rivals Issue 69 : Nov/Dec 2009 First, I have to admit that I intensely dislike the appearance of trailboards on a sailing yacht with a bald (no bowspri...
Three boats built expressly for speed and fun Issue 71 : Mar/Apr 2010 George Olson designed one of the first successful ultralight-displacement boats (ULDBs), the one-off 24-footer Grendel, in 1970. I...
. . . with two other husky, seaworthy cruisers Issue 72 : May/Jun 2010 Selecting designs to compare to the feature boat is never easy; it often boils down to finding similar yachts of the same length....
Comparing three light-displacement cruiser/racers Issue 73 : Jul/Aug 2010 I would hardly call any one of these three beamy designs a good old boat, since two of them are still in production today and ...
. . . against two fellow Californians Issue 75 : Nov/Dec 2010 The Cal 2-30 is a descendant of Bill Lapworth’s famous Cal 40 and shares some of the characteristics that made her bigger sister the winne...
Standout boats from outstanding designers Issue 76 : Jan/Feb 2011 The Tartan 34C is a very handsome design by Olin Stephens, one of the most gifted designers of the past century. In finding yachts to ...
. . . against its cruising contemporaries Issue 77 : Mar/Apr 2011 The long waterlines, moderate draft, husky displacement, and modest sail area of both the Mariner 36 and Pearson 36 are a solid indica...
. . . with a duo of double-ended classics Issue 78 : May/Jun 2011 Because the Corbin 39 has some rather unusual features for a production yacht, it was easy to select two boats for comparison. Very fe...
Contrary to Internet rumors, it is not weak Issue 79: July/Aug 2011 Recently, in online sailing forums, I have seen self-proclaimed pundits advise sailors new to yachting that single-spreader rigs are...
When boats leave the safety of the drawing board Issue 79: July/Aug 2011 In my more than 50 years designing yachts, I’ve had my share of problems with owners and with boatbuilders, including raw amate...
Against fellow cruisers with clipper bows Issue 79: July/Aug 2011 This is an unusual group as clipper-bowed small boats have been fairly rare in mass production. Aesthetically, I can see the problem, ...
. . . with two contemporary classic cruisers Issue 80 : Sept/Oct 2011 The Mistral 33, Ericson 35, and Seafarer 34 are classics by three top designers representing some of the best of a good era: the l...
. . . and a pair of CCA-style contemporaries Issue 81 : Nov/Dec 2011 I was quite pleased to hear the Luders 36 was to be a feature boat as A.E. “Bill” Luders Jr. was my boss and mentor from 1960 to th...
. . . meets veterans designed for similar goals Issue 83: March/April 2012 In this issue we have three 30-foot-waterline cruiser/racers, all designed originally for serious ocean racing with cruising ...