what is the fastest monohull sailboat

The Fastest Monohull Sailboat In The World

The fastest monohull sailboat in the world is a needle-nosed ocean racer called V.O.60. It was designed by Bruce Farr, and is capable of 36 knots. That's 41.4 mph. This sleek machine is 64 ft. long, just over 17 ft. wide and weighs 30,000 pounds. The mast soars 85 ft. in the air. The bottom of Farr's speedster has a flat after section like a powerboat--the hull lifts out of the water and planes at anything over 17 knots.

To achieve this record-breaking performance, with handling to match, the weight of all equipment is concentrated in the center of the hull for a low polar moment of inertia. Both the hull and deck are as clean as possible for minimum resistance. The keel is a narrow blade sticking down into the water, with a 12,000-pound lead torpedo at the bottom that's contoured to provide lift. The rudder is T-shaped, with its own lifting foil. To help trim the boat against the tilting force of the sails, 13,000 gal. of water can be pumped into three holding tanks in the hull.

The hull is Kevlar cloth set in resin, and the mast, boom and spinnaker pole are carbon fiber. The sails are a woven composite, vacuum-formed under heat and pressure to hold a preset shape. Everything that's not some form of composite is either aluminum or stainless steel. A Volvo Penta MD2030 Diesel generator provides power for extensive electronics, and a Volvo Penta MD22P provides auxiliary power for docking.

Some 35 of these racing boats have been built, comprising an international 1-design class. The premier V.O.60 event is the around-the-world Volvo Ocean Race held every four years. The latest competition started in Southampton, England, on Sept. 23, 2001, and will end in Kiel, Germany, on Sept. 6, 2002. By that time, the crews will have raced 32,700 nautical miles, with stops in Cape Town, Sydney, Hobart, Auckland, Rio de Janeiro, Miami, Baltimore, La Rochelle and Göteborg.

Expensive Racing--Is There Any Other Kind? Racing around the world is not cheap. The eight participating V.O.60s cost $3 million each and are owned by multinational companies including Australian Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., Swedish lockmaker Assa Abloy and German construction company Illbruck. The companies will have spent an impressive $15 million each by the time their boat reaches the finish line.

Each V.O.60 requires a crew of 12 to race it flat-out, day and night. Nearly all crew members are full-time professional sailors, who can earn up to $1500 per day. Most are in their 20s or 30s and look like bodybuilders. Only the helmsmen and tacticians, whose experience is more valuable than bulging biceps, are apt to be older than 40.

Volvo has its own V.O.60, called Volvo Spirit . PR guy Dan McCue was able to secure berths in Volvo Spirit for six U.S. journalists, including me, on the 922-nautical-mile Miami-to-Baltimore leg of the Volvo Ocean Race. We'd be paired with six professional sailors from Sweden who were none too sure what they'd gotten themselves into.

Before we neophyte ocean racers were allowed out, we had to go through two days of sail training with our new crew mates, plus an all-day course in safety and emergency procedures. We were restricted to one small carry-on bag and told not to expect to bathe, shave or change clothes during the trip.

Above decks, Volvo Spirit looks like an oversize dinghy. There are tandem steering wheels, a dozen winches, two grinders and a convex deck fenced by lifelines. When Volvo Spirit buries her nose in a wave, there's nothing to stop the water from flowing smoothly over the boat, sweeping anything not tied down--including careless sailors--over the cut-down transom.

Down below, Volvo Spirit has all the cheerful ambience of a World War II U-boat. There are a half-dozen pipe berths, a token marine toilet jammed against the mast, and a cubbyhole crammed full of computers where the tactician spends his days and nights. The galley consists of a foot-square sink and a single propane-powered burner. Ocean racers live on tasteless freeze-dried food reconstituted with distilled seawater.

Volvo Spirit 's skipper divided the 12 of us into three watches, 3 hours on and 6 hours off. We lined up next to the eight race boats and left the starting line just north of the entrance to the Port of Miami at 1 pm on Sunday, April 14. Amazingly, six of the professional skippers jumped the start and had to turn around and recross the line. We sailed behind the leaders, and ahead of the miscreants, until the group spread out over miles of ocean.

The sailing was magnificent, hour after hour of running before the wind or on a broad reach, pushed along at 14 knots by 20-knot winds. We made only a handful of sail changes in four days. Twice, I was able to steer for a full 3-hour night watch without touching a line, delicately balancing the main and spinnaker, Polaris ahead and Orion behind, providing my only illumination, and 150 miles from the nearest land. It was sublime.

We reached the finish line in Baltimore at 12:04 pm that Thursday, 10 hours behind the leader, News Corp. We'd covered 922 nautical miles in 95 hours. To our delight, the last three competitors entered the harbor while we, having shaved and showered, were eating lunch on the waterfront. The perfect ending.

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What Are the Fastest Types of Sailboat (and Why)?

For most of us in our "normal" sailboats, we can get going "fast" on a good breezy day. Even a small day-sailer can give you a white-knuckled ride in the right conditions, and good racers in modest boats can put up double-digit speeds. Twelve knots can feel really fast when you're used to half that. But what does fast mean now, and what are the fastest types of sailboats? And what makes these speed demons fly?

The fastest types of sailboats are:

• Specialized performance boats : 65.45 knots
• Foiling multihulls : 44 knots
• Foiling monohulls : 50 knots
• Windsurfers & kiteboards : 50+ knots
• Racing skiffs :
• Performance multihulls : 20 knots
• Offshore racing monohulls : > 20 knots

As of this writing, the fastest sailboat in the world is a specialized boat called Vestas Sailrocket 2. In 2012 she recorded a sustained speed of 65.45 knots over a 500-meter course in a sanctioned speed record. Other fast sailboats include a variety of foiling monohulls and catamarans, kite surfers, windsurfers, and performance catamarans and trimarans.

Stick around, strap on your crash helmets, and come look into what causes ludicrous speed in today’s modern sailboats. First, we'll explore what makes sailboats fast or slow. Then, we'll explore the fastest sailboat types and their speeds (jump to the list ).

On this page:

What is "fast" for sailboats, what makes a sailboat...not fast, the fastest types of sailboats.

"I feel the need, the need for speed!" Pete "Maverick" Mitchell in Top Gun

Fast is always relative. If you sail a small dinghy, the eight knots that has you white-knuckled and hiking hard barely pegs the fun-meter on a fifty footer racing sled.

But for "Fastest" there are absolutes. The World Sailing Speed Record council keeps records of various sorts as part of the World Sailing organization. They keep records for straight-line speed (500 meters, nautical mile) and many distance records from races and ocean crossings.

What makes up "fast" is also determined by the type of measurement. A kite surfer will put up amazing speed numbers of a mile but can't cross oceans. Some ocean races only allow certain classes of boats - multihulls are often excluded, and ocean race records are recorded by elapsed time and average speed.

