Cruising World - June 2018

june/july 2018

cruisingworld.com

84

JUNE/JULY 2018

I

f Goldilocks were in the

market for a cruising

catamaran, I’d advise her

to check out the new Seawind

1260. At 41 feet length overall,
      it’s big enough for a couple
      with kids or occasional friends
      aboard, small enough to be
      easily handled and maintained
      by a shorthanded crew — and
      it can sail, which to my mind
      makes it “just right,” as the
      storybook gal is known to say.
      On a boisterous morning
      last winter after the Miami In-
      ternational Boat Show,
      I jumped aboard for a
      short sea trial on Bis-
      cayne Bay, just before
      the boat was due to
      cross the Gulf Stream
      to winter over in the
      Bahamas. In the protected
      waters of the bay, a northeast
      wind gusted to 20 and higher
      and sent the Seawind surging
      ahead with every puff. These
      were fi ne conditions for a test
      sail, but a lousy prospect for
      crossing the stream, although
      I learned later that the boat
      fared just fi ne.
      With the full main hoisted
      and the self-tacking jib
      unfurled, we had no trouble
      pushing the speedo past 8
      knots closehauled while the
      breeze was up. Later, with the
      wind down to about 14 knots,

the speedo still hovered at a

little better than 8 on a broad

reach back toward the barn.

Better than the speed, though,

was the feel of the wheel as the

boat sliced through the water.

Sports car were the words that

came to mind as I jotted down

notes so I’d recall the feedback

that came from the helm.

Seawind builds its catama-

rans in Vietnam, along with

Corsair trimarans, a brand it

also owns. The Seawind range

includes the 38-foot 1160, the

1190 Sport (a 39 -footer)

and the 1600, a Re-

ichel/Pugh-designed

52-footer that is its

fl agship.

The 1260, outfi t-

ted as the boat we

sailed was, carries a price tag

of $525,000, delivered to the

United States with optional

39 hp Yanmar diesels (29 hp

is standard). The boat shares

many of the same attributes

as its smaller siblings, notably

a trifold hinged saloon door

that lifts and is stored on the

underside of the Bimini for

true indoor/outdoor living;

twin wheels affi xed to the

main bulkhead to either side of

the door, just behind electric

windows that lower to further

open up the interior; large glass

ports at the front of the saloon

that open to provide excellent

ventilation throughout the

boat; and a galley-down design

(more on that in a moment),

which is somewhat of a rarity

on cats these days.

Nearly all the structural

parts of the 1260 are foam

cored. Hulls are infused with

vinylester-modifi ed epoxy res-

in. Elsewhere, polyester resin

is used in the deck, Bimini

(made in a two-sided mold so

both sides are fi nished), bulk-

heads, and interior cabin and

furniture modules. Compared

to earlier models, Seawind has

removed as much wood as pos-

sible, and now it tabs in items

such as shelving in hull lockers

to increase the overall stiffness

of the boat.

A hallmark of earlier

Seawinds was a large stainless

barbecue grill integrated into

the railing and seat across the

back of the cockpit. That has

been replaced on the 1260 by a

couch across the transom. On

its port side, a grill has been

located in a covered locker; to

starboard, there’s a sink in a

similar space.

At either helm, windows have

been installed overhead in the

Bimini, which is particularly

NEW TECHNOLOGY, REVIEWS and

PRODUCTS for the CRUISING SAILOR

JUST Right

The SEAWIND 1260 benefits from being the sum of a

number of fine parts.

BY MARK PILLSBURY

B OATS

& GEAR