Top Boats Awards

[GordMay]

Magazines select year’s top sailboats

The Hallberg-Rassy 40 and J/133 from J Boats have won the top honors in the Cruising World and Sailing World 2004 Boat of the Year competition.

The magazines handed out the awards at a reception at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Yacht Club Thursday — opening night of Sail Expo St. Petersburg. The Hallberg-Rassy won in the cruising category and the J/133 was judged best boat in overall performance.

Judges for Cruising World called the Swedish-built, German Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassy a true sailor’s boat. “Through and through, she’s a vessel that was thought out for a couple who want to be under way comfortably,” writes Cruising World executive editor Tim Murphy in a description that will appear in the magazine’s January issue.

Sailing World editors were just as effusive in their praise of the J/133 — a boat with “remarkable acceleration for a boat of its size,” according to judge Chuck Allen.

“Experience shows, especially when it comes to boat design,” said Sailing World Boat of the Year director Tony Bessinger, in a statement. “And very few boatbuilders have as much experience as J Boats.

Awards also were handed out in a variety of categories.

Cruising World winners were: best liveaboard cruising boat, the Hallberg-Rassy; best production cruising boat, the Etap 37s; best performance 40-footer, the Elan 40; best performance cruising boat, the J/133; best full-sized cruising boat, the Saga 48; best deluxe cruising boat, the Discovery 55; best value, the Beneteau 373; and most innovative, the Gunboat 62.

Sailing World winners were: best value racer/cruiser, Wauquiez Centurion 40s, and best performance design, the Farr 36.

Cruising World awards focused on “production boats laid out and equipped for coastal and offshore cruising and voyaging.” Sailing World concentrated on boats “designed and built with racing in mind.”

[Sonosailor]

Did they have a multihull category for those of us who prefer to see double?

[delmarrey]

There goes the price hike on those Hallbergs. I'll never be able to get one of those babies.

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