To determine "fast" for our list, we're going to look across categories and pull out the best of the best.

To understand why screaming fast boats are fast, it's important to know what these speedsters need to overcome to break out and sail fast.

Power and Weight

If you apply the same amount of force to two objects with different mass, the lighter object will accelerate and move faster. Throw a light plastic ball with the same force as a steel ball the same size, and the plastic ball will fly faster and farther.

With sailing, in the same conditions with the same driving forces (wind and sail area), the lighter boat will sail faster. If you can reduce weight, you can go faster, and racing sailors can be over the top stripping weight to improve performance. It's not just weight in the hull; weight up the mast can hurt a boat’s performance too.

Using modern building materials like carbon fiber and honeycombed cores cuts major weight from hulls. Couple that with multi-hull or foiling designs which eliminate heavy keels, and you get light, fast boats.

Friction, Drag, and Wetted Surface

Although water doesn't feel it, it's rather sticky. On a molecular level, water adds considerable friction when a hull pushes through the water. High-performance yachts have mirror-polished finishes to eliminate drag, but a slick bottom isn't enough to get the insane performance we're looking for.

Friction between materials is governed by how slippery the two surfaces are and the surface area of contact between them. Imagine dragging a piece of plywood flat across a carpeted floor. There's a lot of contact between a 4' x 8' piece of plywood and the carpet: thirty-two square feet. It will be hard to drag lying flat.

Now lift one end of the plywood and drag it. You've cut the surface area from 32 square feet to a few square inches, and the plywood drags easily. The same concept applies to boat hulls - the less hull you have in contact with the water, the less drag to slow you down.

Displacement hull shapes can affect how much area is in the water and will change as the boat heels.

Multihulls can lift a hull out of the water in the right conditions, cutting drag in half.

Hydrofoils aren't a new concept, but recent advances in materials science and yacht design have led to major advances in boat speed. Foiling boats lift the entire hull clear of the water, reducing the wetted area to the foils in contact with the water.

Several production boat companies are experimenting with “foil assisted” monohulls - traditionally ballasted boats with foils to lift them partially out of the water to reduce wetted surface drag. Time will tell if the technology works and the market wants it.

In some of the fastest boats, air drag can also be a factor as speeds get over 20 knots. Streamlining of above-water components takes on new importance.

Sail Area and Force

Bigger sails catch more wind, any sailor knows this. And bigger boats have bigger sails, right? But how can you look at the sails and hull together to make the boat faster?

Yacht designers use the Sail Area to Displacement (SA/D) ratio to categorize boats by performance. Displacement is equivalent to the weight of a boat, so the lighter the boat the lower the displacement.

Calculating sail area to displacement Sail Area to Displacement isn't a straight-line ratio since the impact of displacement isn't linear. It's calculated by dividing the sail area in square feet by the displacement in cubic feet to the 2/3 power. SA/D ratio = sail area (sq ft) / (displacement in cubic feet)^2/3 To get displacement in cubic feet in seawater, divide the weight of the boat by 64 lbs, the weight of a cubic foot of seawater.

The higher the SA/D ratio, the more powered up the boat. By reducing displacement increases the ratio. Kiteboards and windsurfers take this to the extreme, with very low displacement boards for hulls with large amounts of surface area.

Developments in wing sail technology have also increased high-end performance. Sail performance is more about lift than size , and wing sails generate tremendous lift with a trimmable, reduced airfoil profile.

The SA/D ratio goes out the window once a boat foils, since it's only a rough guideline assuming the hull is in the water. Foiling changes all the math.

Sailing Faster than the Wind

For centuries, sailing faster than the wind was as inconceivable as flying. Modern boat designs and foiling technology has changed all that. Once a boat moves at an angle towards the wind, its apparent wind - the wind observed on the sailboat - increases. This generates lift, and a lightweight boat with a lot of sail area can generate enough lift to sail faster than the wind.

Apparent wind is how the wind feels on the boat. It's the true wind added to the wind caused by the motion of the boat. The faster the boat moves, the more forward the wind feels.

Add foils, and all bets are off - the current America's Cup is a stunning display of boats sailing many times the speed of the wind.

The physics explaining this (read on kqed.org ) are beyond this article; the result is the sails generate lift to accelerate the boats past the true wind speed and the boats sail on their own apparent wind.

Very few of the world’s fastest types of boats are commonly available, and most of them are racing focused and seen in those venues. There are some affordable, smaller options, though they take some physical fitness and skill to sail.

Ice boats and land sailers deserve a mention, as they sail on the wind. But they don't float, so we're not putting them with the boats. Water is a lot less sticky when it's frozen, and sailing on blades has gotten speeds over 100 miles per hour. The land speed record for a wheeled land sailer is 126.1 MPH (202.0 KPH).

Specialized Performance Boats

Many of the top sailing speed records have been set by purpose-built boats designed for setting speed records. These are the sailing equivalent of drag racers - purpose designed for speed rather than other competition or use. Two of the best-known are Vestas Sailrocket 2 and Hydroptère .

Hydroptère is a sixty-foot foiling trimaran and set the world speed record in 2009, sustaining 50+ knots over 500 meters and one nautical mile.

Vestas Sailrocket 2 is the current speed record holder over 500 meters with 65.45 knots and holds the nautical mile record with 55.32 knots. Vestas Sailrocket 2 is a trimaran in that she has two hulls (or floats), but the specialized design has a wing sail offset over one while the helmsman sails from a pod on the other hull.

Foiling Multihulls

While the specialty boats are setting records, a variety of foiling multihull boats are raced in sizes from small single-handers up to the AC72's used in the 2013 America's Cup. Boat speeds in the 2013 America's Cup were typically at thirty knots or higher, with speeds hitting 44 knots.

There are many foiling multi classes, including the GC32 and the F50. Even a small foiler like the IFly15 can hit speeds of 25 knots.

Multihulls don't need ballast for stability, so they accelerate to foiling speeds without tipping and stay on the foils with three points of contact usually in the water.

Foiling Monohulls

Foiling dinghies like the Moth woke dinghy sailing up to high foiling speeds. Several single-handed small dinghies are in the market, and sailors have been experimenting with adding foils to existing designs like the Laser and even the Opti to hit double-digit speeds.

Foiling monohulls are trickier than cats since they have only two foils and are less stable. Dinghies use crew weight to keep stability, but larger monohulls have been a problem because of pre-foiling stability without a keel.

The foiling AC75 designs in the 2021 America's Cup solved this with moveable foils, which act as ballast when retracted and foils when in the water. With sophisticated computer feedback systems and skilled sailing, these boats have cracked 50 knots on the racecourse, with in-race speeds in the 30 and 40-knot range when the boats are foiling. These boats can foil in less than ten knots of true wind, hitting speeds three or four times the wind.

