Cruising World - May 2016

HANDS-ON SAILOR

in open-ended cockpits with full-length

cockpit sole travelers (some recessed for

safety), narrow sheeting angles, lightweight

construction and ample sail area-to-

displacement ratios (the average in this

class being 26.25, as opposed to the midsize

cruiser class average of 17.12).

Low cockpit coamings leading to wide,

fl at and clean side decks made the general

fl ow forward wonderful. I could literally do

unobstructed laps around the boats. The

Italia 13.98 (the winner of the Performance

Cruiser division) and Grand Soleil 43 cleared

the cockpit for racing without sacrifi cing

outdoor entertainment at anchor by cleverly

recessing their tables into the cockpit sole.

All the crossover boats and most of the

cruisers sported a plumb stem to increase

their waterlines and therefore theoretical

hull speed. That combined with very fi ne

bow entries resulted in a tight working space

on the foredeck and vulnerable gantry-style

rollers to extend the ground tackle beyond

the stem. In an attempt to decrease windage

and create a clean and lean look, several of

the performance cruisers went with recessed

headsail furlers. In some cases, that created

confl icts with access to the rode locker, sub-

deck line routing and maintenance.

Perhaps because of the high number of

performance cruisers among this year’s

entries, there was a noticeable decline in

the number of in-mast mainsail furling sys-

tems. Putting the debate of convenience

versus reliability aside, this translated into

signifi cantly better performance, since full

battens and positive roach add substantial

horsepower to any mainsail.

Several years ago the hard chine appeared

in many of the major models, and now it

has become a signature feature. While the

chines may enhance hull stif ness and add a

modicum of interior beam at the aft berth

level, they are too shallow in angle and too

highly placed on the hull to actually add any

form stability. But my, they do look racy.

COCKPIT CONSIDERATIONS
The traditional aft cockpit of years past
might now be better described as a semi-
center cockpit, as there was typically a sub-
stantial span of deck between the cockpit’s
aft coaming and the taf rail. On the other
hand, the majority of this year’s entrants,
regardless of class, sported open transoms,
allowing designers to push the functions
of sheeting and steering to the extreme aft
end of the boat. While this may sacrifi ce
lazarette stowage, it also creates additional
space to separate the work stations from
the cockpit seating and allows for longer
trunk cabins, thus increasing interior vol-
ume. Some models, such as the Italia 13.98,
employ what I call a “trick transom” — a
boarding platform that fl ips up and doubles
as a hard transom — while others, like the
Jeanneau 54, simply stretch lifelines athwart-
ships aft. These open transoms of er ease of
access aft, but the versions with only lifelines
aft do not leave much structure between you
and the deep blue sea.
The concept of separating work and
lounging areas is taken a step further on the
Azuree 46. Instead of traditionally mounting
the sheet winches on the cockpit coam-
ALVAH SIMON ings running fore and aft, the Azuree runs

Submersible up

to 1 Meter and

Waterproof Touch

Withstand Extreme

Temperatures,

Humidity and Shock

Built in GPS Plus

WiFi and Bluetooth

Connect to

Electronics and

Download Apps

While common on performance sailboats, travelers mounted on the cockpit sole

are now appearing on more cruising boats. This placement is usually convenient for

the helmsman; however, it can obstruct passage forward.