Award winning boats for 2026

[Wansworth]

Judges choice

 

[Wansworth]

Judges choice

 

[stav]

Gotta be honest not my choice, nor in my budget but what an interesting collection of yachts!!

 

[veshengro]

I look at those featured winners and realise just how old I am...

 

[Wansworth]

I look at those featured winners and realise just how old I am...

You have lived through an interesting transition

 

[Chiara’s slave]

Gotta be honest not my choice, nor in my budget but what an interesting collection of yachts!!

I guess you can’t dismiss a boat just for being out of our own budgets. Or no new boats would get built. Sometimes I get the feeling that some here would prefer that no boats had been built after about 1980, mind you.

 

[Wansworth]

I guess you can’t dismiss a boat just for being out of our own budgets. Or no new boats would get built. Sometimes I get the feeling that some here would prefer that no boats had been built after about 1980, mind you.

1960s

 

[Chiara’s slave]

1960s

Our race boat was built in 1967. To a design that was the result from a brief issued in 1910. It’s a freak of nature the things have survived. I wonder how many of those award winning designs will still be being built in 2132, cos a new XOD was launched last year Mind you, they should all, except that one, be re named ‘Trigger’s Broom’. They’re not an award winning proposition now. Slow, wet, uncomfortable and hard to sail well. And cost the same as that sportsboat thingy above. None of those designs are really that radical though. Here’s one that is, but seems so far to be overlooked. Gunboat have bought the design though, so maybe…..

 

[Malish]

None of those designs are really that radical though. Here’s one that is, but seems so far to be overlooked. Gunboat have bought the design though, so maybe…..

a bit pokey down below

 

[Chiara’s slave]

a bit pokey down below

A lot of bare carbon too. For a 36 footer, the Dragonfly is hardly spacious. Our own 30 ft 6 Dragonfly is much like a contessa 32 without the headroom. Accommodation has been sacrificed on the altar of performance. That DF would give an IMOCA 60 a run for it’s money. The awards seem to have favoured faster, more fun boats. It’s a job to tear guest sailors away from the log on ours. They then look at the plotter for GPS backup in case I’ve deliberately miscalibrated. Perhaps it really is where the market is headed. I know a lot of people who’ve plodded across oceans, but mostly 25 or more years ago. I’m not sure many modern sailors want that, they haven’t got the time.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

A lot of bare carbon too. For a 36 footer, the Dragonfly is hardly spacious. Our own 30 ft 6 Dragonfly is much like a contessa 32 without the headroom. Accommodation has been sacrificed on the altar of performance. That DF would give an IMOCA 60 a run for it’s money. The awards seem to have favoured faster, more fun boats. It’s a job to tear guest sailors away from the log on ours. They then look at the plotter for GPS backup in case I’ve deliberately miscalibrated. Perhaps it really is where the market is headed. I know a lot of people who’ve plodded across oceans, but mostly 25 or more years ago. I’m not sure many modern sailors want that, they haven’t got the time.

Performance is always exciting .... and if it can be made manageable then why not. 5 days at sea for a transatlantic? Yes please.