Windsurfers & Kiteboards

Drag race speed records are set and broken by windsurfers and kiteboards regularly. The "hull" is a surfboard - a low profile, low displacement hull. Large sail area and low displacement allow speeds over fifty knots in record attempts. Even casual wind and kite surfers sail at high speeds in moderate wind conditions.

Racing Skiffs

Ultra-light hulls with minimal ballast and massive sail area, racing skiffs ranging from 11 to 18 feet are favorite classes down under in Australia and New Zealand. From single handers to crews of four, these ultrafast boats have been pushing the edge of faster than the wind performance for years, and are still some of the fastest small race boats you'll see on Sydney Harbour.

Sailors pushing the edge have added foils to skiffs (of course...), creating more fast entries in the monohull foiling category.

Performance Multihulls

Gunboat and Outremer are two examples of high-performance catamaran brands you can use for something other than racing. These boats use lightweight but tough construction and sleek designs to make bluewater capable cats capable of double-digit sailing speeds in comfort and safety.

They aren't cheap for the average boat owner, but they are fast and comfortable. Cruising at 20 knots isn't a dream.

Offshore Racing Monohulls

Almost all of the records in the big offshore races are still held by the big maxi racing monohulls, and these are still some of the fastest boats in the world. If you follow offshore racing, you’ll know names like Comanche , Wild Oats XI , Rambler , and dozens of others hold line honors records on most of the major ocean races. While specific races like the Volvo Ocean Race or the Vendee Globe don't always make the records books, they sail fast over great distances.

These boats are campaigned by full crews of professional sailors. Design innovations and updates are constant, with new boats built to outpace and outperform. While they don't have the straight-line speeds of the fast foilers and inshore racers, average speeds close to twenty knots over hundreds or thousands of miles of offshore sailing is some serious offshore velocity.

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World’s Fastest Sailboats – The Catamaran, Trimaran, Windsurfer and Kiteboarder

By Danny Cruz

Photo by: CultivArte

Any time someone mentions a sailboat as being fast, the non-sailors cringe at the thought of 12 knots being fast. Can you say 50 knots? Teach them a lesson about fast sailboats…

While 12-15 knots is actually quite fast for a racing sailboat in good windy conditions, high-caliber racing sailboats can do more than 20 knots in high-wind situations. In fact, TransPac TP52 sailboats for example, have been clocked around 30 knots for short burts. That’s nearly 35MPH for easy comparison! And a TP52 is a monohull! Trimaran and catamaran sailboats are typically much faster. On a sailboat, those kinds of speeds feel quite incredibly fast. Doing 20 on a sailboat feels like doing 40 in a powerboat – possibly even more exhilarating than that! Specially given the fact that to go that fast it has to be very windy, which in turns equals choppy seas unless you are in some narrow channel. Consider what it might feel like doing 20 knots in choppy seas where the boat is hammering into wave after wave. You can probably imagine the excitement.

Most of the above comments are based on above average sailboats. Well, to be fair, a TransPac or Santa Cruz 52 is well above average. They are in super boat territory. But, there exists a certain breed of speed sailing boat that is at a whole other level of performance and speed unattainable by standard production boats – Boats that are purposely built for speed as the number one priority. If a TP52 is a super-boat, the way a Ferrari 360 is a super car, the freaks of nature we are talking about would be hyper boats. The same way one would call a Mercedes McLaren 722 a hyper car, boats like the wing-sail AC45 and AC72 developed by the Oracle team for the America’s Cup would be exactly that. These boats which run on a new class in the America’s Cup, are capable of average speeds over 30 knots. Multi-hulls is what the America’s Cup is all about these days, with full teams racing them. Much harder, but much faster and much more exciting for those who love to see fast sailing. In essense, the AC45 is being run during the America’s Cup World Series events in preparation for the America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013 where the larger AC72 will be raced.

Check out the AC45 and AC72 video below:

Oracle America’s Cup AC45 Photo:

Photo by: chatani If this is not exciting enough yet, check out this high-speed capsize of the Oracle AC45:

These are like sailboats on steroids capable of performance and speed like no other. Most of these hyper-boats are either multi-hull catamarans or trimarans and the random hydrofoil like the l’Hydroptére shown in the photo at the top. But while a multi-hull sailboat is almost always faster than a monohull, you can’t completely write-off a mono. There is a certain breed of monohull sailboat capable of speeds close to 40 knots with sustained distance-averages up in the 20’s. Once such boat is the Mari-Cha IV, a carbon fiber mono-hull that holds the world record for the fastest single-hull sailboat to cross the Atlantic. According to the WSSR and ISAF, the 140-foot monster yacht crossed the Atlantic in 6 days, 17 hours, 52 minutes and 39 seconds at an average speed of 18.05 knots.

There will always be a place for fast single-hull sailboats even if the latest trend is toward multihulls for the sheer speed. Plus, keep in mind that until recently the America’s Cup was done with mostly mono-hulls. There are also plenty of major regatta’s dedicated to monohulls. For the combination of speed and rough-seas ability, fast single-hull sailboats will always have a place.

Video of the record setting l’Hydroptére:

Then there is also the very well known sailing craft, which could also be considered a monohull, called the windsurfer. Yes, we’re talking about the guys on a surfboard with a sail on it! As common as they may seem, they are actually one of the fastest sail-powered crafts on water. And of course, we have to mention the kiteboarders which are actually even faster than the windsurfers if the conditions are right. There’s a lot of debate however as to whether a kiteboarder can be considered a sail-powered craft but we’re simply not going to get too much into the stupid politics related to that.

The big numbers…

Top speeds are usually calculated over short distances such as 500 meters. Most of the fastest sailing vessels can reach high top speeds but because they cannot sustain the speed for long distances, average speeds over long passages seem somewhat low for inexperienced eyes.

Since top speed is the key to a lot of people’s excitement, the numbers for fastest sailing speeds over short distances (500 meters) are also held as world records. Let’s look at some of them:

• l’Hydroptére mentioned above, clocked for over 500 meters: 51.36 knots (59.33 MPH)
• The strange Macquarie Innovation which could be considered a catamaran, but hardly: 50.05 knots (57.62 MPH)
• SailRocket , a wing-sail minimalist boat: 47.36 knots (54.50)
• The Yellow Pages Endeavor , another sailboat made just for speed: 46.52 (53.53 MPH)
• Long Shot , another type of strange trimaran… er… or something 43.55 (50.12 MPH)

However, let’s look at the more common “boats” that are actually FASTER than the strange (and expensive) speed machine sailboats listed above.

