J/95, J/97, Summit 35 All Win "Boat of the Year" Awards

Just a quick post to highlight some "Boat of the Year" awards that have just been announced in the sailing press. We're happy to have our lines at the top of the list!

J/95:
SAIL Magazine 2010 Boat of the Year, Performance category
Sailing World 2010 Overall Boat of the Year
Cruising World 2010 Domestic Boat of the Year
Cruising World 2010 Boat of the Year, "Weekender" category








J/97:
Sailing World 2010 Boat of the Year, Club Racer category



Summit 35:
Sailing World "Best IRC Racer" 2010

First Sail: md35 from Summit Yachts/Mark Mills

The very sexy md35 has been sitting at our dock for quite awhile now, and I was finally able to sail her recently. She is all about going fast and looking good, with teak decks and an open transom that screams "Wally" to fans of modern design aesthetics. But you never know if the bulb keel and narrow waterline are going to translate into boatspeed until you take her out there.

We sailed the boat in the Thursday night beercan series with a provisional rating of 54and breeze from 3 to 9 kts. The first leg (upwind) had us only slightly off the pace of a Club Swan 42 - impressive! As the breeze picked up they were able to take advantage of the additional waterline to leg-out on us, but in the really light stuff this boat will MOVE.



Judging by the smiles in the back of the boat, she felt great downwind too. I was struggling a bit with launching the big asym kite out of the companionway since there isn't much real estate on the bow. It's not a very typical "pit" set-up but would get easier after a few outings.

For someone that wants a real head-turner that is going to sail circles around just about anything in her size range, this is a great boat, and the price point is significantly less than some of the similar daysailors coming out of Europe. Joe, should I sign you up for one?

But I've Been Busy!

OK, so maybe it's no coincidence that my blogging came to a screeching halt at about the same time that my boat went in the water, but that doesn't mean there's been nothing to report. While some of my fellow bloggers are resorting to lists, I will provide a brief summary of events in my world.

Brokerage sales continue to be strong, with plenty of inventory but few motivated & realistic sellers. Boats that are priced right continue to sell though, and I'm happy to have some great values among my listings.

New boat sales are still extremely sluggish but we're anticipating one significant deal to close next week. As with other downturns, innovation will turn this around. For example:

• Hull #7 of the MJM 40z in now in production, proving there is a market for a fast, efficient 40 footer that can easily entertain 12+ on a single level pilothouse - and dock with a crew of one














• The J/95 is bringing J performance to thin-water sailors everywhere; hull #5 is available so call for a test sail today















• We have delivered 5 highly customized new Alerion Express this spring, and our dealer territory has just been expanded to include New Jersey to Maine
















• The IRC Owners Group here in Western Long Island Sound - an idea that originated at McMichael - is creating closer racing between more boats, and laying the foundation for new boats like the Summit 35

Most importantly, it's summer, the sun is out and the wind is blowing. I think I'll wrap this up and go sailing!

What Can the Bowsprit Do For You?

Last week I got the chance to hear designer Mark Mills (he drew the King 40 and Summit 35, among others) discuss the relative merits of a bowsprit with asymmetric spinnaker vs. a traditional spinnaker on a pole.

As a J/Boat guy, I’m fully onboard with the advantages of a sprit, specifically the ease of use, lower crew requirements, and increased fun factor. But Mills took a more scientific look at the advantages of either configuration under IRC in specific wind ranges.

A traditional spinnaker can operate like an asym with the pole all the way forward, however the sail by necessity has less area. With a longer luff length, an asym flying from a bowsprit will offer roughly 15% more sail area on the same boat – and IRC is pretty forgiving of this increased downwind sail area.

The final analysis? According to Mills, an asymmetrical kite on a sprit will be at an advantage at or below 12 kts under IRC; above 12 kts, the versatility of a traditional pole comes into its own. As always, individual results may vary; consult your yacht broker/sailmaker/tax advisor before making any changes to your sailing diet.

Now THAT'S a spinnaker! (King 40 at KWRW)