• Antoine Albeau holds the speed record on a windsurfer at 49.09 knots (59.49 MPH) – Not quite as fast as some of the mutant sailboats, but still one the fastest sail-powered crafts over water.
• Finally, an American Kiteboarder Rob Douglas did 55.65 knots (64.04 MPH) over the waters of Luderitz, Namibia while kiteboarding, making him the fastest sail-powered vessel in the world!

However, ISAF does not want to acknowledge a kiteboarder as a sail-powered craft claiming that a kite is not a sail. (Even though it’s powered solely by wind). That’s up for debate, and nothing takes away the fact that it’s the fastest wind-powered craft over water.

Of course, these are the current records and someone will soon build something that will break them. But, top records aside, it’s the fact that a sail-powered craft can go THAT fast what really matters. Yes, sailing is exciting. Next time some petrol-head wants to argue about how boring sailing is, show him this article and teach him a thing or two about speed sailing!

About Danny Cruz

Publisher of FloatWays, Danny Cruz is resourceful creative designer, lover of the ocean and all things that float.

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6 of the fastest boats you can buy right now

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Serial boat owner and adrenaline junkie Elliott Maurice picks out 6 of the fastest boats available on the market…

A rarefied segment of the boating industry is dedicated to creating some of the fastest boats in the world. They’re the Bugatti Chirons and Koenigseggs of the seas. Builders of these boats work to extreme tolerances, using exotic materials and construction methods usually found in the aviation industry.

Of course, at this level, low volume production and the aforementioned construction methods combine to create an exclusive product with an even more exclusive price tag. These super high-performance boats will be hugely impractical for most purposes, when compared to a typical leisure vessel, and the skipper will need significant ability to get the most out of it.

In reality any boat capable of speeds more than 60 knots (69mph) is very fast indeed. Given the hugely changeable nature of water compared to tarmac, this is akin to driving a car at around 120mph.

Most of the fastest boats use race-derived hulls with roots dating back to the 1980s when the ‘Go-Fast boat’ became synonymous with the glamor and excesses of the time. TV shows like Miami Vice , with Don Johnson catching drug dealers in his iconic Wellcraft 39 Scarab , helped make these boats extremely popular.

In reality, high performance offshore boats of this type were extensively used by cartels to run drugs into Miami, with the DEA commissioning a fleet of Blue Thunder powercats to help combat the problem.

Fast forward to today, some of the fastest boats are capable of exceeding 180mph with specialist engines and are in fact faster than the boats in Class 1 Offshore racing, where horsepower is limited to twin 1,100hp.

This list is by no means exhaustive – there are also a number of phenomenal offerings out there from legendary builders like Nortech, Sunsation, Donzi and Fountain.

6 of the fastest boats you can buy

Goldfish 46 Bullet

World’s fastest RIB

Top speed: 85 knots (99 mph) Price: $1.2million

Starting with one of the most revered names in the world of performance RIBs, Norwegian yard Goldfish Boats build exceptionally capable open water powerboats. They are also the fastest Ridged Inflatable Boats on the market today.

The 46 Bullet is the fastest of them all – with triple 500hp V10 Mercury outboards 85 knots is achievable. Around $1.2 million will put you in the driving seat of this exquisitely built boat with a carbon superstructure, state of the art electronics and custom racing seating for six.

Perfectly capable of cruising for hours in excess of 60 knots in challenging conditions, the Goldfish is capable of holding its own in rough water against almost any offshore powerboat challenger.

Article continues below…

Fastest boat: The current holder and contenders for the world water-speed record

Mystic M5200 yacht tour: On board the 70-knot, 2,400hp Bentley GT of the seas

Outerlimits SV50

World’s fastest production monohull

Top speed: 156 knots (180 mph) Price: $900,000

At 50ft 1in LOA and only 9ft in the beam, this rocket ship is a pure raceboat in design, with five steps in the hull and staggered engines to keep the driver as close to the centerline as possible.

At the 2023 Lake of the Ozarks shootout an SV50 with enclosed cockpit and twin 2,000hp engines ran 180.47 mph on a 1km run making it the fastest production monohull on the water.

More impressive is that a standard boat with twin Mercury Racing 1,350/1,550hp can easily top 140mph. However, this is a boat requiring an exceptional skill to drive, with handling characteristics as aggressive as its outright speed suggests. Starting at around $900,000 the SV50 is the ultimate in its class.

MTI Pleasure 52

Top speed: 156 knots (180mph) Price: $2 million

Another brand known for its offshore race winning boats, MTI produces nothing but high-performance boats. From its V series center consoles to its outboard -powered cats, this semi-custom builder doesn’t make a boat that does less than 80mph.

The 52 Pleasure is the fastest of the breed, with a full race version available using the same hull. With twin 1,750hp Mercury racing engines, this boat can achieve over 180mph.

With full custom options, MTI have even built a Lamborghini-inspired 48 footer to match the owner’s Lamborghini Aventador. Fitted with Aventador style tail lights and dashboard, the boat even had a matching covered starter button.

Needless to say, all this glamour doesn’t come cheap. You can expect a starting price of around $2 million for this level of exotica.

Cigarette 515

The most legendary go-fast boat

Top speed: 113 knots (130mph) Price: $2.2 million

No go-fast boat comes with as much pedigree as the Cigarette. Founded by the legendary Don Aronow, Cigarette Boats dominated offshore racing worldwide for over a decade, so much so that the brand name has become synonymous with offshore racers.

Still built in Florida, the brand has development ties with Mercedes AMG and Mercury Racing alike. As the largest high-performance boat in the range, the 515 offers peerless attention to detail and quality alike.

It is not the fastest production monohull, with a top speed of just over 130mph achievable with twin staggered 1,350/1,550hp Mercury Racing engines. It is, however, the best riding and one of the most capable offshore powerboats for handling rough water.

Its carbon fiber, vacuum bagged construction helps to justify its $2.2 million starting price and above all, it is the ultimate Cigarette boat.

Photo: Tom Leigh

Mystic C4000

Top speed: 108 knots (125mph) Price: $699,000

Mystics founder John Cosker is responsible for some of the fastest offshore raceboats in the world. Throttling his American Ethanol 50ft Catamaran, he hit 204mph this year setting the record on the Lake of the Ozarks sprint course.

Mystic will custom build a race winning boat for you on request, however Mystic now has a range of three high performance center consoles, with the C4000 outboard cat being the fastest production boat in the range, equipped with twin 500hp Mercury Racing outboards.

The C4000 will top 125mph and cruise in the upper 80s. With a bias on cruising comfort, the C4000 is a tuned down version of the Mystic race boat, with the tunnel compression reduced to hold the boat down rather than create the less controllable lift of the 180mph capable race hull.

The engines are also mounted on hydraulic jack plates to further trim the hull and keep the boat glued down in rough water. At just under 44ft the luxuriously appointed Mystic C4000 can offer performance akin to a light aircraft over distance – think Miami to Bimini in under an hour in the right conditions.

The Mystic is designed to run at speed confidently by most owners without the extreme characteristics of boats at this performance level. Options like a full cockpit sunshade, premium stereo and open transom make the C4000 as comfortable for lounging at a sandbar as it is running at blistering speed in open ocean.

Midnight Express 43 Open

The fastest center console boat

Top speed: 78 knots (90mph) Price: $1million

The center console market has exploded over the past few years, with a ceneter console now available for almost any boating application. The high-performance end of the spectrum has a handful of sublime builders.

However, the fastest arguably goes to Midnight Express 43, when running 5x 500hp V10 outboards. Capable of over 90mph, the 43 can also accommodate up to 20 people in comfort and 9 people at speed in luxurious quilted ultra leather bolster seats.

So good is the hull on the Midnight Express that Miami-Dade County DEA used the 39ft version as its high speed response boats. With its all-carbon superstructure and air-conditioned helm, the 43 is an extremely desirable boat, and over 100 units of this $1 million dollar boat have been sold to date.

Grand Banks 62 first look: new yacht set to launch in 2025

New boats at cannes boat show 2024: pershing gtx80, new boats at cannes boat show 2024: wilder 60, latest videos, watch: parker sorrento sea trial: 50-knot cruiser with a killer aft cabin, watch: virtue v10 sea trial: €272k weekender, how to mark your anchor chain: 6 top tips from our expert, watch: galeon 560 fly sea trial – the best galeon flybridge you can buy.

All you need to know about Monohull Sailboats

The definition of monohull is a sailboat with a single hull.

Monohull sailboats are often categorised by the type of rig (mast and sails. Monohull sailboats are also called a sloop, cutter, ketch, yawl, or schooner.

Modern sailboats are most commonly the sloop. It has one mast and two sails. Typically, a Bermuda-rigged main and a headsail. This configuration is extremely efficient for sailing into wind.

A cutter is similar to an sloop, with one mast and mainsail. However, the mast is generally carried further aft to permit a staysail and jib to be attached to the inner forestay and head stay.

The ketches has 2 masts, and a shorter mast at the end of the mainmast and forward of the rudder posts. The shorter mast is called the mizzen mast. You can also Cutter-rig a ketch with two head sails.

A yawl is similar to a ketch, with a shorter mizzen mast carried astern the rudderpost more for balancing the helm than propulsion.

A schooner’s mainmast is taller than its foremast. This distinguishes it from a ketch. A schooner may have more than one mast, but the foremast is always lower than its foremost main. Topsail schooners of the past had topmasts that allowed triangular topsails sails above their gaff sails. Many modern schooners are Bermuda-rigged.

A monohull sailboat is a type of boat that has only one hull, or main body. The monohull design is the most common type of sailboat, and it is also one of the oldest types of boats in existence.

The monohull design is simple and efficient, and it is able to provide good stability and speed. Monohull sailboats are typically used for racing, cruising, and other types of sailing. Some monohull sailboats are also used for fishing or other commercial purposes.

Monohull sailboats come in a variety of sizes, from small boats that can be sailed by one person to large boats that require a crew of several people.

Sailboats have been around for centuries, and their origins can be traced back to the early days of human history. The first sailboats were probably simple rafts or canoes that were propelled by the wind. These early boats were likely used for fishing or transportation, and they gradually became more sophisticated as humans learned to build better vessels.

Around 4,000 years ago, the Egyptians began using sailboats to transport goods along the Nile River. The sailboat soon became an essential part of life in ancient Egypt, and it continued to be used for trade and travel throughout the Mediterranean region.

Today, sailboats are still used for transportation and leisure, and they continue to evoke a sense of adventure and exploration.

Monohull Sailboat

The monohull sailboat is a sailboat with a single hull. A monohull sailing boat has the following characteristics – The monohull, is propelled by wind and kept on course by the fins in the water beneath it. – The rudder controls the trajectory. It consists of the “wing” at the rear of hull, which is submerged in water and the helm. – Monohulls can be mono- or twin-rudder. A monohull’s speed will determine how thrilling it is. Monohulls are a great choice for speed enthusiasts. – The monohull can be broken down into two parts: the rig or the hull. This is what makes the sailboat float. Ballast is a mixture of tanks filled with water that stabilizes the monohull. This counterbalances the list. (This is an inclination that’s a little under wind pressure or for some other reason). The monohull’s daggerboards are visible from the hull. They will keep the monohull on its course.

A keel is a device that ensures stability and prevents the boat from capsizing. The rigging refers to all parts that help a boat propel itself and manoeuvre.

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40 Best Sailboats

• By Cruising World Editors
• Updated: May 24, 2024

Sailors are certainly passionate about their boats, and if you doubt that bold statement, try posting an article dubbed “ 40 Best Sailboats ” and see what happens.

Barely had the list gone live, when one reader responded, “Where do I begin? So many glaring omissions!” Like scores of others, he listed a number of sailboats and brands that we were too stupid to think of, but unlike some, he did sign off on a somewhat upbeat note: “If it weren’t for the presence of the Bermuda 40 in Cruising World’s list, I wouldn’t even have bothered to vote.”

By vote, he means that he, like hundreds of other readers, took the time to click through to an accompanying page where we asked you to help us reshuffle our alphabetical listing of noteworthy production sailboats so that we could rank them instead by popularity. So we ask you to keep in mind that this list of the best sailboats was created by our readers.

The quest to building this list all began with such a simple question, one that’s probably been posed at one time or another in any bar where sailors meet to raise a glass or two: If you had to pick, what’re the best sailboats ever built?

In no time, a dozen or more from a variety of sailboat manufacturers were on the table and the debate was on. And so, having fun with it, we decided to put the same question to a handful of CW ‘s friends: writers and sailors and designers and builders whose opinions we value. Their favorites poured in and soon an inkling of a list began to take shape. To corral things a bit and avoid going all the way back to Joshua Slocum and his venerable Spray —Hell, to Noah and his infamous Ark —we decided to focus our concentration on production monohull sailboats, which literally opened up the sport to anyone who wanted to get out on the water. And since CW is on the verge or turning 40, we decided that would be a nice round number at which to draw the line and usher in our coming ruby anniversary.

If you enjoy scrolling through this list, which includes all types of sailboats, then perhaps you would also be interested in browsing our list of the Best Cruising Sailboats . Check it out and, of course, feel free to add your favorite boat, too. Here at Cruising World , we like nothing better than talking about boats, and it turns out, so do you.

– LEARN THE NAVIGATION RULES – Know the “Rules of the Road” that govern all boat traffic. Be courteous and never assume other boaters can see you. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

40. Moore 24

39. Pearson Vanguard

38. Dufour Arpege 30

37. Alerion Express 28

36. Mason 43/44

35. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43DS

34. Nor’Sea 27

33. Freedom 40

32. Beneteau Sense 50

31. Nonsuch 30

30. Swan 44

29. C&C Landfall 38

28. Gulfstar 50

27. Sabre 36

26. Pearson Triton

– CHECK THE FIT – Follow these guidelines to make sure your life jacket looks good, stays comfortable and works when you need it. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

25. Islander 36

24. Gozzard 36

23. Bristol 40

22. Tartan 34

21. Morgan Out Island 41

20. Hylas 49

19. Contessa 26

18. Whitby 42

17. Columbia 50

16. Morris 36

15. Hunter 356

13. Beneteau 423

12. Westsail 32

– CHECK THE WEATHER – The weather changes all the time. Always check the forecast and prepare for the worst case. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard

10. Alberg 30

9. Island Packet 38

8. Passport 40

7. Tayana 37

6. Peterson 44

5. Pacific Seacraft 37

4. Hallberg-Rassy 42

3. Catalina 30

2. Hinckley Bermuda 40

1. Valiant 40

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Monohull or multihull: which is best for blue water?

• Chris Beeson
• March 29, 2016

As former editor of Yachting World, David Glenn has plenty of experience of both monohull and multihull cruising. Here he weighs up the pros and cons

One hull, or two? Your choice will define your life afloat Credit: David Glenn

Through the binoculars I could see masts off Basil’s Bar on Mustique. Their lack of movement suggested a fine anchorage, sheltered from the tradewind-driven swell that builds up in the channel between Mustique and Bequia. It soon became apparent that most belonged to cats, immune from the rolling monohulls like ours would endure if we were to stop in this otherwise enticing bay.

More anchorages in a multi

Cats galore off the Soggy Dollar Bar, Jost van Dyke: too shallow for a fixed keel monohull of similar size

Stability is one of the truly great advantages of a cruising multihull. Not just at sea where the tiresome business of heeling is something that simply doesn’t – or shouldn’t – happen to any great extent, but at anchor too. It dramatically widens one’s choice of anchorages to include those affected by swell – not uncommon in the Caribbean, for instance, where a subtle change in wind direction can make a previously flat calm anchorage unbearable in a monohull. Its comparatively shoal draught widens the choice still further.

I grew up with monohulls, own one, and frankly wouldn’t consider a multihull for the sort of sailing I do. In northern European waters, marina berthing is a regular necessity and completely safe open anchorages are few and far between.

No rolling or heeling, 360° views and one-level living, as here on a Lagoon 52, appeal to many

But if I were to undertake some serious blue water cruising and I wanted family and friends genuinely to enjoy being afloat, particularly those less experienced, a multihull would have to be a consideration. I would have to put aside the question of aesthetics – let’s face it, they’re ugly beasts – and forego that unique and satisfying sensation of a yacht sailing well, because to date I have not experienced it in a cruising multihull. And that’s quite a sacrifice.

More space in a multi

My attitude changed after chartering catamarans in the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The need to accommodate two families comprising largely of teenage children made the choice of a multihull a no-brainer. In a 46-footer we could accommodate a party of 10 in comfort and the paraphernalia demanded by youth, like surfboards, windsurfers, kites and snorkelling kit, without feeling jammed in.

One-level living makes a big difference when sailing as a famly

The cavernous berths in the ends of the hulls, the wide saloon-cum-galley with its panoramic view and the inside/outside lifestyle made possible by the juxtaposition of the big aft deck and the same level saloon, got the entire crew onside instantly.

As an outside living space, with a trampoline at one end and a massive aft deck at the other, there is simply no comparison with a monohull of the same length. So space, linked to stability, makes for an experience that everyone, even the timid and novices, will find hard not to enjoy.

No speed difference

A multihull, like this Moorings 46, has abundant stowage on deck and below, but filling it all will slow her down

Load-carrying ability is a double-edged sword. On the up side there is room for a big crew and its kit, much more fresh water tankage than a monohull, eliminating the need for an expensive, temperamental watermaker, and finding space for a generator should be easy.

On the down side the temptation to overload will probably cancel out any perceived performance advantage. Multihulls can be relatively quick in the right offwind conditions, but if they are heavily laden – as they will be for blue water cruising – there really is no significant speed advantage.

The Gunboat 66 Phaedo 1 piles on the speed, but for blue water cruisers, comfort and stowage is more important than pace

Some new designs such as Gunboat and Outremer have concentrated on performance, but most clients aren’t overly concerned about outright speed and are happy to trade performance for the considerable comfort offered by brands like Lagoon, Broadblue, the Fontaine Pajot stable, Leopard, Catana, Privilege and others.

Mono sails better

Monohulls, like this Amel 55, sail better upwind, and her ballast keel adds displacement, which means comfort when it’s rough. Multihulls can develop an unpleasant motion in a big sea

Upwind, most cruising multihulls won’t point like a monohull with a deeper keel, and when it gets lumpy and fresh, the motion can become distinctly unpleasant. You have to keep a particularly careful eye on sail area too, but more of that in a moment.

In 2011 I was involved in a test of three cruising catamarans and among my fellow judges was multihull design legend Nigel Irens. He pointed out that catamaran buyers have voted for accommodation (which means weight) over performance, so the dilemma of mixing the two has largely disappeared. With it went the spectre of capsize because, relative to their displacement and beam, the modern cruising catamaran is under-canvassed. But that doesn’t mean that sailors can simply set sail and go in any weather.

‘Speed limits’ on a multi

On a multihull, it’s more important to know when to reef. Set speed limits and stick to them

Also on the panel was Brian Thompson, the lone Brit on board the 130ft French trimaran Banque Populaire V that sailed around the world in under 46 days. He told me that the tell-tale signs for knowing when to reef are far more subtle on a multihull. Apart from instinct, Brian suggested monitoring boat speed closely and having a speed limit to trigger reefing. It is easy to overlook a building breeze when bowling along downwind in a multihull, which is going faster and faster. ‘Keep your boat speed within safe limits you should not get into too much trouble,’ he said.

People often ask about anchoring a multihull, which is important as a multihull will spend a lot of time at anchor. Squeezing into a marina can be nigh on impossible, and expensive if you can get in. An essential piece of kit, which should be standard with a new boat, is a bridle that runs from either hull and keeps the anchor cable on the centreline. In many ways this is easier than anchoring a monohull as it prevents the ground tackle from fouling the hulls.

If you do get alongside a marina pontoon you will soon discover another modern cruising multihull issue: excessive freeboard. It’s worth investing in a portable ladder for those marina moments. Of more concern is MOB recovery. There are bathing platforms on both hulls of most new boats, but it’s not the place to be if a yacht is pitching in a heavy sea. So considerable thought needs to be applied to retrieving an MOB if the worst happens.

The recent and dramatic increase in numbers of multihulls going blue water cruising is certainly testament to their appealing ‘lifestyle’ attributes, but one must bear in mind that they are not a fix for all liveaboard cruising challenges. It’s just a different way of doing things. The elements remain the same and can inflict just as much punishment for the unwary on a multihull as they can on a monohull.

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Catamaran vs. Monohull Sailboats

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

When it comes to catamaran vs. monohull, there are two schools of thought that always prompt impassioned debates as to which one is much better.

If you've used both a catamaran (a boat with two hulls) and a monohull (a boat with one hull), you know that they both have pros and cons. In most cases, it all boils down to your personal preferences and intended use but that shouldn't prevent us from highlighting the better one.

A catamaran is much better than a monohull in many ways. Catamarans are more stable, faster, and spacious. They also offer safer anchorage and are easy to control. Monohulls are more maneuverable, have lower costs, and better when sailing upwind. It all comes down to personal preference and intended purposes, but when it's all said and done, a catamaran has more advantages than a monohull.

In this incisive article, we'll highlight the critical differences between a catamaran and a monohull and see the one that comes out on top.

Table of contents

Catamaran vs Monohull

Safety while out there on the water is one of the most critical things that any sailor should have in mind when choosing the type of boat to use.

Catamarans shine on many aspects of safety. They're generally more stable and seem to have natural buoyancy since they don't have ballast and this makes them almost unsinkable. Generally, catamarans are designed with a considerable amount of reserve buoyancy thanks to the crannies of the vessel, nooks, and closed-cell foam. These objects can, however, become a serious cause of safety concern should there be a fire outbreak. All in all, a cat can sink in an accident, but it'll most likely float on the surface of water unlike monohulls, which will sink to the bottom.

Again, catamarans have flat decks. This makes it a lot safer to walk on them than it would be to walk on angled decks of monohulls. Given their flat decks, a catamaran boat will stay level and have less pitching and so it's a lot easier to keep the crew aboard and safe even in rough weather.

Another important fact that may contribute to the safety of a catamaran is its speed. If you've always believed that speed equals safety, then a catamaran is the right boat for you. In short, the speed of a catamaran will allow you to outrun rough weather. A modern catamaran can clock nearly 250 miles a day, which is quite faster, and so there's no reason why you should get caught in bad weather.

In terms of safety, a monohull is nowhere near a catamaran as far as safety is concerned. The most important thing about a monohull in terms of safety is its self-righting capabilities. With a monohull, you're likely to return to an upright position even after capsizing and this can give you a chance of accessing onboard safety equipment, floatation devices, life raft, EPIRBS, dinghy, strobe lights, and many more.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of a catamaran. With a catamaran, you'll stay upside down once you're upside down and this can be fatal in the middle of the ocean.

Verdict: The self-righting capabilities of a monohull can be life-saving but it isn't guaranteed. On the contrary, a catamaran has loads of safety features chief among them is its unsinkability, so it easily comes out on top as far as safety is concerned.

Speed and Performance

If everything including length remains the same, a catamaran is about 30% faster than a monohull. A cat can sail at half the speed of wind but this will, of course, upon the angle of the wind. It remains the faster vessel and will allow you to arrive at your destination promptly. If anything, you can outrun bad weather with a catamaran.

Monohulls are generally designed to operate pleasantly with the sailing elements. This means that they won't fight these elements and will, in turn, offer slow but sure sailing. However, they do not have a lower wetted surface area and are certainly much slower when compared to catamarans. They can, nonetheless, be a great choice for sailing upwind.

Verdict: When it comes to speed, the catamaran wins hands down. No argument.

Needless to say, a catamaran is designed with two parallel hulls that give it a more reliable form of stability. This is crucial in preventing heeling and capsizing while also mitigating any chances of rolling when speeding. This stability is also of great importance in eliminating seasickness for passengers.

The level of stability that a catamaran has is one of the main reasons why capsizing is a very rare occurrence. A catamaran can lurch when the tops of the waves are at a certain distance, thereby leading to less bobbing.

The stability of a monohull will always be questioned, especially when compared to a catamaran. To put it into perspective, a monohull is four times more likely to capsize than a catamaran because its design means that it has less stability. If anything, a mono's single-beam design makes it seven times more likely to feel the effects of heeling than a catamaran of the same size. In essence, heeling is a major problem in monohulls.

Verdict: The high level of stability that a catamaran brings to sailing will make even a novice sailor feel more confident sailing on a catamaran. Differently, a monohull is less stable and seems to be in constant rolling and pitching motion, which makes it very unstable and unsafe to walk around the deck.

Maneuverability

In most cases, cats always have twin engines, set almost 20 feet apart. This will not only give you superb close control in tight situations but certainly removes the need for a bow thruster. While it may seem redundant to have twin engines on a cat, you'll appreciate the importance of the second engine if the first engine develops a mechanical issue while you're out there on the water.

The shallow drafts of the catamaran also play a major role in maneuverability in the sense that you can navigate into places where you can't get with a monohull such as close to the shore without thinking about running aground.

From a different point of view, a monohull can be better in terms of maneuverability since you won't be dealing with two hulls. A monohull can also make sharp turns and even sail through narrow channels and tight spaces, which is almost impossible with a catamaran. Additionally, a monohull has a higher hull displacement, which is essential in reducing the adverse effects of crosswinds, especially in tight conditions.

Verdict: The differences in terms of maneuverability are slight in both the catamaran and monohull. The fair verdict here is a draw.

Docking and Anchorage

With no ballast or a considerable keel, the overall weight of a cat is significantly reduced. This makes it more lightweight and this is why it wouldn't be uncommon for a 36+ foot catamaran to explore some of the shallow areas that a monohull wouldn't dare reach.

However, the wider and unique size of a cat means that it won't easily fit on a traditional slip and this needs a unique set of skills and careful planning to anchor at most docks. This means that finding the right space at the dock can be quite difficult, so you may have to take a dinghy to the shore.

A monohull is a lot easier to dock as it takes less space compared to a catamaran. This means that your docking, hauling, and slipping charges will be much less than those of a catamaran.

Verdict: Does it make any sense to bring two boats to the shore? Well, this is what you do when you have a catamaran and it certainly loses to the mono as far as docking and anchorage are concerned.

Ride Comfort

A comfortable ride is, without a doubt, one of the most important things to consider when looking for the right boat for you.

The fact that a catamaran is designed with a wider footprint is of great importance in mitigating the negative effects of unpredictable rolling and pitching that sailing is known for. A catamaran has a broad surface area, which makes it more comfortable and stable. As such, it's a lot easier and safer to cook while sailing.

Again, your passengers will be less prone to seasickness in a catamaran because there's less pitching and a cat doesn't roll from swell to swell as it happens in a monohull. That's not all; walking on the deck of a catamaran is a lot easier and safer since the boat is flat. This makes reefing much easier and safer and your chances of falling overboard are greatly reduced. More importantly, it's more pleasurable to sleep in a catamaran because it never heels.

In terms of ride comfort, a monohull offers smooth sailing as it doesn't slap or pound the water like a catamaran. This is because it works harmoniously with the sailing element and doesn't fight it like a catamaran, especially when sailing upwind. However, seasickness brought about by constant rolling and pitching of a monohull.

Verdict: If you want to have a comfortable sailing ride, a catamaran has many benefits than a monohull as long as it has a superb bridge deck clearance that disperses wave action.

Maintenance

A catamaran is general designed with two of everything. From the two hulls to the two engines, you seem to get things double, which can be reliable when sailing if there's an issue with one part. In other words, you always have a backup.

However, the costs of maintenance can be high if you have to maintain the boat, even though you can still use one part if the other part isn't working.

The fact that you only have single parts means that you have to be very careful and ensure that your monohull vessel is maintained or repaired regularly. Fortunately, the costs of maintenance and repairs are greatly reduced when compared to those of a catamaran.

Verdict: It's highly doubtful that you'll take your catamaran out if one of the two hulls or engines are faulty. The monohull wins this.

The costs of a catamaran are substantially high since everything seems to come in pairs. However, catamarans are known to have high resale values, very low depreciation rates, and can sell a lot faster than monohulls because they're more popular with modern sailors. But because catamarans aren't widely manufactured in the United States, their costs are still high as you'll have to include the delivery costs.

When deciding to buy a monohull vessel, you should keep in mind that they're widely available on the market so their costs might be a bit lower compared to catamarans. Again, their low maintenance cost will work to your advantage.

Verdict: The costs of buying and maintaining a monohull are quite low, so it's the best choice if you're on a tight budget but still want to enjoy sailing. Catamarans are very costly to build and are more expensive than monohulls.

The amount of deck space afforded by a catamaran is huge and always very spacious. The amount of space that a cat can afford you is one of the main reasons why you should choose it if you're looking for comfort or planning to live aboard the vessel.

On the contrary, monohulls are narrower when compared to catamarans; hence they have a very limited deck space. This is particularly mitigated by the fact that they have additional storage space.

Verdict: A catamaran has a lot more deck space and wins on this.

Load Distribution

Unlike monohulls, catamarans are rectangular and are more stable. This is essential in giving the passengers more freedom without necessarily having to worry about how their weight is distributed inside the boat.

A monohull is almost similar to standing on one leg and balancing can be quite overwhelming. This means that the weight of the passengers will have to be evenly distributed to ensure that the boat is balanced. Of course, this will limit the freedom of passengers and any imbalance might make the boat capsize.

Verdict: You don't have to worry about load distribution in a catamaran but this can be a negative issue in a monohull.

Fuel Efficiency

If you want to save money by reducing the fuel costs, a catamaran is an ideal option. A cat generally experiences little drag or resistance and doesn't need lots of fuel to move. They also have a steady rise in speed, which means that there will be no sudden increase in fuel consumption.

In comparison, the level of drag created due to greater displacement in a monohull vessel means that there will be a higher resistance and this translates to higher fuel consumption.

Verdict: A monohull consumes more fuel than a catamaran, so a cat is an ideal option if you're looking for fuel-efficiency.

In Conclusion

To this end, it's easy to see that a catamaran comes out on top as the best option on many fronts. This doesn't mean that a monohull doesn't have its advantages. Of course, it has both advantages and disadvantages just like a catamaran does.

And even though the catamaran comes out on top, the final decision is on you and may depend on your personal preferences. Whatever you choose, make sure that you enjoy your sailing vacation.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Berthon Winter Collection

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August 2024

In the August 2024 issue of Yachting World magazine: News Few finish a tempestuous Round The Island Race European rules are eased for cruising to France and Greece Olympic sailing…

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

Fast and furious Neo 400 is claimed to be the ‘fastest cruising 40-footer in the world’

• Toby Hodges
• February 20, 2015

Is the boast plausible? Toby Hodges takes a close look at this muscular racer-cruiser

A sign that brags ‘the fastest cruising 40-footer in the world’ is a sure-fire way to attract attention. My first impressions of the Neo 400 stern-to at the Genoa Boat Show made me question that statement, but the more I discovered about this quirky boat, the more the boast seemed plausible.

She’s a little like the tweaked road cars in the Fast and Furious film series – ie not an out-an-out racing design, but a muscular racer-cruiser with accommodation.

The Neo is built entirely in carbon (optionally pre-preg), so weighs a butterfly-light 4.8 tonnes, with exactly half of that in her torpedo-shaped keel. And like the nitro-fuelled Japanese cars in the blockbuster films, she is capable of exhilarating speeds – reportedly up to 24 knots downwind.

The prototype has clocked 10,000 miles since launching in February. Once Paolo Semeraro, the man behind her conception, had finished showing me round the boat, she departed for the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

America’s Cup designer Giovanni Ceccarelli drew the Neo for racing under ORCi and IRC ratings. Her hull is optimised for max waterline length at 20° heel and features a slightly reverse stem. The result is, says Semeraro: “She sails upwind like an Xp44 and downwind like a Class 40.”

Unusual options include a very deep keel and high aspect rudder, which can retract for accessing shallower waters. Both aft cabins include three single berths that can be canted to the optimum windward angle to suit racing crews. And forward of the mast a loft option is offered, which is left open to create a large saloon.

Neo 400 interior

Another notable feature is the double compression post in the centre of the interior, which looks like carbon scaffolding, but serves to absorb mast base and shroud base loads. Construction throughout looks rigid, including solid laminate ringframes, a Weldox steel keel fin and a lead bulb.

The Neo is built at Banks Sails in Bari, Italy. It produces two carbon sails per day on average so boasts plenty of laminating experience. It is no surprise then that a large sailplan has been developed for the boat to include a square-top main and a generous foretriangle for asymmetric sails flown off a fixed sprit.

A planned Neo 550 looks sleeker and more refined. With greater attention given to the accommodation and weighing just over ten tonnes, she could be one to watch. The 400 viewed was a working prototype, which was obvious from the standard of finish. And I suspect, however fast or furiously she sails, the price of construction may ensure she remains a niche boat.

Price ex VAT €355,000 (£282,000). www.neoyachts.com

LOA 12.15m/39ft 10in

LWL 11.50m/37ft 9in

Beam 3.99m/13ft 1in

Draught 2.60m-1.60m/ 8ft 6in-5ft 3in

Displacement 4,600kg/10,141lb

This is an extract from a feature in the November 2014 issue of Yachting World